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This is a timeline from 1492 - 1877. It documents some important times in US history.
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In 1607 the first English colony in the New World was created in Jamestown, Virginia. There were 144 original settlers, and the colony was led by John Smith. Jamestown USHistory -
In 1619 The General Assembly was created in the colonies. It later divided into two parts, one being the House of Burgesses in which members were elected democratically, and the Council of state which was appointed by the king. It was the start of a democracy in America. House of Burgesses USHistory -
Abolitionism was the movement to end slavery. In 1688 the first official statement saying slavery was wrong was written. It eventually resulted in slavery being ended within the Quaker community. It was a small change, but it was the beginning of Abolitionism in America, which eventually resulted in the ending of slavery with the emancipation proclamation.
Abolitionism USHistory -
The core of the American Identity was set by the founding fathers, and shaped by the circumstances of the country’s beginnings. Mainly I think the core is equality and freedom for all people. Since then, the American Identity has been added upon by every decision America as a country has made. Simply I believe that American Identity is the ideas that the American People have believed in since the country’s founding.
American Identity BigThink -
The Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776. It was divided into three sections. The first outlined their belief of how the new world should be, the second listed the harm that had come to the new world from Britain and the king, and the last officially separated the new world from Britain. The outcome of passing the Declaration of Independence was the American Revolution. Declaration of Independence USHistory -
The treaty of Paris officially stated that the colonies up to the Mississippi River were not ruled by Britain. That essentially said that the colonists had achieved what they had been fighting for in the revolution, independence. Treaty of Paris USHistory -
Federalism was the belief in a strong national government, and Anti-federalism was the belief in smaller state governments. The beliefs were shown clearly while the constitution was being ratified. The constitution proposed a stronger National government than the US had previously had, so while the federalists supported it, the antifederalists opposed.
Federalist or Anti-federalist -
The Constitution was finally ratified in 1788. The Constitution essentially explained how the new government in the United States would work. A year later, the first ten amendments were added, The Bill of Rights, protecting the peoples’ individual rights.
Constitution OriginsFoundations -
In 1790, the first factory in the United States was built by a man from England named Samuel Slater for making spindles of yarn. That started a sharp increase in factories of all types around the country. Within a hundred years there were thousands of factories. They increase production of many materials considerably. The factories also brought many people to the cities to work.
Factories in America USHistory -
During the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars, both France and Britain continuously tried to block the US from trading with the other country. Eventually it sided in trading with France, making tensions between the countries higher. At the same time some Native Americans formed together to try to stop Americans from taking their land. This led to America declaring war against Britain in 1812. It continued until 1815.
War of 1812 Britannica -
In 1824 Andrew Jackson ran for president and lost to John Quincy Adams. In the next four years however, Andrew Jackson gathered support, calling the previous election a fraud, and when he ran again in 1828 he won. Throughout his presidency, Andrew Jackson was popular with the “common people”. He supported the Indian Removal act and westward expansion as well as slavery, which many agreed with. He was reelected in 1832.
Andrew Jackson USHistory -
The Indian Removal Act forced thousands of Native Americans to leave their lands and relocate to Oklahoma. Aside from being where they lived, the lands often had immense cultural and religious significance to the Native people. The Act began the trail of tears, named because thousands of Native Americans died on the journey west.
Indian Removal Act National Geographic -
Nat Turner was a slave who believed he heard messages from god telling him he must end slavery. He gathered people who agreed with him, and in August of 1831 he led his revolt. He essentially believed to free the slaves he must kill all of the slave owners, and beginning with his master’s family, he killed about 55 people before he was stopped. He escaped, but was caught and hanged only a couple of months later.
Nat Turner -
Manifest destiny was an idea promoting westward expansion. The concept was that America should be expanded to the Pacific ocean. It was believed that settlers moving west were civilizing the land and saving the Native Americans from their barbarism, (although really they were just taking their land).
Manifest Destiny USHistory -
Popular Sovereignty was the idea that new states should get to choose for themselves whether or not to allow slavery though a vote. It was a compromise between the North’s opinion against slavery, and the South’s want for it. However, it was not always a fair way to decide because often voting was rigged by other states.
Popular Sovereignty -
The first women's rights meeting that women organized, The Seneca Falls Convention was held in 1848. There, the Declaration of Sentiments was signed. The document stated women and men should have equal rights. It used language from the Declaration of Independence, but shifted it to include women. 100 of around 300 people attending signed it. It was a large step for women’s rights.
Declaration of Sentiments Wikipedia -
Weeks after Abraham Lincoln was elected president, in late 1860, 7 southern states had left the Union. They then formed the Confederate States of America. Soon after they elected Jefferson Davis to be the president of the Confederacy. After the South attacked Union troops at Fort Sumter, the Civil War was declared on April 12, 1861.
Civil War USHistory -
In 1862, Abraham Lincoln proposed an emancipation proclamation. It was approved, and went into effect on January 1, 1863, if the South did not rejoin the Union. It freed slaves in the South, however because Lincoln did not control the South, it did not affect slavery very much at the time. After the war, it set into effect the thirteenth amendment, banning slavery.
Emancipation Proclamation -
The Thirteenth Amendment, ratified in 1865 banned all slavery in the US, except as punishment for a crime. The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, made it law that all people regardless of race have legal protection. The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, gave equal voting rights to people of all races.
Reconstruction Amendments Wikipedia -
The Republican nominee was Rutherford B. Hayes, and the Democratic nominee was Samuel J. Tiden. The results were extremely disputed, but a committee was put together to count votes. Because many were in disagreement, Hayes negotiated with his opposers. He agreed to take troops out of the South. Days later, Hayes became president. Election of 1877 VHSLearning