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First Slaves in North America
The first slaves are brought to Jamestown on a Dutch slave ship to North America. -
Mayflower Compact
The pilgrims signed the first governing document in Plymouth aboard the Mayflower. -
Massacre of 1622
The Powhatans killed 347 colonists, which sparked the Second Anglo-Powhatan War. -
Manhattan Purchase
Peter Minuit buys Manhattan for items worth about 24 dollars from from Indigenous peoples. -
Legalization of Slavery
Massachusetts becomes the first colony to legalize slavery. -
Livestock Branding Law
The first livestock branding law is made in Connecticut. -
Declining Death Rate
1650 is the year that the death rate starts to decline in the Virginia Colony. -
King Oversees Colonies
The King's sends commissioners to oversee what is going on in the colonies -
Monopoly on Slaves
The Royal Africa Company is given a monopoly for the English trade of enslaved people. -
King William's War
King William's War begins because tensions between the French and English in Europe spill over to the colonies. -
Slave Revolt
There was a violent slave revolt in 1712 in New York City which led to 9 whites being killed and 18 slaves being executed. New York declares it illegal for blacks, slaves, and Indians to kill other blacks, slaves, and Indians. -
TEA!
Tea is introduced to the American Colonies for the first time. -
Anglo-Spanish War
The Anglo-Spanish war breaks out. This was a war between Britain and Spain in which Britain unsuccessfully tried to blockade Porto Bello. -
First Library
Benjamin Franklin establishes the first public library in America. -
Mass
The first mass is celebrated in the only Catholic Church in all of colonial America in Philadelphia. -
George Washington
George Washington is born in Virginia. -
Molasses Act
The Molasses Act is passed by parliament which establishes heavy taxes on imported sugar, rum, and molasses from Caribbean islands not controlled by Britain. -
Money
The first copper coins in the colonies are minted in Connecticut. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The American Revolution started with the battle of Lexington and Concord. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is written and signed by all 13 colonies to establish their first official document as a country. -
Louisiana Purchase
The US purchased Louisiana from France for $15 million, about 4 cents an acre. It doubled the size of the US. -
Treaty of 1818
This treaty established the northern boundary of the US as the 49th parallel from the Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Mountains. -
Land Act of 1820
This act reduced the price of land in the western US to encourage people to settle more westward. -
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
This railroad becomes the first railroad in America to offer commercial transportation of people and freight. -
Democratic Party
The Democratic Party is formed. -
Cherokee Pheonix
This newspaper is the first newspaper published by Native Americans in the US. -
Indian Removal Act
President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act which led to the relocation of Indigenous Peoples. This led to the "Trail of Tears". -
Civil War
Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter, which surrendered less than 34 hours later. This marks the start of the Civil War. -
Abolition of Slavery
Congress abolished slavery in DC and federal territories and authorized confiscation of slaves owned by Confederates. -
Panic of 1873
This panic triggered the first economic downturn called the 'Great Depression', which is now known as the Long Depression.