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Jamestown
Jamestown was the first permanent, stable English settlement in North America. Because Jamestown was successful, it provided an example of a sustainable colony to other expeditions heading to the New World. The settlement thrived for nearly 100 years as the capital of the Virginia colony. It was abandoned after the capital moved to Williamsburg. At Jamestown the English learned the hard lessons of how to keep a colony going. -
Start of Slavery
Hundreds of thousands of Africans, both free and enslaved, aided the establishment and survival of colonies in the Americas and the New World. The starting point to slavery in America was 1619, when they brought 20 enslaved African ashore in the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia. Throughout the 17th century, European settlers in North America turned to enslaved Africans as a cheaper, more plentiful labor source than indentured servants, who were mostly poor Europeans. -
Plymouth settlement
It was the site of the first permanent settlement by Europeans in New England, Plymouth colony, known formally as the colony of New Plymouth. The town was founded by Pilgrims who, in their search for religious toleration, had immigrated first to the Netherlands and then to North America. Sailing in the Mayflower from Plymouth, England, the settlers reached the shores of Cape Cod in November 1620, and an exploring party arrived in the Plymouth area on December 21. Most died from lack of food. -
Robert Williams
Rogers Williams was a Puritan minister in Massachusetts Bay whose challenges to Puritan orthodoxy led to his banishment from the colony in 1635. After living for a time in Plymouth and with American Indian tribes, he settled near Narragansett Bay and attracted settlers from in and around Salem, Massachusetts. Eventually, together with Anne Hutchinson and Samuel Gorton, he established the Colony of Rhode Island. Williams is most noted for freedom of religion. -
Molasses Act of 1733
The Molasses Act is a british law that imposed a tax on molasses, sugar, and rum imported from non-British foreign colonies into the North American colonies. The act specifically aimed at reserving a practical monopoly of the American sugar market to British West Indies sugarcane growers.The American colonists protested the act, claiming that the British West Indies alone could not produce enough molasses to meet the colonies’ needs. -
Sugar Act 1764
In 1764 Parliament passed the Sugar Act, with the goal of raising 100,000 pounds in North America. The Sugar Act signaled the end of colonial exemption from revenue-raising taxation. Previous acts had been passed as protectionist measures regulating trade to boost the economy of the British Empire as a whole. Under the Navigation Acts, taxes were paid by British importers alone, and brought in just 1,800 pounds in 1763, compared with a cost of 8,000 pounds just to enforce the acts. -
Quartering Act of 1765
The British parliamentary provision requiring colonial authorities to provide food, drink, quarters, fuel, and transportation to British forces stationed in their towns or villages. British government left soldiers behind to protect the colonists from the Native Americans or French settlers in Florida. They thought the colonists should help pay for this army. The colonists were angry about the Quartering Act. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a street fight that occurred on March 5, 1770, between a "patriot" mob, throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks, and a squad of British soldiers. Several colonists were killed and this led to a campaign by speech-writers to rouse the ire of the citizenry. The Boston Massacre was a signal event leading to the Revolutionary War. It led directly to the Royal Governor evacuating the occupying army from the town of Boston. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Second Continental Congress, states the reasons the British colonies of North America sought independence in July of 1776. The colonial governments tried to reach a peaceful reconciliation of these differences with Great Britain, but were continually ignored. After many peaceful attempts, the colonists have no choice but to declare independence from Great Britain. -
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
On January 9, 1776, writer Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet “Common Sense,” setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. Although little used today, pamphlets were an important medium for the spread of ideas in the 16th through 19th centuries.Credited with uniting average citizens and political leaders behind the idea of independence, “Common Sense” played a remarkable role in transforming a colonial squabble into the American Revolution. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga occurred in September and October, 1777, during the second year of the American Revolution. It included two crucial battles, fought eighteen days apart, and was a decisive victory for the Continental Army and a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War. Despite being overcome during the Battle of Freeman’s Farm, the Continental Army persevered and won a decisive victory at the Battle of Saratoga. -
Treaty of Paris
This Paris Peace Treaty concluded the American War for Independence. The 1783 Peace Treaty of Paris was one of several treaties concluding the American Revolutionary War and signed by representatives of Great Britain on one side and the United States, France, and Spain on the other. The 1783 Peace Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783 during the reign of King George III. U.S. boundaries were established. -
steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be transformed, by a connecting rod and flywheel, into rotational force for work. James Watt didn’t invite the steam engine but played a huge role in bettering it. -
Shays Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in Western Massachusetts and Worcester in response to a debt crisis among the citizenry and in opposition to the state government's increased efforts to collect taxes both on individuals and their trades. The fight took place mostly in and around Springfield during 1786 and 1787. Shays' Rebellion was a series of violent attacks on courthouses and other government properties in Massachusetts that began in 1786 -
New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan was one option as to how the United States would be governed. The Plan called for each state to have one vote in Congress instead of the number of votes being based on population. It was introduced to the Constitutional Convention by William Paterson, a New Jersey delegate, on June 15, 1787. One criticism of the Virginia Plan was that it called for the creation of a new government instead of just amending the Articles of Confederation. -
Three Fifths Compromise
Three-fifths compromise is the compromise agreement between delegates from the Northern and the Southern states at the United States Constitutional Convention. Three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives. Granting slaveholding states the right to count three-fifths of their population of enslaved individuals meant that those states would thus be perpetually overrepresented in national politics, -
Judiciary Act of 1789
What became known as the Judiciary Act of 1789 established the multi-tiered federal court system we know today. In addition, it set the number of Supreme Court Justices at six and created the office of the Attorney General to argue on behalf of the United States in cases before the Supreme Court. The act established a three-part judiciary—made up of district courts, circuit courts, and the Supreme Court—and outlined the structure and jurisdiction of each branch. -
market revolution
A market revolution was transforming American business and global trade. Factories and mass production increasingly displaced independent artisans. Farms grew and produced goods for distant, not local, markets, shipping them via inexpensive transportation like the Erie Canal. This increase of labor and industry brought the United States into the world picture for economy and commerce, planting the seed for the United States to increase in wealth and power. -
eli whitney cotton gin
In 1794, U.S.-born inventor Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin, a machine that revolutionized the production of cotton by greatly speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber. The Cotton 'Gin enabled cotton to be cleaned of seeds much faster than by hand. It also increased the need and demand for slavery as a major labor force in the South. Interchangeable parts enabled the modernization of weapons and other machine parts. -
xyz affair
The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic incident that occurred between the United States and France in 1797. France retaliated by seizing American ships. Attempts at negotiating a compromise with France failed when American diplomats refused to pay money to meet with French Foreign Minister Talleyrand. President John Adams dispatched three U.S. envoys to restore harmony between the United States and France—Elbridge Gerry, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and John Marshall. -
embargo act of 1807
The Embargo Act of 1807 was a law passed by the United State Congress and signed by President Thomas Jefferson on December 22, 1807. It prohibited American ships from trading in all foreign ports.Americans had tried hard to remain neutral in this conflict and keep up communication and trade with both countries. It was intended to punish Britain and France for interfering with American trade while the two major European powers were at war with each other. -
war of 1812
Although often treated as a minor footnote to the bloody European war between France and Britain, the War of 1812 was crucial for the United States. First, it effectively destroyed the Indians' ability to resist American expansion east of the Mississippi River. Second, the war allowed the United States to rewrite its boundaries with Spain and solidify control over the lower Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The Federalist Party never recovered from its opposition to the war. -
battle of new orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was the final major battle of the War of 1812, fought between the British Empire and the newly formed United States. American troops, led by future President Andrew Jackson, defeated the much larger British force, which bolstered U.S. hopes for a speedy end to the war. America's victory boosted American pride and the Star Spangled Banner was created. The city allowed access to the Mississippi River, an important route for both transportation and shipping. -
panic of 1819
In 1819, the impressive post-War of 1812 economic expansion ended. Banks throughout the country failed. Mortgages were foreclosed, forcing people out of their homes and off their farms. Falling prices impaired agriculture and manufacturing, triggering widespread unemployment. The Panic of 1819 and the accompanying Banking Crisis of 1819 were economic crises in the United States of America principally caused by the end of years of warfare between France and Great Britain. -
task system
The task system is a system of labor under slavery characteristic in the Americas. It is usually regarded as less brutal than other forms of slave labor. The other form, known as the gang system, was harsher. Under this system, each slave is assigned a specific task to complete for the day. -
election of 1824
In 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected President after the election when the House of Representative chose the winner. The Democratic-Republican party splintered as 4 separate candidates sought the presidency. The election was the only time since the 12th Amendment was passed that an election was decided by the House. As a presidential candidate himself in 1824, Clay had led some of the strongest attacks against Jackson. -
tariff of 1828
The Tariff of 1828 was a very high protective tariff that became law in the United States in May 1828.It was called "Tariff of Abominations" by its Southern detractors because of the effects it had on the Southern economy. It set a 38% tax on some imported goods and a 45% tax on certain imported raw materials. The south was hurt badly by these tariffs. They could not sell as much of their products losing money and they had to pay more for the manufactured goods they needed. -
Cyrus McCormick reaper
The mechanical reaper was invented by Cyrus McCormick in 1831. This machine was used by farmers to harvest crops mechanically. The McCormick mechanical reaper replaced the manual cutting of the crop with scythes and sickles. This new invention allowed wheat to be harvested quicker and with less labor force. -
trail of tears
The Trail of Tears was when the United States government forced Native Americans to move from their homelands in the Southern United States to Indian Territory in Oklahoma. Peoples from the Cherokee, Muscogee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole tribes were marched at gunpoint across hundreds of miles to reservations. The Trail of Tears has become the symbol in American history that signifies the callousness of American policy makers toward American Indians. The trail found it’s end in Oklahoma. -
end of second great awakening
During this revival,meetings were held in small towns and large cities throughout the country, and the camp meeting began. The Second Great Awakening made soul-winning the primary function of ministry and stimulated several moral and philanthropic reforms, including temperance and the emancipation of women.The second wave of evangelical revivalism led to the founding of numerous colleges and seminaries and to the organization of mission societies across the country. -
bank war
The Bank War, lasting from approximately 1832 to 1836, was a decisive political battle over the renewal of the Second Bank of the United States' charter. While the Bank War is an important piece of American history, it is also obviously relevant in determining Jackson's status as a representative of the common man. Clay in 1834 pushed a resolution through the Senate censuring Jackson for removing the deposits. Jackson held firm. Biddle was eventually forced to relax the bank's credit policies. -
the battle of alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a 13 day siege at a mission in San Antonio. It was fought between February 23,1836–March 6,1836 by Mexican forces of about 4000, under President General Santa Anna.They fought against a handful of 180 American rebels fighting for Texan independence from Mexico. The Battle of the Alamo was an important event in the Texas Revolution and American History because it rallied the rest of Texas to fight against the Mexican army eventually leading to a victory over Santa Ana. -
schism of 1840
The Schism of 1840 was a split within the American anti-slavery society. Foreign anti-slavery society and American anti-slavery society are against each other. At the 1840 annual meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Society, abolitionists split over such questions as women's right to participate in the administration of the organization and the advisability of nominating abolitionists as independent political candidates. -
manifest destiny
The concept of manifest destiny justified American expansion across the continent. The phrase “manifest destiny” suggested that expansion across the American continent was obvious, inevitable, and a divine right of the United States. Other historians believe that it was an excuse Americans used to allow them to push their culture and beliefs on everyone in North America. Historians believed that expansion was for the good of the country and was the right of the people. -
mexican american war
The Mexican-American War was a conflict between the United States and Mexico, fought from April 1846 to February 1848. The war officially ended with the February 2, 1848, signing in Mexico of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The treaty added an additional 525,000 square miles to United States territory. For Mexico, there was loss of life, economic ruin, and huge damage to property. For the US, they gained huge new pieces of land. However the fight over what to do with it took center stage. -
underground railroad
The Underground Railroad was an intricate network of people, safe places, and communities that were connected by land, rail, and maritime routes. The Underground Railroad helped to guide one hundred thousand enslaved people to freedom. As the network grew, the railroad metaphor stuck. “Conductors” guided runaway enslaved people from place to place along the routes. The work of the Underground Railroad resulted in freedom for many men, women, and children. -
compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 contained the following provisions: California was admitted to the Union as a free state. The remainder of the Mexican cession was divided into the two territories of New Mexico and Utah and organized without mention of slavery. The claim of Texas to a portion of New Mexico was satisfied by a payment of $10 million. A new legislation was passed to apprehend runaway slaves and return them to their masters. -
election of 1860
The Election of 1860 demonstrated the divisions within the United States just before the Civil War. The election was unusual because four strong candidates competed for the presidency. Political parties of the day were in flux. The dominant party, the Democratic Party, had split into two sectional factions, with each promoting its own candidate. Lincoln won the election, and had more electoral votes and more popular votes than any candidate. -
south carolina secession
South Carolina became the first state to secede from the federal Union on December 20, 1860. The victory of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election triggered cries for disunion across the slaveholding South. The secession of South Carolina precipitated the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. The decision to secede from the union was a result of the building tensions in the United States during the 1800s over the institution of slavery, states' rights, and tariffs. -
emancipation proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."the Constitution could sanction emancipation only as one of the war powers, freeing slaves could only be justified as a means of winning the war and suppressing the Southern rebellion. -
battle of gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania-was the largest battle of the American Civil War. It was also the largest battle ever fought in North America. It involved around 85,000 men in the Union’s Army of the Potomac under Major General George Gordon Meade and approximately 75,000 in the Confederacy’s Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert Edward Lee. Casualties at Gettysburg totaled 23,049 for the Union. Confederate casualties were 28,063,more than a third of Lee’s army. -
thirteenth amendment
Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States and provides that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.". The 13th Amendment ended enslavement in the United States. -
14th amendment
The Citizenship Clause granted citizenship to All persons born or naturalized in the United States. The Due Process Clause declared that states may not deny any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law."The Civil War ended on May 9, 1865. ... Some southern states began actively passing laws that restricted the rights of former slaves after the Civil War, and Congress responded with the 14th Amendment, designed to place limits on states' power as well as protect civil rights. -
15th amendment
The 15th Amendment guaranteed African-American men the right to vote. Almost immediately after ratification, African Americans began to take part in running for office and voting. In effect, the Fifteenth Amendment secured the right to vote for African American men. As many as one million African American men registered to vote throughout the South, where in many districts African Americans constituted the majority or near-majority of the population. -
mississippi plan
The Mississippi Plan was devised by Mississippi Democrats to overthrow Republican rule through intimidation, violence, and paramilitary groups. Disturbances occurred throughout the state as Democrats won state elections in the “Counterrevolution of 1875.” The Mississippi plan of 1890 changed the suffrage provisions of the state constitution by instituting residency, literacy, and other requirements that effectively disenfranchised blacks and many poor whites. -
civil rights récit of 1875
With an incipit of "An Act to protect all Persons in the United States in their Civil Rights, and furnish the Means of their vindication", the act declared that all people born in the United States are entitled to be citizens, no matter race, color, or previous condition. In 1883, the Supreme Court ruled in the Civil Rights Cases that the public accommodation sections of the act were unconstitutional, saying Congress was not afforded control over private persons or corporations under the EPC. -
american renaissance U.S.
The American Renaissance was a period of American architecture and the arts from 1876 to 1917,[1] characterized by renewed national self-confidence and a feeling that the United States was the heir to Greek democracy, Roman law, and Renaissance humanism. The era spans the period between the Centennial Exposition (celebrating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence) and the United States' entry into World War I. -
spoil system
Spoil system, also called patronage system, practice in which the political party winning an election rewards its campaign workers and other active supporters by appointment to government posts and with other favors. The spoil system involves political activity by public employees in support of their party and the employees’ removal from office if their party loses the election. -
pendleton act
The Pendleton Act provided that Federal Government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit and that Government employees be selected through competitive exams. The act also made it unlawful to fire or demote for political reasons employees who were covered by the law. It ended the spoils system of political patronage and established competitive examinations for hiring civil servants.The spoils system had become too indoctrinated in the government and led to the assassination of President Garfield. -
explosion of USS Maine
On February 15, 1898, an explosion of unknown origin sank the battleship U.S.S. Maine in the Havana, Cuba harbor, killing 266 of the 354 crew members. The sinking of the Maine incited United States' passions against Spain, eventually leading to a naval blockade of Cuba and a declaration of war. This matters to us today because this led to the the Spanish-American War. After the war was won, the U.S obtained three major territories, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.