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Period: 1400 to
European Exploration
During the 15th and 17th centuries many countries in Europe sent out explores to discover new lands, trade routes, treasure, and gain territory for their country. Much of the world was mapped along with the discovery of the New World. -
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Slavery
During the 17th and 18th centuries people were forces into slavery within the American colonies and exploited to work as indentured servants or slaves. Enslaved people had to work for their owners, doing whatever the owner ask of them. People were captured and transported to different places to be sold as property, many times being separated from their families. -
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Triangular Trade
This was the trading of good between Europe, Africa, and the American. This trading system was a general exchange of manufactured goods, labor, and even raw material. The trading was done through shipments crossing the Atlantic Ocean and the route the ships took would form a triangle. -
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Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War began when the British colonists in America rebelled against the ruling of Great Britain. The French eventually entered the war fighting on the side of the Colonist. There were many battles fought and the 13 Colonies gained there freedom and became the independent country of the United States, in 1781. -
Declaration of Independence
This is the founding document of the United States. In July 4th, 1776 the Congress of the British colonies, adopted the decoration at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. This document proclaimed that the thirteen original colonies of America were “free and independent states.” This was the last of steps that led the thirteen colonies to their final separation from Great Britain. -
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Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution of the United States and this document officially established the government of the union of the U.S.. The united people wanted to have written down rules that all the states agreed to. These Articles allowed the Congress to raise an army, create laws, and print money. Under the Articles of Confederation, states remained sovereign and independent, with Congress serving as a last resort on appeal of disputes. -
Constitution
The Constitution is the framework for the federal government of the United States and is the highest form of law within the country. In May of 1787 the Constitutional Convention gather to discuss changes that needed to be made to the Article of Confederation. After much debate, throughout the parties, it was apparent to the representatives that a new constitution was needed to be created. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7th, 1787. -
Bill of Rights
This is the first 10 Amendments to the United Stated Constitution. These amendments write out Americans' rights in relation to their government. This guarantees civil rights and liberties to individuals, such as, freedom of speech, press, and religion. The Amendments also sets rules for due process. -
Invention of the Cotton Gin
Inventor Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin, which is a machine that revolutionized the production of cotton by speeding up the process of removing seed from the cotton fiber. His invention offered Southern planters a justification to maintain and expand slavery. Cotton had become America's leading export by the mid-19th century. -
Invention of the Steamboat
Robert Fulton, an American engineer, is credited with the invention of the steamboat. After a few failed attempts he successfully tested out his first steamboat in England. On August 9, 1803, Fulton's boat steamed down the Seine, even tough it later sunk. Fulton wasn't allowed to bring the steamboat engine to the U.S., but after two years England permitted him to bring a single engine to the United States. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the single largest purchase of land ever by the U.S. and doubled the size of the country. Tomas Jefferson wanted to buy the settlement because it was a major seaport that was fed from the Mississippi River. At first Napoleon refused to sell, but in 1803, he offered to sell the entire Territory to the U.S. for $15 million. The territory stretched over 828,000 square miles. -
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Lewis and Clark
The Lewis and Clark Expedition began in 1804, when president Thomas Jefferson tasked Meriwether Lewis with exploring the lands west of the Mississippi River. Lewis and Clark, along with forty men began their journey by traveling up the Mississippi River. They explored around 8,000 miles and provided the U.S with new geographic, ecological, and social information about previously unchartered areas of North America. -
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War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom placed trade restrictions on the U.S., not wanting the country to trade with France. The United Kingdom navy also captured U.S. soldiers and vessels, forcing them to join the Royal Navy. This war was also known as a "second war of independence" from many in the United States. -
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Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution marked a period of development that transformed rural America into an industrialized urban development. Goods and product that were once made by hand began to produce mass quantities, by machine in factories. This revolution began in Britain and began to spread across the world, into the United States. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine established the foreign policy of the U.S. regarding the Western Hemisphere, introduced by President James Monroe in 1823. There were two major point to the Monroe Doctrine: the U.S. wouldn't allow European countries to start new colonies, and the U.S. wouldn't interfere with existing European colonies nor get involved with conflict. -
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Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was when the U.S. government forced Native Americans and other groups to move from their homeland. This happened after the Indian Removal Act was passed by Congress in 1830. It began with the removal of the Choctaw in 1831 and ended with the removal of the Cherokee in 1838. This removal of the tribes from the South took several years. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the idea that the U.S. is destined to expand its domain and spread democracy and capitalism across the North American Continent. This philosophy was used to justify the forced removal of Native Americans and other groups from their homes. This rapid expansion of the U.S. made the issue of slavery grow as new states were added to the Union, which eventually lead to the outbreak of the Civil War. -
Westward Movement
This was a 19th century movement of settlers into the American West. During this time several people left their homes in the East in search of better economic opportunities. This movement started with the Louisiana Purchase and was then fueled by the Gold Rush, Oregon Trail, and the belief in "Manifest Destiny." Another result of the movement was the forced removal of Native Americans, called Trail of Tears. -
Dred Scott Decision
A legal case in which the United States Supreme Court ruled that a slave, Dred Scott, who was resided in a free state and territory wasn't entitled to his freedom. The court ruled that African Americans were not and could never be considered citizens od the United States. The Dred Scott decision pushed the United States closer to the civil war. -
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Civil War
The Civil War was fault between the Northern and Southern states, in the United States. This war started after decades of tension over issues like slavey, rights of the state, and westward expansion. The war ended after the Confederate, or Southern states, surrendered to the Northern states. This war had the highest count of U.S. casualties fought. -
13th Amendment
This amendment was ratified in the United States Constitution in 1865 in the aftermath of the Civil War, which abolished slavery in the U.S. This Amendment states: "Neither slavery not involuntary servitude, expect as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the Unites States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." This was a big step for the American people. -
14th Amendment
This amendment was ratified in the United States Constitution in 1868, which granted citizenship to all people, including former slaves, born or naturalized in the United States. The 14th Amendment guaranteed that all citizens had "equal protection of the law." -
15th Amendment
This amendment sought to protect the voting rights of all African American men after the Civil War. Even though this amendment was passed, discrimination practices were used to prevent African Americans from exercising their right to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 made the legal barriers outlawed at the state and local levels, if African American were denied their right to vote. -
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World War I
World War I began after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, in 1914. His assassination started a war of the Central Powers again the Allied Powers. The Central Powers lost the war and included many countries: Germany, Austria-Hungry, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire. The Allied Powers won the war, which lasted until 1918: Great Britain, Italy, Romania, Japan, and the United Stated. -
19th Amendment
This amendment gave American women the right to vote, which was ratified on August 18th, 1920. Stanton, Mott, Susan B., Anthony, and other activist raised public awareness and lobbied to the government to give voting rights to women. Eventually these groups won with the passing of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution. -
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Great Depression
The Great Depression started as a result of the stock market crashing; costumer spending and investment dropped which caused steep decline in the industrial output. As a result, the failing companies began to lay off workers and by 1933 over fifteen million American were unemployed. The economy was failing rapidly. -
New Deal
This was a series of economic programs and projects in the United Stated. They involved presidential executive orders or laws passed by Congress, during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. These programs were made as a result of the Great Depression that were based on the 3 R: Relief, Recovery, and Reform. -Relief: to help to improve the lives of people
-Recovery: to begin to rebuild United Stated industry and trade
-Reform: to change conditions to ensure future progress -
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World War II
Word War II, known as the Second Word War, was fought between the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allied Powers (France, Great Britain, United States, Soviet Union, and China.) During 1930s the United Stated decided not to participate in World War II, and President Roosevelt declared the neutrality of USA in the war with different acts. The United Stated entered the war after an attack on Pearl Harbor, which is the first foreign attack on U.S. soil. The Allied Powers won the war. -
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Korean War
The Korean War began when 75,000 North Korean soldiers invaded South Korea. Known as "The Forgotten War" for the lack of attention it received compared to the other major wars.The United Stated entered the war as the South Korean's Allie. In 1953, the war came to an end and the United States left South Korea. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
This was a Supreme Court case in which the justices ruled that racial segregation of children in the public schools was unconstitutional, based on the 14th Amendment which made everyone born or naturalized in the United States a citizen. This was an important moment in the Civil Rights Movement, and established that "separate-but-equal" is not equal. The court rules that the Plaintiffs were being deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. -
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Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was fought between communist North Vietnam and the government of the Southern Vietnam, along with the United States as allies. The North Vietnam was supported by other Communist counties: Soviet Union and Republic of China. When President Richard Nixon took office he decided the end the U.S. involvement in the war and started removing troops from Vietnam in July of 1969. In April of 1975 South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam and unified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. -
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Montgomery Bus Boybott
This was a Civil Rights protest in which African American and other U.S. citizens refused to ride city buses in Montgomery, Alabama, in protest of segregated seating. Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person four days before the boycott began. One year after the bus boycott started the United States Supreme Court ordered Montgomery to integrate their bus systems. -
"I Have a Dream" Speech
This is a speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28th, 1963 while standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.. During his speech he talked about his wish for people of different races living together peacefully in the United States. This speech was recognized as a highlight of the successful protest and as one of the signature moments of the Civil Rights Movement. -
September 11th
On September 11, 2001, nineteen militants associated with al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacked against targets within the United States. Two of the airplanes were flown into the Twin Towers in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon, and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people were killed during this terrorist attack.