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Settlement of Jamestown
Jamestown was the first settlement in North America. It was set up on the shores of Virginia by English Colonists. The settlement was funded by the Virginia company. The company required the settlement which was to find the absolute best place to settle. The settlement was named after King James I -
The Slave Trade Begins
The Atlantic Slave Trade began which was a triangular trading system that shipped 10 million African Slaves to North America. The Colonists would give Europeans many resources such as sugar and coffee as a way to pay Europeans for the slaves. This boosted the Colonist's economy but would also have a major consequence on the future of the U.S. -
The Mayflower
Several religious folks called Puritans were escaping persecution from King James I. They sailed from England to North America and landed in present-day New England. They called this new settlement The Plymouth Colony. They signed a new document which is officially the first self-governing colony in the New World. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Nathanial Bacon and several other armed Virginians led a rebellion against Governor William Berkeley. They started this armed rebellion because Berkeley had refused a request from Bacon to fight and drive out Native Americans. This is officially known as the first armed rebellion in the New World. -
Enlightenment
People began to search for scientific ways to explain the world and life. This encouraged people to challenge and question what they truly believe in. This gave us the natural rights of life, liberty, property, and happiness. This movement was led by John Locke and this caused people to start believing that God was the one true entity. -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was the start of protestant revivalism that spread throughout the world. A minister named George Whitefield used pure emotions in his sermons to teach the colonists that if they followed God, they shall receive salvation. He encouraged several to have stronger relationships with God. -
The Seven Years War
The War was a major conflict between big European Powers such as France, England, Spain, etc... It was fought in several locations such as Europe, North and South America, and the Asian Pacific. The main war was the French-Indian War. Tension between France and England was very high and France had teamed up with Native Americans. The British won this war and signed the Treaty of Paris in 1763. -
Pontiac's Rebellion
Once the French-Indian War, British colonists began to move into Native territory. These raised high tensions between the two groups. This led to Pontiac attacking British Forts. The British were just too powerful though which led to Pontiac signing a treaty. He would later be assassinated. -
The Sugar Act
As a result of the French-Indian War, Britain was left with a lot of debt so parliament needed something to fix that quickly. They decided to increase taxes on colonists to increase their income. It increased the tax on certain goods such as sugar and had also increased the prices on goods being shipped. -
Boston Massacre
A group of angry people surrounded the Custom House due to the acts placed upon them as a result of the French-Indian War. Protesters were throwing snowballs at armed British soldiers. One British soldier was injured from a snowball though which led to a shooting. The first person to die was Crispus Attucks. This led to Colonists wanting independence from the Crown. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest against the high taxes placed on colonists. A group called the Sons of Liberty, dressed up as Natives and snuck onto British Vessels. They dumped 342 crates of Britsh Tea into the Boston Bay. This group was led by Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Paul Revere. -
The Intolerable Acts
Britain was extremely upset by the Boston Tea Party and felt that there needed to be a punishment for it. They passed four acts that prohibited Colonists from entering the bay and also had rigged court cases that protected the British soldiers involved. This angered colonists which would lead to the American Revolution. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document that states that the colonies are separate from The Crown. The document was signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the state house. It was signed on July 4th, 1776, and was adopted by the Second Continental Congress. This document formed The United States. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the first major battle of the American Revolution. They sparked the war of the Colonies vs the British. Paul Revere was a key role person in this battle as he warned the townspeople that the red coats were coming. These battles are also iconic because they are known as "The shot heard around the world" which no one knows who shot first. -
American Crisis and Common Sense
American Crisis and Common Sense were two stories that reminded the Continental Army of why they were fighting. The army's morale was at an all-time low with people deserting or refusing to fight. George Washington needed something because if nothing changed, they'd lose the war. Thomas Paine knew that he was the man for this so he wrote these two stories to boost the Army's moral which they indeed did. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was seen as the first official turning point of the Revolutionary War. The U.S. Army surrounded a British Army which forced them to surrender. This boosted the American's confidence and morale and made them more determined. While this happened, Benjamin Franklin was in France trying to convince the French for backup. The battle of Saratoga convinced the French to help us in this war. -
Articles of Confederation (AOC)
The Articles of Confederation were a series of laws and guidelines for self-governing. They served as the first frame of the Union government. The AOC failed miserably though but set up the future for the U.S. as now they know what to do and not what to do. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was an act of General Cornwallis and his British soldiers retreating up north after being chased out by the Southern Colonies. However, the Continental Army knew where he was going and snuck up on him and surprised him. The Continental Army surrounded General Cornwallis and forced him to surrender. This battle is known as the end of the American Revolution. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris is a document that officially ended the war. The U.S. would receive all land from Great Britain from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River. The AOC would end all types of crowns in the U.S. such as no monarchy, no taxes, no army, and no leading executives -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was seen as a challenge for the newly forming government. Daniel Shay was an officer that served in the Continental Army but as he arrived home from the war, he found that he was in debt. Shay formed a group of other furious farmers that marched from the courthouse to the courthouse. This opposed as a major problem because the U.S. had no military to fight them. The only way they were stopped was because investors funded a private army to stop them. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion is seen as the first challenge to the new government. Daniel Shay was an officer who served in the Union Army. When he returned home from the war, he found that he and several other veterans and farmers were left in debt as they did no work during the war. Several farmers led by Shay, marched from town to town causing mayhem. Since having no standing army was apart of the AOC, no one could stop them. They were only stopped by a private militia, hired by wealthy investors. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was the edition to new territories added to the U.S. Thomas Jefferson is the founder of this ordinance and he also influenced that slavery should be outlawed in these new territories. This territory ended up being split into states known as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Public school was also seen as a target for these new states as much funding went towards the public education. -
The Great Compromise
The Great Compromise was an agreement on how the new government should be formed after the failure of the AOC. This great ordeal ended starting the first two political parties, The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Federalists believed in a strong federal government and smaller state governments while Anti-Federalists were the opposite, with smaller federal governments and bigger state governments. The belief of states having two state representatives also came out of this compromise. -
3/5 compromise
The 3/5 compromise was an act of whether or not to count slaves as a state population. This was important because the population determines the number of seats in the House of Representatives. The compromise states that slaves were 3/5 of a white person and that is how much they contributed to the population of a state. -
George Washington is inaugurated
George Washington was inaugurated as the first official president of the U.S. He ran as neither a Federalist nor Anti-Federalist (although many argue that he was a Federalist). He set the tone of future presidencies such as only serving two terms and speeches. He also set up the court system and the cabinet such as the secretary of state. He chose Henry Knox to be Secretary of War. Thomas Jefferson as the secretary of state, and Alexander Hamilton as the secretary of the treasury. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the right of the first 10 amendments. It gave the people rights such as freedom of religion for example. Several citizens were scared of a strong federal government, mainly because of Great Britain. The Bill of Rights calmed down the nerves and fears of these worried citizens. -
Whiskey Rebellioin
The Whiskey Rebellion was a rebellious movement opposing the taxation of whiskey. Farmers were furious about these taxes and marched in unison to fight this "oppression." This is seen as a test for the new government which fought this movement with success. Washington had sent his military to fight this movement and the farmers decided to back down. This showed that this new government should work. -
First Bank of The United States
The first National Bank was created and was chartered to last twenty years. The bank was created by Congress and was followed by the Bank of North America. The bank did not serve like a regular national bank though as it didn't regulate private banks and it also didn't lend out loans. -
John Adams becomes President.
George Washington served his two terms and decided to step down. John Adams ran for president and easily won the election. John was immediately faced with problems though as tensions with the French were rising and classified information had been released to the public. Adams created the Alien Sedition Act which stopped people from saying bad things about the government which violates the First Amendment. This act would make Adams look like a corrupt president. -
XYZ Affair
The tensions with The U.S. and France were hot and something needed to be fixed. President Adams sent diplomats to France to negotiate a deal between the two. France and Napoleon Bonaparte demanded a gift of 250,000 dollars. The diplomats refused to pay this sum of money and American citizens also hated this idea and decided that they should go to war with France. -
The Revolution of 1800
The election of 1800 was the fourth official election of the U.S. The election was between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams but eventually, Jefferson would win. The two candidates were from opposing parties which is why it's called The Revolution of 1800. When the transfer of power happened, it went extremely peacefully which set the tone for how it should be done. -
The Revolution of 1800
The Revolution of 1800 was also the fourth election of the new government. Thomas Jefferson is running for president and is running against John Adams. Jefferson won the election and was the first Anti-Federalist president. People were worried how the transfer of power would go but to their surprise, it went well. This is used as an example of how the transfer of power should go peacefully. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a financial decision made by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was fearful of losing access to the Mississippi River which the economy needed. He tried to keep access of it by purchasing New Orleans but France would only sell him the city if Jefferson bought the entire Louisiana territory. Jefferson took the deal and bought the territory for 15 million dollars. This purchase would double the size of the country. -
The Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson was extremely afraid of losing control and use of the Mississippi River. He decides to negotiate an offer with France to buy the city of New Orleans. France said that he could only get the city if he bought the entire territory, and Jefferson took that deal. The territory would be bought for 15 million dollars and would double the size of the country. -
Embargo Act of 1807
Britain and France were at war and The U.S. didn't know if they should keep trading with one or the other. Jefferson decided that they would stop trading with both and banned foreign goods. This act did damage the economy but it also increased domestic manufacturing. -
War of 1812
The U.S. had longed to expand more west of the country. Native Americans were furious about it as it was their land. Britain started to support These Natives. The Royal Navy had also started restricting and taking over American ships, impressing American sailors. On June 18, 1812, The U.S. declared war on Great Britain. -
The Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent was a peace document that ended the War of 1812. It was between The U.S. and Great Britain and it also established pre-war borders. It was signed by both sides on December 24th, 1814 in the city of Ghent, modern-day Belgium. -
Missouri Compromise
Tensions between the North and South were increasing. Southern states wanted more states where slavery was legal but they felt as if they were being cheated. Henry Clay came up with a compromise that split the country in half. Anything below Missouri is a slave state while anything above is a free state. States also had to come in pairs just to make the representatives more fair. -
The Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was another surge of events for religion. This movement would bring much social and organizational change. This movement would increase the number of supporters for abolitionism, women's suffrage, and temperance. -
The Monroe Doctrine
President Monroe asserted that the New World and Old World should stay separate and they shouldn't interfere with each other. Monroe didn't want European powers to influence anything that happened in the New World. Monroe also said that any attempts at this would be a threat to U.S. security and they would have to get involved. -
Election of 1824
The election of 1824 is also known as a corrupt bargain. No candidate had won enough electoral votes to win which put the outcome in the hands of the House of Representatives. Clay knew that he wasn't winning the election so he persuaded the House to elect Adams. In return, Adams chose Clay to be Secretary of State. -
Andrew Jackson's Presidency
Adams was seen as a tyrant of people's liberties so he did not win a second term. Andrew Jackson would win the election of 1828 and he would create the first political party, The Democratic Party. He celebrated this win by inviting everybody in the middle class to the White House and throwing a big party. He also fired 200 employees of the White House and replaced them with his supporters. This would later be called the Spoils System. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was an act signed by the Senate and the House of Representatives. The government manipulated a random Cherokee to sign a treaty giving up their land. After this signing, the government moved several Natives from their land and forced them to other Indian territories. This would also be known as the Trail of Tears. -
The Liberator
The Liberator is an article that was published by William Lloyd Garrison. The point of the article was to bash and attack slavery. The article popularized the idea of abolishment. Garrison also seemed to get joy out of being controversial. -
Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion
Nat Turner was a slave in Virginia and he later became a preacher. He claimed that he would lead slaves from their chains. Nat's Rebellion claimed the lives of 60 people and also struck fear into slave owners. Because of this rebellion, slave owners started to put more restrictions on their slaves -
The Whig Party
Besides the Democratic Party, The Whig Party was starting to emerge. The Whig Party was the largest party besides the Democratic Party and was large between the 1830s and 1850s. Four presidents have been associated with the Whig Party Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams. The party was mainly supported by the elites while the Democrats were supported by the farmers. -
Overland Trail
The U.S. had acquired several land west but none of it has been inhabited. The land had several opportunities and the land was also cheap to persuade Western migration. Many people decided to migrate west but several people died since the land was empty and sparse. The Conestoga Wagon was a very popular method of travel on this trip. -
Schism of 1840
The Schism of 1840 was a split in the anti-slavery group. They had to discuss if they also wanted to support women's suffrage. They decided that they should support them because then they would get more support for abolishing slavery. -
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of routes and safe houses for slaves to escape from plantations. The network was assisted by abolitionists and other people who were sympathetic to the slaves. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the belief that Western settlers were chosen by God to explore the West. They believed that they needed to reform the West to be like the East such as large coastal cities. They also believed that they needed to spread the values of Americans. -
Abraham Lincoln's Election
Abraham Lincoln was finally elected president after losing 3 times. Lincoln would also create the Republican Party. Lincoln would promote himself after his opponent's speeches so fans would remember him more. He believed strongly in bringing people together and he won the election because the Democrats had two different candidates. -
The beginning of Civil War
Once Lincoln was elected, Southern states (beginning with South Carolina) would secede from the Union. They did this because they saw Lincoln as a threat to slavery and the Southern way of life. The South had major disadvantages going into the war such as military strength and a weaker economy. The Civil War would start when the South attacked a northern base, Fort Sumter. The South had one big advantage though and that was the stronger will of Southern warriors.