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Jan 1, 1492
Columbus Lands in the Americas
Columbus made four separate trips that started in 1492, which were sponsored by the crown of Castille between Spain and the Americas. On his first voyage, Columbus discovered what is now called the Bahamas, on the third voyage he discovered South America, and on the fourth voyage, he discovered Central America, arriving at Guanaja, in the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras. His voyages inspired others to do the same kind of voyages he did, resulting in discovering more of the world. -
Jamestown Founded
James for the first English settlement in the Americas, founded by the London Virginia Company, and is also thought to be where the British empire started. After being established, Jamestown was known as James Fort, and served as the capital of the colony of Virginia. -
Pilgrims Land
The Mayflower, which was the Pilgrims ship, landed in New England on November 11th, after a voyage of 66 days. Although the Pilgrims had intended at first to settle near the Hudson River in New York, the dangerous shoals and poor winds forced the ship to seek shelter at Cape Cod. -
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French and Indian War
Also known as the Seven Years' War, was a war between the colonies of British America against those of France, with both of them being supported from their parent countries, with France being supported by American Indian allies. One big cause for this war was the amount of competition between Britain and France. The result was Britain victory, France gave up its territory east of the Mississippi, New France to Great Britain, keeping Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and transferring Louisiana to Spain. -
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Industrial Revolution(my choice)
The Industrial Revolution was a period in which the U.S, and rural societies in Europe became industrial and urban. Manufacturing was shifted from using hand tools or machines to powered, special machinery, factories, and mass production. It brought about improvement of transportation, communication, and banking systems. However, it resulted in harsh working conditions for poor and working classes. Some major key figures in the revolution were Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and Karl Marx. -
Proclamation Line***
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 forbade American colonists from settling on lands that were acquired from the French, following the recent French and Indian War. This angered colonists because some colonists who already settled on these lands were ordered to return east of the Appalachian Mountains. The Proclamation was made to prevent even further conflicts between settlers and Native Americans, and eventually led to taxing the colonists to pay for the war, staring with the Sugar Act. -
Sugar/American Revenue Act***
The Sugar Act was passed by parliament in order to raise revenue, and was a harsher version of the Molasses Act, which imposed a tax of six pence per gallon of molasses. The result of this act was overwhelming anger which led to the British Parliament passing the Stamp Act -
Stamp Act ***
The Stamp Act required colonists to pay taxes on every piece of paper they used, such as legal documents, licenses, and newspapers. The reaction was many protests and petitions against the act, and it led to the formation of the Sons of Liberty -
Sons of Liberty Formed**
Samuel Adam's formed the Sons of Liberty in response to the Stamp Act, to plan protests, and eventually, during the general boycott of British goods, staged attacks on the customhouses and homes of tax collectors in Boston.The Sons of Liberty actions lead to the repeal of the Stamp Act, and the passing of the Declaratory Act on that same day. -
Stamp Act Repeal & Declaratory Act***
In exchange for the repeal of the Stamp Act, and the lessening of the Sugar Act, British Parliament made a declaration stating that the Parliament's taxing authority was the same in America as in Great Britain, but this only increased the prospect of revolution, and the anger colonists had toward Parliament.Due to the repeal and lessening of tax from the Sugar Act, they were even further from having enough money to supply their own people from the last war, which leads to the Townshend Acts. -
Townshend Acts ****
The Townshend Acts placed an indirect tax on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea, in order to raise revenue in the colonies to pay the salaries of governors and judges so that they would remain loyal to Great Britain.The result was a very angry reaction towards Parliament, as well as protests. There was much resistance in the colonies, which prompted the occupation of Boston by British troops in 1768, which led to the Boston Massacre. -
Boston Massacre ***
In the Boston Massacre, the British Army soldiers shot and killed people under attack by a mob. 5 colonies died as a result, and the Boston Massacre caused a rise in the conflicts between the British and the colonists, because the British government had been trying to increase control over the colonies and raise taxes at the same time.This event helped unite the colonies against Britain, and the uniting of the colonies lead to the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party ***
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty,and, in defiance of the Tea Act, destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company, and they threw the chests of tea into Boston Harbor, and the effects of this protest were harsh, with the British Parliament passing the Coercive Acts of 1774. -
Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts***
The Intolerable Acts were laws meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for their defiance in the Boston Tea Party protest. These acts took away self-governance and historic rights of Massachusetts, which triggered outrage in resistance in the Thirteen Colonies. This anger towards the Parliament results in the creation of the First Continental Congress. -
First Continental Congress***
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies to discuss a response to the British Intolerable Acts, which in effect. They called for a boycott of British goods to take effect in December, and this meeting leads to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The first military engagements during the American Revolutionary War. This battle marked the outbreak of armed conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and its 13 colonies in America. The result was American victory. British forces succeeded in destroying cannon and supplies in Concord, the militia successfully drove the British back to Boston, and sparked the American Revolutionary War -
Declaration of Independence Ratified
Regarded the thirteen American colonies as thirteen independent states, instead of colonies, no longer under British rule. One of the main points of the Declaration of Independence was that "all men are created equal and there are certain unalienable rights that government should never violate"(Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness), and "When a government fails to protect those rights , it is not only the right , but also the duty of the people to overthrow that government". -
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Constitutional Convention
This event drew up the Constitution of the United States. Discarding the idea of amending the Articles of Confederation, the assembly decided to set up a new scheme of government but found itself divided. The New Jersey Plan/small state plan, called for equal representation, the Virginia Plan/large state plan, provided for a bicameral legislature with representation of each states based on its population or wealth. -
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Jefferson Presidency
Jefferson took the office for president after defeating incumbent President John Adams in the 1800 presidential election. One of the major developments when Jefferson was in office was the Louisiana Purchase, which allowed the U.S to gain a giant chunk of land. He also authorized the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the Louisiana territory and the Pacific Northwest, and it was also to due to Jefferson's actions that the Congress approved the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves. -
Louisiana Purchase Established
The Louisiana purchase was the acquisition of the Louisiana territory by the U.S from France. The U.S paid a total of 68 million francs(approximately 250 million dollars, and 15 million USD during the purchase). The territory the U.S gained from this purchase was land from 15 % U.S states and two Canadian provinces. -
Missouri Compromise
Compromise that admitted Maine as a free state, and Missouri as a slave state, which helped maintain the balance of power between the North and South. The compromise was signed by President James Monroe. The bill was very controversial during the time, and the bill was repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska act, and declared unconstitutional in Dred Scott vs. Sanford, and this increased tensions over slavery and eventually resulted in Civil War. -
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Jackson Presidency
Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States, and during his presidency, evolved the U.S from a republic to a mass democracy, in which white men of all socioeconomic classes were enfranchised. Jackson also oversaw the Indian Removal Act, an act that forcibly relocated thousands of Native Americans and had a devastating effect on the native population. -
Indian Removal Act Signed
Signed by President Andrew Jackson, which allowed the president to negotiate with southern Indian tribes for their removal to federal west territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their lands. There was much resistance from these Indian tribes, such as the Cherokee, who worked together as an independent nation to stop the relocation, but was unsuccessful. -
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Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion(choice)
A slave rebellion that took place Virginia, where, led by Nat Turner, rebel slaves killed around 55 people, which was the largest in scale, and deadliest slave uprising in U.S history. This rebellion was one of the major factors that eventually led Virginia to seccession. However Nat Turner ended up being convicted and hanged. -
Dredd Scott vs. Sanford Case Decided
Delivered by Chief Justice Roger Taney, the court decision was that slaves were not citizens of the United States and could not sue in Federal courts. Dred Scott was an enslave man man of the negro African race, that had been taken by his owners to free states and territories, and made attempt to sue for his freedom. However, the court denied Dred Scott's request in a 7-2 decision. Out of all the Supreme Court decisions, this case is considered the worst decision made in Supreme Court by many. -
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Lincoln Presidency
16th President of the United States, and led the United States through its bloodiest war, the Civil War, which was also one of the greatest crisis's, politically,morally, and constitutionally.Lincoln executed the order for the Emancipation Proclamation, abolishing slavery to a degree, as he could his war powers to free all slaves in states in rebellion. -
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Battle of Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter started the civil war, because it was the Confederate States Army that lead the bombardment of Fort Sumter. The result of this battle was confederate victory, capturing Fort Sumter. -
Battle of Antietam(My choice)
The Battle of Antietam was a battle between General Robert E. Lee's Northern Virginia Army, and Union General George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac, near Antietam Creek. This battle is also known as the bloodiest battle in American history, with over 23,000 casualties. The result was a Union victory, as well as the Emancipation Proclamation being issued 5 days later. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln, changing the federal status of more than 3 million enslaved people in the designated area of the south to free. When the slave escaped control of the Confederate government , by running away or through advances of federal troops, or other methods, the slave became free legally. -
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Battle of Gettysburg(choice)
Prior to this battle, confederates had the thought that they were invincible, having minimal losses. However, in this battle, the Union showed they'd give up any number of losses and casualties in order to stop the Confederates, and this shocked them psychologically, as well as the fact that they weren't as invincible as they thought. The South was strongly defeated, and General Robert E. Lee and his army never fully recovered. The momentum of victories shifted from the South to the North. -
Surrender At Appomattox
Surrendering at the Appomattox Court House, when Confederate general Robert E. Lee submitted to Union general-in-chief Ulysses S. Grant, resulting in the end of the civil war, making it a Union victory, and Confederate loss.The defeat of the Confederates was that due to, from Lee's view, superior Union resources. -
Lincoln Assassinated
John Wilkes Booth was the murderer of president Abraham Lincoln, Ford's Theatre, in Washington D.C. The reason for the assassination was to save the Confederacy, and throw the U.S government into disarray. -
Thirteenth Amendment Ratified
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. The 13th Amendment also nullified the Fugitive Slave Clause and Three-Fifths Compromise. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Federal Law signed by President Chester A. Arthur, prohibiting immigration of Chinese laborers. This act followed the Angell Treaty of 1880 that allowed the U.S to suspend Chinese immigration. The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first law implemented to prevent a specific ethnic group from immigrating to the U.S, and it was repealed by the Magnuson Act on December 17th, 1943. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Under presidency of Benjamin Harrison, that the government deemed to be competitive, and recommend the government to investigate and pursue trusts. In most outside countries, this act is known as the "competition law". This act prevents the artificial raising of prices by restriction of trade or supply. This law has also resulted in my court cases, such as Hale vs. Henkel, and Standard Oil Co.of New Jersey vs. United States. -
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Progressive Movement(My choice)
A period focusing on social activism and political reform, throughout the United States. This movement was focused for the majority of the time on political machines and their bosses. By taking out the corruption of these bosses, a better direct democracy could be established, and the movement also went for regulation of monopolies and corporations through antitrust laws. There many key figures in this movement, such as Robert La Follete, Alice Paul, W.E.B Du Bois, Ida Turbell, and Ida B. Wells. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
A U.S Supreme Court case, which advanced the controversial "seperate but equal" doctrine for assessing the constitutionality of racial segregation laws.The cases advanced the doctrine in a seven-to-one majority. Plessy vs. Ferguson was the first major inquiry into the meaning of the 14th Amendment's equal-protection clause, which prohibits the states from denying equal protection of the laws to any person within their jurisdiction. -
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Spanish-American War
The Spanish-American War began due to the internal explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in Cuba, which lead to United States intervention in the Cuban War of Independence. Due to political pressure from the Democratic Party, William McKinley was forced to go a war that he tried to avoid. Yellow-Journalism was also used frequently by Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst to call for war. -
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T.Roosevelt Presidency
Was the 26th president of the United States, after the assassination of President William McKinley. He was also known as the "trust buster" for his strenuous efforts to break up industrial combinations under the Sherman Antitrust Act. In foreign affairs, Roosevelt sought to uphold the Monroe Doctrine and establish the U.S as a naval power. Roosevelt won the Nobel Prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese War, and is considered one of the three greatest presidents, along with Lincoln and Washington. -
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Panama Canal Construction
The Panama Canal's was built to lessen the necessary distance for ships to travel to for passing between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and Theodore Roosevelt was the President during the time of its construction. Overall, the Panama Canal saves time and money by transporting cargo faster. -
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Wilson Presidency
Wilson is well known for the creation of the 14 Points, which were principles of peace, which were meant to help end WW1. -
WW1 Begins
After Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary is assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, who has ties to Black Hand, a Serbian terrorist-type group. This results in Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. -
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The Great Migration(choice)
The movement of 6 million African-Americans out of the rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast, Midwest, and West. One of the main causes of the migration was to escape segregation, and they believed it was less intense in the North. The effect of the Great Migration was the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance, which had a significant impact on history and society. -
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Harlem Renaissance
A cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem, New York, also known as the New Negro Movement. The Harlem Renaissance was considered to be a rebirth of African-American arts. New music was also introduced, such as jazz and Harlem Stride style. Some major figures involved in the Renaissance were Louis Armstrong, Langston Hughes, and Duke Ellington. -
WW1 Ends
Ends due to the Treaty of Versailles, putting many limits and Germany. Germany took responsibility for the war and its army was limited to 100,000 members. Many believe the Treaty of Versailles eventually led to WWII. -
Treaty of Versailles Signed
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the most important treaties in existence, that brought an end to World War I to an end. Due to the Treaty of Versailles, disciplinary territorial, economic, and military provisions were imposed on Germany, as well as Germany having to return Alsace-Lorraine to France. -
Eighteenth Amendment
The 18th amendment established prohibition of alcoholic beverages in the United States by declaring the production, transport, and sale of alcohol illegal. This amendment lasted 13 years, and was repealed in 1933 by the ratification of the 21st amendment. -
Nineteenth Amendment Passed
The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. Specifically it prohibits the states and federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex. There were many effects of the 19th Amendment, including the Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921, which expanded maternity care during the 1920s. -
Gitlow vs. New York
A decision and court case by the Supreme Court of the United States holding that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution had extended the reach of certain limitations on federal authority set forth in the 1st Amendment.To be precise, freedom of speech and freedom of the press to governments of the individual states. The court made the decision that it was a crime to advocate the duty, need, or or appropriateness of overthrowing government by force or violence. -
Stock Market Crash Begins
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 was the most significant indicator of the Great Depression, and was the worst decline in U.S history. Due to this crash, people were forced to sell businesses and cash in life savings, and lost confidence in the market. Unemployment rose 25%, and wages fell 42%, economic growth decreased 50%, and world trade fell 65%, which was a major problem for everyone.
