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The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus
Columbus made four voyages after he initially discovered America. Before that time, it was unknown to the Europeans. -
The Settlement of Jamestown
Jamestown was established in 1607 by one hundred four English men and boys. They specifically picked the location for Jamestown for multiple reasons. It was far inland and surrounded by water on three sides, making it easy to defend against Spanish attackers. It wasn't populated by Native Americans, and the water around Jamestown was deep, making it easy to dock ships.
The initial fort was finished on June 15. The fort was built in a unique way to defend it against Indian attacks. -
The French and Indian War
This war is also known as the "Seven Years' War." The real conflict began when the French claimed territory on the Ohio River. It encroached on British claims over the same land.
The war was officially declared in 1756 after a series of battles between the two.
The war lasted from 1756 to 1763, and was called the "Second Years' War."
In 1757, Prussia was brought into the war, called upon for help by a new British leader (William Pitt). He paid them to help fight–and eventually win–the war. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest against the oppressive taxes imposed by the monarchy. The protesters dumped 324 chests of British Tea into the Harbor. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The friction between the American colonists and the British officials. On April 18, 1775, British troops marched from Boston to Concord to conquer a cache of weapons. Riders (including Paul Revere) alerted the colonists. They began to head them off, the confrontation being at Lexington.
There were many battles, leading to the colonists winning their independence in 1783. -
The Declaration of Independence
Even though the colonists had won their independence, they wanted to be entirely free from the British monarchy. As Britan tried to wrestle America into submission, The Declaration of Independence was written, agreed upon, and published. This happened in wake of King George III and his letter from Parliment to America. -
The Battle of Yorktown
In 1781, American Colonial forces combined with French soldiers to encircle British troops at Yorktown, Virginia. This resulted in them winning the battle and capturing British defenses. They were led to the British troops' surrender by George Washington and French General Comte de Rochambeau. -
The Constitutional Convention
Four months after America's independence had been won, fifty-five delegates from the states (except Rhode Island) gathered at Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania State House (now known as Liberty Hall) for the Constitutional Convention.
Over the course of three months, the structure of the new government was debated, eventually forming a brilliant and newfangled system.
Finally, on September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States of America was signed. -
The invention of the cotton gin
The cotton gin was a machine that basically removed cotton seeds from the fiber and sped up the process. It became America's prime export. -
The Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were laws passed in 1798. They were made during a time when America was in fear that entering a war with France was approaching.
The Alien act enabled the government to arrest and deport all male citizens from opposing countries if war began. The Alien Friendly act enabled the president to deport any non-citizen suspected of conspiring against the government, whether it be during peacetime or wartime.
(I don't have room to write any more in the box) -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was about 828,000,000 square miles of territory, bought from France. This doubled the size of America. -
The War of 1812
In The War of 1812, America took on Great Britan's naval fleet; which was renowned for its power. Britan tried to restrict American trade, culminating to the war. At one point, Washington DC was taken. But American troops fought back and won. -
The Missouri Compromise
After the Louisiana Purchase, tensions rose over the new state of Missouri, which wanted to be admitted as a slave state. While the free states thought Congress should be able to prohibit slavery, the southern states thought each state should be able to choose for themselves. The terms: Missouri would be exchanged as a slave state, and the northern state of Maine would become a free state. The second part of the compromise prohibited slavery through the rest of the Louisiana Purchase territory. -
Andrew Jackson’s Election
Andrew Jackson was a military hero and a rising politician during the war of 1812. He was the first "frontier" president. -
The Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis that messed up Ohio's economy–and the nation. Andrew Jackson withdrew the federal government funds from the Bank of the United States and deposited the money in smaller banks known as "pet banks." Money was being printed, creating high inflation, and people were going into lots of debt. This created panic as more and more people became unemployed. Some mobs even resorted to raiding food warehouses. -
The invention of the telegraph
The telegraph was invented by Samual Morse and a few other inventors. He also invented the Morse Code, but that's beside the point. The telegraph was revolutionary. -
The Mexican-American War
President James K Polk believed that the "destiny" of the United States was to occupy the entire continent to the Pacific ocean. He began trying to expand and win territory from the Mexicans. When it was over, Mexico had lost about one-third of its territory. -
The Trail of Tears
The federal government forced Indians to leave their land and walk (thousands) of miles to a designated "Indian territory." It is known as the Trail of Tears and was often very deadly. -
The Compromise of 1850
Similar to The Missouri Compromise, The Compromise of 1850 was sparked over slavery territory conquered in the Mexican–American War. It was resolved by making California a free state and allowing Utah and New Mexico to decide for themselves whether they wanted to be a slave state or not. There was also a boundary set between Texas and New Mexico to enforce this. They also ended the slave trade in Washington DC and made it easier for southerners to track down escaped slaves. -
The Firing on Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a fort on an island off the coast of South Carolina, and where the Civil War first began. Tensions were high, and during a resupply, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard attacked Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Thirty-four hours of artillery fire ensued, ending with the surrender of the fort on April 13. Confederate troops then maintained and used Fort Sumter for about four years. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln saw the war and eventually wrote The Emancipation Proclamation, stating that as of January 1, 1863, all slaves in the rebellious states “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” -
13th, 14th, 15th Amendments
13th amendment; Abolition of slavery
14th amendment; Civil rights
15th amendment; Black suffrage
These were all mutually known as the Civil War Amendments, made by the Lincoln administration. -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
Robert E Lee surrendered his army near the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant (Union). This brought the civil war to a close. -
Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination
John Wilkes Booth–a Confederate supporter and actor–assassinated Abraham Lincoln while he was at Ford's Theater in Washington DC, five days after the Civil War had been won. -
Andrew Johnson’s Impeachment
Andrew Johnson was Lincoln's vice president and was sworn into office when Lincoln was assassinated. He basically ended up preserving slavery with his Black Code for the southern states and was not a very good president. Congress didn't agree with the decisions he was making and passed the Tenure of Office Act in March 1867 over the president's veto. Johnson was impeached on February 2, 1868, after trying to forgo congress and take matters into his own hands. -
The Organization of Standard Oil Trust
Standard Oil was established in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller and Henry Flagler as a company in Ohio. It was the largest oil refinery in the world at that time. Standard Oil began as a partnership, but Rockefeller soon abolished that and put himself in charge. He consequently became the richest man in the world. (In 1911, the Supreme Court pronounced Standard Oil to be an unlawful monopoly and forced it to dissolve.) -
The invention of the telephone
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. -
The invention of the electric light
Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1879. -
The Pullman and Homestead Strikes
The Pullman and Homestead Strikes started in Pennsylvania. Carnegie Steel Company went head to head with the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel workers. The workers were tired of their high demands and horrible work conditions, along with the fact that new machines were being implemented and taking their jobs. They went on strike. The company pushed back. A full-on battle lasted all day. The strike ended, and the company lowered waged and increased work time. -
The Spanish-American War
The Spanish-American War was a dispute between Spain and the United States that ended with America winning and gaining new territory. This ended Spanish colonial rule in America and the United States gained many territories in Latin America and the west Pacific. -
Theodore Roosevelt becomes president
Theodore Roosevelt became president after William McKinley was assassinated. He brought energy and excitement with him and was very active. -
The invention of the airplane
The Wright brothers invented the first successful airplane in 1903.