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Jamestown Founded
The settlement of Jamestown was an important milestone in American History. It was the first successful colony, and many other colonies followed suit. At first, it was a struggle to live there, but then the Natives came and helped them survive. They later sold Tobacco as their main export and Britain made a lot of money from it. Eventually, slaves were brought for them to work in the tobacco fields. -
Salutary Neglect
This was a system kept between the colonies in the Americas and Britain. As long as the colonies followed the rules of mercantilism, didn't cause trouble, and provided Britain with materials, they were allowed to be left unoccupied by British soldiers. This toughened the colonists into not needing the backing of the crown. Any disputes that happened were handled by them. This ended when colonies started to fight back against British occupation after the French and Indian War. -
The Molasses Act
The British Parliament enacted the Molasses Act, which levied a tax on molasses, rum, and sugar. The Molasses Act of 1733 was a part of Britain's larger policy of mercantilism and directly impacted the British 13 American colonies. This was in response to the war debt from fighting the French and Indian War. -
The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a conflict between France and Britain over the territory of the Ohio Valley. After 12 years, Britain won in attaining the valley but made it illegal for settlers to settle the land as it had been given to the Indians. This war is important because settlers felt the crown only stepped in to stop the French, not the Indians. -
The Proclamation of 1763
This prohibited Anglo-American colonists from settling on lands acquired from the French following the French and Indian War. The thing is that the Americans didn't care and would go into the land and settle. Their train of thought was that since they fought for it, they should be allowed to use such lands. Settlers and British tension escalated as more came into there. -
The Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was a refinement of the Molasses Act. This lowered the price of molasses, kept the price of sugar stagnant, and prohibited all foreign rum. Even though items were cheaper, colonists still preferred to illegally import and sell molasses and rum. Colonial tensions have been high since the British decided to stay. -
Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty
The Sons and Daughters of Liberty were American colonists who supported the patriot cause. The Sons used threats, protests, and acts of violence to intimidate loyalists, or those loyal to the British crown, and make their grievances clear to the British Parliament. The Daughters of Liberty used homemade production in order to not buy British product. -
The Quartering Act
Mainly an excuse for the British to not have to build barracks in the cities. This allowed any British soldier to go to someone's house and the homeowner had to provide them room and board. Soldiers would go to wealthy homes use their nice beds and eat their food. Not only was there a soldier in someone's house, but the soldier was essentially a spy who would rat you out to higher authorities. Colonists didn't like this because they wanted their privacy and not have someone snooping around. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed for the British to be able to pay off their soldiers. The act controlled the legal papers of the colonies. If papers wanted to be recognized by the government, then colonists had to pay to gain an official stamp. This enraged aristocrats who needed stamps for their family seals to be recognized. They used fear-mongering to make the commoners also fear the Stamp Act. -
The Townshend Act
The Townshend Act was a law that put taxes on glass, tea, paper, and paint. This was made to make money and pay off war debts. Colonists were not happy, and widespread riots would take place. This showed how the colonists yearned to gain independence from Britain. -
Boston Massacre
The violent clash on March 5, 1770 began with an argument that led to a riot outside of the Customs House. Captain Preston of the 29th Regiment arrived with eight fellow Redcoats to extract White from the square. The crowd pressed on the soldiers and shots were fired by the Redcoats. -
The Tea Act
The British Parliament passed the Tea Act in May 1773 to help the company. This gave the East India Company a tax break on their tea, which made it cheaper than tea that was being smuggled into the colonies from other places. Colonists would rather smuggle the tea than give the British money. -
Boston Tea Party
To protest British Parliament's tax on tea. "No taxation without representation." The demonstrators boarded the ships and threw the chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. The British government considered the protest an act of treason and responded with the Coercive Act. -
Lexington and Concord
When British troops started rallying in Boston, 3 horse riders went to Concord and Lexington in order to warn the Continental Army. Unfortunately, they were too late to make it to Concord and the minute men were in a standoff and then were fired up on by the British. Then the troops went to Lexington, but by then the guns and ammunition were already taken away. As the British went back to Boston, they were followed and fired up on by minute men from Lexington. -
Declaration of Independence
After Thomas Jefferson finished writing the Declaration of Independence, it was signed on July 4, 1776, by the 13 colonies. It included enlightenment ideas from Europe. It had an idea of what the future of the United States should be. This officially started the United States of America. -
Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. The American defeat of the superior British army lifted patriot morale, furthering the hope for independence. The victory also showed that America was a competent fighter thus securing aid from France. -
Valley Forge
Over 12,000 American soldiers and some of their families camped at Valley Forge from December 1777 to June 1778. The soldiers lived in small log cabins that they built by hand upon arriving. Supplies at Valley Forge were scarce, making living conditions difficult. -
Yorktown
Supported by the French army and navy, Washington's forces defeated Lord Charles Cornwallis' veteran army dug in at Yorktown, Virginia. Victory at Yorktown led directly to the peace negotiations that ended the war in 1783 and gave America its independence. It made the British realize that this war was probably going to end with an American victory. -
Treaty of Paris
After the Battle of Yorktown, the British had lost and it was added to many other loses in the later half of the Revolutionary War. They realized that the war would end in their defeat, so the decided to negotiate a treaty. The colonists demands were met and they were now their own sovereign state. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was the first true test of the Articles of Confederation. When veterans from the Revolutionary War weren't getting their paychecks, they started to protest but then it changed into a rebellion. The federal government couldn't send an army to protect Boston from the rebellion, so aristocrats hired their own armies in order to fight rebellions. If corporate militaries where what the United States was supposed to use to defend, then the Articles of Confederation failed. -
The Constitution Ratified
After the failure that was the Articles of Confederation, there needed to be a new framework for the government. After days of debating and adjustment, the Connecticut Compromise became the Constitution. It needed a majority of the states to ratify it in order for it to become the official framework of the government. After New Hampshire ratified it in June 21, 1788, it became the official framework of the United States of America. -
The Whiskey Tax
The Whiskey tax law set a varying six to 18-cent per gallon tax rate, with smaller distillers often paying more than twice per gallon what larger producers paid. All payments had to be made in cash to the Federal revenue officer appointed for the distiller's county. Some people thought this was outrageous and proceeded to rebel. American troops quickly came and dispelled the group. This was the first real test of the Constitution. -
First Bank of the United States.
Congress gave the Bank of the United States, now commonly known as the First Bank, a 20-year charter that started in December 1791. The bank did not dictate fiscal policy, but it still wielded great influence over the country's finances due to its size. This was part of Hamilton's plan to implement an industrial America. -
Jay's Treaty
After the war, there were still some problems between Great Britain and the United States. They weren't very open to trade and still had military outposts in America. Jay's Treaty was created in order to make peace between both countries. Britain would remove outposts in the Northwest and open ports in the West Indies for America to use. The United States would pay off all pre-Revolutionary debts of Britain. This was not a very popular deal among Americans, especially in the South. -
Louisiana Purchase
The U.S. purchased Louisiana from France in 1803 for $15 million, despite originally only wanting to spend $2 million. The Louisiana Territory extended from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. The purchase was very popular among most Americans. This doubled the size of the United States. -
Embargo of 1807
This Embargo was created so that the United States could sell more domestic products to their consumers instead of foreign goods. This did cause a short period of financial turmoil in America. It did help later on build the America Thomas Jefferson wanted. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a conflict between Great Britain and the United States. It was driven by trade restrictions, impressment of American sailors, and British support for Native American resistance against American expansion. The burning of Washington D.C. and the battle for New Orleans were some major events in the war. Neither side was a clear winner, but the Treaty of Ghent reset all boundaries. -
The Second National Bank
This bank was famous for being in the bank wars with Bank President Nicholas Biddle against President Andrew Jackson. Eventually Jackson vetoed the bank for recharter and the bank collapsed. There would not be national banks again until the passage of the National Bank Act. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a message from President James Monroe to Europe. According to Monroe, the Western Hemisphere was a United States area of interest. What James Monroe wanted to do was allow countries in Latin America to gain their independence and not be invaded by any Europeans. America believed in the Latin countries freedom so they decided to protect them from possible invasion. -
The Corrupt Bargain
The Corrupt Bargain happened during the Election of 1824. After a stalemate between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams, it was up to Congress to decide. John Quincy Adams decided to meet with Henry Clay, the Speaker of the House, to discuss convincing Congress to vote for him. Since the Speaker of the House had a lot of influence in Congress, this was seen as cheating by Andrew Jackson. Afterwards, Henry Clay decides to support John Quincy Adams, and Adams makes Henry Clay Secretary of State. -
Tariff of 1824
A protective tariff in the United States designed to protect American industry from cheaper British commodities, especially iron products, wool and cotton textiles, and agricultural goods. The first one in which the sectional interests of the North and the South came into direct conflict. The South hated it because they had to lower the prices of cotton in order to sell it to others. The North loved it because they could make cheaper manufactured goods than Britain was able. -
Tariff of Abominations
Led by South Carolina, the Southern states branded the hated law the Tariff of Abominations. Planters argued that while the industrial Northeast flourished, the South was forced to sell its cotton in an unprotected world market and buy imported goods at exorbitant rates. The North was the only side that got to reap the benefits of it. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed into action by Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830. This authorized the president to grant lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders. A few tribes went peacefully, but many resisted the relocation policy. Any that resisted were forcibly removed and taken to another location. -
Alamo
At dawn on March 6, 1836, the 13th day of the siege, the Battle of the Alamo commenced. Fighting lasted roughly 90 minutes, and by daybreak all the Defenders had perished, including a former congressman from Tennessee, David Crockett. The loss of the garrison was felt all over Texas, and even the world. -
The Panic of 1837
The panic started with a problem in Europe, when the stock market crashed. Investors began to sell off the investments they had in American projects, particularly railroads. Some important state banks ran out of currency reserves. -
Independent Treasury Bill
The act established independent treasury deposit offices separate from private or state banks to receive all government funds. It made the Treasury Department responsible for United State Government funds. The Independent Treasury System was not only a political move to stop the Whigs from having more control in the government which could have eventually damaged democracy, but was also a move to help safeguard the future of the American people by allowing them to have a choice in what happens. -
Seneca Falls Convention
Seneca Falls Convention, assembly held on July 19–20, 1848, in the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York, that launched the women's suffrage movement in the United States. Seneca Falls was the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who, along with Lucretia Mott, conceived of and directed the convention. there were 15 resolutions which taken together called for sexual equality in society at large, including a woman's right to vote. -
Manifest Destiny
The philosophy describing the necessary expansion of the nation westward was called Manifest Destiny. It was the belief that it was our duty to settle the continent, conquer and prosper. Settlers had to overcome challenges like tough terrain, hostile Indians, and the weather. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of laws passed by the U.S. Congress in an effort to settle several outstanding issues regarding slavery. The bills provided for slavery to be decided by popular sovereignty in the admission of new states, prohibited the slave trade in the District of Columbia, settled a Texas boundary dispute, and established a stricter fugitive slave act. This tried to keep the slave states in the United States but in the end failed. -
The Panic of 1857
The Panic of 1857 was a financial crisis in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Because of the invention of the telegraph by Samuel F. Morse in 1844, the Panic of 1857 was the first financial crisis to spread rapidly throughout the United States. Slave prices fell by approximately 3 percent during the Banking Panic of 1857. -
Fort Sumter
Confederate militia forces began seizing United States forts and property throughout the south. With a lame-duck president in office, and a controversial president-elect poised to succeed him, the crisis approached a boiling point and exploded at Fort Sumter. The Civil War has officially started, and the first shot were from the Confederates. -
Shiloh
Ulysses S. Grant pushed his troops toward Corinth, the intersection of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the Memphis and Charleston Railroad and a vital troop and supply conduit for the South. Alerted to the Union army’s position, Johnston intercepted the Union 22 miles northeast of Corinth at Pittsburg Landing. The encounter proved deadly, not only for its failure, but for the number of casualties. After Shiloh, both sides realized the magnitude of the battle, which would be longer and bloodier. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." It captured the hearts and imagination of millions of African Americans and fundamentally transformed the character of the war from a war for the Union into a battle for freedom. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. The battle involved the largest number of casualties of the entire war and is often described as the war's turning point. After the battle, Lincoln gives his famous Gettysburg Address. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea was a scorched Earth campaign that went all the way to Atlanta, Georgia. Along the way, Sherman freed slaves from plantations, and with nowhere else to go, the slaves would march with them. Soldiers would burn crops, kill livestock, and destroy towns that were unfortunate enough to be in their way. -
General Lee’s Surrender and the End of the Civil War
Grant found out that Lee was trying to get to Petersburg in order to resupply. Grant sent multiple divisions of soldiers to Lee's army in order to slow him down. He then proceeded to take control of Petersburg. When Lee got to Petersburg, he saw the Union army waiting for him. Lee surrendered and they negotiated at the Appomattox Courthouse. -
The Transcontinental Railway
The transcontinental railroad reduced the travel time between the East and West Coasts from as long as six months to under two weeks. It allowed more ease of movement for people and freight. As goods were distributed more quickly, demand increased and the U.S. economy expanded. -
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone Valley was seen as a place of absolute beauty. There were people who felt that this area should be kept from the development of civilization. Also, railway tourism was becoming a big thing, so it was used as an attraction for the railways. On March 1, 1872, Congress passed into law the act creating Yellowstone “a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” -
Indian Boarding Schools
Some people in Congress felt that Indians weren't useful in their current state, so in the Indian Policies, it was made mandatory that the 6 year olds and up would be forced to attend an Indian Boarding School in the East. More than 523 government-funded, and often church-run, Indian Boarding schools across the US in the 19th and 20th centuries. At these schools, children would be forced to give up their traditions and cultures and have to live like white people. If caught, they were punished. -
The Dawes Act
The law authorized the President to break up reservation land, which was held in common by the members of a tribe, into small allotments to be parceled out to individuals. Thus, Native Americans registering on a tribal "roll" were granted allotments of reservation land. This act was a way to spread Indians out and make them live a nuclear family lifestyle. -
Ghost Dance Movement
A late-nineteenth-century American Indian spiritual movement, the ghost dance began in Nevada in 1889 when a Paiute named Wovoka (also known as Jack Wilson) prophesied the extinction of white people and the return of the old-time life and superiority of the Indians. Faithful dancing, clean living, peaceful adjustments with the whites, hard work, and following God's chosen leaders would hasten the resurrection of dead relatives and the restoration of days of Indian prosperity.