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May 1, 1492
Discovery of the New World
Christopher Columbus was sent by the king of Spain to go to the Indies. Columbus decided to go West, thinking it was a short cut. Columbus landed in what he thought was the Indies, however he had landed in a new world. -
Jamestown Settlement
English Colonists were sent to settle the New World. In 1607, Jamestown became the first permanent English settlement. Thanks to Jonh Smith and the help of the Native Americans, Jamestown became successful. -
Slaves Come to the New World
Europeans brought African Americans over as slaves. They worked as laborers on cotton and tobacoo plantations in the South, Slave labor was widely spread throughout the South, -
Pilgrims Land At Plymouth
The pilgrims arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts, and all signed the Mayflower Compact aboard the Mayflower. The Compact was for a self government and majority rule. They wanted the government to be different from the British Monarch. -
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French & Indian War
A war began between the French and British over land in the New World. The war began in America. The Native Americans (Indians) chose to fight for the French. The war lasted for nine years with the French losing in the end. They lost all their lands in Canada and the American Midwest. -
Boston Massacre
With tensions arising between the colonies and Great Britain from King George taxing the colonies. The dispute had gone on for awhile ever since the French & Indian war ended. The colonists didn't want unfair taxes without their consent. Trouble was brewing and a fight broke out in Boston, Massachussetts. British soldiers fired into a crowd of unarmed colonists, killing Crispus Attacks. This was the first cause for the American Independence. -
Boston Tea Party
As the years went by, more and more taxes were imposed. The colonists put up with it, until the King passed a tax on tea. In protest, the colonists dressed up as Indians and snuck onto the boats loaded at the Boston harbor to dump the over priced tea overboard. This became known as the Boston Tea Party. -
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Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War marked the steps towards American Independence. The Battle of Lexingtion and Concord(1775) was the beginning of the war. The Battle of Saratoga was the turning point of the war, where it seemed like the Americans would win. The last battle of the American Revolution was Yorktown. Lord Cornwallis, commander of British forces, surrnendered at Yorktown. The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolution and America was free of British rule. -
Declaration of Independence
During the midst of the war, many got together and the Declaration of Independence was decided to be written. It was on July 4, 1776 that America adopted the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson. -
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The Constitution
The Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to write a Constitution for the U.S. They wanted to form a new government that would be strong and protect the liberties that were fought in the American Revolution. In 1789, the new Constitution was approved by the states. During this time, George Washington was appointed president, The Bill of Rights, or first ten amendments of the Constitution, was added in 1791. It guaranteed individual freedoms that the Constitution didn't mention. -
Industrial Revolution
Eli Whitney invented the Cotton Gin that could remove seeds from cotton and make cotton production quicker. After the Cotton Gin invention, there were many others such as the steam boat, interchangeable parts, steam engine, mechanical reaper, and many more. With new inventions every day the U.S became industrialized. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 doubled the size of the U.S. Thanks to President Thomas Jefferson, the purchase from France gave more settlement opportunities for the people in the U.S. -
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War of 1812
The War against Great Britain that lasted for two years. It all began when British forces burned the capitol and the White House. During this time was when our national anthem was written. Francis Scott Key wrote the words to " The Star-Spangled Banner." -
Manifest Destiny
The Americans believed in Manifest Destiny, the U.S was meant to stretch from east to west, so they forced the Cherokee Indians west to Oklahoma. Many died on the long march due to harsh weather and diseases. They march became known as the " Trail of Tears." -
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U.S/Mexican War
U.S went to war with Mexico in 1846 over the dispute of land. Mexico was defeated and the U.S took control of Mexican Territories. Texas was annexed into the U.S. The war ended in 1848. -
Gold Rush
The discovery of gold in California lead to thousands of people rushing west. Approximately 80,000 people moved West in search for gold. The land in the west was settle thanks to the California Gold Rush. -
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The Civil War
In 1860, President Abraham Lincoln was elected. Fort Sumter, April 1861 in South Carolina, was the first battle of the Civil War.The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of the war; the South retreated after losing there in July of 1863. During 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing most slaves, The Civil War ended at the Appomatox Courthouse where General Lee surrendered to General Grant in 1865. -
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World War I
The War began in 1914, but it wasn't until 1917 when the U.S joined the war on the side of the Allies. The U.S declared war on Germany because Germany violated American neutrality. The Allies had won the World War in 1918. -
The Great Depression
What lead to the Great Depression was the stock market crash of October 1929. About 25 percent of workers could not find jobs and were unemployed. The depression lasted until the early 1940s. -
Japan Bombs Pearl Harbor
Although World War II started in 1939, the U.S didn't enter the war until 1941. The U.S entered the war due to the fact that Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. -
End of WWII
The end of World War II came when Japan surrendered after the U.S dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Germany had surrendered in May of 1945. Japan,however, didn't formally surrender until September 2, 1945. -
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Vietnam War
The U.S was involved in this war to prevent communist takeover of South Vietnam. The U.S had sent a large amount of soldiers to fight in the Vietnam War. The capture of Saigon by North Vietnam was the end of the Vietnam War. -
September 11
Hijacked jets by terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center and Pentagon killing 3,000 people. The jets were intentionally crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City. -
War with Iraq
This was other wise called Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is a military campaign. The United States got involved to remove Iraq's government. The U.S sent forces to invade Iraq. It started on March 20, 2003.
