-
Oct 12, 1492
Columbus Lands in the Americas
On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain in three small ships, and on October 12, the expedition sighted land. Columbus was trying to reach Asia, on his expedition, but miscalculations led him to land in America. In Hispaniola, Columbus established a colony with 39 men. Columbus returned to Spain with captives that he thought he were Indian, gold, and spices, and received the highest honors by the Spanish courts. In total, Columbus made 4 voyages, but his rule was considered awful. -
Jamestown
On May 14, 1607, the first permanent English settlement in North America took place on the banks of the James River. Jamestown was founded by 100 members of the Virginia Company. Due to famine, disease, and local conflict with Native American tribes, Jamestown was brought to the brink of failure in just 2 years. A new group of settlers arrived in 1610 with supplies. Tobacco was Virginia's first profitable export, and it allowed growth. Jamestown was the capital of the Virginia colony until 1699. -
Pilgrims Land
Mayflower arrived in New England on November 11, 1620 after a voyage of 66 days. The men on the ship signed the Mayflower Compact in Cape Cod Bay. The colonists began building their town in December. More than half of the English settlers died during the first winter. Leaders such as John Carver, Bradford, William Brewster, and Edward Winslow played a key role in keeping the remaining settlers together. -
Period: to
French/Indian War
The French and Indian War comprised the North American theater of the worldwide Seven Years War from 1756-1763. The British American colonies faced the colonies of New France. The war resulted in British victory. At the treaty of Paris, the British received Canada from France and Florida from Spain. The treaty strengthened the American colonies vastly by removing their European rivals to the north and south and opening the Mississippi valley to westward expansion. -
STORY EVENT: Sugar Act
On April 5, 1764 Parliament passed a modified version of the Sugar and Molasses Act (1733). Under the molasses act colonial merchants had to pay a tax of 6 pence per gallon on the importation of foreign molasses, but colonists avoided the tax through corruption. The Sugar Act reduced the tax from 6 to 3 pence per gallon. However, this time the Act was strictly enforced. Colonists were furious and began practicing non importation, a refusal to use English goods. This led to the Stamp Act. -
STORY EVENT: Organized Colonial Protest
American colonists responded to Parliaments acts with organized protest. The Sons of Liberty was created, which aimed to intimidate the stamp agents who collected Parliaments taxes. The Stamp Act Congress passed a ¨Declaration of Rights and Grievances¨, claiming that American colonists were equal to British citizens, protested taxation without representation, and increased their non importation efforts. This led to the Townshend Acts. -
STORY EVENT: Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was parliaments first direct tax on the American colonies. It taxed newspapers, almanacs, pamphlets, broadsides, legal documents, dice and playing cards. The stamps were attached to documents or packages to show that the tax had been paid. This meant there was no privacy for colonists as Parliament looked at all their mail and such. This led to Organized Colonial Protest. -
STORY EVENT: Townshend Acts
In order to help pay the expenses involved in governing the American colonies, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts. The acts initiated taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. These taxes infuriated the colonists. This led to conflict between citizens and British troops in New York. -
STORY EVENT: Conflict between Citizens and British Troops in New York
A New York Son of Liberty issued a criticism attacking the New York Assembly for complying with the Quartering Act. This led to a riot between citizens and soldiers, resulting in serious wounds but no fatalities. This was shortly followed by the Boston Massacre. -
STORY EVENT: Boston Massacre
Around 9 p.m., British troops opened fire on a crowd of men and boys who were throwing snowballs and chunks of ice at them. 3 members of the crowd were killed, Crispus Attucks, James Caldwell, and Samuel Gray. Patrick Carr and Samuel Maverick died later from their wounds. Seven defendants were acquitted, two soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter and dismissed from the army. This led to the Tea Act and Boston Tea Party -
STORY EVENT: Tea Act and Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act reduced the tax on imported British tea. This gave British merchants an unfair advantage in selling their tea in America. Colonists responded with the Boston Tea Party on December 16, when a group of men disguised as Indians boarded ships full of British imported tea in Boston Harbor, and dumped all of tea in the harbor. This led to the Coercive Acts. -
STORY EVENT: Coercive Acts
In response to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed several acts intended to punish Massachusetts. The Boston Port Bill banned the loading or unloading of any ships in Boston Harbor. This was crushing to citizens of Boston because the Harbor was essential to their economy and many people lost jobs. The act basically eliminated the Massachusetts charter of government. The colonists called these the Intolerable Acts. This led to the First Continental Congress. -
STORY EVENT: First Continental Congress
12 of the 13 colonies were represented at the First Continental Congress. Georgia was the only colony to not send delegates. The Association of 1774 was created, which urged all colonists to avoid using British goods. Shortly after, New England began to prepare for war. British troops seized ammunition belonging to Massachusetts. Thousands of American men were ready to fight. Massachusetts created a Provincial Congress. They were ready for battle. This led Congress to declare independnece. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord kicked off the American Revolutionary War. Tensions had been building between residents of the colonies and British troops, especially Massachusetts. Paul Revere made his famous midnight ride to alert the colonies of British attack. The British soon had to retreat, and many more battles followed. -
Declaration of Independence
The United States Declaration of Independence announced that the thirteen american colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as thirteen independent sovereign states, no longer under British rule. A major leader in pushing for independence was John Adams. Ultimately, the Declaration was an explanation as to why Congress had voted to declare independence from Great Britain. -
STORY EVENT: Congress Declares Independence
North Carolina and Virginia empowered their delegates to vote for American independence. This led Richard Henry Lee to offer a resolution stating the colonies ¨are, and of right out to be, free and independent states.¨ Thomas Jefferson was chosen to draft a declaration of independence. On July 2, Congress voted in favor of independence, and on July 4, it was approved. -
Period: to
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention took place in the old Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia. The US Constitution was comprised at the Constitutional Convention. The convention was held in order to amend the Articles of Confederation. Rhode Island was the only state that did not send delegate(s). Of the 74 delegates, only 39 signed the Constitution. Among the delegates were George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison. -
Period: to
John Adams Presidency
John Adams served as the second President of the United States. During his presidency, naval war broke out between the US and France in 1798 and lasted until 1800, when a peace treaty was signed. Adams was popular until he signed the Alien and Sedition Acts into law in 1798. The Acts gave the government power to deport anyone who strongly disagreed with the government. This ultimately cost Adams the election in 1800. -
Period: to
Jefferson Presidency
Thomas Jefferson served as the third US President. During the Presidency of Jefferson, The US purchased the Louisiana Territory and Lewis and Clark explored the new acquisition. Jefferson was a slave owner, even though he promoted individual liberty. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition of the Louisiana territory by the US from France in 1803. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the country. The Purchase is regarded as one of the most important achievements of Thomas Jefferson's presidency. -
US Slave Trade with Africa ends
In 1807, some Southern Congressmen joined with the North in voting to abolish the African Slave Trade. The act went into effect January 1, 1808. Slaves were still traded within the south, and children of slaves automatically became slaves themselves. This sustained a slave population in the South. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was passed in 1820 admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. With the exception of Missouri, this law prohibited slavery in the Louisiana territory north of the 36 degree 30 degree latitude line. The Missouri Compromise was repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. -
Period: to
Jackson Presidency
Andrew Jackson served as the 7th president of the United States. Jackson became the leader of the new Democratic party. He was a supporter of states rights and slavery's extension into the new western territory. Jackson played a role in the forced relocation of Native Americans tribes living east of the Mississippi. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was authorized by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830. The Act gave the president power to negotiate removal treaties with Indian tribes living east of the Mississippi. The removal was meant to be peaceful and voluntary, but the southeastern nations resisted, and Jackson forced them to leave. The US government struggled to move the Indian tribes for the next 28 years. -
Nat Turners Slave Rebellion
Nat Turner led the only successful, sustained slave rebellion in US history in August, 1831. This rebellion spread terror throughout the white south, and led to a new wave of oppressive legislation against slaves. Turner was hanged in Jerusalem, Virginia along with 16 of his followers. -
Gold Discovered in California
James W. Marshall found gold while overseeing construction of a sawmill on the American River. His discovery sparked the Gold Rush, one of the most important American events in history. Thousands of gold miners fled to San Francisco and the surrounding area, looking for gold. -
Dredd Scott v Sandford
The Supreme Court decision of Dredd Scott v Sandford was issued on March 6, 1857. The court ruled that slaves were not citizens of the US and could not sue in Federal courts. Chief Justice Roger Taney delivered the ruling. Also, this decision declared that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional and that congress did not have the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories. -
Period: to
Lincoln Presidency
Abraham Lincoln served as the 16th president of the United States. The election of Lincoln enraged southern states as Lincoln was antislavery. By the time Lincoln was inaugurated, seven southern states had seceded. This led to the Civil War. Lincoln proved to be a capable wartime leader, to the surprise of many. After the battle of Antietam, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all of the slaves in the rebellious states. He led the Union to a win in the Civil War. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Early in the morning of April 12, 1861, Confederates opened fire on Fort Sumter. The next day, Union commander Robert Anderson surrendered the fort. The Union did not recapture the fort for nearly 4 years. This was the first battle of the Civil War. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.The Emancipation Proclamation changed the federal legal status of more than 3 million enslaved people in the south from slave to free. The Proclamation only applied to states that had seceded from the nation. -
Surrender at Appomattox
On April 9th, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. The battle of Appomattox lasted only a few hours, and effectively brought the four year Civil War to an end. -
Lincoln Assassinated
Actor John Wilkes Booth fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln shortly after 10 p.m. on April 14, 1865. The assassination took place at Fords Theatre in Washington D.C. The attack took place five days after the end of the Civil War. -
Thirteenth Amendment Ratified
The 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States. The House passed the bill in January 1865 with a vote of 119-56. -
Chicago Fire of 1871
The Chicago Fire of 1871 burned from October 8th-10th, and destroyed thousands of buildings, killed around 300 people, and caused an estimated $200 million in damages. Reconstruction efforts began quickly and spurred economic development population growth. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
In the spring of 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Chester A. Arthur. This act created a 10 year stoppage on Chinese Labor immigration. This was the first time Federal law proscribed entry of an ethnic working group on the premise that it endangered the good order of certain places. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was the first measure passed by the US Congress to prohibit trusts.The act was named after Senator John Sherman of Ohio. The act passed the senate by a vote of 51-1. Trusts destroyed competition and dominated a number of major industries. -
Plessy v Ferguson
Plessy v Ferguson assessed the constitutionality of racial segregation. It was the first major inquiry into the meaning of the 14th Amendment equal protection clause. The court rejected Plessy´s that the act violated the 13th amendment. -
Period: to
Spanish American War
The Spanish-American War was a conflict between the US and Spain that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas. The war resulted in US acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America. Cuba's struggle for independence from Spain was the cause of the war. Yellow Journalism portraying extreme brutality by the Spanish government caused Americans to favor intervening and helping Cuba. The unexplained sinking of the USS Maine was the breaking point and led to war. -
Period: to
Theodore Roosevelt Presidency
With the assassination of President William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt stepped up and became the 26th and youngest president in the Nation´s history. Roosevelt become known as the ¨trust buster¨ for his efforts to break up industrial combinations under the Sherman Antitrust Act. Roosevelt set aside about 200 million acres for national forests, reserves and wildlife refuges during his presidency. -
Ford Motor Company Formed
Ford Motor Company was formed on June 16, 1903. The first Ford car was assembled a month later at a plant on Mack avenue in Detroit. With the introduction of the Model T in 1908, Ford succeeded in his effort to build an affordable, efficient, and reliable automobile for everyone. Within 10 years almost half of the cars in America were Model Ts. -
Period: to
Wilson Presidency
Woodrow Wilson led America through World War I. He was an advocate for democracy and world peace, and is often ranked as one of the greatest presidents in American history. Wilson established the Federal Reserve and Federal Trade Commission. Wilson helped negotiate a peace treaty after the war, including a plan for the league of nations. Even though the senate rejected US membership in the league, Woodrow received the Nobel Prize for his peacemaking efforts. -
WWI Begins
A major cause of WWI was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire (the central powers) fought against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan, and the United States (the allied powers). -
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal linked the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The United States began building a canal across a 50-mile stretch of the Panama isthmus in 1904. Engineer John Stevens devised innovative techniques and his successor George Washington Goethals oversaw the building of locks and dams. The canal opened in 1914. -
Period: to
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was the development of the Harlem neighborhood in NYC as the center of black culture in the early 20th century. It created a social and artistic explosion. Louis Armstrong was a major artist responsible for the explosion of jazz. The end of the Harlem Renaissance began with the stock market crash of 1929. -
WWI Ends
Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in France on November 11th, 1918. The war left 9 million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded. Also, more than 5 million civilians died from disease, starvation, or exposure. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was the most important peace treaty that brought WWI to an end. The treaty was very harsh on Germany, including assigning new boundaries for Germany. The population and territory of Germany was reduced by about 10% by the treaty. Germany was made responsible for reparations to the Allied nations in payments for the losses and damage they had sustained in the war. -
Eighteenth Amendment
The 18th Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors, but not the consumption, private possession, or production for your own consumption. The amendment set a one year time delay before it would go into effect. Prohibition began January 17, 1920 and was in effect for the next 13 years. It was repealed in 1933 by ratification of the 21st amendment. -
Nineteenth Amendment
The 19th amendment, ratified on August 18, 1920, guaranteed all American women the right to vote. Women endured a long fight to gain the right to vote, including many protests and agitations. -
Gitlow v New York
Gitlow v. New York was a court case concerning free speech. The Supreme Court ruled that the protection of the first amendment also applied to state governments. Gitlow was accused of being an anarchist, as he was a member of a Communist party. -
Stock Market Crash
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 was the greatest stock market crash in the history of the US. The crash started the Great Depression and stock prices did not reach the same level until 1954. On October 24, Black Thursday, a record 12,894,650 shares were traded.
