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The Founding of Jamestown
John Smith founded Jamestown, on May 13 1607; he made a policy that made everybody work if they wanted food, before that everybody was starving. The purpose of the colony was to make money for the Virginia Company of London. This was the first permanent colony. -
House of Burgesses
The london company allowed the Virginians to call a assembly known as the House of Burgesses. This was the first of many miniture Parliments to flourish in America. -
Plymouth and the Mayflower Compact
People who wanted to escape the persecution of religion (Anglicans and Separatists) in England left and founded the colony of Plymouth in Massachusetts. The pilgrims decided to write up a formal document, that states that they would follow the King of England and created some rules for the colonists for the sake of survival. -
Founding of Massachusetts Bay
The owners of the Massachusetts bay colony. The colony was formed because the businessmen who formed the Massachusetts bay company with included investors of Dorchester Company which who funded the failed colony of Cape Ann, decided to make a business venture. The colonists had good relationships with the Native Americans but they soon escalated to small wars and battles like the King Philip’s war and the Pequot war that led to the eventual removal of the Native Americans in that area. -
Pequot War
Pequot WarAs towns expanded more people looked west to settle, there was a original treaty with the Pequot people that a Wampanoag Indian made in 1621, but as contact grew more hostile towards each other. The war ended when some American militiamen and Indian allies burned a Pequot town to ashes the survivors were sold into slavery in the West Indies. -
King Philips War
Massoit's son, Metacom called King Phillip by the colonist’s forged an alliance and attacked colonist towns in a series of assaults. In 1776 when the war ended 52 towns had been attacked and 12 destroyed, many colonist and American Indians alike were dead. Metacom’s wife and son were sold into slavery and Metacom was beheaded and his head was mounted on a spike that stood for years in Plymouth. -
Bacon's Rebelloin
Impoverished men who were mad because of the dashed hopes of finding land and a wife, in 1676 a large group of Virginians broke out led by a 29 year old Nathanial Bacon. They attacked friendly and non-friendly American Indians and chased the governor Berkley out of town. Bacon died suddenly of disease and Berkely hanged the rest of the rebels. -
Salem Witch Trials
Several adolescent girls claimed to be bewitched which led to a frantic witch hunt that led to the murder of 22 women. Most of the witches were from Salem’s market economy, and the accusers largely from sustenance farming families. The hysteria ended in 1693 when the governor, alarmed that his own wife had been accused and had many members of the clergy support him, prohibited any further trials and pardoned those already convicted. -
French and Indian War
1754-1763
The colonists wanted to take over French holdings in America because France and England were fighting at that time. Native Americans allied with the French. The war ended when British General James Wolfe captured Quebec. England got the land and in result England began to tax the colonists to pay for the war. -
Quartering Act
Anger still simmering from the Sigar act, that Engand passed to help pay for their huge dept from the Frech-Indian War. The Quartering ACt was passed that made certain colonies provide food and lodging for British soldiers. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed, to raise revenues to support the military force, The Stamp Act taxed paper, or the affixing of stamps, certifying payment, stamps were required on all bills for about 50 different items. -
Boston Massacre
The Townshend Acts made colonists angry, and one night 60 colonists protested their anger on 10 British red coats, one of those was hit in the head by a club and another knocked down led to open fire on the colonists. They were acting without orders and under extreme provocation, John Adams later was their defense attorney and only 2 of the red coats were found guilty of manslaughter. Though branded as a slaughter to raise anger towards the British in truth both sides were at fault. -
Tea Act
With the British East India Tea Company was close to bankrupt, England decided to help them out by making them the only company America coud buy from. America was outraged, they did not like the Idea that England was trying to tax them, even if the tea was cheaper. This was the last sraw for America. -
Boston Tea Party
The British East India Tea Company was facing bankruptcy and if it fell, the London government would lose some major tax revenue. England gave the Company a monopoly in America with lower priced tea. The colonists were outraged with the fact that England tried to hide the tax into a lower priced tea, and the Sons of liberty dressed as Indians and poured the tea into the Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
The Parliment furious at the colonies, made the intolerable acts, one of them the Boston Port Act hich closed the harbour untill damages were paid for and the tea and peace was restored. Other colonies were treated the same. Around the same time the Quebec laws were passed and let the Canadians keep their religion and extended their border. -
Lexington and Concord
The Shot heard round the world. General Thomas Grant and 700 soldiers went to destroy ammunition just outside Boston and capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Paul Revere warned people that the British were coming, and by the time the British got there, Hancock and Adams had escaped and the ammunition hidden. -
Declaration of Independance
Thomas Jefferson wrote this; originally he had a part about slaves in it but was later taken out. America decided that they were tired of being ignored in their grievances and decided to act for independence. -
Articles of Confederation
First constitution for America after gaining independence from Britain Written by John Dickinson. It had a very weak central government. Made the rules for making new states ( 3/5 comprpmise). The Virgina plan was proposed and the idea of population weighted representatives and 2 branches of legislative branches made. In response the New Jersey Plan, Congress divided into 2 represented by population in the state. The Great Compromise solidified the 2 branches and population elected, min age -
Shays Rebellion
During the time of Shays Rebellion the Artivcles of Confederation were being reformed and this proved to some people that it needed to be done. Shays rebellion was a main topic during the meetings. -
Judiciary Act 1789
On September 24, 1789, the U.S. congress established a federal judiciary court. -
Marbury v. Madison
William Marbury had been commissioned justice of the peace in the District of Columbia by President John Adams in the “midnight appointments” at the very end of his administration. When the new administration did not deliver the commission, Marbury sued James Madison, Jefferson's Secretary of State.
The decision was the first by the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional and void an act passed by Congress that the Court considered in violation of law and seperat executive and judicial branch -
Whiskey rebellion
Now the U.S constitution could levy taxes, the Whiskey rebellion was a response to on the whiskey tax. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
were four bills passed in 1798 by the Federalists in the 5th United States Congress in the aftermath of the French Revolution. The Kentucky and and Virginia Resolutions, were resuluions that argued that these acts were unconstitutional -
Second Great Awakening
Faith and unity grew. Movements like the abolitionists grew. Brought Harmony. -
Resultion of 1800
The Revolution of 1800 was so named by the winner of the 1800 election, Thomas Jefferson. He called this election a revolution because his party, the Republicans, peacefully and orderly received the power with nothing but acceptance by the federalists. This was how the founding fathers designed the government to be. -
Embargo Act
Law passed by Congress and signed by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807. This law stopped all trade between America and any other country. The goal was to get Britain and France, who were fighting each other at the time, to stop restricting American trade. The Act backfired, and the American people suffered. The Act was ended in 1809. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase is considered the greatest real estate deal in history. The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France at a price of $15 million, or approximately four cents an acre. The ratification of the Louisiana Purchase treaty by the Senate on October 20, 1803, doubled the size of the United States and opened up the continent to its westward expansion -
War of 1812
America was angry with England and after England decided to board an American ship, they tried to hurt England by making an embargo but it hurt Americans more than it hurt the British. Thomas Jefferson decided to go to war, there were battles in Lake Erie, and the Burning of Washington, and as the British tried to take Baltimore harbor but the American troops held them off, this inspired a lawyer detained on a British ship to write the Star-Spangled Banner. The Treaty of Ghent was written on Dec -
Era of Good feelings/ election of 1816
Era of peace under James Monroe. Increased patriotism. 2 years until the panic of 1819. -
Election of 1824
Decided on by the House of Representatives that John Quincy Adams would be presedent. Clay being another canident and speaker of the house, teamed up with Adams and used his influence to help Adams. "Corrupt Bargain" -
election of 1828
Jackson and Adams as canidates, Jackson won and after the results a mob ran in the white house after Adams. First democratic president. -
Indian Removal Act 1830
The act allowed him to negociate with the trbes of the south to move them west of the Mississippi river. Often forcfull -
Nullification Crisis 1832
South Carolina declared that they had the right to refuse tariffs. They threatened to secede from America. Jackson used military force and lowered the tarrif. -
Texas Independence
American settlers outnumbered the Spanish settlers and tried to overthrow Spain by establishing themselves as a republic, Santa Anna tried to reverse this. The war ended with the capture of Santa Anna. -
Mexican American War
When Texas tried to annex themselves into America,Mexico did not see them as a independent state, and some border conflict sent America and Mexico into War. The War ended with the capture of Mexico City. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo
After the Mexican American War a treaty was signed in a small town called Guadalupe Hidalgo. The treaty set the border at the Rio Grande and Mexico was to cede California and New Mexico for 15 million in compensation of the claims of the Mexican citizens. The treaty was ratified by congress on March 10 1848 and by Mexico on May 25. -
Harlem Renaissance
After the Civil War a new age of African Americans erupted. The mind set of being part of America, being an American citizen, being free set a sort of tone that led African Americans to stride for greatness. A age of new music, art, literature, the "New Negro" emmerged undaunted by racist attacks, no longer needed to cower and hide, but to fight the ignorant racists. -
Dawes Act
An Act supposed to protect the rights of the Native Americans by giving individuals of the tribe parcels of land to farm. Children were forced to go to boarding schools leaving their parcel vacant and the land given to them was desert or near desert unsuitabe for farming, the ones who wanted to farm could not afford tools and seeds. THE ACT COULD NOT HAVE GONE WORSE. -
Wounded Knee Massacre
The United States 7th cavarly regiment found some Lakota indians and escorted them 5 miles to Wounded Knee creek. The soldiers tried to take all the weapons of the indians and a shot was fired from the cavarly side, and all of the Lakota Indians were massacered. There were many women and children in the Indian group and many had their guns taken at that point, this "battle" can hardly be called that for it was a massacre.This was the last of the Indian Wars, to take the rich land from its owners -
Spanish- American War
With the American tax on Sugar, Cuba, Mexicos colony, was in outrage, and in response put many of the Cuban people in concentration camps. America went anti-Spain and the yellow jouranlism caused some anger but Cleveland prmissde not to go to war. When Mckinnely came into power there was a friendly ship that got blown up and they went to War. The treaty of Paris was signed and liberated those countries from rule. -
Founding the NAACP
In response to the horrific race riot in Springfield in 1908,some even the ancesters of abolition, let the way and created the NAACP. The main creaters of the NAACP were Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villard, William English Walling and Dr. Henry Moscowitz. -
The First Red Scare
After World war 1 America saw the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, and was afriad a revolution would happen with labor strikes and protests. Bombings and chaos and illegal searchings of houses and people frequented that time. -
Red Summer
Race Riots happened all over the United States. Immigration from Europe was cut off because of the war and there were labor shortages all over the countries, African Americans moved to cities to escape lynchings and find jobs. The job competetion led to resentment and to the race riots. -
Election of 1932
Rooselvelt and Hoover. Largest amount of voters at all times. During the Great Depression -
New Deal
Economic interventions by FDR. Government Housing, road projects. Helped get the economy rolling. -
Attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages sof the war, after Germany surrendered, America called for a surrender of Japan. They refused and the U.S dropped two bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Killing thousands of people -
Truman Doctrine
The president asked Congress in March 1947 for $400 million in economic and military aid to assist the “free people” of Greece and Turkey against “totalitarian” regimes. Start of containment to stop Soviet expansion. -
Fall of China to Communism
Communsim came to power in 1949 by Mao Zedong, with his Communistic ideas set an equality in China. Mao rose to power during the Civil war. Deng Xiaoping and allowed people to own land in 1977. -
Election of 1952
Adlai Stevenson and Eisenhower faced off. During this time were McCarthys "witch hunts", createing national tesion along with the Cold War. Eisenhower had a large victory in the election -
Korean War
Korea was divided after World War 2, half communist half American Occupied. MacArthur was the general in Korea and Truman was president, Truman fired him after he told him to be less offensive in his attacks and when he went against orders he was fired. This was very unpopular and Truman almost got impeached. Eisenhower became president In 1953 a peace treaty was signed at Panmunjom that ended the Korean War, returning Korea to a divided status essentially the same as before the war. Neither the -
NATO
The following twelve nations agreed to set up a mutual defense and collective security pact, affirming that an attack against one of them is an attack against all: the United States, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal. Stalin and the Soviet Union responded with their own organization, the Warsaw Pact (1955). After the end of the Cold War, the purpose of NATO changed from purely defensive to also offensive which was r
