-
May 12, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a charter drafted to protect rights of english nobleman from the unpopular king. The doucument promised protection to basic rights like religion, fair trial, and limitations of feudal payments to the king. The document set up the first restraints on government power. Some of the same ideas were later used in the United State's government. -
Jamestown
Jamestown was the very first permanent English settlement in america. The town was founded in the area that would later become the state of Virginia. Jamestown was settled by entrepeneurs to gain wealth and gold for England, but is refered to as "where the British empire began" because it was the first of many more english settlements to come. -
French and Indian war
France’s expansion into the Ohio River valley caused conflict with the the colonies, a series of battles led to the British declaration of war. Largely outnumbered French particularly depended on the Indians help. Britain came out victorious even after spain joined ranks with France. France ceded its territory east of the Mississippi to Great Britain. -
Boston Tea Party
After the british enforced the Tea Act (yet another tax on settlers) they became outraged. The Sons of Liberty led by Samuel Adams decided to let the king know of their disapproval and make a point. The men gathered on the british ships holding crates of tea and dumped over three hundred crates of tea into the Boston harbor. This act of colonial defiance and protest against taxation led to the coerrcive acts or what the colonists refered to as the inttolerable acts. -
American Revolution
The conflict arose from growing tensions between residents of the colonies and the colonial government, the british crown. War officially broke out in 1775 at lexington and concord. America's fate looked bleak until Saratoga the turning point where they gained allies. After French assistance helped the Continental Army Britain surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781 officially ending the war and freeing the colonies. -
Constitutional Convention
Soon after America won its independence from Great Britain it became increasingly evident that it needed a stronger central government in order to remain stable. The constitution convention was held to repair the weak Articles of Confederation the current constitution at the time. Instead we created a new constitution. This constitution set up the bill of rights, three branches, and funamentals we operate under today. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana purchase was a piece of land bought in 1803. President Thomas Jefferson purchsed the land from French dictator Napoleon Bonaparte for 15million dollars or about 3 cents an acre. The land about doubled the size of the U.S. This would help achieve manifest destiny stretching the country further west. This event also set off the Lewis an Clark Expedition to map and explore the newly gained land. -
Lincoln's Election
After a heated race between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, Lincoln was elected the sixteenth president of the United States. He became the first republican ever in office. When word of this got to the south, South Carolina seceded. They firmly believed Licoln would take away their slaves and rights, and didn't want to stick around to find out. Kindling the flames of tension between the North and South that would cause a civil war. -
Civil War
When the tension became too great to bear, the country broke in two. The southern states seceded forming the confederacy and the north staying the union, we began war. The union fought to remain whole while the confederates fought in rebellion. The Confederacy being a newly formed nation was not prepared to do battle, but put up a big fight. All in all the Union won, confederate General Lee surrendered 1865 four years later. The Confederacy was beaten and broken, but back home after rejoining. -
Reconstruction
After the civil war ended the union allowed the rebellious confederates back into the states. Reconstruction focused on rebuilding the nation and improving conditions. The emancipation proclamation freed all slaves but racism was at an all time high. Things unsupported by the government like the Black codes and the kkk resticted the newly gained freedom of former slaves. Conditions weren't perfect, but we were trying our best to better ourselves.
