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Period: 1436 to 1506
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was one one of the first Europeans to find North America, and he was one of the starts of the mission to find, settle, and colonize the New World that ravaged Europe and started American history. He was basically the start of this other stuff on the timeline. -
1492
Christopher Columbus Lands
Christopher Columbus lands in North America. This could be debated as the official start of Europeans entering the "new world". His tales of the new world attracted many Europeans to settle and claim land in North America -
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First Americans Enter North America
The first Americans enter North America. At the time, they were Europeans, and did not become Americans until America was settled. This event started all of this shenanigans -
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Mercantilism
"This 'mercantile system' was based on the premise that national wealth and power were best served by increasing exports and collecting precious metals in return." (New World Encyclopedia) These ideas were held by the Britain, and was one of the factors which caused them to pass their Navigation Acts that sparked outrage and the first hint of rebellion in the American colonies. -
Jamestown
Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America. It was were the " British empire began" according to William Kelso. Jamestown was the start of what would become the thirteen colonies and later America. -
Navigation Act of 1651
This act, passed by the English, required that all trade between the New World and could only be done on English or colonial vessels, and that the trade of many staple products could only be traded with England. This reduced the sales of many farmers in the New World and created some unrest among them. -
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The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment took place in Europe and was a time when new and radical intellectual and philosophical thoughts were popping up everywhere. With the Enlightenment came new thoughts about Democracy and power to the people, something that the Constitution and American history was built on. The Enlightenment majorly influenced the writers of the Constitution and the way that America was and is ran today. -
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Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was a founding father of the United States and was a scientist that made great discoveries. He also was a large part in several institutions, funding, helping, and even starting some. Benjamin Franklin was a large part of the founding of America and shaping it into what it is today. He helped right the declaration of independence and was one of the leaders of the American Revolution. -
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George Washington
George Washington was the first president of the United States, and one of the Founding Fathers. He, like the other Founding Fathers, helped shape America into what it is today. -
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Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was one of the Founding Fathers that helped shape America. He was also the third president of the United States, and was the president that facilitated the Louisiana Purchase. He was also one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence -
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French and Indian War
This was was a result of tension between the Indians and the French, British, and assorted colonists. This was a result of this group extending their territories into the frontier and Indian land. The war helped Britain gain large amounts of land in the frontier, but taxes on the colonists and land disputed added fire to the growing discontent among the colonists. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was issued by King George the lll, and declared that no settlements were allowed west of the Appalachian mountains. This created more conflict among the colonists, as they had fought for that land in the Seven Years War, but were banned from that acquired land. This was a factor in the Revolutionary War. -
Stamp Act
This act was passed by Britain to be enforced on the colonists. The act basically put a tax on everything, including stamps, which is why it was called the stamp act. This act raised a cry of tyranny among the colonists, and was one of the catalysts for the Revolutionary War. And helped encourage the revolutionary movement that had already started among the colonists. -
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American Revolution
The American Revolution was the result of the growing tension between the colonists and the British. This led to the Americans winning the war, and America became free from British rule. This was very important to American history as it was when America became America and independent, instead of under British rule. -
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Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the 7th president of the United States, and was considered the first president that really stood for the people, since he was born poor himself. He revolutionized democracy for America. He was also the president who passed the Indian Removal Act. -
The Boston Massacre
In Boston, a squadron of British soldiers fired on a mob. In the end, 5 people died. This event was in newspapers and was spread by Patriots to encourage and fuel the rebellion against the British. -
The Boston Tea Party
Patriots boarded a boat carrying tea and threw 342 chests of tea into the harbor as an act of rebellion against the British and the East India Tea Company. The British had lowered the tea tax to give the company an advantage, and this angered many. This is one of the most widely known acts of rebellion against the British. This led to the British passing the Intolerable Act, and the Patriots then called together a congress to talk about rebellion. -
Declaration of Independece
This declaration declared that the thirteen colonies were officially independent, and no longer under British rule. This was a large step for young America, as it was officially independent. -
Signing of the Constitution
The Constitution was the document that America is run by. Ever since its creation in 1787, America has run by it. It has shaped America from the very beginning, and created it into what it is today. -
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Dred Scott
Dred Scott was a slave that brought the controversial Dred Scott case to court. He was a slave, but was taken to a free state, and argued that he should then be granted his freedom, and should no longer be forced in slavery. He brought up a debate and an issue that raised major debates from the North and South. He was later bought by his former owners children, and freed -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the purchase of land by the United States from France. This greatly increased the size of the new United States,doubling it and created more space for colonists. Thomas Jefferson was the president at the time and it is considered one of his greatest achievements. -
Lewis and Clark
Captain Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are famous for their 1804 expedition in the newly acquired west of the United States. Captain Lewis was the leader of the expedition, and chose Clark to be his second in command. I'm not sure what the date should be since it is two people so just ignore the date. -
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Lewis and Clark Expedition
It was an expedition headed by Captain Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. This expedition was across much of the Western part of North America, in the land newly acquired through the Louisiana purchase. They wanted to lay American presence in the land before any Europeans could, and wanted to find routes across the land to the Western border. -
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Westward Expansion
Westward Expansion was the movement that gripped America in its early days. The small thirteen colonies wanted to expand west for many reasons. This led to many things, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Mexican American war. This process, of acquiring what is now the United States, took around a century, and made America into the huge mass of land it is today. -
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Manifest Destiny
This event has the same time span as Westward Expansion because Westward Expansion was a cause of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the idea that it was America's Gob given right to expand west, and that it was what God wanted for America. This idea, and through that Westward Expansion, caused America to be the size it is today. -
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Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States, and was the President during the Civil War. He believed in equality for both African Americans and white people, and fought for equality. He wasn't prefect, but he is credited to winning the Civil War and abolishing slavery, a monumental moment in American history. -
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Frederick Douglass
Fredrick Douglass was a leader of the abolitionist movement. Born a slave, he was freed, and once he was became one of the main faces of the abolitionist movement. He was a speech maker and a leader and stood for equality. He helped convince people to abolish slavery -
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Abolitionist Movement
The Abolitionist Movement was a movement led by abolitionists-people who wanted to end and abolish slavery. They led the movement against slavery in both the North and the South. One famous leader of the movement was Fredrick Douglass, a freed slave. -
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Jacksonian Democracy
Jacksonian democracy was a time of the "common man". Andrew Jackson was president, and the first to not have been in an "inner circle" he was poor, and so was "for the people." It was a time in which many accused Jackson of overstepping his power. However, he did things that many presidents now are expected to do. It was a turning point in American democracy in which the common people were more represented in the government. -
Election of 1828
The election of 1828 was between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. This was significant because he was the first candidate that was "for the people". Unlike John Quincy Adams, he was not in the inner circle, he had grown up poor. This was a major turning point for democracy. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was the work of then President Andrew Jackson. The act forced hundreds of Native Americans to move from their native lands to west of the Mississippi. This migration was called The Trail of Tears, as many Native Americans died on the journey. This was one of the first major acts that forced Native Americans out of their lands, and the mistreatment of Native Americans has continued to this day. -
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Mexican American War
The Mexican American war was a war between Mexico and America. The dispute was over land, mainly Texas, but also land that stretched from the Rio Grande River to the Pacific Ocean. This was part of the United States westward expansion, and connected to manifest destiny, as the still young United States believed it was their God given right to grow. America won the war, and gained more than 500,000 square miles of land. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 were bills passed in order to calm the growing tensions between the North and South. After the Mexican American war, land was gained, and North and South argued over allowing slavery in new territories. This caused a lot of tension and conflict between the two sides, so law makers passed the Compromise of 1850 in order to try to prevent a Civil War. Through this, the Fugitive Slave Act was amended and a line was established between slave and free states. -
Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott case was highly controversial and gained national attention from both the North and the South. In the case, the prosecutor, Dred Scott, declared that he and his family should be free, since they had lived freely in a free state for a while, before being taken back to a slave state and enslaved again. They said they deserved their freedom. However, the court did not see it that way, and ruled against them. -
Election of 1860
The election of 1860 was the presidential election in which Abraham Lincoln was elected president. This was a turning point, as in Lincoln's presidency, the Civil War was fought and won by the North. Lincoln was a believer in equal rights between black and white people, and may have been one of the first presidents to think that way. He wanted equal rights, and though not without his controversies, he is hailed as a hero today for leading the North to victory in the Civil War. -
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Civil War
The Civil War was the war that changed America. It was between the Confederates and the Union, and mainly over slavery. When the North won, slavery was officially abolished in the U.S. This was a major turning point in American history, as America was built on slavery, with the South back then especially dependent on it. -
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Era of Reform
The era of reform was a time of reform in America. It mostly fought against problems caused by "industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and corruption in government." It changed America for the better, as it fought to combat and bring attention to these problems.