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Jun 15, 1215
magna carta signed
magna cartaThe Magna Carta, also called The Great Charter of the Liberties of England, was originally issued in Latin in 1215. The earlier versions included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority. It made King John of England claim certain liberties and accept that no man could be punished except through the law of the land. The Magna Carta was the first document forced onto a King of England by a group of his subjects. -
mayflower compact signed
mayflower compactThe mayflower compact was signed aboard the mayflower on November 11th 1620. The mayflower was anchored in province town harbor. The mayflower compact temporarily established a government. It was first published I 1622. The origional has never been found. -
Formation of New England Confederation
new england confederstionRepresentatives from Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven, met in Boston and came up with 12 articles of confederation, that was ratified by the four colonies. The government was a board of eight commissioners, two from each colony, chosen each year by general courts. The commissioners were empowered to declare war and were given jurisdiction over interstate fights, fugitive servants, fugitives from justice, and Indian affairs. The expenses for each colony were based on the popula -
Albany Plan of Union
albany plan of unionIn the 1750’s the rivalry between England and France over who would control North America led to the French and Indian War. It left England in power over the area of eastern United States and Canada. In June 1754 delegates and representatives met in Albany, New York, and they adopted a "plan of union" created by Benjamin Franklin. Under this plan each colonial legislature would elect delegates to a continental assembly ruled by a governor. -
French and Indian War Begins
French and Indian war
THe FRench and Indian war was also called the seven years war, it lasted from 1756-1763. it was a seris of wars between the british, the french, and native americans in the american colonies. the war ended when the british captured quebec. -
Stamp Act
stamp act
The Stamp Act was passed by the Parliament on March 22, 1765. It taxed stamps and paper goods. the colonists didnt like being taxed. -
Stamp Act Congress
stamp act congress
The colonist were not happy about the taxes from england, so they masde the Stamp ACt Congress in new york in 1765. the xpression, "No taxation without representation" came from the stamp act congress. -
Townshend Acts
Townshend Acts
THe Townshend Acts was a seris of 4 acts passed by Parliment. It orininateed from Charles Townshend. This soon led to the boston tea party and boston massacre. -
Boston Massacre
boston massacre
the Boston Massacre was a fight between the colonists and the BRitish soldiers in the streets of boston on March 5th 1770. the colonists threw snowballs and rocks at the british soldiers, and the british soldiers "accidentally" fired shots into the crowd, killling 3 people. -
Boston Tea Party
boston tea party
The Boston Tea Party was when a group of patriots protested the tax on tea by dumping 342 chests of english tea in the Boston Harbor. -
First Continental Congress
1st Continental Congress
The 1st Continental Congress met in Philideelphia in 1774. some of the leaders were Samuel Adams, John Adams, George Washington and Patrick Henry. They wanted to put an end to the Intolerable Acts. -
Patrick Henry said "give me liberty"
"give me liberty or give me death"
"Give me liberty or give me death" was said by Patrick Henry in a speech to the Virginia Convention. -
Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
paul reveres ride
Paul Revere rode from Boston to the old north church, to warn people that the british were coming, -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
lexington and concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were 2 battles in the American Revolution between the colonists and the British soldiers, won by the colonists. -
Second Continetal Congress
second continetal congress
Delegates from the 13 colonies gathered in Philidelphia. they talked about the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and ways to get the British out of Boston -
Fort Ticonderoga
fort ticonderoga
Ethan Allen and his "green mountain boys" captured Fort Ticonderoga on May 10th 1775. They wanted to capture it so they could have control of canada. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
battle of bunker hill
in the Battle of Bunker Hill, the night before, the colonists moved to where the british were, on Bunker Hill. the british were surprised to wake up to the americans right infront of them. the majority of this battle was fought on Breeds Hill. -
"Common Sense" is Published
common sense
Thomas Paine published "Common Sense" in January of 1776. it challenged the authority of the king and the british government. -
British Evacuate Boston
<a href='http://www.kidport.com/reflib/usahistory/americanrevolution/BostonEvac.htm' >british evacuate boston
the Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, captured Ticonderoga, and defeated the british in march of 1776. -
Declaration of Independance Announced.
decalration of independance announced
The signing of the Decalartion of Independance was announced on July 8th, 1776. -
"The Crisis" is Published
The Crisis, by Thomas Paine
"the Crisis" was a collection of articles published by Thomas Paine. it was very popular at the time, like Common sense. -
Washington Captures Trenton
battle of trenton
WAshington captured Trenton on December 26th, 1776. the Hessians didnt expect anyne would attak on christmas, but washington's army did, and they won the Battle of Trenton. -
British Defeated at Saratoga
Saratoga
On October 17, 1777, the British and Hessians surrendered in Saratoga, New York. The British lost 86% of their troops. This was the 1st major American victory. -
Articles of Confederation Signed
articles of confederation signedThe Articles of Confederation was an agreement among the 13 founding states after they declared their independence from great Britain. It established the United States of America as a confederation of states and served as our first constitution. -
Winter at Valley Forge, PA
valley forge
the winter of 1777-1778 was the low point for America. th contiental army had just lost a battle, and the conditions at their camp was really bad during that winter. almost 2,000 men died. Washington then took over, and things got better -
John Paul Jones Defeats the Serapis
John Paul Jones Defeats the Serapis
John Paul Jones was the commander of the continental navy who defeated the Serapis (Britain's ship). In September of 1779, he led the USS Bonhomme Richard against the British Serapis, and won. -
Benedict Arnold Plans Found Out
benedict arnold plans found out
Benedict Arnold was the general in charge of West Point, which was an important point for the americans. Benedict Arnold betrayed the continental army when his spy was caught. he then went to the British -
Cornwallis Surrenders
General Cornwallis Surrenders
In the battle of Cornwallis, thee Americans and French joied forces, and foced the British to surrender. General Cornwallis surrendered to the colonists when they blocked he and his forces in at Yorktown. -
Newburgh Conspiracy
newburgh conspiracyThe Newburgh Conspiracy was a plan that happened because several officers and men in the Continental Army weren’t paid for their services. The soldiers didn’t believe Congress would pay them, so they made a plan to create a law to get what Congress had promised them. The officers in the Continental Army that were involved in the Newburgh Conspiracy were led by General Henry Knox. -
Treaty of Paris
treaty of paris
the Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary war, and established borders for America. it began with peace talks in Paris in April of 1782. the Trreaty of Paris was signed on September 3rd 1783. the Continetial Congress ratified it on January 14th 1784. -
Treaty of Paris Signed
treaty of paris signedThe treaty of paris ended the revolutionary war. Under the treaty, Britain recognized the United States of America as an independent nation. The treaty also set new borders for the United States. The United States agreed to allow British troops still in America to leave and agreed to pay all existing debts they owed back to Great Britain. The United States also agreed not to persecute loyalists that were still in America. -
Royal Proclamation of 1783
Royal Proclamation of 1783
The Royal Procamation was a document issued by King George in 1783 to officially claim british territory in north America. -
Sugar Act
sugar act
The Sugar Act was a law passed by Parliment in 1784 that put a tax on sugar, wine, coffee and other foreign goods. this made the colonists very upset, they didnt like England taxing their goods. -
Spain Closes Mississippi
spain closes mississippithe early stages of America becoming a country, the land was broken up among different countries. One of them was Spain. Spain had land near Louisiana, along the Mississippi River and was vital for American farmers transportation. Spain closed the river because western farmers needed to transport their goods along the river, so spain hoped to lure the farmers away from America and join Spainish North America. -
Land Ordinance of 1785
land ordinance of 1785It was the law passed by Congress that allowed for land to be sold in the Northwest Territory. The ordinance said that the federal government would survey the lands into individual towns, each of which would be six square miles. These townships would then be subdivided into 36 lots of 640 acres. These lots could then be further divided. Once this had been completed, the townships were to be sold at public auction. -
Shay's Rebellion
shays rebellionDaniel shays led a group of farmers to the springfeild armory to get weapons to prevent state courts from taking over farms. The Massachusetts state militia was called out to end the rebellion. They forced people around the country to realize there were problems with the articles of confederation -
Anapolis Convention
anapolis conventionThe Annapolis Convention was a meeting in Annapolis, Maryland in September of 1786. It was an important rallying point in the movement toward a federal convention to fix the Articles of Confederation. Delegates from five states found that we couldn’t effectively deal with national commercial problems without changing in the Articles of confederation, so the delegates issued a meeting for all states in Philadelphia, where the Constitution was written. -
Ordinance of Religious Fredom
ordinance of religious freedomThe Virginia legislature passed Jefferson's Ordinance of Religious Freedom, guaranteeing that no one is forced to attend /support any church or be discriminated against because of their religion. This later served as the model for the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution. -
Constitution Sent to States for Ratification
constitution sent to sates for ratificationBetween 1787 and1788 the 13 states ratified the constitution. Delaware was the 1st state to ratify it, then it was: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island was last. -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
northwest ordinanceThe northwest ordinance of 1787 settled the land north of the ohio river and east of the Mississippi river that would eventually become part of the united states. The Ohio Land Company prompted Congress to pass the Ordinance. The area opened up by the Ordinance was based on lines originally laid out in 1784. The Ordinance created the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. It also started advancement of education, maintenance of civil liberties and the end of slavery. The Nort -
Constitutional Convention Opens
The constitutional conventiaon opened in 1787 at the State House in Philadelphia. For four months, 55 delegates from several states met to set up a Constitution for a federal republic.
constitutional convention opens -
The Great Compromise
the great compromiseThe great compromise is also called the Connecticut compromise. The Connecticut Compromise was an agreement that the between the large and small states during the Constitutional Convention. They agreed on the legislative structure and representation that each state would have. It kept the bicameral legislature, and proportional representation in the lower house. But the upper house was to be shared equally between the states. -
Anti-Fedralist Articles Appear
anti-fedralistAnti-fedralists were people who opposed ratification of the constitution. Anti-fedralist papers started to appear in late 1787. The first anti-fedralist article to appear was: A Dangerous Plan of Benefit Only to the "Aristocratic Combination". It was published in the Boston Gazette in November 26, 1787. -
Delaware Ratifies Constitution
delaware ratifies constitutionDelaware was the first state to ratify the constitution. They ratified it on December 7, 1787. -
Massachusetts Ratifies Constitution
massachusetts ratifiesMassachusetts ratified the United States Constitution on February 6, 1788. -
Fedralist Papers Appear
fedralistFedralist papers also started to appear in late 1787. Federalists promoted the ratification of the constitution. The first federalist article was: The Federalist, written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. -
New Hampshire Ratifies Constitution
new hampshire ratifiesNew Hampshire ratified the constitution on June 21, 1788. -
Congress Meets for the First Time
congress meets for first timeCongress met for the first time on march 4th, 1789. Congress met at Federal Hall. Before the new constitution, congress did not meet and laws could not be passed. It was the first meeting after the constitution was ratified. The first meeting had 21 senators. -
George Washington Elected President
washignton elected presidentGeorge washington was unanimously elected by the electoral college to be the first president of the united states on April 30th 1789. He left office in 1797 after serving two terms. He helped create a stable government for the united states. George Washington signed the JayTreaty, which settled arguments between America and the British. -
Bill of Rights Sent to States for Ratification
bill of rights sent to states for ratificationOn November 20th, 1789, new jersey was the first state to ratify the bill of rights. -
Bill of Rights Ratified
bill of rights ratifiedThe bill of rights was ratified on December 15th, 1791. The bill of rights are the first 10 amendments to the us constitution. the bill of rights was written by James Madison. The amendments defined citizens' rights to the newly established government under the Constitution. the amendments are still in effect today. -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions Written
Virginia and Kentucky ReservesThe Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions were political statements written in 1798 and 1799, where the Kentucky and Virginia legislatures said federal Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. They said that the states had the right to declare acts of congress unconstitutional if they were not authorized by the Constitution. -
Hartford Convention meets during war of 1812
hartford convention
in December of 1814, Federalists representing New England states met at the Hartford Convention to discuss how to stop the decline of the fedralist party in the region. -
Missouri Compromise
missouri compromise
the missouri compromise was an agreement in 1820 between anti-slavery and pro-slavery groups concerning slavery extending into new territories. after the missouri compromise, missouri was established as a slave state. -
Tariff of Abominations Passed
tariff of 1828
the tariff of 1828 was a protective tariff passed by the cogress o may 13th. it was designed to protect industry in the northern United States. this angered the southern states because they thought it only benefited the north. -
South Carolina Tries to Nullify
nullification crisis
south carolina tried to nullify the tariff of abominations because it economically hurt the south. South Carolina wanted to get rid of the union, but the Vice President John C. Calhoun told them they should just nullify the law (that means to call it unconstitutional, and not practice it). then the tariff was revised with a bill. -
Abolition of Slavery Act
abolition of slavery actabolition of slavery act
Parliment passed the act that abolished slavery for britain in 1833. -
Texas Declares Independance from Mexico
texas declares independance from mexico
After the Mexican war, texas declared its independance from mexico. Delegates met at Washington-on-the-Brazos to consider independence from Mexico. The convention voted unanimously to accept a resolution for independence. Texas became the Republic of Texas. -
James Polk is Elected
james polkjames k polk was the 11th president of the united states. he was part of the democrat party, and oversaw the addition of Texas as a state. he also got land from Mexico that became California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. -
Wilmot Proviso
wilmot prosivo
Wilmot Proivso was an amendment to a bill given to the House of Representatives during the Mexican War. David Wilmot introduced it suggesting that none of the territory we acquired in the Mexican War should be open to slavery. Read more: Wilmot Proviso — Infoplease.com http://www.infople -
Mexican War
mexican war
the mexican war was a war between the US and mexico over where the texas/mexico border should be. the US won the war when we captured mexico city. the US then got north mexico.(which is now california, utah,nevada, new mexico, etc.) -
California enters the Union
california enters the union
California entered the union on September 9th 1850. they entered the union because they wanted to become a free state. In the Compromise of 1850 California was admitted to the Union as a free state. -
Fugitive Slave Law Enacted
fugitive slave law
The Fugitive Slave Act was part of the Compromise of 1850. In this compromise, the antislavery advocates gained California as a free state. this law was so hated by abolitionists, but it played a role in the end of slavery. -
Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin
uncle tom's cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a book on anti-slavery, published by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852. it changed many American's opinions on slavery. she published it because she hated the fugitive slave act. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act Passed
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act OF 1854 was a significant event leading to the Civil War. By the early 1850s settlers and entrepreneurs wanted to move into Nebraska, but until the area was organized as a territory, settlers couldn't go there because they couldn't legally claim the land. the Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act that allowed people in Kansas and Nebraska to vote whether or not to allow slavery popular sovereignty). -
Formation of Republican Party
republican party
The republican party started in 1854, to combat the Kansas-Nebraska Act, that thretend to end slavery into the territories. the republicans gained support in the north, and in 1860, republican Abraham Lincon became president. -
Border Ruffians attack Lawrence
border ruffians attack lawrence
On May 21, 1856 a group of Border Ruffians went into the Free-State stronghold of Lawrence. they burned buldings, and robbed homes and stores. -
Charles Sumner is Attacked
Sumner is attacked
Charles Sumner, a massachusetts senator was attacked on the floor of the senate by Preston Brooks, a congressman from south carolina, because of the offensive anti-slavery speech he made. -
Pottawatomie Creek
pottawatomie creek
3 days after the border ruffians attacked lawrence, John brown and his anti-slavery group went to pottawatomie creek and killed 5 men for revenge. -
dred scott decision announced
dred scott decision
Dred Scott was a slave who wanted to sue his master. he was taken by his master to Illinios, a free state, but then when he was taken back, he claimed he should be free because he was previously living in a free state, the case was determined that slaves cant be free citizens. -
Lecompton Constitution passed
lecompton constitution passed
the lecompton constitution was the 2nd of 4 proposed constitutions for kansas. This constitution gave slaveholder’s rights to keep their slaves currently living in the territory, but it banned future importation of slaves to Kansas. If the people kept this in the constitution they would be a slave state, but the people voted to not include it, so kansas became a free state. -
Lincon-Douglas Debates
Lincon-Douglas Debates
The lincon-douglas debates were a seris of debates between Stephan Douglas and Abraham Lincon in 1858. it was during the campaign for US senate. Lincon was a republican, Douglas was a democrat. -
Raid at Harper's Ferry
raid at harpers ferry
On October 16-18th, 1859, an abolistionist named John Brown and his supporters led a raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. this was an attempt to start a slave revolt. it didnt work. -
Formation of Constitutional Union Party
formation of constitutional union party
The Constitutional Union Party was formed before the election of 1860. Delegates from 20 states attended the convention in Baltimore in May, 1860 -
Election of 1860
1860 election
the presidential election of 1860 was held on november 6th. Republican, Abraham Lincon won. the other people running were: Stephen A. Douglass, John C. Breckinridge, and John Bell -
Democrats split in 1860
democrats spit in 1860
the democratic party split over popular soverignty. Southern Democrats wanted popular sovernty, and Northern Democrats didn't . -
Abraham Linclon Announces Plan for Reconstruction
Reconstruction
In December 1863 Abraham Lincoln announced his Reconstruction Plan. He said that as soon as any seceded state "took oaths of allegiance to the Constitution", they would be readmitted to the Union. By the end of the Civil War Arkansas and Louisiana had established their governments based on this. Republicans opposed Lincoln's Reconstruction Plan -
Wade-Davis Bill Recieves Pocket Veto
wade davis bill
The Wade-Davis Bill was a bill proposed for the Reconstruction of the South. it was written by two Republicans-Senator Benjamin Wade of Ohio, and Representative Henry Winter Davis of Maryland. It was against President Abraham Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan. -
Lincoln re-elected President
lincoln re-elected
Repuclican, Abraham Lincoln was re-elected as president in the election of 1864. he won aginst democrat, george mcclellan. No Electoral votes were counted from all Southern states, although elections were held Louisiana and Tennessee. -
Formation of the Freedman's Bureau
freedmens bureaeu
The Freedmens bureau was a federal agency, formed to help and protect the newly freed slaves in the South after the Civil War. it was established on Mar. 3, 1865. -
Assassanation of Abraham Lincoln
lincoln's assasination
President Abraham Lincoln was assassanated on april 14th, 1865, by John Wilkes Booth, in ford's theater while watching a play. -
President Andrew Johnson Announces Plans for Reconstruction
andrew johnson announces plans for reconstruction
Andrew John announced plans for reconstruction in may 1865. It calls for general amnesty (An official pardon for people who have been convicted of political offenses),and restoration of property - except for slaves - it was for "all Southerners who will swear loyalty to the Union." -
Black codes created in mississippi
black codes
the black codes were laws that limited the rights of african americans after the civil war. in november 1865, the black codes were creted, in mississippi. -
Ratification of the 13th amendment
ratification of the 13th amendment
on december 6th, 1865, the 13th amendment was ratified, which officilally ended slavery in the united states. it "outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime". -
Ku Klux Klan Kreated
KKK
the Ku Klux Klan was founded i december of 1865, in Tenessee. the KKK was an extremist secret society that was founded after the civil war. it was made up of white southerners who were white supremesists. -
Civil Rights Act Enacted
Civil rights act
the cicli rights act was passed by congress on april 9th 1866, over the veto of President Andew Johnson. The act declared that: "all persons born in the United States were now citizens, without regard to race, color, or previous condition". -
Reconstruction Acts Enabled
reconstruction acts enabled
the first reconstruction act was enabled on March 2, 1867. it was an Act to "provide for the more efficient Government of the Rebel States" (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, and Arkansas) -
President Andrew Johnson Impeached
andrew johnson impeached
Andrew Johnson was impeached on February 24th, 1868. He was impeached because he was in a political battle with the radical republicans, among many other things. this was one of the most dramatic events in political history. -
Ratification of the 14th amendment
14th amendment ratified
On July 28, 1868, the 14th Amendment was ratified. The amendment gives "citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States" which included former slaves who had just been freed after the Civil War. -
Ulysses S. Grant elected President
Ulsses s Grant elected president
Ulysses S GRant was elected as 18th president on march 4th, 1869. he serveed two terms. -
Ratification of the 15th Amendment
15th amendment ratified
the 15th amendment was ratified on February 3rd 1870. the 15th amendment gave "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." -
Hiram Revels elected to Senate
Hiram revels
Hiram Revels was the first african american senator. he was elected into the senate on february 25th 1870. many people argued against this. -
Ku Klux Klan Act Enabled
kkk act
On April 20, 1871,Congress passed the Ku Klux Klan Act, also known as the Third Enforcement Act, it gave the federal government more power to protect voters. The act gave penalties- fines and jail time for attempts to deprive citizens of equal protection under the laws. this gave the President authority to use federal troops and suspend of habeas corpus (if neccassary), to ensure civil rights were given to all. -
Freedman's Bureau Abolished
freedmans bureau abolished
The Freedman's Bureau was abolished on June 30, 1872, by an act of June 10, 1872. It was one of the only government organizations that tried to improve the life and chances of black people.The Bureau was widely criticized for its promotion of the Republican vote, so it was abolished. -
Civil Rights Act (1875) Passed
civil rights act passed
the civil rights act was passed on march 1st,1875. It protected all Americans, regardless of race, in access to public accommodations and facilities such as restaurants, theaters, trains and other public transportation, and protected the right to serve on juries. at the time it was not enforced, and the Supreme Court declared it was unconstitutional, in 1883. -
"Jim Crow" Enters American Cultural Language
Jim CrowJim Crow was the practice of discriminating against and segregating Black people, in the American South starting at the end of Reconstruction -
Rutherford B. Hayes Elected President
Ruthurford b hayes
Rutherford B Hayes bcame president in March, 1777. March 4, 1877 fell on a Sunday, so Hayes secretly took the oath of office on Saturday, March 3, in the Red Room of the White House, the first president to do so. He took the oath publicly on the following Monday in the United States Capitol. -
Civil Rights Act Overturned
civil rights act overturned
In 1883, The US Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights act of 1875, (preventing discrimination in hotels, trains, and other public spaces), was unconstitutional, and wasnot authorized by the 13th or 14th Amendments -
Florida Requires Segregation in Places of Public Accommodation
Florida Requires Segregation
Florida was the first state to require segregation in places of public accommodation, in 1887. Eight other states followed Florida's lead after 1892. -
Case of Plessy vs. Ferguson
plessey vs. ferguson
On June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy was put in jail for sitting in the white car of the East Louisiana Railroad, violating Louisiana's Seperate Car Act, that seperated black and white sections on the train. in 1892, a black civil rights organization tried to challenge the law, and the case went to the Supreme Court. Plessy's lawyer argued that the Separate Car Act violated the 13th and 14th amendments.
