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Period: 30,000 BCE to
BEGINNINGS TO EXPLORATION
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12,000 BCE
Bering Land Bridge
The first settlers came 27,000 years ago on the Bering Land Bridge also known as Beringia. The bridge was a connection between Asia and North America that allowed people from Asia into Canada and the rest of North America. The Bering land bridge was formed by layers of ice during the Ice Age in a narrow channel called the Bering Strait. The formation of this bridge connect these two continents and that is what allowed the native Americans to cross from Asia into North America. -
1095
The Crusades (Indulgences)
An indulgence during this time period was practiced by those who were in the Roman Catholic Church. An indulgence occurred when a person committed a mortal sin but was given an indulgence as punishment in order to be forgiven in a way. An indulgence was something that a person had to do like a certain act of kindness, a visit to a specific place or maybe even a certain prayer. Martin Luther was the one to speak out on this fake issue. -
1300
The Renaissance
The renaissance was a time period that lasted from the 14th century until the 17th century. European cultural,political, artistic and economic “rebirth” occurred during this time period following the Middle Ages. During this time period, great artists became well known such as Leonardo da Vinci who is famous for his Mona Lisa painting. -
1347
The Black Death
The black death, also know as the black plague, was a disease that spread around Asia and most of Europe. This disease killed one third of Europe's population.The plague was caused by a bacterium (Yersinia pestis) transmitted to humans from infected rats by the oriental rat flea. The spread of this disease happened quickly due to trade on the silk road which was where the rats came. -
Aug 3, 1492
The Year of 1492 (Columbus)
In 1492 Christopher Columbus led his three ships - the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria - out of the Spanish port of Palos and landed in what is now the West Indies. Although people were already living in this land, Columbus was given credit of discovering the Americas. Essentially what Columbus actually did was explore unknown land and inform the old world about it. -
1517
Reformation (Martin Luther)
Martin Luther created a document that attacked the Catholic Church’s corrupt practice of selling “indulgences” to absolve sin. This document was the start to religious reformation and made the Catholic Church divide. After this division, Protestantism emerged. The new beliefs of Protestantism consisted of Luther's teachings which were that humans may reach salvation only by their faith and not by their deeds and also that the Bible is the central religious authority. -
Period: to
ENGLISH COLONIAL SOCIETIES
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Chesapeake Colonies (John Smith)
John Smith was an explorer as well as a soldier. Smith established America's first permanent English colony became the leader of Jamestown. Smith always tried his best to not upset the natives whom were already living there.This made a big difference and with the natives' help, they were able to make it through the winter. John made the first colony in what was called "the new world". -
Plymouth Colonies
The Plymouth Colony was a puritan based colony. Puritans consisted of reformed English protestants and they ran away to escape prosecution in England. Going to the new world meant that they are able to freely practice their religion. Corruption inside England's walls was another reason for running and migrating into the New World. -
The Enlightenment (John Locke)
John Locke was a philosopher and physician. During the Enlightenment, John Locke was known as the "Father of Liberalism" that greatly influenced Enlightenment thinkers. H was often referred to as the founder of a school of thought that was named British Empiricism. -
Navigation Acts
The Navigation acts were a series of laws that restricted colonial trade to England and decreasing dependence on imported goods from foreign countries. These laws were passed by Parliament in 1651 and once again in 1660. -
New France (King Louis XIV)
King Louis XIV was the longest ruling monarch in European history. He inherited power at the age of 4 when his father died and at the age of 23 had the absolute power himself. During his ruling, Louis enacted the ideas of absolutism. During Louis' reign, France was the leading European power, and it fought three major wars: the Franco-Dutch War, the War of the League of Augsburg, and the War of the Spanish Succession. -
Nathaniel Bacon
Nathaniel Bacon is famous for starting Bacon's Rebellion in the Virginia Colony. The rebellion was started to fight against the rule of Governor William Berkeley. The rebellion did not end until the deat of Nathaniel Bacon. -
Glorious Revolution
Also known as the Revolution of 1688, the Glorious Revolution was the overthrow of King James II of England. Within the revolution, the English constitution came and realignment of power within the english constitution. -
Salem Witch Trials
During this time period, Christianity was a big belief that was practiced. Christians believed that the devil gave humans power. In Salem Village, Massachusetts, a group of girls were on trial for allegedly being possessed by evil spirits like the devil. Everytime, more and more accusations of local women being witches were being made. These women would be put on trial and if found guilty, they were put to death. These trials became to be known as the Salem Witch Trials -
Act of Union
The Scottish and English colonies passed the Act of Union in 1707. The Scottish Parliament was badly structured but soon a vote was taken and the MPs agreed for the union. The enemies came together for profit after this act was made in May. -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals that occured in the 1730s and the 1740s. This awakening affected Protestantism and people started to want to increase their religious devotion. People began to pursue different religions and started to look at the bible as well as interpret it in different ways than how it was first taught. -
Period: to
Colonial America to 1763
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Slavery (The Atlantic Slave Trade)
The Atlantic Slave Trade was the transportation of African Americans slaves that came from mainly central and western Africa, into the Americas. The route that was used for this slave trade was the triangular trade route in the Atlantic Ocean and the Middle Passage. This slave trade occurred from the 16th to the 19th centuries. -
Triangular Trade
The triangular trade is a historic term used for a trade system that included three main ports or regions. Voyages included going from England to Africa, From Africa to the Americas, or from the Americas to England. Things that were traded in this system were raw good from the Americas, finished goods from England and slaves from Africa. The Triangular trade lasted from the 16th century until the early 19th century. -
The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was also known as the "7 years war". The reason of this war was because both the French and British colonies were expanding over the Ohio River Valley. They both fought over whether the valley was open for trade and who would claim it. The war was given its name "The French and Indian War" because the Native Americans allied with the French and fought on their side. The war was ended by The Treaty of Paris in 1763. -
The Enlightenment (Sir Isaac Newton)
Sir Isaac Newton was truly recognized for being one of the most influential scientists of all time, not just during the Enlightenment. He was an English mathematician, and astronomer, a physicist, a theologian, and a philosopher that had a major influence during this period. Newton is mostly known for his scientific cooperation in the enlightenment. He created the laws of motion who are commonly known as "Newton's Laws". -
Period: to
The Revolutionary War
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Treaty of Paris -1763
The Treaty of Paris - 1763 ended the French and Indian War/ The Years War that was going on between France and Britain. The Treaty of Paris - 1763 was official made on Feb. 10,1763 in the city of Paris, France, hints the name. The Treaty made it so that France had to give up all of their land that was located in North America in order to end all of the military threats intended toward the British Colonies. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was an act that was passed by the British Parliament in 1765. This act put a tax on paper used in the colonies like newspapers as well as legal and commercial documents. This act infuriated the colonists and encouraged more the American Revolution. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were a set of laws that were passed by the British Parliament in 1767 and were implemented in the American colonies. These set of laws placed taxes on goods such as paper, paint, lead, glass and tea. These acts also gave British officials the right to search colonists' houses. The introduction of these acts also made the colonist very angry and the American revolution was encouraged once again. -
Boston Massacre (Paul Revere)
Paul Revere was an American Patriot in the American Revolution. Paul Revere was the creator of the engraving three weeks after the Boston Massacre had happened in March. He did not waste any time to show people the highlights of the Massacre and the British tyranny, trying to persuade people to become anti-British among him and other colonists. -
Battle of Lexington
Confrontation at Lexington was what initiated the battle of Lexington and Concord. It was one of the first battles for the revolutionary war. The battles started because British commanders heard of supplies of powder and weapons being hidden by patriots in Lexington and Concord. The first shot of this battle was the first shot in the Revolutionary War and became to be known as the "shot heard around the war". -
Olive Branch Petition
The drafter of the Olive Branch Petition was John Dickinson who was a founder of the United States and was born in November of 1732. The petition was written in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The second continental congress was acquired on July 5th, and later was given to King George lll on July 8, 1775 but was immediately rejected. This was used to try and avoid war between Great Britain and the 13 colonies. -
Dunmore's Proclamation
Dunmore's Proclamation was written and proposed by John Murray who was one of the royal governors of British Virginia. Signed on November 7, 1775, the proclamation was intended to be directed towards slaves by the British. It stated that slaves would be freed if they were willing to fight for the British Army due to the shortage of soldiers on the British side. This proclamation was seen as the turning point between slaves and plantations that were in the South. -
Common Sense
Common Sense was a forty-nine page pamphlet that was written by a man named Thoma Paine. The pamphlet attempted to persuade the readers in the colonies to gain their independence from Great Britain. Paine also implemented for American colonies to form a democratic government. This Pamphlet had a great influence on the colonies because soon they finally gained their independence in 1783. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson from June to July of 1776. At the Second Continental Congress in Independence Hall, the Declaration of Independence was finalized on the day of July 4, 1776. This document declared the independence of the US from Great Britain. -
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was an agreement that was approved between the states after their independence from Great Britain ad was written in 1777. These articles lacked central government and created many issues. After Shay's Rebellion, the Articles of Confederation were ratified. After this ratification came the US Constitution in 1789. -
Massachusetts Constitution
The Massachusetts Constitution was originally written by John Adams in 1779 and was approved by 1780. It was organized into sections, chapters, and articles. This constitution later served as model when it came to writing the constitution of the United States. This constitution is made up of a preamble, a description of framework being done in the government, a declaration of rights and articles of amendment. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion occurred in Massachusetts during the beginning of 1787 and was an uprising that was led by Daniel Shay. Shay was a American Revolutionary War veteran that led 4 thousand rebels to protest about economic and civil rights. The rebellion was not successful after the federal government put the rebellion down. This rebellion was what led to the ratification of the articles of confederation. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was when our founding father came together in Philadelphia in 1787. During this meeting they discussed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. After this convention the articles were ratified and the United States Constitution came into place. -
The Government Branches
The government branches consisted of the legislative branch, the executive branch and the judicial branch. These branches came along with the constitution. The executive branch enforce laws. The legislative branch was the one who made the laws and the judicial branch interprets the laws. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance provided a new method for admitting new states to the Union and listed right that were to be granted in the new territory. There were three main principles in this ordinance which were: (1) a division of the northwest territory into no less than 3 nor more than 5 states. (2) a three stage method for admitting a new stated into the Union (3) a bill of right that gave people religious freedom, the right of trial by jury and other individual rights. -
Election of 1778
In the election of 1788, George Washington was elected as president of the United States. This presidential election lasted from December 15, 1788 to January 10, 1789. John Adams was elected vice president of The United States during this election. Not only was George Washington one of our presidents, he was also one of our founding fathers and was a military leader during the revolutionary war. -
Period: to
New Republic
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Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights were the first ten amendments to the constitution. The Bill of Rights were made in 1791. Thee rights consisted of freedom of expression right to bear arms, no quartering of soldiers, no unreasonable searches and seizures could be done, protection against self incrimination, the right for a speedy trial, the right to trial by jury, no excessive bails or cruel/unusual punishment, the protection of right not specified in constitution and the power reserved for states. -
Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was a machine that separated cotton from the cotton seeds much faster than it would by hand. This machine was invented by a man named Eli Whitney in 1793. The cotton gin would be a success because it made cotton production be much faster. This invention also increased the number of slaves since plantation owners now needed for cotton to be harvested now that production was faster. This cotton gin caused cotton to be the number one cash crop. -
Whiskey Rebellion
In the year of 1794, a tax was put on liquor. After this tax was implemented, rebellions against this tax started to uprise. George Washington was the president at this time. To stop the rebellion, George Washington led militia and put down the rebellion. This was the first test of the US constitution. -
Washington's Farewell Address (Election of 1796)
After Washington's presidency, he decided not to seek a 3rd term and instead, Washington wrote a farewell address. Made up of 32 pages, the address gave future advice for the next US leaders. In the address he warned that no permanent alliances shall be made with other nations during conflicts. Washington also said to avoid excessive political party spirit. -
The XYZ Affair
The XYZ Affair was an issue between the United States and France that started in 1797 and ended in 1798. This affair led to an undeclared war at seas known as the Quasi War. The affair was cause by the Jay Treaty between Britain and the US. France had an issue with the Jay Treaty because they thought that it violated earlier agreements that were made by France and the US. This caused the french to seize American merchant ships at sea. -
Election of 1800
During this election, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Aaron Burr ran for presidency. Burr and Jefferson tied while Adams lost. At the end, Thomas Jefferson was elected president and Burr to be vice president. The decision was made by the house of representatives.The election of 1800 was the end of the naval war. This election also resulted in the 12th amendment to the constitution. The last political war was also a result from this election between the jeffersonians and the Federalists. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a purchase made by the United states as part of a deal with France. The size of this land was about 827,000 square miles of land located on the west of the Mississippi River. This purchase was made for 15 million dollars and instantly doubled the size of the United States. -
12th Amendment
In the 12th Amendment which was ratified in 1804, they changed the way people of the United States could vote for their president and vice president. The election would now be decided by electoral college where there won't be a majority vote for one person and the House of Representatives chooses the president. The senate would be incharge of electing the vice president. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition was an expedition that was commissioned by president Jefferson after the Louisiana Purchase was made. The purpose of the expedition was to explore the new western land that was recently acquired and to find a practical route across the western half of the continent. This expedition was led by a man named Meriwether Lewis and his close friend William Clark. The expedition lasted from 1803 and ended in 1806. -
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The Age of Jefferson
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The Embargo Act of 1807
The Embargo Act of 1807 was a law that was passed by congress and signed by Jefferson. This law was made to prohibit all American ships to trade in any foreign ports. Britain and France had been at war since 1803 and the United States tried to follow Washington's advice and remained neutral in this situation. fRance soon passed a law that prohibited trade from neutral countries like the US. Soon France started to seize American trade ships. All these issues is what cause the US to pass this law. -
War of 1812
The war of 1812 was a conflict that led to war between the British Empire and the United States. The British Empire would restrict trade with the United States since they feared it was harmful for them because they were at war with France. The Americans were against the British Empire restricting their trade and practicing impressment. Both sides suffered many losses including the burning down of the white house. -
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The American Industrial Revolution
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Mcculloch VS Maryland
Mcculloch v. Maryland was one of the most strongest and one of the first supreme court cases involving federal power. This case established that the federal government had implied powers coming from the US constitution. This case strengthened the federal government in 1819. -
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Cultural Changes
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Missouri Compromise
In 1821, both the states of Missouri and Maine were added as free states to our union. The Missouri Compromise was an agreement that was made to keep the balance of slave and free states equal. This compromised by a man named Henry Clay. This compromise was need because Missouri applied to be admitted as a slave state. If this were to be granted, it meant that slaves would have more representation in the Senate and that would have caused an issue. This is when the compromise was made. -
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The Age of Jackson
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Iron Plow
The iron plow also known as the steel plow, was invented in 1837 by John Deere. Before the iron plow there were wooden plows. The issue with these wooden plows were that they broke very often. To fix this deere invented the iron plow. Now farmers could break up tough soil more easily. The iron plow was a great success in agriculture. -
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Westward Expansion
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Sectionalism
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The Civil War
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Reconstruction
