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Period: to
1750 to 1850
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French and Indian War
Great Britain and France both had an increase in population and were looking to expand their territory into the Ohio River Valley. The war resulted in a victory for Great Britain and them gaining North American territory, but lead them to be in extreme debt from the damage. -
Quartering Act
Act passed by British parliament that made colonists quarter soldiers in their home during a war and provide them with drinks, food, housing and more services. -
Stamp Act
Rule imposed by England to tax American colonists on all printed goods such as legal documents, licenses, newspapers and even playing cards. -
Boston Massacre
When colonists from Boston antagonized the British, causing their soldiers to fire. This event made it possible for the colonists to convince citizens to turn against the British and was the first thing that unified the colonists before the U.S. became independent. -
Tea Act
When England sent a surplus of cheap tea to the Colonists to reduce the amount of tea being held by the financially struggling British East India Company survive. -
Boston Tea Party
When Colonists took crates of tea from British ships and dumped them into Boston Harbor due to the British making them pay a tax on the foreign tea. -
1st Continental Congress
When 12 of the 13 colonies gathered to discuss a response to the intolerance acts, and met again a year later. This helped to further build unity between the colonies while working towards a common cause. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
When the British found out that the colonists were storing weapons at Concord, they went off to stop them. The British were met by colonial militia and the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
When Colonists established a position on Breeds Hill, which is next to Bunker Hill, in order to fight the British soldiers in Boston. The British won the battle but suffered heavy losses, the colonists gained confidence in their ability to fight the British, and the British showed many tactical military weaknesses. -
2nd Continental Congress
When delegates from colonies came together to discuss fighting response. Their first idea was to send the Olive Branch Petition, which was a petition to deal with issues peacefully. -
Publication of "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine's pamphlet was officially published on January 10th, 1776 and was produced to convince colonists to rebel against the British. Due to it's logical argument and basic language for everyone to read, it was a great success. -
Declaration of Independence Signing
The signing of the declaration, which was made by thirteen different colonies, made it official that the United States would no longer be under British rule. -
Valley Forge
A six month encampment of George Washington's army during the winter of 1777-1778 where they were close enough to spy on the British while also looking out for their people to keep them safe. Washington's army grew string enough to take down the British, which was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. -
Battle of Yorktown
When George Washington and his army trapped the British in Yorktown, Virginia and Cornwallis (British) surrendered to them, ending the Revolutionary War. -
Signing of the Constitution
The Constitution of the United States was signed to create a national government and to create federal laws for all citizens. This document provided Americans with certain basic natural rights. -
Restoration Movement
A movement to "restore" and unify the Christian church based on principles of the Bible. -
Louisiana Purchase
In 1803, the United States bought the land of Louisiana from France for a total of 15 million dollars in return for 828,000 square miles of territory. This nearly doubled the size of the nation. -
Marbury vs. Madison
The Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review in the United States, meaning that American courts have the power to strike down laws, statutes, and some government actions that violate the Constitution. -
Oregon Trail
An East-West 2,170 mile wagon route that people took after the Louisiana Purchase to travel to new lands. -
Temperance Movement
A movement against the consumption of alcohol to help people become healthier with themselves and their families. -
Tariff of Abominations
A tariff that was implemented by the government to protect Northern manufacturers and boost sales of U.S. products by taxing all foreign goods. It ended up being nullified by South Carolina because the south couldn't manufacture their own goods and had to pay more expenses. -
Andrew Jackson Becomes President
March 4th, 1829 was Andrew Jackson's first day as President of the United States, and he was well liked by a majority of "common men" or white men. His actions lead to more democracy yet some issues within the country. -
Abolitionist Movement
Organized effort to end the practice of slavery in the U.S. -
Indian Removal Act
Jackson implemented an act to force all Native Americans living east of the Mississippi to move west to modern day Oklahoma as they were being removed from their territory due to their tribe populations in their previous state. -
Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia
The tribe of the Cherokee Nation asked Supreme Court to prevent Georgia from enforcing laws that would take away the Native Americans' rights and homelands. Supreme Court voted in favor of the Cherokee, but Andrew Jackson ignored this and still removed the tribes from their lands. -
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears occurred after the Indian Removal Act, when around 60,000 Native Americans living in the United States were forced out of their homelands and were made to relocate. During the many relocation processes, illnesses and cold, harsh weather caused many Native Americans to die on the way. -
Prison Reform Movement
The attempt to make conditions inside of prisons better to support the mentally ill. -
Mexico-American War
When Texas gained independence from Mexico, the United States attempted to annex Texas and add it as their own state because of Manifest Destiny. Mexico didn't recognize Texas' independence and saw this annexation as invasion of their property. Mexico and the U.S. battled, resulting in the United States winning and adding Texas to the country as the 28th state. -
Women's Suffrage Movement
The fight for women to have the rights to vote and run for a government office position. -
Gold Rush
A rapid movement of people to a newly discovered goldfield in California.