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Nov 10, 1492
Columbus reaches the New World
After two months of sailing on the Atlantic Ocean, Columbus and his crew land in the Bahamas thinking they had landed in India. -
Nov 12, 1525
The Spanish Empire
Hernan Cortes reached the Aztec Empire and he made war with the Aztecs with horses and 500 men and he conquered the empire for Spain. When Francisco Pizarro had reached the Incan Empire, most of the people had died because of the european diseases were unknown to the Incas so he conquered the Incan Empire with ease for Sain. -
Nov 12, 1534
New France
France sent Jacques Cartier to explore the Atlantic coastline of North America and he claimed the land we know today as Canada for France and named the land New France. In 1608 a trading post in New France was founded by Samuel de Chaplain which he called Quebec and for the next 50 years Quebec was a base for French explorers, soldiers, missionaries, traders, and fur trappers. -
The Lost Colony of Roanoke
An English noble named Sir Walter Raleigh tried to start a colony on Roanoke Island off the coast of present-day North Carolina and Indians on the island welcomed the settlers wih gifts but when their supplies ran low they returned back to England.In 1587, Raleigh sent a second group of colonists to Roanoke but they we were not able to plant crops so John White, sailed back to England for more supplies and when he came back to Roanoke, much of the colony was devested. -
Jamestown: The First English Colony
A group of merchants formed a company called the London Company who sent 144 settlers into three ships across the Atlantic Ocean to North America so that the settlers could send back valuable goods back to Europe such as fur and timber. The settlers settled on a swampy peninsula infested with mosquitos and called the settlement Jamestown and in 1608 captain John Smith was made leader of Jamestown. The English traded beads with the Huron indians for food. -
New Netherland
Henry Hudson searched for the North West Passage and while doing so he claime the land that he sailed along for the Dutch. In 1621, the Dutch West India Company started a colony called New Netherland with Peter Minuit as the governer at what is now modern day New York and they built a fort called Fort Orange and many other trading posts along the Hudson River. In 1647, the Dutch West India Company Peter Stuyvesant the new governer and he renamed the colony New Amsterdam. -
Jamestown's Starving Time
Most of the settlers in Jamestown were gentlemen and craftsmen so none of them knew how to farm and there were not willing to hard at farming. As the food the settlers had brought from England started to decrease, they began to trade with Indians, glass beads and iron hatchets for food. Many Indians decided they would just kill the English or just let them starve rather than to trade which caused a period of starving for the English. -
The Claiming of Louisiana
In 1673, Father Marquette and Louis Joliet the Mississippi River and they hoped that the river would be the long-sought Northwest Passage but they discovered that the river flowed south toward the Gulf of Mexico instead of flowing west to the Pacifice Ocean. In 1682, Robert de La Salle explored the entire length of the Mississippi Rivera and he planted a French flag at the mouth of the river and claimed everything west of the Mississippi River for France and named it Louisiana. -
Virginia: a southern colony
Descendants of early settlers were wealthy landowners and indentured servants were the bulk of the settlers who lived in Virginia.. The economy of Virginia was based mostly on tobacco. At first settlers tried putting Indianas plant Tobacco but most of the Indians died because of the diseases they caught from the English colonists. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 prohibited colonists from moving west over the Appalchian Mountains. The British wanted to keep colonists and Native Americans from killing each other as colonists moved westward. -
The Quartering Act
The Quartering Act, ordered colonial assemblies to provide British troops with housing. The British did this because they said that they were protecting the colonies. -
The Stamp Act
In 1765, Grenville proposed the Stamp Act. This law recquired colonists to buy a stamp for every piece of paper they used. The money that the British received from this taxation was used to pay off the large debt left over from the French and Indian War . -
The Townshend Acts
In 1767, Townshend persuaded the British Parliment to pass the Townshend Acts. The new laws placed a tax on certain goods the colonies imported from Britain. -
The Tea Act
In 1773, a new law called the Tea Act made colonists drink tea from the British East India Company. December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty decided to dress up as Mohawk Indians and unload the tea on three of the merchant ships that sold the tea. -
The Intolerable Acts
Britain’s anger led Parliament to pass the Intolerable Acts in 1774. The Parliment punished Massachusetts with the Intolerable Acts because of the Boston Tea Party. One of the punishments was to close Boston Harbor to all shipping until the ruined tea was paid for. The secon punishment placed the government of Massachusetts firmly under British control. Tax collectors who would collect money from the colonists for the Intolerable Acts, would be tarred and feathered by the patriots. -
Lexington & Concord
The First fight at Lexington In April 1775, a spy told General Gage that the colonists were hiding a large supply of gunpowder and weapons in the village of Concord. When Gage’s troops went out of Boston on April 18, 1775, Patriots were watching their every move and Paul Revere and William Dawes warned colonists that the British were coming. -
The Second Continental Congress
On May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and the first question that faced Congress was who should command this “New England Army.” George Washington and John Adams had another idea. He proposed that the Congress should create a “continental army” made up of troops from all the colonies. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
Militiamen near Boston made plans to fortify two hills that overlooked the city—Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill. On the night of June 16, Israel Putnam led a few hundred men up Breed’s Hill. General William Howe ordered an immediate attack. 2,000 redcoated troops formed two lines at the base of Breed’s Hill and attacked two times until they finally took the hill at the third time. -
The Olive Branch Petition
Many Americans thought that the Olive Branch Petition would have peace with King George. In July 1775, Congress sent a petition to George III asking him to to stop fighting. By the time the petition reached London, however, the king had declared the colonies to be in “open and avowed rebellion.” He ordered his ministers “to bring the traitors to justice.” -
The Siege of Boston (The British Abandon Boston)
Militiamen led by Ethan Allen and Benjamin Arnold had seized Ticonderoga and gotten many weapons and gun powder. Knox loaded 59 cannons onto huge sleds and 42 sleds also carried 2,300 pounds of lead for future bullets to Boston. On March 4, 1776, rebels had put cannons all around and aiming at Boston. Rather than risk another bloodbath, General Howe abandoned the city and the Americans seized the city. -
Ratification of the Articles of Confederation
After declaring independence in 1776, Congress had tried to unite the states under one national government.Their solution was a plan of government known as the Articles of Confederation. The Articles created “a firm league of friendship” in which “each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence.” This “league of friendship” was a loose union in which the thirteen states cooperated for common purposes. It was run by Congress, in which each state had one vote. -
The Declaration of Independence
A few weeks after the British left Boston, the Continental Congress appointed a committee to write a declaration of independence. After Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams suggested changes. On July 1, 1776, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia’s State House to debate independence. July 2, 12 colonies voted for independence. Independence Day On July 4, the delegates approved a final version of the Declaration. -
Battle for New York
The Americans were defeated in the battle for New York City. British forces chased the Americans out of New York, through New Jersey, and across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. British soldiers looted homes of Americans, both Patriots and Loyalists. Loyalists had become enemies of the British because of this. -
Trenton
Washington planned to attack Hessian troops who were camped for the winter in Trenton, New Jersey. On December 25, 1776, Washington’s army crossed the Delaware River. Washington took 868 prisoners without losing a single man. -
Saratoga
General Burgoyne (British) and his 8,000 British soldiers and Indian warriors reached Saratoga Springs on the Hudson River but the area was filled with militia. The rebels outnumbered his army but Burgoyne still attacked. The rebels beat back Burgoyne’s troops. On October 17, 1777, Burgoyne accepted defeat. Now the Americans had shown they could stand up to a British army and defeat them. -
Yorktown
When Cornwallis (British) was settling into Yorktown, France had sent nearly 5,000 troops to join Washington’s army in New York. In August, another 3,000 troops were scheduled to arrive soon in 29 French warships. Washington moved his army south to Virginia and joined the French and surrounded Yorktown on with more than 16,000 troops. The French warships sealed off the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. On October 19, 1781, the British surrendered. -
Treaty of Paris
In 1783, representatives of the United States and Britain signed a peace treaty in Paris. The Treaty of Paris had three important parts. First, Great Britain agreed to recognize the United States as an independent nation. Second, Britain gave up its claims to all the land between the Atlantic Coast and the Mississippi River, from Canada to Florida. Third, the United States agreed to return all rights and property taken from Loyalists during the war. -
Shay's Rebellion
Judges ordered farmers to sell their land and livestock to pay off their debts. Led by Daniel Shays, farmers rebelled. They closed down courthouses to keep judges from taking their farms. They marched on the national arsenal at Springfield to seize weapons. The Rebellion called Congress for a convention to consider “the situation of the United States.” Each state was invited to send delegates to Philadelphia in May 1787, “for the sole and express purpose revising the Articles of Confederation. -
Constitutional Convention
On May 25, the Constitutional Convention met for the first time in the east room of the Pennsylvania State House. After a lengthy debate, the delegates agreed to throw out the Articles of Confederation and write a new constitution. While the delegates agreed to design a new framework of government and that governemnt. The Virginia Plan called for a strong national government with three branches, the legislative, executive, judicial branch. -
Ratification of the U.S. Constitution
The framers compromised on nine states that would have to ratify the Constitution before it could go into effect. The Constitution would be ratified at special conventions by delegates elected by the people in each state. On September 17, 1787, the delegates declared the Constitution complete. Only 38 of the 55 delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787. Fourteen delegates had returned home before the conclusion of the convention and three others refused to sign. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The United States wanted the port city of New Orleans. For farmers to get their crops to market, they floated them to New Orleans which was then shipped to Europe and the East Coast.
The farmers depended on being able to move their crops freely along this route and if they city was not available for them to ship supplies then their business would stop and there would be no source of income. On April 30, 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte signed a treaty selling Louisiana to the Americans for $15 million. -
Spain gives Florida to the U.S.
Americans wanted the United States to take over Florida because slaves ran away to Florida and white landowners were raided by Seminole Indians. John Quincy Adams convinced President James Monroe to send a message to Spain that they should either govern Florida properly or get out. Spain decided to get out because they feared war. In 1819, the Spanish government agreed to yield Florida to the United States and the United States agreed to pay off $5 million in settlers’ claims against Spain. -
The Indian Removal Act
When Jackson was president, 125,000 Native Americans lived east of the Mississippi River. The Creek, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole hoped to remain in their homelands so they adopted many white ways. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act which allowed the president to make treaties in which Native Americans in the East traded their lands for new territory on the Great Plains. Led by Black Hawk (Indian Chief), the Sac and Fox fought removal for two years. -
The "Trail of Tears"
There were protests over the treatment of Indians but the removal continued. Thousands of Creeks who refused to leave, were rounded up and marched west in handcuffs. 17,000 Cherokee were dragged from their homes and sent west by federal troops. Four thousand died during their long walk to Indian Territory and it was known as the “Trail of Tears.” Led by Osceola (Indian Chief), the Seminoles of Florida resisted removal for ten years. Jackson was proud of having “solved” the Indian problem. -
One issue that upset Northerners
Abolitionists wanted to stop slavery in Washington D.C., but Congress refused to consider anti-slavery petitions. Northern abolitionists were angered because it silenced all debate over slavery in Congress but the abolitionists still published books in newspapers showing how cruel and horrible slavery is. -
Texas is annexed
Texas had good land for growing cotton and many Americans hoped that it would become a state. Mexican officials let Stephen Austin start a colony. Tensions began to rise between the Tejanos. In 1835, Texans rose up in revolt but a Mexican army marched north with 6,000 troops. Houston’s (American commander) troops overran the Mexican camp. Santa Anna (Mexican general) ordered his troops out of Texas. Texans had won their independence. Congress voted to annex Texas. In 1845, Texas became a state. -
Oregon Treaty
Oregon had fertile soil and towering forests. Early settlers described Oregon as a “pioneer’s paradise.” The weather was always sunny, disease was unknown, and farms were free for the taking. In 1843, 1,000 pioneers went to Oregon. President Polk promised that he would try his best to annex all of Oregon Country but Polk didn’t want Oregon enough to risk war with Britain. On June 18, 1846, the Senate ratified a compromise treaty that divided Oregon roughly in half at the 49th parallel. -
War with Mexico
President Polk sent a representative to Mexico to buy New Mexico and California but Mexican officials refused to pay. General Stephen Kearny with an Army was to occupy the territories and they succeeded. In 1848, Mexico and the United States signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Mexico gave up Texas and the Mexican Cession. United States payed Mexico $15 million and promised to protect Mexicans living in Texas and in the Mexican Cession. -
One issue that upset Southerners
The Fugitive Slave Law stated that any person arrested as a runaway slave had no legal rights and that any person who helped a slave escape, or even refused to aid slave catchers, could be jailed. The Fugitive Slave Law made many Southerners dissatisfied with the way the Fugitive Slave Law was enforced because they felt it did not do enough to ensure the return of their ecaped so called "property". -
Second issue that upset Southerners
The book Uncle Tom's Cabin told the sory of a slave and his master which made the books unpopular in the South because it showed that slavery is the cruelest thing in the world which made many people turn against slavery. story was first published in installments in an abolitionist newspaper and later in 1852, it became a novel. -
Start, end, and reasons for war
The American Civil War started in 1861 because slavery was in issue batlled between the North and the South. The South had seceded from the United States of America and were well kbown as the confederacy. The North however stayed with United States of America but were well known as the Union. The Civil War ended in 1865 with Lee surrending to Grant at a court house. -
Second issue that upset Northerners
The Kansas-Nebraska Act stated that the issue of slavery in those territories would be decided by the people of the territories. Both pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces rushed to the territories to vote. This caused the Northerners to be upset about the act because slavery was spreading across the Louisiana territory and the territoires could possibly be able to have slavery with such a majority.
