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First Permanent English Settlement: Jamestown
Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America, is established by the London Company in southeast Virginia. -
The First African Slaves Are Brought Into Jamestown
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English Seize New Amsterdam and Rename it New York
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French and Indian War
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Final Conflict in French and Indian War
Marks the final conflict in the ongoing struggle between the British and French for control of eastern North America. The British win a decisive victory over the French on the Plains of Abraham outside Quebec. -
Treaty of Paris
The British formally gain control of Canada and all the French possessions east of the Mississippi. -
Boston Massacre
British troops fire into a mob, killing five men and leading to intense public protests. -
Boston Tea Party
Group of colonial patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians board three ships in Boston harbor and dump more than 300 crates of tea overboard as a protest against the British tea tax. -
First Continental Conquest
They meet in Philadelphia, with 56 delegates representing every colony except Georgia. Delegates include Patrick Henry, George Washington, and Samuel Adams. -
Beginning of the American Revolution
War of independence fought between Great Britain and the 13 British colonies on the eastern seaboard of North America. Battles of Lexington and Concord, Mass., between the British Army and colonial minutemen, mark the beginning of the war. -
The Declaration of Independence
Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. -
Battle of Yorktown
British General Charles Cornwallis surrenders to General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia. -
American Independence
Great Britain formally acknowledges American independence in the Treaty of Paris, which officially brings the war to a close. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shays's Rebellion erupts; farmers from New Hampshire to South Carolina take up arms to protest high state taxes and stiff penalties for failure to pay -
Washington Is Named America's First President
George Washington is unanimously elected president of the United States in a vote by state electors. -
Bill of Rights
First ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, are ratified. -
The Cotton Gin Is Invented
Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin greatly increases the demand for slave labor. -
John Adams Elected Second President
John Adams is inaugurated as the second president in Philadelphia. -
Capital Relocation
The capital is relocated from Philadelphia to Washington DC. -
Third President of the United States
Thomas Jefferson is inaugurated as the 3rd President of the United States. -
Louisiana Purchase
United States agrees to pay France $15 million for the Louisiana Territory, which extends west from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and comprises about 830,000 sq mi. As a result, the U.S. nearly doubles in size. -
Fourth President
James Madison is inaugurated as the fourth president. -
War of 1812 Begins
U.S. declares war on Britain over British interference with American maritime shipping and westward expansion. -
Capture of DC
British capture Washington, DC, and set fire to White House and Capitol. -
Treaty of Ghent
Treaty of Ghent is signed, ending the war. -
Fifth President
James Monroe is inaugurated. -
Missouri Compromise
In an effort to maintain the balance between free and slave states, Maine (formerly part of Massachusetts) is admitted as a free state so that Missouri can be admitted as a slave state; except for Missouri, slavery is prohibited in the Louisiana Purchase lands north of latitude 3630'. -
Monroe Doctrine
In his annual address to Congress, President Monroe declares that the American continents are henceforth off-limits for further colonization by European powers. -
Sixth President
John Quincy Adams is inaugurated as the sixth president. -
Seventh President
Andrew Jackson is inaugurated as the 7th president. -
Indian Removal Act
This authorizes the forced removal of Native Americans living in the eastern part of the country to lands west of the Mississippi River. -
Nat Turner
An enslaved African American preacher, leads the most significant slave uprising in American history. He and his band of about 80 followers launch a bloody, day-long rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia. The militia quells the rebellion, and Turner is eventually hanged. As a consequence, Virginia institutes much stricter slave laws. -
Texas
Texas declares its independence from Mexico. -
Mexican War
U.S. declares war on Mexico in effort to gain California and other territory in Southwest. War concludes in 1848 with signing of Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. -
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery and becomes one of the most effective and celebrated members of the Underground Railroad. -
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The Civil War
The Civil War in the United States began in 1861, after decades of simmering tensions between northern and southern states over slavery, states’ rights and westward expansion. The Civil War was also known, ended in Confederate surrender in 1865. The conflict was the costliest and deadliest war ever fought on American soil, with some 620,000 of 2.4 million soldiers killed, millions more injured and much of the South left in ruin.