-
10,000 BCE
Paleo Indians Live Throughout North America
Paleo Indians were the first people to live in North America. They walked over from Asia on a small stretch of land and then spread across the continent. -
1000
Vikings reach America
Leif Eriksson, a Norse explorer from Iceland was the first known European to reach continental North America. -
1452
Pope Urban II declares war on all non-christians
The Pope don´t think that non-christ have the right to own land so he decides that explorers can take land from non-christians and that includes Native Americans -
Oct 12, 1492
Columbus reaches America
Christofer Columbus reaches America on one of his journeys to explore new routes. He was trying to find a new route to India, which is why the Native Americans came to be called Indians. Columbus "discovery" of America became the start of the European colonisation of the country. -
Treaty of Paris
The treaty of Paris says that a lot of the Native Americans territories that former were voided is given to the United States. -
The Treaty of New York
The treaty says that parts of West America is given to the Creeks and that the border will be policed. The treaty will be ratified by the secretary of the War if the Creeks becomes farmers instead of hunters. -
Battle of Tippecanoe
General William Henry Harrison leads a force against Native Americans on the Tippecanoe river in Indiana territory. The Native Americans try to resist the expansion of white Americans into their land. -
Trail of Tears
President Andrew Jackson orders Cherokee Indians off of their land east of the Mississippi to unsettled land in Oklahoma. Over 4000 of the Cherokees died on the long walk, which has come to be called the Trail of Tears. Trail of Tears was the name of the path they took to their new home in Oklahoma. -
The Fort Laramie Treaty
The U.S. signs the Fort Laramie Treaty with eight Indian tribes in the Northern Plains. The Treaty says that Indians will allow settlers safe passage through their territory in exchange for money. But the treaty falls apart when gold is discovered in Indian territory and settlers stay there. -
Gold is discovered in the Black Hills of South Dakota on Indian land
The Americans promised land to the Lakota Sioux in the Fort Laramie Treaty but when the Americans discovered gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota they took the land back. The Indians had to fight for the white people not to dig up their land. -
The Battle of Little Bighorn
General Custer dies in the Battle of Big Horn with the Lakota Sioux. Custer goes down with his men. -
The Fort Laramie Treaty cancelled
The U.S. government cancels the treaty because they wanted to own the land where the gold had been discovered. -
Murder of Sitting Bull
The indian police kills Sitting Bull whem they try to arrest him. The orders came from an indian agent that was afraid that Sitting Bull would unite Native Americans. -
Society of American Indians
Students from different schools (Carlisle School, the Indian Industrial Training School at Haskell and the Hampton Institute) founded The Society of American Indians that gave educational opportunities for Native Americans and a voice in American politics. To achieve the objectives the Native American tribes have to collaborate. -
National Congress of American Indians
The new organisation NCAI that was building on the former Native American organisations had their first conference where all the Native American tribes collaborated and worked together to advance their common objectives to get the same rights as the européans. -
Jim Thorpe is named the greatest athlete of the first half of the 20th century
Jim Thorpe, part Native American and part Caucasian, is named the greatest athlete of the first 50 years of the 20th century. One of the best athletes in history, he was a baseball player, a football player, a basketball player and an Olympic champion in track and field. -
Sacheen Littlefeather makes a speech at the Academy Awards for Marlon Brando
In protest of the treatment of Native Americans in the movie industry, Marlon Brando sends an Indian named Sacheen Littlefeather to make a speech and turn down his Academy Award. Brando won the Oscar for his role in the movie "The Godfather". -
The first Indian casino opens in Florida
The Seminole Indian tribe opens the first casino for Indians in North America. It is only a high stakes bingo parlor, but Indian gaming will grow into a major source of income for many of the Indian tribes in America. -
The first Native American saint
Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk Indian who lived during the 17th century, becomes the first Native American to be made a saint by the Catholic Church. Born in New York, Tekekwitha was shunned by her family and fellow tribe members when she was baptized at the age of 20.
