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Apr 16, 1492
Columbus's arrival in America
Initially sailing toward Asia.Chrisopher Columbus and his crew in the Buhammas un known that they arrived of a totally different contient. -
Apr 16, 1518
Spainish vs Aztec
Hernanto Cortes led this army against th powerful empire of the Aztez. Eventually Cortes and his men won and began an expendition in search for the new sources for gold and silver. -
The Growth of New England
The Northern regions of British America were slower to attract settlers. In 1608 a group of puritans were the first European settlement in New England. Plymouth was founded in September 1620 which was a voyage led by John Smith to get away from the London company. -
Exchanges of Agricultural Technology
The English quickly adapted to the Indians farming techniques. The native agriculture was much better adapted to the soil and the climate of Virginia. Most importantly the English learned the importance of corn. -
The Restoration Colonies
Charles II rewarded faithful courtiers with grants of land in the new world and in twenty five years he issued charters for four additional colonies: Carolina, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The name restoration colony comes from the king paying off his debt by giving a grant of land. -
Bacons rebellion
For more than 30 years Sir William Berkeley the royal Governor or Virginia dominated politics on the colony. As a result from the colonies rapid growth, the citizens felt underrepresented and this started a resentment of power. In 1676 this started a conflict led by Nathaniel Bacon who created his own militia army. The army's job was to fight off the Indians. Bacon's rebellion shows the struggle to define the Indian and white spheres of influence in Virginia. -
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Salem Witchcraft Trials
Over accusations of witchcraft (the human exercise of satanic powers) in New England. The most famous was this one in Salem, Massachusettes. Hysteria spread throughout the town and hundreds of people (most of them women) were accused of witchcraft. Nineteen residents were put to death before the trials ended and the girls who were orignally the accusers admitted their stories were fabricated. -
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Seven Years' War
Started in the later 1750's and ended in the early 1760's. It was part of a larger struggle between England and France. The Bristish victory in that struggle, known in Europe as the Seven Years' War, confimed England's commercial supremecy and cemented it's control of the settled regions of North America. In America, the colonists called this the French and Indian War. -
The Sugar Act
Raised the duty on sugar while lowering the duty on molasses. It also established new vice-admirablty courts in America to try to accuse smugglers. -
The Currency Act
Required that the colonial assemblies stop issuing paper money. -
The Stamp Act
Imposed a tax on every printed document in the colonies: newspapers, almanacs, pamphlets, licences, etc. British officials were soon collecting more than ten times as much annual revenue in America as they has before in 1763. This was later repealed. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston MassacreThis was a pre-Revolutionary incident growing from the anger between the British troops sent to Boston to maintain order and to enforce the Townshend Acts. On March 5, they fired into a rioting crowd and killed 5 men. The impact of the incident on the cause of the American Revolution was profound. -
The Tea Act of 1773
New act of Parliament-buisness of selling tea. Britain's East India Company (which went bankrupt) was sitting on large stocks of tea that could not sell in England. In an effort to sell it the government passed the Tea Act of 1773, which gave the company the right to export it's merchandise directly to the colonies without paying any of the regular taxes. -
The Boston Tea Party
Three companies of 50 men each, dressed as Mohawk Indians, went aboard 3 ships, broke open the tea chests and threw them into the harbor. -
Independence
IndependenceAmerica offically gained its soverignty after Congress approved the Declaration Independence. -
Great Comprimse approved
two house legislastive system established that slaves are 3/5 a person when it came to voting. -
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments were established to give basic rights to the people. Although most of the rights were only given to white male land ownersd intially. -
Cotton Gin
Invented by Eli Whitney. Prior to the cotton gin cotton had to be process it by hand. It was made to processs cotton with ease making cotton a big cash crop, -
Whiskey Rebellion
was a tax protest in the United States beginning in during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their grain in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented. The tax was a part of treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton's program to pay off the national debt -
XYZ Affair
The XYZ Affair was a 1798 diplomatic event under John Adams presidency that Americans interpreted as an insult from France. It led to an undeclared naval war called the Quasi-War, which raged at sea from 1798 to 1800 -
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The Middle Passage
Before it ended in the nineteenth century, it was responsible for the forced immigration of 11 million Africans to North and South America and the Carribeans. The victims were packed into small, dark, filthy holds of ships for the long journey to the Americas called the "Middle Passage." The prisoners were kept chained in the bowels of the slave ships and supplied with minimal food and water. They tried to fit as many African American slaves as they could, to ensure enough would survive. -
Louisiana Purchase
Under Jefferson's presidency Amercia bought a big chunk of land from France for $15 million. The purchase, which doubled the size of the United States, comprises around 23% of current U.S. territory -
Jefferson's Embargo
Due to the impressment being done to american ships by the british Jefferson put an embargo for foreign. This caused major econinomic decline especailly for merchants and shipping companys especially in the North. -
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War of 1812
he Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions brought about by Britain's ongoing war with France, the impressment of American merchant sailors into the Royal Navy, British support of American Indian tribes against American expansion, outrage over insults to national honour after humiliations on the high seas and possible American desire to annex Canada. -
Hartford Convention
The convention discussed removing the Three-fifths compromise which gave slave states more power in Congress and requiring a 2/3 super majority in Congress for the admission of new states, declarations of war, and laws restricting trade. The Federalists also discussed their grievances with the Louisiana Purchase and the Embargo of 1807. -
Panic of 1819
Was the first major financial crisis in the United States, and had occurred during the political calm of the Era of Good Feelings. -
Monroe Doctrine
Established to keep Eureopean influences in out of the North and South America. The intent and impact of the Monroe Doctrine persisted with only minor variations for almost two centuries. The doctrine put forward that the New World and the Old World were to remain distinctly separate spheres of influence, for they -
Crusade Against Slavery
The anti slavery movement was not new in 1830 but it started to gather force that would ultimately enable it to overshadow all efforts of social reform. In 1817 a group called American Colonization Society made an attempt to gradually free slaves and take them back to Africa although, it failed. -
The Mormons
The most infamous utopia society was the Mormons. Mormonism began in upstate New York through the efforts of Joesph Smith. In 1830 he published the Book of Mormon. In that he said a translation of a set of Golden Tablets he had found in the hills of NewYork. Smith and the Mormons practiced polygamy and people were always chasing him out of there cities. Smith and the Mormons finally set up permanently in Salt Lake City Utah. -
Trail of Tears
Between 1830 and 1838 five civilizied tribes were forced to travel to Indian territory. They had to get out of communities where they lived and walk west. As a result many Native Americans died and disease. The most famous case of this was the Cherokee nation being forced to leave Georgia in 1836. -
Second Party System
With Andrew Jackson having great supporters he also had a group of people who did not like his views. This party known as " the Whigs" who were supportive of central government and corporations while Jackson was against these things. The Whigs called for industrialization which Jackson was also against. With the conflict of these two groups it started the two party system. -
Transportation and Communication
As factories began to grow it required a better way for transportation and communication. The canal age started in the 1820s when people looked for other ways of transportation of goods. The other way of transportation was by railroad. The railroad helped industrialization because it cut time and cost of transportation on goods. -
Expansion of Business
American business grew rapidly in the 1820's - 1830s in part because of industrialization. Corporations were given the system of limited liability, which is when individual stock holders risked only losing there value of investment in the company and not the corporations larger losses. This movement started advancements in technology like machines and tools and new sources of energy like coal. -
Texan Independence
War between Texas and Mexico, General Sam Houston defeated the Mexican Army and took Santa Anna prisoner. Santa Anna under pressure from his captors, signed a treaty giving Texas Independence. -
Panic of 1837
With Martin Van Buren elected the year before with the economy booming prices were rising, credit was plentiful, and the land business was booming. In 1836 Van Buren issued an executive order for " Specie Circular" which states that in payment for public lands, the governement would only accept gold or silver coins or currency backed by gold and silver. The effects were almost immediate and people started rioting, banks businesses failed. It was America's worst depression at that point. -
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Oregon Trail
A 2,000 mile historic east-west wagon route and immigrant trail that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and all locations between. -
The Log Cabin Campaign
As the campaign of 1840 approached the Whigs realised they would have to settle for only one candidate. In December 1839 the Whigs held there first nominating convention. Passing over Henry Clay they chose William Henry Harrison. -
Remaking Society
New movements were being made to remake mainstream society. Revivalism started when the Second Great awakening evolved into a powerful force for social reform. Also, advancements started in health and science and many cities started devolping health boards to prevent epidemics and disease. -
Immigration and Urban Growth
Three trends caused population growth between 1820 and 1840. They were rapid population growth, movement westward, and the demand for work in the cities. The American population in 1790 was 4 million, by 1820 it had reached 10 million and 17 million by 1840. Specifically the population increased mainly in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia due to immigration from Europe. -
Southern Trade and Industry
Due to farming as the backbone for the economy in the south other forms of economic activity were slow to grow in the south. Almost every factory in the south produced farming equipment and the south lacked a good transportation system. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Douglas knew the South would oppose his bill because it would prepare the way for a new free state that would be closed to slavery. To make it acceptable for Southerners he made the status of slavery in the territory be determined by the territorial legislature. The region could open itself to slavery. He also agreed to divide the area into two territories - Nebraska and Kansas. -
Cotton King
Considered the biggest econmoic development in the south in the mid nineteenth century was the expansion of cotton plantations. Cottons value blew up because iof the demand and accessability of it.Due to Eli Whitney's cotton gin cotton was much easier to produce. -
Rapid Expansion of Slavery
Between 1840 and 1860 hundreds of thousands of slaves moved from Virginia and other upper southern states and headed for the deep south. They moved at force by there masters. Thousands of slaves lost there families and many were seperated. -
The Conscription Act
Subjected all white males between ages of 18 and 35 to military service for 3 years. As in North, a draftee could avoid service if he furnished a substite. Due to the high price of substitutes it raised such an issue with poorer whites that it was repealed in 1863. -
The "Whiskey Ring"
Benjamin H. Bristow, Grant's third Treasury secretary, discovered that some of his officials and a group of distillers operating a "whiskey ring" were cheating the government out of taxes by filing false reports.
