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Apr 1, 1491
Great Plains Gov't
The Great Plains region developed an egalitarian political system, with no hierarchies of leadership. The government was decentralized because of their nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyles. The trive tended to look towards the elderly men for direction due to their wisdom. The political structure is significant because it shows that native tribes in the Americas developed their own cultures and lifestyles before contact with the Europeans that were ultimately destroyed. -
Jan 1, 1492
Spanish Exploration
The Spanish explored in pursuit of glory. Like many European countries of this time, the main desire was the bring prowess and prestige back to their country. This was achieved by controlling trade routes and acquiring new territories like the West Indies. The significance of this was that these motives led to ruthlessness when it came to the Spaniards behavior in the Americas. They were referred to as "conquistadors." -
Period: Jan 1, 1492 to
TLO - Politics and Power
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Jan 1, 1493
Line of Demarcation
When Spain and Portugal were disputing over the territorities beyond Europe, the pope in Rome lead them to come to a conclusion in which all the land west of the line was rightfully Spain’s, while all the land east of the line belonged to Portugal.
This is important because it showed the increased interest in the Americas as well as disputes already occurring between the nations over land and resources. -
Jan 1, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
The treaty edited the previous Line of Demarcation by moving the line a few degrees to the west. The new line passed through current-day Brazil.
The significance of the treaty was that it worked the prevent future conflicts between the two European powers as exploration, competition, and desire to bring glory to each country intensified. It also allowed the Spanish conquistadors to take the land in the Americas with less conflict, which allowed it to wholly assert its power. -
Jan 1, 1500
Caste System
The caste system was a rigid system initiated by the Spanish to subjugate the Natives and enforce their dominance. Peninsulares (Spanish ancestry) >>creoles (American-born Europeans) >> mestizos (Spanish and native descent) >> the mulattos (Spanish and African descent) >> zambos (Native and African descent) & the Native Americans and Africans.
The significance of the system was that it enforced the idea that natives/Africans were a lower class of people than the Europeans. -
Jan 1, 1542
New Laws of 1542
In response of the encomienda system, Bartolome de Las Casas advocated for the rights of natives and their right to better treatment. The laws ended Indian slavery, stopped forced Indian labor, and began to end the encomienda system. Unfortunately, the laws were soon repealed. They were significant becuase las Casas voiced the need to respect the Indians' rights and ultimately led to the decline of the native slavery system and turn to African slave labor. -
Jan 1, 1560
English Treatment of the Natives
The English had better relations with the natives although they were still negative. They asserted their power and presence in the colonies by encroaching on native lands and pushing them out of their territories. Instead of subjugating the natives, they expelled them. This is significant because the continual encroachment on native lands led violent disputes later in time. -
Apr 1, 1570
Iroquios Confederacy
The alliance was made up of five different Indian tribes who joined together to resist the growing European presence in the Americas and the unfair encroachment of their land. This was important because it was one of the first large-scale, united rebellion of Indians against the Europeans. They got the sense that the Indians were dangerous. -
British Colonization - Jamestown founded
The site was the first colony established. Although the first winter was unsuccessful, the colony became a great source of tobacco. The colony had a general assembly. This was significant because it was one of the first examples of salutary neglect in the colonies practiced by the British governemnt in which the British colonies could self-govern. -
Spanish Colonization - Sante Fe Founded
The Spanish settled in an effort to acquire gold and spread Christ. Because of their pursuit of gold to bring power to Spain, they did not have a lot of permanent settlements, which caused them to bring mainly men leading to the emergence of mixed races. Most importantly, the monarchy kept tight control of the colonies to ensure that the wealth was being accumulated. This is significant becaause it led to the encomienda system which subjugated natives. -
French Colonization
The French came to the Americas to acquire wealth and participate in fur trade. As a result, the French monarchy maintain tight control. They also made trade alliances with the natives because of the lucative, mutually-beneficial relationship. This was significant because the French set the precedent for what a healthy relationship between Europeans and Natives could be, which ultimately benefitted them later in history. -
Dutch Colonization
The Dutch also ventured to America to trade. They allied with the Iroquois, which was a major native tribe. Their monarchy had tight control. Their location in the Northeast gsve them access to easy trade routes. This was signifcant because the Dutch capitlized on what little territory they had for trade to gain power and maintained somewhat positive relations with the natives. -
Virginia House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first colonial assembly. Elected officials could create and vote on laws for the colony. This was significant because it gave colonists representation in the lawmaking process -
Albany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin called for an intercolonial government in which representatives from each colonies met in Albany, New York. They wanted to establish a system of recruiting troops and collecting taxes as a defense plan. The plan was rejected, but it was significant because it set the precedent for more revolutionary congresses two decades later. -
French and Indian War Ends
The end of the French and Indian War was initiated by the Treaty of Paris of 1763. It forced France to give all of their territories except for Lousiana and Canada. The coveted Ohio River Valley went to Britain , which was a signifcant trade site. The end of the war was significant because it led to the diminishing of French power in North America. Without a substantial amount of territory, the French were left powerless to Britain. This allowed Britain to extend its power in North America. -
Proclamation of 1763
This was a response to the end of the Seven Years' War when the colonists went into the newly acquired territories. The British government was tried of paying of the defense of the colonists because they were continutally encroaching on native lands causing conflicts. The line prohibted the settlement of colonists to the west of the Appalacian Mountains. This was significant because it initiated a change in the relationship between the colonists and the British. -
Committees of Correspondence
It was a way for colonists to communicate each other similar to a post office. It allowed for the spreading of ideas of resistance. This was signfiant because it allowed the colonies to became unified against the British cause. -
Tea Act or 1773
The tax on tea in 1773 put a monopoly on it by the British East Indian Company, which made it cheaper. This was important because the colonists felt that this was another way that the British were trying to assert control which heightened the tensions between the colonists and the British. It also led to the Boson Tea Party. -
Election of 1800
The election placed Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic- Republican, in power over John Adams. This was signficant because it is was peaceful passing of power from the Federalists to the Democratic-Republicans. -
Marbury v. Madison
The court case asserted the right of the Supreme Court to interpret the Constiitution. It ruled that the Judiciart Act of 1789 was unconstitutional because it gave powers to the Supreme Court that it was not intended to have. This was significant because it challenged a law passed by Congress and signed the president and gave the power to the Supreme Court to determined the constitutionality of laws. It set up judicial review. -
Hartford Convention
Meeting of the New England Federalists. The Federalist who opposed the War of 1812 met to discuss the issues with both the war and the republican party. The event was significant because it demonstrated the rise in sectionalism. -
Missouri Compromise
Once the Missouri Territory applied to Congress for statehood, the debates concerning slavery intensified in its debates. There was previously a balance between the Northern free states and the Southern slave states.The conclusion was that Missouri would be admitted as a slave state, Maine was admitted as a free state, and slavery was prohibited past the 36-30 line. This was significant because it demonstrated the growing tension and divisions in America between nationalism and sectionalism. -
Indian Removal Act
Andrew Jackson ordered the removal and resettlement of the Indians in an event called the Trail of Tears. It was signficant because it set the precedent for what would happen to the rest of the native population in the country. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The treaty ended the Mexican-American War inspired by Manifest Destiny ideas. It gave the US California and New Mexico known as the Mexican Cession. It was a significant political event because it continued the debate over whether slavery should be allowed in the newly acquired territories, a debate that divided the nation. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The event was the very frist women's rights convention in American history. The female leaders issued the "Delaration of Sentiments" with declared that "all men and women are created equal" similar to the Declaration of Independence. The event was significant because the matter of women's rights emerged as a prevalent issue of society as it tried to achieve equal voting, legal, and property rights for women. -
Compromise of 1850
California admitted to the Union as a free state, Mexican Cession divided into new territiories - Utah and New Mexico, land in dispute in Texas and New Mexico territory given up, slave trade banned in District of Columbia, and Fugitive Slave Act enacted. This was significant because it was another failed attempt to dissolve the conflict growing between the North and South over slavery. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Supreme Court ruled that despite Scott's presence in a free territory, he was still a slave. Being on free soil did not make him a free citizen. Scott had no right to sue in federal court because he was not a citizen. The Missouri Compromise was declared unconstitutional. The case was significant because it generated a large public uproar in the North that they directed towards the South and was a cause of the Civil War. -
Election of 1860
The unresolved issues of slavery made this election a crucial event. This was significant because the election of Republican candidate Lincoln was the last straw. The south decided the seceed from the Union starting with South Carolina. Ultimately, it postured the Civil War. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln annonced that all slaves in rebelling states would be free. It essentially did nothing because he had no authority in the slave states that he was ordering since they were a separate country. This was significant because it led to the abolition of slavery. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The act restricted the immigration of the Chinese to America. This was significant because it set the precedent for later immigration policies. -
Interstate Commerce Act
The act enacted state laws to regulate RR rates. This was significant because it set up the the first federal regulatory agency with the power to investigate any discrimminatory practices. -
Dawes Severalty Act
The act was intended to break up native tribal organizations due to the thought that Americans felt like it was keeping the natives from becoming civlized. It divided up the lands depending on family size and granted U.S. citizenship to the natives who stayed on the land for 25 years and adopted civilized life. This was significant because it marked a new phase in the relationship between the U.S. government and the American Indians. -
Omaha Platform
The Populist Party ran with a platform in which they called for the free coinage of silver and paper money. They also wanted national income tax, direct election of senators, and the regulation of RR's. This was significant because it drew attention to the needs of farmers. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Supreme Court case declared the legalization of "separate but equal" facilities for different races. The significance is that it gave legal backing to segregation and Jim Crow laws that would set back civil rights. -
17th Amendment
The amendment required all U.S. sentators to be elected by popular vote. This was signficant because it created a more fair, democratic society after the corruption of the Gilded Age. -
Espionage and Sedition Acts
The acts made imprisonment for up to 20 years the penalty for aiding the enemy during WWI or avoiding the draft. They also prohibited negative statements about the American government. These were significant because they demonstrated how world issues/tragedies lead the U.S. government to take away first amendment rights. History continued to repeat itself. -
18th Amendment
The law enacted prohibition, which forbid the sale of alcohol. This was improtant because the government was making the effort to fix the nation's issues starting with the abuse of alcohol. It also gave rise to a culture of rebelliousness. -
19th Amendment
Granted women the ability to vote. Significant because it removed the impact of gender on voting and finally gave women a voice in society. -
Indian Reorganization Act
American Indians were given control on their lands again and supported the preservation of their cultures and practices. The significance of thie event was that it was an effort to make right the American's unfair, inconsiderate treatment of the native americans in the past. -
McCarran Internal Security Act
Act made it illegal to support the creation of a totalitariam government and authorized the creation of detention camps for subversives. It strengthened the laws against espionage. This was signficant because it reflected the fear of communism present in the government and country as a whole at this time. -
Brown v. Board
The court case overruled Plessy v. Ferguson by ruling that separate facilities are inherently unequal and unconstituntional and that school segregation should end ASAP. This was significant because it marked a milestone in the Civil Rights Movement when the government was actually enforcing and protecting the rights of blacks. -
LBJ
JFK Assassination's caused LBJ to step into power as presdient. He came in with a vision of a Great Society.he wished to expand the civil rights bill and income tax cut. This was a signficant administration because Johnson passed effective legislation comparative to the New Deal after the Depression. It marked a turn in the modern society. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The act outlawed the segregation of all races in public and forbid the discrimmination of races in the workplace. This was significant because it was the success of the Civil Rights Movement and showed the progress the government and country was making. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The act made any barriers to keep all citizens regardless of race or gender over 18 years old from voting illegal. This was important because it finally enforced the 14th and 15th amendment. -
Reagan's Election
Reagan promised to lower taxes, reduce government spending on welfare, and build up the U.S. armed forces. His election want significant because it ended with Democratic dominance of Congress. He was also influential in tearing down the Berlin Wall. -
H.W. Bush Administration
Bush was elected in 1988 as the Cold War came to a close. He was significant because he helped end the Cold War with the Soviets with the START agreement. -
Patriot Acts of 2001
The acts gave the government the power and authority to obtain information through surveillance following the 9/11 attacks. This was importance because it demonstration how Americans tend to give up their first amendment rights and rights to privacy when tragedy occurs. -
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010
The act wished to provided affordable health care insurance to millions of Americans. It wa signficant because it shows government intervention in the issues of America - a liberalist approach. -
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal
The restriction of openly gay participatants in the military was repealed under President Obama's administration. It was significant because it led to more rights for the LGBT community such as legalization of gay marriage.
