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Period: 1436 to May 20, 1506
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer who "discovered" the Americas when he was trying to sail from Europe to Asia. However, this was not really a discovery as many people already lived here. Columbus is guilty of murdering many Taino people who lived on the island of Hispaniola by kidnapping them and encouraging his men to be cruel and violent. -
1492
Christopher Columbus Lands
In 1492, Columbus arrived in North America. He claimed to have "discovered" this "new world" even though many people already lived there. -
1492
The First Americans Arrive In America
In 1492 Columbus came to America and discovered this "New World." However, many people were already living in the Americas. -
Period: 1500 to
Mercantilism
Mercantilism was when a country sent colonies to gather resources and send them back. This mother country would then use these resources to make goods that they sold back to the colonies for a higher price. -
Jamestown
Jamestown was an English colony established in 1607. This was one of the first two English colonies established. -
The Navigation Act of 1651
Before the Navigation Acts English colonies were treated with salutary neglect. However, beginning with the Navigation Act of 1651, English Parliament began to pass laws that allowed them to control and profit from trade with the colonies. For example, it was required that goods were imported and exported on British ships. -
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The Enlightenment
During this time, people questioned how much power a government should have and explored new ideas. The philosophical movement inspired many revolutions and provided many ideas that were use to form the US government. -
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Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin helped write the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. He experimented with science, specifically electricity. -
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George Washington
George Washington was the first President of the US. He was also a commander in the colonial army. -
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Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the US. He also participated in the writing of the Declaration of Independence and helped the US make the Louisiana Purchase. -
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The French and Indian War
This war began over disputed territory in the Ohio Valley. France and England ran into each other and both wanted this land. This was titled the French and Indian War because many Native Americans fought with the French. -
Proclamation of 1763
The British passed this proclamation that stated that colonists had to be on one side of the border. The purpose of this was to contain the colonies so that they did not take more land from the Native Americans. However, this made the colonists angry and they did not listen. -
Stamp Act
The British Government came up with the Stamp Act in an attempt to pay off their debt from the French and Indian War. They decided to tax colonists by forcing them to pay for stamps on all of the paper that they used, claiming that this was fair payment for the protection they had provided during the French and Indian War. The colonists were angry because they had no representation in the parliament that was taxing them and because they had been treated with salutary neglect in the past. -
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Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the US. Voters liked him because they felt that he represented the common voter but some people criticized his use of power. Andrew Jackson created the Indian Removal Act and forced Native Americans to move out of their homes violently. -
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Lewis and Clark
Lewis and Clark explored North America on a mission to (supposedly) find a way to reach the Pacific so that the US could trade with Asia. However, they were also instructed by Jefferson to get information about and attempt to change Native American tribes so that the US could take their land. -
The Boston Massacre
In this massacre five people were killed. It occurred when an angry mob of colonists fought with British soldiers who fired their guns. -
Boston Tea Party
This was a response to the Tea Act, which lowered the prices of taxed tea sold by the British East India Company. This angered the colonists because this company now controlled tea sales and could choose who sold their tea. They saw this as another regulation that they had not approved of and protested the company and tea axes by dressing up as Native Americans and throwing tea into the ocean. -
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American Revolution
The colonists fought this war to become independent from England. France fought with the colonists. -
Declaration of Independence
This document was written to state that the colonies wanted independence from Britain. Five men were assigned to work on this project. -
United States Constitution Signed
The Constitution was signed in Philadelphia in the State House. The Constitution was written just before this during a convention. -
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Dred Scott
Dred Scott, a slave, fought for his freedom in court after his owner had moved him and his family into a free state. The court did not rule in his favor, despite precedent. -
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Manifest Destiny
When the US believed that it had the god given right to expand westward. Specifically, the right to expand into all of North America. -
Louisiana Purchase
This was the purchase of land that the US made from France. This new territory almost doubled the size of the US. -
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Westward Expansion
When the US began to expand westward across North America. This was connected to the idea of Manifest Destiny; at this time the US believed it had a God given right to expand westward. -
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Lewis and Clark Expedition
The purpose of this expedition was supposedly to find a way to the pacific ocean so that the US could trade with Asia. However, Jackson instructed Lewis and Clark to collect information about Native Americans and wanted them to change the lifestyles of the Native Americans they encountered so that they would use less land and the US could take this land. -
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Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the US. Lincoln wanted to save the Union during the war. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation to free some slaves. Lastly, Lincoln was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth. -
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Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was an important abolitionist and former slave. He wrote autobiographies about his experiences as a slave and spoke to fight against slavery. -
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Abolitionist Movement
The movement to abolish slavery. People who fought to abolish slavery are called abolitionists. -
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Era of Reform
People during this time worked to reform many issues. For example, reformers spoke about slavery and women's rights. -
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Jacksonian Democracy
During this time, some people were happy with government because they felt that it represented the common voters. On the other hand, some criticized Andrew Jackson for abusing his power. -
The Election of 1828
Voting laws changed to allow white men to vote regardless of their wealth. These new voters supported Andrew Jackson because they felt that he truly represented them. -
Indian Removal Act
Andrew Jackson passed this act to force Native Americans out of their land so that the US could have it. Many Native Americans were murdered. -
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Mexican American War
Leading up to this war, the US wanted to expand westward towards California and purchase territory from Mexico to do so; Mexico was not interested. Furthermore, the US annexed an disputed part of Texas and congress donated money to the war. The US invaded Mexico, travelling all the way to Mexico City and taking large amounts of land. -
Compromise of 1850
This compromise was an attempt to prevent the South from seceding by balancing power between free and slave states. For example, this said that California would become part of the Union as a free state, New Mexico and Utah could determine if they were free or slave states ,there would be no slave trade in DC, and that there would be new and stronger fugitive slave laws. -
Dred Scott Decision
This was a decision made by the Supreme Court that did not free Dred Scott, a slave. Scott and his family had been forced to move to a free state with their owners and were fighting for freedom. Precedent from another case would have allowed Scott to have been freed. -
Election of 1860
Lincoln won this election. He won because the majority if the Republicans supported him while the Democrats were split between two candidates. -
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Civil War
The Civil War began over not only disagreements about slavery but also states rights. The North was against slavery and did not want too many states rights while the South was in favor of slavery and states rights.
