-
Oct 11, 1492
The Discovery of America by Columbus
Although Columbus didn't technically discover America, he was the first European to establish contact with natives on South America in 1492. -
Period: Oct 11, 1492 to
Timespan
-
Jamestown Settlement
The Jamestown settlement was the first English settlement on North America. Although the colony experienced setbacks like famine, disease, and problems establishing friendships with Native Americans, eventually after two years it became successful when the next group of settlers arrived in 1610. The Jamestown colony expanded with new settlers and remained the capital of the Virginian colony until 1699. -
The French and Indian War
The French and Indian war was triggered by France expanding into the Ohio river valley. The conflict brought English colonies into conflict with France, eventually ending with heavy casualties on both sides and France defeated. From the first war cry in 1756, the French and Indian war lasted seven years, ending in 1763. -
The Boston Tea Party
Protesting the British Parliament's Tea Act, the Sons of Liberty (a Massachusetts patriot group) disguised as Mohawk Indians, stealthily trespassed onto three British tea ships, dumping 342 boxes of tea into the water. They did so protesting the British Tea Act passed May 10, 1773. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
Triggering the Revelutionary War, the Battle of Lexington and Concord was a result of built up tension between American colonists and British authorities. British soldiers secretly marched towards Concord (on April 18th) but American patriots discovered them and intercepted. Paul Revere rode to Charlestown and crossed the Charles River, warning almost every house on his route. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence of the United States was passed by Congress on July 4, 1776. It dissolved allegiance and political connection to Great Britain, allowing the newly-formed America to establish their government. The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of the United States of America. -
The Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was the last major battle before the end of the Revolutionary War. The siege of 7,000 British troops led America to victory despite a long siege. The war lasted from September 28 to October 19, 1781. -
The Constitutional Convention
At the Constitutional Convention, the Constitution of the United States of America was written and signed. The Convention for the editorial process lasted from May 25th to September 17th. American law still adheres to the Constitution; it is the cornerstone of our country's structure. -
The Invention of the Cotton Gin
Patented by Eli Whitney in 1794, the invention of the cotton gin revolutionized American cotton industry. The cotton gin allowed faster processing time, separating cotton from seeds much quicker than a person could. Many see Eli Whitney as the father of modern industrial processes and the cotton gin as the introduction to factory assembly work. -
The Alien and Sedition Acts
Passed by President John Adams, the alien and sedition acts limited the acts of immigrants in 1798. The highly Federalist Congress and President released the law stating that an alien could be deported for no reason, fined or jailed for speaking against the government, and made harder if not impossible to vote. The bill was secretly meant to destroy Jeffersonian Republicanism. (I couldn't find a definite month or day.) -
The Louisiana Purchase
In one of his most memorable achievements, President Thomas Jefferson bought 828,000,000 square acres of land from France known as the Louisiana Purchase. The United States paid 11,250,000 dollars; today that purchased territory covers 15 states. -
The War of 1812
Lasting from 1812 to 1815, the War of 1812 started because of high tension between America and Britain. President James Madison asked Congress to declare war against Britain; although many people did not agree, the war started, resulting in casualties but no change in American policies. The war was caused by the impressment of Americans on their own waters, anger over trading, and Britain supporting Indian attacks on American ground. -
The Missouri Comprise
During the racially controversial times of 1820, the Missouri Comprise was reached to keep the balance between anti- and pro-slavery states. At that time, America had eleven free states and 11 slave states; adding Missouri as a slave state would upset the balance. The solution: excepting Missouri, all land from the Louisiana Purchase north of latitude 36°30' would be free. -
Andrew Jackson's Election
Democratic Andrew Jackson's election in 1828 was one of the easiest defeats in history. He defeated John Quincy Adams by a landslide. -
The Trail of Tears
The forced relocation of Native Americans in 1830 is known as the Trail of Tears. Andrew Jackson's controversial decision to relocate almost 125,000 natives from southeastern U.S was fueled by white settlers who wanted to use the land to farm cotton. The voyage across the Mississippi river was deadly for many; the federal government offered no help or supplies in the move. The Indian Removal Act forced many Native Americans to make the voyage across the Trail of Tears. (Certain day unknown.) -
The Invention of the Telegraph
Basing his prototype on others' research, Samuel Morse first displayed his telegraph to the public in 1838 after developing it for three years. The telegraph worked by transmitting electrical signals across wires. The invention was read using Morse Code. -
The Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis that lead to economic depression. After Andrew Jackson moved all federal funds to smaller state banks, reckless credit policies lead to banks closing across the country. The recession lasted seven year; unemployment went up to 25% in some areas with deflation in wages and prices. -
The Mexican-American War
The Mexican American War lasted from 1846 to 1848 and was the first American war fought on foreign soil. It started because of a petty argument along the border and after years of fighting, America won and acquired land that would become California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. -
The Compromise of 1850
Pertaining to the new land acquired from Mexico, the Compromise of 1850 is made up of five bills regarding the slave or free statuses of the new states. The laws created California a free state, banned slave trade in Washington D.C., left Utah and New Mexico to determine slavery laws independently, and let slave owners reclaim runaway slaves more easily. -
The Firing on Fort Sumter
When Confederates fired shots at Fort Sumter on April 1, 1861, those bullets formally began the Civil War. With tensions between the North and South already high, the attack from the South was all that was needed to start a civil war. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
When Abraham Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation, he henceforth and forevermore ended slavery in America. The Emancipation Proclamation was a turning point in American law and society. -
The Organization of Standard Oil Trust
Headed by John Rockefeller, the Standard Oil Trust was the largest oil trust in the world at the time. The trust was formed to get around the laws prohibiting monopolies in a field. "It became one of the biggest multinational corporations until the Supreme Court divided it in 1911 because they deemed it an illegal monopoly. "
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Oil#cite_note-7 -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
After one of the last battles of the Civil War (Battle of Appomattox Courthouse), Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union Army. The surrender was the end of he Civil War and slavery in the U.S. -
Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination
President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865 at Ford's Theatre. Booth, a Confederate sympathizer, shot Lincoln just five days after the Confederate Army surrendered. -
13th, 14th, 15th Amendments
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments (collectively called the Reconstruction Amendments) implemented the revised laws in the South. Passed between 1865 and 1870, the Amendments put important new laws into play, eg. no slavery. Their intention was to help reconstruct the South. -
Invention of Telephone
The history of the telephone is one filled with mystery; the exact invention date is unknown. Alexander Graham Bell was the first man to patent the telephone in 1876. His telephone worked by transmitting sound by an electric current. -
The Pullman and Homestead Strikes
The Homestead Strike, which started on June 3, 1892, was the worker's protest to industrial stages of manufacturing. The battle that stemmed from the protest was between the workers and contracted private security agents. The workers were defeated and the union cause was severely setback. In 1894, the Pullman Strike was against the ARU and Pullman railroad. When wages were lowered, the strike began, ending much of the freight west of Michigan. -
The Spanish-American War
The Spanish-American War was started by the USS Maine exploding internally while in the Havana Harbor. America then joined Cuba's War of Independence and fought against Spain. The war lasted ten weeks, ending with the 1898 Treaty of Paris where Spain ceded control of Cuba to the United States. Spain also gave up Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. -
Theodore Roosevelt becomes president
Theodore Roosevelt suddenly became president in 1901 after William McKinley was assassinated. -
Invention of the Airplane
In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright constructed the first successful airplane that had a controlled flight, rose by its power, and landed without damage. -
Invention of the Electric Lightbulb
Thomas Edison invented the first electric lightbulb made with sturdy incandescent material and a high flame-resistant filament.
