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Period: 1490 to
Age of Discovery
Historical period between the 15th and 18th century during which Europeans made contact and sought to explore and colonize the "New World". Marking the time in which extensive overseas exploration emerged as a powerful factor in European culture. -
1492
Columbian Exchange
Exchange of goods, ideas, diseases, and people between the Americas, Africa, and Europe; each region was significantly impacted as a result of trade and contact. New plants and animals altered the natural environment of North America. -
1500
Conquistadors
Early-sixteenth-century Spanish adventurers who conquered Mexico, Central America, and Peru. Led military expeditions in the Americas and captured land for Spain. -
1504
Smallpox
Disease spread by Europeans in the Americas; led to the deaths of millions of Native Americans in North and South America. -
1512
Encomienda system
Spanish system of granting land to colonists in the new world; exploited natives and resources; eventually, Natives were replaced with African slave labor. -
1513
Bartolome de Las Casas
He debated Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda in the Valladolid Debate; Spanish priest that wrote about the atrocities the Spanish committed against the Native Americans and sought to end the encomienda system; his writings were later used by the British to perpetuate the "Black Legend". -
Sir Walter Raleigh
An English adventurer and writer, who was prominent at the court of Queen Elizabeth I, and became an explorer of the Americas. In 1585, Raleigh sponsored the first English colony in America on Roanoke Island in present-day North Carolina. It failed and is known as " The Lost Colony" -
Jamestown
Established in 1607 and was the first permanent English settlement; located in Virginia and led through the starving time by John Smith. It was the only successful after tobacco was established as a cash crop. -
First spanish settlement
The first permanent European settlement in the American southwest was established at Santa Fe, New Mexico. The population was small but was made mostly of mestizos. -
Navigation Acts
A series of British regulations which taxed goods imported by the colonies from places other than Britain, or otherwise sought to control and regulate colonial trade. Increased British-colonial trade and tax revenues; reinstated after the French and Indian War because Britain needed to pay off debts incurred during the war, and to pay the costs of maintaining a standing army in the colonies. -
Half-way Covenant
This was a Puritan church document. In 1662, it allowed partial membership rights to persons not yet converted into the Puritan church. It lessened the difference between the "elect" members of the church from the regular members. Women soon made up a larger portion of Puritan congregations. -
King Philip's War
It was war between the Native American tribes of New England and British colonists that took place from 1675-1676. The war was the result of tension caused by encroaching settlers. The chief of the Wampanoag led the natives. The war ended Indian resistance in New England and left a hatred the English colonists. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Virginian rebellion of frontiersmen sparked by governor Berkeley's refusal to retaliate for a series of brutal Indian attacks on frontier settlements; killed Indians, chased Berkeley from Jamestown, and set fire to Jamestown; plundering and pilfering; crushed by Berkeley with hanging over twenty rebels. Ignited resentments of landless former servants and pitted the frontiersmen against the gentry of the plantations. -
Pueblo Revolt
Also known as Pope's Rebellion, this was an uprising of indigenous Pueblo people against Spanish colonizers of Santa Fe, New Mexico, after attempts to force natives to convert and the destruction of native religious artifacts. Spain began to take an accommodating approach to Natives after the revolt -
Albany Plan of Union
Plan proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 that aimed to unite the 13 colonies for trade, military, and other purposes. The plan was turned down by the colonies and the Crown -
Proclamation of 1763
A proclamation from the British government which forbade British colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, and which required any settlers already living west of the mountains to move back east - the colonists were upset because they just fought a war to gain the Ohio River Valley territory and are now being told that they are not allowed to colonize the region. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
First major battle of the Revolution. It showed that the Americans could hold their own, but the British were also not easy to defeat. Ultimately, the Americans were forced to withdraw after running out of ammunition, and Bunker Hill was in British hands. However, the British suffered more deaths. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
These two battles occurred on the same day. They were the first military conflicts of the war. Lexington was the first one, in which a shot suddenly rang out as minutemen were leaving the scene at Lexington. Fighting then occurred. The British won the brief fight. In the second battle, Concord, the British had gone onto Concord and, finding no arms, left to go back to Boston. -
Shays's Rebellion
A 1786 rebellion in which an army of 1,500 disgruntled and angry farmers led by Daniel Shays marched to Springfield, Massachusetts, and forcibly restrained the state court from foreclosing mortgages on their farms. They in opposition to high taxes and stringent economic conditions. -
The Federalist Papers
A series of articles written in New York newspapers as a source of propaganda for a stronger central government; the articles, written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, were a way for the writers to express their belief that it is better to have a stronger central government; the papers turned out to be an influential commentary written on the Constitution. -
Whiskey Rebellion
Farmers in Pennsylvania rebelled against Hamilton's excise tax on whiskey. The army, led by Washington, put down the rebellion. The incident showed that the new government under the Constitution could react swiftly and effectively to such a problem -
Abolitionists
Minority in the north; used fierce arguments and violence to help slaves escape. Some abolitionists were Nat Turner and John Brown who used violence to help slaves. -
Corrupt Bargain of 1824
In the election of 1824, none of the candidates were able to secure a majority of the electoral vote, thereby putting the outcome in the hands of the House of Representatives, which elected John Quincy Adams over rival Andrew Jackson. Henry Clay was the Speaker of the House at the time, and he convinced Congress to elect Adams. Adams then made Clay his Secretary of State. -
Nullification Crisis
In the South, the Tariff of 1828 raised the cost of manufactured goods, thus angering them and causing more sectionalist feelings. Southerners favored freedom of trade and believed in the authority of states over the federal government. Southerners declared federal protective tariffs null and void. -
Indian Removal Act
Passed in 1830, authorized Andrew Jackson to negotiate land-exchange treaties with tribes living east of the Mississippi; treaties enacted under this act's provisions paved the way for the reluctant—and often forcible—emigration of tens of thousands of American Indians to the West. -
"Remember the Alamo"
The rallying cry of the Texans in their rebellion against General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna at the Alamo mission in San Antonio, TX in 1836 when 200 Texans made a heroic stand against 3000 Mexicans under Santa Anna. Everyone died but they are remembered by their stand of courage and undying self-sacrifice. -
Tippecanoe & Tyler, Too
Election of 1840 was another "mudslinging election" between Martin Van Buren vs. William Henry Harrison. Whigs blamed "Martin Van Ruin" for the economic crisis of his presidency. Whigs emphasized Harrison's supposed poor background. -
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hildago
Peace treaty between the US and Mexico to end the Mexican-American War and grant the US the Mexican Cession. The Mexican Cession was the vast area of land constituting most of the present Southwest United States, from California eastward to New Mexico. -
Dred Scott
Dred Scott v. Sandford, otherwise known as the Dred Scott Decision, was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1857 and seen as a landmark decision in the debate surrounding the constitutionality and legality of slavery. The U.S. Supreme Court held that blacks did not have citizenship and could not sue in federal court. The decision led to outrage among abolitionists in the north. -
Fort Sumter
Site of the opening engagement of the Civil War. Learning that Lincoln planned to send supplies to reinforce the fort, Confederate General Beauregard demanded Anderson's surrender, which was refused.the Confederate Army began bombarding the fort, which surrendered on April 14, 1861. Congress declared war on the Confederacy the next day. -
Antietam
Civil War battle in which the North succeeded in halting Lee's Confederate forces in Maryland; was the bloodiest single-day battle of the war resulting in 25,000 casualties -
Vicksburg
Grant besieged the city from May 18 to July 4, 1863, until it surrendered, giving command of the Mississippi River to the Union. The Mississippi River was used to transport goods, crops, raw materials, etc. from the south to the North and visa-versa. -
Gettysburg Address
Speech given by Lincoln following the battle; took place during the dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg and emphasized the sacrifice of the fallen as a means to preserve the Union. -
Lincolns Assassination
John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln at point blank range. John Wilkes Booth became the first person to assassinate an American president when he shot and killed Abraham Lincoln in his box at Ford’s Theater in Washington. -
Reconstruction Act
The reconstruction act of 1867 was a series of statutes meant to help reconstruct the United States after the devastation of the Civil War. Placing Southern states under military rule and barring former supporters of the Confederacy from voting -
Compromise of 1877
Political compromise ending the disputed presidential election of 1876; by the terms of this compromise Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes was awarded the electoral votes of Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina, thus giving him the presidency; in return, all federal troops were removed from the South and the Congress promised to stop enforcing much Reconstruction Era legislation concerning the South. -
The Battle of Little Bighorn
Native American people led by Chief Sitting Bull defeat the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River. The Battle of Little Big Horn was the last major Native American victory due to the government stepping up military action. -
Greenback Party
Founded in 1878, the party was primarily composed of prairie farmers who went into debt during the Panic of 1873. The Party fought for increased monetary circulation through issuance of paper currency and bimetallism, supported inflationary programs in the belief that they would benefit debtors, and sought benefits for labor such as shorter working hours and a national labor bureau. They had the support of several labor groups and they wanted the government to print more greenbacks. -
Chinese Exclusion
Denied any additional Chinese laborers to enter the country while allowing students and merchants to immigrate. Many Americans felt threatened that immigrants were taking there jobs. -
Haymarket Affair
100,000 workers rioted in Chicago in 1886. After the police fired into the crowd, the workers met and rallied in Haymarket Square to protest police brutality. A bomb exploded, killing or injuring many of the police. The Chicago workers and the man who set the bomb were immigrants, so the incident promoted anti-immigrant feelings. -
Homestead Strike
Workers belonging to the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers struck the Carnegie Steel Company at Homestead to protest a proposed wage cut. It culminated into a battle between strikers and private agents. -
Eugene V. Debs
An American union leader and leader of the Pullman Strike; several times the candidate of the Socialist Party of America for President of the United States. He became one of the best-known socialists living in the United States; imprisoned for violating the Espionage Act during WWI. -
Roosevelt Corollary
The Roosevelt Corollary was an addition to the Monroe Doctrine articulated by President Theodore Roosevelt in his State of the Union address. Theodore Roosevelt stated that the United States has the right to protect its economic interests in South And Central America by using military force. -
Zimmerman Telegram
A telegram intercepted by British intelligence sent by Arthur Zimmerman, the German foreign minister, that proposed Mexico ally itself with Germany. Germany said they would help them regain lost territory if they attacked the U.S. Said to be the reason the U.S. joined World War I. -
Red Scare
A Communist Party formed in the US and labor unions were suspected of supporting it.When Italian immigrants Sacco and Venzetti were sentenced to death for a crime with no evidence, Americans feared being labelled "communist" -
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in New York. With the renaissance came the rise of the flapper and jazz music. -
Speakeasies
Replacement for corner saloons, secretly selling alcohol to Americans evading the laws of Prohibition. Theses Establishments would use secret passwords or other methods to protect against raids from federal agents. -
Great Depression
The deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world. Left many Americans poor and living in shanty towns called "Hooverville" after president Herbert Hoover. Lasted from 1929 to the 1930's -
Pearl Harbor
United States military base on Hawaii was bombed by Japanese Navy Air Service surprise attack. the attack was the last stroll that brought the U.S. into World War II. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This Court decision declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. The impact that this ruling had was enormous on the black society. -
JFK Assassination
Kennedy was on the path to change the U.S. society. the ideas he proposing were going to fight poverty, segregation, and educational differences. LBJ would later take Kennedy's plans to congress to get them passed. -
Civil Rights Acts of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This allowed people to have freedom without having to face discrimination on the federal level. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Joint resolution of the US Congress in direct response to a minor naval engagement known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. It gave
President Lyndon B. Johnson authorization, without a formal declaration of war by Congress, for the use of military force in Southeast Asia. -
The Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was an attack on American army bases in Vietnam. The attacks were seen by Americans, which decreased the support for the war. -
The Watergate Scandal
The Watergate Scandal made a huge impact of the public trust in the government. This event led to Nixon's resignation as president. -
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords settled the peace between Egypt and Israel. This is also one of Jimmy Carter's most memorable accomplishments as this wouldn't have been possible without him. -
Iran-Contra Affair
A political scandal in which the NSC was involved in a secret weapon transaction. The action was not approved or were prohibited by the U.S. congress. Some believed Reagan got the hostages out by trading the weapons. -
Tiananmen Square
The location of huge demonstration of democratic rights. Leaders where forced to step down which but down the Chinese government. -
Persian Gulf War
The lead up to the war began when Iraq invaded Kuwait. The U.S. led the attack Know as Operation Desert Storm, which prevented Iraq from taking over. -
Clinton Impeachmkent
After his affair Clinton tried to cover up the affair and when questioned at court he lied. This resulted in him being impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice, he is also the first president to be impeached, but the charges were dropped and he did not leave office . -
September 11, 2001
The date of a major terrorist attack on the United States in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The attack was believed to have been by the terrorist group called Al Qaeda founded by Osama bin Laden. -
Oeration Iraqi Freedom
American-led invasion that toppled the regime of Sadam Hussein. Bush authorized the mission to invade Iraq to search for weapons of mass destruction. -
ELection of Barrack Obama
This made a mark on history as he was the first African-American president of the United states. Its also historic due to the turn out of youths and minority groups that voted for him.
