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1619 - First Slaves
Only 12 years after the first colony was established, the first shipment of African slaves landed. This was important because the civil war was fought over slavery. -
1621 - The First Thanksgiving
Right around 1620 colonists from the Netherlands sailed to the Americas, and landed in what is now Massachusetts. They did not bring much food, so when winter came around, half of them died. The rest of the colonists would have died but with the help of the Indians, they were taught how to fish and plant crops. So in the summer, the colonists held a feast for both them and the Indians, symbolizing gratitude. The feast lasted for three days with 90 Indians and 53 colonists. -
1629 - Cambridge Agreement
The Cambridge Agreement of 1629 was the pact entered into by board members which moved control of the company to the colony. It is important because it led directly to the founding of Boston. -
1632 - Maryland
Maryland was the Second Chesapeake colony, owned by Cecilius Calvert where there were no joint-stock companies. This colony was important because it was the first colony of the Americas to ensure religious liberty and justice to all who believe in Jesus Christ. -
1776 - Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was important because it gave us freedom from Britain. It stated our independence and our natural rights were gained. -
1781 - Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were important because it proclaimed all of the rules of our country. It was basically the first document of laws. It had miserably failed though, after about 10 years. -
1787 - Constitution
The Constitution of the United States was important because it said all of the branches of government and how the government works. It also had the bill of rights and the system of checks and balance. -
1789 - First Election
The First Election was important because we needed a leader/commander for the greater good of the country. The president is elected by the electoral college, which is advised by the people of the United States. Back then men could only vote and you had to own land. The first President of the United States was George Washington. -
1794 - Cotton Gin
The invention of the cotton gin was the most important invention of this century. It sped up the cotton picking and cleaning process tremendously. The cotton gin takes out the seeds of the cotton so you could harvest more cotton than ever. This caused the expansion of cotton agriculture. Farms also grew larger and larger, and land-owners bought more and more slaves. -
1803 - Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase (1803) was a land deal between the United States and France, in which the U.S. acquired approximately 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million dollars. This was important because it drastically expanded our land so more people could migrate. -
1812 - War of 1812
By 1811, the British Royal Navy had impressed at least 6,000 mariners who claimed to be citizens of the United States. In addition to impressments, Americans were dismayed by British agitation of the native population on the western frontier. Congress declared war on June 18, 1812. -
1814 - Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was a series of meetings from December 15, 1814 – January 5, 1815 in Hartford, Connecticut, United States, in which New England Federalist Party met to discuss their grievances concerning the ongoing War of 1812 and the political problems arising from the federal government's increasing power. -
1860 - Lincoln is President
The election of Abraham Lincoln was important because he began a civil war and abolished slavery. He was assassinated in 1865. -
1861 - Civil War
This was the start of the civil war. It was a war between the North and the South, over abolishing slavery and religion. This was the most important event of the century for the United States -
1863 - 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." -
1865 - 13th Amendment
Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States and provides that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.".
