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Aug 3, 1492
Discovery of America by Columbus
Christopher Columbus took 4 separate voyages to the Americas in the years 1492-1502. His first one started on Aug. 3rd, 1492. He never set foot in North America, but he did do lots of exploration of Latin and South America. He was the first to really show the world of this new continent. His voyages led to the settlement of the Americas. -
Settlement of Jamestown
Jamestown was settled in 1607. It was the first permanent, British settled place in North America. The settlers were ill prepared for what lay ahead. They started with 200 and some people, and by the time 8 months had passed, they were down to closer to 60. -
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French and Indian War
The French and Indian War lasted from 1754-1763. This war was caused mostly over property feuds. It ended with the treaty of Paris. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was an act of rebellion against Britain. Colonists dressed as Natives raided the ships carrying tea and threw all the boxes into Boston Harbor. They were fed up with the Tea Act and the taxation it caused them. The British Government was not at all happy with this, and responded harshly. This was a turning point in American History, as it was one of the first acts to lead to the American Revolution. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
This battle was when the first shots were fired and the Revolutionary War began. Tension had been rising between the Colonists and the Britain's for many years, and it finally snapped. This was the war that involved the minute men. The British suffered a much greater loss than the Colonists and were forced to retreat. -
Declaration of Independence
On July 4th, 1776, America declared its Independence from Great Britain. The Colonists had decided that they didn't want the King taxing them and ruling over them. They wanted to be a free people and a free country. This decision changed the course of History. The Declaration of Independence was/is a document that changed the world. -
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Battle of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown was the final battle of the Revolutionary war. With the help of the French, the Americans were able to trap the British and make them surrender. This was an important event in U.S. History. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was the period of time where all the founding fathers came together and wrote the Constitution. George Washington presided over this convention (115 day period) and this time brought about the laws that we now are starting to let go. The Constitution and the Founding Fathers that wrote it were the beginning of this country. -
Invention of the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney, in 1794, invented what is called the Cotton Gin. This machine separated the seeds from the cotton in short order. This was a huge advancement for the Americans. It was very costly and hard work to raise cotton, but with this invention, production boomed. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a big deal. Because of it we have 1/3 of the U.S. The Colonists purchased huge chunk of land from the French for about 15 million dollars, or 68 million francs. This purchase is now 15 states of our 50 states. There was also a tiny bit of Canada in that land. Because of this purchase, the colonies expanded immensely, and began the real formation of the United States. -
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War of 1812
The United States kind of got roped into this one. Great Britain and French were in conflict with each other. So, in attempt to block supplies from the other side, each side attempted to stop the Americans from trading with the other side. This war, or feud, lasted from January, 1812, to February, 1815. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was, essentially, the splitting of the United States into North and South. There were two different sides, the slave states and the free states -
Election of Andrew Jackson
In 1824, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson ran for president and John Quincy Adams won. Jackson accused Adams of cheating to get votes. Then, they had a rematch in 1828, in which Andrew Jackson won. This victory, as he was for the democratic party, turned over the republican reign to the democratic reign. This caused a lot of problems between Adams followers and Jackson's followers. Jackson had the support of most of the southern states, and some of the northern states. -
Invention of the Telegraph
This invention, invented by Samuel Morse in 1837, was a big advancement in the world, but specifically in the United States. It provided a way to send messages and communicate across long distances. Morse Code was created for this purpose. Telegraphs were a huge invention that was extremely helpful and important for communication and emergency. -
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Panic of 1837
This panic was a financial crisis for the Americans. Wages, prices, and sales went down, while the unemployment rates went up. This crisis lasted until 1843. During this time, hopes within the citizens hearts were not high. Because of this crisis, banks crashed, business was bad, and profit was very little. All this was caused because of peaks in prices of slaves, cotton, land, etc. -
Trail of Tears
Around 1830, President Jackson signed the Indian removal act, which forced the majority of the natives to relocate in what is now Oklahoma. Because of this, the Trail of Tears got its name because it brought much sorrow and devastation. They were forced to give up their lands and march to where is now Oklahoma. This happened in 1838-1839. -
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Mexican-American War
This war lasted for 2 years between Mexico and the United States. The main cause was over Texas and it becoming part of the United States. Texas had been freed from Mexico, and the United States was worried to add another slave state. -
Firing on Fort Sumter
This battle was the beginning of the American Civil War. This fort, near Charleston, South Carolina was bombarded on April 12, 1861 by the Confederate Soldiers. The Union was greatly outnumbered. Because of this, more states succeeded and joined the South, giving them 11 states in all. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation granted freedom to all the slaves of the slave states, if those states did not join the union before January 1, 1863. Of course, the slave states rebelled against this, but, in addition, all the slaves, union or not, would be freed if the union won the war. This was a very promising proclamation for the slaves. -
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
These amendments, also known as the Civil War amendments, were equality amendments. They made former slaves have equal rights and privileges as the white men. Unfortunately, this did not remove grudges and hardships for the slaves, but they did have the freedoms they deserved. This was a big change in American History. The 13th was passed in 1865, the 14th was passed in 1868, and the 15th was passed in 1870. -
Surrender at Appomattox
The battle and surrender at Appomattox effectively ended the American Civil War. General Lee surrendered to General Grant, thus ending the 4 year war between the Union and the Confederacy. -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Shortly after the Civil war was over, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while at a play. He was assassinated by a well-known actor named John Wilkes Booth. He was shot in the head while he sat in the balcony besides his wife. He died the next morning. This was the first Presidential assassination, and caused great national mourning. -
Andrew Johnson's Impeachment
Andrew Johnson was the first of three Presidents to be impeached. The House of Representatives decided that impeachment was necessary, as President Johnson was doing things against the Constitution. -
Standard Oil Trust
Standard Oil trust was founded by a man named John D. Rockefeller. It was the biggest oil refinery in the world at that time. -
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Inventions of Electric Light, Telephone, and Airplane
The Light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879. This was a HUGE deal, and was a big discovery in history. The Telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, and was another important discovery. One of the most surprising for its time was the invention of the airplane by the Wright brothers in 1903 -
Pullman and Homestead Strikes
The Pullman and Homestead strikes both brought about changes in the United States work laws. The Pullman strike was when all the railroad workers went on strike from work. This slowed freight trains and railroad work immensely. The Homestead strike led to a battle between private security agents and homestead steel workers. Both strikes led to changes in work for the United States. -
Spanish-American War
The Spanish-American war was very short, but was still significant. It came about after the explosion of the battleship Maine, in the Havana harbor. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. -
Theodore Roosevelt becomes President
Theodore Roosevelt was elected as President after the Assassination of President William McKinley. He had been vice president to President McKinley for a short period of time, 194 days, before he became the President. He served a second term, so was president until 1909.