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Period: to
The Revolutionary War
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Common sense
Paine's "Common Sense" published -
New Providence
The Continental fleet captures New Providence Island in the Bahamas -
Constitution 1
The First Virginia Constitution -
signing starts
Delegates begin to sign The Declaration of Independence. -
Arnold
Benedict Arnold defeated at the Battle of Valcour Island (Lake Champlain), but delayed British advance. -
The Delaware!
Washington crosses the Delaware and captures Trenton from Hessians. -
victory
Washington victorious at Princeton -
French Alliance
The United States and France sign the French Alliance. -
Retreat
British abandon Philadelphia and return to New York. -
Leaving
Washington's army leaves Valley Forge. -
Charleston
British capture Charleston, SC -
French troops
French troops arrive at Newport, RI, to aid the American cause. -
Yorktown
American victory at Yorktown terms discussed for the British surrender. -
president
First President of the US is George Washington -
Judiciary act
Judiciary Act of 1789 -
Bill of Rights
Bill of Rights ratified -
Fugitive Slave Act
The United States outlaws any efforts to impede the capture of
runaway slaves. -
The cotton gin
Eli Whitney patents his device for pulling seeds from cotton. The invention turns cotton into the cash crop of the American South—and creates a huge demand for
slave labor. -
Period: to
Adams
Second President of the US is John Adams -
Library of Congress
Library of Congress founded -
Period: to
Jefferson
Third President of the US is Thomas Jefferson -
Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase Treaty -
Lewis and Clark
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explore the Louisiana Territory -
US bans slave trade
Importing African slaves is outlawed, but smuggling
continues. -
Period: to
Monroe
Fifth President of the US is James Monroe -
Jackson Purchase
Jackson Purchase in Kentucky -
Missisouri
Missouri is admitted to the Union as a slave state, Maine as a free
state. Slavery is forbidden in any subsequent territories north of latitude 36º 30'. -
Washington Irving
One of America's most well-known early writers was Washington Irving. His first great work came out in 1820, titled Rip Van Winkle. -
Period: to
JQA
Sixth President of the US is John Quincy Adams -
Period: to
Andrew Jackson
Seventh President of the US is Andrew Jackson -
Indian Removal
Indian Removal Act -
Slave Revolt
Virginia Slave preacher Nat Turner leads a two-day uprising against
whites, killing about 60. Militiamen crush the revolt then spend two months searching for Turner, who is eventually caught and hanged. Enraged Southerners impose harsher restrictions on their slaves. -
Texas war
Texas War for Independence begins -
Alamo
Battle of the Alamo -
Period: to
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren is president. -
Period: to
The Trail
The Trail of Tears -
Anti-Slavery (and Anti-Women!) convention
Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are barred from attending the World Anti-Slavery Convention held in London. This prompts them to hold a Women's Convention in the US. -
Harrison
Ninth President of the US is William Henry Harrison -
Period: to
Tyler
Tenth President of the US is John Tyler -
Period: to
James K. Polk
Eleventh President of the US is James Knox Polk -
Period: to
Mexican-American war
the Mexican-American War -
Cahuenga
Treaty of Cahuenga ends Mexican-American War -
The gold rush
Gold discovered in California -
Seneca Falls
Seneca Falls, New York is the location for the first Women's Rights Convention. Elizabeth Cady Stanton writes "The Declaration of Sentiments" creating the agenda of women's activism for decades to come. -
Period: to
Zachary Taylor
Twelfth President of the US is Zachary Taylor -
Women's Rights Convention
Worcester, Massachusetts, is the site of the first National Women's Rights Convention. Frederick Douglass, Paulina Wright Davis, Abby Kelley Foster, William Lloyd Garrison, Lucy Stone and Sojourner Truth are in attendance. A strong alliance is formed with the Abolitionist Movement. -
Nathaniel Hawthorne
After several years of writing, Nathaniel Hawthorne published his most famous novel. Titled The Scarlet Letter, it has lived on for years. -
Ain't I a woman?
At a women's rights convention in Akron, Ohio, Sojourner Truth, a former slave, delivers her now memorable speech, "Ain't I a woman?" -
Property Rights
The issue of women's property rights is presented to the Vermont Senate by Clara Howard Nichols. This is a major issue for the Suffragists. -
Walt Whitman
Walt had previously published several poems. One of his most famous poems was a tribute to Abraham Lincoln called O Captain! My Captain!
