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John Rolfe
John Rolfe was an early settler of North America, cultivating and exporting tobacco. He has had three wives, most famous for marriage to Pocahontas. He died in 1622. -
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House of Burgesses
In Jamestown, Virginia, on July 30, 1619, established by the Virginia Company, the first legislative assemble of elective representatives in North America assembled to discuss the conditions in the colony. -
Mayflower Compact
Around 1620, puritan pilgrims escaping prosecution of the Anglican Church in England headed for the New World, and settled in areas unclaimed. The colonists created a social contract called the Mayflower Compacts, where the signees agreed to abide the new government’s laws in exchange for shared protection. This contract set up the foundation for Plymouth Colony and influenced the U.S. Constitution. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Nathaniel Bacon led a revolt in Virginia 1676 against Sir William Berkeley due to the high taxes, dropping prices of tobacco, and unfair selectiveness. Bacon had two successful revolts, but after arrest and release, he was not able to hold attack, so he set fire to the capital and controlled the colony until death in october 1676 when the rebellion collapsed. -
Salem Witch Trials Massachusetts
Because of the ‘King William’s War,’ displaced peoples were straining the resources in Salem, Massachusetts and the conflict was blamed on the works of the devil. Three girls had accused three women of afflicting them with witch craft which one of the women admitted to doing. This tipped paranoia and multiple other trials est. by Gov. Phipps. Only when minister Cotton mather suggested not to use spectral evidence and his wife was accused did gov. phipps stop the trials 20/200 accused, died. -
Zenger Case
In New York of 1734, German Immigrant, John Peter Zenger had become a journalist and publisher of the New York Weekly Journal, where he published his opinions of govener William Cosby. This resulted in his arrest and the Zenger Case which established that truth is a defense against charges of libal, free speech issues proclamed him “not guilty.” -
Stono Rebellion
On September 9th, 1739, the largest slave rebellion in British mainland colonies took place in the colony of South Carolina. The rebellion was led by Jemmy or ‘Cato’ a literate slave. About 20 whites and 44 slaves were killed. Most slaves were executed and others were sold. This led to the Negro Act of 1740, which established several regulations for slaves, slaveholders, and the trading of slaves. -
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Albany Plan
Suggested by Benjamin Franklin, July 1754, Albany, New York, it was to create a unified government for the Thirteen Colonies. It was an early attempt to unionize the colonies for greater purposes. -
Fort Necessity
Before being a battlesite, Fort Necessity was a store house used to keep supplies in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. However, because George Washington did not know french, he unknowingly surrendered the battle and withdrew his troops on July 3, 1754. The french then destroyed the site. -
The Boston Massacre
On March 5, 1770, the British troops stationed there two years ago to enforce tax legislations killed five civilian men and injured six others. It was the culmination of tensions of the American people. Eight soldiers, one officer, and four civilians were arrested and charged with murder. Six were sent free while the other two were branded of manslaughter. -
Coercive Acts
A name given by the thirteen colonies to the series of punitive laws passed by British Parliament in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party. The laws stated that Massachusetts was no longer able to self-govern, etc. This outraged the colonists, leading to the First Continental Congress and then the American Revolution. -
Declaration of Independence
Elected by the Continental Congress, Thomas Jefferson drafted the original document of the Declaration of Independence in Philidalphia, Pennsylvania, but was then edited by the congress. It was created to request independence from King George III. The document was then signed by (most) of the members of the congress on July 4, 1776. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's rebellion in Massachusetts of 1786-87 was the first armed uprising in the nation and was a response to the high taxes. The revolt threatened to sink into civil war but was stopped by military force and the Riot Act by John Adams. -
Whiskey Rebellion
In 1791, when the government needed a source of revenue, Alexander Hamilton, Treasury Secretary, suggested excise tax on whiskey made in the U.S. Citizens were unhappy with the idea and began rebelling. To prove the government was able to keep order, George Washington had troops on stand-by while he sent a negotiator. When it did not work, soldiers marched towards western Pennsylvania. By then the rebels had left but Hamilton was now seen as a dangerous man. -
Cotton Gin
In 1793 Connecticut, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a machine that can quickly separate cotton fibers from their seeds. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
Four separate bills passed by 5th United States Congress and signed into law by President John Adams in 1798.
1. The Naturalization Act
2. The Alien Friends Act
3. The Alien Enemies Act (still in effect today as 50 U.S.C. § 21-24.)
4. The Sedition Act
This allowed the president to deport any alien deemed dangerous, increased the years and alien must wait to become a U.S. citizen, and prevented them from voting. -
Manifest Destiny
In the 19th century, American pioneers believed it was God’s decision for America to expand westward. -
Marbury vs Madison
It was a case that began on the 11th when Madison did not give Marbury the commission to be one of the judges of the Supremem Court. It refined the balance of powers between branches and adjust English laws and traditions followed by colonial america. -
Lewis and Clark
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were the leaders of an expedition across the western parts of the United States, commissioned by Pres. Thomas Jefferson. It began May 1804 to September 1806. The results of the expedition were various studies to plants, animal life, and geography. Also maps, sketches and journals were made. The goal was to establish an American presence and trade with the local tribes. -
Missouri Compromise
Tension was rising between pro and anti-slavery regions but tipped in 1819 when Missouri requested to be added to the Union as a slave state. Passed by the United States Congress on January 26, 1820, the bill established a boundary to separate the regions. Missouri would be a slave state, and in order to keep the balance, Maine would be admitted as a free state. -
Monroe Doctrine
Authored by John Quincy Adams, introduced by Pres. James Monroe on December 2, 1823, the Monroe Doctrine was a U.S. policy, stating that interference by the European nations on North or South American states would be seen as acts of aggression. The intent was to free newly independent colonies of Latin America and steer away from Old World and New World collision. -
The Alamo
From February 23 – March 6, 1836, the Mexican army battled Texan defenders at the Alamo Mission near San Antonio, Texas. The Texans were overpowered and killed, which inspired others to join the Texian army, and winning the following battle, ending the revolution. -
Trail of Tears
Part of Andrew Jackson’s Indian removal policy in 1838 – 1839, the Cherokee nation was forced to march across the Mississippi River to present-day Oklahoma. Of the 15,000 Cherokees that moved, 4,000 died from hunger, disease, and exhaustion. -
Seneca Falls Convention
An influential women's rights convention planned by Lucretia Mott, lasting two days at Seneca Falls, New York, for women to gain social, moral rights. Mostly to gain equality with ment. -
Compromise of 1850
Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky and Stephen Douglas drafted the five bills, which settled the disagreements of territories settled during the Mexican-American war between the North and South. This avoided secession or civil war for a few years. -
"Uncle Tom's Cabin"
Harriet Beecher Stowe, a teacher and active abolitionist, wrote the most popular novel in the 19th century, published in 1852. It promoted anti-slavery and inspired the civil war. -
Dred Scott Case
On March 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision against Dred Scott v. Sanford. Scott was a slave who lived with his owner in a free state before returning to slave state, Missouri. Scott believed that his time in the free state entitled him to emancipation. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney disagreed. This case caused North-South tensions and heightened abolitionists. -
Emancipation and Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln ordered the freedom of all slaves in the ten states still under rebellion. It was a wargoal and also to reunite the Union. -
KKK-Force Acts
Between 1870-1871, after the 14th and 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (about citizenship and banning of racial discrimination in voting), three bills called the Enforcement Acts were passed. Freed slaves lives, political and economic rights were threatened, which led to the creation of the act. It protected the blacks right to vote, have equal protection of laws, etc. -
Spanish-American War
The United States began a war with Spain on April 25, 1898 to December 10th, to aid Cuba in its independence and expand its borders. The result was the Treaty of Paris and Spain had lost its overseas empire to America. -
Zimmermann's Telegram
January 19, 1917, German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann sent a coded message to German ambassador in Mexico, revealing war plans. British intercepted the message and deciphered it, sharing it with the U.S. This encouraged the U.S. away from isolationism and to join WWI. -
Harlem Renaissance
After WW1, black writers and artists moved to Harlem, New York City, where a literary movement took place which spanned the 1920's. Harlem was a place for freedom and creativity. This ‘renaissance’ fueled racial pride, leading to the demand of civil and political rights. -
Black Tuesday
On October 29, 1929, the stock market completely collapsed (in Europe and U.S.), due to investments in money that did not exist. This led to the Great Depression. -
New Deal
New deal was a series of economic programs institued by Franklin Delano Rosevelt from 1933-1936, to counteract the Great Deppression. These programs involved three main principles: Relief (provide immediate food and shelter), Review (find and correct the flaw that caused the depression), and Revive (escalate economy to stable conditions). Rosevelt accomplished the first two. -
Attack of Pearl Harbor
A surprise military strike by Japanese forces in Hawaii intended to be preventive action so the U.S. military would not interfere with their plan, December 7, 1941. However, the attack prompted the U.S. to enter WW2. -
Pearl Harbor
A surprise military strike by Japanese forces in Hawaii intended to be preventive action so the U.S. military would not interfere with their plan, December 7, 1941. However, the attack prompted the U.S. to enter WW2. -
Hiroshima nad Nagasaki
In Hiroshima, August 6 1945, and Nagasaki, August 9, atomic bombs were dropped by American airmen when the Japanese government ignored the warning to surrender. The result was a high death toll, debate in the influence of Japan’s surrender and ethical justification. -
Truman Doctrine
Harry Truman introduced an international relations policy on March 12, 1947, that the U.S. would aid Greece and Turkey economically and militarily in order to prevent them being “subjugated by armed minorities or by outside pressures” (Truman). -
Brown vs Board of Education
On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled racial separation as a violation of the 14th amendment. This led to integration and served as a victory for the civil rights movement. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
On August 7th, 1964, congress passed the bill that would extend the Vietnam War and gave President Lyndon B. Johnson the power to take any action he deemed necessary to protect SE Asia. -
Tet Offensive
In an agreement to ‘cease fire’ for two days for the Tet Lunar New year, Viet Cong and North Vietnam launched surprise attacks on military and civilian commands and control centers throughout South Vietnam against the southerners, U.S. armies, and allies. The result served as propaganda victory for the communists because the south and U.S. had lost many soldiers, which led to their skepticism of their efforts and the outcome. -
Watergate Scandal
on June 17, 1972, a burglary at Watergate, the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington D.C., led to an investigation where perpetrators were linked to Richard Nixon and his administration. This eventually led to the convictions of those in the administration and the resignation of Richard Nixon on August 9, 1974. The scandal caused new laws to changes in campaign financing and amendments in Freedom of Information Act (1986). -
Iran Hostage Crisis
From Nov. 4, 1979 to Jan. 20, 1981, 52 Americans were held hostage in Iran for 444 days. The kidnapping was in reaction to the U.S. taking in the overthrown Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Iran wanted to put him on trial for crimes committed. Only after the former Shah died and Iraq invaded Iran did the country begin negotiations. The crisis strengthened Iran and marked the beginning of weakened ties between the U.S. -
Challenger Explosion
On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean on its 73rd second in flight. The result was a three year grounding of the Space Shuttle fleet and multiple extensive safety measures and policies. -
Iran Contra Scandal
In November 1986, a political scandal struck, where those in power were attempting to gain profit by selling arms to Iran. President Ronald Reagan and Vice-President Bush was rumored to be involved. The result were many arrests and the questioning of the executive branch. -
9/11
On September 11, 2001, members of al-Qaeda led by Osama bin Laden took-over four ailiners. These airliners hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. The result of the terrorism was critical in both death and damage.This was due to the retaliation for America's support of Israel and involvement in the Persion Gulf War.
