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1492
Christopher Columbus finds the Americas
Christopher Columbus sailed with Spain because of funding problems. He departed Aug. 3, 1492 and made landfall on Oct. 12, 1492 on what is now known as Venezuela. -
1565
First Spanish Settlement
The first Spanish settlement built in North America was in St. Augustine, Florida. St. Augustine was built to defend shipping lanes from English privateers. -
Slavery begins in the Americas
Slavery begins in the Chesapeake Colonies which is a sub-region of the Southern Colonies (Virginia & Maryland). -
The Mayflower
The Mayflower was an English ship that transported 102 pilgrims to North America. When the pilgrims landed in Virginia, they created the Mayflower Compact which created the “Rights of Englishmen” and a direct democracy. -
Massachusetts Bay Colony
In 1625, Charles I gave the Puritans a charter to America and because the Puritans were at an economic disadvantage they accepted the charter. -
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was the first written constitution in the Americas. -
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King Philip’s War
One of the first conflicts over land ownership between the colonists and the Native Americans. -
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English Wars
During the settlement of the 13 Colonies, Britain had a series of wars (King William’s War, Queen Anne’s War, and King George’s War) that allowed Salutary Neglect to take place. -
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The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening created new interest in religion, significance of the common man, denominational changes, and questioning of authority which is tied to the American Revolution. -
End of Salutary Neglect
Colonists resisted the increase in British Control and smuggler’s would now be tried in vice-admiralty courts. -
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Acts of 1764 and 1765
Britain passed a bunch of acts (Sugar Act of 1764, Currency Act of 1764, Quartering Act of 1765, and the Stamp Act in 1765) which caused the colonists to resist British authority even more. -
Townshend Acts
Created a tax on lead, glass, tea, paper, and paint so Britain could pay the royal governors, so the colonies couldn’t manipulate them with money. Caused a bigger rift between the colonies and Britain. -
Boston “Massacre”
British troops killed 5 colonists and were put on trial. In response, Samuel Adams created Committees of Correspondence to send letters between the colonies to create unity among the colonies. -
Tea Act of 1773 & Boston Tea Party
Britain passes an act that gives the British East Tea Company a monopoly in the colonies which puts everyone else out of business. The Sons of Liberty responded with the Boston Tea Party as an act of protest against the Tea Act of 1773 which works. -
The Intolerable/Coercive Acts
In retaliation to the Boston Tea Party, Britain passed the Intolerable/Coercive Acts to punish Boston by closing down their port with the Boston Port Act and by banning town meetings and local government with the Massachusetts Government Act. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a list of grievances of what the crown has done to the colonies that warranted separation. -
2nd Continental Congress
Group of elected individuals that led the 13 colonies, and they also made George Washington head of the Continental Army. -
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Important Dates to know
During the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Saratoga, Valley Forge, and Yorktown were important events that contributed to the colonies winning the war. -
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles was the US’s first written form of government. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War and granted the colonies land east from the Mississippi River. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was a meeting with the Founders where they scrapped the Articles of Convention and created the US Constitution which is still the government we use today. -
Alien and Sedition Acts 1789
The acts said that aliens could be deported for any reason, and that it was illegal to criticize high government officials. -
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Washington Presidency
President Washington was the only unanimous decision that the US had over presidency, and the most important thing people argue he did was step down from the presidency after two terms which set the stage for future. -
Whiskey Rebellion
Farmers in Western Pennsylvania were not happy about the whiskey tax, so they beat up the tax collectors. In response, Washington marches toward them with 12,000 men to show that the US government means business. -
XYZ Affair
The US sends some people to meet with Talleyrand, but instead are met with three interns. France says that they will meet with the US if you pay $250,000 upfront and give a $10 million loan, so the US refuses starting a “war.” -
Virginia/Kentucky Resolutions
In response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson started the concept of Nullification which meant that states can refuse to enforce laws that they don’t agree with. -
Invention of the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin and also developed the idea of interchangeable parts which means you didn’t have to replace the entire machine if it broke. Was invented in the 1790s, but became prominent during the early 1800s. -
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison established Judicial Review which stated that the Supreme Court has the final say when it come to legislative decisions. -
The Louisiana Purchase
US went to buy New Orleans from France for $10 million, but ended up making the Louisiana Purchase for $15 million because France did not need New Orleans because of the Haiti Revolution. -
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Lewis and Clark
President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore the Louisiana Purchase because the US did not know what was out there. During their expedition they met Sacagawea and only lost one of their men. -
Embargo of 1807
President Thomas Jefferson cuts off trade with the whole world because he thinks the world will cave without the US. This lessens his reputation and nobody likes his decision. -
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War of 1812
France and Britain are fighting over about who will be able to trade with the US, so they come up with the Macon’s Bill #2. President James Madison is told that this is a trap, but doesn’t listen which causes the War of 1812. -
The Treaty of Ghent
British agree to stop fighting with the US because the US is better as a friend than a foe. -
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Era of Good Feelings
The Era of Good Feelings caused an increase in national pride and marks the end of the federalists. -
Missouri Compromise
In order to keep balance in the government between free states and slave states, Clay proposed that any territory under the 36°30’ would be a slave state, and that Missouri would be a slave state and Main would be a free state. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was the guiding principle for American foreign policy till the end of the century. It stated no new European colonization of the Western Hemisphere, that any attempt at new colonization would be viewed as a threat to the US, and that the US would stay out of internal problems in Europe. -
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2nd Great Awakening
The 2nd Great Awakening made Transcendentalism popular. Transcendentalism is a group of writers who write about humanity’s connection to nature and their strong morals. -
Election of 1828
Election was between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. Jackson won and claimed a mandate which was not true. -
Tariff of Abominations
Increased the tariff from 25% to 45% which caused a lot of up roar in the South because now they had to pay more for manufactured goods. -
Death of “King Caucus”
The caucus system disappears because of the increase in democracy and middle class’s increase in government. -
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Trail of Tears
Forced relocation of thousands of Native Americans and about 25% of them died. -
Tariff of 1832
The Tariff of 1832 proposed that the tariff be lowered to 35% which would mean that in South Carolina the tariff would be permanently high. Because SC did not like this, they officially nullified the tariff which made Jackson react violently and angry. -
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The Bank War
The Bank War between the US Bank and Andrew Jackson makes inflation go out of control which increased the number of banks and loans. People aren’t able to pay off their loans, and the Panic of 1837 is blamed on the next president and not Jackson. -
The Alamo
Mexico wins this battle against Texas, but Texas uses this as motivation to gain their independence. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny is the belief that it is God’s will that Americans can bring their “light” all over the continent. Evidence of this are Mountain Men, The American Society for the Encouragement of Settlement in Oregon, and Missionary Zeal. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was proposed, but was not passed. It would have banned slavery in Mexico Secession. -
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The Mexican War
A war between Mexico and the US that started because of territory confusion and ended with the US expanding with the Gadsden Purchase. -
Compromise of 1850
Clay’s compromise that California will become a free state, but it will have new and strict laws regarding fugitive slave laws. -
Fort Laramie Treaty
The Fort Laramie Treaty stated that Great Plains was all indian territory, and that all land belonged to the tribes. This did not work because the official kept all the supplies that the government sent over for the indians for themselves. -
Kansas/Nebraska Bill
: The Kansas/Nebraska Bill was created to decide whether these territories will become slave or free states, they use popular sovereignty, but it also undermines the Missouri Compromise. -
Dred Scott vs. Sanford
Dred Scott vs. Sanford decided that slaves are property, and “Black man have no rights that a white man has to honor.” -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln won the election and the South’s reaction is to pretend that Lincoln doesn’t exist. -
Secession of the South
SC secedes from the US before Lincoln was sworn into office, and Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi follow suit. -
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Steel Industry
Andrew Carnegie made steel become cheap and because of that made bank and used that money to give back to the people. -
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Oil Industry
Rockefeller created the Horizontal Process which means to own all of one part of the process which made him more money than Carnegie. -
Start of the Civil War
The Union and the Confederates are fighting over slavery and whether or not it should be legal. -
The Anaconda Plan
The Anaconda Plan was created by the North and its three goals were to blockade the ports, control the Mississippi River, and capture Richmond. -
Battle of Bull Run
Victory for the confederates and the Union realises that this war will take longer than they thought. -
13th Amendment
Union wins the war, and the US passes the 13th Amendment which officially ends slavery throughout the US. -
Reconstruction Begins
Lincoln’s presidential plan was that 10% of voters had to take an oath of allegiance to the US and only the political leaders would get punished. -
Lincoln’s Assination
Lincoln was assassinated by John Boothe who was a famous actor and Andrew Johnson was made president. -
National Labor Union
The Nation Labor Union was one of the first labor unions made up of both skilled and unskilled workers. -
Credit Mobilier Scandal
The people that built the Transcontinental Railroad created Credit Mobiler to make more money that comes from the government. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US. -
Creation of the Transcontinental Railroad
Started in California, Sacramento and was widely supported by the government. It was officially complete on May 10, 1869, and the labor came from central China and they were not treated well. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The Plessy v. Ferguson's case stated that segregation is legal because it is separate but equal. -
Start of Sharecropping
Sharecropping is a contract between landowners and normally former slaves, but slaves have a disadvantage because they cannot read so they are taken advantage of. -
1870’s Currency Controversy
In the beginning, the government says that greenbacks cannot be exchanged for gold because of the Panic of 1873. So, the 1875 Resumption Act and the 1878 Bland Allison Act are passed which allows greenbacks to be exchanged for gold and silver. -
Compromise of 1877
The provision of the Compromise said that Hayes will be president, reconstruction will end, and an unspoken rule would be that the South would get to ignore the 14th and 15th Amendment. -
Interstate Commerce Act
People said that the railroad had to charge fair rates, so the Interstate Commerce Commission which didn’t work because railroads don’t get regulated. -
Dawes Severalty Act
This act was passed as an attempt at assimilating Native Americans into white culture, and it said that Native American families who refused would have their land sold to white people. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
The purpose of the Sherman Antitrust Act was to end monopolies, but it did not work until the end of the century. -
Formation of the People’s Party
The People’s Party’s platform was no national banks, direct election of senators, two new voting practices which were the initiative and referendum, and to lower the taxes and tariff. -
Annexation of Hawaii
American Agricultural Businessmen did not like the tariff put on their goods, so they fooled the natives into becoming a US territory. -
Treaty of Paris
Created to settle the conflict caused by the Battle of San Juan Hill. The US gains Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. -
Philippines becomes a US Territory
The US is going back and forth on whether to make the Philippines a state or to help the Philippines gain independence. -
Start of the Progressive Movement
The Progressive Movement begins to take shape and evidence of this are the Grass-roots. -
Election of 1908
Taft wins the election of 1908 and the progressive don't like him very much. One of the most notable things he did was that he broke up more monopolies than any president. -
Election of 1912
Woodrow Wilson becomes president for the next two terms and serves during WWI. -
16th Amendment
Created a federal income tax. -
17th Amendment
Created direct election of US senators. -
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal was created so the US had a way to get to the Caribbean. -
Clayton Antitrust Act
The Clayton Antitrust Act strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act. -
Assination of Archduke Ferdinand
The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand started WWI. -
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Mobilization of Industry
The World Industries Board was created as well as Fuel Administration, Food Administration, and Railroad War Board. -
Zimmerman Telegram
Intercepted by the British and said that Germany was going to go back to submarine warfare, and was encouraging Mexico to attack the US. -
US Declares War
US declares war because of Germany unrestricted submarine warfare and the vote was almost unanimous except for one vote. -
Espionage and Sedition Acts (1917/18)
These acts made it illegal to say anything bad about the government and military. It also made it illegal to avoid the draft. -
The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles ended WWI. -
League of Nations
Woodrow Wilson wanted to create to prevent further wars. It was created, but the US did not become a part of it. -
The Red Scare (1920s)
US citizens were fearful of communists supporters, so they would send men to raid people's houses to search for evidence that they were communists. -
Harlem Renaissance (1920s)
Rise of black culture that was caused by the Great Migration. -
Prohibition
Motives for prohibition include domestic violence, public health, and conserving food. Results of prohibition include speak easies, organized crimes to smuggle liquor, moonshine, and bootleggers. -
Sacco and Vanzetti
A murder took place and people saw two Italians fleeing the scene, but even though someone else confessed to the murder, they were still killed. This means that the US is afraid of change and difference. -
Emergency Immigration Quota Act/Johnson Act
Made the immigration limit to 3% of the 1910 census as the quota. -
Scopes Trial
The importance of the trial is the cultural conflict is getting a stronger presence. -
Election of 1928
Herbert Hoover is elected and he says that to get over the Great Depression, we need to work harder. -
Stock Market Crash
The Stock Market Crash was the catalyst of the Great Depression -
New Deal (1930s)
FDR's plan of recovering during the Great Depression which worked. -
Election of 1932
FDR is elected and begins the process to recover from the Great Depression. -
Beer and Wine Revenue Act and the 21st Amendment
The act got rid of prohibition, and the amendment made prohibition unconstitutional. -
Lend Lease Act
US will give war materials to anyone who is fighting the bad guys. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The majority of the American Pacific fleet was damaged or destroyed, and the US declared war.