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Period: 1491 to
Period 1/2
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1492
Columbus reaches the New World
Columbus was the first European to explore the Americas since the vikings. While Columbus was to the first to come to the New World, his expedition would lead to many more by others. -
Jamestown
Jamestown was the first successful English colony in the future US, settled in Virginia. Tobacco was the first profitable export here, which allowed them to expand and stay the capitol of of the Virginia colony until 1699. -
Mayflower Compact
This was the first document in the new world that established self-government for a colony. It was he governing document of Plymouth. -
Plymouth
Plymouth was the first settlement created in Massachusetts by Separatists who sought to create a religiously pure society. Plymouth was the first colony in New England and was able to create a self-sufficient economy within five years of their settlement. -
Massachusetts Bay colony
This colony was created due to persecution of the Puritans in England. The rules and laws of this colony came from the bible so there was no separation of church and state. -
Maryland
One of the earliest colonies part of The Chesapeake. Was supposed to be a refuge for Catholics but never really was. -
Trade and Navigation acts
This was a series of acts passed by England that promoted and regulated English ships, trade, and commerce with they're colonies. -
Bacon's Rebellion
This was a standoff between Bacon and Governor Berkeley due to the fact that the people in the back country were having to deal with native attacks and the militia was not helping. The people in government realized they had to pay more attention to the back country. -
The Great Awakening
This was a series of religious revivals that occurred across Britain and the 13 Colonies. It occurred because of peoples reaction to the logic and reasoning of the Enlightenment. -
Georgia
Georgia was settled originally by debtors but started to attract missionaries. James Oglethorpe was the founder of this colony and it was the last of the 13th colonies to be founded. -
French and Indian War Begins
The French and Indian War began in the colonies when French settlers encroached on land claimed by the British. This war was important because it resulted in massive territorial gains for the colonies but also led to disputes between the colonies and Great Britain. -
Salutary Negect Ends
Salutary Neglect was the policy that Britain pretty much left the colonies alone for the most part. Once this ended and Britain started to impose more restrictions on the colonies the colonists were unhappy. -
Period: to
Period 3
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Sugar act
The sugar act was a tax imposed on the colonies which had the goal of ending the smuggling of sugar and molasses into the colonies from the French and Dutch West Indies. It also aimed to help pay off the French and Indian War debts. -
Boston Massacre
This was a riot that occurred in Boston between colonists and British soldiers. This event caused even more Anti-British feelings than there already were within the colonies. -
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
This was a political protest that was in protest of Britain's taxes on the colonies without any real representation. They dumped 342 chest of tea from Britain into the Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable acts
These were acts passed by Britain in response to the Boston Tea Party. They were aimed to punish the colonists for rebelling against the British and for going against Britain's taxes on them. -
American Revolution
The american revolution was between the colonies and Britain. It led to the colonies becoming free from Britain and being able to govern themselves. -
2nd Continental Congress
This was a meeting of delegates from all 13 colonies that united the colonies going into the American Revolution. -
Common Sense written
This was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine which advocated for independence from Britain .It was very influential on the colonies and sold over 150,000 copies in 6 months. -
Articles of Confederation ratified
These set up the first national government in the Colonies. It was very unsuccessful because the national government was way to weak and could not do much. -
Treaty of Paris
This marks the end of the Revolutionary War and grand the colonies their freedom. The colonies got all lands east of the Mississippi. -
constitutional convention of 1787
The purpose of this was to decide how America was going to be governed because the Articles of Confederation were not working. It was supposed to be a convention to revise the Articles but many of the delegates had plans for a whole new constitution. -
3/5 Compromise
This was a compromise that came out of the debate on whether slaves should count towards the population for representation purposes. It states that slaves count as 3/5 of a person for population numbers. -
Ratification of Constitution
This is very important because this is still to this day the law of the United sates. It has had many amendments added and removed but continues to be the framework for our government. -
Washington Preidency
George Washington was the first president of the United States under the Constitution. While he was president he set many precedents that would guide future presidents during their time as president. -
Election of Thomas Jefferson
This election marked the first transfer of power from one political party to a different one in the US. People were very passionate in their beliefs on who they wanted to be elected so this election was coined the "Revolution of 1800". -
Market Revolution begins
This was a gradual change in the economy and workforce in the US. The majority of people shifted from working on farms in rural areas to working at factories in cities. There were many advancements in transportation, communication, and industry. -
Period: to
Period 4 part 1
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Louisiana Purchase
This was a deal between the US and France in which France sold the US the Louisiana territory. This dramatically increased the sze of the US. -
Embargo Act of 1807
This was a trade embargo that restricted American ships from trading in all foreign ports. This was in response to problems the US was having with Britain and France. -
War of 1812
This was a war between the US and Great Britain. This war was somewhat small but had many lasting impacts on the US including a greater feeling of patriotism and a growing feeling of American expansionism. -
Era of Good Feelings
The era of Good feeling marks a time of national pride and political unity in the US following the War of 1812. -
Tariff of 1816
This was the first tariff in the US that had the goal of protecting American manufactured goods from overseas competition. Prior to this tariffs were used to generate revenue for the government. -
Panic of 1819
This was the first real major financial crisis that occurred in the US. It was caused by the ending of many years of war between France and Britain. -
Missouri Compromise
This was a compromise that occurred due to the debate over whether Missouri should be a slave or free state. It was admitted as a slave state and Maine was added as a free state to keep balance. -
Monroe Doctrine
This was a very important piece of foreign policy that mainly aimed to keep the Americas out of European problems and affairs and to restrict European powers from further colonizing the Americas. -
Corrupt Bargain
This occurred during the election of 1828. No one won the majority in the presidential election so it went to the House to be decided, Henry clay makes a deal to get Adams elected in order to be appointed secretary of state. -
Period: to
Period 4 part 2
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Age of Jackson
This was the period while Jackson was president and some time after. Many things happened during this time including the rise of the common man, democratization of the political process, and an increase in the power of the presidency. -
Indian Removal Act
This act was signed into law by President Jackson. It allowed the government to remove Natives from there land and move them west. -
Manifest Destiny
This was the belief that was held between about 1830-1850 that said that the expansion west of the US was both justified and inevitable to happen. -
Nate Turner's Rebellion
This was a slave rebellion that occurred in Virginia. They killed over 50 people and this disproved the southern belief that slaves were to weak to organize a rebellion. -
Trail of Tears
This was a series of forced relocation's of Native Americans in the US. It is called this because of all the terrible things that the Native Americans went through during this time. -
Nullification Crisis
This was a political crisis while Jackson was president. It was a crisis between South Carolina and the federal government where SC wanted to declare federal laws null and void. -
Battle of the Alamo
This was a very crucial battle that occurred during the Texas Revolution at a fort called the Alamo. It was between Mexican soldiers and the Republic of Texas, the Mexican soldiers won the battle and killed all the Texan soldiers in the Alamo. -
Telegraph Invented
This was a major advancement in communication that would last for may years. The telegraph transmitted electronic signals through ire from one place to another. -
Period: to
Period 5
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Annexation of Texas
This was the annexation of the Republic of Texas into the US as a state. This was one of the causes of the Mexican-American War. -
Mexican War
This was the first war that the US fought mainly on foreign soil. The US was very successful in this war and achieved massive territorial expansion. -
Seneca Falls Convention
This was the first women's rights convention the US. It started the women's suffrage movement which eventually was successful. -
Fugitive Slave Law
This was part of the compromise of 1850 and said that the government had to help slave owners recapture escaped slaves. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
This was an anti-slavery novel that was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This book was very influential and changed a great number of people's attitudes towards slavery. -
Bleeding Kansas
This was a series of violent events that occurred in Kansas due to the issue over the legality of slavery in Kansas. This was one of the causes of the Civil War. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
This act allowed the new states of Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether or not they wanted to allow slavery in their states. This got rid of the Missouri Compromise. -
Dred Scott
This is one of the most influential court cases because at the time it said that even though Dred Scott was in a free state he was still a slave and it also said that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. This court case was important because it pushed the country even closer to civil war. -
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
This was an attempted raid by a white abolitionist(John Brown) on Harpers Ferry which was a federal arsenal. His goal was to initiate a slave revolt in southern states. -
Lincolns Election
This election was one of the most important elections in US history, the main issue was slavery and who won the election was going to determine what direction the problem of slavery would go. -
Civil War
This was fought between the Union and the Confederate States. The issue that was being fought over was slavery and this war ended it. -
Homestead Act
This allowed for people to receive 160 acres of land for a very low price from the government. This was important because it led to more western expansion and allowed all types of people to become land owners. -
Gettysburg
This battle is considered the most important battle fought during the civil war. It was a win for the Union which was a major turning point and led to Lincolns famous 'Gettysburg Address' speech. -
Reconstuction
This was the process following the civil war of reintroducing the stats that succeeded and introducing all of the new freed slaves. -
Period: to
Period 6
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Purchase of Alaska
The purchase of Alaska was approved by President Johnson and was important because it stopped Russia's attempts to expand into the Pacific coast of north America. -
Wyoming grants women the right to vote
Wyoming was the first state to grant women's suffrage. This is very important because it shows how things were starting to move in the right direction in regards to women's rights. -
Gilded Age
This was an era that was defined by massive economic growth, corruption, and unrestrained capitalism. -
Panic of 1873
This happened due to the rapid growth from the industrial revolution. Markets started to crash and loans went unpaid. -
Battle of Little Bighorn
This was the most decisive battle and Native American Victory over the US Army in the Long Plains Indian War. What happened to the US soldiers furthered many peoples biases towards Native Americans about how they are wild and savage. -
Compromise of 1877
This was an informal agreement that happened between southern Democrats and allies of Rutherford Hayes to settle the presidential election of 1876. This marked the end of reconstruction. -
The Haymarket Square Riot
This was a riot that happened in Chicago where there was a large group of laborers that were having a rally. Police started to advance on them to break it up and someone threw a bomb at the policemen and the policeman open fired. -
Dawes Act
This was an attempt to assimilate Native Americans into society by taking away their cultural traditions. It broke up tribal lands and gave individuals plots of land. -
Interstate Commerce Act
This is a federal law that allows the government to monitor and regulate trade between states. It was originally designed to regulate the railroad industry but is applied to many things today. -
Wounded Knee Massacre
This was a domestic massacre of several hundred Lakota Indians that was done by US soldiers, most of whom were children or women. This is important because it marks the end of Indian resistance to settlers for the most part. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
This was a very important piece of legislation that was passed in order to combat the many monopolies and trusts that were dominating the US economy. -
Pullman Strike
This was a nationwide railroad strike and boycott that was a major turning point for US labor law. The governments response was an injunction which is the first time they used this to break a strike. -
Plessy v Ferguson
This was a very important supreme court decision because it upheld racial segregation as long it was "separate but equal". -
Annexation of Hawaii
Hawaii was a very important place to get because it was a strategic military and trade connector to Asia. The US did not want any foreign power to get it. -
Spanish American War
This was a conflict between Spain and the US that started because of Cuba's struggle for freedom from Spain. This war ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas. -
Period: to
Period 7 part 1
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Yellow Journalism
This was a form of "news" that was intended exploit, distort, and exaggerate what was actually happening in order to attract more readers. -
Open Door Policy
This was the policy proposed by John Hay that would allow china to trade with all countries, equally. -
Boxer Rebellion
This was a major uprising against foreigners that occurred in China. Troops from many countries including the US were sent in to shut it down. -
First Flight
The Wright Brothers were the first people to have a successful powered airplane. This was a major technological advancement. -
Platt Amendment
This was a treaty between Cuba and the US that aimed to protect Cuba from foreign powers. It allowed the US to be involved in Cuban affairs to an extent in order to protect their independence. -
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
This book portrayed the horrid conditions and standards in the meat packing industry. It had a massive impact and led to new federal food safety legislation. -
Gentlemen's Agreement
This was an informal agreement between the US and Japan that was an attempt to calm the tensions between the two countries due to the immigration of Japanese workers. -
Model T
The Ford Model T was introduced in 1908 and was a very important invention. It was one of the first cars that was available and affordable for a great number of people. -
Dollar Diplomacy
This was Presidents Taft's plan to gain global influence through economic power. -
16th Amendment
This was ratified in 1913, it allowed the federal government to levy an income tax on the people of the US. This was important because it played an important role in building the powerful federal government the US now has. -
US enters WW1
On April 6th, 1917, the US joined Britain, France, and Russia in order to fight in WW1. Many Americans wished to stay neutral and stay out of the war. -
Espionage and sedition acts
These acts were used to punish people that were publishing information with the intent to interfere with the US's involvement and success in the war. -
Selective Service Act
This made all men between 21 and 30 register to be entered into the draft for the war. -
Period: to
Period 7 part 2
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Treaty of Versailles
This was the treaty signed after WW1 which held Germany responsible for the war and enacted harsh penalties on them which included territory loss, payments, and demilitarization. -
Women’s Suffrage
When the 19th amendment was ratified women now had the right to vote. This was a major advancement fir the women's rights movement. -
Red Scare
This was a widespread fear of communism and anarchism that happened during the 1920s. -
Prohibition
This was a nationwide ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcohol. It was later lifted by the 21st amendment. -
Stock Market Crash
The stock market crashed in 1929 more than it ever had which made the rest of the economy spiral downward eventually leading to the Great Depression. -
Bonus Army
This was a group of over 40,000 demonstrators that were demanding to be paid for their military service in order to help them get through the Great Depression. -
New Deal
This was a series of programs following FDR's election that greatly helped the US to get out of the Great Depression. -
Social Security Act
This act created a system to help the elderly financially as well as the unemployed. It would give money to the retired or unemployed in order to help them because they aren't making money. -
WW2 Starts
World War Two began when Germany invaded Poland. Great Britain and France then declared war on Germany. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
This was a devastating surprise attack on the Naval Base Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. This marked the United Sates entry into the war. -
Manhatten Project
This was the secret US project that created the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan. Many top scientists were hired for this. -
D-Day
This was a battle that led to the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control. This was one of the most important battle fought in the war. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped
The US dropped 2 atomic bombs over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. This event pretty much marks the end of the fighting of WW2. -
United Nations Formed
This international body was formed to keep peace and security globally. It was formed to prevent future world wars, similar to the league of nations, but was much more realistic and successful.
