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Establishment of Jamestown
On May 14, 1607, the first permanent English settlement was established in North America. Jamestown, named after King James I of England, was located in Virginia and formed by The Virginia Company. In the early years, the colony of Jamestown went through troubling times of starvation, scarce water supply, and harsh weather conditions that eventually led to disease and, for some, death. -
House of Burgesses meets for the first time
The Virginia House of Burgesses, later renamed the General Assembly, came together on July 30, 1619 as the first elected representative government of the New World (Of the People). The practice of common law in the colony led to the presence of new opportunities for self-government and order which attracted many new settlers over the following years. The House of Burgesses created order and set the stage for modern democracy in America. -
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French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is also commonly referred to as the Seven Years’ War. The war lasted from 1756 to 1763 and resulted in a tremendous territorial gain of North American land by Great Britain. The Seven Years’ War came to an end when the Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10, 1763. -
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First Continental Congress meets
The first Continental Congress was a group of delegates from each of the 13 colonies (except Georgia) who met over the course of seven weeks to go establish the groundwork of the nation’s first official government. The group discussed the national frustration caused by the Intolerable Acts went on to draft the U.S. Declaration of Rights that was later sent to King George III. -
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American Revolution
The American Revolution, also known as the United States War for Independence from Great Britain, started after the battles of Lexington and Concord. The colonists were fed up with the tax and trade regulations put in place by the British. They fought tirelessly to achieve the recognition of being an independent nation. -
John Quincy Adams watches the Battle of Bunker Hill with his mother
Once word of the battles at Lexington and Concord had gotten out, militias from all around gathered in Boston on Bunker Hill to defeat General Thomas Gage and his troops. Although it ended in America's defeat, the British suffered nearly three times as many casualties as the colonists. John Quincy Adams witnessed the battle alongside his mother, Abigail, on a nearby hillside. On his account of the battle, Adams claimed it “riveted my abhorrence of war to my soul” (JQA 17). -
Declaration of Independence
America declared independence from Great Britain after years of unrelenting rule from the king overseas and Parliament. The Declaration of Independence was a document, written by Thomas Jefferson, that stated America’s motives for separating political ties from Britain. -
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Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention consisted of 55 delegates that met over the course of four months in order to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Problems stemming from the country’s weak central government were discussed and a new system was proposed by James Madison called the Virginia Plan. This plan laid out several changes to the United States government system such as the implication of a stronger central government that consists of three branches; executive, legislative, and judicial. -
George Washington is elected first President of the United States
After declaring independence from Britain, America was beginning to establish their own government and decided that a strong leader was essential to the new nation. George Washington was unanimously elected as the President of the United States on February 4, 1789, but did not take office until March 4. No other president since then has received support from each member of the Electoral College. He went on to serve an additional term, but when asked to serve a third he refused. -
John Adams (John Quincy Adams' father) elected 2nd President of US
Washington’s presidency was coming to a close and having served as Vice President in both terms, John Adams had every intention of winning the next presidential election. “I am… determined not to serve under Jefferson” (JQA 98). On March 4, 1797, John Adams was elected 2nd President of the United States. Adams, the Federalist presidential candidate, became the first president to belong to a political party. -
John Quincy Adams resigns from Senate
In June of 1803, John Quincy Adams became a U.S. senator representing the state of Massachusetts. After serving 5 years in Senate, Adams decided to resign because his vote often seemed to oppose that of his constituents. JQA’s resignation indicated his breaking of ties with the Federalist party; he went on to join the Democratic-Republicans. -
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War of 1812
While Britain was at war with France, American ships were raided by British officers and American sailors were forced, under the practice of impressment, to serve in the British Navy. Americans were also angry about the British supplying the Indians with armed weapons. The United States declared war against Great Britain in 1812. This war lasted until 1814 when the Treaty of Ghent was signed by both nations. -
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John Quincy Adams is appointed Secretary of State
On March 5, 1817, President James Monroe appointed John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State. Adams’ views guided Monroe on foreign policies and territorial expansion. The Monroe Doctrine, proposed by President Monroe, reflected many of Adams’ existing views. -
Missouri Compromise
There was a lot of public controversy concerning pro and anti-slavery arguments in years prior to the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The compromise came to be after Missouri requested to join the Union as a slave state. Their admittance would throw off the country’s balance of free and slave states. Congress agreed but only under the conditions that Maine is admitted as a free state, new slaves couldn’t be brought into the state, and slavery was to be abolished in the state over time. -
Monroe Doctrine
In President James Monroe’s 1823 address to Congress, he presents the Monroe Doctrine which declared that European powers should no longer colonize or interfere with affairs in the Western Hemisphere. This policy was created around the idea of the U.S. refraining from involvement in European wars and affairs. -
John Quincy Adams is elected 6th President of the United States
John Quincy Adams was elected the 6th President of the United States on March 4, 1825. In the election of 1825, Adams ran against Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay, who ended up helping him out by giving his votes over to Adams. John Quincy promised to appoint Clay Secretary of State in return for his help. This tactic was commonly criticized by political leaders at the time as being “ a mockery of representative government”(JQA 238). -
Erie Canal
Construction of the Erie Canal, which linked the Great Lakes in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east, began in 1817 and was completed 6 years later. The Canal officially opened two years later in 1825 and this allowed people to transport goods across the country more easily. The canal quickly attracted large numbers of settlers in the western states that soon led to an economic boom. -
John Quincy Adams won seat in House of Representatives
John Quincy Adams’ was the only former president to ever be elected to the House of Representatives. He was elected in November of 1830 and served from 1831 to 1838. One of the bigger issues he fought while in the house was against the gag rule, which restricted conversation surrounding slavery in the House of Representatives. -
Texas declares independence from Mexico
In the 1800’s, charters from Mexico were given to Americans in return for bringing other settlers along with them. American settlers seemed to lack respect towards the land and Mexican government which caused tensions between the two to grow. On March 2nd, Texas declared itself to be a sovereign republic. Battles were fought and the Americans were able to capture the Mexican army leader, Santa Anna, at the San Jacinto River on April 21 where he finally declared Texas a free nation. -
John Quincy Adams dies
John Quincy Adams passed away from a stroke on February 23, 1848. He collapsed suddenly while on the House floor and was taken to the Speaker’s Room where he died two days later. -
Confederates attack Ft. Sumter
Fort Sumter, located in South Carolina, was the sight of the very first shots that launched the Civil War. Confederate troops from the states’ militias took over Fort Sumter following South Carolina’s secession from the Union. After 33 hours of battling, the Union officer finally raised his flag in defeat, and the Civil War had officially begun.
