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Oct 12, 1492
The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus
On October 12, 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered the New World -
The Settlement of Jamestown
On May 13, 1607 the English colonists founded Jamestown -
The French and Indian War
The war between British America and New France and Indians lasted from 1754 until 1763. -
Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773 upset colonists dumped boxes of tea into ocean as an act of rebellion against Englands taxes. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
On April 19 1775 the first battles of the American Revolutionary War are fought within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, and Cambridge. -
Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776 the 13 colonies of America declared themselves independent from Britain. -
The Battle of Yorktown
On September 28, 1781 The Battle of Yorktown, the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War, begins. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention began on May 25, 1787 and spanned through September 17, 1787. The product of the convention was the Constitution of the United States of America. -
Invention of the Cotton Gin
In 1793 Eli Whitney, an American inventor, invented the cotton gin. -
The Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were signed into law by President Adams in 1798. -
The Louisiana Purchase
On April 30, 1803 negotiations between France and the U.S.A. over the Louisiana Territory are concluded. -
The War of 1812
On June 18, 1812 a war between the U.S.A. and the United Kingdoms as well as their allies begins. -
Missouri Compromise
On March 6, 1820 President James Monroe signs the Missouri Compromise making Missouri a slave state and Maine a free state. -
Andrew Jackson's Election
On March 4, 1829 Andrew Jackson was inaugurated as the seventh president of the United States. -
The Trail of Tears
In 1830 Andrew Jackson gained approval of the Indian Removal Act from Congress. -
The Invention of the Telegraph
In 1837 Samuel Morse invented the telegraph used for long distance communication. -
The Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis that lasted until the mid-1840s. -
The Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War started on April 25, 1846 after America tried to annex Texas. -
The Invention of the Telephone
In 1849 Antonio Meucci is credited with creating the first basic phone. -
The Compromise of 1850
On January 29, 1850 Senator Henry Clay introduced some solutions to the upset balance of free and slave states in an attempt to make a compromise. -
The Firing on Fort Sumter
On April 12, 1861 the Confederate Army bombarded Fort Sumter. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
On January 1,1863 President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Organization of Standard Oil Trust
The Standard Oil Trust was formed by John Rockefeller in 1863. -
The Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
On April 9, 1865 the Confederate Army surrendered to the Union near the town of Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia. -
Abraham Lincoln's Assassination
On April 14, 1865 President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. -
The 13th Amendment
On December 6, 1865 the 13th Amendment was ratified which formally abolished slavery in the United States. -
Andrew Johnson's Impeachment
On February 24, 1868 the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson was initiated. -
The 14th Amendment
On July 9, 1868 the 14th Amendment was ratified which gives citizenship tol "all persons born or naturalized in the United States." -
The 15th Amendment
On February 3, 1870 the 15th Amendment was ratified which granted African American men the right to vote. -
The Invention of the Electric Light
In 1879 Thomas Edison created the first commercially practical incandescent light. -
The Homestead Strike
On July 6, 1892 there was a violent strike against Carnegie Steel Company by its employees. -
The Pullman Strike
On May 11, 1894 the widespread railroad strike and boycott began. -
The Spanish-American War
On April 21, 1898 a war between Spain and the United States began after the explosion of USS Maine. -
Theodore Roosevelt Becomes President
On September 14, 1901 Theodore Roosevelt became the 26th president of the United States. -
The Invention of the Airplane
In December 17, 1903 Wilbur and Orville Wright tested their newly invented airplane.