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1100 BCE
First Americans Enter North America
The Americas were first settled by humans at about 1100, which started off America's history. These people are now called Native Americans, and likely came from Siberia, -
Period: 1436 to May 20, 1506
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was one of the first Europeans to land in the Americas (even though it was a mistake). He was known for how cruelly he and is men treated the natives, but mainly for "discovering" the Americas. Though he did not truly discover them, his journey marked the start of years of conquest and trade. -
Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus Lands
The first official group of Europeans enter North America, turning a new page in American history. -
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Mercantilism
Mercantilism was the main ideology of the economic trade system used to make sure European countries gained as much wealth as possible. -
Jamestown is Established
North America is first colonized, and the first group of English citizens come to live in Jamestown. -
Navigation Act of 1651
The Navigation Act of 1651 is passed which allows England to have much more control over trading that the colonies were involved in. This angered the colonists and sparked the first little bits of revolution. -
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The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that was focused on values of individualism, reason, and equality. This movement founded the values and philosophies surrounding the American Revolution. -
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Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin participated in the writing of the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constituion and developed strong ties with France for the U.S.. He was also an inventor and made many investigations into electricity. Franklin was also vocal as an abolitionist though he owned several slaves. -
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George Washington
George Washington was the first president of the United States as well as the a commander during the American Revolution that essentially won the war. He played a vital role in the Revolution politically and in terms of the military. -
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Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was one of the people who participated in the writing of the Declaration of Independence. He was also a firm believer in the ideas of Manifest Destiny and pushed Westward Expansion. He was the president during the Louisiana Purchase and essentially put the deal together. -
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French and Indian War
This war gained a ton of territory for Great Britain which means more territory for what soon became the U.S. of America. This also put England in an enormous amount of debt which led to the unhappiness of colonists, leading to the American Revolution. -
Proclamation of 1763
King George III forbade the Euro-American colonists from settling past the Appalachian Mountains in order to satiate the natives who were angry at him and at the colonists. This was soon disregarded. -
Stamp Act
This was a tax forced onto the colonists without a vote from England that required them to pay a tax on all paper used, which angered the colonists. -
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Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the first president that catered to common man. He was the 7th president of the U.S. and created/put forth the Indian Removal Act. This act treated Native Americans extremely harshly and resulted in the Trail of Tears. It was often thought that he abused his power. -
Boston Massacre
During the Boston Massacre, 5 men were killed by British soldiers during some protests. This event resulted in uniting the colonists against Great Britain. -
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William Clark
William Clark was half of the famous duo, Lewis and Clark. He and Lewis were known for their exploration of the west, which Jefferson put assigned. This initiated Westward Expansion. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest preformed by the Sons of Liberty in which 342 chests of tea belonging British East India Company were thrown into the harbor. This rebellion sparked the creation of the Intolerable Acts -
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Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis was the other half of Lewis and Clark. He and Clark were known for their exploration of the west, which Jefferson put assigned. This initiated Westward Expansion. -
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American Revolution
The American Revolution was a large colonial revolt that resulted in the U.S. being freed from Great Britain and becoming its own country. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is the first written version of American ideals. Some of the participants in writing it were Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. -
United States Constitution Signed
The United States Constitution has been an important document that is used in courts, and is used to maintain rights for American citizens. It also makes sure that the government is by the people for the people. -
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Dred Scott
Dred Scott was the black slave who claimed that he and his wife should be granted freedom as they were brought into a free state by their owner. He was unsuccessful in suing his owner and was told by the court that it was because as a black man he did not have the right to sue in federal court. The judges and jury obviously did not use precedent and therefore Dred Scott's case is remembered and seen today. -
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Westward Expansion
After the Louisiana Purchase, when U.S. territory nearly doubled, millions of Americans migrated westward in hopes of better futures and wealth. This was highly encouraged by the government, especially Thomas Jefferson. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase resulted in the US gaining a large amount of territory from France, which occurred when Thomas Jefferson was president. The US paid about 15 million dollars for the territory. -
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Lewis and Clark Expedition
Thomas Jefferson requested that Congress fund Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's exploration through the territory purchased through the Louisiana purchase to the Pacific ocean. The two paved the way for western expansion, as well as seeking out natural resources. -
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Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the U.S. and served as president through the Civil War. He is most famous for freeing the slaves and uniting the north and the south. He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. He made several statements indicating that he was not racist. -
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Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the idea that it was a God-given right for Euro-Americans to move westward. This ideaology fueled the expansion of the United States and resulted in events such as the Mexican-American war. -
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Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was a famous abolitionist who was a former slave. He lectured, wrote and changed the minds of many. He also convinced Lincoln to allow black men to fight in the Civil War. -
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Era of Reform
The Era of Reform was a time in U.S. history focused on changing or reforming things based around the topics of slavery, women's rights, and the laws the U.S. had surrounding those ideas. -
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Jacksonian Democracy
Jacksonian Democracy was the "age of common man". Andrew Jackson, who became president within that time frame, was one of the first presidents who was not rich and a part of the upper class. While he abused his power and gravely mistreated many parties, he catered to the average person. -
Election of 1828
Andrew Jackson and his Jacksonian Democracy focused on the common man entered office. Andrew Jackson was both celebrated for focusing on common man and criticized for abusing his power and mistreating natives. -
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Abolitionist Movement
This movement was centered on emancipating slaves and ending discrimination towards black people. Radical abolitionists such as the famed Frederick Douglas and the feminist Sojourner Truth played a key role in this movement by writing and lecturing. -
Indian Removal Act
Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, claiming to be doing what he did for the greater good of natives, but ended up mistreating and killing many, many native Americans as they walked to new territories. -
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Mexican American War
Because of the Mexican American war, which lasted 2 years and was quite confusing, the U.S. gained all of California, Nevada and Utah, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. A large portion of the U.S. was gained from this war, and the country would be significantly smaller without this war happening. -
Compromise of 1850
This agreement was made by Senator Henry Clay to prevent the separation of the north and south. Within this agreement, the Fugitive Slave Act was amended and slave trade within Washington, D.C was stopped. California became a free state and the other new territories were allowed to decide for themselves whether they were slave states or not. -
Dred Scott
Dred Scott was a slave that sued his owner on the account that he and his wife should be free because they were brought to a free state by said owner. The case reached federal court and Scott lost, rather unfairly. This case allowed him to be remembered even today. -
Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott decision was when Dred Scott, a black man, was brought into a free state by his owner and then brought back to the South, who argued for his freedom. He lost the case, rather unfairly, and it further reiterated that at the time black people/slaves did not have the right to sue in federal court. -
Election of 1860
During this election, the famed Abraham Lincoln won the race. He won in a very odd way, seeing that he had only 40% of the votes and was only voted in by Northerners, as people in the south didn't even have him on the ballot. This angered southern states as it meant they didn't have any power. -
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Civil War
The Civil War, between the north and the south, resulted in the ending of slavery and the union of all the states once again. The South wanted to maintain slavery and have the new territories be the slave states, whereas the North wanted the exact opposite. The South was in ruins after the war, as slaves were holding the economy together, but it recovered.