-
Period: 1436 to 1506
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and sailed across the Atlantic in hopes of finding a new route to Asia. Instead, he found America, which launched many new explorations to this New World from many other European countries as well. -
Period: 1492 to
First Americans Enter North America
Colonial America was a period of time where many European countries rushed to the Americas, either in search of wealth or land. Some were only there to collect resources, others went to America with the intent of settling. This course of events shaped America to be the way it is today. -
Aug 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus Lands in America
On this day, Christopher Columbus landed in America on his quest to find another route to Asia. Him finding the Americas is what resulted in many European countries flooding to the "New World" and fighting to claim land. -
Period: 1500 to
Mercantilism
Mercantilism was an economic system of trade based on wealth accumulation designed to benefit the mother country the most. It was the primary economic trading system from the 16th to 18th century. -
Jamestown
On this day, the Jamestown settlement was created. The colonists of Jamestown were there only to find gold, and none of them were farmers, so the settlers of Jamestown starved. There was a brief period of time when John Smith came and turned things around, but when John Smith left, Jamestown quickly deteriorated again. This resulted in the majority of Jamestown dying. This serves as an example of one of the failed settlements when people were colonizing America. -
Navigation Act of 1651
In October of 1651, the English Parliament passed the Navigation Act of 1651 to tighten control of trade. The Act dictated that the importation and exportation of goods from British colonies were to be restricted to only British ships and mariners. -
Period: to
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a period of time in Europe when thinking on philosophy, politics, science, and communications vastly changed, bringing about ideas that power should be spread out, every person should have a say in the government, and the church and state should be separated. These ideas are what the United States eventually built their government off of. -
Period: to
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers.He also made a variety of inventions and was a face for science. -
Period: to
George Washington
George Washington was the First President of the United States. He was a military leader during the Revolutionary War, and his actions helped bring the United States independence from Britain. -
Period: to
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States. He had a number of notable achievements, as being the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, making the Louisiana Purchase, and setting off the Lewis and Clark Expedition. All of those were key moments in expanding the United States' horizons. -
Period: to
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was the war between the French and their Native-American allies against Great Britain when there was a dispute for territory. The war strained on, but eventually ended with the French giving Canada to Great Britain. This lead to great pride from Americans for being from Britain, and it greatly increased their morale. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was an order issued by King George III to keep the colonists from expanding west. The order caused unease and anger to spread throughout the colonies at the order because they felt it was unfair, and the colonists disregarded the proclamation and spread west regardless. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament after suffering from a large debt courtesy of the French and Indian War. To pay this debt, the Parliament decided to make the colonists pay taxes on every piece of stamped paper they used. The colonists were horrified at this and felt it was very unfair, thinking of it as tyranny. This helped start the Revolutionary War. -
Period: to
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the 7th president of the United States, coming from a working class family he was very popular with the people. As president, it was said he truly worked for the people, however some said he abused his powers and the Constitution and acted a tyrant. His acts changed U.S. politics. -
Boston Massacre
After additional taxes were placed on colonies, British soldiers were sent to maintain order. As a result, there were strained tensions between the colonists and the soldiers which culminated in a fight resulting in the deaths of several colonists. This event helped spur the Revolutionary War. -
Boston Tea Party
On this day, Boston colonists disguised as Native Americans conducted a raid on three British ships on Boston Harbor, in which they threw boxes of tea overboard into the sea. It was meant to be a protest against British taxes on tea, and signified the greater divide between the colonies and Great Britain. -
Period: to
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the fight between the colonies and Britain- the colonies fighting for their independence while Great Britain fought to keep them.The war concluded with the colonies becoming independent, effectively changing the course of history forever. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a document written by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston, declaring the separation of America from Great Britain. This document cemented the fact that America was now a free nation. -
U.S. Constitution Signed
On this day, the U.S. Constitution, the document establishing America's government and fundamental laws, as well as securing basic rights, was signed. The U.S. Constitution essentially helped secure fundamentally what the United States was and stood for. -
Dred Scott
Sometime in 1795, Dred Scott was born into slavery. He would serve several masters before eventually suing for his freedom with his wife, a case that he would lose, but he would eventually gain his freedom regardless. During a time when slavery was still an issue, his case was a monumental landmark. -
Period: to
Westward Expansion
Westward Expansion was the move West in North America for a variety of reasons. Some people were drawn to the West for new possibilities, others were chased from the East from undesirable living conditions. This period of time spread people across the land. -
Period: to
Lewis and Clark
From 1804-1806, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark embarked on the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the West of North America and impart European ways on the Native Americans they encountered. Their explorations helped map the geography of the west. -
Period: to
Lewis and Clark Expedition
President Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on an expedition to explore the West of North America. Their goals were to find a route to the Pacific Ocean, find the best water paths for trade/commerce, and impart European ways on the Native Americans they encountered. This expedition provided valuable information on the geography of North America. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a large piece of land which Thomas Jefferson bought for the United States from Napoleon after he discovered he no longer had any use for the land. The acquisition greatly increased the United States' size and played a large role in shaping America to the way it is today. -
Period: to
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. He was president during the Civil War and signed the Emancipation Proclamation which essentially ended slavery. He believed that the system of slavery they had was ridiculous and wrong. Without him, the North and South may be actually separated. -
Period: to
Manifest Destiny
The Age of the Manifest Destiny was the time of the belief that it was Americans' rights by God to expand all across North America, and that the land was theirs. This belief helped propel the expansion of territory in the United States. -
Period: to
Era of Reform
The Era of Reform was a period of time in America in which social activism and political reform was brought about, speaking out for black and women rights. This period of time helped set up the stage for abolitionism and the eventual ending of slavery. -
Period: to
Jacksonian Democracy
Jacksonian Democracy was the period of time in which America was under Andrew Jackson's presidency. During this period of time, it was considered to be when the people truly ruled, however it was also a period of time in which some believed the president abused his powers and acted a tyrant. This period of time changed the state of American politics forever. -
Election of 1828
America started out with only upper class white men being allowed to vote. Over time, more and more people became allowed to vote- until any taxpaying white man could vote, and in the Election of 1828, most people were first time voters. The conclusion of this election was with Andrew Jackson winning, having gained the support of the working class who had just recently been given a voice as he came from a poor family as well. His presidency set course a time of change in U.S. politics. -
Period: to
Abolitionist Movement
The Abolitionist Movement was the period of time in which people actively spoke out and fought against slavery, advocating for its end. It was this thinking that eventually helped lead to the end of slavery. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on this date by Andrew Jackson, which ordered the move of Native Americans westward out of Indian land.The act was forced onto many Native American tribes, and the trip cost thousands of their lives. This event was a significant marker in Native American history. -
Period: to
Mexican American War
The Mexican American War was the fight America staged against Mexico to gain custody of the land of California, Texas, and New Mexico. The war ended with America winning, and they gained a lot of land from it. -
Compromise of 1850
To ease fraying tensions from clashing points of view between the North and the South, Senator Henry Clay proposed a series of resolutions which contained points that would please both sides. While most people were satisfied once the compromise was made, some Southerners remained wary, and that suspicion would continue to mount. -
Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott decision was the court case a slave named Dred Scott and his wife made suing for their freedom. Dred Scott lost his case, the court giving the reasoning that slaves did not count as citizens and therefore, he should not even have been able to take this to court at all. This case was a principle marker in court cases at this time. -
Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 was in the midst of straining tensions between the North and the South. The end result of Abraham Lincoln winning was met with unease on the South's side, the South feeling as if they no longer had any power in the country's decisions. This election was a crucial moment which lead to the eventual snap between the North and South. -
Period: to
Civil War
The Civil War was the fight between the North and South which stemmed from clashing opinions on slavery, leading to the South wanting to secede from the United States but the North insistent on keeping them as one nation. To end the war, Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation, and the North one, bringing the United States back together, though relations between the two sides would suffer greatly. -
Frederick Douglass
On this date, Frederick Douglass passed away. He was a former slave and an influential abolitionist. He wrote several books on his experience in slavery and helped in the movement to end slavery.