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Period: 1491 to
Period 1&2 1491-1763
Native America, European Exploration, Colonization -
1492
Europeans discover the New World
Christopher Columbus accidentally discovered the New World for Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. Later on, he made three more journeys across the Atlantic in 1493, 1498, and 1502. -
1492
The Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange was the flow of goods, plants, people, animals, and diseases between the Americas, Europe, and Africa. -
1492
Treaty of Tordesillas
The treaty was signed by Spain and Portugal and it divided the territories of the New World. It gave Portugal more land in the New World. -
1512
Encomienda system established
Conquistadors and leaders received grants of a number of Indians, that they could exact as "tribute" in the form of gold or labor. -
1525
The rise of the Atlantic slave trade
First record of a slave trade voyage direct from Africa to the Americas and landed in Santo Domingo, on the island Española. -
1532
Francisco Pizarro invades Peru
Highly advanced South American civilization that was conquered by Spanish forces under Francisco Pizarro in 1532. Incas developed sophisticated agricultural techniques like terrace farming, in order to live in the Andes Mountains. -
1555
Tobacco arrives in Europe
The discovery of tobacco became a viable product that was traded with other European countries through the mercantile system. This gave England a reason to further expand its colonization of the New World. -
Jamestown
Jamestown was the first successful English colony in the future US, settled in Virginia -
Plymouth
Plymouth was the first settlement created in Massachusetts by Separatists who south to create a religiously pure society. -
French and Indian War Begins
The French and Indian War began in the colonies when French settlers encroached on land claimed by the British. -
Treaty of Paris
Ended the Seven Year’s War/ French and Indian War in North America. France ceded all mainland North American territories, except New Orleans, Britain gained all territory east of the Mississippi River and Spain kept territory west of the Mississippi. -
Proclamation of 1763
Was made by King George III and forbade colonies from settling land west of the Appalachian mountain. -
Period: to
Period 3 1763-1800
American Revolution, the Confederal Era, and the Early Federal Period -
Stamp act
Parliament passes the Stamp Act that required all legal documents, newspapers, and pamphlets to have a watermarked or be 'stamped'. Sons of Liberty begin to violently protest and also inspired the first American boycott of British goods. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Act imposes taxes on paper, paint, glass, and tea to help pay for the administration of the colonies. -
Boston Massacre
The colonist hated the presence of troops and Britain's colonial policy so they began harassing a group of soldiers and British soldiers opened fire on the American colonists killing five men. -
Tea Act
A tax on tea that was collected by the British and protested heavily by the colonists, most notably in the Boston Tea Party -
Boston tea Party
A group of Sons of Liberty boards a ship disguised as Native Americans and dump thousands of dollars worth of tea into the Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts/Coercive Acts
As a result of the Tea party, Britain closed Boston Harbor, banned local town meetings, and stripped Massachusetts of self-government and judicial independence. The colonies responded with a boycott of British goods. -
First Continental Congress
First Continental Congress forms in response to Intolerable Acts and it sent a Declaration of Rights and Grievances to Parliament, but was denied. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
British troops were met by militiamen at Lexington and Concord and forced to turn around and it was the first engagements of the Revolutionary War. ("The shot heard 'round the world") -
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
It was a pamphlet that argued that colonists should be free from British rule and establish an independent government based on Enlightenment ideals -
Declaration of Independence
It was approved by Congress and drafted by Thomas Jefferson, it formalized the colonies' separation from Britain. Based on enlightenment values of natural rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". -
Articles of Confederation
It was the first constitution of the United States and officially established the government of the thirteen states. -
Shay's Rebellion
Massachusetts rebellion led by Daniel Shays against high taxes to prevent courts from closing farms of those who could not pay the taxes -
XYZ Affair
A diplomatic incident that occurred between the United States and France and caused the U.S. to Cuts off trade with France. -
Period: to
Period 4 part 1 1800-1824
nationalism, Louisiana Purchase, Jeffersonian America, Era of good feelings -
Thomas Jefferson elected President
Jefferson, tied with Aaron Bur but became president and Burr became vice president -
Lousiana Purchase
Jefferson bought the Louisiana territory from France under Napoleon's rule for 15 million. The U.S. gained control of the Mississippi trade route and doubled its size. -
Marbury v. Madison
Case in which the supreme court first asserted judicial review and demonstrates the power of the judicial branch. -
Embargo Act
An act that forbade the export of all goods from the United States and was meant to weaken Britain and France by stopping trade but ended up hurting our economy. Repealed in 1809 -
Battle of Tippecanoe
Native Americans united by Tecumseh and Prophet fought against General Harrison's and lost. This served as a catalyst for the War of 1812 because the British helped the Indians during the battle. -
War of 1812
War started from British interference with American trade. Showed America's willingness to defend its interests militarily, earning the U.S. respect among the European nations. -
Era of Good feelings
It was a period in the political history of the United States that reflected rising nationalism in America. Saw the end of the federalist party. -
McCullough v. Maryland
Established that the state of Maryland did not have the power to tax the bank and ruled that Congress had implied powers under the Necessary and Proper Clause of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution to create the Second Bank of the United States. -
Missouri Compromise
Missouri wanted to be a slave state which was going to make the union unbalanced, so they made a compromise. The compromise was that Maine joined as a free state and Missouri joined as a slave state. -
Monroe Doctrine
A doctrine that stated that European powers could no longer colonize or interfere with the affairs of the newly independent states of the Americas. -
Period: to
4 part 2 1824 to 1848
Industrialization, Jacksonian Democracy, nullification crisis, manifest destiny -
Erie Canal
A canal in New York that originally ran about 363 miles from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie. -
Tariff of Abominations
Tariffs made to protect Northern industries but South Carolina considered this unconstitutional -
Andrew Jackson elected
Began the ¨Age of the common man¨. Shows the Democratization of the U.S. -
Indian Removal Act
The law let the president negotiate with the southern Native American tribe to move to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for white settlement of their ancestral lands. -
Trail of Tears
Cherokee tribes were forced to give up their land and move east of the Mississippi River. Many died during the trial. -
Nullification Crisis
South Carolina declared the 1832 tariff null and void in SC and threatened secession if the federal government tried to collect the tariff. Solved by a compromise later on by Henry Clay. -
Andrew Jackson Vetoed the Second Bank of the United States
He vetoed it because he thought it was just for the wealthy easterners to get richer. Weakened the Federalist party. -
Whig Party forms
Party formed to oppose Andrew Jacksons Democratic Party -
Period: to
Period 5 1844-1877
manifest destiny, popular sovereignty, westward expansion, civil war, African Americans -
U.S. Annexation of Texas
Texas seceded from Mexico and declared independence and then the US annexes Texas because Southern states support Texas slavery. It causes the Mexican war. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Gave the U.S Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. -
Compromise of 1850
Had five separate bills passed by the United States Congress that helped ease political differences between slave and free states on the status of territories acquired in the Mexican–American War. Made by Henry Clay. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin published
A novel by Harriet Breecher Stowe showed northerners and the world the horrors of slavery and southerners saw it as an exaggeration. Helped to the start of the Civil War. -
Republican Party formed
It started off as the whigs party and then became the republican party that dedicated to keeping slavery out of the territories at the time. -
Nebraska-Kansas Act passed
Created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opening new lands for settlement and allowed settlers in those territories to determine through Popular Sovereignty whether they would allow slavery within each territory -
Dred Scott v. Sandford Case
Scott was a slave that sued for his freedom, arguing that he was a free man because he lived in Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory, where slavery was banned in both. But the court said he was still a slave and lost the case. -
Abraham Lincoln elected President
Abraham Lincoln became the 16th president of the United States becoming the first Republican to win the presidency. Lincoln's victory signaled the secession of the Southern states. -
South Carolina secedes
The first state to secede from the Union after the election of Abraham Lincoln. -
Fort Sumter Battle
Beginning of the American Civil War, South Carolina opened fire on men from the union. This battle convinces other southern states to join the conflict. -
Homestead Act
Allowed citizens to claim 160 acres of public land and to purchase it for a small fee after living on it for five years. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Declared all salves in a confederate territory free. This weakened the south and made the civil war's goal become about the abolition of slavery. It was made by Abraham Lincoln. -
Wade Davis Bill
It was a plan for Reconstruction that denied the right to vote or hold office for anyone who was on the Confederacy's side but Lincoln disagreed with it. -
Lincoln assassinated
Lincoln was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth in Ford's Theater a little after his reelection. -
13th Amendment Ratified
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution officially abolished slavery in America and was ratified on December 6, 1865. -
Freedmen's Bureau (1865-1872)
Made to provide food, shelter, and medical aid to freed slaves and people made poor by the war. -
Black Codes passed in Southern states
Southern state legislatures began passing Black Codes to restrict the rights of newly freed African-Americans. It forbade blacks from renting/buying land, forcing them into contract-labor systems, and testifying in courts. -
Period: to
period 6 1865-1898
westward expansion, gilded age, middle class, second industrial revolution -
Ku Klux Klan founded
white supremacists formed the KKK to violate the rights of and incite violence against freed blacks. -
14th Amendment Ratified
14th Amendment granted citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to African Americans and slaves who had been emancipated after the American Civil. -
Wyoming 1st state to grant women suffrage
grant women the vote to bringing publicity and more women to the area. -
Knights of Labor
labor unions became more popular for workers to unite in the face of a higher cost of living, lack of job security, etc. -
15th Amendment Ratified
The 15th Amendment guaranteed the right of all men to vote regardless of race. -
Tweed Scandal
Tweed was a "political boss," who helped the poor in return for their votes & money and he robbed NYC of millions and scared the citizens into silence. -
Crédit Mobilier Scandal
Union Pacific Railroad formed the Crédit Mobilier construction company to make its own profit and distributed shares of its stock to Republican Congressmen. -
Panic of 1873
Rapid growth from the Industrial Revolution caused the markets to crash. -
Civil Rights Act of 1875
Law to guarantee African-Americans equal treatment in public places and was passed by republicans. -
Great Sioux War (1876-1881)
The conflict between the Sioux and white settlers in the West even after Sioux were herded onto a reservation and promised to be left alone. White settlers violated reservation agreements. -
Compromise of 1877/End of Reconstruction Era
A compromise that allowed Republican Hayes to be president as long as federal troops were pulled out from the South and to build a railroad in the South to help it industrialize. -
Farmers' Alliance
An alliance where farmers socialize but also in an attempt to lessen the power of railroad companies & manufacturers. -
Railroad Strike of 1877
Railroad companies cut employees' wages set off work stoppages, strikes, and violence and were because of the panic of 1873. -
Hawaii Uprising
American sugar planters in Hawaii wanted to overthrow Queen Liliuokalani and asked for the help of United States forces. -
Alaska Klondike Gold Rush
The discovery of gold at Klondike river caused about 30,000 to go to Klondike, only about 4,000 actually found gold. -
U.S.S Maine Explodes
U.S.S. Maine suddenly exploded in Havana Harbor, killing approximately 260 Americans and was blamed on Spain. Which caused the declaration of war. -
The Battle of Manila Bay
In the first battle between Spanish and American Forces, U.S. defeats the Spanish fleet at Manila Bay in the Philippines. -
Battle of San Juan Hill
The U.S. Army Fifth join Spanish forces and successfully capture Spanish-held Santiago de Cuba on the southern coast of Cuba the next day. -
Hawaii- Official Annexation
The Hawaiian islands were officially annexed by the United States through Joint Resolution -
Spain Surrenders
The Americans surround the city of Santiago and Spain surrenders marking the end of the battle and territorial negotiations start. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris is signed by representatives from the U.S. and Spain. and the U.S. gains Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. -
Period: to
Period 7 part 1 1898-1918
progressives, Spanish American War, US enters WWI, league of nations -
Open Door Policy
It was the protection of equal privileges among countries trading with China and in support of Chinese territorial and administrative integrity. -
Boxer Rebellion
secret Chinese groups called "boxers" lead an uprising in Northern China to remove all Western and Japanese influence, eventually being put down in 1901. -
Panama Canal
Because the treaty offering $40 million for rights to the Panama Canal Zone was rejected, Roosevelt encouraged and supported Panama's revolt against Columbia. It worked and he won. -
Big Stick Diplomacy
During the Venezuela Crisis, Roosevelt amended the Monroe Doctrine and it said the United States would get involved with the affairs of its Latin American neighbors if they defaulted on its debt to Europe. -
Archduke Assassinated
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated in Sarajevo, starts WWI when the country declared war on Serbia, -
Russia Mobilizes Forces
Russia protects its ally, Serbia, from Austria-Hungary, causes other major European Powers to join the war. -
Germany invades Belgium
Germany invades Belgium to neutralize the opposition of France, but causes Britain to join the war in order to defend France. -
Zimmerman Telegram
"Zimmerman" telegram proposes that Mexico side with Germany in the event that the US and Germany go to war. The US intercepts it and Mexico doesn't help Germany. -
US Enters War
Congress authorizes the Declaration of War against Germany. The U.S. joins the War on the Allies' side -
End of War
the war ends and Germany signs an armistice with the Allies to end WWI. -
Period: to
Period 7 part 2 1918-1945
American culture in the 1920s, prohibition, Great Depression, New Deal, world war II -
Treaty of Versailles
Forced Germany to accept blame for World War I. Led to tensions as well as economic failure in Germany. -
19th amendment
Prohibition of alcohol -
League of Nations
An international organization founded to promote world peace and cooperation but greatly weakened by the refusal of the United States to join. -
19th amendment
gave women the right to vote -
kellogg-brand pact
An international agreement that said states promised not to use war to achieve their foreign policy aims. -
Stock Market Crash
Marked the beginning of the Great Depression. It was a steep fall in the prices of stocks due to widespread financial panic. -
New deal
Reforms enacted by Franklin Roosevelt administration to end the Great Depression. Congress passed hundreds of bills to promoted social welfare and initiated programs coined alphabet soup programs as a part of the New Deal. -
Emergency Banking Act
FDR enacts a 4 day bank holiday to allow financial panic to subside. During the close of the banks, the government will inspect to see if banks are strong enough to receive loans, if not they will be liquidated. -
Pearl Harbor attacked
Japan attacked the military base at Pearl Harbor and caused the USA to come into WW2. The 'sleeping giant' awakened. -
d-day
The Allied attempt to win back France from Nazi Germany by landing troops on the French beaches of Normandy. -
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The U.S decided to drop the two bombs on Japan because Japan refused to surrender. Killed millions of people and destroyed everything in its surrounding.