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10,000 BCE
First Americans Enter North America
The Native Americans arrive here and start living off the land. They adapt to the land. This is important because the natives affected American history in many ways. -
Period: Oct 31, 1451 to May 20, 1506
Christopher Columbus
He was born on October 31, 1451 and died on May 20, 1506. He was a European explorer who "discovered" America for Spain. Without him it may have taken Europeans many more years to come to America or they might never have come (but somebody else probably would have). -
Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus Lands in America
The Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus lands in American. He lands in central America, probably of the coast of the Bahamas or somewhere in the Caribbean. He thought that he was arriving in Asia. Without him landing there at that time, it might have taken many more years for Europeans to arrive in America. -
Period: 1501 to
Mercantilism
This is a kind of economy (trade thing) that England had with the colonies. This angered the colonists leading to the Revolutionary War. -
Period: to
Jamestown
Jamestown is the first British colony in America. It was successful and was the start of the colonies and the US. -
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Navigation Act of 1651
They prohibited the colonies from trading directly with the Netherlands, Spain, France, and their colonies This angered the colonists leading to the Revolutionary war. -
Period: to
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was an inventor and founding father of the US. He helped create the constitution which lead the to the US. -
Period: to
The Enlightenment
This was a movement that helped for the type of government the US was going to be. It was based off of roman ideas. This helped keep the balance of power in the US government. -
Period: to
George Washington
George Washington was an amazing general and the first president of the United States of America. He helped win the war and start the country. -
Period: to
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd president of the US and was a founding father. He helped write the constitution and helped the US become its own country. -
Period: to
French and Indian War
France and England fought for the land in the Americas. This helped the US win land, expand, and kicked the French out of the area. -
Stamp Act
This was when parliament started taxing all paper imports to the colonies. This helped lead to the revolutionary war. -
Period: to
Andrew Jackson
He was the 7th president of the US. He removed Natives from their land which lead to the trail of tears and reservations. -
Boston Massacre
This was when some British soldiers killed some colonists (on accident). This lead to the Revolutionary war. -
Period: to
Lewis and Clark
Merriweather Lewis and William Clark re two explorers hired by the US government to explore the west and make relations with the natives. They helped the American government expand westward and trade with the natives. -
Boston Tea Party
This was when some colonists dumped a bunch of tea in the ocean to protest the stamp act. This lead to the revolutionary war. -
Period: to
Abolitionist Movement
This was a movement full of people that were against slavery and wanted equal rights for African Americans. This eventually lead to the freeing of slaves in the south. -
Declaration of Independence
This was the thing the founding fathers signed as a potation to free the colonies. Without this the US would have never happened. -
United States Constitution Signed
This was when the constitution was finally signed. Without this the US would have never happened. -
Proclaimation of 1776
It said that colonial settlers couldn't cross the Appalachian mountains due to the treaty of Paris in 1776. -
Period: to
Dred Scott
He was a black man and an slave. He moved to the north with his owner and started a family with another slave. The owner moved back to the south, but he claimed he was free because he was in a northern state which outlawed slavery. He lost the case. This was an event which angered Abolitionists and helped lead to the freeing of the slaves. -
Louisiana Purchase
This was the area of land that the French sold to the US for cheap. This doubled the size of the US. -
Period: to
Westward Expansion
The act of the US expanding westward and enlarging the size of the country. This triple the size of the original US size. -
Period: to
Manifest destiny
This was the idea that the US had a god given right to own and settle in the land west of the frontier. This lead to westward expansion. -
Period: to
Lewis and Clark Expedition
This expedition explored the land west making new maps and making relations with the natives. This lead to westward expansion and the increase in size of the US. -
Period: to
Abraham Lincoln
Abe Lincoln Was the 16th president of the united states. He ended the Civil War and free the slaves. -
Period: to
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was an avid Abolitionist and fought for equal rights for all. He helped lead to the freeing of slaves and getting equal rights for all skin colors. -
Period: to
Era of Reform
The Progressive Era was a movement that was about eliminating problems caused by industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and corruption in government. This changed how people saw the government and industrialization. -
Election of 1828
This was the election where Andrew Jackson went up against John Quincy Adams. This was significant because Andrew Jackson made a big impact on US history. -
Period: to
Jacksonian Democracy
This was a kind of democracy that Andrew Jackson created. It "espoused greater democracy for the common man". -
Indian Removal Act
Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act which removed natives onto reservations. This grew tensions between natives and European Americans and lead to natives being on reservations and the trail of tears. -
Period: to
Mexican American War
This was a war between Mexico and the US which was over the land of Texas. This affected relations between the countries for many years. -
Compromise of 1850
This was part of the fugitive slave act which meant California joined the Union and other states became free states. This lead to tensions between slave states and the Union. -
Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott decision was when the supreme court said that even though Dred Scott was in the north ,which meant he was free, he was not free. This lead to abolitionists fighting for rights and eventually the Civil War. -
Election of 1860
During this election the democratic party was split thus leading to the election of Abe Lincoln. This made even more tension between the north and south causing the Civil War. -
Period: to
Civil War
This was a war between the Confederate army (the south) and the Union Army (the north). This was one of the worst wars in US history which still affects today.