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Creation of Southern Colonies
(1607) Colony and Dominion of Virginia - (1632) Province of Maryland - (1712) Province of North Carolina - (1712) Province of South Carolina - (1732) Province of Georgia. -
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Creation of New England Colonies
(1629) Province of New Hampshire - (1636) Connecticut Colony - (1663) Colony of Rhode Island - (1691) Province of Massachusetts Bay -
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Creation of the Middle Colonies
(1664) Delaware Colony - (1664) Province of New York - (1664) Province of New Jersey - (1681) Province of Pennsylvania -
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French and Indian War/Seven Years War
The final conflict in the ongoing struggle between the British and French for control of eastern North America. The British win a decisive victory over the French -
The Royal Proclamation
The British King George III and forbade the colonists to settle west of the Appalachian mountains until proper treaties had been made with the Amerindians. -
The Sugar and Currency Act
Sugar Act (taxes on sugar) / Currency Act (regulated paper money issued by the colonies). -
The Stamp Act
The colonists had to buy special tax stamps and attach them to newspapers, pamphlets, licenses, and legal papers. The Stamp Act Congress founded by 27 representatives from 9 colonies in New York Merchants and shopkeepers refused to sell British goods until the Stamp Act was withdrawn -
The Declaratory Act
Asserted the authority of the British Parliament over the colonies in all cases. -
The Boston Massacre
British troops fire into a mob, killing five men and leading to intense public protests. -
The Boston Tea Party
Group of colonial patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians board three ships in Boston harbor and dump more than 300 crates of tea overboard as a protest against the British tea tax. -
The Coercive/ Intolerable Acts
Five Acts were passed to punish the people of the Boston tea party . The Boston harbor was closed until the tea was paid for. -
The first Continental Congress (Philadelphia)
56 delegates representing every colony except Georgia, met to oppose British oppression divided opinions on how to solve the problem. -
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American Revolution
War of independence fought between Great Britain and the 13 British colonies on the eastern seaboard of North America. Battles of Lexington and Concord, Mass, between the British Army and colonial minutemen, mark the beginning of the war. -
The Continental Congress cut off all ties to Britain
The Declaration of Independence was issued (4th July 1776) by Thomas Jefferson. It officially named the colonies “The United States of America”. It sent the basis for a new form of government -
First flag and first constitution of US
Continental Congress approves the first official flag of the United States and adopts the Articles of Confederation, the first U.S. constitution -
Independence of the colonies
Treaty of Paris: Stated that the Colonies were an independent nation. More territories were granted to them. -
George Washington becomes the 1st president
George Washington is unanimously elected president of the United States in a vote by state electors. -
Bill of Rights
First ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, are ratified. -
John Adams becomes president of US
John Adams is declared as the second president of the United States, in Philadelphia. -
The Louisiana Purchase
France sold Louisiana to the US (Napoleon needed money to fight against Britain). President Jefferson wanted explorers to go beyond Louisiana (lands known as Oregon). -
The Oregon Trail
The explorers were Lewis and Clark, who arrived to the Pacific Ocean. This became known as the Oregon Trail. -
Congress banned slave ships coming from Africa
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The Missouri Compromise
It was decided that slavery would be permitted in Missouri and Arkansas but banned in lands to the west and north of Missouri. -
Indian Removal Act
All Amerindians east of the Mississippi River would be moved to “Indian Territory” (unfarmable lands). -
Texas became independent from Mexico
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The Trail of Tears
Forced relocations of Native Americans in the United States from the Southeastern United States, to areas to the west of the Mississippi River that had been designated as Indian Territory. -
The Oregon Treaty
The treaty brought an end to the Oregon boundary dispute by settling competing for American and British claims to the Oregon Country -
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The Mexican-American War
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California becomes a free state
Congress decided that California was admitted to the US as a free state and people in Utah and New Mexico could decide whether to own slaves or not -
Fugitive Slave Act
It made it easier for southerners to capture slaves who had escaped from their masters. The law called for severe penalties for those who assisted these black people. Slave owners offered rewards for the return of runaway slaves. This lead to the emergence of “bounty hunters” who made their living by hunting down fugitive slaves. -
Abraham Lincoln becomes president of the US
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Creation of the Confederate States of America
Eleven southern states announced that they were now an independent nation. -
Beginning of The Civil War
Confederate forces opened fire in Fort Sumter, South Carolina, which was occupied by the United States. This marked the beginning of the Civil War. -
The Union captured New Orleans
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The Emancipation Proclamation
It was passed by Lincoln and declared that all slaves living in the Confederacy were to make free. This changed the focus of the war from succession to protecting slavery. -
The Union captured Vicksburg
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The biggest battle in the US story
Confederate forces marched into Gettysburg Pennsylvania but found the Union blocking their way. Union forces won and the Confederacy would never recover from this defeat. This was the biggest battle ever fought in the US. -
The Gettysburg Address
Became more famous than the battle because it expressed certain principles of the democratic government. -
The Union occupied Savannah
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The Confederacy surrendered in Appomattox
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President Lincoln was Assassinated
He was succeeded by Andrew Johnson. -
13th Amendment abolished slavery
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Congress passed the Civil Rights Act
Despite opposition from the president. It also set up the Freedmen’s Bureau. Both were intended to ensure black people’s rights in the South. 14th Amendment to the constitution gave blacks the right to citizenships and vote -
Congress passed the Reconstruction Act
This placed all-white governments in the South under military rule. They would be able to elect their government again only if they accepted the 14th amendment. -
All southern states had “Reconstruction” governments
Most were made up of black some northerners and some southerners. -
Congress withdrew federal troops from the South
Black people were more and more treated as “second class citizens”.
