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Oct 12, 1492
Columbus lands in the New World
After being funded by King Ferdinand, Columbus originally left Spain in search of a new route to Asia, but instead landed on an island in the Bahamas that he named San Salvador. Upon arriving, he met the natives of the islands and dubbed them "Los Indios," or Indians. He described them as generous and peaceful, and quickly took advantage of their hospitality. This was one of his first transatlantic voyages, and it marked the beginning of the colonization of the Americas. -
Jun 24, 1497
Explorer John Cabot lands in Newfoundland
After being granted a patent by Henry VII, John Cabot was an Italian explorer who sailed on the ship Matthew for the English. Originally searching for a route to Asia, Cabot landed in Newfoundland. He claimed this land for England, marking the start of English colonization in the Americas. Today, Newfoundland is found in Canada but is significant to American history due to the fact that the discovery of this land opened a new door for future colonization of the Americas. -
Apr 1, 1507
America appears on a map for the first time
The Waldseemüller map, created by German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller, was the very first map to feature the name America. This name derives from the fact that Waldseemüller wanted to honor Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci argued that the lands discovered by Christopher Columbus were not a part of Asia but were completely separate continents. The Waldseemüller map is often dubbed as "America's Birth Certificate." -
Apr 14, 1513
Juan Ponce de León explores the Florida coast.
Juan Ponce de León, born in Santervas, Spain, had previously sailed with Columbus in the past as he explored Hispaniola. After landing on the northeast coast of Florida, Juan Ponce de León was credited with being the first European to reach Florida on Easter Sunday of 1513. Easter in Spanish is Pascua de Flores, so the Spanish explorer named the land after the holiday he founded it on. After an attempt to settle at the land he founded, Leon was attacked by the indigenous people and died. -
Creation (and disappearance) of the Roanoke Colony
Founded by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1585, The Roanoke Colony was an attempt at establishing the first permanent English settlement in North America. The settlers struggled with a lack of supplies and had conflicts with the local Native American tribes. After being visited by a ship in 1590, it was discovered that 121 colonists who inhabited Roanoke had inexplicably disappeared, with the only clue to their disappearance being the cryptic word "CROATOAN" carved into a wooden wall. -
Explorer Bartholomew Gosnold lands in New England
Englishmen Bartholomew Gosnold left England with the intent to establish a colony in New England. He is credited for naming Cape Cod, which he named after the abundant supply of fish. After an attempt to settle on what is known today as Cuttyhunk Island (which they called Elizabeth Island), Gosnold and his men abandoned the settlement project due to conflict with the local natives and returned back to England. This attempt is important due to the fact that it is the first sign of conflict. -
Jamestown is established
A group of English settlers made landfall on April 26, 1607, on a cape that is known today as Cape Henry. Led by Captain Edward Maria Wingfield, the settlers chose a piece of land on a large peninsula. However, the downsides of this island were the fact that it was swampy and deemed too poor and remote for agriculture. However, things eventually worked out for the English settlers and Jamestown became known as the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. -
The first slaves arrive in Jamestown
The beginning of slavery in Virginia took place in late August 1619, in which twenty or so captive Africans were brought to Hampton, Virginia. They were sold as indentured servants and were to be freed by 1630. They were sold to the governor of Virginia by "Capt Jope" who stole them from the Spanish slave ship São João Baptista. The slaves were kidnapped from the Kingdom of Ndongo and were going to be forcibly sailed to what is Mexico today. -
The Plymouth Colony is established
After the English sailing ship the Mayflower landed on the tip of Cape Cod on November 21, 1620, the group of Protestant Separatists, also known today as pilgrims, established a settlement. However, they faced a brutal winter and nearly half of the original settlers died of famine and other conditions. If not for the help of the local Indian tribes, it is unsure if the pilgrims would have survived the harsh conditions. The story of the pilgrims and their voyage has become American folklore. -
The Indian massacre of 1622 takes place
The Indian massacre of 1622 was an event in which Powhatan warriors originally arrived unarmed at the houses of Jamestown settlers and offered to sell them things such as deer, fish, and fruits. However, afterward, they grabbed any weapons available and attacked and killed any settlers they could find. After the attack, the men of Jamestown planned to retaliate, but this proved difficult as the majority of the survivors had been women and children. Instead, they fed the Indians poisoned wine. -
The Massachusetts Bay Colony is founded
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by a group of Puritans seeking refugee from England. Although they had been granted a charter by the current King Charles I, the King’s advisors had second thoughts about the founder's Puritan roots and demanded the charter’s return. At first, the Puritan settlers had refused to fly the English flag, but after conflicts with visiting captains, they decided to not provoke the king of England and hung it. -
Harvard College is founded
Becoming the first college in the colonies, Harvard was founded on October 28th 1636 by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. John Harvard was the college's first/main benefactor. He donated his library and half his estate to the upcoming college. Its first Headmaster was Nathaniel Eaton. A publication stated Harvard's purpose: "advance learning and perpetuate it to posterity, dreading to leave an illiterate ministry to the churches when our present ministers shall lie in the dust." -
Anne Hutchinson banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Anne Hutchinson was born in July 1591 in Alford, Lincolnshire, England. Her father was eventually imprisoned in England for heresy. In 1634, Anne traveled with her husband William and their ten children to New England. Anne began hosting her own Home Bible study group for women. Because of this, Anne was accused of heresy herself and was eventually banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, deemed "as being a woman not fit for our society." -
First Baptist Church in America
After being founded in 1638 by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island, the first Baptist Church in America was dubbed "The First Baptist Meetinghouse." Williams held religious meetings in his house at first but decided to move to a meetinghouse after seeing its utility. It actually was the first Baptist meetinghouse to have a bell. -
Salem Witch trials begin
The Salem witch trials were a collection of trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts. They lasted until May 1693. These persecutions were fueled by religious fear, superstition, and false accusations. The results of these trials were twenty deaths and over fifty people being accused. One man was even pressed to death under heavy stones. In the years following the trial, several accusors had admitted that they had fabricated their charges. -
The Seven Years' War begins
In a war that actually lasted nine years, the British and the French disputed over North American land claims. The French allied with the native Americans, but the British ultimately won the war and expanded its North American territory. After being ended by the Treaty of Paris in 1763, but Britain's national debt nearly doubled. The colonies would be the most affected by this, as Britan overtaxed them to compensate. -
The Stamp act
The Stamp act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, in which colonists were required to pay a tax on paper goods, which was widely unpopular. Colonists even had to pay the tax in British currency, not in colonial paper money. Protests took place and the slogan "No taxation without representation," was coined. The colonists were becoming more upset by British Economic policies and considered the stamp act a violation of their rights. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a dispute in 1770 in which nine British soldiers shot and killed five colonists during a confrontation in Boston, Massachusetts. This was the first moment in which political tensions between British soldiers and American colonists became deadly. Political figure Paul Revere delivered a shocking depiction of the event and fueled hatred against the British. This massacre lit the fuse of revolution. -
First Continental Congress
After being pressured by local groups, colonial legislatures held the first-ever Continental Congress, in which twelve delegates from twelve colonies (Georgia was not included due to the fact they were facing a war with neighboring Native American tribes, the colony did not want to jeopardize British assistance) of North America met to plan resistance against British officials and policies. This meeting marked the beginning of colonial unity. -
Revolutionary War begins
The Revolutionary War began in April of 1775 and was caused by conflicts between the American colonies and Great Britain. The colonists were angry for several reasons and had been protesting for several months before the first battle. The first battles took place at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. The first shot of the war was dubbed "the shot heard around the world." These battles led to the creation of the Continental Army under George Washington. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act of 1773 was an act of Great Britain's Parliament and deeply upsetted the colonists of North America. So, in response to this act, colonists disguised themselves as Native Americans and dumped three hundred and forty chests of tea from the East India Company into the Boston Harbour. The British considered this protest an act of treason, and the British parliament responded by passing the Intolerable Acts. -
The Declaration of Independence
Formerly titled The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America, The Declaration of Independence was a document drafted by future president Thomas Jefferson, in which the colonies declared themselves free and independent from Great Britan, and even listed the reasons why they were doing so. It was signed by a whopping fifty-six delegates. This marked the unification of what was to become the United States. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was a major turning point and victory for the colonists in the Revolutionary War. A group of eight thousand British forces were defeated by American forces. Four hundred and forty British forces were killed, six hundred ninety-five wounded, and 6,222 captured. After seeing the colonists win this war, France was convinced to ally with the United States, providing military and financial support. -
Articles of Confederation created
Also known as The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, the Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States. It established a very weak, limited central government. This is due to the fact that they feared an immoral and unjust government, like the one they were subjected to under British rule. These articles would later go on to be replaced by the United States constitution. -
The Treaty of Paris
After negotiations began in April of 1782, The Treaty of Paris, which was signed in Paris by representatives of the British King George III. This treaty effectively ended the Revolutionary War, and granted the United States the independence they wanted. The united states was granted territory from the Atlantic to the Mississippi river. This treaty was very important due to the fact that it was Britan granting the United States the sovereignty they deserved. -
Bill of Rights created
The Bill of Rights was the first of ten amendments to the Constitution and went on to guarantee civil liberties such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press. These amendments are largely credited to founding father James Madison. Famous founding father Alexander Hamilton greatly opposed them, deeming them "unnecessary." These rights are important due to the fact that they allow American civil freedom. -
Whiskey Rebellion
Also known as the Whiskey Insurrection, The Whiskey Rebellion was a violent protest against federal taxes in the United States by western farmers. The whiskey tax was placed in 1791 and was used to help the government hopefully recover from the debt incurred during the Revolutionary war. They used violence to protect themselves from being taxed. It took place during George Washington's presidency, and he used his troops to demonstrate the government's new authority. -
The Louisiana Purchase
Known in French as the Vente de la Louisiane, The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition of the French territory of Louisiana by the third United States President Thomas Jefferson. He purchased the land for fifteen million dollars and nearly doubled the size of the United States. The land purchased consists of the states of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and of course Louisiana. This land allowed for westward expansion and strengthened the United States economy. -
Lewis and Clark expedition begins
After being asked by President Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began exploring the land acquired during the Louisiana Purchase in an expedition that lasted over two years. They established trading with the Native tribes of the area and sought the most direct and practicable water communication across this continent, for the purposes of commerce. -
War of 1812 begins
The war of 1812 was a war fought between the United States and Great Britain over trade restrictions and conflicts with the Native Americans of the time. The United States wished to expand to the territories of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and northeast Minnesota, but was stopped by the Native Americans of the area. The British heavily supported the native Americans and their actions. The United States declared war on June 18, 1812. The war went on to last until 1815. -
Missouri Compromise
Also known as the Compromise of 1820, the Missouri Compromise was a compromise that allowed the state of Missouri to be a slave state and admitted Maine to be a free state, and also declared a policy of prohibiting slavery in the remaining Louisiana Purchase lands. This compromise temporarily eased tensions over slavery. The 5th United States president, James Monroe, signed the compromise after much debate. -
The Erie Canal is Opened
After construction began in 1817, the Erie Canal was opened in 1826 and was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. This greatly reduced the cost of transporting goods and revolutionized trade and transportation. It highly boosted economic growth, and put New York City on the map. The Canal was highly impressive at four feet deep, 40 feet wide, and 363 miles long. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was signed by seventh United States president Andrew Jackson. This act forced Indigenous Americans to relocate west of the Mississippi River and more than sixty thousand Native Americans were forcibly relocated between Jackson and eight of President Martin Van Buern's presidencies. This policy eventually led to the trail of tears, where thousands of Native Americans died. However, there was one upside as the United States was allowed to expand. -
The Texas Revolution
After tensions heightened with their mother country of Mexico, Texas colonists declared independence from the Mexican government, leading to their independence. Many Americans believed texas should be long to the United States in the first place, and the battle between Texas and Mexico lasted six months, two weeks, and five days. Texas would later be annexed by the United States and become the twenty eight state of America. -
Panic of 1837
After a period of economic growth, The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis caused by economic policies set in place by President Andrew Jackson. Banks in New York City ran out of gold and silver. Unemployment was rampant. The states of Connecticut, New Jersey, and Delaware declared the hardest stress in their economies. The blame for the Panic of 1837 was placed on President Andrew Jackson and president Martin Van Buren was also criticized. -
Seneca Falls Convention
Being the first women's rights convention in the United States, the convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. It was organized by women's rights activists Elizabeth Cady Stanton, local Quaker women, and Lucretia Mott, who was famous for her speaking abilities. It was organized to discuss the social, civil, and religious conditions and rights of women. Abolitionism and the women's rights movement often ran hand in hand, as they both knew what it was like to be pressed by white men. -
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, after miner James W. Marshall found gold at a water-powered sawmill in Coloma, California. After hearing word that there was gold in California, a massive migration began in search of gold. This migration spurred economic growth in California. However, it wasn't purely positive, as it led to heightened disease and displacement among the native Americans of California. -
Compromise of 1850
Following the Missouri Compromise of 1820, The Compromise of 1850 was a series of multiple laws that were passed to diffuse tensions between slave and free states in the pre-civil war era. It admitted California into the union as a free state. It also banned the slave trade in Washington, D.C. However, the fugitive slave act, an act that required runaway slaves to be returned to their owners if they were found, was strengthened -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was an enslaved African American man who believed he and his wife should be freed from the shackles of slavery due to the fact that he resided in a free state where slavery was prohibited. And so, he took this matter to the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not United States citizens and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories. Abolitionists were enraged by this outcome. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin is Published
Also known as Life Among the Lowly, Uncle Tom's Cabin was an anti-slavery novel written by female author and active abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe. Harriet's novel highlighted the horrors and mistreatment of slavery. It was the best-selling novel and the second best-selling book of the 19th century. It helped gain sympathy for slaves of the 19th century and helped negate some negative stereotypes about African Americans. -
Abraham Lincoln is Elected
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in Larue County, Kentucky. In his adult life, he became a lawyer and Whig Party leader. Lincoln ran for president in 1860 and was greatly supported by the North. However, this caused the southern states of America to secede from the union as they feared that he would impose his anti-slavery views. This victory directly led to the beginning of the civil war, in which Lincoln led the country through. -
The civil war begins
In a war that lasted 4 years, 1 month and 2 weeks, The American Civil War was a war in the United States between Union (those who wished to abolish slavery) and the Confederacy, (those who wished to protect slavery.) On December 20, 1860, a convention in South Carolina unanimously voted to secede from the United States. The other southern states, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed shortly after. -
Emancipation Proclamation is passed
Passed by President Abraham Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation (or Proclamation 95) was a presidential declaration that declared freedom for the slaves in Confederate slave states. More than 3.5 million slaves were "freed" by this proclamation, but they first had to escape the shackles of slavery. As soon as these slaves escaped their enslavers, they were permanently free. -
Work on the transcontinental railroad is started
Construction on the first transcontinental railroad, known as the "Pacific Railroad" began in 1863 after President Abraham Lincoln and Congress approved Dr. Hartwell Carver's proposal for a transcontinental railroad. There were two companies that worked on the railroad, the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific. The companies that worked on the track were paid $16,000 per mile. That is approximately $543,000 per mile today. -
Sand Creek Massacre
The tragic Sand Creek Massacre, which took place on November 29th, 1864, was when U.S. soldiers attacked the peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho people. This led to the death of nearly 150 Native Americans and was caused by the fact that white Americans began to settle on land previously promised to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians. After the attack, some eyewitnesses described it as a cold-blooded massacre. -
The 13th Amendment is passed
The Thirteenth Amendment was an amendment made to the United States Constitution that completely abolished slavery in the United States, putting an end to centuries of forced servitude. However, it was just the first of three amendments made after the Civil War. The next, the 14th Amendment, stated that "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States." -
The Civil war ends
After General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, the Union won the civil war. This was on November sixth, 1885, but the war was not officially over until President Andrew Johnson declared it over on August twentieth, 1866. The end of the Civil War is also credited with the end of slavery. From there, there were multiple actions that had to be taken to ensure the Confederacy successfully an peacefully rejoined the union. -
Lincoln's Assassination
Tragedy struck on April 14, 1865. While attending and watching a play, Lincoln was shot in the back of the head by pro-slavery stage actor John Wilkes Booth. He was transported to a boarding house after the shooting, where he succumbed to his injury the following morning. He was the first U.S. president to be assassinated. Lincoln's vice president Andrew Johnson took the oath of office as the 17th president. at 11 am. -
Reconstruction acts passed
Also known as the Military Reconstruction Acts, the Reconstruction Acts were laws that divided the Southern states after the Civil War into manageable military districts so that the United States government was able to protect freedmen's rights. They faced resistance and criticism, as colonists felt "trapped." However, in response to this, several violent hate groups sprung up in the United States, including the Ku Klux Klan. -
Battle of Little Bighorn
The Battle of Little Bighorn, which took place on June 25th, 1876, was a significant conflict between the United States Military and the Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho people. It began after the United States government attempted to relocate these native people onto reservations, even after breaking a decade-old treaty. Sitting Bull was one of the native leaders who refused to comply with the white man’s demands.