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Apr 17, 1492
Christopher Columbous signs Contract
Christopher Columbous signs a contract with Spain to find a faster route to the Indies. -
Oct 12, 1492
Columbous makes land fall
Christopher Columbous makes land fall in the Bahamas, but he believes it is east Asia. -
Mar 13, 1519
Hernan Cortes invades Mexico
Hernan Cortes invades Mexico, Captures the Aztec's and establishes New Spain -
Nov 6, 1528
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca says he is first to Enter the West
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca is ship wrecked off the coast of Texas and starts an eight year odyssey that he is first to set foot in the West. -
May 28, 1539
Hernando de Soto lands in FLorida
Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay to begin his expedition across the southeast. -
Feb 25, 1540
Fransisco Vasquez de Coronado invades North
Fransisco Vasquez de Coronado leads Mexico's invasion of the North with 300 conquistadres and more than 1000 Indians -
Jan 1, 1546
Spain's "New Laws" are repealed
Spain's "New Laws" barring Indian Enslavement are repealed at the insistence of the New World colonists. They developed a colony depended on slave labor. -
Jan 1, 1552
Bartolome de Las Casa was the first priest in the western hemisphere
Bartolome de Las Casa was the first priest in the western hemisphere and cheif architect of the "New Laws". He also published "Brief Relations of theDestruction of the Indies", about gruesome examples of the colonists treatment of the Indies. -
Jamestown is founded
Jamestown is founded in Virginia. This is the first permanent English colony on the continent. -
Samuel de Champlain found Quebec
Quebec found in Canada as the first permenent French colony on the continent. -
German astronomer discovers Jupiter moons
Simon Marius discovers jupiter moons but does not officially report it. Galileo does on July 1st 1610. -
Pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock
English Pilgrims land at Plymouth ROck, Massachuetts -
Horses that were stolen transform the Indian colony
Horses stolen from the ranches of New Mexico begin to transform the culture of the Plains. This enabled Native Americans to hunt and fight in battle. -
U.S police corps established
The first United Staes police corps was established -
John Lockes constitution approved
John Lockes constitution of English colony of Carolina approved. -
Europeans journey down the Mississippi
Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette became first Europeans to journey down the Mississippi. -
Three French explorers travel the Gulf of Mexico and claim Louisiana.
Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle, and Henri de Tonti complete a four month vouage in what is now The Gulf of Mexico, claiming the Mississippi Valley for France and named it Louisianna. -
Massachuetts fasts for the witches
Massachuetts holds a day of fasting for the wrongly persecuting "witches". -
California is established to be part of North America
Eusebio Kino produces a map that established California is part of North America. -
Georgia's colony is founded.
James Oglethorpe founded the Georgia colony, near Savannah. -
First Jockey Club
First Jockey Club was established in South Carolina -
England and Russia Sign Agreement
England and Russia sign a trade agreement -
First Opera is opened in United States
First opera in United States is opened in Charleston, South Carolina. -
A wave kills 300,000
A fourty foot wave sinks 20,000 small craft and kill 300,000 in Bengal, India. -
Earthquake kills 300,00
Earthquake kills 300,000 and destroys half of Calcutta, India. -
Treaty between Pennsylvania and Maryland ends War
The Treaty between Pennsylvania and Maryland ends the Conojucular War with settlement of the boundary dispute and exchange prisoners. -
French Explorer reaches western shore of Lake Michigan
French explorer Piere Gaultier de Varennes et de la Verendrye reaches the western shore of lake Michigan. -
Slave revolt in South Carolina
Slave revolt in Stono, South Carolina is led by a man named Jemmy. Twenty-five whites were killed. -
First American magazine published
Andrew Bedford publishes the first American Magazine called "American Magazine". -
Alaska is dicovered
The state that is now Alaska is discovered by a Danish explorer by the name of Vitus Bering -
Clecius is introduced
Astronomer Andres Clecius introduces the centigrade temperature scale -
Franklin invents stove
Benjamin Franklin invents the "Franklin Stove". -
First Town Meeting
THe first American Town Meeting was held. It was located in Boston's Faneuil Hall -
Earth's Notation Motion is Discovered
James Bradley announces the discovery of Earth's notation motion, which is the wobble. -
Riot after Public Execution
A riot occurs after a public execution in Amsterdam with two hundred plus people killed -
First Lutheran Denomination in North America
The first Luther denomination in North America, the Pennsylvania Ministerium, is founded in Philadelphia. -
First College Fraternity was formed
The F.H.C Society, also known as the Fat Hat Club, was formed at Raleigh Tavern, Wlliamsburg, Virginia. This was the first college fraternity. -
Fire Insurance Policy issued
The first fire insurance policy was issued in Philadelphia -
Practice of Medicine is passed
New York passes the first effective law regulating practice of medicine. -
End of French-Indian War
Treaty of Paris ends the French-Indian War. This surrendered Canada to England -
John Adams gets married
John Adams marries Abigail Smith, and the marriage lasts 54 years. -
Stamp Act
The stamp act has been passed by the British -
British established the Quartering Act
This act was establishede and forced American colonists to house British soldiers. -
First United States medical college established
First United States medical college established in Philadelphia -
Stamp Act is repealed
This act was repealed by the King -
British government disbands on tea
British government disbands Americans import duty on tea. -
British passes Townshend Revenue Act
British passes Townshend Revenue Act levying taxes on America -
Chamver of Commerce
1st US Chamber of Commerce forms in New York City. -
1st Methodist church in US initiated
1st Methodist church in US initiated named WEsley chapel, in New York. -
Boston Massacre occurs, Killing 5 people
Boston Massacre, British troops kill 5 in crowd. -
The Townshend Acts are repealed
The Townshend Acts are repealed by the king. -
School for blacks established
Quakers open a school for blacks in Philadelphia -
Protestant church hold communion
1st Protestant church west of Pennsylvania holds communion in Ohio -
1st naval attack of Revolutionary War
1st naval attack of Revolutionary War takes place in Providence, RI -
Massachusetts slaves petition legislature for freedom
Slaves in Massachusetts petition for freedom -
First Insane Asylum Opens in Virginia
America's first insane asylum opens for 'Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds' in Virginia -
1st Continental Congress
1st Continental Congress assembles in philadelphia -
British are coming!
Paul Revere & William Dawes warn "British are coming!" And British begin siege of Boston -
British are defeated
Washington defeats British at Battle of Princeton, NJ -
New York Becomes a State
New York adopts a new consitituion to become a state -
Capt James Cook finds Sandwich Islands
Capt James Cook stumbles over Sandwich Islands, also known as the Hawaiian Islands -
Peace Treaty
Congress ratifies peace treaty between US & England -
First Balloon Flight
THe first balloon flight in the UNited States was by 13 year old Edward Warren -
Oyster Island for Sale
Samuel Ellis advertised to sell Oyster Island which is now called Ellis Island and he did not recieve any takers -
Bifocals
Benjamin Franklin created the new glasses that help for reading close up and far away. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shays Rebellion fails and the farmers have to pay debts. -
First Newspaper for the Alleghanies
THe first newspaper was published on this date west of the Alleghanies, called the PItts Gazette -
Emancipating Slaves
Pennsylvania Quakers have emancipated their slaves, but solomly this does not exile discrimination -
First American Novel
THe first American novel is published and it was written by W.H. Brown's "Power of Sympathy" -
Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State
Thomas Jefferson joins Washington's cabinet as the Secretary of State. -
First United States Law School
The first United States law school was established, called the University of Pennsylvania -
President Veto's First Bill
On this date, President George Washington vetoed his first bill -
President changes Capitol Building
The Capitol Building was changed from Philadelphia -
United States Navy
THe United States Navy was formed -
Pickney's Treaty
This Treaty was signed between Spain & US, establishing southern boundary of US and giving Americans right to send goods down Mississippi. -
White House is Finished
THe new White House is finsished and the PResident Adams and his wife move in. -
Chief Justice
John MArshall is appointed as the United States Chief Justice -
Supreme Court Declares Law Unconstitutional
THe supreme court declares their first law unconstitutional and this law was Marbury vs. Madison. -
NewJersey Abolishes Slavery
New Jersey becomes last state to abolish slavery. -
Priest Killedd
Spaniards execute Mexican revolutionary priest Jose Maria Morelos -
Now allowed to review decisions
US Supreme Court affirms its right to review state court decisions -
Steam Boat Service
Mississippi River steamboat service begins -
Spain claims Oregon Territory
Spain renounces claims to Oregon Country, Florida called the Adams-Onís Treaty. -
American Colonization Society
The first 86 African American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society started a settlement in present-day Liberia. -
Granted Land in Texas
Jan 3rd - Stephen F. Austin receives a grant of land in Texas from the government of Mexico. -
Trail of Tears
U.S. Congress approves Indian Territory (in what is present-day Oklahoma), clearing the way for forced relocation of the Eastern Indians on the "Trail of Tears." -
Mardi Gras
First Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans -
First Dictionary for Americans
Noah Webster publishes 1st American dictionary -
First railroad opens
First United States Railroad Station opens in Baltimore -
first issue of the Liberator
William Lloyd Garrison publishes 1st issue of abolitionist journal -
First railroad Accident
First railroad accident in US, Granite Railway, Quincy, Massachuettes with 1 death -
Public Library
First tax-supported public library in Peterborough, NH. -
Austin imprisioned
The government of Mexico imprisons Stephen F. Austin in Mexico City. -
National Debt
The United States national debt is 0 for the first and only time. -
Crockett and the Alamo
Davy Crockett arrives in Texas, just in time for the Alamo -
Upcoming of Texas
Texas approves a constitution and abolishes slavery -
Michigan
Michigan admitted as 26th US state -
Baseball
First baseball game played in America -
First Bowling Event
First recorded bowling event in United States,in knickerbacker, New York. -
Steamship Burns down
The steamship Lexington burns and sinks four miles off the coast of Long Island with the loss of 139 lives. -
Blacks become free
United States Supreme Court rules negros free -
Child Labor Law
The first child labor law is established in Massachuetts -
Wagon Train
THe first wagon train started in Mass. with over 1000 members -
Morse Code
samuel morse taps out the first morse code message -
Winscounsin
30th state becomes Winscounsin -
Women in the medical Field
Elizabeth Blackwell becomes first women to earm a medical degree -
Star
Harvard Adversary took the first photo of a star -
First baseball uniforms worn
1st baseball uniforms worn, NY Knickerbockers wear straw hat, white shirt & blue long trousers -
Women Minister
first women became an ordained minister, Anionette Blackwell -
Lincoln Universtiy
A black college called Lincoln University was chartered -
Michigan State
Michigan State was established -
First National meeting
1st national meeting of Republican Party in Pittsburgh -
National Association of Baseball
National Association of Baseball PLayers founded in New York -
Hawaii
First bank is located in Hawaii -
Mississippi
Mississippi becomes the second state to secede from the Union -
Monitor
US Navy's 1st ironclad warship (Monitor) launched -
Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation which ended slavery issued by Lincoln -
Grant
Ulysses S. Grant is appointed commander of Union Army -
Surrender
General Robert E Lee and 26,765 troops, surrender at Appomattox Court House in Virginia to US Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant
