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Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta Signed
The Magna Carta was a charter of rights agreed to by King John. It was created by the Archbishop of Canterbury to make peace between the King and a group of rebel barons, and limiting the power of the ruler. It was an important symbol of liberty, and is considered the greatest constitutional document of all time. -
Battle Of Lexington and Concord
The battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the Revolutionary War. This started off the war, and resulted in 122 deaths. -
Declaration of Independence Signed
The Declaration of Independence announced that the Thirteen Colonies at war with Great Britain would regard themselves as thirteen independent sovereign states. This was a major step leading to the creation of the United States of America. -
Battle of Saratoga
The battle of saratoga was the turning point in the Revolutionary War, as it was a decisive American victory over Great Britan. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was a decisive victory by American forces led by George Washington. It was the major land battle of the Revolutionary War, and led to the end of the war. It also boosted American and French morale, pushing to finish the war. -
US Constitution
The US Constitution is the supreme law of the United States. It is split into three articles, the separation of power, the legislative, and the judicial. The US Constitution was the first permanent constitution of its kind, adopted by the people, and has inspired other nations to do the same thing. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights adds the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution. It was written to address the objections of Anti-Federalists, and added guarantees of new personal freedoms, and set limits on the government's power. This is important because it showed that we can change the constitution and make it dynamic to our country's needs. -
American Industrial Revolution
The American Industrial Revolution was a major step for the Union/North to get ahead of the South. Manufacturing and factories contributed to quick growth, and a source of income for the North. The South was still a part of the revolution, but wasn't able to grow as quickly, which was a notable disadvantage versus the North. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
The Battle of Fort Sumter was a bombardment by the Confederate Army. The US Army only had about 85 soldiers, while the Confederate Army had at least 500. This battle was the spark that set off the American Civil war, after South Carolina Seceded. -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act encouraged migration into the great plains by giving settlers 160 acres of land. In exchange, they had to pay a small filing fee and live there for five years before they were granted ownership. This was in an effort to have individual farmers own land rather than southern slave owners. Blacks were encouraged to participate, but racism and discrimination discouraged them from doing so. -
Emancipation Proclamation Signed
The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order from Abraham Lincoln to free slaves in 10 states. This led to 3.5 million out of 4 million slaves being freed. It also ordered that among those freed, they could enroll in the Union's army to fight for the freedom of the remaining slaves in the south. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg resulted in the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War. It was fought over 3 days (July 1-3) and was a major turning point for the Union, despite heavy losses on both sides. In total, 46,000-53,000 soldiers died, and led to President Lincoln's Gettysburg address, where he honored the fallen soldiers.
PRIMARY SOURCE: Letters From Soldiers in Battle of Gettysburg -
Gettysburg Adress
The Gettysburg Address was a speech that Abraham Lincoln gave during the Civil War, 4 months after the Battle of Gettysburg. It is considered one of the most influential statements of American national purpose. -
Lincoln Assassinated
Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth while attending the play 'Our American Cousin' at Ford's Theater. He was shot in the back of the head, and was the first US President to be assassinated.
