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The Establishment of Jamestown
Jamestown became the first permanent settlement in the new world. It was located in Jamestown, Virginia. The settlement was founded by the Virginia Company. At the beginning of the settlement, the colonists were racked by diseases and faced food scarcity. The settlement was able to survive which showed that permanent settlement of the new world was possible. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower was a ship sent by the Virginia Company to colonize the New World near the Hudson River. The ship ended up landing near Cape Cod due to rough weather. The Mayflower Compact was created to create some form of government in the new settlement -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was an uprising led by Nathaniel Bacon that was caused by the government ignoring the native attack on native farmers. This was the last major uprising of enslaved blacks and whites. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War, sometimes referred to as the Seven Years' War, was a significant struggle that lasted from 1754 to 1763 in both North America and Europe. Along with their respective Native American allies, it was fought between the British and French territories. The struggle began as a land and commercial dispute in the Ohio River Valley, but as other European powers became involved, it grew into a world war. This also led to many Natives to choose a side and fight one another. -
The Albany Congress
The Albany Congress was a meeting held in Albany, New York. Representatives from a number of British colonies in North America, like as New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, were there. The congress' main goals were to address the escalating hostilities between the British and French colonies in North America and to explore viable solutions for mending fences. Benjamin Franklin made his renowned "Albany Plan" during the congress. -
Proclamation of 1763
After the American Revolutionary War, in which the colonies proclaimed their independence from Great Britain, the British government issued the Proclamation of 1783. The declaration outlined a border between newly constituted America and British North America as well as acknowledged the United States' independence. The Mississippi River, the Appalachian Mountains, and the Great Lakes formed the barrier, which was designed to stop additional hostilities between the two sides. -
Sugar Act
The British Parliament passed the Revenue Act of 1764, often known as the Sugar Act, in an effort to increase revenue from the North American colonies. In order to assure compliance, the act established stronger enforcement procedures and imposed tariffs on a variety of imported items, including sugar, molasses, wine, and textiles. This led to many colonists boycotting these companies putting a strain on them. -
Stamp Act
The British government imposed a tax known as the Stamp Act on all printed products in the British American colonies. All newspapers, legal documents, and other printed items had to be accompanied by an engraved revenue stamp, which the buyer was responsible for purchasing under the law. The colonies fiercely opposed the Stamp Act, claiming that it infringed their rights as British subjects because they were not represented in Parliament and thus could not give their permission to the levy. -
Townshend Act
The British government passed the Townshend Act, also known as the Revenue Act of 1767, as part of an effort to increase revenue from the colonies in North America. The act established a system of customs officials to ensure compliance and imposed charges on a number of imported items, including glass, lead, paint, and tea. Many colonists opposed the Townshend Act, claiming it infringed their rights as British subjects and placed an unjust burden on their companies. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a bloody event that took place in Boston, Massachusetts on March 5, 1770. Five citizens were killed when British soldiers opened fire on a group of people. This incident in the colonies, is frequently regarded as a turning point in the rising hostilities between the colonies and Great Britain. It was a crucial development in the period leading up to the American Revolutionary War. -
Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773, a group of colonists dressed as Native Americans dumped containers of tea from British ships into the Boston Harbor as part of a political protest known as the Boston Tea Party. The Tea Act of 1773, which granted the British East India Company a monopoly on the sale of tea in the colonies and levied a tax on the product, was the cause of the protest. -
Intolerable Acts
The British government passed a series of laws in 1774 in reaction to the Boston Tea Party known as the Intolerable Acts, commonly referred to as the Coercive Acts. The actions were intended to impose British control over the colonies and punish the people for their disobedience. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
The American Revolutionary War's first battle, fought on April 19, 1775, was the Battle of Lexington and Concord. The dispute between the colonies and Great Britain had been ongoing for a long time and had culminated in the years prior to the war. The British government attempted to exert control over the colonies by passing a number of laws known as the Intolerable Acts, but the colonists fiercely opposed them. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 17, in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the Battle of Bunker Hill took place. Growing tensions between the colonies and Great Britain as well as the start of hostilities in the early stages of the conflict served as the catalyst for the battle. The colonists created the Continental Army in response and started preparing for battle. The British won the Battle of Bunker Hill, the first significant battle of the conflict, but at a steep price as they suffered large losses. -
Common Sense
During the American Revolutionary War, Thomas Paine wrote and published the political pamphlet Common Sense. The pamphlet was an appeal for the colonies to secede from Great Britain and set up a new, democratic government. Because of the oppressive actions done by the British government, such as the imposition of taxes and restrictions and the sending of troops to the colonies, Paine believed that the colonies had a right to secede from Great Britain. -
Declaration of Independence
The colonies declared to be independent states and no longer under British control in a declaration known as the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. One of the most significant texts in American history, it was produced by a committee of five people. It outlines the grievances the colonies have with the British government and affirms the colonies' right to self-rule. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, which were approved by the Second Continental Congress in 1781 during the American Revolutionary War, served as the country's first constitution. The Articles defined the scope of the government's authority and constituted a federal government for the newly independent states. The federal government's authority was constrained by the Articles, which also gave it the right to settle state-state conflicts and declare war. -
Valley Forge
During the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Army's winter camp was located in Valley Forge. The Continental Army under General George Washington spent the winter of 1777–1778 at Valley Forge, which is situated in Pennsylvania. The soldiers at Valley Forge endured difficult conditions due to inadequate equipment, bitter weather, starvation, and illness. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown, fought in Yorktown, Virginia in 1781, was the American Revolutionary War's last significant action. The battle was fought between American and British forces, with French support being crucial to American success. The conflict started when General George Washington's American and French soldiers surrounded Lord Cornwallis' British army at Yorktown and besieged it. -
Treaty of Paris
The American Revolutionary War came to a conclusion in 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which also recognized American independence from Great Britain. The newly independent country's borders were set forth in the treaty, which was signed by representatives of the United States, Great Britain, and France. It also gave the United States complete power over the nation's territory. -
Shay's Rebellion
Following the American Revolutionary War, a series of uprisings and protests known as Shay's Rebellion took place in Massachusetts in the late 1780s. Daniel Shays, a military veteran, led the insurrection, which was brought on by political and economic injustices. Many of the rebels were struggling farmers and small business owners. -
Constitutional Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise, often known as the Great Compromise, was an agreement made during the 1787 Constitutional Convention that assisted in resolving a significant conflict between the large and minor states on representation in the new federal government. The question at hand was whether states should be represented in Congress equally, as the minor states advocated, or on the basis of population. -
Great Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise, often known as the Great Compromise, was an agreement made during the 1787 Constitutional Convention that assisted in resolving a significant conflict between the large and minor states on representation in the new federal government. The question at hand was whether states should be represented in Congress equally, as the minor states advocated, or on the basis of population. -
The Constitution
The United States Constitution serves as both the supreme law and the foundation for the nation's form of governance. The states ratified it in 1788 after the Constitutional Convention approved it in 1787. The U.S. federal government is established by the Constitution, which also specifies the roles and responsibilities of its three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. -
Whiskey Rebellion
A revolt over the placement of a tax on distilled spirits took place in the United States in 1794 and was known as the Whiskey Rebellion. Many distillers and farmers in the Western states opposed the tax, which was enacted by the federal government, claiming that it unfairly targeted their means of subsistence. -
Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was a machine invented by Eli Whitney in 1793 that revolutionized the cotton industry. It was designed to separate the seeds from the fibers of cotton, a labor-intensive process that was previously done by hand. The cotton gin greatly increased the efficiency of cotton production, leading to a surge in demand for cotton and a boom in the southern economy. However, the cotton gin also had a significant impact on the institution of slavery. -
XYZ Affair
A diplomatic crisis known as the "XYZ Affair" took place between France and the United States in 1797–1798. It featured negotiations to end the continuing Quasi-War between the two countries being exchanged for bribery from American diplomats by the French government. The incident incited fury in the US and helped the Federalist Party win the 1800 presidential election. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
In 1798, the Federalist-controlled Congress approved four statutes known as the Alien and Sedition Acts. The laws were created to stifle political opposition, especially that of the Democratic-Republican Party, and to target government critics. Any non-citizen judged "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States" under the Alien Act could be deported or imprisoned. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a land acquisition made by the United States in 1803, in which the U.S. bought 828,000 square miles of land from France for $15 million. The land stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and included all or part of 15 present-day states. The purchase doubled the size of the United States and opened up vast new territories for exploration and settlement. This led to the Lewis and Clark Expeditions. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
President Thomas Jefferson ordered the Corps of Discovery Expedition, generally referred to as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, in 1803. The expedition, led by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis, went out to investigate the recently acquired Louisiana Territory and discover a waterway to the Pacific Ocean. -
Embargo Act of 1807
President Thomas Jefferson implemented the Embargo of 1807 as a foreign policy response to the Napoleonic Wars' British and French navies' harassment of American trade ships. Foreign ships were not allowed to enter American ports, and American ships were not allowed to enter foreign ports. The embargo was designed to safeguard American interests and maintain impartial trade -
Underground Railroad
In the middle of the 19th century, enslaved African Americans in the United States utilized a network of covert routes and safe homes known as the Underground Railroad to flee to free states and Canada. A network of abolitionists, both black and white, gave fugitive slaves support in the form of food, shelter, and transportation. -
War of 1812
Between 1812 and 1815, the United States and Great Britain fought each other in the War of 1812. Long-standing economic and territory issues, as well as British involvement in American trade and its support of Native American resistance to U.S. expansion, all contributed to the outbreak of the war. -
Treaty of Ghent
On December 24, 1814, the United States and Great Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent, which put an end to the War of 1812. The fundamental causes of the war, such as trade restrictions and British assistance for Native American resistance to U.S. expansion, were not addressed by the treaty. Instead, it called for a commission to address the unresolved issues and restored the pre-war status quo. -
Battle of New Orleans
During the War of 1812, the United States and Great Britain engaged in combat at the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815. The battle took place close to New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Americans easily prevailed. To obstruct American trade and damage the American economy, the British had started a campaign to seize New Orleans and the Mississippi River. General Andrew Jackson's American soldiers were able to resist the British attack while suffering significant casualties. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a piece of law enacted by the US Congress in 1820 that permitted Maine to be admitted as a free state while allowing Missouri to join the Union as a slave state. The arrangement was intended to prevent a potential crisis over the growth of slavery and to maintain a balance between slave and free states in the Union. -
Monroe Doctrine
President James Monroe proclaimed the Western Hemisphere off-limits to any European colonization and any meddling in the independent countries of the Americas in his 1823 foreign policy proclamation known as the Monroe Doctrine. The doctrine was a response to growing worries about a potential threat to the United States from European intervention in the newly established countries of Latin America. -
Election of 1824
The election of 1824 signaled the end of the "Era of Good Feelings" and the start of the "Second Party System," making it a key occasion in American history. Four candidates ran for office: William H. Crawford, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, and John Quincy Adams. The election was determined by the House of Representatives because no candidate earned a majority of the electoral votes. Adams finally prevailed in the election because to Clay, the Speaker of the House, who backed him. -
Indian Removal Act
Native American tribes living in the Southeast were forcibly relocated to territory west of the Mississippi River under the terms of the Indian Removal Act, a statute established by the US Congress in 1830. The legislation, which had the support of President Andrew Jackson, aimed to open up the Southeast for white settlement. Thousands of Native Americans perished as a result of disease, malnutrition, and exposure during the "Trail of Tears." -
Trail of Tears
The forced removal of Native American tribes from the southeast of the United States to territory west of the Mississippi River during the late 1830s is known as the Trail of Tears. The Indian Removal Act, which President Andrew Jackson signed into law in 1830, was used to carry out the relocation. The tribes were compelled to march through often-difficult terrain to designated Indian Territory from their traditional territories. -
Nullification Crisis
In the 1830s, a political dispute over states' rights led to the Nullification Crisis in the United States. The Tariff of 1828, commonly referred to as the "Tariff of Abominations," which was believed to unfairly favor Northern manufacturing at the expense of Southern businesses, was at the epicenter of the problem. -
Compromise Tariff of 1833
The Compromise Tariff of 1833 was a piece of legislation enacted by the US Congress to end the 1830s Nullification Crisis. States' rights and the 1828 Tariff, which was believed to unfairly favor Northern manufacturers at the expense of Southern interests, were the main causes of the crisis. John C. Calhoun and South Carolina made the case that states had the authority to overturn federal laws that they believed to be unconstitutional or detrimental to their interests. -
Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott Decision, a historic decision by the US Supreme Court in 1857, had significant ramifications for the US. Dred Scott, an enslaved African American, filed a claim for freedom, claiming that because he lived in a free state or territory, he was already free. The Supreme Court decided against Scott in a 7-2 ruling, declaring that all African Americans—slave or free—were not citizens and lacked the ability to file a lawsuit in federal court. -
Seneca Falls
At 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention was a significant gathering that took place in Seneca Falls, New York. The first women's rights conference to be held in the United States was organized by a group of abolitionists and women's rights advocates, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. About 300 persons, including men and women, attended the conference, which was held in response to the lack of political and social rights for women in the United States. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Mexican-American War was put to end by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which was signed in 1848 by the United States and Mexico. In accordance with the conditions of the treaty, Mexico gave to the United States a sizable amount of its territory, including portions of what is now California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma. -
Compromise of 1850
The United States Congress passed a number of laws known as the Compromise of 1850 in an effort to ease the escalating hostilities between the North and South over the subject of slavery. Five bills were included in the compromise: the Fugitive Slave Act, the admission of California as a free state, the resolution of the Texas–New Mexico boundary conflict, the prohibition of the slave trade in the District of Columbia, and the adoption of a more stringent fugitive slave statute. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act provided for popular sovereignty, abolished the Missouri Compromise, and established two additional territories. Additionally, it led to a bloody revolt known as "Bleeding Kansas" when pro- and anti-slavery advocates swarmed the regions to influence the vote. -
Battle of Bull Run
An important battle in the American Civil War took place on July 21, 1861, at Bull Run. It was the first significant engagement of the war and the start of a deadly, protracted combat that would last for four years. At a little stream named Bull Run close to the town of Manassas, Virginia, the Union army under General Irvin McDowell and the Confederate army under General P.G.T. Beauregard engaged in combat. The Union army initially had success, driving the Confederates back. -
Battle of Antietam
On September 17, 1862, the Battle of Antietam, a significant American Civil War battle, took place. With more than 23,000 soldiers killed, injured, or missing, it was the bloodiest single-day fight in American history. Near the Maryland town of Sharpsburg, the Union army under General George B. McClellan and the Confederate army under General Robert E. Lee engaged in combat. Although both sides lost greatly in the next fight, the Union army was able to successfully stop the Confederates. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, at the height of the American Civil War. In the Confederate states, it was announced that all slaves "shall then, thenceforward, and permanently free." The Emancipation Proclamation profoundly altered the course of the Civil Battle, converting it from a war to maintain the Union into a war to abolish slavery.