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Oct 12, 1492
The Discovery of America by Columbus
Columbus was a master navigator and admiral whose four transatlantic voyages (1492–93, 1493–96, 1498–1500, and 1502–04) opened the way for European exploration, exploitation, and colonization of the Americas. He has long been called the “discoverer” of the New World, although Vikings such as Leif Eriksson had visited America five centuries earlier.
Flint, Valerie I.J.. "Christopher Columbus". Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christopher-Columbus. -
The Settlement of Jamestown
The Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery set sail for America on December 6, 1606. On May 13, 1607, the voyagers picked Jamestown, Virginia for their settlement, named after their King, James I. By June 15, the fort was completed. It was triangle-shaped with a bulwark at each corner, holding four or five artillery. The settlers were now protected from the local Powhatan Indians. “A Short History of Jamestown.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 16 Sept. 2022. -
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The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War began in 1754 and ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The war provided Great Britain enormous territorial gains in North America, but disputes over subsequent frontier policy and paying the war’s expenses led to colonial discontent, and ultimately to the American Revolution. Foreign Service Institute. “French and Indian War/Seven Years’ War, 1754–63.” U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of State, history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/french-indian-war. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party incident in which 342 chests of tea belonging to the British East India Company were thrown from ships into Boston Harbor by American patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians. The Americans were protesting both a tax on tea (taxation without representation) and the perceived monopoly of the East India Company. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Boston Tea Party". Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Jul. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/Boston-Tea-Party. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
In this first battle of the American Revolution, Massachusetts colonists defied British authority, outnumbered and outfought the Redcoats, and embarked on a lengthy war to earn their independence. “Lexington and Concord.” American Battlefield Trust, www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/lexington-and-concord. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024. -
The Declaration of Independence
In U.S. history, a document was approved by the Continental Congress and announced the separation of 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain. It explained why the Congress on July 2 “unanimously” by the votes of 12 colonies (with New York abstaining) had resolved that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be Free and Independent States.” Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Declaration of Independence". Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Jul. 2024, -
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The Battle of Yorktown
A joint Franco-American land and sea campaign that entrapped a major British army on a peninsula at Yorktown, Virginia, and forced its surrender. The siege virtually ended military operations in the American Revolution. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Siege of Yorktown". Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Jun. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Yorktown. Accessed 21 August 2024. -
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The Constitutional Convention
A convention that drew up the Constitution of the United States. Stimulated by severe economic troubles and urged on by a demand for stronger central government, the convention met in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation. All the states except Rhode Island responded to an invitation issued by the Annapolis Convention (1786) to send delegates. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia "Constitutional Convention". Encyclopedia Britannica 4 Jun. 2024 -
The invention of the cotton gin
The machine for cleaning cotton of its seeds was invented in the United States by Eli Whitney in 1793. He applied for a patent of his cotton gin on October 28, 1793; the patent was granted on March 14, 1794, but was not validated until 1807. England had created a greatly expanded market for American cotton, whose production was slow due to the manual removal of the seeds from the raw fiber. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "cotton gin". Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May. 2024 -
The Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien Act granted the President unilateral authority to deport non-citizens (subjects of foreign enemies). The Sedition Act attacked free speech and a free press—the right to criticize the government. Vice President to James Madison, Thomas Jefferson lead the opposition. While the Supreme Court never ruled on the constitutionality of the Acts, Adams won the election of 1800 and let the Acts expire. “The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798).” National Constitution Center – Constitutioncenter.Org -
The Louisiana Purchase
The western half of the Mississippi River basin was purchased in 1803 from France by the United States (President Thomas Jefferson) at less than three cents per acre for 828,000 square miles, it was the greatest land bargain in U.S. history. It doubled the size of the United States, strengthened the country materially and strategically, and provided a powerful start to westward expansion. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Louisiana Purchase". Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Jul. 2024 -
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The War of 1812
A conflict fought between the United States and Great Britain over British violations of U.S. maritime (trading by sea) rights. It ended with the exchange of ratifications of the Treaty of Ghent. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Treaty of Ghent". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Dec. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Ghent. Accessed 21 August 2024. -
The Missouri Compromise
Legislation passed by the U.S. Congress that allowed Missouri to become the 24th state (1821). President James Monroe signed it on March 6, 1820. It also declared a policy prohibiting slavery in the remaining northern Louisiana Purchase, marking the beginning of the conflict over slavery that led to the American Civil War. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Missouri Compromise". Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Jul. 2024 -
Andrew Jackson’s Election
United States presidential election of 1828 in which Democrat Andrew Jackson defeated National Republican John Quincy Adams. Ushering in the era of political campaigns and paving the way for the solidification of political parties, the election of 1828 was arguably one of the most significant in United States history. Eldridge, Alison. "United States presidential election of 1828". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Jun. 2024. -
The Panic of 1837
A major recession in the US economy that began in the spring of 1837 and lasted until the mid-1840s. During the “panic,” also referred to as “hard times,” hundreds of banks collapsed, the currency lost value as prices soared, and farmers, merchants, and business owners across the country suffered severe financial losses or ruin. “The Panic of 1837 | DPLA.” Digital Public Library of America, dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-panic-of-1837. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024. -
The Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was the forced relocation during the 1830s of Indigenous peoples of the Southeast region of the United States (including the Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole, among others) to the so-called Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. Pauls, Elizabeth Prine. "Trail of Tears". Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/Trail-of-Tears. Accessed 21 August 2024. -
The invention of the telegraph
The idea behind the telegraph – sending electric signals across wires – originated in the early 1700s, and by 1798 a rough system was used in France. New York University professor Samuel Morse began working on his version of the telegraph in 1832; he developed Morse Code in 1835; and by 1838 he had presented his concept to the U.S. Congress. “1830s – 1860s: Telegraph.” Elon University, Accessed 22 Aug. 2024. -
The Mexican-American War
Congress declared war on Mexico after a request from President James K. Polk. Centered on the independent Republic of Texas, which opted to join the US after establishing its freedom from Mexico a decade earlier. Polk saw Texas and other territories as part of the nation’s Manifest Destiny to spread democracy over the continent.
May 26, 1848, both sides ratified the peace treaty that ended the war. “The Mexican-American War in a Nutshell.” National Constitution Center – Constitutioncenter.Org. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of bills proposed by U.S. Senator Henry Clay for slavery to be decided by popular reign in the admission of new states. They also prohibited the slave trade in the District of Columbia, settled a Texas boundary dispute, and established a stricter fugitive slave act. The crisis arose from the request by the California territory to be admitted to the Union while prohibiting slavery. Urofsky, Melvin I.. "Compromise of 1850". Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Mar. 2024 -
The Firing on Fort Sumter
As states tried to secede, they seized most federal property inside their borders. On April 10, 1861, General Pierre Beauregard demanded the surrender of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Less than 34 hours later, Union forces surrendered. Traditionally, this event has been used to mark the start of the Civil War. “Telegram Announcing the Surrender of Fort Sumter (1861).” National Archives and Records Administration, Accessed 22 Aug. 2024. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." “The Emancipation Proclamation.” National Archives and Records Administration www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024. -
13th, 14th, 15th Amendments
Congress passed the 13th Amendment, outlawing slavery, during the Civil War. Once the war was over, white southerners passed laws (known as Black Codes) to keep freedmen from exercising their rights, and Congress responded by passing a Civil Rights Act in 1866 to ensure black citizenship. Congress overrode President Johnson’s veto and went even further, passing the 14th and 15th Amendments. “The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments · SHEC: Resources for Teachers.” Social History for Every Classroom -
Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination
President Lincoln was shot while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre. As the president lay dying in a house across the street from the theater, Senator Charles Sumner appeared at his bedside. The senator was one of the few present when Lincoln died on the morning of April 15. “Mourn not the dead,” Sumner later wrote in his eulogy to Lincoln, “but rejoice in his life and example.” “The Death of Abraham Lincoln.” U.S. Senate: The Death of Abraham Lincoln, 8 Aug. 2023 -
Andrew Johnson’s Impeachment
Andrew Johnson was the first U.S. president to be impeached. In 1868 he was charged with attempting to remove, contrary to statute, the secretary of war, Edwin M. Stanton, with inducing a general of the army to violate an act of Congress, and with contempt of Congress. Johnson was acquitted by a margin of a single vote. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "impeachment". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/impeachment. Accessed 21 August 2024. -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
Trapped by the Federals near Appomattox Court House, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, precipitating the capitulation of other Confederate forces and leading to the end of the bloodiest conflict in American history, The Civil War. “Appomattox Court House.” American Battlefield Trust, www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/appomattox-court-house. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024. -
The invention of the telephone
The idea for the telephone came along far sooner than it was brought to reality. While Italian innovator Antonio Meucci is credited with inventing the first basic phone in 1849, and Frenchman Charles Bourseul devised a phone in 1854, Alexander Graham Bell won the first U.S. patent for the device in 1876. Bell began his research in 1874 and had financial backers who gave him his plan for bringing it to market. Anderson, Janna “1870s – 1940s: Telephone.” Elon University, Accessed 22 Aug. 2024. -
The Organization of Standard Oil Trust
In 1882 the Standard Oil Company and affiliated companies that were engaged in producing, refining, and marketing oil were combined in the Standard Oil Trust, created by the Standard Oil Trust Agreement signed by nine trustees. By the agreement, companies could be purchased, created, dissolved, merged, or divided; eventually, the trustees governed some 40 corporations, of which 14 were wholly owned. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Standard Oil." Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Aug. 2024 -
The Homestead Strikes
An Industrialist Henry Frick opened a campaign to end a contract early by cutting the workers’ wages. The union, understandably, rejected the wage cut. In late June, Frick responded by locking the workers out and building a massive fence around the plant. On July 6, a force of Pinkerton guards traveled up the river to occupy the plant. This resulted in a gun battle where several Pinkerton agents and strikers were killed. Adamczyk, Joseph. "Homestead Strike". Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Dec. 2022 -
The Pullman strike
A widespread railroad strike and boycott that severely disrupted rail traffic in the Midwest of the United States in June–July 1894. The federal government’s response to the unrest marked the first time that an injunction was used to break a strike. Amid the crisis, on June 28 Pres. Grover Cleveland and Congress created a national holiday, Labor Day, as a conciliatory gesture toward the American labor movement. Urofsky, Melvin I.. "Pullman Strike". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 May. 2024 -
The Spanish-American War
A conflict between the United States and Spain that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in the U.S. acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Spanish-American War". Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Jul. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/Spanish-American-War. Accessed 21 August 2024. -
The invention of the electric light
The Carbon Arc seems to be the first form of electric light, although we are not entirely sure who first invented it. By 1900, streets were lit entirely by electric means. The lamps did not use incandescent light bulbs, however. Those bulbs were very new, still inefficient, and too dim to illuminate the dark streets and alleyways, although they proved ideal for indoor lighting. So street lamps used carbon arc lamps, generating light via a continuous electric spark. -
Theodore Roosevelt becomes president
With the assassination of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, not quite 43, became the youngest President in the Nation’s history. He vigorously led Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy. He took the view that the President as a steward of the people should take whatever action necessary for the public good unless expressly forbidden by law or the Constitution. “Theodore Roosevelt.” The White House, The United States Government, 23 Dec. 2022 -
The invention of the airplane
Wilbur and Orville Wright spent four years of research and development to create the first successful powered airplane, the 1903 Wright Flyer. It first flew at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with Orville at the controls. Smithsonian, Air and Space Museum, “1903 Wright Flyer.” Homepage, Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.