-
Oct 12, 1492
Chistopher Columbus Discovers America
Columbus led his three ships - the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria - out of the Spanish port of Palos on August 3, 1492. His objective was to sail west until he reached Asia (the Indies) where the riches of gold, pearls and spice awaited. -
Jamestown Established
King James I of England granted the London Company a charter to settle the southern part of English North America. 144 men embarked on three ships to settle on the James River. The settlers endured many trials, but Jamestown became the first permanent English settlement in North America. -
French and Indian War
Many Indians allied themselves with the French in the French and Indian War. The French lost the war, and the Indians found themselves without an ally. -
Thomas Paine writes "Common Sense"
"Common Sense," published in January, argued that the time had come to sever colonial ties with England; and that it was in the American interest to do so. This pamphlet sold 120,000 copies in the first three months and was instrumental in convincing many colonists that the time had come for Independence. -
Declaration of Independence
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument. Here, in exalted and unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people. The political philosophy of the Declaration was not new; its ideals of individual liberty had already been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers. Read more: htt -
Battle of Saratoga
Burgoyne felt he had no option but to press on to Albany. The American army, however, was blocking his way at Bemis Heights. The British made two attempts to break through American defenses, but failed. After the second attempt, they withdrew to Saratoga, where they were surrounded by American troops. The British had no choice but to surrender which they did on October 13, 1777. One quarter of the British forces in North America thus surrendered, and, while many battles were yet to be fought, Am -
Valley Forge
With the British Army secure in Philadelphia, the American army settled into winter quarters at Valley Forge. It was a winter of hardship and suffering for the troops. It was also a winter of training, in which the American troops were taught how to be professional soldiers. -
Articles of Confederation
With the approval of Maryland, the Articles of Confederation took effect. The Articles stated that there was a perpetual union between the states, while individual states remained sovereign. The states retained every right not given to the central government. It took four years for the Articles of Confederation to be approved by the states. They were superseded by the Constitution; ratified in 1781. -
Peace Treaty end Revolutionary War
It was ratified by the congress of the confederation and by the king of britain, and formally ended the American Revolutionary War between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United States of America. -
The Great Compromise
The Great Compromise of 1787 or the Connecticut Compromise of 1787 refers to the settlement of the dispute that rose due to conflicting views put forward by the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey plan. These plans proposed changes in the Articles of Confederation that was the aim of the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. However, whereas the Virginia Plan seemed to provide a greater representation of the more populous states in the national government, the New Jersey Plan was proposed by the smaller -
Constitution Ratification
The Constitution was adapted on September 17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and ratified by conventions in each U.S state in the name of "The People." -
Lousiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of 828,800 square miles (2,147,000 km2) of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. -
Creek War
Some of the Creeks known as "Red Sticks" attacked other Creeks allied with the US government. They also attacked Fort Mims, killing US citizens there. The army sent General Jackson with 5,000 men, who quickly put down the Creeks. The Creeks signed a treaty ceding 22 million acres of Indian lands in Georgia and Alabama to the US government. -
War of 1812- 1815
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for a number of reasons, including a desire for expansion into the Northwest Territory. -
Three-Fifths Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise between Southern and Northern states reached during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 in which three-fifths of the population of slaves be counted for Enumeration purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and the apportionment of the members of the United States House of Representatives. It was proposed by delegates James Wilson and Roger Sherman -
Women's Rights Movements
In the early 19th century, women in America had no rights even though they were citizens of a free country. Strong social customs and negligible legal rights, especially for married women, made them slaves within their homes. Unmarried women, since the colonial times could exercise many legal rights as men. But, social customs forced them to marry early. After marriage, they were considered to be sub-sets of their husbands. They did not have the right to own property, maintain their wages, sign -
Mexican War
The Mexican-American War was an armed conflict between the U.S, and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S Annexation of Texas which Mexico concidered part of its territory. In the end the U.S won the war and got Texas. -
Civil War
The American Civil War, also known as the War Between the States, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states delcared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. The Union States were all those in which slavery was not legal and five states in which slavery was legal (the border states). The Union won the war, resulting an end of slavery in the U.S. -
World War I
World War I was a military conflict centered on Europe that began in the summer of 1914. The fighting ended in late 1918. This conflict involved all of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances : the Allies and the Central Powers. -
Prohibition in the 1920's
The prohibition in the 1920's was a period in the American history that saw a legal ban on manufacture, sale and transportation of liquors (alcohol). The prohibition in the 1920's in America is also known as the Noble Experiment. The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States lead to nationalized ban on liquor from 1919 to 1933. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s. It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century. -
World War II
World War II, was a military conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, which involved most of the worlds nations, including all of the great powers, eventually forming to opposing military alliances, the Allies and the Axis. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on the morning of December 7 1941. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold military conflict that occured in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from November 1 1955 to the fall of Saigon on April 30 1975 -
9/11 Attack
The September 11 attacks were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda on the U.S. 19 terrorists hijacked four comercial passanger jet airliners and hit both towers of the World Trade Center.
