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Aug 3, 1492
1492, Colombus
Colombus departs from Spain on his voyage to attempt to find India and routes to China. Instead, he happened upon what is now called America. -
1590, Lost Colony
John White had the opportunity to start a new colony. He settled near the Chesapeake Bay, and when al the colonists went missing, it became known as the "Lost Colony". -
1607, Jamestown
Jamestown was the first permanent settlement in the New World, located in Virginia. -
1619, House of Burgesses
Was a house developed in the Virginia legislature, and was a democratic element to the Virginia General Assembly. -
1619, Slavery Introduced
Slavery was introduced in 1619, changing the way the New Wold functioned economically and racially. -
1620, Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was signed by the Pilgrims. This established the Plymouth government -
1630, Massachusetts Bay Colony
The great puritan migration occurred in response to Charles I persecution of puritans. The puritans migrated to mostly Massachusetts and Barbados in order to practice their own beliefs. -
1651, 1660, 1696- Trade and Navigation Acts
Goods from colonies were required to be carried on English ships with an English crew. -
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1675-1676, Metacom's War
Also known as King Phillip's War, was the first war between Colonists and Natives. This was the first large Native effort to get Colonists out of the New World. -
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1676-1677, Bacon's Rebellion
A rebellion in Virginia led by Nataniel Bacon against the colony's royal leader. -
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1730's-1740's, The Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening was a series of Christian revivals during the 1730s that resulted in new religious ideas, a new interest in religion, and the movement of churches. -
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1754-1763, French and Indian War
The French and Indian War consisted of the Colonists against the citizens of New France. Each side was supported by their parent countries and American Indian supporters. -
1764, Sugar or Revenue Act of 1764
A sugar act was placed on the colonists in an attempt to make money for Britain. This was the first serious tax placed on the colonists. -
1765, Stamp Act
A tax was placed on all paper products, and all paper needed a stamp that costed extra money for colonists. -
1767, Townshend Acts
Made to make money for Britain. They were a series of acts and taxes placed on colonists, including lead, glass, tea, paper, and paint. This resulted in the Sons of Liberty. -
1770, Boston Massacre
The massacre was between patriots and British soldiers. What began as patriots throwing snowballs and sticks at soldiers resulted in the soldiers shooting and killing five colonists. -
1772, Gaspee Affair
The Sons of Liberty boarded and torched a British ship that was enforcing navigation acts. This was a large lead up to the revolutionary war. -
Tea Act of 1773
This act gave British East India Tea Company a monopoly in the colonies and put all other tea companies out of business. -
Boston Tea Party
In response to the tea act, the colonists threatened the British, and attacked their ship and dumped the tea in the sea. This cost Britain lots of money. -
Intolerable Acts
Laws passed to punish Boston for the money wasted during the Boston Tea Party. This consisted of 4 acts; the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts government act, the Administration of Justice Act, and Quartering Act. -
Establishment of the Second Continental Congress.
A convention of delegates from all of the 13 colonies was formed in order to unite in a time of war. Washington was named Commander in Cheif. -
Lexington and Concord
When the British told Boston that they couldn't obtain weapons, the colonists went and did it anyway which led to a battle. This was the first military engagement of the Revolutionary War. -
The Declaration of Independence was written
The declaration on Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, and revised by many other committee members and congress. This declared the colonist's demand for freedom, listing grievances, and a declaration. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty negotiated by Franklin, Adams, and Jay ended the war. Colonists were granted freedom and all land east of the Mississippi. -
Ratification of the Constitution
The constitution, written by our founding fathers, became the formal framework of the government in the new world. 9/13 colonies were required to ratify it. -
Revolution of 1800
A campaign between John Adams, Aaron Burr, and Thomas Jefferson that Jefferson won. This led to the dominance of Democratic-Republicans. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The acquisition of territory of Louisiana. France previously owned it until America obtained it under Thomas Jefferson's rule. -
Non Intercourse Act
In response to the embargo act, the nonintercourse act focused an embargo on Britain and France. -
Beginning of manifest destiny
During the early/mid-1800s, a mindset that it was God's will for Americans to move west took place. Americans wanted to spread their ideas and economics and began to strive to take over as much territory as possible. -
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War of 1812
The war was a conflict between America and the UK that was a result of the British practice of impressment, the french blockade, and the British support of violent Indian tribes. -
Death of the Federalist Party (Hartford Convention)
After the war of 1812, the federalist party came to an end. At the Hartford convention, federalists discussed the future of their party and by the end of the convention, the federalist party had been diminished. -
The Treaty of Ghent
The treaty of Ghent ended the war of 1812, signed by President James Madison. All conquered territory was required to be returned, and the treaty settled the boundary between Canada and the US. -
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The Second Bank of the US
The renewal of the federal bank underwent a 20-year charter. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. -
Land law of 1820
Citizens could not purchase public land off of credit, and it cost $1.20 per acre for 80 acres. This was an incredible price increase. -
Missouri Compromise
In order to create a balance in slavery in the US, Maine was enlisted as a free state, and Missouri became a slave state. -
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Temperance
A movement against heavy drinking occurred. People who criticized drinking accused America as being a "nation of drunkards". Too much money was spent on alcohol, domestic violence was a large issue, and this gave women a way to express their issues. -
Election of 1824
In an election against Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, and John Quincy Adams, nobody won the majority. The house was required to make the decision and voted for John Quincy Adams. -
Sectionalism
Sectionalism became more apparent as the south focused on agriculture and the north began to develop manufacturing. With religion, racial issues, and economic differences, the north and south were very separated. -
Election of 1828
The election between J. Q. Adams and Jackson results in the victory of Jackson. Jackson was a strong, rugged man that many southerners supported. -
Tariff of Abominations
The new tariff policy called the tariff of abominations caused taxes to rise to 45%. -
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Transportation Revolution
In an attempt to move westward and expand ideas and profit economically, a transportation revolution occurred. This included canals, steamboats, railroads, and communication such as the telegraph. -
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The Bank War
During Jackson's presidency, the political issue of rechartering the second national bank arose. This issue resulted in the shutdown of the bank and the beginning of state banks. -
Birth of the Whigs
The birth of America's second party system occurred, and they were called the Whigs, who were against Jackson's presidency. -
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First Wave of the Women's Movement.
Women's status was under the control of men, they weren't allowed to participate in politics, and not allowed to own property. During the women's movement, reformers such as the Grimke sisters, Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth all fought for the rights of women and African Americans. -
Wilmont Proviso
A law that was not passed but proposed discussing slavery in the mid-West/Mexico. The proposal was to not allow slavery in those areas but never went into effect. -
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The Mexican-American War
A War between Americans and Mexico arose over the dispute of the territory of Texas. Once Polk's army entered Mexico, the Mexican army attacked them. -
Election of 1848
An election was held between Lewis Cass, Zachary Taylor, and Martin Van Buren, resulting in the first win for the Whigs ( Taylor) -
Panama
Over a territory dispute for Panama, the Clayton Brewer Treaty between the US and Britain decided that if Britain decided to build a canal, the US will collaborate with them. -
The Compromise of 1850
The compromise of 1850 was a set of 5 bills that diffused the issue between slave and free states acquired in the Mexican American War. -
The End of the Whigs
During the election of 1852, democrat Franklin Pierce and Whig Winfield Scott went up against one another. Once Pierce won, this signified the end to the Whig party. -
Kansas Nebraska Bill
The Kansas Nebraska Act was a territorial slavery issue that ended up breaking the Missouri Compromise by letting the states decide whether or not they wanted their state to practice slavery. -
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Missouri/Kansas Border Wars
These wars arose over the discussion of slavery and its borders, and whether Kansas would be a free state. Many battles took place between abolitionists and pro-slavery citizens. -
The Panic of 1857
The panic of 1857 was an economic panic that occurred due to the international economy declining. Because of the recent invention of the telegraph, this panic spread quickly and easily throughout the country. -
Election of 1860
Lincoln becomes the republican president with a motive to re-establish the protective tariff, give suffrage rights to immigrants, free western homesteads for farmers, and many more positive ideals. -
South Carolina's Secession
South Carolina decided to secede from the union due to slavery and economic differences with the south. SC was quickly followed by Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, and later followed by the rest of the south. -
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The War in the West
Ulysses S. Grant took control of the entire Mississippi River (besides Vicksburg). This leads the union into the west. -
The Beginnings to the Civil War
Following the secession of the Confederacy, Lincoln stated that he refuses to start a war, but will not stop the south from starting it. Then, Lincoln sent food down to the confederates at Fort Sumter who took it as an attack and shot at the union. This signified the 1st battle of the Civil War. -
13th Amendment
Slavery is abolished preceding the Civil War. -
Election of 1868
The election of 1868 was between Grant and Seymour. Though he was a military man and not prepared, Grant won the election. -
New Labor System
After the abolition of slavery, a new, corrupt system began in the south called sharecropping. Though the workers did profit, it was a very little, controlled amount and the system was very similar to slavery. -
Panic of 1873
In 1863, the worst panic to date occurred in the US. This crisis triggered a depression in North America. -
The Battle of Little Bighorn
Colonel Custer traveled to Little Bighorn River to "settle" the natives, and they were waiting for him with 2,500 soldiers and beat Custer's army of 264. This is seen as one of the Native's biggest victories. -
Dawes Act of 1877
The Dawes act re-organized Native American territory into reservations. -
Compromise of 1877
The 1876 election was intensely disputed, and the compromise led to the union taking out the final troops in the south to signify the ending to reconstruction. -
Election of 1880
The election of 1880 occurred between the republican candidate, Garfield, and the democratic candidate, Hancock. Garfield wins, but is soon assassinated and gets replaced by the vice president, Arthur. -
The American Federation of Labor
With many union strikes throughout the country, a large group was formed called the American Federation of Labor. This was a group of skilled laborers that requested higher wages, fewer hours, and better conditions. Led by Samuel Gompers. -
Sherman Anti Trust Act
In the beginning, this act was used to dissolve labor unions but was later used to end monopolies in the country. -
Immigration in the Late 1800s
Ellis Island in Europe and Angel Island in Asia were both used to regulate immigration. They did this in a cruel manner and turned many immigrants away at the border. -
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Panic of 1893
The panic of 1893 led to a major depression in the US that deeply affected the economy and the political state of the country. -
Pullman Strike
This was a large labor strike that occurred in response to Pullman cutting wages but not rent or store prices. Eugene Debbs was the leader who instigated the rule that employees would not handle trains by Pullman's company. The government took the laborer's side, and this was a huge victory. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
A supreme court case that upheld the constitutionality of racism by using the term, "separate but equal" , by making the quality of segregated facilities as "nice" as white facilities. -
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The Progressive Movement
The progressive movement began as a way to get rid of corruption in government, the concentration of wealth, and growth in monopolies. It supported America's international involvement in events other than war. -
Wilmington Massacre
The Wilmington massacre was a violent act towards black men. White supremacists destroyed the building and printing press for black citizens and killed over 200 black men. -
Annexation of Hawaii
Hawaii was at first their own country with a monarchy, but when the US began to see the financial benefits of Hawaii, they annexed it. -
War in the Caribbean
The short war was an attempt for the US to gain territory in the Caribbean before Spain did. This war consisted of the battle of Santiago, the battle of San Juan Hill, and the capture of Puerto Rico. -
Beginning of the Spanish American War
The US and Spain had suffered many conflicts, and though Spain agreed to all of the US requests, the US decided to declare war anyway. -
Election of 1900
The election was between McKinley (R), and Bryan (D) w/ Roosevelt as the vice president as an attempt to kill his career. . The Republicans won. -
McKinley's Assassination
Not even a year into his presidency, McKinley was shot, and Roosevelt became president. Roosevelt led with his policy "Speak softly but carry a big stick and you will go far." -
Alaskan Boundary Dispute
The US had gained Alaska back in the 1800s, but once gold was discovered on the border, a dispute took place between the US and the UK. Roosevelt resolves this issue and gained the border he wanted. -
U.S Forest Service
Roosevelt, during his presidency, pushed for the conservation of the nature in our country. The first Cheif Forrest Ranger was Gifford Pinchot. This event was important in preserving our forests and creating national parks. -
The Election of 1908
This election was between Taft (R) and Byran. Taft won and was the worst/least progressive out of the 3 progressive presidents. -
Payne-Aldrige Tariff
This act dropped general rates to only 40%, and raised the rates of iron and coal. -
NAACP
The beginning of the NAACP was a revolutionary organization by being the first organization to advocate for African American Rights. -
Mann-Elkins Act
This act extended the Interstate Commerce Commission and allowed it to control telephones and telegraphs. -
Election of 1912
Teddy Roosevelt ran against Taft, and Taft ended up beating TR, but losing to Wilson. This was due to his support of the conservative party, and TR's too strong progressive ideas. Wilson won the overall election. -
Ratification of the 16th and 17th Amendments
The 16th amendment allowed for the collection of income taxes on all citizens. The 17th amendment stated that sensors must be elected by a majority. -
Federal Reserve Act of 1913
The Federal Reserve was created as a way to stabilize the economy by introducing a central bank. -
Wilson's Tariff
During his presidency, Wilson lowered the tariff from 40% to 27%, finally creating a large decrease. He also created an income tax. -
Hetch Hetchy Debate
In San Francisco, there was a plan to put a reservoir in a valley that was partly in Yosemite that John Muir wanted to protect. John Muir lost and the dam was built. -
National Defense Act
The US began to increase its army to prepare for the war ahead of us. -
The US Enters the War
Though Wilson wished to keep away from war, the submarine warfare, Zimmerman note, and the Russian revolution led to a declaration of war. -
The Beginning of the Great Depression
The Stock Market Crash caused depression in farming, mining, and basically all industrial factories. -
The Election of 1932
The election occurred in the middle of an economic crisis. It was between FDR and Hoover. Roosevelt won the election for the democrats and had a mandate for his plans. -
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The First New Deal
FDR 1st new deal consisted of a Bank Holiday, raising revenue, fireside chats, make-work programs, and industrial recovery. This was all in an attempt to rebuild the economy. -
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Second New Deal
FDR's second new deal consisted of ways to help households with money and household reforms and attacking labor problems. -
1936 Election
This election occurred between FDR, Landon, and Lemke. FDR won with an outstanding amount of electoral votes. -
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The Arcadia Conference
Churchill and Roosevelt met to go over the plans for the war. -
Operation Torch
This battle occurred in Africa and was the first place that the US fought in the war. We cut off german gas supplies. -
Election of 1944
Thomas Dewey v Roosevelt resulted in Roosevelt winning with 432 electoral votes due to his success in the war. -
D-Day
D-Day was the largest seaborne invasion in history, with the allied liberation of western Europe from German Nazi control, consisting of 600 ships, 11000 airplanes, and 2.8 mill soldiers. -
Beginning of the Cold War
The Cold War began with the Soviet Union creating the Atomic bomb, and though they never set it off, the threat of an atomic war lasted years. -
Election of 1948
Between the Republican Dewey and the Democrat Truman, Truman won with 303 electoral votes. He supported civil rights, anti-trust, federal money for education, and many other good causes. -
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The Korean War
The south v North Korean war included the Soviets and US because the Soviets didn't want to give up their land in North Korea.