-
Period: to
1600-1700
-
The Virginia Company - 1606
The Virginia Company of London was a joint-stock company created in 1606 to establish a colony in North America. The first successful colony, Jamestown, would not be established until 3 years later in 1609, but the colonization process officially began in 1606 by King James I. -
Jamestown- 1609
The colony of Jamestown was originally founded in 1609 by the London Company. -
Slavery in Virginia - 1619
A Dutch slave ship brought 20 slaves to Virginia in late 1619, documented by John Rolfe. -
Virginia House of Burgesses - 1619
The Virginia House of Burgesses was the first representative government in North America in order to pass laws and maintain order in Jamestown and other settlements. -
Plymouth Colony - 1620
Following the Mayflower Compact and the Mayflower voyage to America, Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620 by English Puritans known as Pilgrims. -
Mayflower Compact - 1620
The Mayflower Compact was written by the Pilgrims as a way of self-governance in order for everyone to follow a set of rules and get along in that way. -
Massachusetts Bay Colony - 1630
Puritan refugees settled Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 under Governor John Winthrop. -
King Philip's War - 1675
King Philip's War was based off of the relationship with the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe. After the death of tribe leader, Massassoit, who taught the Pilgrims how to hunt, plant, and survive, his son, Metacom, or King Philip, took his place. The Pilgrims did not like his rule and tried to kick the tribe off of their land. King Philip declared war, which resulted in the Pilgrims killing and beheading him and displaying his head in Plymouth for the next 20 years. -
Bacon's Rebellion - 1676
Bacon's Rebellion was when Nathaniel Bacon, a lower class farmer, gathered a militia of other farmers and their indentured servants to go against William Berkeley, governor of Jamestown from England, because Berkeley believed that the colonists needed to be friendly to the Native American tribes while Bacon wanted to push them off of their land in order to keep it as their own. This resulted in Jamestown being burnt to the ground and the intensification of African slavery. -
Salem Witch Trials - 1693
Abigail Williams and Betty Parrish falsely accused women, often slaves, of witchcraft. These accused women were hung or stoned during trial while the accusers were never tried or convicted. -
Period: to
1700-1800
-
Stono Rebellion - 1739
The Stono Rebellion was a slave revolt where slaves escaped to Florida where they had to pledge an oath of loyalty to Spain and convert to Catholicism to become free. -
French and Indian War - 1754
The French and Indian war started due to conflict between the French and the British over North American territory. Native American Indians contributed to the war by fighting in order to maintain their land and culture. The British defeated the French in Quebec, and the war officially ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. -
British Industrial Revolution - 1760
The Industrial Revolution would introduce the age of science, mass production, and technology. It started in Great Britain but it would later become global and shape the economy as we know it today. -
Boston Massacre - 1770
The Boston Massacre was due to the patriots protesting British troops in Boston. The British soldiers fired, and the protest turned into a deadly riot. -
Boston Tea Party - 1763
The Boston Tea Party was a protest that happened at Griffin's Wharf in Boston due to American colonists being angry at Great Britain for imposing taxation without representation. The colonists dressed as Native American Indians and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor, imported by the British East Indian Company. -
First Continental Congress - 1774
The First Continental Congress was made up of delegates from 12 out of the 13 colonies in order to establish the United States of America. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord - 1775
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the first military engagement between Great Britain and the United States. "the shot heard around the world" comes from this battle, and while it is unknown who fired the first shot, it started the American War for Independence. This battle resulted in an American victory, despite Great Britain having the bigger army and more supplies. -
Declaration of Independence - 1776
The Declaration of Independence was signed July 4, 1776, in order to gain independence from Great Britain. The declaration included the United States reasons for wanting independence, which was written by Thomas Jefferson with the help of other members of the Continental Congress such as Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. -
Articles of Confederation - 1777
The first article in the Articles of Confederation established the 13 states as the United States of America. The second article stated that state governments still had their own powers that were not listed in the Articles of Confederation. The third article stated that combined states were responsible for protecting each other from attacks. -
Treaty of Paris - 1783
The treaty of Paris was signed at the end of the French and Indian War, but in 1783, the treaty was used to recognize American Independence which would end the American Revolution. -
Shay's Rebellion - 1786
Rebellion due to debt crisis and increased taxes on farmers and their land. -
Period: to
1800-1876
-
Louisiana Purchase - 1803
The Louisiana Purchase was the purchase of imperial rights to the west of the Mississippi River from France by the United States in 1803. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and Great Britain over British violations of US maritime rights. the US lost this war, and the war ended with the Treaty of Ghent. -
Battle of New Orleans - 1815
The Battle of New Orleans was fought by the British and the United States over conflict with land and the Louisiana Purchase. The United States won this battle. -
California Gold Rush - 1848
When gold was found at Sutter's Mill in California, it brought over 300,000 people from across the United States to California in order to mine for gold. This would last until 1855. -
Fugitive Slave Act - 1850
The Fugitive Slave Act was passed in September of 1850 by the US Congress, stating that all slaves must be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state. -
Beginning of the Civil War - 1861
Confederate troops started the Civil war with the firing on Fort Sumter in South Carolina. The war would be fought between the United States Union Army and the United States Confederate Army due to the succession of states and conflict due to slavery. -
Battle of Gettysburg - 1863
The collision of the Confederate and Union armies led to the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. The battle was the turning point of the Civil War as it was the deadliest battle with over 50,000 casualties. The Battle of Gettysburg resulted in a Union win. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln that stated that all slaves must be freed. -
Gettysburg Address - 1863
The Gettysburg Address was a speech given by President Lincoln after the Battle of Gettysburg to honor the thousands of soldiers who died in the war. -
Robert E. Lee Surrenders - 1865
General Lee surrendered the Confederate Army to General Grant in April of 1865 in order to prevent unnecessary destruction to the South, resulting in a Union victory.