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Period: to
1600-1700
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Jamestown is established
Jamestown, Virginia, is the very first successful British colony in the New World. -
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses is established and is the first colonial government of Jamestown. -
Introduction of Slavery in North America
20 slaves are also sold in Jamestown from Dutch ships, marking the beginning of slavery in North America. -
The Mayflower Arrives
The Mayflower arrives and brings with it the Pilgrims, Puritans looking to freely practice religion. -
Navigation Act of 1651
An act by the British where goods could only be imported by English ships, designed to push the Dutch out of trade. -
Maryland Slave Legislature
In Maryland, the first slave legislature is put into law, declaring that slaves are slaves for life. -
King Philip's War
Native American leader Metacom, later renamed King Philip, goes to war against the colonists. The natives lose and King Philip's head is put on a stake as a future warning. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Nathaniel Bacon Forms a militia to oppose the natives and the royal governor of Virginia. He ends up burning Jamestown to the ground. -
Salem Witch Trials
Girls accuse each other of being witches. 20 were killed and the false accusers were never punished. -
Virginia Slave Legislature
In Virginia, new laws are set in place where slaves accused of capital crimes don't have the right to a jury or right to appeal. -
Period: to
1700-1800
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Comprehensive Slave Codes
In Virginia, the following laws concerning slaves are put in place:
1. Slave marriage is not legally recognized
2. Slaves are property
3. Slaves must pay tithes to the Church
4. Children of slaves are also slaves -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a period of time when communities came in gatherings to listen to sermons. (1730-1770) -
Stono Rebellion
Slaves steal guns and flee to Florida, where the Spanish rule and slaves are free as long as they become Catholic and are loyal to Spain. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War (1754-1763) was a war between the British colonists and the French colonists, with both sides being supported by Native Americans. It ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The British made the colonists pay for it, which would lead to future resentment. -
Currency Act/Sugar Act
The Currency Act voided the colonies' previous currencies with one unanimous currency, destabilizing the colonies' economy in the process. The Sugar Act put a tax on all sugar products. -
Stamp Act/Quartering Act
The Stamp Act put a tax on all paper-related products. The Quartering Act allowed British soldiers to come into people's homes and be provided for by the residents. -
Boston Massacre
During the Boston Massacre, five colonists were killed and two were injured. The colonists shot first. The soldiers were defended by John Adams and declared innocent. -
The Gaspee Incident
A British schooner called the Gaspee was chasing a colonist ship suspected of smuggling goods until it ran aground in shallow waters. Colonists then burned the ship down, but the British had already evacuated so no one died. -
Boston Tea Party
Colonists dressed as natives led by Thomas Hutchinson dumped tea crates in the harbor as a response to the Tea Act of 1773. -
Declaration of Independence
On July 2nd the colonies unanimously voted in Congress for independence. On July 4th, the colonies officially declared independence. -
George Washington becomes president
On April 30th, 1789, George Washington was sworn in as president in New York, becoming the 1st president of the United States. -
Period: to
1800-1876
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Thomas Jefferson becomes President
Thomas Jefferson became the third president of the United States in 1801. He is especially important because he negotiated with France for the Louisiana Purchase. The Louisiana Territory was a long time goal of Jefferson's, as it would give the country twice as much farmland. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The United States bought the Louisiana Territory from the French Republic in 1803 for fifteen million dollars. This about doubled the size of the United States. -
James Madison becomes President
James Madison became the fourth president of the United States in 1809. He is important because he signed the declaration of war with Britain, which started the War of 1812. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (1812) was a war between the United States and the United Kingdom. Britain was limiting American trade with Europe and was impressing their ships, causing the United States to fight back. Some notable events during the war was the burning down of the White House. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was an agreement that split the Louisiana Purchase into the North and South, or free states and slave states. Missouri was admitted to be a slave state and Maine was admitted to be a free state, in order to make sure there was an equal number of slave and free states. -
Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) was a response to the annexation of Texas into the United States. Mexico still considered Texas a part of Mexico, so a war started over control of Texas. -
Abraham Lincoln becomes President
Abraham Lincoln became the sixteenth president of the United States in 1861. This is important because he was the President in charge during the Civil War. -
The Battle of Fort Sumter and the Beginning of the Civil War
The Battle of Fort Sumter marked the beginning of the Civil War. Confederate troops fired upon the Union in the South Carolina Charleston Harbor, and the Union Surrendered. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, in the middle of the Civil War. It declared that all slaves in the United States were free, even those in the South. -
The Ending of the Civil War
On April 9th, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered the last of the Confederate Army to the United States at the Appomattox Courthouse. This officially ended any hope the Confederates had, so the Union had finally won. -
The Assassination of Lincoln
President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a Southern sympathizer who believed that the Confederacy could be restored. He was shot in the head while a play. Vice President Andrew Johnson took Lincoln's place following the assassination.