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Nov 10, 1492
Columbus Lands in The New World
In 1492 Christopher Columbus and his crew Landed in the Bahamas and Claimed them for Spain. This was a great acheivement for him because he thought he had found a new rout to the West Indies. -
Nov 13, 1500
The Spanish Empire
After 1492 many Spanish conquerers came to the new world to fond uncharted land. They enslaved millions of Native Americans and started the Adrican Slave trade. This also lead to the Columbian exchange in which many goods were transported back and forth between the Americas and Europe. -
Nov 21, 1500
African Slave Trade
In the 1500's Europeans started capturing and shipping Africans to the Americas. They needed new slaves because most of the Native Americans died of diseases therefore the europeans were running out of people to work for them. They shipped millions of Africans over to the New World and treated them inhumanely using them as slaves. -
Nov 13, 1534
New France
French Explorers claimed most of Canada for France and started fur trade. Courer de bois hunted in the woods and brought back fur and wood to france. There weren't many settlers in New france because of the extreme weather. The french were 'business partners' with the Huron Indians. The French were rivals with the Dutch in fur trade and the Huron were enemies with the Iriquois Indians so they fought togather. New France spread south and claimed states such as Louisianna for thye King of France. -
Jamestown: The first English Colony
Jamestown was created when nobles from England came to the Americas. They chose a very bad place to start their colony because there were disease-spreading mospuitoes. Also a strong Native American tribe did not like them invadinbg their land. The Natives didn't want to be friends with the Englishmen and planned to let them starve but Pocahontas, A great cheif's daughter saved them. She later on married an Englishmen and converted to Christianity. -
The Colony of Virginia
Jamestown, the first english colony was in the colony of Virginia. Virginia was named after Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen. This colony grew anddeveloped a lot. The economy was based on tobacco plantations. Virginia became a self-govorned colony. The people in Virginia prospered over all the years. -
Quebec trading post
The Quebec trading post was created by Samuel de Champlain. He sailed along the St. Lawrence River and made this trading post, naming it the Quebec trading post. It was mainly a base for people like explorers, fur traders soldiers and missionaries. -
The starving time in Jamestown
The starving time was a time of death and extreme hardship in Jamestown. After John Smith left Jamestown and returned to England because of an injury the Indians refused to trade with the Englishmen. This resulted in a huge starvation that was later known as the "Starving Time". The conditions were so extreme that the Englishmen were forced to eat dogs, rats and even human corpses to survive. -
New Netherland
Henry Hundson sailed to the Americas under the name of the Netherlands in 1609. He sailed along the Hudson River and claimed the land around it. The Dutched later claimed the island of Manhattan by buying it from the Iriquois for an equivilant of $24.00. The Dutch and The I riduois were good friends and they fought together against the Huron and the French. The English later conquered New Amsterdam without any blood-shed and re-named it New York. -
Proclamation of 1763
The British govornment passed a lawthat colonists may not cross the Appalacian Mountains to the west. This was to prevet war against the Native Americans that lived on the west of the mountains. This entire scheme was made so that the govornment would not loose anymore money on the army. -
The Stamp Act
The King made colonists buy a stamp with every peice of paper purchased. The govornment made this act this as a duty/tax to colonists so that they could pay off their depts from the Frech/Indian war. -
The Quartering Act
King George passed a law that stated that colonists had to host British soldiers in their homes. They had to pay for supplies such as food, candles, bedding, and beer. The colonists protested, saying taht this was as much taxong as the stamp act! -
The Townshend Act
The British Govornment passed a law putting tax on british imported goods. The patriots wouldn't stand for it! They soon strted boycotting British goods. In 1770, the British govornment agreed to repeal all duties except on imported tea. -
The Tea Act.
The British govornment saw that people didn't want to pay the tax on tea so they came up with a plan. They decided not to let colonists buy tea from anywhere except the East India Company. They brought the price of tea down so that their tea was the cheapest. Colonists wouldn't have choice because it was so affordable, even with the tax. But they wouldn't be manipulated into paying this duty, they refused and had the Boston teas party. They poored nearly 90,000 pounds of tea in the Harbor. -
The Intolerable Acts.
The Intolerable acts were laws passed by the king. They made patriots angry and soon sparked conflict. King George the 3rd decided to send British troops to a small town called Concord where the patriots were hiding weapons. The colonists watched the troops near concord and attacked along the way. When the soldiers got to concord they were met by a group of male volunteers and they started to fight. The British fled and the Patriots were victorious! This later led to the revolutioinary war. -
Lexington and Concord
The continental congress had sent a letter to the king. The King got angry and ordered his troops to attack boston. The British troops heard that the patriots were hiding gun powder in concord. The troops went to collect it. On the way, the patriots attacked multiple times. The British retreated. -
Bunker Hill
Isreal Putnam lead an army of colonists to the top of Breed's Hill. They made a fort at the top of the hill. William Howe lead a British troop to Breed's Hill to attack. The first two times they attacked, the colonistsshot and forced them to retreat. On the third try, the colonists ran out of gun powderand fled. 1000 Brits were killed and 500 colonists were killed. -
Second Continent Congress
The second continental congress met in Philedalphia. They had to choose who would lead the new American army. They chose George Washington. -
Olive Branch Petition
John Adans wanted to send a letter to King Georgeasking for peace. King George didn't look at it and he called them 'Rebels'. This made the colonists very upset. they declared WAR!! -
Seige of Boston
Geprge Washington made a very efficient army out of untrained colonists. They only had 36 barells of gunpowder. The colonists pretended that they had 1800 barells of gunpowder so that the Brits would stay away. The colonists got gunpowder from ticonderoga and they got heavy weaponry aswell. They got cannons and lead for bullets. The brits fled boston and ran away to Canada. -
Decleration of Independance
Thomas Jeferson was chosen to write the formal decleration of Independance. This stated that the colonies were no longer under the rule of Britain. It was signed by thirteen representatives from each colony. -
Battle of New York
The British and American Troops faought in New York. The Patriots lost by a lot. They lost about 1,407 men and the Brits only lost 377 men. The British army thought they had won the war but Georege Washington retreated without surrendering. -
Trenton
The American troops decided to have a surprise attack on the British late on Christmas night. The British soldiers were sleeping and the American captured about 868 British men. No one was killed though. This was very frightening to the British Troops -
Battle of Saratoga
The British Soldiers were getting tired of all these little battles so they decided to completely end the war in Saratoga. When they got there were Patriots everywhere! The British surrendered yet again. -
Battle of Yorktown
The British Troops were getting nowhere in the south so, lead by General Cornwallis they decided to settle in Yorktown. Waiting in Yorktown were more than 1600 American troops. The British could do nothing but surrender. -
Treaty of Paris
The treaty of Paris made Britain recognize the USA as an independant country. The USA had to return the property that was taken from layalists during the war. The Treaty of Paris made the USA and Britain agree to peace and it. -
Shays Rebelion
During the war farmer had to borrow money to be able to keep producing their crops to feed soldiers. After the war, the govornment put all who couldn't repay their dept in jail. The farmers rebelled by destroying all Loan records. This wass called Shay's Rebellion. -
The Constitutional Convention
Delegates from all over the country gathered to try and fix the Articles of Confederation. In the end they decided to completely re-write a new constitution and change the political system. -
Ratification of the U.S. Constitution
The Constitution was ratified by all the states soon after being written. It makes all the laws which are shown in Amendments. There are 27 amendment and the first 10 are called the Bill of Rights. -
The Ratification of the Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation wer4e made after the end of the revolutionary war when the US was trying to find a new form of government. This was the US's first constitution and it stated evryone's rights as citizens of the USA. -
The Indian Removal Act
The US decided to remove all Native Americans from their land. They forced all Indian tribes to leave the America's new territories. The Native Americans had to walk hundred of miles to ares in and near Texas where they were being forced to live in. This trail was often known as the 'Tra l if Tears'. -
The Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana was a french territory and Napoleon was planning on using it as farming space for his slaves. The slaves overuled Napoleon so he decied to sell the land to the US. He sold it the America for $15,000,000. -
Florida gives up Florida
Florida Belonged to the Spanish at that time. Florida whas sort of chaotica at that time, Indians raided farms there and slaved ran away there. Andrew Jackson wanted Florida as a part of America. Spain decided to sell Florida to the US for $5,000,000. -
The Tallmadge Amendment
Missouri had wanted to join the Union as a free state. The South was upset about this and The North was pleased with this because it would make the number to free to slave states uneven and give the free states more representation in senate. The Tallmadge Amendment allowed Missouri to join the Union as a free state. This upset the south because the free states now had more representation and now had the power to possibly abolish slavery. -
The Trail of Tears
Thousands of Charokee Indians were forced to leave their homes and give up all their land to the Americans. They had to walk almost 10,000 to Oklahoma where they would be forced to live. About 4000 of them did not survive the long walk and the trail is referred to as the 'Trail of Tears'. -
The annexation of Texas
Texas belonged to Mexico at this time. Americans were aloowed to settle in this area but the Mexicans were still in charge. The US wanted this land as their own so they decided to attack Mexico. They beat Mexico and claimed Texas as their own. -
The Oregon Treaty
Oregon was ruled by the British at this time. The US wanted it but didnt want to have a war with the British again. They made a treaty (The Oregon Treaty) and decided to share Oregon. They split it in half and marked the border as the 49th parallel. -
The War with Mexico
The US declared war on Mexico after th eannexation of Texas. They fought many battle and ended up agreeing to the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This stated that Mexico had to give up most of its land to the United States. It als omade the Rio Grande the border between Texas ans Mexico. -
The Fugitive Slave Law
The Fugitive slave law made it easier for slave owners to retrieve their lost 'property' and it made strict punishments against people who helped slaves escape. This upset the North because they thought slavery was wrong and they wanted to be able to help slaves escape their cruel lifestyle. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska act stated that the issue of slavery in those territories would be decided by popular svereignty. The North was upset by this because they knew that Missouri would now obviously become a slave state. The Northerners were afraid that because of this, slavery would spread really quickly. -
Lincoln is Elected President
Abraham Lincoln was elected president by northerners because southerners were split up between multiple candidates. The southerners were very upset with Him being elected president because he was against slavery. Also for the first time, they had become a minority. This scared the southerners because they thought he might try to abolish slavery. -
The Civil War
The North and the South of the USA had large disputes about slavery. The south grew so upset that they decided to secede and make their own new nation. They would be The Confederate States of America. The first battle in the civil war was the battle of fort sumter in April 1861. It started when the confederacy decided to attack Fort Sumter which was a union fort in confederate territory. The battle of Gettysburg was a big turning point. General Lee surrendered to General Grant and the North won.
