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Nov 1, 1492
Christopher Columbus Discovers America
Commanding 90 men and three ships- The Nina, The Pinta, The Santa Maria- Columbus left Spain in August 1492 and landed in the Bahamas ten weeks later. One year later he returned with an even larger crew and expedition landng in the carribeans again. On his third voyage in 1498 he finally reached the mainland. He cruised up the coast of South America northward and made many facinating discoveries. -
Jamestown Founded
Founded May 14, 1607. Jamestown, Virginia was the first Succussful Settlement in Colonial U.S History! Based out of London, England, the London Company quickly launched three ships to colonize the new land discovered by Christopher Columbus. The Godspeed, the Discovery, and the Susan Constant. 144 men set sail and only 104 survived the journey. Jamestown was the capital of the Colony for 83 years, from 1616 until 1699. -
First African Workers in Virginia
In August of 1619 a Dutch vessel with about 20 Africans on board entered port at the English colony of Jamestown, Virginia. Little is known about the first African occupants. The slave trade between Africa and England had not yet been established and so the first 20 to arrive were not slaves. They actually were a type of contracted servant, set to work for 7 years and then given freedom and their own land. This event however led to a terrible trend in Colonial America's near future. Slavery. -
Bacon's Rebellion
A resentment toward Sir William Berkeley, the royal governor of Virginia, for favoring his cabinent and being timid with the Indian uprisings led Nathanel Bacon to answer himself when his Governor would not. Bacon led his own malitia to battle with indians but failed. He then turned on his Governor and burned Jamestown. He died after the governor was forced into exile and Sir William Berkeley returned to power. -
Salem WitchCraft Trials
From Febuary through September of 1692, nineteen men and women, all having been convicted of witchcraft, were sent to Gallows Hill, a barren slope near Salem Village for hanging. Another man of over eighty years was crushed to death under heavy stones for refusing to submit to a trial on witchcraft charges. Hundreds of others faced accusations of witchcraft, dozens rotted in jail for months without trials until the hysteria that swept through Puritan Massachusetts subsided. Some even died in jai -
The Great Awakening Begins
Beginning in 1730's and ending in the 1740's, the first great American revival; the great awakening, mainly appealed to women and younger sons. Third and fourth generation settlers with uncertain futures. It stressed the importance of people to break away from the constraints of the old, dry religion practices and start anew in their relationship with God. Poweful evangelists from england drew huge crowds and had followers very devout to their messages. -
The Boston Massacre
On this night, a group od dock workers began throwing snowballs and yelling comments at British Soilders protecting the customs house on King Street. Capt. Thomas Preston lined his men up to protect it. A soilder was knocked down and in the middle of the mayhem several soilders discharged their weapons killing five citizens. -
American Revolution Begins
The night of Paul Revere's ride to warn of oncoming British troops. The next day started the first battles of Concord and Lexington between American Muinute Men and British forces. The British heard of a large arsenal in the area but the Americans had already had their way with it. The War Begins!! -
Washington Takes Command of US Forces
With militia men scarce and command left up to the troops respective states, command was weak and central command needed to be inforced. Well respected and military seasoned George Washington was chosen in June of 1775. With the aid of foreign military experts he built a force that defeated the greatest power in the world.He was a symbol of stability and courage the troops could rally around and he became the American "STAR". -
Declaration of Independance
The Continental Congress in Philadelphia appointed a commitee to draft a formal declaration of independence and on july 2, 1776 it came up with; " That these United Colonies are, and, of right, ought to be, free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connexion between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, tottally dissolved." -
Constitutional Convention; Constitution Adopted
On this day 39 delegates signed the Constitution. Instead of making simple revisions to the articles of confederation, they had produced a plan for a completly new form of government. The delegates from Philadelphia greatly out did themselves. -
George Washington First President
Inaugurated in New York on this day, a journy from his home in Mount Vernon, Virginia to New York was marked with huge celebrations along the way. He truley was the first star of the United States of America. -
Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin Invention
This Invention revolutionized the cotton economy of the south by making the processing of coton simple and economical. The growth of the cotton industry skyrocketed and this was one of the beginning marks of the industrial revolution. -
The First Turnpike Constructed
A toll road running 60 miles from Philadelphia to Lancaster, PA with hard packed crushed stone with good drainage. This proved soo successful that other turnpikes were laid out from other big cities to neighboring towns. -
The Idea of a Future Proffessor Samantha Gross
A man who I believe to be named Jesus decided to grace the earth with the precence of a truely historical and American beauty teaching icon. Due to permit trouble he was told he had to wait until (im guessing) 1981? to unleash his creation. His dreams became reality on her birthday and she teaches college history to present date distracting her students with her untimley good looks. -
Slave Importation Banned
In 1808 the great slave trade was finally banned in the US. US Navy ships stopped suspected slave vessels and punished those who were carrying illegal slaves. -
Erie Canal Constructed
July 4th 1817 they broke ground for the construction of the erie canal. Which will become the biggest feat accomplished by the US when its completed in 1825 . It included 18 aqueducts to carry the canal over ravines and rivers, and 83 locks, with a rise of 568 feet from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. It was 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine is a United States policy that was introduced on December 2, 1823, which stated that further efforts by European countries to colonize land or interfere with states in the Americas would be viewed by the United States of America as acts of aggression requiring US intervention. -
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Begins Operation
Made because Baltimore wanted to compete with the Erie Canal, it definitly exceeded its expectations and then some. In 1830 a 13 mile stretch of track opened. It still runs today and is imortalized in the American board game "Monopoly". -
John Randolph frees 400 slaves
Called "Manumit" the act of a master freeing his slaves became more rigid and hard to do after Nat Turner's revolt. But for some masters with moral qualms about slavery it didnt matter. John Randolf freed 400 of his own slaves in 1833. -
Immigration from South Ireland begins
With great famine in Ireland immigration to the US with great promise of a new start and economic growth attracted many Irish immigrants. Their life here was anything but easy. Many would prevail and become great influential leaders though. -
Samuel Morse Sends First Message
Congress appropriated $30,000 for the construction of an experimental telegraph line from Baltimore to Washington. When it was complete in 1844 Morse succeeded in transmitting the news of James K. Polk's nomination for presidency over the wires. -
Rotary Press Invented
As its name implies, the rotary press works by applying ink to the paper by a cylinder that rotates around an axis. This method works good for printing on continuous rolls of paper, cardboard, plastic, as well as other mediums. It was a very efficient printer, which could create up to 20,000 impressions per hour. -
US Declares War On Mexico
The mexican war began on this day when mexican forces attacked US troops along the southern border of Texas. Fighting ended when U.S. Gen. Winfield Scott occupied Mexico City on Sept. 14, 1847; a few months later a peace treaty was signed (Feb. 2, 1848) at Guadalupe Hidalgo. -
John Deere Makes Steel Plows
John Deere revolutionized farming with the invention of his steel plow. He designed the first cast steel plow that greatly assisted the Great Plains farmers. The large plows made for cutting the tough prairie ground were called "grasshopper plows." The plow was made of wrought iron and had a steel share that could cut through sticky soil without clogging. -
Women's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls, NY
In July 1848 more than 300 men and women assembled in Seneca Falls, New York, for the nation's first women's rights convention. -
Melville's Moby Dick.
Moby-Dick is considered to be a Great American Novel and a treasure of world literature. It was inspiration for many sci-fi authors and poets alike in future years to come. -
Lincoln is President!!
Abraham Lincoln is elected the 16th president of the United States over a deeply divided Democratic Party, becoming the first Republican to win the presidency. -
Confederate States of America Formed
Seven states declared their independence from the United States before the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as President on March 4, 1861; four more did so after the Civil War began at the Battle of Fort Sumter April 1861. -
Lee Surrenders to Grant, Confederate States of America ends.
The CSA effectively collapsed when Ulysses S. Grant captured the CSA capital of Richmond, Virginia and Robert E. Lee's army in April 1865 and the remaining Confederate forces surrendered by the end of June, as the U.S. Army took control of the South. -
Lincoln Assassinated.
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was carried out on Good Friday, April 14, 1865. President Lincoln died from the gunshot wound the following morning. Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. The American Civil War was drawing to a close, just six days after the large-scale surrender of Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee to Union General U. S. Grant.
