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1440
The Printing Press
The printing press was invented in 1440 by Johannes Gutenburg. The printing press allows for writings to be mass produced. This allowed for news to spread faster and for people to learn easier.
(https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/printing-press) -
1492
Christopher Columbus
Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in hope of finding a quicker route for Europeans to get to Asia. Instead of finding a quicker route, he came back to Europe with news of a new continent, which was America. (HL 10-11) -
1580
Puritans
Puritans were people who lived England and thought they could purify the Church of England. They thought of themselves as true gospellers. They were being hated in England because of their beliefs, so they ended up deciding to be one of the first of many groups of people to colonize in the American Colonies. (HL 27) -
The Steam Engine
The steam engine works by burning coal which releases steam. This warm steam pushes a lever up, and then the steam is cooled, pushing the lever down. The levers movement creates energy that can be used for a ton of things. The steam engine ultimately started the Industrial Revolution, because it could create so much energy.
(https://www.livescience.com/44186-who-invented-the-steam-engine.html) -
French and Indian War Starts
This war was fought between the French and the British for the land in the Ohio River Valley. The Natives allied with the French, and there were multiple battles within the Ohio River Valley and in Canada. (Digital History)
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3592 -
End of the Seven Years War
Britain successfully wins the French and Indian War. After the War, the Treaty of Paris is made. This Treaty gives Britain all of the land in between the Mississippi and the Atlantic to the British. In addition, Spain earned all land West of the Mississippi. (Digital History)
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3592 -
Siege of Yorktown and Independence
Washington and his troops set siege on Yorktown. The siege lasted about 2 weeks. American troops, with the help of French soldiers, managed to force Cornwallis, the British military general, to surrender. This meant the end of the war, and the Colonies gained their independence from Britain. (HA Ch 5 sec 4) -
First Vaccination Invented
In 1796, the first vaccination was invented. Edward Jenner gave a 13 year old boy cowpox, which in turn protected him from smallpox. This gave way to hundreds more vaccinations being discovered, and saving countless lives. (http://www.immune.org.nz/vaccines/vaccine-development/brief-history-vaccination) -
Louisiana Purchase
A large plot of land West of the Mississippi River was purchased from France for $15 Million USD. This land helped spread America's reign over the North American continent. (https://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/louisiana-purchase) -
The Train Invented
Trains were invented using the steam engine to power its wheels. Trains were significant because they allowed faster transport of people, and cargo. It allowed people to be more connected to one another. It also meant trading could be made quicker across land. (http://www.trainhistory.net/train-invention/who-invented-train/) -
The Telegraph
The telegraph was invented by Samuel Morse in between the 1830's and the 1840's. The first successful message was sent in 1844. The telegraph allowed messages to be sent long distance, which helped connect people together more, and allowed for messages to get sent quicker. The telegraph was the predecessor to text messages, fax machines, and telephones. (https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/telegraph) -
The Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 was the presidential election that took place in America when slavery was a burning topic. The North wanted to abolish slavery, whereas the South wanted to keep slavery. The winner of the election was Abraham Lincoln, a Republican in the North, who wanted to abolish slavery. Lincoln's victory angered the South, and caused them to secede from the Union. Their secession made way for the Civil War. (HA Ch 9 Sec 4) -
Transcontinental Railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad that connected the Eastern US to the Western side. This allowed for quicker and safer passage, and trade between both sides of the US. A lot of hardships were faced in constructing the railroad, but in the end it created a boom in settlers in the states in between, and facilitated trade among Americans. (HA Ch 12 Sec 3) -
African Americans Gain Their Freedom
After the Civil War, African Americans were officially freed from ownership. They were freed by the 13th Amendment, which officially ended slavery in America. After becoming free, they were giving citizenship, thanks to the 14th Amendment, which gave citizenship to all of those born in America. Lastly, they were given the right to vote, from the rights given in 15th Amendment. After the Civil War, Freedmen became free citizens with the right to vote. (HA Chap 11 Sec 2-3) -
The Capturing of Richmond and the End of the Civil War
General Grant and his Northern Army managed to defeat General Lee's Army, and captured the Confederate capital, Richmond. The capturing of Richmond ended the four year long Civil War. 6 days after this, peace talks were made between Grant and Lee. (HA Chap 10 Sec 2) -
Invention of the Telephone
The telephone was first used in 1876, by Alexander Graham Bell. Bell was the creator of the first telephone. The telephone was made as an improvement to the telegram, which was slower and more tedious. The first telephone allowed you to speak into one end, and have the other end receive the message. The patent was filed on February 14, 1876. (https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-the-invention-of-telephone-3023314) -
The First Fluorescent Lightbulb
Lightbulbs had been successfully built earlier than Edison, but he was the first one to build a long lasting lightbulb that rarely burned out. The lightbulb allowed for people to have light whenever they wanted, and didn't have the same fire risk that candles posed. (https://www.bulbs.com/learning/history.aspx) -
Model T Ford Invented
The Model T Ford was created by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan. This car allowed people to get around faster, and the factory line way of creating these cars gave a lot of people jobs. (HA Ch 13 Sec 3) -
Chemical warfare invented
Chemical warfare was invented and used during the First World War. It was first used on the Western Front, where trench warfare was being used. The gases were able to force the opposing side out of their trenches. The Germans were the first to use this tactic. This lead to more chemical weapons being used, and eventually nuclear weapons would be used for widespread destruction. (https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magazine/a-brief-history-of-chemical-war) -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was made after WW1. This treaty figured out what would happen to the losing countries, and how the winnings would be fairly divided to the winning sides. The main points covered in the treaty of versailles was to limit Germany's army power and to make Germany pay for the losses they had cost during the War. This treaty was made by the allied powers, and the central powers got no say at all in the treaty. America didn't like this treaty (Hist. Alive- Chp. 25 Sec 3) -
Invasion of Nazi Occupied France- D-Day
After Germany had conquered France, the allies needed a new front to get to Berlin. The allies decided to invade northern France, through beach landings with landing crafts. Over 156,000 allied troops landing on the beaches of France, met by intense machine gun fire. By the end of the day, the allied troops had gained land in northern France. After this successful invasion, the allies would go on to liberate the rest of France, and eventually, the rest of Europe. (Hist. Alive- Chp 36 Sec 3) -
Invention of the Atomic Bomb
The atomic bomb was invented by a committee of Americans, during World War 2. The atomic bomb was a weapon that caused destruction because of its large amounts of uranium going through fission. When the uranium goes through fission, it releases large amounts of energy that is deadly to humans. 2 atomic bombs have been dropped, both in Japan during World War 2. These bombs killed over a hundred thousand people in Japan. -
Computer mouse invention
The computer mouse was invented in 1964 by Douglas Engelbart. The first designs of the mouse used wheels and circuit boards to move and send information to the computer. Further designs would be made as the computer age grew, and soon the ball mouse that is used today would be invented. (Computer History- http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/613/the-history-of-the-computer-mouse/) -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident
Lyndon B Johnson heard from sources that their ships had been attacked by the North Vietnamese in the Gulf of Tonkin, which was along North Vietnam's coast. It was during the night, and further inspection found that they had never been attacked, but LBJ found it necessary to increase the amount of US control in Vietnam. This incident got US further into the War, and increased the amount of troops and resources that would be expensed during the War. (Hist. Alive- Chp.50 Sec 3)
