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1492
Columbus Lands in the Americas
On August 3,1492, three ships named the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria departed out of a Spanish port. The crew consisted of no soldiers, ambassadors, or priests -- only sailors and cabin boys who enjoyed the sea. Months later Columbus's fleet reached the sandy shores of the new world. On October 12, 1492 they encountered the "Taino" people. He names their island San Salvador and claimed it for Spain. -
Jamestown
The Virginia Company had three ships -- Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed -- there were about 150 passengers aboard. They arrived at the shore of Virginia in April 1607. They sailed further inland until they reached a small peninsula and later claimed the land theirs. The first settlement was named Jamestown in honor of their king. -
Pilgrims Land
The pilgrims landed on November 11, 1620. There trip from England took 66 days. The pilgrims were wanting to land on Hudson River, but poor conditions and winds forced them to land in Cape Cod. -
Steam Engine Invented (STORY)
The first steam engine was cerated in England in 1698. This was important because it provided things to be done by machines but also lead to the invention of transportation benefits. -
The French and Indian War
The French and Indian war (also known as the seven years war) was a war spanning from 1754 to 1763. The war was fought between the people of "New France"and the British Americans. The British Americans won this war but still faced struggles as they tried to survive in the wilderness. -
Lexington and Concord
These two battles referred to as Lexington and Concord were the first two battles fought in the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought in Middlesex County near Massachusetts Bay in the towns of Lexington and Concord hence the name. These were the beginning battles between the Thirteen Colonies and the Kingdom of Great Britain. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was announced by the Thirteen Colonies on July 4th, 1776. It declared that even under war the Thirteen Colonies were thirteen independent sovereign states that were no longer under British rule. This document was signed by one representative from each colony. -
Constitutional Convention
This was a gathering held to revise and change the existing constitution and adjust it to newer standards. This convention took place from May 25, to September 17 in 1787. It was held in the Pennsylvania state house in Philadelphia. -
The Cotton Gin (STORY)
The cotton gin was an invented on October 28th, 1793. This invention was important because it made sorting the cotton from the fibers much quicker and more efficient. The cotton industry was a very important to the economy at this time period. -
Jefferson Presidency
Thomas Jefferson was president from March 4th, 1801 to March 4,1809. Jefferson was the third president of the United States. Jefferson also played a large role in the creation of the Declaration of Independence (one of the founding fathers). Prior to his presidency he was a vice president under John Adams. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a deal made between the United States and France. In this deal the United States squired 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi for $15 million greatly expanding the size of the U.S. -
The Locomotive (STORY)
The first locomotive was invented on February 21st, 1804 by Richard Trevithick. This invention was important because it led to the creation of railroads which connected many U.S cities, drove commerce and provided people with more mobility to travel. -
Lewis and Clark (CHOICE)
Lewis and Clark embarked on an exhibition to be the first people to cross into the western part of the United States. They eventually made it to the pacific coast. This operation was allowed by Thomas Jefferson shortly after the Louisiana Purchase. -
Missouri Compromise
Congress passed a bill that granted Missouri statehood as a slave state only under the condition that slavery would forever be prohibited in the other states in the Louisiana Purchase (North of the 36 parallel). The point of the compromise was to provide balance between the number of slave states, and free states in the Union. At the same time as Missouri was entering as a slave state Maine was entering as a free state. -
Monroe Doctrine (CHOICE)
The Monroe Doctrine was created in 1823 by John Quincy Adams. The Monroe Doctrine was a United States foreign policy opposing European Colonialism. -
The Rifle (STORY)
The rifle was invented in 1826 by a French infantry officer who found a way to modernize the musket. This is important because the improvement of rifles contributed to more efficient hunting, more firepower which was used in wars between Native Americans and the US, as well as between the US and its enemies in later world wars. -
Jackson Presidency
Andrew Jackson was the 17th president and his presidency began on March 4th, 1829 and ended on March 4th 1837. Prior to Jacksons presidency he was a statesman and an American Soldier. In addition, he served both Houses of Congress. -
Indian Removal Act
On may 28th, 1830 president Andrew Jackson signed the "Indian Removal Act". Signing this allowed president Jackson to negotiate with the southern Native American tribes to remove them to federal lands / territory west of the Mississippi in exchange for their lands they currently were living on. -
The Telegraph (STORY)
The first telegraph was invented by Alfrid Vail in 1837. The main purpose of the telegraph was to make communication quicker and more efficient. This was important because prior to this invention news would take days and even weeks to reach the source. -
Photography (STORY)
In 1839 the first photos were taken. This is important because it allows us to capture moments and display them. Before this device was created the only way to re create a scene was through a painting. -
Republican Party Formed (CHOICE)
The Republican party was created on March 20th, 1854. This party is also known as the GOP, and is one of the two main parties in the United States. -
Dred Scott Vs. Stanford
Dred Scott vs. Stanford was a court case that was argued in 1856 and decided in 1857. There were two big things that occurred in this case. First, it was decided that slaves were not allowed to sue in federal court because they were not U.S. citizens. Secondly the court also ruled that the Congress didn't have enough power to ban slavery in the US territories. -
The Southern States Secedes (CHOICE)
Eleven of the states in the lower part of the United States also known as the south seceded on December 20th, 1860. This event was a key contributor and turning point at the beginning of the Civil War. -
Lincoln Presidency
Abraham Lincoln was Americas 16th President and he began his presidency on March 4th 1861, and served as president until March 4th 1865. He was assassinated in April 1865 to end his presidency. Lincoln lead the nation through its bloodiest war the "Civil War". -
Fort Sumpter
The battle of Fort Sumpter was the first battle that began the American Civil war. Fort Sumpter is located in Charleston, South Carolina. The Confederate Army attacked the Union fort which sparked the start of the Civil War. -
The Confederate States of America Were Formed (CHOICE)
The Confederate States initially included South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and the later added Texas to create. The group was created after the secession of the southern states. -
The Battle of Bull Run (CHOICE)
The Battle of Bull Run took place on July 16th, 1861. This was the first large scale land battle of the Civil War. This battle was the first lost suffered by the Union Army. -
The Ironclad (STORY)
The first Ironclad ship was invented on March 8th, 1862. This is important because it shaped the way that naval battles took place from this point forward. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order given out by the president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, on January 1st, 1863. This was released during the third year of the Civil War. It was written and freed a large amount of slaves. -
Surrender at Appomattox
The surrender at Appomattox was the final battle that concluded the Civil War. This battle took place on April 9th, 1865. The war ended with the Union troops racing the Confederate to a point which was cut off leaving the Confederate troops no choice but to surrender. -
Lincolns Assassination
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. On April 14th, 1865 he was shot and died on April 15th at 7:22am. Lincoln was shot in the head at a theatre performance by a Confederate named John Wilkes Booth. -
13th Amendment ratified
The 13th Amendment was ratified on January 31st, 1865. This amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, only as a punishment for crime. It was passed by the Senate on April 8th, 1864 and passed by the House on January 31st, 1865. It was finally ratified by the required states on December 6th, 1865. -
The Telephone (STORY)
The first telephone was created on March 10th, 1876. This was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. This was important because it made communication instantaneous. -
The Lightbulb (STORY)
The first lightbulb was created on October 14th, 1878 by Thomas Edison. This is important because prior to this invention everyone had to use candles which were a big fire hazard which were hard to maintain. -
Standard Oil Trust Formed (CHOICE)
Standard Oil was a large monopoly created by John D. Rockefeller. Standard Oil was an American oil refinery, producer, and transporter of oil. It was the biggest oil refinery in the world at this time. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was a United States law that was signed by the president Chester A. Arthur on May 6th, 1882. This prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers. This was one of the first laws restricting immigration in the United States. -
The Combustion Engine (STORY)
The combustion engine was invented on January 29th, 1886. This invention was important because it helped create the first automobiles. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act was a Federal act that outlawed monopolies in business. This was the first passed to prohibit trusts. There were many other states that passed laws similar to this but could only truly effect intrastate businesses. -
Plessy vs Ferguson
The Supreme Court issued a decision in 1896 in the case Plessy v. Ferguson. The phrase "separate but equal" was created following this court case. This case ruled that segregation was not unlawful as long as the segregated facilities were equal in quality. -
Spanish American War
The Spanish American war was a war fought from April 21, 1898 to August 13, 1898. The two countries involved were the Untied States and Spain. The was began when the ship the USS Maine was internally exploded causing tension. -
T. Roosevelt Presidency
Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th president of the United States. He began his presidency on September 14th, 1901 and concluded on March 4th, 1909. Roosevelt was considered the leader of the Republican Party at the time and he then became the driving force for the Progressive Era. -
Wilson Presidency
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States. He began serving on March 4th, 1913 until March 4th, 1921. He led the United States through the First World War (WWI) where he then established a foreign policy called "Wilsonianism" -
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal was a man made waterway created in 1914. The canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The canal was made to make trade easier because prior to its creation ships would travel past the lower tip of Africa where ocean travel was much longer. -
World War 1 Begins
One of the reasons First World War began was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. What followed were countries declaring war on each other which then pushed other countries to create alliances forming the Central and Allied powers. -
Wilson’s 14 Points
President Wilson created his "Fourteen Points" which was a statement of principles for peace that would end World War I. The principles were first created on January 8th, 1918. -
WWI Ends
World War I ended on November 11th, 1918. This war ended because Russia began to lose their power so they negotiating peace with Germany. Lastly Germany signed the armistice agreement to end the war on November 11th. -
Eighteenth Amendment
The 18th Amendment was created on January 16th in 1919. This amendment prohibited the use of "Intoxicating liquors". This amendment was a product of the "Temperance Movement". -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties that brought World War I to an end. It stopped the war between Germany and the Allied powers. Armistice ended the true fighting on November 11th, 1918 but it took 6 months for the peace treaty to conclude. -
Nineteenth Amendment
The 19th Amendment was created on August 18th, 1920. This states that "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." It basically stated that women now have equal voting rights. -
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance also known as the "New Negro Movement" was a "rebirth in African American culture" in the United States that began in the 1920's. The Midwest and Northeastern parts of the United States were the most effected by this change. -
Prohibition
Prohibition began in 1920 and spanned until December 5th, 1933. Prohibition included the ban of all production, transportation, importation, and sale of alcoholic drinks. This did not entirely dry out the United States. Prohibition lead to the creation of "Speakeasy" where alcohol was distributed sort of like a hidden bar. -
First Radio Station (CHOICE)
The first radio station was called the KDKA. This was the first radio station and it was located in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. -
Rise of the KKK
The KKK began to move on the rise in the 1920s following World War I. The revival was sparked because of the coping to the effects of industrialization, immigration, and urbanization. Originally the KKK was targeting African Americans but during their resurgence they extended their hatred for other minorities, as well as Jews and Catholics. -
Scopes Trial
The Scopes Trial was a legal case on July 21st, 1925. This case a teacher named John Scopes was teaching human evolution. This was wrong under the Tennessee Butlers Act which made the teaching of evolution unlawful. To conclude, in this trial Scopes was found guilty and charged. -
Gitlow vs New York
Gitlow vs New York was a Supreme Court case holding that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution was extending beyond its intended reach. In conclusion, Gitlow was accused guilty of his crimes and that freedom of speech does not protect people who are advocating the violent overthrow of the government. -
Stock Market Crash
One of the first stock market crashes was in 1929. Stock prices peaked and then quickly fell which caused some investors to sell their stocks and pull out. Specifically on October 24th the market tanked and almost all panicking investors sold their shares. Following that a important date October 29th came around and "Black Tuesday" which pulled the bottom off of the market and confidence lost in the market. -
Roosevelt 1st Election
Franklyn D. Roosevelt was elected on November 8th, 1932. This election happened during the Great Depression. Roosevelt won the election with 472 electoral votes versus Herbert Hoovers 59. He won the Americans over with the "New Deal" which was a promise to restore prosperity to the American people. -
CCC
The CCC also known as the "Civilian Conservation Corps" was a group that operated from 1933 until 1942. They were created as a relief program for the unemployed. -
Social Security Act
On august 13th, 1935 a deal was passed to assist those that had been injured in industrial accidents, people who were physically handicapped, insurance for the unemployed, and even the blind. This was created to support those of need. -
FDR Court Packing Scandal
On February 5th, 1937 FDR announces his highly concervertial plan that would possibly expand the Supreme Court to up to 15 judges. This change was thought to make the court more efficient and quicker with decisions. This was all in support of his "New Deal".
