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1492
Christopher Columbus “Founds” New World
In search for a shorter route to India Columbus instead ends up in the Caribbean where he finds bigger fortune. -
1492
Columbian Exchange Begins
An exchange between The Americas and The Old World during the 15th and 16th century. -
Period: 1492 to
European Exploration Era
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1500
Spanish Encomienda System Begins
A Spanish labor system that was meant to redefine the population of the Natives. -
1500
Spanish Casta System Begins
A social system by the Spanish meant to differentiate every class of person by their race/ethnicity. (Spanish being at the top) -
Period: 1500 to
Triangular Trade
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Period: 1500 to
Middle Passage
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1520
Small Pox Begins Spreading to Native Americans
A disease brought by the Spanish and ended up killing many Natives due to the weak immune systems they had. -
1521
Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortez Conquers the Aztec Empire
Hernan Cortez, Spanish Conquistador, known for conquering the Aztec Empire and claiming Mexico for Spain. -
1534
England Splits from the Catholic Church
England split from the Catholic Church because of a man wanting annul his marriage and the church wouldn't agree. -
London Company Gains Charter for Set Up English Colony
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Jamestown, Virginia Colony Founded
The first official colony that was founded in The New World. -
Period: to
Colonial Era
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French found Quebec on the St. Lawrence River and Engage in the Fur Trade
In an effort to control the burgeoning trade, the French Crown granted monopoly rights to a succession of merchant companies. ... It was under these terms that merchant companies established the first permanent French settlements along the St. Lawrence River – Tadoussac in 1600, Quebec in 1608, and Trois-Rivières in 1634. -
Tobacco introduced to Virginia Colony by John Rolfe
Once tobacco was introduced to the colonists it became a very big item to sell. -
First African Slaves Arrive in Jamestown, Virginia Colony
African slaves also became an "item" that was very good to sell. -
Virginia House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first elected general assembly in the colonies, paving the way for the democratic society formed during the Revolution. -
Plymouth, Massachusetts Colony Founded
Plymouth was founded in 1620 that was the first permanent puritan settlement. -
Mayflower Compact
Written by men aboard the Mayflower and was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. -
New Hampshire Founded
New Hampshire was founded in 1622 when John Mason and Fernando Gorges got a land grant from the council of New England in 1638. In 1641, New Hampshire was claimed by the Massachusetts colony. -
Dutch New Amsterdam Becomes Capital of New Netherland
In 1624, it became a provincial extension of the Dutch Republic and was designated as the capital of the province in 1625. By 1655, the population of New Netherland had grown to 2,000 people, with 1,500 living in New Amsterdam. -
“City Upon a Hill” John Winthrop
Winthrop warned his fellow Puritans that their new community would be "as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us", meaning, if the Puritans failed to uphold their covenant with God, then their sins and errors would be exposed for all the world to see. -
The Great Migration to Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Great Migration refers to English Puritans went to Massachusetts and towards the West Indies. -
Maryland Founded
Maryland was founded in 1634 by George Calvert. -
Thomas Hooker Founds Connecticut
Thomas Hooker, a prominent Puritan colonial leader, founded Connecticut in 1635 -
Pequot War
The Pequot War was a war held in 1636-1638 between New England and the Pequot tribe. -
Roger Williams Founds Rhode Island
Williams fled Massachusetts before prosecutors could send him back to England. He established the settlement of Providence on Narragansett Bay in June 1636, on a gift of land from the Narragansett Indians. -
Harvard College Founded in Massachusetts
Massachusetts General Court founded Harvard College for rich white men to be educated. -
Delaware Founded
Delaware was first settled by the New Sweden Company in 1638. Their first settlement was named "Fort Christian", after the queen of Sweden. In 1655, Peter Stuyvesant captured New Sweden for the Dutch. In 1664, when the English captured New Netherlands they also took control of Delaware territory. -
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The fundamental orders describe the government set up by the Connecticut River towns, setting its structure and powers. They wanted the government to have access to the open ocean for trading. -
Maryland Toleration Act
The Maryland Toleration Act of 1649 was meant to ensure freedom of religion for Christian settlers of diverse persuasions in the colony. -
North Carolina Founded
121 settlers led by John White landed on present-day Roanoke Island on July 22, 1587. It was the first English settlement in the New World. -
Iroquois Confederacy Formed
The Iroquois Confederacy, founded by the Great Peacemaker in 1142, is the oldest living participatory democracy on earth. -
Navigation Acts and Mercantilism
The Navigation Acts were a series of laws passed by the British Parliament that imposed restrictions on colonial trade. British economic policy was based on mercantilism, which aimed to use the American colonies to bolster British state power and finances. -
South Carolina Founded
South Carolina, part of the original Province of Carolina, was founded in 1663 when King Charles II gave the land to eight noble men known as the Lords Proprietors. -
New York Funded
The New York Colony was founded in 1626 by the Duke of York and other colonists on Manhattan Island. Named after the Duke of York and Albany, the brother of King Charles II of England. -
New Jersey Founded
The New Jersey Colony was founded in 1664 by Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. -
King Phillips War
King Philip's War is considered the bloodiest war per capita in U.S. history. It left several hundred colonists dead and dozens of English settlements destroyed or heavily damaged. Thousands of Indians were killed, wounded or captured and sold into slavery or indentured servitude. -
Bacon’s Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was an armed rebellion held by Virginia settlers that took place in 1676. It was led by Nathaniel Bacon against Colonial Governor William Berkeley. -
Pueblo Revolt
The Pueblo Revolt of 1680— also known as Popé's Rebellion or Popay's Rebellion– was an uprising of most of the indigenous Pueblo people against the Spanish colonizers in the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, larger than present-day New Mexico. -
Quaker William Penn Founds Pennsylvania
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Period: to
Enlightenment Era
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John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government Published
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English Bill of Rights
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Salem Witch Trials
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Period: to
Salutary Neglect Policy
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The Great Awakening
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Georgia Founded as a Debtors Colony
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Stono Rebellion
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French and Indian War Begins
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Period: to
The Industrial Revolution
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French and Indian War Ends
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Proclamation Line of 1763
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Period: to
Revolutionary Era
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Period: to
Republican Motherhood
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Sugar Act
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Stamp Act
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Quartering Act
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Townshend Acts
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Boston Massacre
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Tea Act
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Boston Tea Party
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Intolerable Acts
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First Continental Congress
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Thomas Paine’s Common Sense Published
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Battle of Lexington and Concord
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Second Continental Congress
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Continental Army Lead by General George Washington
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Declaration of Independence
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Benjamin Franklin Becomes French Ambassador
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Adam Smith Publishes “The Wealth of Nations”
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Winter at Valley Forge
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Battle of Saratoga
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Articles of Confederation
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Period: to
Abolition Movement
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Battle of Yorktown
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Treaty of Paris of 1783
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Shays’ Rebellion
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Constitutional Convention/ Philadelphia Convention
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U.S. Constitution
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The Great Compromise
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The 3/5ths Compromise
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Federalist Papers
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Bill of Rights Added to U.S. Constitution
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The French Revolution Begins
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Washington Creates Presidential Cabinet
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Washington Elected 1st President
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Washington D.C. Becomes New US Capital
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Period: to
The Second Great Awakening
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Whiskey Rebellion
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Alexander Hamilton Gets Congress to Approve National Bank
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Cotton Gin and Interchangeable Parts Invented by Eli Whitney
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Washington’s Farewell Address
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First Two-Party System Created (Dem-Rep vs Federalist)
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John Adams (Federalist) Elected 2nd President
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XYZ Affair
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Alien and Sedition Acts
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Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
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Election of 1800 and the Start of the Jeffersonian Era
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The Market Revolution Begins
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Cult of Domesticity Begins
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Period: to
Manifest Destiny
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Thomas Jefferson (Democratic Republican) Elected 3rd President
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Steam Locomotive Invented in Great Britain
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Louisiana Purchase
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Marbury v. Madison
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James Madison (Democratic Republican) Elected 4th President
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British Impressment of US Sailors
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War Hawks in Congress Support War Against British
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War of 1812 Begins
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Francis Scott Key Writes the Star Spangled Banner
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Treaty of Ghent
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Federalist Party Collapses
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Period: to
Era of Good Feelings
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Tariff of 1816
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James Monroe (Democratic Republican) Elected 5th President
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Adam- Onis Treaty/ Spain Ceded Florida to U.S
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Compromise of 1820
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Universal Male Suffrage Begins to Rise
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Monroe Doctrine
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Henry Clay’s “American System”
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Erie Canal Built
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John Quincy Adams (Democratic Republican) Elected 6th President
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Lowell, Massachusetts Textile Mill Employs Women
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Andrew Jackson (Democrat) Elected 7th President
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Second Two-Party System Created (Democrats vs Whigs)
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Indian Removal Act
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Abolition Movement Begins
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Congress Passes Preemption Acts
It was designed to "appropriate the proceeds of the sales of public lands... and to grant 'pre-emption rights' to individuals" who were living on federal lands. -
Trail of Tears Begins
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William Lloyd Garrison Publishes Abolitionist Newspaper “The Liberator”
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Andrew Jackson Vetos National Bank
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Nullification Crisis
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Texas Revolution and Independence from Mexico
Texas wanted slavery and Mexico had already abolished it and didn't let them have it. Texas wanted it more than being a part of a nation so they fought for freedom of Mexico -
Horace Mann Advocates for Public Schools
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Increased Irish and German Immigration to the North
Many immigrants, mainly Irish and German were moving to the north for jobs. -
Federal Support Given to Samuel Morse to Construct Telegraph Lines
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Dorothea Dix Advocates for Mentally Ill and Prison Reform
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James K. Polk Elected US President (Democrat)
James Polk was only a president because he wanted to accomplish one goal.. and that was to move out west and get land. -
Irish Potato Famine Begins
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Frederick Douglass writes autobiography “Narrative of the Life of an American Slave”
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Texas Annexation by the United States
President Polk annexed Texas after being a country for 9 years. He annexed it for the want of more land in the West. -
Frederick Douglass Publishes Autobiography “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave”
Frederick Douglass wrote about his life as a slave but also wrote the autobiography as a way to tell freed men that they should keep pushing. -
Wilmot Proviso
An unsuccessful proposal in 1846 in order to ban slavery in the territory acquired from the Mexican- American War. -
Oregon Territory Divided Between British and U.S.
The Oregon Territory was owned by many and was later claimed by Britain and the U.S. later on it was split in half one part going to the British and the other to the U.S. -
Mexican American War Begins
The Mexican American War was over Texas being annexed into the U.S. although the war didn't begin until Polk sent troops to Texas to 'unintentionally' start the war. -
Seneca Falls Convention
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Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: Mexican American War Ends
The terms of the treaty ended the war and Mexico gave up Texas and also 55% of it territory -
Mexican Cession
The Mexican Cession was gained as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This led to Mexican loosing over half of its territory. -
Free Soil Movement Begins
The Free Soil Movement was very short lived and was only used to enforce that there shouldn't be any slaves in the west because Northerners were afraid of the slaves stealing their jobs. -
California Gold Rush
Gold was found in California and once the announcement was made everyone made a move to Cali in order to get lucky and find gold. -
Harriet Tubman Begins Using Underground Railroad
An escaped slave that took the risk of coming back to the South in order to help other slaves who are trying to escape. -
Fugitive Slave Law Passed in Compromise of 1850
The Fugitive Slaw stated that any runaway slaves were able to be returned to their masters which caused many slaves to runaway to Canada or towards Mexico because the North wasn't safe anymore. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 stated that California was a free state and that Utah and New Mexico could vote whether they should or shouldn't be a free state and it also created the Fugitive Slave Law. -
Harriet Beecher Stowe Publishes “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote this anti-slavery novel in order to get peoples attention of what is going on in with slavery and how they treat them in the South. When President Lincoln met her he said, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war!" -
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden purchase was land bought from Mexico in order to provide the land necessary for a Southern Transcontinental Railroad. The purchase of the small piece of land was $10 mil. -
Bleeding Kansas Begins
Bleeding Kansas was a nickname earned after the big fight that was held for years between the people of the state due to the argument of whether slavery was wanted in the state or not. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was made after Kansas and Nebraska were angry because Utah and New Mexico got the right to vote whether they were a free state or not. This act completely repealed The Missouri Compromise. -
Republican Party Created
The republican party was made as a way to fight the Kansas-Nebraska Act and also to stop the expansion of slavery into American Territories. -
Caning of Senator Sumner
In 1856 Representative Preston Brooks, a pro slavery Democrat from South Carolina, used a cane to beat Senator Charles Sumner, a Republican abolitionists from Massachusetts, due to the argument over what to do with Bleeding Kansas. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was enslaved African American who was taken to the North and tired to make him work there which was illegal and Scott took Sandford to court and the court said that he is still going to be a slave no matter what happened. -
John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry, Virginia (1859)
John Brown was also another person who started the Civil War. He took it into his own hands to raid an arsenal in the south and the south took it as an act of war. -
Republican Abraham Lincoln Wins Presidential Election of 1860
Lincoln was a part of Republican party and once he won the election the South threatened to succeed which they eventually did do and cause the beginning of the Civil War. -
Seven Southern States Secede from the Union, Forming the Confederate States of America
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Lincoln Suspends Habeas Corpus
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Democrat Jefferson Davis Elected President of the Confederacy
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Battle of Fort Sumter
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Period: to
The Civil War
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Emancipation Proclamation
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Battle of Vicksburg
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Battle of Gettysburg
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Gettysburg Address
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Gen. Lee Surrenders to Gen. Grant at Appomattox Court House
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President Abraham Lincoln Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth
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Johnson Pardons the South
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Radical Republicans Champion for Black Civil Rights in Congress
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13th Amendment
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Freedmens Bureau Created
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Sharecropping Begins in the South
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Black Codes First Passed in the South
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Ku Klux Klan Formed
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"Scalawags and Carpetbaggers”
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President Andrew Johnson Becomes President
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Period: to
Reconstruction Era
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Impeachment of President Andrew Johnson
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14th Amendment
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Transcontinental Railroad Completed
The Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad system that connected the West to the North in ordered to transport goods all over the U.S. -
15th Amendment
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Social Darwinism Theory Gains Popularity
The idea that Charles Darwin had when talking about plants, animals, and nature was being used for the social pyramid. The theory was degrading people by what money they make in the economy. -
The “New South” wants Industrialization
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Jim Crow Laws Begin in South
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Hiram Rhode Revels Becomes First African American in Congress (Senate)
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Nativism Spreads
Nativism was a policy that didn't favor immigrants in the U.S. because they're not from there. -
Standard Oil Company Founded by John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company and found ways for oil to be sold which made him one of the richest men during the Gilded Age. -
Boss Tweed rise at Tammany Hall
Boss Tweed was an American Politician otherwise known as a political boss in Tammany Hall who preyed on immigrants and bribed them to vote for a certain politician and in return they got a job and a place to live. -
Telephone Invented by Alexander Graham Bell
The Telephone (telegram) let people communicate without having to wait for a response for months instead they receive an answer within minutes -
Reconstruction Ends
The Reconstruction Era started in ordered to fix what was destroyed during the Civil War and once it came to an end the Gilded age started which industrialization boomed afterwards. -
Period: to
Gilded Age
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Light Bulb Invented by Thomas Edison (1878)
Once the lightbulb was invented by Thomas Edison it was brought into factories which extended hours for laborers -
3rd Wave of Immigration: “New Immigrants”
The 3rd wave of immigration brought in at least 23million immigrants, mostly from Europe to U.S. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion act prohibited Chinse from entering the U.S,. for 10 years even after that it still continued. -
Pendleton Act
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Haymarket Massacre
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Dawes Act
The Dawes Act stated that any native land that was in the U.S. was the governments to take. -
Interstate Commerce Act
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Andrew Carnegie’s Book “Gospel of Wealth”
The Gospel of Wealth is a book that helps people build up wealth and later on what to do with it. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
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Carnegie Steel Company Founded by Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie founded the Carnegie Steel Company and also became one of the richest men during the Gilded Age. -
Homestead Steel Labor Strike
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Pullman Labor Strike
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Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court Case
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Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was an act that let citizens buy public land in the West for cheap and people were able to improve it and later on own it themselves. -
Industrialization Begins to Boom
Industrialization was becoming a major thing throughout the U.S. and made the U.S. what it is now
