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Oct 12, 1491
Christopher Columbus lands in the Canary Islands
Christopher Columbus landed in the Canary Islands after sailing west from Spain, marking the beginning of the Age of Exploration in the Americas. -
Sep 8, 1565
1st Colony in North America: Saint Augustine
Spain established the first colony in North America in Florida. This was the beginning of the colonization of North America, which would lead to many conflicts over North American colonies. -
First English Colony in North America: Jamestown
Jamestown is established which was the first successful English colony in North America. This also marked the establishment of Virginia, the first of the 13 colonies. -
First Slaves Brought to America
In 1619, the first slaves were brought to the Jamestown colony, starting a long period of time where slave labor was employed in America. These slaves were treated differently than slaves were treated later in history. -
First Democratic Body of Law in British America
The General Assembly met in Virginia for the first time, creating the first democratically elected governing body in British America. In 1642, this became the Virginia House of Burgesses when it became a bicameral house of legislature, serving as a precursor to our current legislative branch. -
First College in America: Harvard
Harvard was the first college founded in America, marking the start of higher-level education in America. The Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay colony voted to create this establishment. -
The First Military Alliance: New England Confederation
The New England Confederation was the first military alliance in British America in response to attacks from Native Americans, the French, and the Dutch. Before and after this, the colonies struggled to work together to resolve issues, but this was an important step towards uniting against a cause. -
First Rebellion Against British Taxation: Culpeper's Rebellion
In the colony of North Carolina, the first rebellion against British taxation occurred near Elizabeth City in response to the British Navigation Acts. Many rebellions against taxation were to follow in the footsteps of this rebellion. -
France Established Colony of New Orleans
The French established the New Orleans colony which would play an important role in the growth of the United States of America in the early 1800s. -
The End of the French and Indian War
The end of the French and Indian War was marked by the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The end of the war began a long period of conflict between American colonists and Britain due to the debt left for Great Britain to pay off. -
Royal Proclamation of 1763
King George III issued this proclamation after gaining all territory to the Mississippi River. It prevented settlers from going west of the Appalachian Mountains, angering colonists early on which would build-up to the American Revolution. -
Revenue Act of 1764
This was the first tax that the British imposed on the colonies in order to control sugar and molasses smuggling. The purpose was to raise revenue for England off of the colonies since they had been purchasing goods from the French and Spanish. -
Stamp Act
This was an act created and passed by the British Parliament that created a tax on newspapers and other legal documents. This tax greatly angered colonists causing them to protest the act through actions such as tarring and feathering tax officials. -
Quartering Act
British Parliament passed this act which required colonists to accommodate British soldiers in the colonies. Colonists disliked this act because it required colonists to provide soldiers with food and housing, even though they were being taxed for it and there was no need for a standing army in peacetime. -
Townshend Acts
These were a series of acts passed by Parliament in order to restrict certain freedoms and to impose new taxes. It prevented colonists from having representative assemblies and placed taxes on goods such as tea, paper, paint, glass, and lead. -
Boston Massacre
Protesting colonists threw rocks and snow at armed soldiers in Boston and these soldiers opened fire on the protestors, killing 5. This occurrence was widely publicized by Paul Revere who depicted the event as the slaughtering of colonists, causing many to call for a revolution. -
First Continental Congress
This was a meeting of 12 of the 13 colonies in response to the Intolerable Acts, showing unity throughout the colonies which did not usually occur. The meeting started the boycott on British goods until the Intolerable acts would be rescinded and also sent a letter to King George informing him of their anger. -
First Battles of Revolutionary War: Lexington and Concord
The battles of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War after British militants moved from Boston to Lexington and Concord to seize weapons and revolutionaries. The British suffered extensive loss, encouraging the colonists. -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine wrote this pamphlet in order to convince colonists to take up arms against Britain in order to gain independence. The pamphlet was widely successful and popular throughout the colonies with about 120,000 copies in circulation. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress pronouncing the colonies free of British rule. It explained why colonists should split from Britain and that people have rights that cannot be taken by a government without expecting protest. -
Creation of First Written American Government: Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were completed, though they were not ratified until 1781. This was the first plan of government drafted for the American people to rule themselves with. -
Franco-American Alliance
France and America created an alliance that would last until the end of the war. This marked a turning point in the war for the colonists since they had a large European power to assist them in fighting the British. -
The Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris marked the formal ending of the Revolutionary War and the recognition of the independence of the United States of America. The colonies were officially autonomous and were able to establish their own country. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion started in Massachusetts in response to the increased efforts of the state to collect taxes. This allowed for people to see that the Articles of Confederation were not going to effectively govern the United States. -
Constitution in Effect
The Constitution along with the Bill of Rights was put into effect, creating the current form of government in the United States. This created a stronger, more centralized government than the Articles of Confederation. -
Judiciary Act
This was John Adam's attempt to give the Federalist Party more power in the federal government after Thomas Jefferson was elected. This eventually helped lead to the passage of the 20th Amendment. -
Marbury v Madison
The Supreme declared an act passed by Congress unconstitutional, establishing Judicial Review. This has allowed the Supreme Court to declare certain laws and acts as unconstitutional. -
The Louisiana Purchase
James Monroe was sent by Thomas Jefferson to purchase Lousiana for $10 million, but instead bought Louisiana and all land to the west of it for $15 million. This played a major role in the start of Manifest Destiny. -
Chesapeake Affair
A British warship attacked a United States vessel in search of Navy deserters and captured three men, but only one man was actually a deserter. This incited the American people to push for war with Britain. -
Embargo Act of 1807
Thomas Jefferson passed this act which prohibits all American ships from trading in foreign ports. This promoted self-sufficiency in the United States so manufacturing grew, while foreign trade dwindled. -
Battle of Tippecanoe
William Henry Harrison defeated the Shawnee on Native American Territory, which was a catalyst for the War of 1812. This also led to William Henry Harrison being elected in 1840. -
The War of 1812
The British had been impressing American ships, seizing American ships, and aiding Native Americans who were attacking American settlers on the frontier. Americans were tired of the British harassment and this war was a morale booster for many Americans since they felt that they were able to compete with large European powers. -
Tariff of 1816
This was the first tariff passed to assist in saving American goods from the overseas competition by placing a tax of 20-25% on foreign goods. This tariff began a long chain of tariffs that would anger many citizens. -
First Major Panic: Panic of 1819
This was the first major panic that the United States had faced and it was caused by debts from the end of a longstanding competition between America, Britain, and France. This was able to help future leaders in the United States better understand how to handle panics. -
South Carolina Exposition
Southerners were greatly angered with the Tariff of Abominations and John C. Calhoun, Vice President, wrote this in defiant opposition against the Federal government. Andrew Jackson did not take it lightly and sent an army to South Carolina in response and the Federal government prevailed due to national supremacy. -
Missouri Compromise
This was the first major legislation passed addressing slavery, which admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. An imaginary line called the 36 30 line was created where any state south was a slave state and any state north of it was a free state, which would cause some later disputes. -
Election of 1824
In this election, there were four candidates for the Presidency and none of them won a simple majority, though Andrew Jackson did have the most votes. Congress chose John Quincy Adams as the winner, which went against the American ideal of democracy and took power away from the people. -
Tariff of Abominations
This tariff was passed by congress and was designed to protect American industry in the North, but hurt the South. The South was commonly left out of legislation like this and this led to tensions between the North and South. -
Indian Removal Act
This authorized the President, Andrew Jackson, to "negotiate" with Southern tribes of Native Americans so white settlers could take their lands. This was a large part of the discrimination and abuse against people who were not white and has influenced the future greatly. -
Force Bill
The tariff was at 35% because of Henry Clay's Compromise Tariff, but many southern states thought that the compromise favored industry in the north so they refused to pay the tariff. This bill allowed the president to have more power so that he could force states to pay collective dues. -
Specie Circular
Andrew Jackson created this in order to prevent over speculation of land by requiring land to be paid for in silver and gold. Over speculation of land led to multiple Panics throughout the course of American history. -
Texas Declares Independence
A group of colonists and Native Americans led a rebellion against the Mexican government, leading to the Mexican-American War. This resulted in the United States gaining new territory and eventually a state. -
Trail of Tears
This was a direct result of Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Policy, killing over 4,000 people on the journey to lands in the west. This is why the majority of Cherokee people live in Oklahoma today. -
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
This treaty was signed into action by Britain and America in order to resolve border issues. It established the border that separates the United States and Canada. -
Oregon Treaty
This treaty was drafted by America and Great Britain in order to resolve more boundary disputes. This drew the current boundary between the Pacific Northwest and Canada. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This treaty ended the Mexican-American War, recognizing land held by Mexicans and allowed them to stay if they pleased. This treaty also created the Southern border of the United States that separates it and Mexico. -
Compromise of 1850
This was a five-point compromise proposed by Henry Clay in order to solve disputes over slavery. This is credited with delaying the Civil War for a decade since some southerners were starting to call for war with the North. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
This novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe had an extremely large effect on how Northerners viewed slavery. More people turned against slavery because the novel revealed some of the horrors that occurred with slavery. -
The Formation of the Republican Party
The Republican party had been the Whig party, but after the Kansas-Nebraska Act, they became Republicans. The Republicans were considered to be more left-wing, but today they are right-winged. -
Senator Charles Sumner Attacked
The Senator was a leader of the radical right and made a strong speech against the Kansas-Nebraska Act where he mentioned a few negative things about Representative Preston Brooks' cousin. The Representative then assaulted him, displaying how polarized the United States had become and Senator Sumner became a martyr for the right. -
Dred Scott v Sanford
This was a court case where a slave tried to challenge the heir of his deceased owner who was trying to take him West into free states, but the court ruled against him. This allowed for slaves to be taken into free states, which increased tensions between the North and South, ultimately leading to the Civil War. -
First State Secedes
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union and held influence many other states to secede as well. This was when the United States was able to realize that there was going to be no going back and undoing all of the damage that had been building up. -
The Start of the Civil War
The South attacked Fort Sumter, a Northern fort off of the coast of Charleston. This marked the beginning of the Civil War with a Southern victory. -
Homestead Act
This offered any American who stayed loyal to the country 160 acres of government surveyed land in the midwest. It caused a mass migration, especially of African-Americans after the Civil War. -
Emancipation Proclamation
This document stated that all slaves in the states that were rebelling were free, except in the border states which still had slaves. This repealed the Fugitive Slave Act, but did not do much more than that. -
Siege of Vicksburg
Vicksburg was a strategetic point for the Union to capture in order to take control of the Mississippi River. This resulted in Union victory and the South was divided into two. -
Black Codes Passed
States in the South began passing these laws in order to restrict the freedoms of the freed African-Americans. Andrew Johnson allowed for this to occur, angering many in the North. -
13th Amendment Ratified
This amendment completely abolished slavery in the United States after the end of the Civil War. This paved the path fro the 14th and 15th amendments to be passed. -
First State to Give Women a Vote
Wyoming allowed women to vote in order to gain more attention and to entice women to come to the area. Many states followed in suit, though women were still not given equal opportunities to men. -
Enforcement Acts
Republican governments called upon the federal government to help with the South after 1870. Congress passed these laws in order to help the Republican governments remain in control, but many of these laws were eventually abandoned. -
Tweed Scandal
Boss Tweed helped people in return for votes and money so that he could stay in office. Eventually, he was caught, but he was an example of the corruption that took place in the Gilded Age. -
Credit Mobilier Scandal
Union Pacific Railroad company was able to generate extreme profits by creating Credit Mobilier Construction and gave shares to multiple government officials. This was exposed to the public and many took it as proof of government corruption and failed to trust the government after that. -
First Global Panic Due to Capitalism
The Panic of 1873 caused high unemployment rates and many companies in the United States to go under. It took over a decade for the United States to fully recover from the panic and caused long-lasting effects on the United States. -
Civil Rights Act of 1875
This was the last legislation passed during the Reconstruction Era since it was coming to a close that focussed on giving African Americans equal treatment and jury representation. It was not enforced very much and was later declared unconstitutional, but it was a step in the right direction towards equality. -
Telephone Was Invented
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, forever transforming the United States. It was the first device where people could talk to each other from distances and it helped increase the speed of trade and gave more women jobs. -
Election of 1876
This election caused a large political realignment to occur since many believed it to be a corrupt election. This forced the government to create the Compromise of 1877 so that Southern Democrats would not rebel. -
End of the Reconstruction Era
President Hayes withdrew the last troops in the South and allowed for the South to get away with neglecting the natural rights of African-Americans. All of the civil rights progress made in Reconstruction was lost and did not return until the Civil Rights Movement in the mid 1900s. -
Great Railroad Strike of 1877
Due to the Panic of 1873, railroad companies cut wages for workers, but any resistance put up by workers was crushed. This exposed the weakness of the worker's movement during the Gilded Age and the conflicts between workers and bosses. -
Pendleton Act
This act abolished the Spoils System, replacing it with the Merit System. The Civil Service Commission was created to oversee the testing of government appointees, which is still in use today. -
Dawes Act
This act was designed to assimilate Native Americans into society rather than killing them off. Reservation lands were sold to railroad companies and Native American culture started to die out. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
This law was created to restrict monopolies since the public was growing increasingly resentful towards monopolies. This was used, however, against labor unions since they were considered to restrict free trade, exposing yet more corruption in the Gilded Age. -
Plessy v Furgeson
This was a Supreme Court case because Louisiana passed a law that segregated train cars. The Supreme Court upheld this law as long as things were separate but equal, legalizing segregation. -
Annexation of Hawaii
Hawaii was a strategetic point for the United States to gain so McKinley decided to annex it. People were given full rights of American citizens and were accepted as a state in 1900. -
1898 Treaty of Paris
This treaty declared the United States as the victor of the Spanish American War and gave it control over Spanish Territories. This gave the United States many of its current-day territories and helped cause the Cuban Revolution. -
Anthracite Coal Strike
This was one of the first successful strikes in America since coal miners demands were met. President Teddy Roosevelt called the union and bosses into his office to discuss and resolve issues, paving the path for more victories in the worker's movement. -
Department of Labor and Commerce
Teddy Roosevelt created this department in order to monitor monopolies in the United States. Today, this department is still in action, trust-busting monopolies. -
Hay-Buneau-Varilla Treaty
This treaty was drafted by the United States and Panama to allow the United States to build the Panama Canal. They agreed upon an upfront payment of $10,000,000 and yearly payments of $250,000 and the Panama Canal was built. -
Court Ruled Against Northern Securities
The Supreme Court ruled that the monopoly formed was illegal and had to be broken up, which marked the beginning of a reform era. This showed that the government would not tolerate big business taking advantage of it. -
United States Forest Service
Teddy Roosevelt established this to administer to national forests and grasslands. At first, it was fairly weak and unable to keep up with the people who broke the laws of the forests, but it grew in strength. -
The Jungle
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair was published on this date which gave incredible insight into the lives of immigrants. It also focussed on industrialized areas and their shortcomings and influenced many Americans who read it. -
Payne-Aldrich Tariff
This tariff split the Republican Party into two by lowering tariffs on certain goods, but raising it on others like tobacco. The division of the party played into the loss of the Election of 1912. -
Federal Reserve Act
Woodrow Wilson created this in order to create the Federal Reserve System which was the central banking system of the United States. It also created the current national currency. -
Lusitania is Sunk
A German U boat sunk a British passenger ship that had American passengers on board. Americans were greatly angered by this event and started to create a push for war in the United States. -
Zimmerman Telegram
Secretary Zimmerman sent this telegram to the German ambassador to Mexico to bribe them to join the war effort against the United States. The telegram was intercepted and angered many Americans to the point that they called for war. -
America Declares War on Germany
After Germany sank 7 American ships and sent a telegram to Mexico to attack the US, America finally declared war. The US tried very hard to avoid war to avoid the strains put on the country that came with war, but Germany pushed too hard for the United States to become involved for Woodrow Wilson to just sit back. -
Formation of the Creel Committee
Woodrow Wilson created the Committee on Public Information in order to influence the public during wartime. It created an extreme war fervor and many after the war were angered by it. -
14 Points Proposed
Woodrow Wilson presented the 14 points to stop all future wars which were accepted, but France and Britain wanted Germany to pay reparations. The 14 Points failed since there have been multiple was since, but it did influence Europe for a bit. -
Armistice
Both sides of the war had suffered extensive losses and they decided to end the war before many more lives were lost. Germany was met with harsh conditions, though, that left the country in shambles. -
The First Red Scare
The first red scare reaches its heights due to real and imaginary events that occurred such as the anarchist bombings. This also gave birth to the Lavender Scare and such feelings of hostility would stick with Americans for an extended period of time. -
Treaty of Versailles is Signed
This treaty officially ended World War I and placed a lot of the blame on Germany. Germany was forced to pay reparations for war damage by England and France, ultimately leading to WWII. -
Woman Get Sufferage
The passage of the 19th amendment allowed for women to gain the right to vote. This ended up only affecting white women at first, but expanded to all later on. -
Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
This made it to where Native Americans no longer had to give up all affiliation with their culture and assimilate or join the military to gain citizenship. This was the start of the legislation passed to help the Native Americans gain their civil rights. -
Stock Market Crashes
During the 1920s, the United States' stock market underwent rapid expansion and it continued during the beginning of Hoover's presidency. Due to the "return to normalcy", wages were low and there was a large amount of unemployment, allowing for the start of the Great Depression. -
Emergency Banking Act
This act allowed the president to take more powers over the national banking system. This was part of the First New Deal and helped allow FDR to stabilize the economy and the amount of currency in circulation. -
Agricultural Adjustment Act
FDR signed this into action in order to increase agricultural prices by reducing the surplus. The agricultural economy in the United States was struggling and this played a major role in the revitalization of it. -
National Housing Act
FDR signed this in order to improve housing conditions as well as making housing more accessible and affordable. This helped reduce the foreclosure rates on housing and also created the Federal Housing Administration. -
US is Neutral in War
The United States claimed neutrality in the second world war due to the economic reparations that were being made at the time of the war. This caused the United States to withhold from joining the war for over two years. -
US Joins WWII
The United States joined the war after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. This ultimately swayed the outcome of the war since the Allies were in need a of a large ally after Russia began to struggle. -
D-Day
The Normandy landings were the largest sea invasions in history that resulted in the deaths of over 425,000 soldiers. This was also the turning point of the war for the allied forces after a major victory. -
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Dies
FDR died of a stroke in Georgia while with a woman who was not his wife. The second world war was still in action and Harry S. Truman became president to finish out the war. -
German Surrender
Germany agreed to an unconditional surrender after many of its top officials killed themselves. This ended the European part of the war, but did not end the conflict in the pacific. -
Japanese Surrender
Japan surrendered unconditionally after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. This was a major turning point in the world since the United States started nuclear warfare and the development of weapons of mass destruction. -
Formation of the UN
The United States played a major part in the establishment of the United Nations after not joining the League of Nations. The UN acts as a peaceful international organization designed to maintain agreement between the countries of the world.