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Founding of Jamestowne
Jamestown was established by the Virginia Company of London as a business ventrue. Jamestown was important because it was the fist permanent English settlement in North America. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War between Great Britain and France. Great Britain gained much of France's North American lands. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The battle at Lexington and Concord set the beginning for the American Revolutionary War. British troops swarmed Concord, but could not get past the Minutemen, who had been warned about the British coming from Paul Revere. -
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was approved by the second Continental Congress on July 4th, but was not signed until a month later. Many delegates did not end up signing the document. The declaration of INdependence became the foundation of American thought and inspired the world to invoke decomracy. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention met between May and September of 1787. They met to address the problems with the Articles of Confederation. Created a model of government that relied on checks and balances and divided federal authority between three branches of government. -
Election of 1800
John Adams was the presidential candidate for the Federalist Party and thomas Jefferson was the candidate for the Democratic-Republicans. Adams wanted a strong national government and commercial economy, whereas Jefferson wanted a weak national government and agricultural economy. Thomas Jefferson beat John Adams and it was the first time where presidential power was peacfully transferred from one political party to another. -
Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. This new land doubled the size of the United States. Jefferson authorized Lewis and Clark to explore the land west of the Mississippi River. Jefferson did question himself about buying the land and was concerned it might have been unconstitutional. American settlers began to move west from the east coast. -
Missouri Cmpromise
The Missouri Compromise issued that lavery was allowed south of the line and prohibited north of the line. Missouri was considered a slave state and Maine was a free state. The Supreme Court then ruled the Compromise as unconstitutional after the Dred Scott case. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was created by James Monroe to protect American interests in the Western Hemisphere. There were many points covered in the Monror Doctrine. All points were important, but the one that became necessary was that the U.S. would not interfere in European affairs. -
Nullification Crisis
John Calhoun opposed the Tariff of Abomination and devised a nullification theiry based on the Vifginia and Kentucky resolutions. Calhoun argued that every state had the right to nullify a national law they did not necessarily like. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise and created two new territories based on popular sovereignty. Gave people the choice of having slavery in their states, but led to fighting in Kansas as pro- and anti-slavery forces battled it out. Kansas is now known as Bloody Kansas because of this Act. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
Confederate troops fire upon Fort Sumter, South Carolina-marking the first confrontation of the Civil War. The South began firing from all sides of the island and Robert Anderson knew he was not going to win the batte because he was low on supplies. He surrendered the fort to the Southern army. -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was a way for land to be distributed to those willing to work and live on the land. This act gave people the incentive to move west for free land. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was killed only 6 days after Lee surrendered in Appomattox. John Wilkes Booth shot close range at President Lincoln, Booth jumped from the private box onto the stage and shouted "Sic semper tyrannis." Booth was able to escape due to others helping him. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first major law restricting immigration into the U.S. This act suspended Chinese immigrantion for several decades, but immigrants still continued to comtribute.