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English Sent to Roanoke, Virginia
Sir Walter Raleigh dispatched a group of English to attempt to start an English colony in North America. After this attempt failed because of the struggle to grow and find food and supplies, Raleigh sent a second group of colonists into Roanoke, a group that included men, women, and children. It was later discovered that the group had disappared, resulting in a mystery regarding the lost colony that still exists today. -
St. Augustine, Florida
French Protestants arrived in Florida to practice their religion. Spain, which oversaw Florida, was angered by the settlement because its members were not members of the Catholic Church, so they sent armed forces to attack the members of the settlement. -
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was an English settlement in Virginia that brought a number of people from England, specifically men, to the New World. Finding food and resources was challenging, but the settlement survived because of John Smith's leadership. -
Headright System
The headright system was used by the Virginia Company to encourage more people from England to settle in Virginia. It promised settlers about 50 acres of land to come to America. It then gave another fifty acres for every indentured servant that a colonist brought, which resulted in the wealthiest members of the community owning massive amounts of land. -
The Mayflower Arrives
The Mayflower ship arrives with Pilgrims from England who sign the Mayflower Compact to establish Plymouth Colony in Massachussetts. -
Indentured Servants
Primarily during the 18th century, many Europeans came to America as indentured servants. There passage to America would be paid for by those who they would then work for 5-7 years. They were promised "freedom dues" upon their completion of however many years they came to work for and could then live freely in America. However, many of them died while working because of disease and harsh labor conditions. Those who survived often had no where to go after they were freed. -
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Puritan "Great Migration" to New England
Between 1630 and 1642, Puritans came in great numbers to New England, specifically to the Massachussetts Bay Colony. There were also many other Europeans that came to New England and the Chesapeake between these years. -
Settlement of Maryland
Maryland served as a refuge for English Catholics. Lord Baltimore created the Province of Maryland. Maryland later passed the Act of Toleration in 1649 guaranteeing religious freedom to all Christians. -
Pennsylvania
Founded by William Penn as a refuge for Quakers and guaranteed a representative assembly and full relgious freedom. Settlers soon came to PA from all over Europe. -
Rhode Island
Williams was a Puritan preacher in Massachussetts who fled the state after his religious views became too extreme for the colonists. He bought land from the Natives and founded Providence in 1636 which became populated with his followers. The colony became known for its complete religious toleration. -
Settlement of Connecticut
Thomas Hooker lead a large group of Puritans to settle in the Connecticut River Valley after having religious disagreements with the leaders in Massachussetts. The Findamental Orders of Connecticut were established in 1639 that created a representative system of government by those who could vote. -
Acadians Arrive in Louisiana
On February 27, 1765, the first group of Acadians arrived in Louisiana aboard the Santo Domingo. Many were forced to leave their homes in Canada after refusing to take an oath saying they were no longer to France, so the came to Louisiana where they became known as Cajuns. -
Shakers
Shakers came to the US from England and were led by Ann Lee. They lived apart from society but never succeeded, especially because it was forbidden to have children. Upon reaching 21 years old, people were given the choice of leaving or staying. -
Louisiana Purchase
The US purchased the Louisiana territory for $15 million from France. As a result, farmers could sen their goods down the Mississippi River and through New Orleans. The purchase created internal migration and opened up the land that Americans could live, doubling the territory of the United States. -
Mormonism and Utah
In 1830, Mormonism was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. Because of their unusual practices such as polygamy, Mormons were shunned from many parts of the country. Eventually, the Mormons settled in Utah. -
The American System
Henry Clay established the American System. One important aspect of the plan was to unite the country through transportation. More railroads were built in order to promote more industry and domestic trade. Most of the railroads and means of transportation were built in the North which would later have an effect on the logistics of the Civil War, but at the time it was created, it served as a means of internal migration. -
The Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution began on Octover 2, 1835. Mexico received independence in 1821 (Texas was a part of Mexico), and a grant was given to Steve Austin to settle US families in Texas. About 30,000 Texan-Americans lived in Texas, and in the end, Sam Housten went to San Jacinto and beat the Mexicans. -
Trail of Tears/Removal Act
Jackson forced Indians out of the area they resided, killing tons of Indians in the process. They ended up in present-day Oklahoma. The Removal Act was also created to provide for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for their removal west of the Mississippi River. -
Brook Farm
It was founded by George Ripley and the idea of an economy based on people growing at the same rate. There was a marriage system in which everyone was married to everyone, and it focused on keeping people away from disputes and fights. It was located in Boston, Massachusetts. -
Mormons/Joseph Smith
Mormons finally settled in Utah after being kicked out of many other states. They were led by Joseph Smith who was murdered on June 27, 1844, and Brigham Young became the new leader. He then led them from Illinois to a new homeland in the Great Salt Lake Valley where he ordered that Mormons establish permanent camps each with a garrison of well-armed Mormon militia, wood, blacksmithing tools and Mormon priests to enforce church discipline and to hold each successisve caravan of Mormons to faith. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the belief that Americans needed to expand throughout the continent to spread American ideals. It led to western settlement, Native American removal and war with Mexico. -
Donner Party
The Donner Party, a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon trail were stranded by snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and even resorted to cannibalism. Theywere slowed by following a new route called Hastings Cutoff, which crossed Utah's Wasatch Mountains and Great Salt Lake Desert. -
Oneida Community
It was founded by John Humphrey Noyes in New York and was the most controversial of the antebellum utopian communities. It challenged conventional notions of religion, property, gender, roles, sex, dress and motherhood. It also renounced private property and practiced communism. Overall, it achieved considerable economic prosperity and attracted new members long after less-radical utopias like Brook Farm had collapsed. -
California Gold Rush
After James Marshall discovered gold, about 300,000 miners called "forty-niners" flooded California. These miners faced many challenges, such as diseases. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This treaty ended the Mexican-American War and specified the consequence of it. It forced Mexican Cession out of Alta California and New Mexico in exchange for $15 million, and the US assumed $3.25 million of debt owed by the Mexican government to US citizens. Furthermore, Mexico accepted the loss of Texas, and therefore, the Rio Grande became its national border. -
Forty-Eighters
Due to the Revolutions of 1848, many Germans immigrated to the US as political refugees. Many became politically active after settling down in the US, mostly as farmers out West. -
Pioneers
Pioneers migrated as families rather than individually, seeking security. Most of them were of Eruopean descent and moved to Oregon. It wasn't until August of 1848 that the Oregon Territory was created. -
Order of the Star Spangled Banner
This secret society consisted of Native Protestant-Born white American men who wanted to sure only people like them had power. It evntually morphed into the "Know Nothing Party" politician party and restricted immigrants and immigrants' rights. It was the result of "Nativism," only liking white American-born people. -
No Irish Need Apply
After the potato famine, many Irish catholics immigrated to America, but they were discriminated again. "NINA" meant that Irish didn't even need to apply for a job because they would not be employed. They mainly settled in NY and Boston because that was where they landed and they were too poor to travel. -
Fugitive Slave Act
Many slaves began running to the north. Under the Fugitive Slave Act, runaway slaves had to be returned. As a result, runaway slaves started going to Canada. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act unded the Missouri Compromise, creating 2 new territories: Nebraska and Kansas. -
Election of 1855/Bleeding Kansas
Due to the election, Kansas was flooded with pro/anti-slavery settlers. Border Ruffians were the pro-slavery activists from the slave state of Missouri who crossed the border of Kansas and enforced slavery. On election day of 1855, border ruffians crashed the election. The pro-slavery government set up in Lecompton. -
Know Nothing Party
This political party flourished during the mid-1850s. It came from the Order of the Star Spangled Banner, and its goal was to stop Irish Catholic Influence. -
Overland Trail
Throughout the 1860s, the Overland Trail was heavily used. It was an alternative route to the Oregon, California and Mormon trails through central Wyoming. It mainly ran passengers and mail, especially by the Overland Stage Company. -
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a major part of the Civil War and was aided by participants of the Abolitionist Movement. It helped many slaves escape from the South. -
Homestead Act
This was a law passed by Congress to encourage settlement in the West by giving land to farmers. It stated that if owners agreed to cultivate the land for five years, they'd get land. -
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Political Machines and Immigrants
William "Boss" Tweed was the head of the Democratic Party in New York from 1869 to 1871 and was one of the most famous political machines of the era. Although he was not in power during the Guilded Age itself, his actions foreshadowed future bribery and corruption in the government. Political machines, like Tweed, convinced uneducated immigrants to vote for them by bribing them with food, housing, education, and more. Political machines greatly influenced the votes of immigrants. -
Transcontinental Railroad Workers
On May 10, 1869, a golden spike was placed where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroad Companies met, marking the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. However, building the Transcontinental was no easy task. It took a large team of workers, the majority being immigrants. Specifically, Chinese immigrants dominated the Western railroad construction, while Irish workers dominated the East. -
Reciprocity Treaty of 1875
The Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 was signed by Americans on January 30, 1875. Many Americans were immigrating to Hawaii which gave Americans easier access to sugar starting in September of 1876. Overall, it increased the number of Americans immigrating to Hawaii. -
Exodus Movement
This was the first general migration of blacks following the civil war. American Americans moved from states along the Mississippi River to Kansas in the late 19th century. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Signed in 1882 by President Arthur, the Chinese Exclusion Act prevented Chinese immigration into the United Sates. As businesses industrialized and factories developed, skilled laborers became less of a necessity. Chinese immigrants were willing to work for lower wages than most, causing nativism and discrimination from whites who were convnced the Chinese were responsible for their inability to obtain jobs. -
How the Other Half Lives
In 1889, Jacob Riis's How the other Half Lives was published. His protography revealed the horrifying conditions of the poor during the late 1800s, specifically those of immigrants. When imagining a map of New York's city's neighborhoods grouped by color into nationalities, he observed that it "would show more stripes than on the skin of a zebra, and more colors than any rainbow." Riis was an immigrant himself and worked to improve and raise awareness for their poor living conditions. -
Ellis Island
Ellis Island operated in New York from 1892 to 1924. From there, poorer immigrants tended to stay in New York, taking low-wage jobs, while those with more money would travel out to Chicago or other parts of the country. Ellis Island saw a surge of immigration between 1900 and 1917, during the Progressive Era. -
Angel Island Created
In 1905, America began building Angel Island, which began operating in 1910. It is considered the "Ellis Island of the West", serving mostly Chinese immigrants. Chinese were not legally, or socially, welcomed as a reult of the Chinese Exclusion Act, so the primary purpose of Angel Island was to control the flow of Chinese immigration. -
"New Immigrants"
During the Progressive Era, many immigrants from southern and eastern Europe came to the United States. They were called "New Immigrants," and were drawn to America by a variety of push and pull factors. Some push factors were religious persecution and violence in their native countries, and pull factors included jobs/industrialization and democracy. In 1910, three fourths of New York City population was composed of immigrants or first-generation Americans from the surge in "New Immigrants." -
Sacco-Vanzetti Case
Robbers shot and killed a paymaster and gurd at a Massachusettes shoe factory. Two Italian immigrants, Sacco and Vanzetti, were convicte of the crime without much substantial evidence. The two men were also anarchists. They were found guilty and were electricuted in 1927. The case brought out American fear of immigrants and anarchism. -
National Origins Act
The act restricted annual immgration from any foreign county to 2% of the number of people of that national orign in the United States in 1890. Coolidge, upon signing the law, said that "America must be kept American." -
Los Angeles Times
In April of 1926, the Los Angeles Times released an article about ranchworkers in California's Imperial Valley and how many of them had entered the country illegally. They hadn't pass the literaly test or paid the $18 entrance fee. -
Change in the National Origins Act
Congress changed the base year regarding the percetage of immigrants from a specifc country that would be allowed to immigrate from 1890 to 1920. From 1914 to 1929, the number of immigrants fel from 1.2 million to 280,00. -
Mexican and Canadian Testimony
In February of 1929, the U.S. House Immigration Committee heard a testimony about the Mexican and Canadian borders, including steps that were taken to eliminate the “visa mill” at Juarez. -
Stock Market Crash
After the stock market crash, the U.S. tightened visa rules, so there were less Mexican immigrants. State, local and federal governments debated what to do which those already in the country. As a result, many were deported- some by force, some by choice. Some were even legal immigrants. -
Jewish refugees
Between 1933 and 1945, the US only took in about 132,000 Jewish refugees, and only 10% were allowed into the US by law. -
Criminals Immigrants
President Roosevelt ordered that alien criminals be deported. Surprisingly, this did not include Mexican and Canadian immigrants, for he was worried they would sneak back in. -
Immigration Quotas
Throughout all of 1939, Congress refused to raise immigration quotas in order to admit 20,000 Jewish children; they were fleeing Nazi oppression. Instead, American officials tried to persuade Great Britain and Latin America to admit Juish refugees. -
Italians' Curfew
The curfews on Italian immigrants were lifted on Columbus Day. Around 600,000 Italian aliens were living in the US in 1940. Close to 1,600 Italian citizens were interned while 10,000 Italian-Americans were forced to abandon their houses in California and move to inland homes. -
Suspension of Naturalization Proceedings
Roosevelt suspended naturalization proceedings for Italian, German and Japanese immigrants. He also required them to register, restricted their mobility and prohibited them from owning items that might be used for sabotage. -
Executive Order 9066
Roosevelt gave the Executive Order 9066 which authorized the deportation and incarceration of the Japanese. It allowed regional military commanders to create the internment camps for anyone of Japanese ancestry. It was very controversial because while some were immigrants, many were not only citizens, but American-born citizens. It also affected Italian Americans and German Americans, but it is better-known for the effect it had on the Japanese. -
"Report to the Secretary on the Acquiescence of this Government in the Murder of the Jews."
The Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Morgenthau, was the only Jew in the Cabinet. It was written by Dubois, and then Morgenthau used it to convince Roosevelt to establish the War Refugee Board. It was an indictment of the US State Department's diplomatic, military and immigration policies. Roosevelt was basically shamed into taking action, so he created the War Refugee Board which set up refugee camps in Italy, North Africa and the US. -
Suburbs
During the Cold War, many Americans moved to the suburbs (like sunbelt and Levittown) as a part of conformity. -
Immigration and Nationality Acy (McCarran-Walter Act)
This act moved away, although not completely, from denying entry to ethnicities who have met the established quota. It did, however, deny more immigrants that were politically radical in the midst of the tensions from the Cold War. President Truman vetoed the act, but his veto was overridden by Congress. -
Immigration Act of 1965
This ended the discriminatory system of national-origins quotas established in 1924, and was created to increase immigration to the US, especially from Asia and Latin America
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Summer of 1967/Summer of Love
Many hippies moved to San Francisco, specifically Haight-Ashbury, that it became overpopulated and faced sanitation problems. It was a sumer of drug use, “free love,” living off the land, and not caring about money. -
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA)
This act, passed while Reagan was President, attempted to reduce the number of cases of illegal immigration into the US, specifically by requiring domestic employers to hire only verified US citizens. Reagan also supported the idea of offering amnesty to immigrants who came illegally but had been working in the US for some time.
