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Period: 1491 to
Period 1/2: 1491-1763
Native America, European Exploration, Colonization -
1492
Columbus's Arrival to the Americas
While Christopher Columbus's legacy is extremely complicated, his arrival began the European conquest of the America's, and altered the native landscape forever. -
1492
The Columbian Exchange
The Columbian exchange was an unofficial trade network between the "old world" and "new world." The old world primarily provided disease, livestock, grains, sugar cane, coffee, and Mediterranean fruits. The new world provided tobacco, potatoes, corn, cacao beans, and other produce items. -
Jamestown Established
King James I granted a charter to the Virginia Company of London for all the land from N.C. to Southern New York. By 1611, 1200 colonists had been sent to Jamestown, establishing the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. -
Establishment of Massachusetts Bay
In 1628 Charles I gave a charter for Massachusetts Bay to the Puritans to get rid of them. The Massachusetts Bay government is known for it strict rules, Bible Commonwealth structure, and complete religious intolerance. -
Bacon's Rebellion
This rebellion began because frontier men were fighting with native peoples over land, and then asked for and was denied assistance from the colonial government in Williamsburg. So, the frontiersmen went to Jamestown and incited violence, becoming one of the first populist uprisings in the colonies. -
Establishment of Pennsylvania
Charles II granted William Penn a charter for Pennsylvania as payment to Penn's father. Penn was a Quaker, which was reflected in his set up of government (Penn's Frame of Government), which ensured religious freedom and all property-owning men's voting rights. -
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The First Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening was an evangelical revival that was centered around emotional preaching, fear, a personal religious experience. This movement resulted in nominations splitting, a renewed colonial interest in religion, greater religious tolerance, the threatening significance of the "common man," and questioning of authority. Many of these results can be directly traced to the American Revolution. -
The Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan was proposed by Benjamin Franklin at the Albany Congress. This plan would have created a continental assembly to manage trade, native policy, and colonial defense, but was never put into place. -
End of the French and Indian War and Salutary Neglect
The French and Indian War fought between the French, along with Natives, and the Colonies, along with Britain. While the war was a victory for the Colonies and Britain, they amassed massive amounts of debt, and tensions drastically increased. Both the Colonies and Britain felt that they were responsible for their victory and ultimately led to the end of Salutary Neglect. -
Proclamation Act of 1763
This act implemented by Britain stated that colonists were not allowed to settle past a certain line. Britain said this was "to keep the peace" with the natives, however, one of the main reasons was because it would be easier to control the colonists in a smaller space. The colonists did not heed to this law and thought it was temporary, as regulations in Salutary Neglect had been. -
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Period 3: 1763-1800
American Revolution, Confederal Era, Early Federal Period -
Stamp Act 1765
The Stamp Act 1765 imposed a tax on all paper goods. This enraged the colonists and made many realize Salutary Neglect was truly over. This led to the Stamp Act Congress, held in NYC Oct. 1765, claimed only colonial representatives could tax them. -
Townshend Acts
Parliament issued a tax on lead, glass, tea, paper, and paint. This caused a unified colonial action, including the Mass Circular Letter, a series of attacks from the Sons of Liberty, and a Non-Importation agreement. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an event when British soldiers fired on colonial people, but it was not a true massacre. This inspired the development of the Committees of Correspondence, an anti-British communication network. -
Gaspee Affair
The Gaspee Affair was an incident where a British ship was run aground and because British soldiers had been aggressively impressing, the colonists stole a lot, threw stuff over, and burned the ship. The colonists successfully covered it up and showed a great deal of colonial unity. -
Tea Act
This act lowered the tax on tea but gave a British company a monopoly in the colonies. This infuriated the colonists and led to many coordinated rebellions like the Boston Tea Party. -
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American Revolutionary War
The fight between the Colonies and Britain for colonial independence, which ultimately resulted in the establishment of the U.S.. -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine published Common Sense, which was a call for independence and a republican form of government, and helped tip public sentiment towards independence. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4th, 1776. Marking the official beginning of the road towards independence. -
Ratification of the Articles of Confederation
The first system of government after independence. Under this system each state had its own sovereignty, there was no chief executive or judiciary, no national power to tax, no power to enforce treaties, and amendments needed unanimous support. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War. The two main provisions were that the colonies were independent, and that colonial territory was east of the Mississippi River. -
Shay's Rebellion
People in the backcountry realized that the economy was not doing well, leading to a rebellion modeled after the American Revolution led by Capt. Daniel Shay. This rebellion led people in power to realize that the Articles of Confederation were not working and that they needed to be reformed. -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
The Northwest Ordinance created the territories of Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. This also prohibited slavery in new states, designated money for schools, and developed a system based on population. This is seen as one of the few successes of the Articles of Confederation. -
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Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a counter-movement to the developing industrial society as a result of the Market Revolution, and was tied to Jacksonian Democracy by their shared focus on the "common man." This movement, which focused on spirited preaching and revivals, was a catalyst for many reform movements like temperance. -
Whisky Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was perpetrated against tax collectors by Pennsylvania whiskey makers. George Washington raised an army of 12,000 to squash the rebellion, sending the message that rebellions would not become an accepted common practice. -
Election of 1796
George Washington decided not to run for a third time, although many thought he would and encouraged him to do so. This set the two-term precedent that was followed by every president except FDR. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
These acts made it harder to become a U.S. citizen, made it possible for the president to deport anyone deemed unsafe, and made it illegal to criticize or make false statements about the government. These acts prompted the VA/KY Resolutions proposed nullification, the idea that a state can refuse to enforce a federal law that the state disagrees with, a idea that would become very prevalent later on in history. -
Election of 1800
The Election of 1800, also called the Revolution of 1800, was the first successful peaceful transition of power, from the Federalists to the Democratic-Republicans, proving that the American political system could withstand changes in power. -
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Period 4 Part 1: 1800-1824
War of 1812, Industrial Revolution, Westward Migration -
Period: to
Market Revolution
The Market Revolution was a series of changes in agriculture, production, labor and management relations, and transportation. This completely changed the American landscape from a predominantly traditional economy to a more industrial "modernized" society. -
Marbury v. Madison
Under the Marshall Court, the Supreme Court took the power of Judicial Review, which is now one of it's most used powers today. Judicial review is when the Supreme Court reviews laws to decide their constitutionality. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Lousiana Purchase was an exchange between France and the U.S., in which the U.S. paid $15 million for 828,000 sq mi from France. This acquisition included the Missippi River and New Orleans, key strategic pieces of land for the U.S. -
Embargo Act of 1807
The Embargo Act of 1807 prohibited American ships from leaving their home ports until Britain and France stopped restricting U.S. trade. This hurt the U.S. more than it hurt Britain and France, and was immediately repealed by John Adams once he took office in 1808. -
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The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was between America and Great Britain and was caused by impressment, violations of neutrality, and Britain's order of council which stated all trade with Europe had to go through Britain. The war ended with the Treaty of Ghent, which essentially changed nothing and said that instead of going to war next time they should talk. -
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The Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was held by the Federalists in which they called for the limitation of congress's power to make war, create states, and embargos; restrict the president to a single term in office; amount other things. This revealed that the Federalists were hypocrites, because many of their points would have limited the power of the federal government, and was a catalyst for the Federalist's political demise. -
A Bundle of Treaties
In 1819 the U.S. signed three treaties with Spain; the Adams Onis treaty, the Florida Purchase Treaty, and the Transcontinental Treaty. These treaties gave the U.S. Florida for $5 million dollars, defined the boundary between the Lousiana territory ad Texas, set the northern boundary of Spanish territory at the 42 parallel, and took away Spain's claim on Oregon. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise stated Missouri would be a slave state, Maine would no longer be a part of Mass. and would be a separate state, and it drew a line, the 36 30 line. North of the 36 30 line would become free states, and south of it would be slave states. This offered the South the promise that Congress will passively protect slavery, and that Congress would be the decider of slavery. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine, which was created in 1823, stated that no new European colonization would be tolerated in the Western Hemisphere, that the U.S. wouldn't interfere with Europe and their colonies, and that Europe should not interfere with "baby democracies." This was used well into the 1900s, and was very influential in shaping U.S. foreign policy during this time. -
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Period 4 Part 2: 1824-1848
Jacksonian Democracy, The Second Great Awakening, Manifest Destiny, Bank War -
Tariff of Abominations
The Tariff of Abominations was an increase to 45% that primarily benefitted the northern industry. South Carolina, led by John C. Calhoun thought it was unconstitutional and tried to nullify it. This sparked a crisis eventually leading to the Force Act, which authorized the President to use the military to enforce the law, causing S.C. to revoke their nullification. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nat Turner's Rebellion was a slave rebellion in which they killed between 55 and 65 people. As a result, 60 African Americans, including Turner, were killed. This resulted in harsher slave laws, pushing the country towards conflict. -
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Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was the forced migration of around 60,000 Native Americans, to designated territory in the Midwest. It is estimated that approximately 4,000 died during their movement westward. -
Bank Veto
In attempt to make Jackson look bad and lose his election, Nicolas Biddle asked for an early recharter of the Second Bank of the U.S. Jackson vetoed this recharter, and created his own "pet banks." -
Specie Circular
This said that Congress would only accept specie for western land. This prompted people to exchange their greenbacks for gold and silver, causing the banks to run out of specie. This, in turn, caused the Panic of 1837. -
Election of 1840
The Election of 1840 marked the first successful Presidential campaign of a Whig candidate, William Henry Harrison. Although Harrison died thirty-one days into his presidency, this was a huge step for the Whig Party in becoming an important political party. -
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Period 5: 1844-1877
Abolition Movement, The Civil War, Reconstruction -
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Polk's Annexation Efforts
One of Polk's main goals was to annex Texas and Oregon. This was backed by two popular ideas of the time: American exceptionalism, and more importantly, Manifest Destiny. Texas was accomplished through war, while Oregon was accomplished by negotiations with Britain. -
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Mexican American War
The Mexican American War was a result of American westward expansion. This war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo; the main provision was the Mexican Cession in exchange for $18 million. This war had many effects including solidifying the U.S. as the leading nation in the Western Hemisphere, prompted the question of slavery in this new territory, and it gave most Civil War leaders their first military experience. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention, planned by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, was centered around women's rights. This convention issued the Declaration of Sentiments, which was a document modeled after the Declaration of Independence, which called out the hypocrisy of it. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was created by Henry Clay in an attempt to appease both sides of the slavery argument. The provisions of this compromise were California would become a free state, Utah and New Mexico would decide slavery by popular sovereignty, a tougher fugitive slave law, settled a land dispute between NM and TX, and put an end to the slave trade in D.C. -
Gadsden Purchase
This purchase was made by U.S. Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, from Mexico for the Transcontinental Railroad. This purchase completed the current US continental boundaries. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act stated that Kansas and Nebraska would decide the issue of slavery of popular sovereignty. This act directly contradicted the Missouri Compromise and reopened the issue of how slavery would be decided in the territories. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Dred Scott was a former enslaved person who was living in a free state, but then his owners brought him back to their plantation, Scott then sued his owner because he thought he should be free. The main questions from this case were the validity of the MO compromise and if there were truly "free" and "slave" states. The decision was that enslaved people were property, and that "free states" did not protect firmly enslaved people. -
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Tamany Hall
Tammany Hall was an NYC political machine led most notably by Boss Tweed during this period. Tammany Hall, and other political machines across the country, would provide jobs, food, money, and other goods in exchange for votes and influence, and was a key example of corruption during the Gilded Age. -
Election of 1860
Lincoln won without a single electoral vote. This triggered secession because the south felt that they could to be apart of the union if the president can win without a single electoral vote from the south. -
Formation of the CSA
The formation of the Confederate States of America happened soon after SC, MS, FL, AL, GA, and LA seceded from the Union. Later on TX, VA, AK, TN, and finally NC joined. -
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The Civil War
The Civil War was originally an effort to keep the union together but shifted after the Emancipation Proclamation to an effort to outlaw slavery. It ended in a Union victory and forever shaped the political landscape. -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act gave a free 160 acres to any family who would go west and make the land profitable within five years. This encouraged moving west and promoted Manifest Destiny. -
The Emmancipation Proclomation
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on September 22, 1862, but went into effect on January 1, 1863. This freed all enslaved people in areas of rebellion in the confederacy but did not do anything in the North. This helped keep Europe out of the war and changed the aim of the war from preserving the union to outlawing slavery. -
National Banking Act
The National Banking Act created a national banking system and created a national currency. This was an effort to support the Union war effort financially and keep inflation at a reasonable level. -
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Period 6: 1865-1898
Gilded Age, The Rise of Big Business, Labor Movement -
Period: to
Reconstruction Ammendments
The Reconstruction Amendments were a key part of the reconstruction, and before reentering the union, each confederate state had to ratify the 14th amendment before being readmitted to the union. The 13th amendment abolished slavery, the 14th amendment gave citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and the 15th amendment gave all men the right to vote, regardless of race. -
Lincoln's Assassination
President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, effectively switching Presidential control to the Democrats. This changed the course of reconstruction and legislation for the next period. -
Reconstruction Act of 1867
The Reconstruction Act of 1867, also called the Military Reconstruction Act, divided the south into five districts. It also required to provide suffrage for African Americans and deny suffrage to ex-confederates in order to be readmitted to the union. -
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The Gilded Age
The Gilded Age a period of rapid economic growth and big business. Upon a deeper look, however, this period was riddled with poverty and corruption. -
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 was the worst panic yet and caused the government to stop coining silver in attempts to fix the ratio of gold to silver. The government tried to deal with this by not allowing greenbacks to exchanged for gold, preventing a run on the banks. -
Compromise of 1877
This was created to settle the election of 1876 in which neither candidate got enough electoral votes. Four states were undecided so, Congress created a commission to decide each vote, which decided Hayes would receive all of them. The Compromise was that Hayes would be president, reconstruction would end, the south would get federal money to rebuild, Democrats were promised one cabinet seat, and it was understood that the south was allowed to ignore the reconstruction amendments. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
This act was a racist response to the influx of Chinese workers in order to complete the Transcontinental Railroad. This act barred all Chinese immigrants until it was finally repealed in 1943. -
Pendleton Act
The Pendleton Act was an attempt to change the spoils system that played a role in the assassination of President Garfield. This act stated that for certain government jobs an applicant had to prove their qualifications, which has today been expanded to most government jobs. -
Interstate Commerce Act
This was originally an attempt to force railroads to charge fair rates, however, because the commission created by this act was filled with RR employees, this act did not do anything until later, but today is an important piece of legislation. -
Dawes Severalty Act
The Dawes Severalty Act dissolved native tribes and gave each head of the family 160 acres of free land. This was an effort to force native tribes to shift from a nomadic lifestyle to a farming lifestyle, more consistent with the rest of America. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
This act was created to break monopolies, however, in its first ten years it was mainly used to break up labor unions. Later, under Teddy Roosevelt in particular, this law became instrumental in breaking up monopolies. -
Omaha Platform
The Omaha Platform of the Populist party included no national banks, direct election of senators, the introduction of both a referendum and initiative, government ownership of railroads, telephones, and telegraphs, a graduated income tax, a lowered tariff, and an increased money supply. Many of these goals became part of the progressive movement, and many of them ended up happening. -
Haymarket Square Riot
At a nonviolent meeting of laborers attempting to gain an eight-hour workday someone unaffiliated with the Knights of Labor threw a bomb, which killed and injured many. This led to the demise of the Knights of Labor, one of the most prominent labor groups of their time. -
Pullman Strike
As a result of the Panic of 1893 Pullman cut wages, but not utilities or rent in the factory town he owned. Then, railroad workers went on strike across the country if a train carried a Pullman Car. Then Pullman made sure a every train with a Pullman car also had a U.S. mail car, forcing the government to get involved, becoming the first time the government used an injunction to break up a strike. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Fergeson established the concept of "separate but equal", which was used for decades to perpetuate racism and segregation. -
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The Progressive Era
The Progressive Era was rooted in the populist movement and stemmed from corruption, growth of monopolies and wealth disparity, and an increase in muckraking. The Progressive Movement had no central authority, was multileveled, and focused on many issues like voting rights, temperance, healthcare, and corruption. -
Spanish American War
The Spanish American War was primarily caused by Cuban Concentration Camps, Yellow Journalism, the Delome Letter, and the mysterious explosion of the USSS Maine. After four months of fighting the U.S. won and gained Guam, Cuba (who was promised independence), Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. -
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Period 7 Part 1: 1898-1918
New Imperialism, Progressive Era, WWI -
Open Door Policy
This policy fell in line with the Impearlistic attitudes of the time. It stated that all western powers had the right to free trade in China, but the U.S. government did not ask China first, to see if this was alright. -
McKinley's Assassination
President McKinley was assassinated in Buffalo, NY at a fair by an anarchist. This led to Roosevelt becoming President, which was significant because he was made VP because it was seen as a dead-end job. -
Hay/Bunau- Varilla Treaty
The Hay/Bunau-Varilla Treaty established the terms of the Panama Canal. In this treaty, the US was given a 1- mile wide strip of land across Panama, in exchange for $10 million, as well as $250,000 to Panama annually. -
Roosevelt Corollary
The Roosevelt Corollary was an extension of the Monroe Doctrine and said that the U.S. could intervene in Latin America if necessary, making the U.S. a prominent player in Latin American affairs. This fell under Roosevelt's guiding philosophy of "speak softly and carry a big stick." -
Antiquities Act
The Antiquities Act stated that the president can declare land as national parks and monuments, which was a key step in the US environmental movement. -
Gentlemen's Agreement
In part due to the aftermath of the San Fransisco Great Earthquake, and the racist white sentiment that Asians were "taking away the scarce resources," the U.S. and Japan made a handshake deal that said there would be no new Japanese immigrants to the US. -
Federal Reserve Act
The Federal Reserve Act created a new central banking system, that would control the money supply and sets interest rates. This is still the system used today and is a key part of the economy. -
Underwood Simmons Tariff
The Underwood Simmons Tariff lowered the tariff from 40% to 27%, and introduced the first permanent income tax (ranging from 1%-6%), which was constitutional per the 16th amendment, and was a graduated, low tax that offset tariff loses. -
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Progressive Amendments
The Progressive Amendments were the 16th amendment, which allowed an income tax, the 17th amendment, which created the direct election of senators, the 18th amendment which made prohibition constitutional, and the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote. -
Federal Trade Commission Act
The Federal Trade Commission Act created the Federal Trade Commission, a regulatory body similar to the ICC, that regulated industries other than railroads, telegraphs, and telephones. -
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The Red Scare
This was a movement led by Mitchell Palmer and was set off by the Bolshevik Revolution in which there was a great fear of communism. Palmer sent agents to raid homes of suspected communists or sympathizers, called Palmer Raids, in which 6,000 people were arrest and 250 people were deported. -
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U.S. Involvement in WWI
The U.S. officially declared war on April 6th, 1917, but had been preparing for war with things like the National Defense Act and the Sussex Ultimatum. The US fought on two fronts of the war, the European arena and the Pacific arena. The war officially ended on Nov 11, 1918. -
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Period 7 Part 2: 1918-1945
The Great Depression, WWII, The New Deal -
Schenck v. US
Schenck v. US was a case about a wartime law that prohibited anti wat and draft publications. Scheck published a pamphlet on how to avoid getting arrested for avoiding the draft. The SC decided that speech can be limited if that presents a clear and present danger. -
The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties that ended WWI. The provisions of this treaty were Germany took the blame for the war, Germany had to pay $33 billion in operations, Germany had to give up all colonies, Germany had to get rid of their military, some other nations gave up territory, and the League of Nations was created. -
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Prohibtion
Prohibition, which forbid the sale of alcohol, was based on the Temperance Movement. It was made constitutional by the 18th amendment and then put into law by the Volstead Act. The goal was to create a more moral society, but instead created a new industry of organized crimes. Prohibition was made unconstitutional by the 21st amendment. -
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Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a product of the great migration and was a cultural movement. Some key figures were Jacob Lawerence Langston Hughes and Louis Armstrong. -
Emergency Immigration Quota Act
This act used the 1910 census to set immigrant quotas, which was set at 3% of 1910 numbers were allowed in. This was followed in 1924 by the National Origin Act, which allowed 2% of the 1890 census, in an effort to lower the number of people coming from "new countries." -
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Washington Naval Conference
This conference consisted of a number of treaties in which countries agreed to limit the tonnage of ships, the size of guns on ships, respect each other's rights in the pacific, refer disputes to a conference, not to fortify positions in the far east, to respect the sovereignty of China, and to respect the Open Door Policy. -
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The Great Depression
The Great Depression was caused by overproduction of agricultural goods, lack of diversification in the industry, over-speculation in the stock market, profits overrunning wages, a tax policy that favored the wealthy, and a number of other things. It was first handled by Hoover who tried to just leave it alone in hopes it would correct itself, but then FDR stepped in with a much more direct approach. -
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The New Deal
The New Deal was FDR's plan to get the US out of the Great Depression and consisted of three pillars: relief, recovery, and reform. Relief focused on providing basic needs such as food, clothes, and shelter; recovery focused on getting the economy going again through things like work programs; and reform, in order to ensure something like the depression, would never happen again. -
Social Security Act
The Social Security Act provided a monthly check for elderly people, and was part of the new deal. The original bill excluded domestic and agricultural workers, but has since been expanded, and is still in effect today. -
Hatch Act
The Hatch Act said federal employees cannot engage in political activity in their role as a federal employee. This law in still in effect today, and is very important -
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Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a $2 billion dollar project to build an atomic build, led by J. Robert Oppenheimer. These bombs were used Hiroshima and Nagasaki, making for a swift end to the war. -
Lend-Lease Act
The Lend-Lease Act said that the US could lend military supplies to countries deemed vital to US security, meaning primarily Britain. This was an attempt to stay neutral in WWII, while still supporting the allies. -
Pearl Harbor
This Japanese attack sunk or damaged a vast majority of the American Pacific fleet, which was what ultimately brought the US into the war. -
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US Involvement in WWII
The US tried to hold out on joining the war officially, but Pearl Harbor forced the "hand." The US fought on the side of the allies, first against Germany, and then finally against Japan. -
Servicemen's Readjustment Act
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act, also known as the GI Bill, provided education, loans, mortgages, and other benefits for returning soldiers. -
VE Day
VE Day, also known as Victory in Europe Day, was the first step for ally victory. This allowed the allies to move on to the Pacific theatre.
