-
Founding of Jamestown
A settlement of 104 Englishmen in the Virginia Colony in Jamestown. The men who settled there endured threats from Native Americans, new diseases, and all around poor living conditions. -
Plymouth and Mayflower Compact
The people who came over on the Mayflower were mainly Separatists who had separated from the King's Church, the Church of England. -
Pequot War
An armed conflict between the Native Americans and the colonists from Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth, and Saybrook. The war began due to the conflict between the settlers and Indians over the fur trade. -
King Philip's War
the colonists in Plymouth treated the Natives poorly. They captured one of the Native American leaders at gunpoint and began taking more Native American land. In retailiation, the Wampanoag leader Metacom began a destructive war known as “King Philip’s War”. -
Bacon's Rebellion
A group of farmers living on the frontier claimed that Governor Berkeley of the Virginia Colony was not protecting them adequately from Indian attacks. Against the Governor's orders, they began attacking nearby Native American villages. -
Salem Witchtrials
There is no clear cause of the Salem Witch trials. Many historians theorize that the restrictive society of the Puritans led the "afflicted" girls to make their accusations purely for entertainment. -
The first great awakening
In the late 17th century, the importance ofreligious for Puritans had died down, partially as a result of the Enlightenment. However, in the 1730s several impassioned young preachers began having "camp meetings" in which drew the attention of many colonists. -
French and Indian War
he French and Indian war began in July 1754 when French troops captured a British expeditionary force led by George Washington. The British ended up winning the war. -
Writs of Assistance
British allowed soldiers to board ships and confiscate goods not taxed. James Otis brought case against the British for taking protected property. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty ended the French and Indian War. It gave the British sole control over nearly half the continent of north America, including French Canada and Spanish Florida. -
Pontiac's Rebellion
Indian leader Pontiac united an unprecedented amount of tribes due to of concern about the spread of colonists and their culture. -
Boston Massacre
Soldiers were assigned to Boston to remind the Colonists of Britain's control over them. Many colonists were unhappy with customs officials and the policies they represented. Laborers gathered around a group of soldier and started throwing snowballs at them. Eventually the soldiers fired into the crowd. -
Boston Tea Party
Response to the Tea Act. Many young members of the Sons of Liberty dressed up as Indians and boarded British ships used to ship tea for the East India Company. They threw £10,000 worth of tea into the harbor. -
Articles of Confederate
After considerable debate and alteration, the Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. This document served as the United States' first constitution, and was in force from March 1, 1781, until 1789. -
Battle of Yorktown
A decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis. -
Treaty of Paris
Formally ended the American Revolutionary War between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United States of America, which had rebelled against British rule. -
Northwest Ordinance
The primary effect of the ordinance was the creation of the Northwest Territory as the first organized territory of the United States out of the region south of the Great Lakes, north and west of the Ohio River, and east of the Mississippi River. -
Whiskey Rebellion
Farmers in western Pennsylvania led an armed rebellion against an excise tax on whiskey, part of Hamilton's financial plan. Washington organized a militia army which marched to halt the rebellion. -
Farewell Address
Washington first proposed the idea of isolationism, which would become the foreign policy of presidents to come. Washington warned the nation not to become involved in any foreign treaty or alliance with another nation. -
Lewis and Clark Expeditions
First US expedition to the Pacific West, Commissioned by Jefferson. His goals were to explore and study the land and to figure out how to use the land for economic purposes. -
Maine joined Free State
The 23rd state, Maine was admitted to the Union a free state as a part of the Missouri Compromise to balance out the number of free and slave states that had been thrown out of whack by the admission of Alabama. -
Missouri Admitted to the Union
Missouri was added to the Union as a slave state to settle the delicate balance between slave and free states. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine, established by President Monroe, asserted that Europe no longer had the jurisdiction to colonize the Americas, nor would the United States meddle in European colonies' nor countries' affairs. -
Nat Turner's Revolt
Nat Turner led one the biggest slave revolt in US history. This revolt was quickly put down, but there was great fear after it. Across Virginia and other southern states, state legislators passed new laws prohibiting education of slaves and free blacks
