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Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus and crew land in Bahamas.
Columbus unintentionally discovers the Americas when trying to find a new route to the Indies. This discovery led to a global economic system. -
Jun 7, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas created.
This ended disputes between Portugal and Spain after Columbus's return. It divided lands off of the West Coast of Africa. -
Feb 6, 1498
John Cabot explores northeastern coast of North America.
He was sent by the English. One of the first English voyagers sent to the Americas. -
Sep 11, 1513
Balboa claims land touched by Pacific Ocean for Spain.
He landed on the coast of Panama and claimed any land touched by the Pacific for Spain. -
Aug 13, 1519
Hernan Cortes conquers Aztec empire
He forced his way in using Malinche and another Indian slave as a translator. Aztecs believed he was a returning god so they had easy entry; turned into modern day Mexico City. -
Jun 13, 1522
Ferdinand Magellan's vessels complete first circumnavigation of the globe.
He started in Spain with five ships and was killed by inhabitants of the Phillipines. One ship returned home, which completed the first circumnavigations of the globe. -
Nov 14, 1530
King Henry VIII broke from the Roman Catholic Church.
Because of this, the English Protestant Reformation began. This made tensions with Spain rise. -
Nov 16, 1532
Francisco Piazarro demolishes Incan empire.
He ends their culture in Peru, which brings riches to Spain. -
Sep 8, 1565
Spanish create fortress at St. Augustine, Florida.
St. Augustine was used to protect their their sea-lanes and defend themselves against the French. It is the oldest continually used European settlement to date. -
Don Juan de Onate led Spaniards in defeating Pueblos.
They beat the Pueblos severly, and in the Battle of Acoma, the spanish cut off one foot of each survivor, proclaiming that land as the province of New Mexico. -
Spain and England sign the treaty of peace.
By signing the treaty, it ensured that the English were able to start colonizing in the New World; England was blossoming just as Spain was when they first began colonizing. -
The Virginia Company of London lands in Jamestown.
They recieved a charter from King James I, which granted them settlement in the New World. By 1609, only 60 of the 400 settlers remained alive. -
Maryland is formed by Lord Baltimore.
Baltimore established Maryland as a safe haven for Catholic people. However, people who were not Christian (jews and atheists) were to be killed under the Act of Toleration. -
Indian people, provoked by the catholic missionaries, start the Pope's Rebellion.
Missionaries tried to supress native culture/religion, but the Pueblos rebelled and destroyed every Catholic church in the province. -
Colony of Georgia is founded.
Georgia was founded by the Oglethorpe's. It's first intention was to protect the Carolinas against the Spaniards from Florida. It also was a good colony for wine and silk. -
The British burn the town of Norfolk, Virginia.
The British also burned Falmout a year prior to this, and in that same month colonists attempted to capture Canada but failed. -
Thomas Paine creates "Common Sense".
"Common Sense" voiced that the colonies had outgrown any need for English rule, and they should be given independence. -
The Declaration of Independence is written and approved.
Thomas Jefferson was chosen to create the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was then formally approved by Congress. -
Burgoyne surrenders to Horatio at Saratoga
General Burgoyne was forced to surrender his troops to American general Horatio Gates. This win made it possible for the Americans to recieve aid from France. It was the turning point in the war. -
Washington and his troops escape to Manhattan Island.
General Washington and his men were overpowered by the British at the Battle of Long Island. Washington and his men escaped to Manhattan Island, demonstrating his defensive fighting tactics. -
Washington and his troops capture 1,000 Hessian soldiers at Trenton.
Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River in a surprise attack and capture 1,000 Hessians in Trenton. -
Washington and his troops rest at Valley Forge.
At Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Washington and his troops went without food for 3 days in the winter. -
Baron von Steuben: German who helps train the America fighters.
Steuben was a former Hessian soldier. He helped train the American soldiers while at Valley Forge. -
The French openly agree to assisting America in the war.
Because the French feared American-British reconciliation, they made an open alliance with the colonists. This meant that the French would join the fight against the British for American independence. -
John Paul Johns creates the American navy and privateering.
John Paul Jones created the American Navy and the tactic of privateering. Privateering is when privately owned vessels were given consent by the government, during wartime, to attack and capture enemy vessels, men, cargo, etc. -
Catherine the Great creates Armed Neutrality.
Catherine the Great creates Armed Neutrality, which allied the remaining neutral European countries, which were Holland and Spain, against Britain. -
General Benedict Arnold turns traitor against the Americans.
Benedict felt he was not getting enough recognition for his acations as a general for the Patriots, so, he leaks information to British troops and becomes the biggest traitor in American history. -
Cornwallis surrenders to Washington at Yorktown.
British General Cornwallis retreated tot Yorktown for seaborne supplies and reinforcements. George Washington, Rochambeau's French army, and Admiral de Grasse, cornered Cornwallis. He was forced to surrender. -
The Articles of Confederation was adopted in 1781.
The Articles of Confederation was important because it was the first written constitution adopted by colonists. This confederation was copied from Connecticut. -
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 is signed.
This treatry ensured american Independence from Britain, Flordia was granted to Spain, and issues over land were disputed. -
The Election of 1800
Thomas Jefferson beat John Adams to win the Election of 1800 by a majority of 73 to 65 electoral votes. -
The Judiciary Act of 1801 is passed
The Judiciary Act of 1801 created 16 new federal judgeships and other judicial offices.Democratic-Republican congress quickly repealed it and kicked the new 16 officials out. -
Jefferson is inaugurated President
Jefferson's inaugural address calmed down Federalists by saying that everyone was a Federalist and a Republican. He also spoke about how the US will not have another event like the Franco-American alliance (aka no more alliances, just friendly relations) -
Jefferson passes the Naturalization Law of 1802
The Naturalization Law of 1802 reduced the requirement of 14 years of residence to the previous 5 years, which undid the Alien Acts. -
Marubury vs. Madison case occurs
Marbury vs. Madison was case that started when Marbury sued Madison because he did not recieve his commission. The most important outcome from the case was that the Supreme Court had the final say in what was Constitutional and unconstitutional. -
Lewis and Clarck are sent to explore Western US
After the Louisiana purchase, one of our biggest problems was that the area of the West was very unchartered territory. To solve this problem, Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore it. The entire journy took exactly two and a half years. -
The Louisiana Purchase is signed off by Jefferson.
Robert Livingston and James Monroe negotiated for the Louisiana land area. Napolean offered a better offer saying that he would give them all of Louisiana for $15 million dollars. This caused the two political parties to switch views, however, in the end the purchase was signed off on. -
Horatio Lord Nelson's fleet won at the Battle of Trafalgar
When Napolean declares war in Europe in 1803, the US is overjoyed because this means that we could trade with either side in the war, however, when the British won the Battle of Trafalgar, this meant that they ruled the seas. This cut our ties with the French. -
Jefferson passes the Embargo Act
After England's Orders in Council and France's similar act, Jefferson issued the Emargo Act, which stated that America would not export any goods to any country. This meant America would have to start creating its own goods. -
British ship Leopard attacks the Chesapeake off of Virginia
The British ship, Leopard, demanded men, when we refused, they open fire on the ship. The Chesapeake was badly impacted but floated back to shore. Although the British government apologized, it made the Americans ready to wage war. -
Congress issues Macon's Bill No. 2
After Madison becomes President, Congress issued Macon's Bill No. 2, which reopened all trade to the entire world and said if France or Britain repealed their acts they would repeal the Embargo act to the country that repealed. This led to the War of 1812. -
Congress passes the Non-Intercourse Act
After passing the Embargo Act, which cut off trade to everyone, the US realized that wasn't the best tactect, so, Congress passed the Non-Intercourse Act. This act stated that the US would only cut off trade to Britatin and France. -
"War Hawks" continue pushing for war
"War Hawks" was a term for the Congressmen from the West and South who were ready to wage war. The most well-known War Hawk is Henry Clay. -
The Battle of Tippecanoe occurs
The battle was between the Shawnee Indians and William Henry Harrison. Tecumseh and the Prophet were two leading brothers in the Shawnee. They encouraged tradition in the Indian culture; this was seen as a threat, so Harrison attacked and defeated them, killing the Prophet. -
The War of 1812 begins.
Caused by Macon's Bill No. 2, it was between the British and the Americans. The French receded in helping us, so we were fighting on our own. We spontaneoulsy attacked, using the three pronged tactic, which did not work. The war ended with the Treaty of Ghent two years after the war started. -
The Erie Canal begins to be built
The Erie Canal was considered the "granddaddy" of all canals. It linked western rivers with the Atlantic. It dropped costs from the West to the East, it affected trade with Mississippi, and allowed for Western cities to boom. -
The Industrial Revolution begins.
It started and England and meant that machines and factories were beginning to replace handmade products. It quickly spread to the rest of Europe and America. This meant cheap land, lots of jobs, and raw materials that brought in consumers. -
The first railroad is built.
Nicknamed "the iron horse", the first tracks were laid mostly in the North. By the 1860s, there were 30,000 miles of railroad tracks. They largely helped with transportation of goods and travel, however, they were extrememly dangerous and collisions happened often. -
Tariff of Abominations
Issued initally as a joke by Jackson, it raised the Tarrif even higher (45%) than it had been in the Tariff of 1824. Their plan backfired extrememly when Congress passed the bill. This angered many and would eventually lead to the Compromise Tariff. -
Samuel Morse creates the telegraph.
By creating an electric telegraph, Morse allowed for instant communications, kicking the pony express to the curb. The first words ever said were "What hath God wrought?" -
Compromise tariff of 1833
Issued by Henry Clay, it lowered the tariff to previous rates. It said over and 8 year time the tariff would decrease by 10%. It undid the Tariff of Abominations, which was established as a joke but taken seriously and passed. -
Texas wins independence from Mexico.
A war that initially started over the boarder between Mexico and America, Texas won the revolution against Mexico. Anxious to join America, Texas requested annexation but was turned down because of the decision on whether or not Texas should be a slave state. -
Panic of 1837 occurs.
This was the second economic panic of the 1800s. It was caused by overspeculation, Jackon's poor bank policies, "Specie circular", and failure of crops. Many banks crashed and farmers lost their farms. -
"Trail of Tears" happens.
Inititated by Jackson through the Indian Removal Act, all Native Americans down South were forced to walk the "Trail of Tears" to Oklahoma. Jackson believed he was saving them and their culture by moving them. Thousands of NA died on the journey Westward. -
Independent Treasury is established.
A part of Polk's four point plan, the independent treasury was established. Polk believed money should not be withheld by the federal bank but kept in independent treasuries, therefore, the Independent Treasury was established. -
Labor unions are declared legal.
After many issues with labor laws, such as child labor, overbearing hours, little breaks, and poor work conditions, Unions were finally legalized. Unions allowed for workers to huddle together and stand up for what they felt they deserved. -
Howe and Singer invents the sewing machine.
Apart of the manufacturing boom, Howe and Singer created the sewing machine. This invention greatly helped with the production of cloth. -
The potato famine in Ireland occurs.
The Potato famine killed millions in Ireland; it was sparked after war in Europe. Because of this, thousands of Irish folks traveled to America as immigrants. They lived in the slums of America and had poor paying jobs. Many Americas rejected their culture. -
Know Nothing party is formed
The Know Nothing party, also known as the American Party, were a mysterious group who fed off of fear. Its members strongly opposed immigrants and followers of the Catholic Church, which meant they were not fans of the Irish. -
The Cumberland Road is completed.
Also known as the National Road, Cumberland Road reached from Maryland all the way to Illinois. It became the main route to connect the East to the West by means of travel. -
The Impending Crisis of the South
This novel was following a more popular one written by Harriet Beecher Stowe called "Uncle Tom's Cabin" This novel had a completely different outlook on slavery, saying that the white men who did not have slaves suffered the most in this situtaion. -
Bleeding Kansas
Kansas got this name after violent outbreaks that occured when Kansas was voted to be a slave state. -
Pro-slavery government creates the Lecompton Constitution
The Lecompton Constitution said that if the consitution would pass with or without slavery, and if the people voted for no slavery, the slaves already in the state were to be kept but none were allowed to be taken in. -
The Brooks and Sumnar incident
Brooks was a politician from the South and Sumnar from the North. Sumnar was being a huge jerk, and Brooks had enough of it. He beat him with his cane. -
The Election of 1856 takes place
This election was won by, James Buhcanan. It was a good thing that Fremont did not win because he paved the way for LIncoln in the election of 1860. -
The Dead Scott decision takes place.
The Dred Scott decision was over a slave seeking freedom because his owner took him into free states. Taney decided that his case was invalid because slaves were not citizens, congress could not prohibit or not allow slavery anywhere, which also meant that the Missouri compromise was unconstitutional. -
The Panic of 1857 happens.
This panic was caused from over-speculation, over-production of goods, and finally -
Harper's Ferry incident occurs.
John Brown attempted to take over an arsenal to start a slave rebellion. He took over one building but was stopped immediately. He was killed. -
The Freeport Doctrine is made.
This doctrine was made during the heated Linoln-Douglas debates. It said that if people of a state said no slavery, slavery would be banned. In other words, the people held the power with this doctrine. -
The heated Lincoln-Douglas debates go on.
The debates between Lincoln and Douglas took place during the Senate race. Throughout these debates, many topics were discussed. The most influential was the debate over slavery and popular sovereignty. -
The election of 1860 takes place.
Lincoln won this election. His win caused South Carolina to secede, creating the Confederate States of America. Five southern states joined and also seceded. -
James Crittenden creates the Crittenden Compromise.
This compromise was a final try at resolving the slavery dispute. It said that slavery was banned above 36 30 line and allowed below. -
South Carolina secedes
SC threatened to seced if Lincoln was placed in office; they did just that when he won. They helped to create the Confederate States of America, creating a confederacy. -
Buchanan gives up
President Buchanan does nothing to stop South Carolina from seceding, along with the other states. He believes the military is needed out West and Lincoln will fix it when he is inaugurated -
Jefferson Davis and the Confederate States of America
He was nominated the one and only President of the Confederate States of America. He was not well liked, which hurt the confederacy.
