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1401
Age of Discovery
Was a historical period in which Europeans decided to explore and colonize. They later discovered the “New World” and began to form settlements and sparked trade, commerce,and contact with the Natives already living there. -
1492
The Columbian Exchange
Is a trading system developed during the 15th and 16th centuries after the settlements compiled in the “New World”. The system was used amoung Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas to trade crops, spices, goods, raw materials, livestock, diseases, and even African Americans to be forced into slavery. Since then the Columbian Exchange introduced slavery into our society. -
1492
Discovery of the New World
An Italian explorer once accidentally found the “New World” attempting to get to Asia from Spain. He first however reached modern day Bahamas later sailing back on and fourth the New World and Europe between 1493, 1498, and 1502. -
1500
The Casta System
Was a system similar to the Caste system used to organize social classes throughout the "New World". The social class system started with the Peninsulares (people in Spain), Creoles (people European descent born in the colonies), Mestizos (people with mixed Native American and European descent), Mulattoes (people of African American and European descent), and finally the Native and African Americans. -
1512
Encomienda system
Was also a Spanish system that granted land to the Spanish colonists in the “New World”. They would take it from the Natives and exploit them for their resources. Because threy didn’t want to cooperate with the the spanish they replaced them with the African Americans. -
1517
The Protestant Reformation
Was the conversion of Natives to Catholicism. Regardless many of her refused because they didn’t want to abandon their cultures or personal beliefs. -
1525
Atlantic slave trade
When the African Americans were brought to the “New World” to do hard manual labor for free. They had to endure harsh consequences along with long hours of field work. -
Mercantilism
Was an Economic policy that benefited the colonies mother country. This meant the mother country would receive money from the colonies in exchange for manufactured goods. -
Navigation Acts
Were a series of regulations that placed taxes on imported goods from the colonies being sent to other countries besides Britain. The taxes suddenly increased because the taxes were being used to pay off Britain's debts from the French and Indian war. They were also set to maintain a decent army within the colonies. -
Bacon's Rebellion
A rebellious act led by Nathaniel Bacon in Virginia. The rebellion took place due to the increased taxes on the planters/farmers. in response thousands of planters asked Governor (Berkley) to help exterminate the natives. However he refused to do so and so Nathaniel Bacon took matters into his own hands and began slaughtering natives along with thousands of Virginian planters. Later Nathaniel and his men marched to Jamestown and ran Governor Berkley out. -
Pueblo Revolt / Pope's Rebellion
A rebellion in Santa Fe, New Mexico led by the Spanish against the Natives. The Spanish began to destroy their religious artifacts to attempt and convert them to catholicism. The natives however ran them out of their land. -
Salem Witch Trials
Was an outbreak of witchcraft accusations that began in colonial Massachusetts. It began after several young girls began acting strangely and stated accusing several people of witchcraft. This resulted in 20 executions due to a mass hysteria and religious extremism. -
Great Awakening
Was a religious revival that unified the thirteen colonies. It caused the people within the colonies to become very religious making them want to become even more involved within their religion. -
Stono Rebellion / Cato's Rebellion
Was a rebellion that was ignited by slaves in South Carolina. The slaves began rebelling because the Spanish promised freedom to any slave that escaped the British colonies and so they attempted to escape in order to find refuge in St. Augustine. However the rebellion resulted in the killings of 24 whites and 200 African slaves. -
The Seven Years War / French and Indian War
Was a war between the French and Natives against England and the colonies. The war resulted in the victory of England and managed to gain control of the Ohio River Valley -
Treaty of Paris (1763)
Was the reason the French and Indian war ended and caused Britain to become the dominant imperial power in North America -
Proclamation of 1763
A proclamation set to prevent settlers from moving west of the Appalachian mountains. The Proclamation also prevented settlers from moving east into the colonies and forced anyone who previously lived in the east to go back. Colonists however became upset because they wanted to move into the Ohio River Valley region that they had won during the French and Indian war. -
Salutary Neglect
Was a neglection of the colonies by the British. The neglection was placed as long as the colonies remained loyal to the British. The Salutary Neglect ended when the French and Indian war did. -
Boston Tea Party
An organization led by the Boston Patriots that protested the 1773 Tea Act. They began boycotting the tea act and they would not let ships with mass amounts of tea to dock. They later disguised themselves as Indians and threw tons of tea overboard. -
Treaty of Paris (1783)
A document in which Britain recognized the U.S. as an Independent country -
The Constitution
Was the foundation of the National Government which was drafted in Philadelphia. The document establishes the amount of authority it has over the citizens and the protection for states rights as well as of every individual -
Louisiana Purchase
A region that was bought by the U.S. from France. The land made the U.S. expand in size drastically during Thomas Jefferson's presidency. -
War of 1812
Was a war fought between the U.S. and Great Britain caused because of the impressment of American sailors by the British. The war managed to strengthen American nationalism and encouraged them to grow their industry. -
Second Great Awakening
A religious revival of Methodism & Baptism. The two religions became the largest dominations. The Methodist and Baptist ministers began traveling to convert thousands along the south and west. -
Missouri Compromise
Was a Compromise that Henry Clay crated to try and attempt a temporary solution to the slavery issue in the U.S. The Compromise added Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. The Compromise also added the 36°30' line which made the top half a free state and the bottom half a slave state. -
Monroe Doctrine
It was a document written by John Quincy Adams. It stated that Europe should not intervene in any affairs in the western hemisphere and that if Europe intervened at any given point it would be seen as a threat. -
Nullification Crisis
Was caused by the Tariff of 1828 which raised costs on manufactured goods from the south. The southerners wanted freedom to trade and believed states should be more powerful than the federal government. This lead to the state's secession. -
Trail of Tears
Was the name of the journey that the Cherokee Indians had to take in order to go to reservations in Oklahoma. 4,000+ Cherokee Indians died of cold weather, diseases, & the lack of nutrition in their 116 day journey. -
Manifest Destiny
Was a belief that the people in the U.S. should have the right to expand from coast to coast. The belief was built on White supremacy and cultural superiority. -
Mexican- American War
Was a war fought between the U.S. and Mexico after the annexation of Texas. The war ended with a peace treaty (Treaty of Guadalupe-Hildago) and they also gained the Mexican Cession. -
The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hildago
The document was a Peace treaty signed between the U.S. and Mexico to end the Mexican- American War. The treaty also gave the U.S. the Mexican Cession. -
Underground Railroad
Was a secret route in which many slaves managed to escape to the north. The route went all the way north into Canada. -
Anaconda plan
Was a plan established by Winfield Scott in order to win the war in favor of the north (Union). it was meant to be a southern blockade to capture Richmond, Virgina and capture the Mississippi River. -
Emancipation Proclamation
A document put into place by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil war. This document was made in favor of the African Americans to give them the chance to fight in the union army and kept Europe from helping the south. -
Ku Klux Klan
Was a group created in the year 1866 that acted in violent actions during the reconstruction era. They rebelled against the north and believed in white supremacy. -
Transcontinental Railroad
Is a Railroad system completed in 1869. Both railroad systems from Utah and California linked together in order to create a bigger source of transportation in the west -
Jim Crow Laws
Were a series of laws enforced in order to separate whites and blacks. These laws created a more divided nation and also increased discrimination. -
Chinese Exclusion
The act prevented more Chinese laborers from coming into the U.S. The Chinese were brought into the country to help build the transcontinental railroad in the first place. The reason for the denial of any more coming in was because Americans were feeling threatened by the job competition. -
Wounded Knee Massacre
Was a massacre of Sioux Indians. The massacre was conducted by the American Cavalry at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. The soldiers ended up killing about 300 Sioux Indian. -
"Second Wave" Immigration
Was when a large amount of immigrants came into the U.S. from Eastern and Southern Europe. The first wave occurred during the 1820's and 60's when immigrants came in from western and northern Europe and Ireland (Germany and Britain). -
Panic of 1893
Was an Economic Depression that occurred due to the railroad companies. The event resulted in bank failures and was the worse economic alongside the Great depression. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Was trial in which the "separate but equal" doctrine. mass discrimination against African Americans happened due to the Jim Crow laws. This decision was later overruled by the Brown v. Board of education. -
Great Migration
Was the mass migration of African Americans to the north and the Jim crow laws caused job shortages for them. They decided to migrate north in order to find industrial jobs up north during WW1 -
Red Scare
Was a communist party that was formed in the U.S. The labor unions were suspected to be within the party. Later Americans feared to be accused of being a communist. -
Espionage Act
Was an act that could imprison people for up to 20 years. The act attempted to decrease the rebellions against the war or anything done to delay it. -
Sedition Act
An act put into place that prohibited anyone from saying disloyal and abusive things about the government. It was created so that the government wouldn't have to deal with unsettling comments and opinions caused by the war. -
Emergency Quota Act (1921)
was a response to nativism and fears that immigrants would affect the American way of life. The congress put a 3% quota on Europeans in order to limit immigrants from coming into the U.S. -
Great Depression
Was the biggest economic stock market crash that occurred during the 1930's. It left thousands bankrupt, homeless, and poor. Many businesses also foreclosed leaving thousand of millions without jobs. A vast majority even had to live in rundown tents and shacks named Hoovervilles. -
Pearl Harbor
Was a tragic event that occurred in a U.S military base on Hawaii. The site was bombed by Japanese planes and pushed the U.S. to enter WW2 -
The Cold War
Was a war between the U.S. and Soviet Union. The conflict never consisted of any type of actual deadly war. However several disagreements arose between both nations and caused several conflicts in European countries because of it. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case ruled out the “separate but equal” doctrine and named it unjust. It also allowed discrimination to come to an end in public schools in order for students to get an equal education as any other kid in the U.S. -
Sputnik
Was the very first Satellite put in space by the Soviets. The U.S. feared that the Soviets were using their satellite to spy on them; because of it they decided to begin their own project to send out into space. This event also created the very well know space program by the name of NASA. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Was the act that made any type of discrimination by employers illegal. This made any type of racial, sex, or religious discrimination. This act also banned any type of segregation in public places and schools. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Was the act that invalidated any type of restriction set for certain people to vote. This helped get rid of the unjust literacy tests, poll taxes, & the grandfather clause that prevented people from voting. After the Act was passed the black community became more politically involved. -
Watergate scandal
Was the break in at the DNC offices in the watergate complex in Washington. This caused the public to question the government and drove them to become less politically involved. The event also caused President Nixon to resign on his own to avoid an impeachment in 1974 -
Camp David Accords
Was a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel organized by President Carter. This treaty became the first treaty to be signed in the Middle East. The treaty also established that the Sinai Penninsula should be returned to Egypt. -
Operation-Iraq freedom
Was an invasion led by Americans into Iraq. The purpose of the invasion was to discover if Iraq had any weapons of mass destruction. -
Persian Gulf War
The conflict began when Iraq decided to attack Kuwait. The U.S. intervened and stopped Kuwait from being taken over. -
Operation Desert Storm
Was the code name for the operation in which the U.S. helped Kuwait. They helped decrease tensions in the Persian Gulf War and prevented Iraq from attacking Kuwait -
9/11
We’re a series of terrorist attacks that occurred in NY, PA, and VA. It was the worst event in history that led to increase in security at airports as well as several acts that invaded people’s privacy. -
USA PATRIOT Act
Was an act put into place that increased national security. It was a result of the terrorist attacks and allowed the government to take darastic measures. -
Hurricane Katrina
Was a disasterous natural disaster that impacted New Orleans. It was catastrophic because there was a very slow attempt to help those affected. -
Affordable Care Act
Was a health care reform that was passed during Obama’s Administration. It allowed people to have affordable health care.
