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Period: Jan 1, 1492 to
1492-1877
This timeline demonstrates what I have learned in this course. It uses events I have chosen to show my newfound knowledge. -
The British Settle in Jamestown
The British Settle in Jamestown
British arrived in the New World and established their first permanent settlement at Jamestown in 1607. The settlers encountered harsh winters and starvation. The Native Americans helped them find their way and taught them how to survive off of the land. -
The First African Americans Arrive in Jamestown
The First African Americans Arrive in Jamestown
The first African Americans that arrived in Jamestown on a Dutch trading ship in 1619. They served time as indentured servants until their duties were complete. However, in time, slavery gradually replaced their indentured servitude for plantation labor in the Old South. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre
The increase in the amount of British troops in Boston led to a situation that erupted into fights between soldiers and colonists. The troops fired after being threatened by a mob. Three civilians were killed at the scene of the shooting, eleven were injured, and two died after the incident. It helped spark the rebellion in some of the British American colonies, which reached the highest point in the Revolutionary War. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea PartyAfter officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, a group of colonists boarded the ships and destroyed the tea by throwing it into Boston Harbor. The colonists were opposed to the tea because it was taxed by the Tea Act. The colonists believed that this Act violated their rights to be taxed only by their own elected representatives. Events directly after The Boston Tea Party escalated in rebellion until the start of the American Revolutionary War. -
Declaration of Independence is Signed
Declaration of Independence is Signed
The Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which stated that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and therefore no longer a part of the British Empire. This document made America a free nation and gave all of its people a sense of pride. -
Federalism
Federalism
Federalism can be defined as a union of states under a central government distinct from that of the separate states, who retain certain individual powers under the central government. -
George Washington's Inauguration as First President of the U.S.
George Washington's Inauguration as First President of the U.S.
George Washington resigned his military command in 1783, but he would be called on to lead the country again in 1789. Everyone knew that he was the obvious choice to be the first president of the United States. With his inauguration, the new nation would be lead with pride. -
The Term "Pennsylvia Dutch" is Coined
The Term "Pennsylvia Dutch" is Coined
Germans came to Pennsylvania at the turn of the 18th century. English-speaking Americans misinterpreted the word Deutsch, the German word for German, and the settlers became consequently known as the "Pennsylvania Dutch." Along with the diversity, the Germans brought new religions to America, including Lutheranism. -
Washington, D.C. is Founded
Washington, D.C. is Founded
Focusing on how the capital city of the federal government changed in the early years of the nation reminds America of the limited nature of the early central government. So, the relocation of the capital was needed. It now honors the nation's commitment to democracy and political life in impressive government buildings and unites the American people. -
Louisiana Purchase Completed
Louisiana Purchase Completed
Thomas Jefferson's plans for the U.S. depended upon western expansion and access to international markets for American agricultural products. If he could gain the land from the Louisiana Purchase, the U.S. would be ultimately revolutionized. This goal was reached in 1803. -
Abolitionism
Abolitionism
Abolitionism can be defined as a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. As the cotton industry took hold and slavery became more and more ingrained across the south, the opposition to slavery began to grow. -
Andrew Jackson Takes Office as President
Andrew Jackson Takes Office as President
As president, Andrew Jackson is celebrated as a protector of popular democracy and individual liberty for American citizens, but criticized for his appreciation of slavery and Native American removal decisions. -
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is defined as a movement in nineteenth-century American literature and thought. It called on people to view the objects in the world as small versions of the whole universe and to trust their individual intuitions. -
The Mexican-American War Begins
The Mexican-American War BeginsThe Mexican-American War was a conflict between the United States and Mexico because of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico considered part of its territory despite the 1836 Texas Revolution. The results of the war were that the U.S. received the Texan territory, as well as the territory of New Mexico and California. Although 13,000 people were killed, the military won every engagement of the war. -
Gold is Discovered in California
Gold is Discovered in California
When gold was discovered in California in 1848, the number of immigrants increased. Everyone wanted to find gold and become rich. Gold worth thouands of dollars was recovered, which led to great wealth for some. However, Native Americans were attacked and pushed off their lands. Also, the mining from the gold search has caused environmental harm. -
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe is Published
“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe is Published"Uncle Tom's Cabin" is an anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, according to Thomas Jefferson this novel started the Civil War. In the north, readers became aware of the horrors of slavery. In the south, the book was met with outrage and was labeled an "overstatement." "Uncle Tom's Cabin" angered many people and furthered the fight for abolition. -
The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre
The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre
The Pottawatomie Massacre occurred in reaction to the sacking of Lawrence by pro-slavery forces. John Brown and a group of abolitionist settlers killed five settlers in Franklin County, Kansas. The sack of Lawrence and the massacre at Pottawatomie set off a brutal guerrilla war in Kansas. -
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull RunThe First Battle of Bull Run was the first major land battle of the American Civil War. During the first two hours of battle, 4,500 Confederates gave ground resentfully to 10,000 Union soldiers. But as the Confederates were retreating, they found a brigade of fresh troops led by Thomas Jackson waiting just over the crest of the hill. The Civil War characterized an evolution from the old style of fighting to the new style. As the war progressed, new weapons and strategies changed the style of com -
Reconstruction
Reconstruction
Reconstruction can be defined as the period following the Civil War of rebuilding the United States. Reconstruction addressed how the eleven seceding states would regain self-government and be reseated in Congress. Also it would include the status of freed men, especially their civil rights and whether they should be given the right to vote. Over these issues, there was violent controversy in the South. -
The Ku Klux Klan is Founded
The Ku Klux Klan is Founded
The Ku Klux Klan started after the Civil War with a group of white Southerners who were very angry when the war ended. They were angry because African-Americans had won their freedom from slavery and they had lost their slaves. The Klu Klux Klan came together to fight for continued white superiority.
