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Jan 1, 1325
Tenochtitlan
Aztecs build a city in the Valley of Mexico -
Oct 12, 1492
Columbus Arrives in New World
Christopher Columbus was seeking a new trade route to Asia when he landed in the West Indies. His arrival started the movement of explorers and settlers from Europe to the New World. -
Jan 1, 1521
Cortes defeats the Aztecs
Hernando Cortes (1485-1547), was a Spanish explorer who conquered what is now central and southern Mexico. His military triumphs led to 300 years of Spanish domination of Mexico and Central America. -
Period: Jan 1, 1550 to
Iroquois League of Nations
The Iroquois League of Nations was a model that many colonies used to create local governments, and became a model for the United States government. -
Roanoke Island
Roanoke Colony was established as the first permanent settlement in the New World. The settlement is known as "The Lost Colony," and the fate of the colonists is still unknown. -
Jamestown
Jamestown was England’s first permanent American colony. -
Pilgrims Arrive at Plymouth
Pilgrims created the Mayflower Compact to establish rules for how they would be governed. -
Georgia Becomes the 13th Colony
The founding of Georgia completed the founding of the first 13 colonies. -
Period: to
French and Indian War
Major colonial war between the Colonists and the British and a union of the French and Native Americans over land. Ended in a British victory and unchallenged British supremacy in North America. The cost of the war, and the differing views on colonist efforts in the war, led to rising tensions between Britain and the Colonies. -
Period: to
Waves of Taxes and Regulations by Brithish
Starting with the Proclamation of 1763, and followed by the Sugar Act, Quartering Act, Stamp Act, Declaratory Act, and the Townshend Acts, during this period Britain began to exercise their control over the colonies far more and to try to raise revenues from the colonies to pay for the French Indian War. -
Boston Massacre
Here, several British redcoats killed five civilian men and injured eleven after feeling threatened by a mob of American colonists. This event helped spark the rebellion in some of the British American colonies, which eventually became the rebellion of the revolutionary war. I believe this event is incredibly important in the US history, because it it opened the colonists' eyes to the reality of the grip they were being held under, causing rebellious emotions in said colonists -
Boston Tea Party
When the American colonists had enough of the Intolerable Acts, this was their first blatant show of rebellion. They dumped boxes of overly-taxed tea into the harbor to show that they were not going to pay extra for their tea. I believe this is important to American history because it was one of the first signs of true patriotism where the colonists stood up for what they believed was right, and literally fought the power that was controlling them. -
First Continental Congress
The First continental Congress The First Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia. People such as George Washington, Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry attended these congress' to discuss with delegates the future of the colonies. -
Period: to
Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War was fought by the America colonies for their independence from Great Britain. The bravery of many colonist lead to independence, freedom, and sovereignty of the 13 former colonies, now states. -
Second Continental Congress
The second Congress managed the colonial war effort, and moved incrementally towards independence, adopting the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. By raising armies, directing strategy, appointing diplomats, and making formal treaties, the Congress acted as a kind of national government of what became the United States. -
Decalration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was literally what started the United States off as a country. It was drafted and finalized in one room by 5 men over the course of several days. I believe it should be one of the USA's most important events in history because of the fact that without it, we wouldn't be the United States of America. We'd be the United States of England. -
Bill of Rights
The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution (known as the Bill of Rights) were ratified by three-fourths of the states. -
Kentucky admitted to the Union
Kentucky became the 15th state. -
Cotton Gin Invented
The cotton gin is a machine designed to remove cotton from its seeds. The process uses a small screen and pulling hooks to force the cotton through the screen. It was invented by Eli Whitney on March 14, 1794, one of the many inventions that occurred during the American Industrial Revolution. This lead to a big increase in slavery in southern states. -
Louisiana Purchase
The United States doubles its size by purchasing the Louisiana territory from France. -
Erie Canal
It was the first transportation system between the eastern seaboard (New York City) and the western interior (Great Lakes) of the United States. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act forced Native-Americans from their lands so that settlers could move to those areas of the country. Native-Americans were moved to reservations. The most imfamous removal was the Trail of Tears. -
California Gold Rush
The discovery of gold in California attracted many from different backgrounds to seek their fortune. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The book was published March 20, 1852. Uncle Tom's Cabin was basically about a slavery and abolition. The main character, Uncle Tom, was the standard of Christian modesty. The book offended the South, and abolitionists supported it completely. However, others viewed the book as racist. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act was passed on May 30, 1854. Under this act, Kansas and Nebraska would decide for themselves if they wanted slavery or not. Stephen Douglas would repeal the Missouri Compromise and the act would anger the North. Violence soon emerged and Kansas became known as Bleeding Kansas. On January 29, 1861, Kansas entered the Union as a free state. -
Dred Scott
Dred Scott was born a slave but was later moved to a free state by his master. Scott believed he had the right to sue for his freedom since he lived in a free state. Dred Scott first went to trial in 1847. He case was presented before the Supreme Court 10 years later. The Supreme Court decided on March 6, 1857 that because Scott was black, that he could not be considered a citizen and therefore could not sue. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860 without a one electoral vote in the South. Southern states began to secede because his win threatened their lifestyles. Lincoln's victory caused 7 states to secede -
Confederate States
Representatives from the seven states that had already seceded from the Union met up on February 4, 1861 and created a new republic. The purpose of the new republic was to keep slavery and states' rights. The Confederate States declared themselves the provisional Congress on February 8. They then chose Jefferson Davis as their president. -
Period: to
Civil War
The Civil War was fought between the Union (North) and Confederacy (South) over the key issues of slavery, states rights, and tariifs. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln issued Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves. -
Gettysburg Address
The consequences of the war were successfully recapitulated in 10 sentences during Lincoln's speech. Liberty and equality were the main components of American's liberation. Lincoln's speech gave meaning to the Civil War. People became aware of the rights as citizens and not as property. -
Freedmen's Bureau
Congress created Freedmen's Bureau to help blacks and whites transition from slavery to freedom. The Bureau had a system of free labor, 3,000 schools, securing justice for African Americans, etc. -
Lincoln Assassinated
John Wilkes Booth shot and killed Lincoln at a play in Ford's Theatre 5 days after the Civil War ended. -
Period: to
Passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
The Reconstruction Amendments Attempted to improve the rights of former slaves. -
Transcontinental Railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad connected the Eastern and Western United States. It improved the economy of the country and the lives of many. -
Period: to
Immigration and Growth of Cities
More than 23 million immigrants arrive in the United States. Most flock to cities, where industry is booming and jobs are plentiful. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act becomes law and no more Chinese immigrants were allowed into the U.S until December 17th, 1943 -
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty was placed in the New York harbor -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson gives rise to separate but equal facilities for blacks and whites is legal -
First Flight
The Wright brothers flew the first powered, controlled, heavier-than-air airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. -
Period: to
World War I
World War 1 begins in Europe with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinad of Austria. -
Stock Market Crash
The Wall Street Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States. The crash signaled the beginning of the 10-year Great Depression that affected all Western industrialized countries and did not end in the United States until 1947. -
Period: to
World War II
World War II involved most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history. -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese forces attack Pearl Harbor which causes the United States to enter the war -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
On Thursday, December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks boarded a city bus and sat with three other blacks in the front row. After four more whites boarded at the next stop, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and was arrested. -
March On Washington
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech advocating racial harmony. -
Civil Rights Act 1964
This landmark piece of legislation outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation. It ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and by facilities that served the general public. -
Apollo 11 lands on Moon
Apollo 11 was the spaceflight which landed the first humans, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr, on Earth's Moon. The United States mission is considered the major accomplishment in the history of space exploration. -
Berlin Wall Collapses
The Berlin Wall that had divided Berlin into communist and democratic sections came down as the Cold War ended. -
First Internet Page Created
1991 brought some major innovations to the world of the Internet. The first web page was created and, much like the first email explained what email was, its purpose was to explain what the World Wide Web was. -
Attack On World Trade Center and Pentagon
Terrorist attacked New York City and Washington, D.C. Following the attacks the United States military invaded Afghanistan and Iraqi. -
Barack Obama sworn in as President of the United States
Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. He was the first African-American to be elected Preseident.
