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Period: 1491 to
Period 1/2: 1491-1763
Native America, European Exploration, Colonization -
1492
Christopher Columbus Discovers America
Christopher Columbus lands in South America on his voyage to Asia. This is the first of many trips which eventually lead to the colonization of the Americas. -
Roanoke Colony
Roanoke Colony was the first English colony established in North America which eventually failed due to the lack of supplies and preparation. -
Jamestown
Jamestown was the first successful colony established in Virginia. -
The General Assembly
The General Assembly was the first gathering in the North American colonies that was modeled after the English Parliament. -
Mayflower Compact
The first governing document in the colonies that established rules for the members of the Plymouth Colony. -
The Great Puritan Migration
The movement of Puritans who wanted to separate themselves from the Church of England and practice their religion freely. -
Fundamental Orders of Conneticut
This was the first constitution created in the colonies and built the structure of the government. It was the prototype of future constitutions. -
The New England Confederation
The New England Confederation was formed to establish a defense against Native Americans, the French, and the Dutch. It created unity among the colonies. -
Trade and Navigation Acts
These were laws that were set by England to limit trade with other countries for the colonies. This was in hope of using the colonies for their resources. -
14th Amendment
The amendment was passed to give all citizens in America equal citizenship and establish legal rights for Black Americans. -
French and Indian War Begins
The French and Indian War began when the British and French had disputes over land territory in North America. -
Period: to
Period 3: 1763-1800
American Revolution, The Confederal Era, and the Early Federal Period -
Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting of some of the British colonies held to protest the taxation on colonies. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were different laws passed by the British parliament which placed taxes on imported goods which affected the colonies. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre occurred when a group of British soldiers fired on a group of colonists. This led colonists to unite against British rule. -
Boston Tea Party
The Sons Of Liberty organized a protest against the British because of the taxation without colonial representation. Tea imported by the British East India Company was thrown overboard. -
First Continental Congress
This was the first meeting of 12 of the 13 colonies that met in Philadelphia to organize resistance against British rule. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a formal document that declared freedom from British rule, which created a base for American morals. -
Articles of Confederation
This was the original constitution for the United States and planned the structure of the government the United States would have. -
The Battle of Yorktown
The last major battle in the American Revolution where the British surrendered led by George Washington -
Treaty of Paris
A peace treaty between the United States and Britain where the independence of America was recognized and was given rule over the British territories in America. -
Shay's Rebellion
A rebellion against the imprisonment of citizens with debt. George Washington had to personally shut down the rebellion, and after this, not many uprisings against the government occurred. It led to a stronger national government. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was a meeting in Pennsylvania called to edit the Articles of Confederation and create a stronger central government. -
Bill of Rights
The ratification of the Bill of Rights which was written by James Madison to limit certain powers f the government and protect human rights. -
Proclamation of Neutrality
An announcement made by George Washington that stated the United States would not become involved with the war between Britain and France. It caused conflict over foreign policy and country relationships. -
Jay's Treaty
Jay's Treaty was an agreement between the United States and Britain to settle remaining issues from the Revolutionary War, like debt and trade. -
John Adams Becomes President
John Adams became the second President of the United States. Adams was the first major shift in power for the new country. -
U.S. Capitol Moved
The capital of the U.S. moved from Philadelphia to D.C. in a compromise between Hamilton and Jefferson. Hamilton would be allowed to work on his financial plan if the capitol was moved to the South. -
Period: to
Period 4 pt. 1: 1800-1824
Exploration, The War of 1812, and the Years of Compromise. -
Jefferson Becomes President
Thomas Jefferson becomes the third president of the U.S. which marks a shift in power from the Federalist Party to the Democratic-Republican Party. -
Marbury vs. Madison
The Supreme Court case Marbury vs. Madison ruled against Marbury and created judicial review. -
Lewis and Clarke
Lewis and Clarke set out to explore the Louisiana Purchase and find a route to the Pacific Ocean. -
Embargo Act of 1807
A Law that prohibited states from trading with other countries that ended up hurting the American economy and caused lots of smuggling. -
War of 1812 Begins
The War of 1812 began due to the British trying to restrict U.S. trade. -
British Burn Down D.C.
British troops burned down the White House to retaliate against an American attack in Canada. By the time the British arrived President James Madison had already left. -
Hartford Convention
The convention was organized to ask the federal government to assist states with funding their own military force. -
Florida Purchase Treaty
A treaty between Spain and the United States which entailed Spain giving up Florida to the United States. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was legislation that entered Maine into the United States as a free state in order to maintain the balance between slave and free states. -
Gibbons vs. Ogden
The court decision allowed congress to regulate trade between states. -
Period: to
Period 4 pt.2: 1824-1848
Building a Nation, Compromises, The Mexican War -
U.S. Constitution
After being ratified by the majority of states, the U.S. Constitution goes into effect and is adopted by the U.S. government. -
Andrew Jackson becomes President
Andrew Jackson becomes the seventh president and becomes a representation of the common man. -
Indian Removal Act
President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act which allowed Jackson to discuss with Native Americans the exchange of land. -
Cotton Gin Invented
The cotton gin was invented to make it easier to remove seeds from cotton, which raised farmers demand for enslaved people and land. -
Bank War
The Bank War was the dispute between Andrew Jackson and the Second Bank of America due to Jacksons constant vetoes. The destruction of the bank led to the Panic of 1837. -
Texas Declares Independence
Texas citizens declared independence from Mexico because of conflict against Mexico laws. -
The Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was the forced removal of Native Americans from their land because of Andrew Jacksons Indian Removal Policy. -
Period: to
Period 5: 1844-1877
The Mexican War, Territory Expanded, The Civil War -
Texas Annexation
Texas entered the United States as a slave state which also led to the Mexican American War. -
The Mexican- American War
Mexico and the United States had conflict over the Texan border and the westward expansion of the U.S. -
Oregon Treaty
The U.S. and Britain signed the Oregon treaty which settled disputes over territory. The U.S. gained the southern portion of the state while Britain received land above the 49th parallel. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The convention was the first women's rights convention which inspired the women's suffrage movement. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The novel was written by Harriet Beacher which depicted the life of enslaved people on a plantation in the South. This story inspired people to support the abolitionist movement. -
Republican Party Forms
The formation of the Republican party was caused to fight the Kansas-Nebraska act and protest slavery. -
Lecompton and Topeka Constitution
Constitutions were written by both Pro-Slavery and Anti-Slavery groups that were sent to the governor of Kansas. -
Missouri/ Kansas Border
Border disputes were created due to U.S. citizens trying to persuade decisions regarding slavery. -
Dred Scott vs. Sandford
The Dred Scott decision said the government could not regulate slavery in the territories. -
Lincoln Inaugurated
Lincoln is inaugurated as the sixteenth president as a Republican. He was a free soiler and didn't try to make his platform appeal to the South at all. His presidency upsets many southerners. -
States Secede
South Carolina, Mississipi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana all succedded the Union because they were upset over states rights, taxation, and slavery. -
Emancipation Proclomation
The Emancipation Proclamation declared all enslaved people in the United States free. -
Battle of Gettysburg
A major war between the Union and Confederates. Eventually, the North stopped Robert E. Lees's invasion of the North. -
Lincoln's Assassination
President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in hopes of rebuilding the confederacy. -
Period: to
Period 6: 1865-1898
Reconstruction and Industrilization -
Congressional Reconstruction
Reconstruction was the plan to rebuild the Union and readmit the states that had succeeded. -
First Continental Railroad
The first continental railroad was completed in May which marked progress in the construction of the United States. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment gave voting rights to African American men. This amendment was ratified, although it didn't stop individual states from creating loopholes to keep black people from voting. -
Enforcement Acts
The federal government could prosecute criminals of the federal law, and the president could use military force to protect individual rights. -
Credit Mobilier Scandal
The men involved in the Credit Mobilier scandal gave shares of the continental railroad to wealthy men. It was brought to attention in 1872. -
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 was caused by a drop of interest in the American economy, such as farm products, which led to a lot of unemployment and business failure. -
Bland-Allison Act
An act of the United States which put silver into circulation as American currency again. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Prohibited Chinese immigrants from entering the United States, specifically laborers. -
Interstate Commerce Act of 1887
The Interstate Commerce Act was created to regulate the railroad industry and the monopolization it had. -
NAWSA Founded
The National American Woman Suffrage Association was founded in 1890 to advocate for women's right to vote. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Congress passed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to stop competition among enterprises and prevent monopolies from forming. -
Homestead Strike
The Homestead Strike was a protest of workers against private secretary agents. The strike ended poorly for the protestors when the governor made use of the state militia. -
Pullman Strike
A boycott against the railroad which disrupted traffic and finally got the federal government involved. -
Annexation of Hawaii
Hawaii was added to the United States due to the sugar trade and the overthrowing of the Queen in Hawaii. -
Period: to
Period 7 pt. 1: 1898-1918
New Imperialism, Immigration, World War 1 -
Roosevelt Becomes President
Theodor Roosevelt became the 26th president after the assassination of President William McKinley. -
Big Stick Foreign Policy Begins
Big Stick Policy is the idea of carefully negotiating with other countries but having the underlining threat of a powerful military. Roosevelt was able to carry out foreign policy transactions with this ideology. -
Panama Canal
The U.S. bought the Panama Canal through the Hay-Bunau-Varillla Treaty. This allowed the U.S. to start construction to eliminate travel time for ships. -
Roosevelt Corollary
This was an addition to the Monroe Doctrine which stated that the United States could intervene in Central America and Caribbean country affairs. -
FDA Created
The Food and Drug Act was signed by President Roosevelt to monitor the safety of food product and protect consumers. -
Model-T Introduced
The Model-T was introduced to American society in 1908 which represented the progress and new efficiency of factories, and due to the assembly line, there was mass-production of the car. -
William Howard Taft Becomes President
In 1909 William Howard Taft became the 27th president of the United States. Taft focused on the economy and social welfare during his presidency. -
Chamber of Commerce Established
The Chamber of Commerce was created by President Taft to help local businesses by assisting them with marketing and other techniques. -
Federal Reserve Act
This established the Federal Reserve System which created a central bank to monitor financial policy. -
17th Amendment
The 17th Amendment was passed in 1913 which allowed voters to directly elect their state senators. -
The Birth of a Nation
The film became popular and influenced the KKK to used it to gain more support and spread more violence against black people. -
Workers Comp. Act of 1916
This was passed to help protect employees if they were injured during work, providing benefits and compensation. This was a step in protecting workers during a time of abuse from businesses. -
U.S. Enters WWI
The U.S. entered WWI creating conflict among American citizens who wanted to join the war and those who wanted to remain neutral. -
Purchase of the Virgin Islands
The U.S. bought the Danish West Indies from Denmark in hopes of strengthening its military position during WWI. -
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution took place in 1917 which established the Soviet Union and effected Americans' view on the Russian government. -
Influenza Pandemic
An outbreak of the flu spread across the world and hurt around 500 million people. -
Period: to
Period 7 pt. 2: 1918-1945
The 1920s Climate, The Great Depression, and World War 2 -
18th Amendment
The 18th Amendment passed which prohibited the selling of alcohol in hopes of fixing social issues. -
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment gave women the right to vote which benefited future policies regarding women and began to improve opportunities for women. -
Emergency Quota Act
This limited the number of immigrants that could enter the United States. -
Federal Highway Act
This law allowed the construction of a federal highway in the U.S. and made cars the main form of transportation. -
National Origin Act
This set a limit on the number of immigrants that could enter the U.S. from Asia and southern and eastern Europe. This law discriminated against immigrants from these places and promoted nationalism. -
Dawes Plan
The Dawes Plan made it easier for Germany to pay restitution for WWI. -
Kellogg Brand Peace Act
This peace act was signed by as an agreement to due war as a last resort in hopes of keeping peace among countries but was not very successful. -
Black Tuesday
This was a stock market crash where shares in the New York Stock Exchange were traded in a panic. -
Hawley-Smoot Tariff
The act raised tariffs on foreign imports in order to protect farmers and American businesses. -
Emergency Relief Act
This gave grants to many corporations in America to help support businesses and provide relief for public work. -
21st Amendment
This amendment repealed the 18th amendment and made it legal to sell alcohol again which helped get rid of crime revolving the sell of alcohol, such as speakeasies. -
The First New Deal
The New Deal was a series of organizations and programs to help provide relief to American citizens from 1933-1939. -
Hitler Invades USSR
In June 1941, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union to achieve his goal of taking over the Western Soviet Union. -
D-Day
156,000 soldiers landed on 5 beaches in Normandy. The Allies won the battle and it was a major turning point for WWII. -
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference was a meeting between the U.S., Britain, and Soviet Union to discuss the aftermath of WWII.