Timeline

By _kaylacaldwell_
  • Period: 1450 to

    Age of discovery (1450-1600)

  • 1492

    Christopher Columbus discovers the Americas (1492)

    Christopher Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic and landed in the Caribbean. At the time, he was unaware that he was actually in lands that were previously unknown to Europeans. His arrival on the island of San Salvador and later, Hispaniola, would eventually lead to the beginning of the Columbian Exchange as new plants, animals, and diseases were introduced to both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. His arrival also brought devastation to people indigenous to the Americas.
  • Period: 1500 to

    Height of the Renaissance (1500-1600)

  • 1517

    Martin Luther posts the 95 Theses (1517)

    Martin Luther purportedly posted his famous 95 Theses on the door of a church in today’s Germany which primarily outlined his arguments against the abuse of indulgence sales.
  • Period: 1517 to

    Protestant Reformation (1517-1648)

  • 1518

    Cortes conquers the Aztecs in Mexico (1518)

    Cortes and a small band of men brought down the Aztec empire in Mexico
  • 1530

    Calvin creates a new form of Protestantism (1530)

    He started the Calvinist Church
  • 1534

    Henry VIII splits from Catholic Church (1534)

    After the Pope refused to allow Henry to divorce his first wife, Henry broke away from Rome and argued that a king had the authority within his own territory to make religious decisions.
  • Period: 1540 to

    Scientific Revolution (1540-1700)

  • 1543

    Copernicus creates heliocentric theory (1543)

    he proposed this theory which identified the sun as the center of the known universe rather than the earth.
  • 1558

    Elizabeth I creates the Anglican Church (1558)

    Elizabeth I nationalized the Church of England, also called the Anglican Church, but allowed a degree of tolerance for those with dissenting opinions.
  • Period: to

    Enlightenment (1600-1700)

  • English Civil War (1642-1649)

    Throughout Europe, resistance to absolute monarchs and autocratic governments grew due to extreme inequalities in politics, society, and the economy. In England, the people had limited freedoms, including trial by jury, the Magna Carta, and common law. However, the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution prompted further development of their individual rights.

  • Charles II takes power (Restoration) (1660)

    When Cromwell died, the people of England decided that they wanted to restore the monarchy. They requested that Charles II (Charles I’s son) return from exile and lead the country. The restoration of the monarchy occurred when Charles II returned to England and became king.

  • Newton creates the Laws of Gravity (1666)

    Isaac Newton focused his attention on the earth and, in doing so, discovered the Laws of Gravity.

  • William and Mary take power in England (Glorious Revolution) (1688)

    The Whigs won control of Parliament and forced James II to step down. His daughter, Mary, and her husband William replaced him. This peaceful transfer of power to William and Mary was known as the Glorious Revolution. During the Glorious Revolution, William and Mary signed the English Bill of Rights in 1689, which increased parliament’s power over royal power, and gave more rights to the people.

  • Locke writes the Two Treatises of Government (1689)

    John Locke, another philosopher, wrote Two Treatises on Government. Locke believed that people are sovereign (have power) and consent to government for protection of natural rights of life, liberty, and property.

  • Montesquieu writes the Spirit of Laws (1748)

    Montesquieu wrote The Spirit of Laws in which he believed that the best form of government includes a separation of powers.

  • American Revolution (1775-1783)

    The revolutionaries in the British colonies were inspired by the Enlightenment, particularly Montesquieu and Locke. The American Revolution happened as a result.
  • Period: to

    Age of Revolutions (1763-1848)

  • French Revolution (1789-1799)

    In 1789, French society was divided into three classes called the Estates. The First Estate was made up of the clergy (the Church). The Second Estate was made up of the nobles. And the Third Estate was everyone else (middle class, artisans, peasants, etc).

  • Reign of Terror (1793-1794)

    The Reign of Terror ended in July, 1794. Without a king, France needed a new constitution. The National Assembly voted and created a new republic. But this new government was very weak. This, plus the fact that other countries were invading France led to a coup d’etat (military takeover) in 1799. The military installed Napoleon, a very successful general, as dictator.

  • Napoleon takes power (1799)

    As dictator, Napoleon controlled the army and the navy as well as proposed laws. He quickly managed to defend France’s borders and then began attacking other countries, wanting revenge for their invasions during the French Revolution, as well as desiring more power. He managed to gain control over most of Europe within a few years.

  • Haitian Independence (1804)

    The Haitian Revolution was a successful insurrection by self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti.

  • Napoleonic Wars (1804-1815)

    The Napoleonic Wars were a series of major conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European powers formed into various coalitions. It produced a brief period of French domination over most of Europe.

  • Father Miguel Hidalgo begins Mexican Revolution (1810)

    In Mexico, Father Miguel Hidalgo sparked the beginning of the Mexican Revolutionary War in 1810. He was able to gather the support of the poor, Native Americans, and Mestizos (European and Native American parents) that were upset with Spanish oppression. As a priest in the Catholic Church, Hidalgo had a unique position to influence change and spark Mexico’s nationalist spirit. Today, Father Hidalgo is seen as the Father of Mexico.

  • Simon Bolivar helps Venezuela with independence (1811)

    In the northern part of South America, revolution was led by creoles such as Simon Bolivar. Bolivar was educated in Europe and returned to gain independence for Venezuela. He drove out the Spanish from Venezuela by 1821,

  • Congress of Vienna meets (1815)

    Congress of Vienna: Meeting among the great powers of Europe, i.e., Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia

  • Simon Bolivar helps Peru with independence (1821)

    He then helped to liberate other regions, driving the Spanish out of Peru in 1824. Later, the northern part of Peru broke away and was named Bolivia after Bolivar.

  • Unification of Germany (1871)

    The Unification of Germany into the German Empire, a Prussia-dominated state with federal features, was officially proclaimed on 18 January 1871 in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles in France.

  • The U.S. issues the Monroe Doctrine (1823)

    In the 1820s, Spain tried to regain control of some of their lost colonies. This concerned the United States and President James Monroe. In 1823, Monroe issued a statement on this that became known as the Monroe Doctrine. It said two things. First, the US would not get involved in European matters unless they threatened our security.