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Colony of Jamestown is established
It was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. -
First Slaves Brought to North America
Slavery began in the United States after the arrival of the slaves to assist in the production of crops such as tabacco. They arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. -
Arrival on Plymouth Rock
To escape the rule and religious oppression of King Henry VIII after his split with the Roman Catholic Church, a group of people known as the Pilgrims, or Puritans who wanted to purify the church, journeyed to the Americas, on a ship called the Mayflower. When they landed on Plymouth Rock, they established a colony. With the help of the Native Americans, they were able to survive the winter and had the first Thanksgiving. -
Salem Witch Trials
It was the series of hearings and prosecutions of women believed to have a part in witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. It began after the suspicion of Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris exhibiting very odd behavior. -
French-Indian War
It was a war lasting nine years between France and Great Britian, determining colonial control over territories in North America. It began with deciding on whether land above the Ohio River Valley was a part of the British Empire and trade exploitation. It ended in British victory in 1763. -
Boston Massacre
To repress the protests over the Townshed Acts, British troops were sent to handle the rebellions. A group of colonists threatened a squad of British soldiers. A shot was fired into the crowd, leaving five colonists dead. Authorities arrested a British official and eight soldiers and were charged with murder. -
Boston Tea Party
The Sons of Liberty, dressed as Native Americas, boarded a British cargo ship and dumped the cartons of tea into the Boston Harbor to protest the unfair Tea Acts posed by the British Parliament. -
Declaration of Indpendence
John Adams - The Declaration of Independence
It was a document created during the First Continental Congress held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which stated that the Thirteen Colonies were no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams is the "Father of the Declaration". -
Treaty of Paris
A negotiation reached between Great Britian and the United States signed by representatives of King George III and representatives of the U.S. recognizing American Independence and securing the end to the Revolutionary War. -
Shay's Rebellion
(1786-1787) It was a series of protests amongst American farmers who were against the state and local enforcement of tax collections and judgements for debt. -
Ratification of the Constitution
New Hampshire becomes the 9th of the thirteen state to ratify the constititution, with the addition of twelve amendments. From this, the constitution is officially established. -
Whiskey Rebellion
A small-scale rebellion against the taxation of whiskey issued by Alexander Hamilton to gain a steady source of revenue. Farmers in Pennsylvania opposed it and attacked a tax inspector and his home. President George Washington sent out negotiators, a use of military forces, to repress the rebellion which was growing in scale. The rebellions soon diminished but soon placed a dangerous view on Hamilton, by individuals such as Thomas Jefferson. -
Lewis & Clark Expedition
Appointed by President Thomas Jefferson and from the Lousiana Purchase from France, these two men were sent westward to explore the land touching the Pacific, furthering the American belief of Manifest Destiny. It ended on May 10, 1806. -
War of 1812
The United States faced off against the strongest naval fleets of the time, Great Britian, due to their attempted restriction of U.S. trade and westward expansion. The U.S. suffered many defeats but repelled numerous British attacks in New York, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. bringing a heightened sense of nationalism throughout the country. The signing of the Treaty of Ghent ended the war officially. -
Missouri Compromise
Missouri is admitted as a slave state, allowing Maine to come in as a free state to maintain the balance between slave and free states. North of the 36-30 latitude lines, areas in the former Lousiana territory, slavery was prohibited, creating a boundry between slave and free states. -
Trail of Tears
The Cherokee Indians were forced to tread from their lands in the east of the Mississippi River towards present-day Oklahoma, due to the Indian Removal Act issued by Andrew Jackson. Thousands of natives died during the journey due to the harsh conditons. -
Texan Independence
The declaration of Texan independence from Mexico. It was annexed into the U.S. 9 years after the declaration was signed. The victory of the Texans at the battle of San Jancito took place on this date. -
Mexican-American War
Marked the first American war fought on foreign soil. This came from the belief of "Manifest Destiny"; Americans believed granted them the right to expand westward to the Pacific and beyond. Mexico lost one-third of its territory, the U.S. gaining the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. It ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on Feburary 2, 1848. This stated that the Rio Grande was the border between the two. It also allowed the annexation of Texas. -
California Gold Rush
America the Story of Us: Gold Rush
Opened up westward expansion due to gold being found by James W. Marshall in Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. Mass migrations by boat or wagon occurred in hopes of finding gold. Boom towns grew because of the discovery, and permanent establishments were created. -
Compromise of 1850
California wished to be admitted into the Union as a free state, offsetting the balance of free and slave states. To accomedate this, the Fugative Slave Act was enacted and slave trade in Washington D.C. was abolished. A territorial government was implemented in Utah and New Mexico. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act overturned the rulings of the Missouri Compromise, introducing the idea of popular sovereignity. States could now choose whether to be admitted as a slave or free state within their borders. -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
The election of republican canididate, Abraham Lincoln, prompted the secession of the southern states. Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery and wished to put an end to slavery spreading as the countrey grew. This lead to the creation of the Confederacy and initiated the start of the Civil War. -
Civil War
Determined the preservation of the Union or independence for the Confederacy. It also took into account the status of slavery. It ended in April 9, 1865 with a Union victory and abolishment of slavery due to the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Completion of the Transontiental Railroad
It connected the Union through a series of railroad links, leading to a revolutionized alternative to transportation. It was able to ship cargo and troops to war zones at a faster rate than was seen before, which aided in the victory of the Union. It was a precursor to modern-day transportation. -
Reconstruction Ends
The Reconstruction Era was a period in rebuilding the Union in the aftermath of the Civil War. The southern states passed "black codes" to limit the rights of freed slaves. Five military districts are sent to the south to monitor their developments for male suffrage. It also incorporated the passing of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. Blacks faced segregation and violence in the south, and that would not end until the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's, nearly one hundred years later.
