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Start of Revolutionary War
On April, 19th, 1775, the first shot of the Revolutionary War was shot at Lexington, Massachusetts. The colonists were outnumbered 700 to 75. The colonists were warned that the British were coming by the famous ride of Paul Revere along with William Dawes and Samuel Prescott warned them. -
Declaration of Independence
On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved. It declared that the thirteen colonies were free from Britain and were independent. -
Crossing of the Delaware River
On December 25th, 1776, Washington and his army crossed the Delaware River and took the British by surprise. The victory helped rise the moral and many new colonists joined the army. -
Battle of Saratoga Ended
On October 17th, 1777, the General Burgoyne and his army surrendered to the colonists. The British had around 600 casualties, while the Americans had around 150. When Ben Franklin heard, he used this victory to gain support from France, who sent gunpowder, ships, and soldiers. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were America's first constitution. When it became apparent that the government needed more power, it was replaced in 1789 witht he present Constitution. -
America Wins Last Battle
On October 19th, 1781, at Yorktown, Virginia, General Cornwallis surrendered to the Americans. This brought the Revolutionary War to an end. Two days later, the British were marched through Yorktown and layed down their weapons. The tune "The World Turned Upside Down" was played. -
Treaty of Paris Signed
On September 3rd, 1783, representatives of America and Great Britain signed the Treaty of Paris. This formally ended the Revolutionary War. The United States of America became a nation. -
Shays' Rebellion
From 1786 to 1787, Daniel Shays led a group of poor farmers to a rebellion in Massachusetts. This is because they were angry with their debt and taxes. They closed down courts in western Massachusetts. This rebellion raised fears that the government needed to be changed. -
New Constitution Signed
On September 17th, 1787, the Constitution was signed. Edmund Randolph, George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry refused to sign because they thought it wasn't good enough. It is said that tears streamed down Benjamin Franklin's cheeks when he signed. -
George Washington
For months, Washington refused to be the president. But, on February 4th, 1789, George Washington reluctantly became the first president of the United States. He set many precedents for the following presidents. -
First US Census
On August 2nd, 1790, the first US census came out. The population was a little less than four million. In the next century, the US population will double about every 24 years. -
Cotton Gin Granted Patent
On November 16th, 1793, the Cotton Gin was invented by Eli Whitney. This invention stopped the decrease of slavery because it made slavery profitable. -
John Adams becomes President
John Adams became President in 1796. He managed to beat Thomas Jefferson, who became his Vice President. He was a decent president with good morals, but the signing of the Alien and Sedition acts made his popularity plummet. -
XYZ Affair
The XYZ affair was an event that came from the French immpressment of American ships. John Adams sent three representatives to France to negotiate with three French representatives, considered X,Y,and Z. After disrespectfully ignoring the U.S. representatives, the French finally showed up and demanded an outrageous sum to start the negotiations. The U.S. representatives immediately left, and John Adams tried one more time to negotiate with France. It was successfull and no bribes were payed. -
Passing of the Alien and Sedition Acts
On June 18th, 1798, President John Adams signed the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts. The Alien Act gave power to the president so he could throw anyone deemed "dangerous" out of the United States. The Sedition Act made it a crime to criticize the government. This was against the First Ammendment, which gives freedom of speech. -
Thomas Jefferson Becomes President
On February 17th, 1801, Thomas Jefferson became the President after a very close election. The runner-up, who at the time was to become the Vice President, was Aaron Burr. Because of this, Congress later adopted the Twelfth Amendment, which said that the ballots have to indicate who is running for what position. -
Lewis and Clark Depart
On May 20th, 1803, the Corps of Discovery set off on their expedition of the Lousiana Territory. The expedition was commisioned by Thomas Jefferson. Its purpose was to study the flora/fauna and establish relationships with the Indian tribes. -
Burr Shoots Down Hamilton
Aaron Burr had a strong dislike for Alexander Hamilton, and vice-versa. Hamilton was instrumental in Jefferson's election as President over Burr, and Burr's failure to be re-elected as Vice President. Burr decided to try to restore his "honor" by challenging Hamilton to a duel. The accounts of who shot first are fuzzy, but they both reach the same conlcusion; Burr shot Hamilton in the stomach, and Hamilton died the next day. -
Embargo of 1807
On December 27th, 1807, Thomas Jefferson signed the Embargo Act of 1807, which forbid the US to trade in foreign ports. This was because Britain and France were constantly harassing U.S. ships, and this, along with Britians impressment, humiliated the U.S. because they could not protect their ships. The embargo act is considered a failure by historians because the French and British simply turned to South America for the supplies normaly supplied by North America. -
War of 1812
On June 18th, 1812, America declared war on Great Britain. This is because of the British's impressment of American ships. Also, the British were encouraging Native Americans to be hostile to the American settlers, which prevented expansion of our country. This decision to go to war was controversial because of British's reputation for having the greatest navy in the world. -
British Burn White House
On August 24th, 1814, in the middle of the War of 1812, British forces storm the White House. President Madison and the first lady Dolley had already fled, taking with them many important documents, silverware, drapes, and a portrait of George Washington. The troops ate food prepared for some previous White House guests, and set the White House ablaze. -
Battle of Fort McHenry
On September 12th, 1814, the British forces advanced to Baltimore, which was a vital port. They were met my American forces. Witht eh death of the British Major General Robert Ross, the British forces lost to the Americans. This battle inspired the lyrics for the Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key. -
End of War of 1812
On December 14th, 1814, the British and Americans signed the Treaty of Ghent. This officialy ended the War of 1812. Not knowing about the treaty, British forces attacked and were slaughtered by the Americans in one of the most spectacular US victories in the War of 1812. This victory gave Americans pride and set a reputation for the US. -
Birth of Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born on November 12th, 1815. She was a suffragist, social activist, abolitionist, and a leading figure of the early women's rights movement. -
Birth of Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was born in the February of 1818. The exact date is unknown, but he later chose to celebrate on the 14th. He became one of the most famous abolitionist and the first black citizen to hold a high US government rank. -
Missouri Compromise
On March 3rd, 1820, Congress admitted Missouri as a slave state under the condition that slavery would be prohibited in the part of the Louisiana Purchase that was north of 36th parallel. Also, to keep the ballance between free and slave states, Maine was admitted as a free state. This compromise was devised by Henry Clay, who was granted the nickname the "Great Pacifacator". -
The Birds of America Published
The Birds of America is a book by John Audubon and is filled with illustrations of many birds in the United States. The words are life-sized and hand-coloured. It even contains six types of birds that are now extinct. -
Webster Writes Dictionary
Noah Webster was annoyed that the American children used British books in school. So he wrote schoolbooks for them. In 1828, after 20 years, he published a dictionary named American Dictionary of the English Language. He even included slang terms, which was unusually at the time. -
Andrew Jackson becomes President
On March 4th, 1829, Andrew Jackson became president, beating John Quincy Adams. He was the head of the modern Democratic Party. He signed the Indian Removal Act and closed the Second Bank of the United States. -
Indian Removal Act Signed
On May 28th, 1830, Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. This forced the Indians in the south to move west of the Mississippi River. The act was supported by the Southerners who were overly eager to inhabit the Indian's land. -
First Steam Locomotive
On December 25th, 1830, the first steam locomotive took off in Charleston. They would later replace the horse-drawn carrige. -
Battle of the Alamo Ends
On March 6th, the 200 defenders of the Alamo were overcome by the vast Mexican Army. -
Texas Gains Independence
On April 21st, Sam Houstin's army skillfully attacked Mexican soldiers at San Jacinto during the siesta hour, when many soldiers were taking a nap. Houstin's army quickly overcame the Mexicans, and they gained Texas' independence. -
Mexican-American War Begins
On April 25th, Mexican soldiers attacked US soldiers at the newly independent Texas. So, in retaliation, Congress declared war on Mexico on May 13th, 1846. -
Gold Discovered in California
On January 24th, 1848, James Marshall accidentally discovered gold while building a mill for John Sutter. After verifying the gold, Sutter commanded Marshall to keep the gold a secret, but people eventually found out and traveled to California to find some. This mass migration is called the Gold Rush. -
End of Mexican-American War
On February 2nd, 1848, the Treaty of Gudalupe Hidalgo was signed. This established a border between the US and Texas, made Mexico recognize that Texas was a part of the US, and forced them to sell California for $15 million dollars. -
Seneca Falls Convention
On July 19th, 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention took place. It was organized by female Quakers and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. It spanned for two days. Around 300 people attended the event. Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments, which stated her beliefs for gender equality. -
Edgar Allan Poe Dies
On October 7th, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe died. He was a famous author, poet, editor and critic. Poe's works are dark and gloomy. His most famous works are The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart. -
California Becomes a State
California became a state on September 9th, 1850, after only being a part of the US for two years. This was a record. Around 60,000 people came to California in 1849 alone. -
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
On September 13th, 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was signed by Millard Fillmore. This required the return of runaway slaves, and any official that did not arrest a none runaway slave was fined $1,000 dollars. Also, any person that helped a slave could serve time in jail. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
On March 20th, 1852, Uncle Tom's Cabin was published. This anti-slavery book was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It revealed the horrors of slavery, and a million copies were sold in Great Britain. -
Commodore Perry Lands
On July 8th, 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry landed his four ships at Tokyo Bay. His mission was to re-establish, for the first time in 200 years, regular trade between Japan and the west. -
James Buchanan Becomes President
On August 23rd, 1853, James Buchanan became the 15th President of the US. He served immediately before the Civil War. Historians voted that his dealing with the secession was the warst presidential mistake ever. -
Train Arrives from East Coast to Mississippi
On the 22nd of February, 1854, the first railroad train traveled and arrived from the East Coast to the Mississppi River. This was a huge event, and the train, named the Chicago & Rock Island Line's Number 10, was extravagently decorated. The governor made a speech, and there was music. The train was perceived as an economical threat by steamboat owners. -
Walden Published
On August 9th, 1854, the work Walden by Henry David Thoreau was published. Walden is about Thoreau's reflections of simple living. He wrote it in a two year span while he was staying in a cabin in the wilderness two miles away from his family. -
Melville Writes Description of Factory Workers
When Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick, visited a paper factory, he wrote about the horrible conditions. He said it was "intolerably lighted" and that "nothing was hear but the low, steady, overruling hum of the iron animals", referencing to the machines. -
Jame Buchanan becomes President
James Buchanan becomes the 15th President of the US on March 4th, 1857. He serves immediately before the Civil War. Historians voted that the way he handeled the secession was the worst presidential mistake ever made. -
Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave. He temporarily lived in a free state before he returned to a slave state. He said that since he lived in a free state, he was free. Him and his owner went to court, but the court eventually went in the favor of Scott's owner, Sanford. Abraham Lincoln said that the "decision is erroneous." -
Pony Express Begins
On April 3rd, 1860, the first Pony Express riders left from St. Joseph Missouri. They completed the journey in ten days, a new record. -
Little Women Published
In 1868, the novel Little Women was published. It is based on the four sisters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, who are based off of Louisa Alcott and her three sisters. -
Sojourner Truth Dies
On November 26th, 1883, Sojourner Truth died. She was an former-slave and an abolitionist. She had a gift for oration. She was the first former-slave to win a lawsuit against a white person.
