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Oct 12, 1492
Columbus Lands in the Americas
Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain. Initially his goal was to find a direct water route from Europe to Asia but along the way he found the Americas. After a two month voyage he landed in the Bahamas which he called San Salvador. His journeys had a huge impact on the development of colonization in the Americas. -
Jamestown
Founded in 1607, Jamestown represents the first officail English settlement in North America. They chose this site so they could build a fort to defend themselves against the natives. Local natives were a part of the Powhatan Tribe who killed many colonists. Later, Captain John Smith helped them trade with them for food. Conditions were very harsh here for colonies due to famine and disease. John Rolfe helped Jamestown grow tremendously when he introduced tobacco which became a huge cash crop. -
Pilgrims Land
The Pilgrims set sail from England on the Mayflower in order to find religious freedom in the New World in September, 1620. They landed off of Cape Cod in Plymouth, the first official settlement of Europeans in New England. The Pilgrims lived on the ship for a couple months, they build houses during the day then went back to the ship to sleep; half of them died from the cold and sickness. Finally in March 1621 there were enough houses for everyone and the Mayflower returned to England. -
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French/Indian War
Also known as the Seven Years War, this event was a struggle between Britain and France. When France expanded into the Ohio River Valley, conflict occurred because of British claims which led to Britain declaring war in 1756. The war hit a peak when British successfully won at Louisbourg, Fort Frontenac. At the peace conference in 1763, the British gained territories of Canada from France as well as Florida from Spain. This opened up Mississippi Valley, which led to westward expansion. -
***Organized Colonial Protest
The colonists responded with organized protest as a result of the Parliament's actions. They shouted out "no taxation without representation". A network of secret organizations called the "Sons of Liberty" was also created-their goal was to intimidate stamp agents. As a result of these objections against Parliament, they decided to repeal the stamp act. -
***Stamp Act
This was Parliament's first direct tax on the colonists which was enacted in order to raise money for Britain. It taxed any form of printed paper such as newspapers, legal documents, pamphlets, and even playing cards. They had to include a stamp to show. that they paid. This greatly angered the colonists which led to a massive protesting; known as the "Organized Colonel Protest". -
***Repeal of the Stamp Act
Since the colonists were not represented, the stamp act was repealed and the colonists withdrew their plan to ban imported British goods. However, after this the British didn't have enough money to supply their people so they implemented the "Townshend Acts" which imposed more taxes on the colonists. -
***Nonimportation
After the Parliament's implantation of the Townshend Acts, colonists decided to start nonimportation to discourage the purchase of British imports. However, later Parliament cut back on taxes due to reduced profits from colonial boycott of imported British goods. Because of this, colonies ended nonimportation and stopped boycotting British goods. Consequently, British troops were sent to stop demonstrations against the act and keep order. Violence was initiated; this started the Boston Massacre. -
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***Townshend Acts
Theses acts placed a tax on glass, lead, paint, paper and tea. This helped pay expenses to govern the American colonies. This was important because it caused the colonies to shut down importation. -
***Boston Massacre
On this evening, British troops fired on a crowd who were throwing snowballs and chunks of ice, however only five colonists died. Two British soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter who were dismissed from the army. This event was important because it further angered the colonists and increased their desire to become independent and indicated a future war. This led to the creation of the Committees of Correspondence, which communicated Boston's position to other colonies. -
***Committees of Correspondence
Samuel Adams called for a Boston town meeting which rallied colonial opposition against British policy and established political union among the 13 colonies. This was important because it further split apart Britain and the colonists; after this the Tea act was implemented. -
***Coercive Acts
In reposned to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed several acts as a punishment. The Boston Port Bill banned the loading and unloading of ships in the Boston Harbor. Second, the Administration of Justice Act offered protection to royal officials in Massachusetts. Finally, the Massachusetts Government Act put the election of most government officials under the control of the crown. -
***Tea Act
This act reduced tax on imported British tea and gave British merchants the unfair advantage of selling their tea in America. This was the catalyst to the Boston Tea Party. -
***Boston Tea Party
This was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty where a group of men disguised as Indians boarded ships and dumped all of the British tea into the harbor. They wanted the tea shipped back to England without the payment of any taxes. As a result of this, Parliament implemented the Coercive Acts as a punishment. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was caused by many previous events such as the Stamp, Sugar and Townshend Acts. General Thomas Gage -Royal Governor of Massachusetts- ordered his troops to seize the colonists military troops in Concord. 700 British Troops arrived in Lexington and local colonists including Paul Revere met. Afterwards they continued to Concord where hundreds of American patriots were forced to withdraw. This battle kicked off the American Revolutionary War. -
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American Revolutionary War
This war was very significant because we got our independence and if it had not happened, we would be ruled by Britain. The conflict arose from tensions between Great Britain's 13 North American colonies and the colonial government. In. the end, American patriots in the 13 colonies won independence from Great Britain. This created the United States of America. -
Declaration of Independence
This document was adopted by the Second Continental Congress, and is extremely important to the history of the U.S. It was officially written by Thomas Jefferson; however, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams also helped. It is about the colonists reasons for seeking independence from British rule, since Britain imposed so many harsh policies on them like taxation.This allowed America to receive French assistance for the war against Great Britain. Overall, it created equal rights and a free America. -
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Constitutional Convention
This convention took place at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia to address the weak central government under the Articles of Confederation, which they ended up throwing out. Instead, they wrote a whole new system of government. This included proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the senate.They also decided three fifths of the slaves would be counted as population. This created the Constitution of the U.S. -
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Jefferson Presidency
On this day, Jefferson became the third president of the U.S. When he ran for president, his opponent was John Adams, who he beat but tied with his running mate, Aaron Burr. Eventually Jefferson won the support of Congress and became president. His most important actions he took during presidency include writing the Declaration of Independence, purchasing the Louisiana Territory, and launching the Lewis and Clark Expedition. -
Louisiana Purchase
The United States purchased 83 million square miles of territory from France. Louisiana territory stretched from the Rocky Mountains to the Mississippi River and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian Border. This doubled the size of the country and increased motivation for westward expansion. -
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Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark went on an expedition funded by the government to expand commerce and trade across the west. The expedition started in St.Louis Missouri stretched all the way to the Pacific Ocean and back. This trip was a huge step forward for many Americans. It opened wide trading routes and allowed America's economy and culture to prosper. Geographically, many plants and land were discovered, more reliable maps were drawn and it led to settlement towards the west. -
Missouri Compromise
This compromise made Missouri a free state and Maine a free state. It also forbid slavery in the Louisiana Purchase lands north of latitude 36°30′ (known as the Mason Dixon line). This marked the beginning of the conflict over slavery, leading to the American Civil War. -
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Harriet Tubman
Born a slave, this women escaped to freedom in 1879 and became the conductor of the Underground Railroad. She is important because she risked her life in order to help hundreds of slaves escape from the south so they could reach their freedom in the North. She also worked as a spy for the Union. -
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Jackson Presidency
In Jackson's presidential election, he went against John Quincy Adams. Jackson was the first president to win directly from mass of voters rather than support by political organization. He became a national hero for defeating the British in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812 and was greatly remembered for founding the Democratic Party and supporting personal liberty. -
Indian Removal Act
Signed by President Andrew Jackson, this act gave him the right to grant unsettled lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands. Many became very resistant of this relocation policy because they did not want to move west. This led to forced migration of about 60,000 Native Americans which included the Trail of Tears. -
Dredd Scott vs Sanford
Dredd Scott was a slave whose owner took him from the slave state of Missouri to free territory in Illinois where slavery was forbiden by the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Scott appealed to the court for his freedom in the free state of Illinois. The case was in court for years, then in March of 1857, the court ruled against Dred Scott because he lacked legal standing to sue in federal court since he was not a citizen. The court decided that being in a free territory does not make a slave free. -
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Lincoln Presidency
On this day, Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States, becoming the first president of the Republican Party. Some of his greatest achievement during his presidency include his Gettysburg Address, issuing the Emancipation Proclamation (which led to the end of slavery in the U.S.), and leading the Union to victory in the Civil War. Today he is known as one of the greatest presidents of the U.S. because of his amazing leadership and his wise mind. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
This standoff started when the Confederates started to build their forces around Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor,South Carolina. Anderson,the leader of the Union, moved his forces to the fort. He began to run of supplies, but Anderson refused to leave. Once Lincoln announced plans to resupply the fort, Beauregard responded by bombarding the Fort. After several shots, Anderson was forced to surrender- no one died in the battle.This event triggered the start of the American Civil War. -
Emancipation Proclomation
Issued by President Lincoln after the Union Victory of Antietam, this proclomation was about the importance of stopping slavery. He announced that on January 1, 1863 all slaves shall be free. Although it did not actually free any slaves, it turned the focus of war more on freedom rather than preservation of the nation. -
Surrender at Appomattox
Near the Appomattox Court House in Virginia, General E. Lee from the Confederates surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant from the Union. This meeting lasted about two and a half hours, and officially ended the Civil War. -
Lincoln Assassinated
Famous actor John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln behind the head at Ford's theatre in Washington, D.C. in 1865; five days after the end of the war. Booth managed to escape the theatre, although he broke his leg when jumping off the stand. Lincoln was carried to a boarding house across the street to be placed on a bed; however he could not be saved and died the next morning. Tens of thousands of people lined up at the Capital rotunda to pay their respects to the their great fallen leader of the north. -
Thirteenth Amendment Ratified
The 13th amendment finally abolished slavery in the United States, eight months after the war. Lincoln's immense victory lead to the ratification of this amendment. The Senate passed it April of 1864, the House passed it in January of 1865, then Georgia officially ratified it on December 6, 1865. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment gave African Americans the right to vote and allowed most African Americans to be elected in office. -
Invention of the Telephone
The telephone was invented by the Scottish-Amercian scientist Alexander Graham Bell. However Antonio Meucci was the first to come up with the idea and design of the telephone in 1849. The telephone made communication extremely faster, more efficient and transformed society. -
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Margaret Sanger
Margaret Sanger was largely known for modern feminism and being a women's rights activist in the 1920s. She is strongly remembered for founding Planned Parenthood to advocate for birth control rights. Additionally, she worked with W.E.B. Du Bois to set up health clinics in African American neighborhoods. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Signed by President Chester A. Arthur, this act restricted Chinese immigrants from coming into the United States for 10 years because of stereotypical hatred toward the Chinese and they didn't want competition for work. Also, if the Chinese left the U.S. they had to have certification to re-enter. In 1892, Congress extended it for another 10 years- known as the Geary Act. This required every Chinese resident to obtain a certificate of residence, and if they refused they'd be deported. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Passed by Congress, with a vote of 51-1 from the Senate and 242-0 from the House, this act prohibited trusts. This greatly reduced economic competition between states and foreign nations. It also made it illegal to monopolize trade and commerce in the U.S. -
Plessy vs Ferguson
This Supreme Court case advanced the "separate but not equal" doctrine by a 7-1 majority. It originated from an incident on a train, when an African American passenger Homer Plessy sat in a "whites only" railway car and refused to move, which broke a Louisiana law. The court ruled that his rights were not violated and did not conflict with the 14th amendment since it only protected legal equality of blacks and whites instead of social equality. -
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Spanish American War
On this day, the U.S. declared war on Spain. The USS Battleship of Maine was sent to Cuba to protect U.S. interest, however it sunk in Havana Harbor and Spain was blamed, causing the U.S to declare war on them. The war ended with the singing of the Peace Treaty which established Cuban independence, ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the U.S., and allowed the U.S. to purchase the Philippines for $20 million. However, the Platt Amendment made Cuba a U.S. protectorate. -
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Roosevelt Presidency
After McKinley was assassinated, Roosevelt became the 26th and youngest president of the U.S. During his presidency, he lead the public toward several progressive reforms including the improvement of economic, environmental and international aspects. He was the first president to successfully restrict businesses, and implemented the Sherman Anti-Trust act against monopolies. His foundation is greatly known as the "Square Deal" since he promised to be fair to all. -
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Wilson Presidency
Wilson was a strong leader of the Progressive movement, as he was an advocate for world peace and democracy. He strived to keep America neutral during World War one, but eventually told Congress to declare war on Germany in 1917. After the war ended, he proposed a peace treaty known as his "Fourteen Points" which was a plan for the League of Nations. Although this was rejected, it was put into play after World War two. He also received a Nobel Prize for his peacemaking effort. -
WW1 Begins
The start of World War one was sparked by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, setting off a series of chain events towards war. One month later, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia with the support of Germany; then Germany declared war on France. Later, Germany invaded Belgium which caused Britain to declare war on Germany. Conflict and violence continued to spread around the world and increasingly strained relationships between countries occurred. -
Panama Canal
On this day, the Panama Canal was officially opened after 10 years of being built. The canal lies at a latitude of 9 degrees north, right where the lowest part of North America dips down. Widely used for world trade, it allowed ships to sail between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean twice as fast which was extremely convenient. -
WW1 Ends
Near the end of World War One, Germany was faced with invasion and were simply too weak to continue fighting. On this day, Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies to end the war outside of Compiégne, France. Many countries celebrated the ending of the war, except for at the Front. Some soldiers believed the Armistice was only temporary and that war would continue soon. Then on June 28, 1919 all of the Allied Nations signed the Treaty of Versailles which formally ended the war. -
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Harlem Renaissance
This was a period of Golden Age full of literature, art, music and stage performance, which reached its peak throughout the 20s. During this time, the culture of African-Americans flourished with more race-pride. The Great Migration occurred, when African Americans migrated North to urban cities-a majority in New York City- for more opportunities for jobs and education; also to a place where the environment was more race-tolerant. The Renaissance symbolized new talent and a cultural awakening. -
Eighteenth Amendment
The 18th amendment prohibited the manufacturing, transportation and sale of alcohol in the U.S. This was difficult to enforce and in effect lead to more crime in the nation. This amendment was repealed by the 21st amendment in December of 1933. -
Treaty of Versailles
This peace treaty brought World War one to an end. The European Allies decided to impose heavy debt payments on the defeated Germany, making them completely responsible for the war. In addition, Germany was forbidden from maintaining an Air Force, their army and navy had to be greatly reduced, and they lost a significant amount of land. These strict punishments made Germany very angry, which set the stage for World War 2 less than 20 years later. -
Nineteenth Amendment
The 19th amendment gave women the right to vote. The fight for woman suffrage went on for more than 70 years before this amendment was finally passed. This was huge because it helped women move closer to equality and helped them play a larger role in society. Women started to advocate for more jobs, education, fair wages and economic security. -
Gitlow vs New York
This court case decided that the First Amendment's protection of free speech also applied to state governments. A socialist named Gitlow was arrested for printing a newspaper that said "The Left Wing Manifesto" which advocated an overthrow of the government. At the trial Gitlow argued that there was no violence, however he was convicted of violating the 1st and 14th amendments. -
Stock Market Crash
This was a dramatic four-day collapse of stock prices; the worst financial crisis in history of the U.S. The caused the failure of banks all over America, production to drop and unemployment to rise dramatically. This event was a huge contributor to the start of the Great Depression because of all the economic turmoil.
