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Oct 12, 1492
Columbus lands in the Americas. Unit 1
On August 3, 1492, Cristopher Columbus set sail from Spain on an expedition to find new land to conquer. After weeks of sailing, he finally came upon modern day San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. After getting his first taste of the Americas, he went on to other lands in the Americas while conquering them for Spain until he finally found the now known United States. -
Jamestown. Unit 1
While Spain led the race in conquering the Americas, England had been met with failure. In 1606, King James I granted a voyage to form a settlement in North America. During late December, around 100 colonists left England on three boats and reached Chesapeake Bay in April, 1607. Once there, they looked for a settlement site and found a place by James River where they settled and later called it Jamestown. -
Pilgrims land. Unit 1
Around 100 people from England set sea on the Mayflower to seek religious freedom in the New World in September of 1620. Then, in November that same year, they landed in modern day Cape Cod, Massachusetts. -
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Navigation Acts. EXTRA
Transferred wealth from the colonists to Britain, Americans had to pay an increased price for British goods while receiving lower prices for the goods they produced. This hurt the residence of the Chesapeake by driving down the price of tobacco. -
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French and Indian War. Unit 1
The French and Indian War was a long lasting struggle between Britain and France over imperialism. The conflicts were brought up when France repeatedly expanded over the Ohio River and into the colonies. With a British victory, it gave them major territorial gains in America which later led to the American Revolution -
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Alexander Hamilton. EXTRA
He was the first secretary of treasury and proposed the federal assumption of state debts. Hamilton also established a national bank and the federal stimulation of industry by imposing an excise tax and tariffs. -
Proclamation of 1763. STORY
The Proclamation of 1763 followed Pontiac's Rebellion which was the Native American uprising against the British. It did not allow settlement West of the Appalachians hoping to reduce conflicts between the native Americans and the settlers. Native Americans were told that they owned the land that they were residing. The colonists were outraged because they believed that the French and Indian War should have allowed them to settle in the Ohio Valley. -
Stamp Act. STORY
The Stamp Act was the first time the British taxed Americans and colonists protested. The act required a government tax stamp, legal documents that included licenses and contracts. The colonists responded by a petition stating that parliament had no right to tax the colonies without representation. -
Townshend Acts. EXTRA
Britain passed a series of laws that suspended one colonial representative assembly wile also creating harsh measures for collecting taxes in the colonies. Colonists protested this act and threat calling out "taxation without representation". -
Battles of Lexington and Concord. Unit 1
With building tension in the New World and Britain, a war was bound to start. King George III increased military presence in the American colonies in addition to the taxes they were creating for the colonies. Tension rose between the two as 77 militiamen stood their ground to the hundreds of British soldiers which led to militiamen's deaths. This led to continuous battles after that between the two. Lexington and Concord was the battle that started the American Revolutionary War. -
Declaration of Independence. Unit 1
While the colonies wanted freedom from Britain, it was hard to get with such little power they had compared to them. So, a committee formed by the Continental Congress was formed to write this with the leader being Thomas Jefferson. The document listed rights the colonists should have and reasons why they wanted separation from British rule. This document contains our nations first ideals and goals for the future. -
Shay's Rebellion. STORY Picture
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Shay's Rebellion. STORY
The country was going through a economic depression and Daniel Shay led a group of farmers to stop the courts from taking the farmers land and collecting their debts. Boston citizens formed an army and suppressed the rebels. The country was now under pressure to strengthen the government in hopes of violence which inspired the writing of the Constitution. -
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Constitutional Convention. Unit 1
This was a convention of people to revise the country's league of states and the first system of government, its hidden intention was to create a new government rather than fix the current one. Delegates of the group consisted of James Madison and Alexander Hamilton which elected George Washington, of Virginia, to lead the group. Although they were put together to revise the Articles of Confederation, the group had a more significant achievement which was the creation of the Constitution. -
Invention of the Cotton Gin. STORY
Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin which revolutionized the cotton industry and the need for slaves. He established the first factory to assemble guns with interchangeable standardized parts. This led to an American system of manufacture where laborers could use tools and templates to make identical parts. -
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Jefferson Presidency. Unit 2
Thomas Jefferson served two terms as President of the United States from 1801 to 1809. One of his big accomplishments before Presidency was that he was a founding father of the Declaration of Independence. Before Jefferson was President, he was also a vice President under John Adams. His most significant impact during presidency was that he doubled the size of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase. -
Marbury vs. Madison. STORY
William Marbury was appointed to Judgeship in 1801 under President John Adams. When incoming president Thomas Jefferson refused commission to Marbury, he sued. The justices declared that the judiciary act of 1789, which allowed the court almost unconditional power, was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court now had the right to declare a law violates the constitution. This became known as judicial review which expanded the influence of the Supreme court. -
Louisiana Purchase. Unit 2
The deal made between the United States and France was one of the most significant land purchase in United States history. As Napoleon Bonaparte persuaded Spain to return Louisiana back to them, the United States was alarmed that they might have to side with Britain again so they tried to buy new Orleans and Florida from the French. By the time James Monroe was sent to negotiate for the land, Napoleon Bonaparte had already decided to sell the land. The deal doubled the size of the United States. -
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Frederick Douglas. EXTRA
Douglas was an escaped slave and influential abolitionist. He published his own newspaper called the North Star. He promoted political methods to an acting form. Later he became known as the father of the civil rights movement. -
Missouri Compromise. Unit 2
Until 1818, the United States had 10 free states and 10 slave states. Then Illinois was admitted as the 11th free state and without the balance of free and slave states, the souther slave states became outraged leading to Alabama being admitted as the 11th slave state to sustain balance. With the state of Missouri left, Congress made Missouri a slave state and Maine a free state. The compromise was a major role in the relationship between the north and south leading to the Civil War. -
Monroe Doctrine. STORY
U.S. leaders were concerned that Britain and other European Nations might expand their influence in the Western Hemisphere after former Spanish-American colonies in Latin America won their independence. President Monroe wrote the Monroe Doctrine declaring the Western Hemisphere for colonization by European colonies. European powers were unhappy with the policy but did not challenge it. Decades following the Monroe Doctrine, the U.S. expanded its influence in Latin America. -
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Jackson Presidency. Unit 2
Jackson was the 7th President of the United States. Prior to his presidency he was a general in the U.S. Army and served in Congress. He gave power to the Executive branch equal with Congress which allowed for shaping laws and government policies. He bore some responsibility withe the Trail of Tears. Jackson was often known as a president that created a greater democracy for the common man. -
Indian Removal Act. Unit 2
Congress created a Congressional Act which authorized the removal of Native Americans who lived east of the Mississippi River. President Jackson signed this into law which would open up the southeast to white settlements. Indians were forced to march west in terrible conditions and one out of four died on the long trek. -
Nat Turner Slave Revolts. STORY
An African American slave who led a revolt in South Hampton county, Virginia. He gathered up to 75 followers and killed dozens of white people. This was known as the deadliest slave revolt in American history. Local militia eventually captured the rebels, executing 20, including Nat Turner. The revolt resulted in new laws that strictly limited the meeting and movements of slaves. -
Seneca Falls Convention. EXTRA
Delegates gathered to the convention led by Elizabeth Cady Staton. The main focus was a declaration calling for equal rights for women. This marked the rise of the women's suffrage movement. It took more than 72 years of campaigning before women won the right to vote. -
Fugitive Slave Act. STORY
This act was created to make it a federal crime to assist runaway slaves. In addition, the Fugitive Slave act allowed for the arrest of slaves in states where slavery was illegal. The north resisted this law which angered southern slave holders. Southern leaders were considering seceding from the union. -
Dred Scott vs. Sanford. Unit 2
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not citizens. The Missouri Compromises restriction on slavery was now considered unconstitutional. Congress did not have the right to ban slavery on any federal territory. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates. EXTRA
This senatorial campaign between Steven Douglas and Abraham Lincoln on the issue of slavery. Douglas favored popular sovereignty as a basic right in democracy. Lincoln debated a moral opposition to slavery spread and demanded constitutional protection where slavery existed. In the end Lincoln lost the senate race to Douglas, but he stepped into the national limelight as a national figure. -
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Lincoln Presidency. Unit 3
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. Before presidency, Lincoln was a statesman and a lawyer. Lincoln's emancipation proclamation was the first step towards abolition in the United States. Of the many things Lincoln did, his most well known thing he did was the Gettysburg Address. Soon after his second inauguration, Lincoln was assassinated while watching a play at Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth. -
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Attack on Fort Sumter. Unit 3
Confederate guns fired on Fort Sumter, in Charleston South Carolina marking the beginning of the civil war. The forts defense were no match for the gun fight. It surrendered April 14 and the U.S. flag originally flying over the fort was replaced by a southern flag. -
The First Battle of Bull Run. STORY
This is a battle between the Confederate troops and the Union troops. Officers in charge were Beauregard(Confederate) and McDowell(Union).The Confederate army suffered around 2,000 casualties while the Union suffered 2,900 casualties. The north became acutely aware that the Civil War would not end quickly. -
The Battle of Antietam. EXTRA
The officers were McLennan(Union) and Lee(Confederate). McLennan refused Lincolns command to destroy the Confederate army and allowed them to retreat back to Virginia resulting in President Lincolns relieving the general from command. This battle was considered the bloodiest battle of the war and of U.S. history. The Confederate and Union casualties combined exceeded 23,000. -
Emancipation Proclamation. Unit 3
Lincoln issued a document which freed the slaves in all of the areas that were in rebellion against the U.S. The emancipation brought mixed reviews. Abolitionists were upset that the emancipation proclamation allowed slavery in states that were not in the rebellion. Some northerners also opposed the emancipation fearing increased competition for jobs in the north. -
Surrender at Appomattox. Unit 3
During the bloodiest battle in United States history, it had come to an end on April 9th, 1865. In the final days of the war, the Confederates had been surrounded and outnumbered by the Union. Finally, the war had come to an end. Both sides came to an agreement and met at the Appomattox Court House where Confederate general Robert E. Lee had surrendered to Union general Ulysses S. Grant marking the end of the war and a Union victory. -
Lincoln Assassinated. Unit 3
On April 14th, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was at the Ford's Theatre watching a play. Then, famous actor and Confederate sympathizer named John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln in the back of the head and leaped from the suite onto the stage. At first the audience thought this was part of the play but they heard a scream from the first lady and realized that this was not part of the play. Lincoln was rushed to the boardinghouse across the street but they had no chance to save him. Lincoln died the next day. -
Thirteenth Amendment Ratified. Unit 3
On January 31, 1865, Congress passed the thirteenth amendment. Then on December 6th, 1865, the thirteenth amendment was ratified which stated that slavery shall no longer exist in the United States. This marked the end to slavery to this date in the United States. -
First Transcontinental Railroad. EXTRA
This marked the connection of the Union pacific and the Central pacific railroads. Irish labor was used for the construction of the Union pacific while Chinese labor helped construct the Central pacific. Connecting these railroads opened up economic opportunities and national markets. -
Invention of the Telephone. STORY
Alexander Graham Bell patented his invention for a talking telegraph. The telephone became a critical part of communication in the 1800s. In the 1900s, over 1,000,000 telephones had been installed in homes throughout America -
Chinese Exclusion Act. Unit 4
The Chinese Exclusion Act was signed by President Chester A. Arthur on May 6th, 1882. This act forbid the immigration of all Chinese laborers for 10 years. Then, the act was renewed ten years later. Finally ten years after this in 1902, Chinese immigration was permanently banned. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Unit 4
On July 2, 1890, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act was passed by Congress under President Benjamin Harrison. This law was the first Federal act that outlawed monopolistic business practices. Ultimately, this increased business competition in the United States. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson. Unit 4
This case revolved around a Louisiana law which required separate seating for white and African American citizens on public railroads. Herman Plessy argued that his right to equal protection laws was violated. The court responded that segregation was permitted if facilities were equal. The court interpreted the 14th amendment as an amendment that did not give negroes social, only political and civil equality -
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Spanish American War. Unit 4
During 1989, the U.S.S. Maine was sent to Cuba to protect American interests after a rebellion against the Spanish broke out in Havana. Then on February 15, 1898, the U.S.S. Maine exploded in the Havana Harbor while killing 268 of the 400 Americans on board. Tension rose between the U.S. and the Spanish. Then the U.S. declared war on the Spanish in April to support Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines for Independence from Spanish rule. With a U.S. victory, they were now seen as a world power. -
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Theodore Roosevelt Presidency. Unit 4
Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. Before Presidency, Roosevelt was the Vice President from March to September 1901 and the governor of New York from 1899 to 1900. While Vice President, William McKinley was assassinated 6 months into his second term making Roosevelt the President. Some of his achievements were the establishment of the FDA, the National Parks and the Panama Canal. He is now known as one of the greatest presidents ever. -
The Seventeenth Amendment. EXTRA
This amendment allowed voters, rather than state legislatures, the power to elect their United States senators. The Progressives did this because they believed direct elections would take away the power and influence of party bosses. Some states complained that their power to influence the federal government was taken away. -
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Wilson's Presidency. Units 4&5
During his presidency from 1913 to 1921, Woodrow Wilson accomplished many things. In his first term, he passed many acts for the people. But he is mostly known for his second term. During his second term, the U.S. joined World War 1 due to unrestricted submarine warfare from the German empire. He is most well known for his 14 Point Plan which he created to introduce at the Treaty of Versailles. Though not all of the plan was put in place, some of it was. -
WWI Begins. Unit 5
World war one begins when a Serbian named Gavrilo Pincip assassinates Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The assassination led to these two countries declaring war upon one another and taking each countries allies to also back them up and bring them into the battle. -
Panama Canal. Unit 4
During the 1800s, transporting goods between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean was a long and costly trip. While Theodore Roosevelt saw the realization of a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, he decided to start production. So, the building of the canal started 1903 and ended in 1914. The canal saved time and money for people transporting goods between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean and still does to this day. -
Wilson's 14 Points. Unit 5
Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points were a list of principles to create peace for the peace negotiations to end World War I. The points were taken as the foundation for the peace negotiations at the end of the war. When the other countries did not fully agree with all of his points, they added some that were quite radical which eventually led to greater conflicts and a second world war. -
WWI Ends. Unit 5
Towards the end of 1917, the Bolsheviks gained power in Russia and moved towards negotiating peace with Germany. In 1918, with the additional American troops and resources in the Western Front, the Allies were finally ahead and the war was in their favor now. Then on November 11, 1918, Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies officially ending the war. Later, a peace treaty to diminish conflict called the Treaty of Versailles, caused tensions and led to the beginning of World War 2. -
Eighteenth Amendment. Unit 4
The eighteenth amendment was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917 and ratified on January 16, 1919. The amendment prohibited the manufacturing, sale or transportation of alcoholic beverages. Although the amendment made it illegal to make, sell, and transport alcoholic beverages, but it did not make it illegal to consume alcohol. Ultimately, this amendment was a failure. Eventually, on December 5, 1933, the amendment was repealed. This was the only amendment to be repealed in U.S. history. -
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Treaty of Versailles. Unit 5
The Treaty of Versailles was the most influential peace treaties which brought World War I to an end. The Treaty was signed by all of the Allied Powers, and those associated, and Germany in the Palace of Versailles which is located in Paris, France. The treaty was very harsh on the Central Powers, specifically Germany which had to pay for all of the reparations to the Allies. -
Rise of the K.K.K. Unit 6
The Ku Klux Klan(KKK) began to rise, following the first world war, in the 1920s. The rise showed how a society dealt with industrialization, urbanization and immigration. Initially showing hatred just towards African Americans, the group extended their hatred towards minorities such as jews and catholics. -
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Harlem Renaissance. Unit 6
The Harlem Renaissance, which took place during the 1920s, was a cultural and artistic explosion for African American in Harlem, New York. The movement helped understand the African American culture and integrated black and white cultures. Ultimately, this movement prepared the basis for the Civil Rights Movement. -
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Prohibition. Unit 6
The Prohibition era in the United States was from 1920 to 1933 and it was a national constitutional ban on the production, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages. The ban had a negative effect on the United States because it led to a higher organized crime rate and criminals made vast profits from illegally producing and selling alcohol. -
Nineteenth Amendment. Unit 4
Passed on June 4, 1919 and ratified on August 18,1920, the nineteenth amendment was created. This amendment stated that the government can not deny anyone the right to vote on the basis of the persons sex. This was a huge push for women's suffrage. -
Gitlow vs. New York. Unit 6
This case focused on first amendment freedom of speech. Gitlow was convicted under state law for critical anarchy because he distributed copies of left wing manifesto. This was the first time the court had to decide whether it had to apply to State laws. New York was not over ruled in this case but the decision indicated that the U.S. Supreme Court could make such a ruling. -
Scopes Trial. Unit 6
A substitute high school teacher by the name of John Thomas Scopes was accused of violating the Tennessee's Butler Act which prohibited the teaching of human evolution. As Scopes was found guilty, he was also fined $100 but later the court overturned his conviction. The trial represents a vivid clash between traditional and modern values in America. -
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Stock Market Crash. Unit 7
The crash happened from October 24th to the 29th of 1929 which the New York Stock Exchange share prices collapsed. The crash happened due to American citizens buying stocks on credit in high volumes. When the banks that loaned the money to the stockholder's saw they would lose money if a stock got too low, they would automatically sell it so they don't lose money which resulted in stock prices drastically going down. This was the most devastating crash in U.S. history leaving millions bankrupt. -
Roosevelt 1st Election. Unit 7
The election was right after the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and as the Great Depression had begun. Roosevelt defeated Hoover by a landslide. Roosevelt campaign showed the failures of Hoover and promised the country with a recovery plan called the New Deal. -
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CCC. Unit 7
The Civilian Conservation Corps(CCC) was a public work relief program for unemployed, unmarried men. The program was one of the earliest of the New Deal plan during the Great Depression. Some of the projects included planting trees, building flood barriers, and fighting forest fires. -
Social Security Act. Unit 7
The Social Security Act established a system of benefits for workers, victims of industrial accidents, unemployment insurance, aid for dependent mothers and children, the blind, and the physically handicapped. The focus for this law was to provide aid to the elderly, the unemployed and for children. -
FDR Court Packing Scandal. Unit 7
The Court Packing Scandal was when Roosevelt was not satisfied with the Supreme Court decisions about his New Deal programs being unconstitutional so he expanded the Supreme Court with people he thinks will support him. This plan allowed his New Deals to be passed.
