-
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta Signed
More Info on the Magna Carta SigningThe Magna Carta was a document that King John of England was forced to sign because it reduced the power he held as the King of England and allowed for a powerful parliament to be formed and then became the base of the rights for the citizen's of England. It contained 37 laws. -
Mayflower Compact Signed
More Info On the Signing of the Mayflower CompactThe Mayflower Compact was signed to keep the Mayflower civil and survivable.It was a signed agreement to ensure peace between the two groups that were on board. The two groups were the Pilgrims, and the "strangers" as referred to by the Pilgrims. -
Formation of the New England Confederation
more info on the new england confederationThe New England Confederation was a military alliance including the colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven. It was formed by the delegates from those four puritan colonies. -
Albany Plan of Union Announced
more info on the Albany Plan of UnionThe Albany Plan of Union was proposed by Benjamin Franklin to unify the colonies under one government to defend the New World during the French and Indian War. After the revolutionary War it was used to help write the Articles of Confederation. -
Treaty of Paris
more informationThe treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War between Great Britain and France and their allies. France gave up all of its territory in the mainland of North America and thus effectively ending any foreign military threat to the British Colonies -
Royal Proclamation of 1763
more informationKing George issued this statement which prevented the expansion west of the appalachians. COlonsists felt they were being disrespected because they fought for the lant and now were not allowed to settle on it. -
Sugar Act
More InformationThe Sugar Act was when Britain decided to tax sugar, coffee, molasses and other important goods. They did this because they needed the money to keep an army and protect the colonies and they hoped it would make the colonists trade only with Britain and not other countries. -
Stamp Act
More InformationBritain placed a set tax on all paper goods including newspapers, playing cards, and official documents. The colonists then started boycotting British goods and met at the stamp act congress to discuss other otions. Tax collectors were tarred and feathered and eventually parliament repealed the act. -
Stamp Act Congress
More InformationThe Stamp Act Congress was held in New York for the colonists to share thow they were upset with the stamp act that Britain had forced upon them. The congress was attended by 27 representatives from the 13 colonies -
The French and Indian War Begins
More InformationThe French feared that unles they could establish a barrier to english expansion it would only be a matter of time until the British dominated all of North America and it Recourses. By the middle of the 18th century both the British and the French believed that a war was needed to settle the dispute. -
Townshend Acts
more informationBritish placed a tax on all goods that were imported to the colonies to raise 40,000 shillings a year. They taxed products such as lead, paint, glass and tea. The colonists continued their boycotting places like the customs office. -
Boston Massacre
more informationColonists assembled outside the custon house in boston and threw snowballs at on of the guards. Reinforcements then arrived and "by accident" a rifle was fired and 5 colonists were killed. Sam adams, the leader of the Sons of Liberty called the event the Boston Massacre and used the newly formed committes of correspondance to spread word of british violence -
Boston Tea Party
more informationParliament passed a law that said only tea from the east india company could be consumed in the colonies so even though the British tea was cheaper than the smuggled Dutch Tea, colonists refused to drink it. Member of the Sons of Liberty, dissguised as indians, dumped 15,000 lbs of tea into the Boston Harbor. -
Congress Meets for the First Time
More info on congress meeting for the first timeThe first meeting of the Continental Congress was held in Carpeneters Hall in Philadelphia. All of the colonies except Georgia sent delegates. One of the main concerns of the meeting was to show combined authority to Great Britain. -
First Continental Congress
more informationThis was the meeting of colonial delegates in Philadelphia to talk about how they should respond to the intolerable acts. They agree to continue to boycott British goods and work towards being self sufficient. A minority of delegates discuss Independence and agree to meet in May 1775 to take note of progress and determine their next steps -
Patrick Henry "Give Me Liberty"
More InformationDuring the Second Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry gave his famous speech ending with, "Give me liberty or give me death!' He gave his speech to get people from virginia to join the revolution. -
Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
More InformationOn the night of April 18, Paul Revere was sent to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams if the British were coming by hanging lanterns. One if by land and two if by sea. Well, the British were ferried across the Boston Harbor so Revere hung two lanterns in the church steeple and went out with William Dawes and Samuel Prescott to warn the other colonists about the British arrival. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
More InformationThe Battles of Lexington and Concord were two battles that started the American Revolution. The British were headed off to Concord to steal the colonists ammunition as well as capture Sam Adams and John Hancock. However, the Minutemen militia was prepared after being warned by Paul Revere the night before that they attacked the British along the way. -
Fort Ticonderoga
More InformationAfter Lexington and Concord, the Seige of Boston began, British rebels began to gather around Boston, but realized they didn't have the ammunitions to carry out their seige. Fort Ticonderoga located on Lake Champlain became the objective place to store their munitions. American leaders then started to plan a way to capture the fort and steal the cannons stored there.They didn't return to Boston until January 1776 -
Battle of Bunker Hill
More InformationThe Battle of Bunker hill was a battle in the revolution fought on Breeds hill just after George Washington became commander and chief. After Lexington and Concord the patriots controlled the hills surrounding Boston. Spies had warned them however that the British were coing to attack Bunker Hill so then the patriots sent 1600 men to Breeds hill where the held off two British charges but had to retreat after the third when they ran out of ammunition. -
Second Continental Congress Meets
More InformationThe Second Continental Congress met back at the State House in Philadelphia with the Battle of Lexington and Concord having already happened. Still trying to drive the British out of Boston, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army and elected George Washington as Commander in Chief -
"Common Sense" Published
more informationThis was a document written by thomas paine. This challenged the authority of the British goovernment and the royal monarchy. This was the first work that openly asked of independence -
British Evacuate Boston
More InformationThe British evacuate Boston after the colonists place cannons at Dorchester Heights which forced the British to evacuate Boston and go north to Nova Scotia or New Scotland -
Declaration of Independence Announced
More InformationTwo days after Congress voted for the Declaration of Independence on July 2nd, it was announced to the public -
"The Crisis" Published
More InformationThomas Paine's "The American Crisis" described the beginnings of the American Revolution and got the colonists to beilieve in revolting against the British and used this document as a sort of pep rally for the colonists -
Washington Captures Trenton
more informationOn Christmas night, George Washington and his troops crossed the frozen Delaware River and in the morning surprised the Hessian mercenaries hired by the British who had been drinking heavily and celebrating the holiday and defeated them. -
Winter at Valley Forge PA
more informationIn the winter of 1777 and 1778, George Washington and his army struggled to survive at Valley Forge, living in tents that barely protected them from the cold, sharing clothing because many were without shoes and warm clothes. In February of 1778 however, the men finished building huts to live in, where they could then keep theirselves warm by a fire. -
British Defeated at Saratoga
More InformationThe victory at Saratoga is considered the turning point in the war for the colonists. The Continental Army surrounded the British and forced them to surrender -
John Paul Jones Defeats the Serapis
more informationJohn Paul Jones commanded the Bonhomme Richard and in August 1779, fought against the much more powerful British Serapis and defeated them. -
Benedict Arnold Plans Found Out
More InformationBenedict Arnold was sort of resentful towards the revoltuionaries, because he was critzied by the Continental Congress and didn't feel appreciated. He asked for command of West Point, a crucial spot for both sides, and he systematically weakened it by sending soldiers out on different missions. He then sent a spy to the British carrying plans of West Point. The spy was captured and Benedict ran to the British. -
Articles of Confederation Signed
more info on the articles of confederationThe Articles of Confederation were the first constiution of the newly formed United States that provided a loose central government It was the legal symbol of their union and set the foundation for the constitution. -
Cornwallis Surrendered
more informationWith Washington coming by land and French ships blocking the bay, the British had no way to escape or get supplies in Yorktown. As a result, Cornwallis surrendered his troops -
Newburgh Conspiracy
more info on the newburgh conspiracythe Newburgh Conspiracy was an unrest among the officers of the Army since officers and men had not been recieving pay for years. They threatened with a military uprising. Washington believed that the military should be less importand than the citizens. -
Treaty of Paris
More infor on the treaty of ParisThe Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War between the USA and Great Britain. England recognized the independence of the 13 colonies and formally ended the war.The treaty was signes at the Hotel d'York. -
Spain Closes the Mississippi River
more info on Spain closing the MississippiSpain closed the Mississippi River because they kept claiming land to the west and south of the river and Spain wanted to make sure America didnt claim their land. Spain had colonies set up around the Mississippi River which made Spain more powerful, making them unwilling to give up their territory. -
The Annapolis Convention
more info on the annapolis conventionThe Annapolis Convention was a meeting in Annapolis Maryland with 12 delegates from 5 states. (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia). They called for a Constitutional Convention. They were supposed to fix issues such as barriers that limited trade or commerce between the largely independent states under the articles of confederation however there were not enought states represented to make any agreements. -
Land Ordinance of 1785
more info on the land ordinance of 1785The Land Ordinancec of 1785 was a law passed by congress that allowed land in the Northwest Territory to be sold. They also set up standards for land sale. one of them was that the sold mile square sections of land. -
Ordinance of Religious Freedom
more info on the ordinance of religious freedomThis guaranteed that no one would be forced to attend and/ or support any church. They also will not be discriminated agains because of their religious preference. This was also served as a model for the first amendment of the U.S Constitution. -
Shays Rebellion
more info on shays rebellionThe rebellion was anmed after the leader Daniel Shay. It was started for several reasons including financial problems brought on from the war, credit issues caused by the lack of hard currency and harsh government policies to solve the states debt problems. Protestors shut down courts to stop hearings for tax and debt collection. Several different actions were taken including attempting to seize the Federal Springfield Armory. -
Constitutional Convention Opens
More info on the opening of the constitutional convention
May 14th was the original fixed date for the convention to begin but on that day only a small number had attended and seven states had not shown up. Then, on the 25th the rest of the members came. Robert Morris then proposed George Washington as the president of the convention. -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
more info of the northwest ordinanceThis was the day that congress started enforcing formal procedures for turning territories into states. This ordinance allowed three to five states in the area noth of the Ohio river to be consicered equal with the original 13. The ordinance also inclueded freedom of religion, the right to a trial by jury, public education, and banned slavery in the Northwest. -
The Great Comprimise is Agreed To
more info on the great compromiseThe Great Comprimise provided a system of congressional representation,. In the House of Representatives each state was to be assigned a number of seats in proportion to its population and in the senate all the states would have the same number of seats. -
Constitution is sent to the states for ratification
More info on the constitution being sent to the states for ratification.The Constitution was first read out loud in front of congress on September 20th. Eight days later it was then approved and sent out to the states to begin the ratification process. Two thirds of the states had to agree to the Constitution in order to have it come into play officially. That means 9 states needed to. With much luck all 13 states ratified the Constitution. -
Federalist Papers Appear
more info on Federalist Papers appearingThe Federalist Papers are a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. They were published anonymously under the name of "Publius" in different NY state newspapers. THey were written to try to convince New Yorkers to ratify the Constitution. -
Anti Federalist Articles Appear
more info on the Anti-Federalist articles appearingAnti-Federaelist Papers started coming into play in newspapers all over America in November of 1787. These papers informed people of their disliking of the Constitution. Most of the time they were anonymous but many people had a hunch that a man by the name of Richard Henry Lee wrote most of the letters. Anti-Federalists' main concern was the division of powers among the three branches. -
Delaware Ratifies
More info on Delaware ratifying the constitutionOn November 26th 1787 Delaware elected 30 delegates and then on December 7th they met in Dover at Battell's Tavern. THe delegates unanimously made Delaware the first state to ratify the US Constitution. -
Massachusetts Ratifies the Constitution
more info on Mass ratifying the ConstitutionMA was the 6th state to ratify the Constitution. They were the first to include a list of changes they wanted to be made. Some of these changes were to protect states and some were to protect individuals. -
New Hampshire Ratifies the Constitution
more info on New Hampshire ratifying the constitution
New Hampshire was the 9th state to ratify the constitution. Their ratification inclueded a few messages which suggested changes to the constitution. These included that Congress cant disarm a citizen unless they are in rebellion as one of them. -
George Washington is Elected President
More information about George WashingtonGeorge Washington took his oath of office on the balcony at Federal Hall in NYC. George Washington retired at the end of his second term because he felt old. His two main interests were military arts and Western expansion. -
Bill of Rights is Sent to the States for Ratification
more info on the Bill of Rights sent to the states to be ratified12 amendments that would then protect the rights of the people of the US were sent to the states. These rights included freedom of speech, press,assembly and religion. Right after George Washington had become President the US Congress approved the 12 amendments to be added to the Constitution and sent them to the states to be ratified. -
Bill of Rights is Ratified
more info on the Bill of RightsThe Bill of Rights were adopted because satates like NY, VA, and MA wouldnt ratify the constitution without them. These rights provided protection for the people against the power of the National Government. These rights were ratified because 10 out of 14 states approved. -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions Written
more infoThe Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions were political statements drafted in 1798 and 1799, in which the Kentucky and Virginia legislatures took the position that the federal Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. The resolutions argued that the states had the right and the duty to declare unconstitutional any acts of Congress that were not authorized by the Constitution. -
Hartford Covention meets During War Of 1812
more infoDuring 1814 and 1815, New England Federalists met to discuss their grievances concerning the ongoing war of 1812 and the political problems rising from the increasing power ofthe federal government. It was at this that they discussed removing the 3/5 Compromise and their grievences with the the Louisiana Purchase -
Missouri Compromise
more infoTo preserve the balance of power in Congress between slave and free states, the Missouri Compromise was passed in 1820 to admit Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. It also prohibited slavery in the Lousiana Territory north of the 36 30 Latitude Line -
Tariff of Abominations Passed
more infoThe Tariff of Abominations was to protect New Englands manufacturing and western agricultural products from competition with foreign imrots. A tax however then resulted on foreign imorts and severely devalued the southern cotton exports. -
South Carolina tries to nullify
more info
Infuriated that recently passed tariff only benefited the industrialized north, southern states argued for a doctorin of "nullification" . With this, federal governments only existed at the will of the states. If a state found a law unconstitutional to its soverign interests, it had the right to nullify it within its borders. -
Abolition of Slavery Act 1833
more infoThe Slavery Abolition Act 1833 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire with some exceptions -
Texas Declares Independence From Mexico
more infoThe Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day -
James Polk Elected
more infoJames Polk was president during the Mexican War, during the addition of Texas and the aquisition of the new land from Mexico: California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and other parts of Colorado and Wyoming, -
Mexican War
more infoThe Mexican war was the war between Mexico and the United States over who would control Texas. After the Lousiana Purchase, the western boundaries of the United States had stretched farther west than they had ever been. -
Wilmot Proviso
more infoThis proposal brought forward by Pennsylvania Congressman David Wilmot sais that none of the Mexican aquired territory would be allowed to permit slavery. This proviso became the Compromise of 1850. -
California Enters the Union
more infoIn 1849, Californians sought statehood and, after heated debate in the U.S. Congress arising out of the slavery issue, California entered the Union as a free, nonslavery state by the Compromise of 1850. -
Fugitive Slave Law Enacted
more infoThe Fugitive Slave Law was passed by Congress on September 18th 1850. It was included in the Compromise of 1850 and it sstated that if a slave ran away it was to be captured and returned to its master. -
Publication of Uncle Toms Cabin
more infoUncle toms cabin was an anti slavery book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and helped lay the ground work for the civil war. -
Formation of the Republican Party
more info This political party was formed t fight the Kansas Nebraska Act which threatened to extend slavery into territories and to promote more vigorous modernization of the economy. It rarely existed in the south. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act Passed
more infoThis act was what created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It also opened new lands for settlement. This act repealed the Missouri Compromise by allowing settlers in those places to determine themselves if they would allow slavery. -
"Border Ruffians" Attack Lawrence
more info The Border Ruffians were pro-slavery activists from the slave state of Missouri, who in 1854 to 1860 crossed the state border into Kansas Territory to force the acceptance of slavery there. The Sacking of Lawrence helped to ratchet up the guerilla war in the Kansas Territory and became known as the Bleeding Kansas. -
Charles Sumner Attacked
more infoCharles Sumner, senator of Massachusetts was givng a speech called "The Crime Against Kansas" when Preston Brooks of South Carolina thought he went to far and beat him two days later with a gold-tipped cane. -
Pottawatomie Creek
more infoHere is where the Pottawatomie Massacre happened. This was a reaction to the sacking of Lawrence. Abolitionist settlers killed 5 settlers north of the creek leading this event to become one of the many bloody episodes in Kansas before the Civil War. -
Dred Scott Decision Announced
more infoDred Scott was a slave who went to court to free himself and his family. He had lived in free land with his masters and therefore thought he should be free. Other slaves had gone to court with similar cases and won, but unfortunately Dred and his family were not granted freedom after appealing to the state court or the supreme court. -
Lecompton Constitution passed
more infoThe Lecompton Constitution was one of four proposed Kansas state constitutions that supported the existance of slavery in the proposed state and protected the rights of slaveholders. It also rovided voters with the choice of allowing more slaves in the territory -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
more infoThe Lincoln Douglas Debates were a series of arguements between Lincoln, the Republican canidate fo senate in Illinois and Douglas, The Democratic canidate. The two were trying to get their respective parties to win control over the Illinois Legislature. -
Raid at Harpers Ferry
more infothis was an attempt by abolitionist John Brown to start an armed slave revolt by taking over the US Arsenal at Harpers Ferry in Virginia. This raid was then defeated by a detachment of US Marines. -
Democrats Split in 1860
more infoThe Deomcrats split in 1860, becuase in the north Democrats were against slavery and in the south they supported it. During the election, they were hard pressed to find a candidate that the majority could agree with. Therefore, the Northern Democrats ran Stephen Douglass and the Southern Democrats ran John Breckenridge. -
Formation of Constitutional Union Party
more infoThe Constitutional Union Party was the political party formed between the conservative Whigs and former Know-Nothings, and a few Democrats -
Election of 1860
more infoOn of the most remarkable elections in US history, this election featured the split democratic party:Stephen Douglas for the north, John C Breckinridge for the south, and Union Partys John Bell as well as Republican Abraham Lincoln -
Abraham Lincoln Announces Plans For Reconstruction
more info Reconstruction was Lincolns plan after the civil war to repair the south and restore the Union. The plans were announced before the end of the war and were focused on freeing slaves and allowing the southern states to greate new governments as long as 10% of voters supported the union. -
Wade-Davis Bill Receives Pocket Veto
more infoCongress didnt think Lincolns plans for the union punished the south enough for the war so they created a harsher plan called the wade davis bill. This made southerners pledge their future loyalty to the Union along with other strict regulations -
Lincoln Re-Elected President
more infoin the 1864 election, Lincoln ran against George McClellan of the Democratic party. It didnt look like lincoln was going to win due to the civil war, however he did win because of how he captured Atlanta which signaled a change in government. -
President Andrew Johnson Impeached
more infoPresiden Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States who took over after Lincoln was assassinated. This impeachment was the first one ever in US history. Johnson had a long battle between himself and the Radical Republicans, therefore removing Edwin M. Stanton, violating the Tenure of Office Act. -
Formation of the Freedman's Bureau
more infoThis was created by Congress after the civil war to help people in the South adjust to a society of free balck people. This was run by the military and have supplies and education to black and white southerners who suffered from the war. -
Assasination of Abraham Lincoln
more infoLincoln was assasinated by john wilkes booth ins the Ford theater as lincoln was watching a play. Booth then escaped by jumping to the stage and riding away until dying later on his journey. -
Black Codes created in Mississppi
more infoThe Black Codes were laws in the US that limited the civil rights and liberties of blacks. These laws were issued to control the labor, migration, and other activities of newly-freed slaves. -
President Andrew Johnson Announces Plans for Reconstruction
more infoJohnson became president after Lincolns assasination and then took control of reconstruction. His plans were sympathetic towards southerners and required all states in the South to hold meetings to vote on rejoining the union. -
Ratification of the 13th Amendment
more infoThe Thirteenth Ammendment outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude except as a punishment for a crime. -
Ku Klux Klan created
more infoThis was a group created by men in TN who were angry at the Union for winning the war. The wanted to punish former black slaves and in order to do so the dressed up as confederate ghosts and committed acts of violence towards ex-slaves -
Civil Rights Act(1866) Enacted
more info The Civil Rights Act of 1866 made all males in the US citizens, even if they were freed slaves or of a different race. This Act also led to more rights for blacks during reconstruction -
Ratification of the 14th amendment
more infoThe Fourteenth Amendment was ratified on July 9th of 1868. This amendment granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” which included freed slaves. This was denied in many Southern States, but not in the Northern States, meeting up to the requirements of 3/4 of the states. -
US Grant Elevted President
more infoUS Grant was the general in which the Union defeated the Confederacy under in the Civil War. He was elected president on March 4th of 1869. He ruled under the idea of reconstruction which was brought to attention under the Radical Republicans. -
Hiram Revels elected to Senate
more infoHiram Revels was the first person of color to serve in the U.S Senate and in the U.S Congress. He represented Mississippi in 1870 and 1871 during Reconstruction. -
Ratification of the 15th Amendment
more infoThe 15th Amendment of the Constitution granted African American men the right to vote by saying the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged... on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." -
Ku Klux Klan Act Enacted
more infoThe Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 gave those deprived of their civil rights the oppurtunity to sure in federal court and authorized the presiden to suspend the writ of habeus corpus in order to break the KKK. -
Freedmens Bureau Abolished
more infoThe Freedman's Bureau helped to aid newely freed ex-slaves. Their help included education, jobs, supplies, etc. The Freedman's Bureau was the least liked organization of the time to help with reconstruction.On June 10th, there was an act of Congress that was later followed by the secretary of war trying to abolish the organization. -
Civil RIghts act (1875) passed
more infoThis was an attempt to stop segregation in the US. It gave all citizens the right to public places and schools and restauraunts. They also had the right to be on juries. -
Last National Troops Leave South Carolina
more infoAfter Reconstruction was officially over, the agreement was made where all troops from the north, protecting the South would leave. -
"Jim Crow" Enters the Anerican Cultural Language
more infoThe Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They were laws that even though the African Americans we're "free" they still were not completely entitled to their rights. -
Rutherford B Hayes Elected President
more infoHayes was a republican and was elected as a part of the Compromise of 1877. He was allowed to become president as long as he got rid of the troops in the south. -
Civil Rights Act Overturned (1883)
more infoIn 1883, the court ruled the Civil Rights Act to be unconstitutional. They declared this act to be unconstitutional after a number of Civil Rights cases. -
Florida Requires Segregation in Places of Public Accommodation
more infoFlorida was the first state to enforce these laws, until other states began to follow in 1892. These laws included every aspect of their lifes, especially in places of entertainment. This also included voting, where there were requirements that had to be made in order for an African American to vote, which in this case enabled them. -
Case of Plessy v. Ferguson
more infoPlessy was an African American man who was arrested for sitting in the white section on a train. This was a matter of "separate but equal" accomodations for blacks. He lost the case and it was determined that segregation was legal as long as it was equal. -
Reconstruction Acts Enacted
more infoThe Reconstruction Act was "An act to provide for the more efficient government of the Rebel States". These Acts were created for former Confederate States to be readmitted into the Union and included the creation of five military districts in the South, required that each state draft a new constitution, required ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment and more.
