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Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Colombus Discovers America
Christopher Columbus lands on a Island known as Guanahani to the Native, Lucayan indians. He later changes the name to San Salvador, a name we know as an Island in the Bahamas. -
Period: Oct 12, 1492 to
U.S. History A Timline
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The Settlement of Jamestown
The Virginia Company of London (a English Joint Stock company put together by Kings James I ) sent a group of 104 men and boys to establish a settlement in the new Virgina Colony. They chose an Island and called it Jamestown in honor of Kings James I. -
The French and Indian War
Lt. Colonel George Washington Defeats a French force near the great meadows in the Ohio Valley, after they didn't listen to a direct order to abanon a string of forts they had been building. -
The End of the French and Indian War
The Treaty of Paris is ratified thus ending the French and Indian War. France surrenders all of its North American Territories East of the Missisipii to Britian, except New Orleans. Other Countries surrendered territories as well. -
The Boston Tea Party
A group of Patriots in Boston Harbor rebel against The Tea Act Parliamet which put outragous taxes on cheap tea. By dressing up as Mohawk Indians these Patriots raided a British ship full of tea. These angered colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into the ocean. -
The Battle Of Lexington and Concord
700 British soldiers march from Boston to Concord with orders to seize an arms cache. Paul Revere and other riders road on horseback around the town sounding the alarm crying "The British are coming!." Colonial Militamen (about 77 men) mobilized and intercepted the British Red Coats in Lexington with a intense firefight causing them to retreat. -
The Declaration of Independence
On July 2 1776 The Declaration of Independence (written by Thomas Jefferson) was formally declared but not yet aprroved by Congress. Two days later on July 4 1776 Congress aprroved the final text of this Declaration. Later on Augest 2 1776 it was finally signed by 56 men binding them to its aggreement. This Historical Document's main purpose was to declare to foreign nations why the colonies had chosen to separate themselves from Great Britain, and people had rights tochange a unfair government. -
The Battle of Yorktown
General George Washington commands a force of 17,000 French and Continental troops on a siege against British General Lord Charles Cornwallis and his troop of 9,000 british solders at Yorktown, Virginia. After three weeks of non-stop heavy suppression from all around, General Cornwallis Surrendered to General Washington on October 17, 1781. -
The Constitutional Convention
In 1787 Delegates met to debate and discuss giving Congress more power. First they debated a Republic system and a Federal System. James Madison then proposed a new way for government by deviding it into three branches, Legislative, Executive, and Judicle. The States agreed and decided to compermise in order to support the Constitution. It was also proposed that Congress should be split into 2 parts, Senate (same amount of Representatives) and House of Representatives (based on state population) -
The invention of the cotton gin
Eli Whitney Invented the Cotten Gin in 1793 and applied for a patent on October 28 but wasn't granted until March 14, 1794. This Patent however was not validated until 1807.
The Cotton Gin was a machine that would easily seperate cotton fibers from their seeds which made productivity increase majorly for cotton owners. -
The Alien and Sedition Acts
6-17 July 1798
Due to French foreign threats, a series known as the Alien and Sedition Acts were laws passed by the Federalist Congress and signed into law by President John Adams. These Laws included new powers to deport foreigners as well as making voting for new immigrants difficult. Previously a new immigrant had to be an american citizen for 5 years before they could be eligible to vote but a new law raised this to 14 years. -
The Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson (current president of this time period) bought 828,000,000 square miles of territory from France, doubling the size of the young republic of america. This new Louisiana Territory
stretched eastword from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains in the west and southern to the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border in the north. This Exchange of Land cost the about 15 million US dollars (worth it!). -
The War of 1812
The U.S. takes on the worlds greatest naval force, Great Britain. Great Britian had been making several attempts to restrict U.S. Trade which ticked Americans off, thus starting the war of 1812. The U.S. suffered many costly defeats including the capture and burning of the nations capital (Washington D.C.). In time American troops were able to repulse the british invasions in Baltimore, New York, and New Orleans. On Febuary 17, 1815 the treaty of Ghent, was signed ending the war. -
The Missouri Compromise
The years leading up to The Missouri Compromise, Pro-Slavery and Anti-Slavery tensions were tight. In 1819 Missouri requested admission to the Union as a slave state, which threatened to upset the feather balance between pro and anti slavery. To keep the U.S. intact, Congress passed a two-part compromise. Congress granted Missourie's request and admitted Maine as a free state. This compromise drew an imaginary line across former Lousiana Territory, making a boundary for slavery and non-slavery. -
Andrew Jackson’s Election
The two major candidates for presidency in 1829 were Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. At the end of the election Jackson won with a electoral vote of 178 when Adams had 83. After Elections Jackson's wife (Rachel Jackson) died due to chest pains throughout the election and worsened further from personal attacks on her marriage. Jackson accused Adams of this offense and a mob came after him, he barely escaped. On March 4, 1829 Andrew Jackson was sworn into the United States Presidency. -
The Trail of Tears
Its the 1830s and Indian people are living in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina and Florida–land, places where their ancenstors have occupated for generations. The ending of the decade very few Indians remained in the southeastern parts of the U.S. whom work for white settlers with cotton fields on their lands. The Federal government then forced indians out from their homeland to walk thousands of miles on what is known as the trail of tears, to designated indian territory. -
The invention of the telegraph
The The invention of the telegraph is credited to the inventor Samuel Morse and his assistant Alfred Vail. The first telegram in the United States was on January 11, 1838 across two miles of wire to Speedwell, Ironworks in Morristown, New Jersey.
The Telegraph was a machine that could send 'beeps' across a wire and to interpet you would listen for letters signaled through the alphabet.
Example- a beep and a held beep ment the letter A. -
The Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 can be known as the years of deflation in the U.S. This Deflation lasted until the mid-1840's, Wages, Profits, and prices went down as unemployment went up. The causes behind this sad time were in 1834-1836 when prices of cotton, land, and slaves boomed due to more silver imports from Mexico and China. -
The Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War 1846-1848 (James K. Polk)
Polk wants western territories owned by Mexico and proposes a exchange to buy this land. When his offer is rejected he purposfully moves troops into a disputed zone (Mexican State), thus provoking a fight with the Mexicans. The start of the war was when the Mexican Calvalry attacks the troops in the disputed zone. The war continues with loss on both sides but majorly Mexico. The War ended on Feb 2 1848, and the west lands are bought by the U.S. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was made by the Senate and consisted of indivudual laws made for new and old territories. California was admitted as a free state, Slavery in Utah and New Mexico was to be determined by popular sovereignty. Texas and New Mexico boundry disputes were settled and the slave trade in Washington D.C. was abolished, making it easier for southerners to recover fugitive slaves. These ideas were first proposed by Henry Clay and later signed into law. -
The Firing on Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter was constructed in 1829 in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. U.S. Major Robert Anderson occupied this fort following South Carolina's seccession from the Union. When Abraham Lincoln began plans for the re-supply of the Fort, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard attacked Sumter on April 12, 1861. For 34 hours, Confederate troops bombarded the fort until Major Anderson and 86 U.S. troops surrendered. over the years the Fort was occupied between the Confederates and the U.S. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
As the Civil War (1861-1865) raged on President Lincoln knows he has to use a military tactic to help stop this bloody war between the states. September 22, 1863 after the Union has a victory at Antietam Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Proclomation which made all states in rebelion declare their slaves as forever free. In 1864 Lincoln convinced two-thirds of the Republican Senate to pass the Emancipation Proclomation as the 13 amendment but it was not ratified by Democrats until 1865. -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
Robert E. Lee abandons the Confederate capital of Richmond and city of Petersburg, hoping to escape with his remaining forces to meet Confederate reinforcments in North Carolina and resume fighting. General Ulysses S. Grant cut off Lee's retreat which in turn forced him to surrender 28,000 troops thus ending the long and bloody Civil War. This surrender and agreements were conducted in the front parlor of Wilmer McLean’s house in Appomattox Court House, Virginia. -
Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination
John Wilkes Booth shoots and kills president Lincoln at Ford's theatre in Washington D.C.
Booth escaped but was later caught and shot by Union troops who tracked him to a barn in Virginia.
President Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865 and was mourned througout the nation. He was taken to the White house, Autopsied, and later buried in Springfield, Illinois. -
The 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was ratified on Dec. 6, 1865 and states this: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
This basically means NO SLAVERY (unless as a punishment) -
Andrew Johnson’s Impeachment
Before Lincolns assasination, he had formulated a plan of amnesty towards the south. This included allowing them to pledge loyalty to the United States and to obey all federal laws (including slavery). When a tenth of the voters in 1860 pledged this oath they could begin forming a new government and send representatives to Congress. President Andrew Johnson believed in this plan even after Lincolns death but the Republic Congress did not. After Edwin Stantin was removed Johnson was impeached. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment states:
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was ratified on Febuary 3, 1870 and states: "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." -
The Organization of Standard Oil Trust
The Organization of Standard Oil Trust was established and built by John D. Rockefeller. Rockefeller bought out his competition making his company the largest oil refiner of its time. Although, in 1911 the United States Supreme Court disbanded Rockefeller's company labeling it a illegal monopoly. -
The Invention of the Telephone
Scottish Inventor Alexander Graham Bell invents a wire you can talk through. In 1874 the idea of a telephone formed in Bell's mind while he was a teacher for the deaf. Working on this invention for two years he applied for a patent in 1876 when he said the first succesful sentence through the telephone “Mr. Watson, come here; I want you." Bell's pantent was granted March 7, 1876 just a few days before his success. -
The invention of the electric light
Many inventors has tried to make a new way of lighting indoor homes but had either failed or had non-signicant success. One inventor did not give up though and his name was Thomas Edison. For nearly a year he expirmented trying different things. One day Oct. 22, 1879 Edison made a major breakthrough with his first success with a carbon filament light bulb which lasted 13.5 hours (later improved). Edison then applied for a patent which was granted Jan 27, 1880. -
The Pullman and Homestead Strikes
The Pullman and Homestead Strikes were first initiated because of 20% wage cuts for Union people working for Homestead Steel Works in 1892. The Plant manager of this industry shut it down on June 30 angering workers. On July 6 the displaced workers launched an attack on 300 Pinkerton agents being sent in as strikebreakers, killing several men. After this strike act, the govenor of Pennsylvania issued state militia to regain control of the area. The Plant was later re-opened to Non-Union workers. -
The Spanish-American War
Cuba is struggling for independance but cannot gain freedom because of Spain's brutal repressive measures to stop this rebellion. America hearing this was aroused and damanded Cuba's right to independance. Spain then declared war against the U.S. on April 24, 1898. The war was pathetically one-sided becasue Spain was not prepared militarily for battle. The Spanish-American war only lasted 8 months of which Spain signed a treaty ending the war and territories gaining independence. -
Theodore Roosevelt becomes president
President William Mckinley was assasinated and Theodore Roosevelt was sworn into presidency. Roosevelt was the first youngest president in the U.S. at 42 years old and his vigor attracted the people. He fought in the Spanish-American war and was the Leader of the Rough Riders who became war heroes of America. 'Teddy' was known as the "trust buster" for his efforts on the Sherman Antitrust Act. He was also known for ending the Russo-Japanese War and his major contribution to natural resources. -
The Invention of the Airplane
The Wilbur and Orville Wright invent a machine that can fly. The Wright brothers followed German aviator Otto Lilienthal and his attempts to create a functional flying machine. When Lilienthal died the brothers decided to start their own inventions of flight. The Wright brothers started by studying birds to see how they used their wings for flight, they called this concept "wing warping". On December 17, 1903 the brothers completed their first successful flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
