-
First English Ship Arrives in North America
When English Settlers arrived on the East Coast of North America, they established the first permanent settlement: Jamestown. Their goals were to survive and then make money through tobacco and lumber. Over the first five years, 75% of settlers died. However, England was grossly overpopulated, so Englishmen continued to move to North America despite the risks because land meant opportunity. The English were dependent on the Natives at first but then began to compete with them for resources. -
The Headright System is Established
Although the land in North America offered new opportunities, the population of brave and desperate people trickled in slowly. To entice Englishmen and swell the population, the Headright System was established. This gave settlers in Virginia 100 acres, and any new settler would get 50 acres for each trip they funded. This encouraged family migration and a system of indentured servitude. Wealthy merchants would pay someone's fare, and then the person would work for the merchant for 7-11 years. -
First Slave Ship Arrives in Jamestown
Triangular Trade was in place in the colonies for over a decade before slaves arrived. Most slaves worked in the West Indies on sugar cane plantations, which provided the colonies with sugar to make rum for England. However, slaves arrived in Jamestown as well after being captured in tribe vs. tribe conflict in Africa. On a typical journey to the Americas, losing about 50% of the slaves on a ship due to inhumane conditions was still considered a success. Slavery built the colonial economy. -
Proclamation of 1763
After generations of living without being controlled by Britain, the French and Indian War brought attention back to the colonies. Britain was in major war debt and made the colonies profitable through the Proclamation of 1763. This prohibited any colonists from settling westward of the Appalachian Mountains. It also paved the way for the Molasses Act, Sugar Act, Quartering Act, and Stamp Act which taxed the colonists and required them to house British soldiers. -
Boston Tea Party
The colonists fought the taxes and control by the British government through speeches, boycotts, and riots. The Sons of Liberty, organized by Samuel Adams, took part in many violent protests. In one attempt to protest the Tea Tax, the Sons of Liberty, dressed as Indians, boarded British ships in daylight and threw all of the tea on board into Boston Harbor. They cost the British government over $1 million in tax revenue. Britain responded with the Intolerable Acts to punish Boston. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
After sending King George the Olive Branch Petition at the First Continental Congress, colonists prepared for a revolution. Redcoats plotted to destroy weapons stored in Concord and kill two Patriot leaders. Paul Revere's midnight ride warned patriots of this, and militias gathered to stop the Redcoats in Lexington. The "Shot Heard Around the World" was fired, causing open fighting between the troops. As the Redcoats moved to Concord, the Patriots surrounded them, causing 250 Redcoat casualties. -
Thomas Paine Publishes Common Sense
After intense fighting in and around Boston, Paine published Common Sense, a passionate propaganda piece, to encourage people to support the revolution. He gave reasons why Britain was unfit to rule the colonies and wrote in the language of common people. Over 100,000 copies were sold, and Paine donated all of the profit to the war effort. Paine went on to join the war himself, and during his time at Valley Forge with General Washington, he wrote American Crisis to improve soldier morale. -
Declaration of Independence is Signed
Two months after the shots at Lexington and Concord, the Second Continental Congress met. King George rejected the Olive Branch Petition sent by the First Congress, so Thomas Jefferson was appointed to write a Declaration of American Independence. After revisions were made by the delegates, all 13 colonies signed the declaration and sent it to Britain. The declaration states all men are created equal and that government exists to serve the people, a revolutionary idea in a world of monarchies. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was fought in two parts between September and October 1777. In September, the Patriots delayed a British army from arriving in Saratoga at the same time as another British army. The Patriot army made it to Saratoga, meeting another Patriot army, before the British, which gave them a 2 to 1 advantage. Overpowered, an entire British army surrendered. This evened the number of armies at war, with three on each side, which largely helped America through the end of the war. -
Articles of Confederation are Ratified
The Articles of Confederation were the first governing document of the United States. They were a huge step forward, but were a reflection of the fears of the U.S. and failed to create the position of a national executive, support a standing army, and give the federal government taxing authority. With the A.o.C., the federal government was very weak compared to the state governments. However, it did create the Northwest Territory and outlawed slavery in the territories soon to become states. -
Battle of Yorktown
Thanks to the Battle of Saratoga, the French agreed to help America in the war for independence. The French Navy defeated the British at the Battle of Capes, so they took control of Yorktown. British General Cornwallis retreated to Yorktown for protection over the winter but was surprised when he arrived to see the French and Americans surrounding him. The British army was forced to surrender at the last major battle of the war, and the song "The World Turned Upside Down" played as they did so. -
Treaty of Paris is Signed
The American War for Independence finally ended in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris. Taking two years to negotiate, the U.S. gained official recognition of independence from Britain and was granted all of Britain's land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. The U.S. used this land to create the Northwest Territory and expand the country. This was the first time in history that a colony successfully gained independence from its mother country. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion started when Northern farmers accumulated debt during the revolution but didn't have enough money to pay it off. To protest the arrests of many farmers, around 5,000 of them overtook local courthouses. They marched toward Boston, and the government couldn't prevent an uprising because there was no standing army. Mercenaries put down the rebellion, but it showed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation; the U.S. needed taxing authority, an army, and an executive. -
Ratification of the Constitution
The Constitutional Convention met to fix the problems of the federal government revealed by Shay's Rebellion; however, they ended up writing and ratifying an entirely new constitution. This new constitution laid out the government of the U.S. with three branches that would all check each other to prevent an imbalance of power. Every law in the U.S. is based on the Constitution and it guides our everyday life. Later the Bill of Rights was added, protecting 10 essential rights of U.S. citizens. -
George Washington's Inauguration as First U.S. President
To prevent further tension between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, Congress chose to elect George Washington (neutral) as the First President of the U.S. He established many important precedents such as the inaugural address, the Presidential Cabinet, the Court System, and serving two terms. He set the tone for the nation and every president thereafter. Washington also enacted Hamilton's Financial Plan which created a national bank for the U.S. and shaped the economy for years to come. -
Thomas Singer Perfects Sewing Machine
Technology and inventions of the late 1700s and early 1800s bolstered America's economy. The War of 1812 demonstrated the U.S. to be a reliable market, especially with inventions like the sewing machine becoming widespread. Northern textile producers became much more efficient and productive with the sewing machine, which also employed many women. Employing women gave them self-worth, and set the stage for a more active female role outside the home during the Second Great Awakening. -
Invention of the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin changed the course of slavery and economics in the South. Slavery had been on the decline in the Americas, but the Cotton Gin made cotton so profitable that slavery spiked higher than ever. The cotton gin removed seeds from cotton fiber, once a grueling, laborious job that became the job of slaves for hours on end. The South's economy grew exponentially after the invention, and Europe became one of the largest buyers of southern "King's Cotton." -
XYZ Affair
In an attempt to repair relations with France after the French Revolution, President Adams sent three diplomats to negotiate a treaty. The diplomats were met by agents demanding a bribe, and when the U.S. population heard about this they immediately wanted war. However, Adams negotiated peace, which made him extremely unpopular. He passed the Alien and Sedition Acts to end the bad press about him, which took away the First Amendment. This made Americans even more protective of their rights. -
Election and Revolution of 1800
After the Alien and Sedition Acts and the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, the United States was looking for an end to Federalist Power. Thomas Jefferson, an Anti-Federalist, won the election of 1800 through a tie-breaker vote in the House of Representatives after a tie in the Electoral College. This marked the first-ever peaceful change in power and political ideology in a country. The election showed the world that the U.S. could function smoothly as a democratic republic. -
Madison vs. Marbury Court Case
After losing the Election of 1800, Adams filled all federal courts with Federalist judges on his last day in office. When Jefferson discovered this, he never sent a notification to many of the judges. John Marbury, one of these judges, sued Secretary Madison to get his position. The Supreme Court ruled with Madison, finding Adams' Judiciary Act unconstitutional. In doing so, the Supreme Court gained the right to Judicial Review, granting them legal authority in all future court cases. -
Jefferson Makes the Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson worried the U.S. would lose access to the Mississippi River so he attempted to negotiate the purchase of New Orleans with France. However, being in major debt, Napoleon only offered Jefferson the purchase of the entire Louisiana Territory for $15 million. Jefferson internally debated the constitutionality of the purchase but decided to go through with it. This allowed the country to double in size, secured access to New Orleans and the Mississippi, and opened new doors for exploring. -
First Successful U.S. Trip of a Steamboat
Robert Fulton took his steamboat 40 miles down the Hudson River in 1807, accomplishing a feat only seen in England until this time. Steamboats are run by engines powered using steam, the same type of power we use today. The Steam Engine was a landmark technology in the 1800s because it allowed cargo to travel upstream without going by land and it also made ships go faster. Steam engines were also used in other mechanical equipment, improving productivity and many forms of technology. -
Embargo of 1807
Amid another war between Britain and France, Jefferson tried to find a way to stay neutral. The only possibility he saw was to ban all importation of foreign goods. Jefferson was a major proponent of yeoman living and self-sufficient farming, but the Embargo of 1807 was close to destroying that vision. Merchants, traders, and businesses were badly hurt, but in the long run, it encouraged and propelled domestic manufacturing in the United States. -
Battle of New Orleans
The ineffectual War of 1812 ended when the Treaty of Ghent was signed in 1814; however, news of the treaty did not reach the Southern U.S. quickly. British troops hoped to take control of New Orleans, but there was a multicultural, experienced band of American troops waiting for them. The British army was destroyed, causing over 2,000 casualties while the U.S. had only 71. Americans perceived that this battle won the war and were swept with a longlasting sense of nationalism. -
The Corrupt Bargain Election of 1824
In the Election of 1824, none of the candidates received over 50% of the electoral votes so the House of Representatives decided the winner. After Speaker of the House Henry Clay met with John Q. Adams in private, Clay came out in support of Adams and convinced the House to elect him as president. Adams then named Clay Secretary of State, which made Adams an unpopular president. Many believed he was a threat to individual liberties and attacked Adam's presidency continuously. -
The Erie Canal Opens
Started in 1817, the Erie Canal was built to connect the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean, allowing boats to go from the Mississippi to the Atlantic without going south. It employed thousands of workers during construction and operation, and settlers poured into the surrounding states after the opening. The Erie Canal along with smaller canals made transportation of people and goods easy and significantly less expensive, opening the doors to industries. -
Tariff of Abominations is Passed
The Tariff of 1828 was passed to make foreign goods more expensive and encourage people to buy more U.S. products. The Northern industrial states loved this and greatly benefitted from the Tariff. However, Southern states could no longer buy goods from Europe, and European countries retaliated by not buying Southern Cotton. The Nullification Crisis followed, where South Carolina declared the Tariff of 1828 null and void because it treated the South and North unequally, and threatened secession. -
Election of 1828
This election was the first where property ownership was not needed as a qualification to vote, which empowered the "common man." Many of these new voters favored Jackson and his ambition to create the old Jeffersonian coalition, causing Jackson to win in a landslide victory. The election was also when the national political party committees began to form, and therefore party loyalties took shape. Jackson began the Spoils System by placing his loyal, unqualified supporters in high positions. -
Indian Removal Act is Passed
Jackson passed the act with large support from the U.S. population to make westward expansion safer. Cherokee Nation and Worcester went to court against Georgia to claim their land as dependent nations and won, so Jackson was ordered to honor the treaties previously held with the Native Americans. Jackson ignored the court. The Trail of Tears ensued, forcing thousands of Native Americans to walk to the Great Plains through starvation and death, and destroying U.S.- Native American relations. -
William Lloyd Garrison Publishes The Liberator
Abolition was one of the largest reform movements of the 1800s, and The Liberator was an abolition newspaper that featured articles from white abolitionists, free black people, and former slaves. Both women and men read The Liberator when it was mailed out every two weeks, and it rallied major support for abolition. Without it, the abolitionist cause would not have taken such strong root in the North. -
The Great Schism at the World Anti-Slavery Convention
Women were a major part of the abolition movement because they were so involved in churches, which were a vehicle for social change in the 1800s. Many large abolition groups joined the World Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840. Women were said to be invited but were forced to sit in the balcony and not be a part of any discussions. Here women realized they had to fight for their own rights before they could successfully fight for others. This kick-started the Women's Suffrage movement in America. -
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo is Signed
The Mexican-American War was brought to an end with this treaty. The U.S. had the opportunity to conquer all of Mexico but decided they didn't want to, so instead they settled this treaty. Mexico gave up Texas and the land for Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. The addition of these states gave the U.S. more control over North America for westward expansion and it also made the country bi-coastal. Having land on the Pacific Coast opened up trade with Asia and other new countries. -
Seneca Falls Convention
After the Great Schism, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized the Seneca Falls Convention to call attention to Women's Suffrage. They produced the Declaration of Sentiments, a list of what the government had done wrong on women's rights, which was modeled after the Declaration of Independence. This propelled the Women's Suffrage movement and encouraged the founding of the National American Women's Suffrage Association which organized and amplified women's voices. -
Clay Proposes the Compromise of 1850
As sectional tensions rose, California wanted to become a free state; however, this would upset the balance made by the Missouri Compromise. So Henry Clay created the Compromise of 1850 with 4 pillars: 1) California becomes a free state 2) The slave trade is banned in D.C. 3) Strict fugitive slave laws are enacted nationwide 4) New States are governed by popular sovereignty. This angered the North, caused massacres and fraudulent elections like Bleeding Kansas, and endangered all freed slaves. -
Bleeding Kansas Begins
Kansas was next on the ballot to become a state after the Compromise of 1850 and it became a battleground.
Thousands of Southerners moved to Kansas, but even more, Northerners went with opportunities for free land and to help the church. Fighting was constant, with abolitionist John Brown slaughtering 5 southern families. On election day, Missourians stuffed the ballot boxes and destroyed towns in Kansas. The incident outraged the North and spiked sectional tensions more than ever. -
Lincoln is Elected President
A bright rising Republican, Lincoln ran for president with no plan to abolish slavery, but the South still feared him. Without being on the ballot in most southern states, Lincoln won the 1860 election. Immediately after he was elected, South Carolina seceded from the Union. Lincoln's goal was to preserve the Union, and he didn't want to go to war unless it was necessary to abolish the Confederacy. Lincoln's Presidency was monumental for the U.S., well past his victory in the Civil War. -
Battle of Bull Run
This was the first serious battle of the Civil War after the Confederacy attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Most Northerners believed the war would be a breeze because of all the advantages they held, so families brought picnics to the battlefield and planned to watch the North win. However, the South was far more prepared and drove the North to a retreat. The violence and Confederate victory devastated Northerners and made them realize the Civil War would be long and brutal. -
Passing of the Homestead Act
Congress passed the Homestead Act to encourage settlers to develop the West, grow the economy, and relieve overpopulated Eastern cities. Plots of 160 acres were given to any head of household that agreed to live on the land for five years, use it agriculturally, and improve it. Head of households could be any race or gender, so this enabled widowed women and freedmen to claim land in the West for the first time. However, it pressured Native Americans and created major conflict as well. -
Passing of the Morrill Land Grant Act
The Morrill Land Grant Act set aside federal land in each state to build colleges and universities. With this land, over 100 universities were facilitated. The universities were meant to specialize in agriculture and mechanics which led to the invention of many farming technologies. This act opened up access to higher education for millions of people and continues to do so today. It also made farming much more efficient which led to more jobs in other industries. -
Emancipation Proclamation is Issued
After a gruesome victory at Anteedum, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This freed all slaves in states on open rebellion in an attempt to have these statese rejoin the Union and keep their slaves. None of the Confederate states rejoined the Union, but it still helped the Union because European countries ended their Southern alliances and began supporting the North. The proclamation also made Lincoln look great as a president and paved the way for the 13th Amendment. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The Battle of Vicksburg was the last turning point battle of the war. Confederate General Robert Lee had already lost many troops at the Battle of Gettysburg, so the Union was ready to finish their Anaconda Plan and surround the South. The Union army marched to Vicksburg, Mississippi, and captured the city where 30 thousand Confederate troops surrendered. The siege of Vicksburg split the Confederacy in two, gave the Union full control of the Mississippi River, and solidified Union victory. -
Establishment of the Freedmen's Bureau
Congress created the Freedmen's Bureau to help newly freed African Americans transition into a life of freedom. Freedmen were often taken advantage of, so the bureau helped negotiate labor contracts, secure loans, find and purchase land, and provide legal aid. They also helped the next generation by starting schools and providing opportunities for young African Americans. The Freedmen's Bureau made it possible for freedmen to integrate into society and pushed the Reconstruction Era forward. -
The Confederacy Surrenders at Appomattox Courthouse
For close to a year, the Confederacy had not won any battles and constantly retreated. Sherman's March to the Sea destroyed hundreds of square miles of Southern land and infrastructure, and Grant's Union army surrounded and starved Lee's Confederate army at Appomattox until it was clear surrender was the only choice. Lee surrendered the Army of Virginia and told his troops to go home. This marked a Union Victory and the end of the Civil War. -
Lincoln's Assasination
Just five days after General Lee surrendered the Confederate Army, John Wilkes Booth shot and killed President Lincoln while he was at a play. Vice President Andrew Johnson was inaugurated, and he had a very different view on Reconstruction than Lincoln. Johnson was a Southerner, and was more lenient in allowing Southern states to rejoin the Union, electing their governments, and writing their laws regarding freedmen. Reconstruction might have been more successful with Lincoln as president. -
Ratification of the 13th Amendment
The Emancipation Proclamation did not abolish slavery in the Union, only in states in open rebellion. So, to legally abolish slavery in the U.S., an amendment to the Constitution had to be made. President Lincoln sent the amendment to be ratified by states in early 1865, but he was not alive to see it ratified and put into action. The amendment was a major step forward for civil justice because it was enacted all over the U.S. and southern states had to ratify it before rejoining the Union. -
Ratification of the 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment extended U.S. citizenship to all people born on U.S. soil, no matter their race or former status of servitude. This meant freed slaves were citizens of the U.S., and were also guaranteed equal protection under the law. This amendment was the second of three major Reconstruction Era civil rights amendments. In the Plessy v. Ferguson case, it was decided that "separate but equal" conformed to the 14th Amendment, which was used to justify segregation and Jim Crow laws. -
Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad
President Lincoln passed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862, which enlisted two companies to construct a railroad reaching from Omaha, Nebraska to the west coast of San Francisco. This railroad enabled coast-to-coast trade for the U.S., but most importantly it opened up global trade with Asia and other Eastern Countries. The railroad also opened up more expansion in the west as the companies established train depots and towns that attracted workers, immigrants, and farmers. -
Ratification of the 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was passed to extend voting rights to all male citizens regardless of their race or former status of servitude. This was the last of three amendments the Radical Republicans passed in Congress without the support of most Americans, especially Southerners. This amendment was very important because it gave black men the right to vote but also paved the way for women's rights to vote. However, it cost the Republicans their power in Congress, which led to Reconstruction ending. -
Passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1875
As president, Ulysses S. Grant maintained the 5 military oversight districts created in the South in the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 to ensure freedmen were able to exercise their rights. He also passed the Civil Rights Act of 1875 which banned discrimination in all public accommodations. This act was not enforced by subsequent Presidents, so freedmen and African Americans in the South still faced segregation and discrimination. Still, it set the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement. -
Battle of Little Big Horn
Also known as Custer's Last Stand, the battle was caused by the government ordering Cheyenne and Lakota Sioux tribes to move off of their reservations when gold was discovered. Colonel Custer led troops to the reservation, but he was significantly outnumbered, and the Native Americans killed him and every single one of his soldiers during the raid. This was seen as a massacre by Native Americans and turned the public against them, which made Western conflict even worse. -
Opening of Carlisle Indian School
Carlisle Indian School was the first Native American boarding school to open in the U.S. These schools separated Native American children from their families, sent them to boarding schools in different states, and aimed to "kill the Indian, save the man." This "Americanization" technique stripped Native Americans of their culture in an attempt to help them assimilate into American society. These schools opened all around the U.S. and continued destroying Native culture until the 1990s. -
Passing of the Dawes Act
The Dawes Act made it possible for Native Americans to claim 160-acre homesteads; however, only on land within their reservation. Any land left unclaimed by the Native Americans would be available for white settlers to claim. White Americans saw this as a great opportunity for Native Americans, but it actually weakened tribal bonds and ruined the Native American culture. Many whites truly believed the act would help Native Americans assimilate, but it only brought more conflict to the West.