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Period: 1492 to
American History
This timeline takes place in America from 1492-1877. Starting from 1492 when Columbus first discovered the Bahamas, to the time when the British first colonized in North Carolina, to 1877 American Identity after the Revolutionary War -
Oct 12, 1492
In 1492 Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
On October 12, 1492, Columbus set foot in The Bahamas thinking that he had found India. Originally planning a route to China, India to find gold and spices he accidentally stumbled upon the New World. When he returned to Spain, he came back with gold, spices, and “Indian” captives, not to mention he was the first European explorer to see the New World. This started off the chain for further explorations and colonization in the New World. Link for information: http://bit.ly/1I6pWQK -
Nov 19, 1578
First Attempt at Colonization in the New World
Humphrey Gilbert was a British explorer from 1560-1583. He had already been known as a colonizer in the 1570’s when he colonized Irish rebellions. Gilbert then applied the idea of colonization in North America, and by November 19, 1578, he had set sail to the New World. The boat landed in Newfoundland where the fishing fleet from France, Spain, and Portugal was occupied, but his plan of attack ultimately failed. Link to information: http://bit.ly/2t3eO7d -
Welcome to Jamestown
On May 14, 1607, 100 men started the first British settlement in America. The Virginian Company funded the trip over to North America in hopes to find silver and gold like the Spanish did in South America. Many of the men died on the trip over to Jamestown, and the ones who survived barely found gold or silver at all. The men of Jamestown started tobacco farming, Which then started expansion because they needed more help with the tobacco industry. Link to information: http://bit.ly/1tsm5cn -
The “Starving Time”
In 1609-10, the town was in the middle of winter and in the “starving times” where there were shortages of supplies. The Native Americans raided the town's crops and killed the men. However, John Smith took it upon himself to trade with the Powhatan tribe. The Chief of the tribe was weary of the British just like the Spanish, but he was helpful because they had the guns to defeat other tribes. Links to information:
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American Revolution
From 1765-1783, America was now in its first was against the British. Previous to the war many colonists were outraged by the British imposing taxes on them, that lead to many boycotts of products, the Boston Tea Party (when Americans threw numerous crates of tea in the Boston Harbor) and many others started the revolt for independence. With George Washington leading men into battle, the colonists would soon have the freedom they fought for. http://www.ushistory.org/us/11.asp -
The Declaration of Independence
Back in 1776, The Declaration of Independence was a created as a legal document that separated America from the British. However, the impact on people in the country that makes it celebratory. The famous line “We hold these truths to be self-evident, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” strikes pride within many Americans.
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Drafting the Constitution
On May 25, 1787. Congress started on the draft of the constitution. This was to develop the new strong government that the colonies needed. James Madison wrote (what is known now) as the Virginian plan, that was beneficial to large states because they could choose representatives that would be based on population. By June 21, 1788, the Constitution was ratified by nine states, making it pass in Congress. http://bit.ly/2s4ELzV -
Federalism
Federalism is the whole concept of many different sub-parts of government (legislature, state governors, etc) as one political system. This was developed so that there wouldn’t be a monarchy, and if one person was to rise to power and become a tyrant, there would be others to stop him. http://www.ushistory.org/us/16a.asp -
Slavery
By the time the 1800’s came around many slaves were rooted in the south, and many were to live on cotton plantations. Cotton itself was a very valuable product as it could be turned into cloth. Slaves were to spend 6 out of the 7 days working in the fields, and all of them didn’t live in good living conditions: sleeping on dirt floors, eating food that even animals couldn’t eat, and having an overseer torturing them for work. Most of it wouldn’t change until the Civil War. http://bit.ly/2toEMlR -
Expanding to the west
Expansion of the West was a critical time in America. By 1803, Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the country. Moving to the west for some was a major opportunity for independence and prosperity on the new land. By 1820, the population reached 9.6 million and ¼ of them lived in the west. http://bit.ly/2ghwuDZ -
Industrial Revolution
After the Embargo Act and the War of 1812, many Americans had to rely on other ways of creating products/goods for themselves, which is when the Industrial Revolution started. Americans first improved transportation to the west and then created factories with machines to do jobs faster and allowed them to be shipped. During this time period between 1820-1870 immigrants from Ireland and Germany came to America who help build the infrastructure for the industry. http://bit.ly/2u1ebsK -
Nationalism
Nationalism is one of the concepts that colonists and Americans nowadays embrace and believe in. Since the American Revolution and when our founding fathers made the constitution many people were proud of the country they were apart of. It wasn’t until Andrew Jackson was president in 1829 and colonists started moving to West where many found that they were proud of America for its opportunities and freedom http://www.ushistory.org/us/24a.asp http://www.ushistory.org/us/26.asp -
President Andrew Jackson
On March 4, 1829, Andrew Jackson became the 4th president of the United States, but Jackson is one of the most controversial presidents that have been elected into office. His presidency sparked the opposition to the Democratic-Republican parties called the Whigs which oppose the monarchy (people thought he was a king). Even though he did help expand the colonies to the west, he was the one who took over Native American land and killed them in the process. http://www.ushistory.org/us/24.asp -
Native Americans
Native Americans have been in America way before British colonists came to the New World. Many of the first colonists in Jamestown ran into and fought the Native Americans living in the area. By May 28, 1830, Jackson signed the “Indian Removal Act,” which made the Native Americans move to the West so settlers could travel to Mississippi. https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Indian.html
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American Identity
Between the 1800-1861, many Americans were trying to figure out who they were. After they terminated British rule, ideas and opportunities were experimented with as to who they were as people/country. Religion was a prominent aspect as people thought the church was the agents of change, not to mention, women started to explore the idea of equality with the men. http://www.ushistory.org/us/26.asp -
Civil War
On April 12, 1861, a war broke out between the North and South within America. The war occurred because the North believed that slavery should be abolished, while the South thought that slavery should be in all of the states and that colored people shouldn’t have the same rights as white people (white supremacy was a huge deal). Four long years and 640,000+ soldiers and civilians died, however, the North prevailed and slavery ended. http://www.ushistory.org/us/34a.asp -
Assassination of President Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the one who ended slavery a year after the Civil War ended; he made the Emancipation Proclamation which freed slaves, which then created the 13th amendment to the Constitution to abolish slavery. By April 14, 1865, President Lincoln was assassinated by the actor John Wilkes Booth. Booth who believed in white supremacy and was pro-slavery conspired to kill the president at the theater. http://www.ushistory.org/us/34f.asp
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Reconstruction
By 1866, America was in the process of reconstruction. The idea of reconstruction was in aftermath of the Civil War. It was during this time that the 13-15th amendment was written banning slavery in the U.S and giving African-Americans rights within the country. reconstruction wasn’t all popular amongst the South as they believed in white supremacy (that’s how the KKK started), so it was still a war of trying to change the mindset of people in the South. http://www.ushistory.org/us/35.asp -
Impeachment of President Andrew Johnson
February 24, 1868, President Andrew Johnson was the first president to be impeached by the White House. After the assassination of Lincoln, he was put into office, but problems soon followed. Johnson opposed the Reconstruction Act and said that each state could decide how they wanted African-Americans to be treated. As a result, with no vice president, Johnson was impeached from office http://www.ushistory.org/us/35.asp
http://www.ushistory.org/us/35c.asp -
Diversity
America is one of the most diverse countries from around the world. By the time 1877 came around the English, Welsh, Scots-Irish, German, French, Irish, Swedish, Native American, Chinese and African descent were living in America. There have been many different people from all over the world living there since the beginning. America symbolizes freedom and opportunity for many of these people till this day, and the country prides itself on that.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/7f.asp
