-
Period: 1491 to
Periods 1 & 2: 1491-1763
Native America, Native American Life, European Exploration, and Early Colonization -
1500
Triangular Trade
Triangular Trade was the exchange of slaves, molasses, and rum between the Colonies, Europe, and Africa. Triangular trade allowed for the spread of slavery into the New World. -
The Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was a document that was signed on the Mayflower prior to its landing in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This document created the framework for the first form of government in the colonies. -
Puritans
The Puritans were the the English Protestants who sought to "purify" the Church of England because it was too similar to the Roman Catholic Church, they greatly influenced American society. -
The Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts was a series of laws passed by the British Parliament. These laws restricted trade in the colonies. -
The Slave Codes
The Slave Codes were laws that defined racial slavery based on the concept slaves were property not people. These laws limited the rights and education of slaves. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was a armed rebellion that happened in Jamestown, Virginia. This rebellion was lead by Nathaniel Bacon, his goal was to change Virginia's Indian-Frontier Policy, this rebellion created a more harsh system of slavery. -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a series of Christian revivals that came through Protestant Europe and the Colonies. The Great Awakening left a permanent impact on American Protestantism. -
The Beginning of the French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a war between the colonies of Great Britain and New France. The war started over who the territory of the upper Ohio River Valley belonged to, the war gave the British Colonies major territorial gains. -
The End of Salutary Neglect
Salutary Neglect was a non-intentional policy from the British Crown. The British did not enforce strict laws on the colonies to keep them to continue to obey the crown. -
Proclamation of 1763
After the French and Indian War Britain issued the Proclamation of 1763, it prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. This Proclamation was designed to prevent tensions between the Colonists and Native Americans. -
Period: to
Period 3: 1763-1800
Lead up to Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War, and Colonial Independence -
The Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was the first tax imposed on the colonies by Britain, it placed a tax on sugar, molasses, coffee, and wines. The colonists tried to avoid these taxes by smuggling goods and bribing tax collector. -
The Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty a was secret group of patriotic young men that was founded by Samuel Adams. This group of men fought against the taxation passed by Great Britain on the colonies. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by British Parliament in 1765. The Stamp Act required any legal documents or printed paper to have a tax stamp. -
The Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were laws passed by the British Parliament after the Boston Tea party as punishment. These Acts lead to a major push for the Revolutionary War. -
Loyalists
The Loyalists were the colonists who opposed the Revolutionary War. They remained faithful to Great Britain and were opposed by the Patriots. -
The Patriots
The Patriots were the colonists that supported the American Revolutionary War. They rejected the British rule of the colonies and wanted independence from Britain. -
The Beginning American Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War started in 1775, the war started because of the colonies' opposition to Britain's attempts to gain greater control over the colonies. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence listed the colonists' complaints about the King and stated that Americans would no longer be subjects under Great Britain's rule. -
The Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown was the last major battle in the Revolutionary War. During this battle General Cornwallis of Great Britain surrendered to the colonial army which resulted in Great Britain negotiating an end to the war with the colonies. -
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the United States first Constitution. It was later replaced by the current Constitution of the United States in 1788. -
The End of the American Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War ended in 1783 with the colonies gaining their independence from Great Britain. The Treaty of Paris signified the end of the war. -
Ratification of The Constitution of the United States
The Constitution of the United States was written in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the framework of the United States government, it was ratified by all 13 colonies in 1788. -
Ratification of The Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments of the Constitution of the United States. These first ten amendments state Americans' rights in relation to the government and spells out Americans' civil rights and liberties. -
Proclamation of Neutrality
The Proclamation of Neutrality was an announcement made by George Washington that declared the United States would be neutral in the conflict between France and Britain. This Proclamation stated that the government would prosecute any Americans who helped either Britain or France in their war efforts. -
The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions were statements from the legislatures of Virginia and Kentucky. They stated that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. -
Period: to
Period 4 Part 1: 1800-1824
Rise of Political Parties, The Second Great Awakening, Jefferson's Presidency, and Madison's Presidency. -
The Judiciary Act of 1801
The Judiciary Act of 1801 was an act passed by the Federalists in Congress. This act was to change the number of justices on the Supreme Court from six to five. -
Election of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was elected as the 3rd President of the United States in 1801. Thomas Jefferson helped double the size of the United States land area. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a land deal between the United States and France. This land deal gave the US control of the Mississippi River area and greatly increased the size of the United States. -
Marbury v Madison
Marbury v Madison was a Supreme Court case that established the idea of Judicial Review. Judicial Review is important because it allows the Supreme Court to declared an act of Congress unconstitutional. -
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition began in May of 1804, they had a mission of exploring unknown land and establish trade connections with Natives. The started at the Missouri River and went all the way to the Pacific Ocean. -
James Madison is Elected
James Madison was elected as president in 1809, Madison was elected as the 4th president of the United States. Madison led the US through the War of 1812 and is the "father" of the Constitution. -
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a war that was between the United States and Great Britain and lasted three years. The War of 1812 began over Great Britain creating a series of trade restriction on the United States' trade with France because Great Britain and France were at war at the time. -
Election of James Monroe
James Monroe was elected in 1817 as the 5th president of the United States. James Monroe is important because he established the Monroe Doctrine which established US policy towards the Western Hemisphere. -
The Panic of 1819
The Panic of 1819 was one of the first financial crises in the United States, the Panic was caused by the end of years of warfare between Britain and France. This caused a fear of an economic crisis in the United States. -
The Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was created by James Monroe and delivered to Congress in 1823. The Doctrine establishes the United States' policy towards the Western Hemisphere and more specifically European nations. -
Gibbons v Ogden
The Supreme Court case Gibbons v Ogden was a case that would greatly effect Congress. The decision expanded the power of Congress and federal government, it gave Congress the power to regulate any interstate trade. -
Period: to
Period 4 Part 2: 1824-1848
Westward Expansion, The Age of Jackson, and The Mexican American War -
Election of Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was elected as the 7th president of the United States in 1828. Jackson became a hero to many Americans because of his work in the military which made him a very influential president. -
The Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was created by Andrew Jackson in 1830. This act forced thousands of Native American tribes out of their homes and were moved to federal territory west of the Mississippi River. -
Texas Declares their Independence from Mexico
Texas declared their independence from Mexico in 1836, Texas appointed leadership for their new Republic of Texas. Eventually Texas was incorporated into the US, at firs the US declined to incorporate Texas because many were against the addition of a new slave state. -
The Market Revolution
The Market Revolution was a time in the 19th century where the labor system drastically changed. The Market Revolution drastically changed the United States forms of transportation, industrialization, and global trade. -
Period: to
Period 5: 1844-1877
Lead Up to The Civil War, The Civil War, and The Reconstruction Era -
Western Manifest Destiny
Western Manifest Destiny was an idea that the United States was destined to expand across North America. It was believed that it was the United States' duty to reform the west in the image of the rest of America, this idea was used to justify the Mexican American War. -
The Beginning of the Mexican American War
The Mexican American War began in April of 1846, the main cause of the war was the westward expansion of the US. When the US was expanding Mexico attacked the US. -
The Oregon Treaty
The Oregon Treaty was created and signed between the US and Great Britain to settle their boundary disputes. Great Britain got the land north of the 49th parallel and the US got the land south of the 49th parallel. -
The California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began because of the discovery of gold nuggets in Sacramento, California. The Gold Rush helped California grow economically and eventually led to California being annexed into the US. -
The End of The Mexican American War
The Mexican American war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The treaty was signed with the victor of The Mexican American War in favor of the United States. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 outlawed slavery in Washington D.C. because California was admitted as a free state while Utah and New Mexico determined themselves if they'd be a free or slave state. -
The Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott Decision was a Supreme Court case that decided that even if a enslaved person lived in a free state or territory that did not entitle them to their freedom. The decision also determined that since Scott was not technically a citizen he could not sue in a federal court. -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860 as the 16th president of the United States. Lincoln is an important president in US history because of his role in freeing the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation. -
South Carolina Secedes for The Union
South Carolina declared that they seceded from the Union in 1860. Their declaration claimed that their secession was due to the refusal of free states to enforce the Fugitive Slave Acts. -
The Beginning of The Civil War
The Civil War began in 1861 when the Confederate army attacked Union soldiers at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. The Civil War began because of the different views of the free and slave states and whether the federal government should prohibit slavery in new states. -
The Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America were 7 states that seceded from the Union. South Carolina (the first state to secede), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas were the original states, later Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina joined. -
The Anaconda Plan
The Anaconda Plan was a tactic used by the Union army during The Civil War. The Anaconda Plan blockaded the Confederate ports to suppress them. -
The Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was created during the Civil War, it stated that any adult citizen who has never gone against the US government could claim 160 acres of government land. All they had to do was improve the land they were given. -
The Formation of The Ku Klux Klan (K.K.K)
The Ku Klux Klan was s group formed by a few veterans of the Confederate army. The K.K.K extended their group to almost every Southern State in the US to target and harass African Americans. -
Period: to
Period 6: 1865-1898
The Gilded Age -
The Ratification of the 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was created near the end of The Civil War, it abolished slavery in the United States. The amendment also protected the rights of the newly freed people. -
The End of The Civil War
The Civil war ended in April of 1865, the war ended because the Confederate army, led by General Robert E. Lee, surrendered to the Union army, led by Ulysses S. Grant. The Civil War ended in a defeat for the Confederacy, the war eventually led to slavery being abolished in America. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
During Abraham Lincoln's second term as president he was attending an event at Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. While at the event a man named John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1866
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was the first federal law that defined the citizenship of African Americans in the US. It also attempted to provide a shield against the Black Codes by stating that all citizens are equally protected under the law. -
The Ratification of the 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all people born in the United States. This included former slaves who were now freed. -
The Ratification of the 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment gave all African American males the right to vote. This amendment also gave Congress the power to enforce it. -
James A. Garfield's Assassination
James A. Garfield served as the 20th President of the United States, his term as president was cut very short because of his assassination, he only served a few months so he didn't really accomplish anything. Garfield's Vice President, Chester A. Arthur, accomplished many things as president like Civil Service Reform and Native American Policy. -
The Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was a law passed by the United States that banned Chinese immigrants from coming into the US. The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first immigration law passed in the US that excluded an entire ethnic group from immigrating. -
Pendleton Act
The Pendleton Act was an attempt at Civil Service Reform in the federal government. The Pendleton Act created an examination system for federal employees. -
The Knights of Labor Railroad Strike
The Knights of Labor Railroad Strike was a labor union strike involving thousands of railroad workers. The railroad workers in five different states went on strike against the Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific railroad companies. -
The Haymarket Riot
The Haymarket Riot was one of the most important labor riots in United States history. The Haymarket Riot influenced people to become activists for change in police injustice and a change in labor laws. -
Formation of The American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was formed to win economic benefits its members. They fought for shorter hours, higher wages, and better working conditions for their members. -
The Interstate Commerce Act
The Interstate Commerce Act was passed in 1887 and prohibited rebates and pools, it required railroad companies to publish their rates to the public. It also outlawed discrimination against shippers and set up the Interstate Commerce Commission to enforce the new legislation. -
Formation of The Populist Party
The Populist Party was a political party that formed in the late 1800s. The Populists Party's goals were for the Government to control railroads and regulate monopolies to guarantee that farmers had cheap access the market for their crops. -
The Pullman Strike
The Pullman Strike was a nationwide strike against the Pullman Railroad company. George Pullman, the owner of the company, increased his employees working hours, cut wages and cut many jobs, the workers were members of the American Railroad Union so the workers protested and started the strike. -
Plessy v Ferguson
The Supreme Court case Plessy v Ferguson ruled that the segregation of public spaces in the United States was legal. The segregation of these spaces was legal as long as they were "separate but equal", which in most cases was not true. -
Hawaii Becomes a US Territory
Hawaii was annexed after the Spanish-American War, at first it was used for the naval base at Pearl Harbor. After the War Hawaii was organized as a U.S. territory in 1898 and then became a state in 1959, it is the 50th US state. -
The Spanish American War
The Spanish American War was started because of the mysterious sinking of the USS Maine in a Cuban Harbor. This War is important because the United States received the Philippines, the islands of Guam and Puerto Rico, and Cuba became independent. -
The War in the Philippines
The War in the Philippines started because after the Spanish American War the US took possession of Spain's colonies in the Philippines, under the Treaty of Paris. The people in the Philippines revolted and declared war against the US. -
Period: to
Period 7 Part 1: 1898-1918
Imperialism, The Progressive Era, & WWI -
The Platt Amendment
The Platt Amendment was passed to force the Cuba to allow the US to intervene in Cuban affairs. It, made it so the US had to approve Cuban treaties before they could be passed. -
Big Stick Diplomacy
Big Stick Diplomacy was a concept used by Theodore Roosevelt during his presidency. This concept meant using great shows of force and intimidation to earn respect from nations around the world. -
Ford Motor Company Established
Ford Motor Companies are one of the most influential companies on American society. They were established in Detroit Michigan by Henry Ford, they are one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world today. -
Election of Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was elected to serve his first full term as president in 1904. Theodore Roosevelt is known for being a spokesman for progressivism. -
The Jungle is Published
The Jungle was written by Upton Sinclair in 1905. The Jungle exposed the horrific working conditions in the meat packing industry, the publication of The Jungle lead to a change in federal food safety laws in the US. -
Dollar Diplomacy
Dollar Diplomacy was William Howard Taft's foreign policy plan. Taft wanted to secure international trade markets and he wanted to protect the United State's economic interests. -
The Square Deal
The Square Deal was the outline of Theodore Roosevelt's goals of his presidency. Roosevelt wanted to conserve natural resources, control of corporations, and protect consumers. -
The Panama Canal
The construction of the Panama Canal was taken over from Britain and finished under Theodore Roosevelt's presidency in 1914. The Canal was built to make international travel easier. -
The Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission was a government agency was established to prevent unfair business practices and to help keep a competitive economy. They also regulated false advertising. -
Start of WWI
WWI started in 1941 due to the assassination of Archduke Fraz Ferdinand. The assassination of the Archduke caused a chain of events which lead to the beginning of the War. -
The Election of Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson was elected in 1916 as the 28th President of the United States. Wilson lead the United States through the first world war and founded the League of Nations. -
The Great Migration
The Great Migration was a period of time where millions of African Americans relocated. They moved from the South to the Midwest, North, and West. -
The 18th Amendment
The 18th Amendment was proposed to Congress in 1917. The 18th Amendment was passed and prohibited the production or sale of alcohol in the US, this amendment created a problem of the illegal sale of alcohol all around the US. -
The End of WWI
WWI ended in 1918, it ended with Germany signing an armistice to end the war. WWI was supposed to be the War to end all wars in many people opinions because of the amount of destruction and deaths it caused. -
Period: to
Period 7 Part 2: 1918-1945
The Red Scare, The Great Depression, The New Deal, and WWII -
The Red Scare
The Red Scare was a mass hysteria in the United States over the perceived threat of spreading communism in the US. Many Americans during the time were accused of promoting or supporting communism. -
The League of Nations
The League of Nations was founded in 1920 by Woodrow Wilson. It was formed to maintain peace around the world after WWI. The League of Nations failed because to get anything done there needed to be a unanimous vote which never happened. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a time in the United States where there was economic distress. The Great Depression started with the stock market crash and lead to the economy becoming very weak. -
The Neutrality Acts
The Neutrality Acts were a series of laws passed that were created to keep the United States out of anymore international conflicts. They were specifically designed to keep the US out of WWII. -
The Start of WWII
The second world war was started by Germany, in 1939 Germany attacked Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany because of this attack. -
The Holocaust
The Holocaust was a mass genocide of Jews by Hitler to secure Germany's supremacy. Hitler and his Nazi government murdered millions of Jews during WWII. -
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack by Japan on an American fleet of ships harbored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In response to this attack the US entered WWII. -
The Axis Powers
The Axis Powers were Italy Germany, and Japan in WWII. The Axis Powers opposed the Allied Powers in WWII. -
Japanese Internment Camps in the US
Theodore Roosevelt signed an order that stated all people of Japanese ancestry should be put them in internment camps. Roosevelt signed this order because of United State's fear for another attack by the Japanese. -
The Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a secret project in the US to build the atomic bomb that would be used on Japan. This project was top secret because they did not want Japan to catch word of this attack. -
The Allied Powers
In WWII the Allied Powers were Great Britain, France, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China. The Allied Powers opposed The Axis Powers during WWII. -
The D-Day Invasion
The D-Day Invasion was an attack made by Allied troops on the coastline of France to fight Nazi Germany. D-Day caused a massive turn for the Allied Powers because it ultimately resulted in the victory for the Allied Powers in WWII. -
The Attack on Hiroshima & Nagasaki
The Attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a nuclear attack made by the US during WWII against Japan. This attack killed hundred of thousands of people, this attack was made to make Japan surrender in WWII. -
The End of WWII
WWII ended in a victory for the Allied Powers over the Axis Powers. Japan formally signed to surrender marking WWII official end. -
The United Nations
The United Nations was another attempt to make an organization to keep world peace. The United Nation is still around today and there hasn't been another world war since then.