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Early American History
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English Colony at Jamestown, Virginia
Members of a joint venture, the Virginia Company, settled the first permanent English coloy in North America on the James River. In the first two years it suffered through famine, disease, and conflict with Native Americans. Tobacco became the primary source of income. -
First Africans brought to North America
The Butch brought the first African slaves to Jamestown, Virginia to aid in crop production. This event began the popularity of slavery. -
Pilgrims land at Plymouth
Separatists from England boarded the Mayflower and set out to establish their new colony in the new world. These pilgrims landed in Massachusetts. -
Salem Witch Trials
The witch trials began in Salem Village, Massachusetts after a group of young girls claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. -
French and Indian War
1754-1763. Also known as the Seven Years' War, this was the sturggle between Britain and France concerning land in the new world, in which the french used the aid of Native Americans. The result was Britain gaining Canada from France and Florida from Spain. -
Boston Massacre
Street fight in Boston between a "patriot" mob and British soldiers in which five colonists died. This was the result of growing tensions. -
Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea Party Political protest in which the Boston Sons of Liberty disguised as Native Americans and threw the tea arrivals from Britain into the water. -
The Declaration of Independence
With the revolutionary movement in full swing, the Continental Congress made a decision and five members wrote a formal statement declaring the intentions of the colonists. Written mostly by Jefferson, the declaration was adopted on July 1776. -
Revolutionary War Ends (Treaty of Paris)
The Treaty of Paris was signed by representatives of King George III of Britain and those of the 13 colonies to end the revolutionary war. -
Shay's Rebellion
1786-1787. Series of protests by American farmers against state and local collections of taxes. -
Constitution Ratified
The Constitution, writeen at the Constitutional Convention, was ratified by the majority of states in 1788 and declared to become active on March 4, 1789. -
Whiskey Rebellion
1791-1794. Farmers in the western counties of Pennsylvania brought up a series of attacks due to an imposed tax on whiskey by the federal government. -
Lewis & Clark Expedition
After the Louisiana Purchase, President Thomas Jefferson initiated an exploration of the new land and whatever was beyond the mountains. He made his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis, the charge person, who then solicited the help of William Clark. -
War of 1812
British attempts to restirct U.S. trade caused a war between Britain and the U.S. Although the British, Canadian, and Native American troops originally succeeded, the U.S. was ableto repulse them. The Treaty of Ghent in 1815 ended the war, -
Missouri Compromise
An effort by Congresd to balance the amount of slave and free states after Missouri requested Admission in late 1879. States north of the 30 degree line would have prohibited slavery. -
Trail of Tears
Andrew Jackson started the Indian removal policy, in which a Cherokee nation was forced to migrate to present-day Oklahoma and give up their lands east of the Mississippi River. -
Texan Independence
Mexico's territory if Texas fought for independence after Mexico abolished slavery in 1831, finished control in Texas, abolished immigration, and enacted heavy duties on the importation of foreign goods. -
Mexican American War (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo)
1846-1848. A militarily unprepared Mexico fought against the U.S. Under the administration of James K. Polk, who believed in "Manifest Destiny." The war began as a border skirmish along the Rio Grande. Mexico lost about 1/3 of its territory, including California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. -
California Gold Rush
Discovery of gold nuggets in the Sacramento Valley sparked a trend of major migration by miners to Northern California. -
Compromise of 1850
Resolved the divisions over slavery in territory gained in the Mexican-American War. California was admitted as a free state and the rest would be settled by popular sovereignty. Compromise also settled boundary dispute between Texas and New Mexico and ended slave trade in Washington D.C. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
Created the territories of Nebraska and Kasas and repealed the Missouri Compromise. White males would determine whether to be a free state or a slave state through popular sovereignty. -
Abraham Lincoln Elected President
Lincoln promised no further introduction of slave states, which upset the southerners. When Abraham Lincoln won the election southern states seceded from the Union. -
Civil War
Civil War Podcasts1861-1865. The American Civil War was the result of issues over slavery and state power. The end proved that the United States of America was a sovereign nation and abolished slavery. -
Transcontinental Railroad Completed
The presidents of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met in Promontory, Utah to signal the accomplishment of the transcontinental railroad. -
Reconstruction Ends
Hayes withdrew the last federal troops from the south, and the bayonet-backed Republican government collapsed.
