-
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta Signed
A document written in the 13th century to protect the rights of the people. It was heavily influential in America during the American Revolution. Many of the principles in the Magna Carta were incorporated into the Constitution The Magna Carta -
Mayflower Compact Signed
The Mayflower Compact The Mayflower Compact was a document written by the settlers of New Plymouth. It established laws, gave authority, and stated that the colony was not ruled by English law. -
Formation of the New England Confederation
Info Representatives from four colonies (Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven) met in Boston, decided to become united, and wrote the 12 articles of confederation. These articles created a government that was made of of eight comissioners who were elected annually by the people. They had various powers and any decisions requires 6 votes to become official. -
Albany Plan of Union announced
Albany plan of union In an attempt to unify the colonies, representatives met to discuss a "plan of union." They decided on a solution where american officials would meet under the supervision of a royal governor. In the end, this was not put into place because the British feared that the colonies would get too powerful, and the colonies did not all want union. -
The French and Indian War Begins
Info A war over land in the Americas begins. It is fought between the English, the French, and the Indians. The English won and gained a lot of land that used to belong to the French. -
Treaty of Paris
Info Peace treaty signed after the French and Indian war. Gave a lot of the French land in North America to the Enlgish -
Royal Proclamation
info Decision by the king to prevent settlement by the colonists west of the Appalachian Mountains. This is the land that had been won in the French and Indian War. The colonists were upset and began to realize how unhappy they were with the king. -
Sugar Act
info Tax on sugar and molassses and other goods that was put into place by parliament in 1764. -
Stamp Act
info Tax on certain goods that supposed to help pay for the defense of the colonies. Stamps showed that the tax had been payed. The colonies did not being taxed. -
Stamp Act Congress
info The colonies met to discuss what to do about Britain taxing them and not giving them representation. Only nine colonies sent delegates. They came up with the Stamp Act Resolves. They also decided upon some boycotts. -
Townshend Acts
info Acts that put taxes on glass, paint, oil, lead, paper, and tea. These taxes upset the colonies, and there werre uprisings against the British in Boston. -
Boston Massacre
info A group of colonists were throwing snowballs and assorted hard objects at british soldiers in Boston. The soldiers fired into the crowd, killing 5 people. -
Boston Tea Party
info In response to the British demanding that the high taxes on tea be payed, a group of colonists dressed up as Indians boarded three cargo ships and dumped barrels of tea into the water. -
Congress Meets for the First Times
Congress' First Meeting Almost all of the colonies sent elected delegates to the meeting of congress at Carpenter's Hall. They discussed their future with eachother and with Great Britain for weeks in an attempt to come to a conclusion. Working together was difficult for them at first, but they managed it. -
First Continental Congress
info Delegates from the colonies meet to discuss how to respond to the coercive Acts, and what to do about their relationship with Britain. -
Patrick Henry "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death"
info Patrick Henry made a speech asking the colonists to use their military against the British. He ended his speech with the words "Give me liberty or give me death" -
Midnight of Paul Revere
info Paul revere and many other men rode out on horseback to notify important men in the revolution that the British soldiers were coming for them. Many of the riders were stopped or captured, but the message got out. It allowed for the colonists to be prepared for the arrival of the British. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
info The first few battles of the American Revolution. Fought between the colonists and the British. Lexington:
When the British arrived in Lexington, a colonial militia waited for them. Someone fired a shot ("shot heard around the world") and fighting broke out. Concord:
British military reached Concord, and were stopped there my colonial forces. The British retreated towards Boston while the colonists attacked them from hiding places. -
Fort Ticonderoga
info Fort Ticonderoga, a British fort with good stocks of munitions and control over waterways into Canada, was a prime target for capture. Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys set out to capture it. They attacked and the British surrendered. -
Second Continental Congress Meets
info For the second times, a group of delegates from the colonies met to discuss various issues. This time they discussed the possibility of war with Britain. It was here that the decision to form the Continental Army was made. The decision to print money was made as well. The colonies also began to form a government of sorts for themselves. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
info American troops positioned themselves on top of Breeds Hill and battled with the British. Their position gave them an advantage, and they managed to stand their ground for quite a while. The British repeatedly stormed the hill, only to be shot down by the colonists. Eventually, the colonists ran out of ammunition, and the British took the hill, after suffering massive losses. -
"Common Sense" Published
infp "Common Sense" was a document written by Thomas Paine. It criticized the British, and called the colonists to action. It was the first writing to ask for the colonies to break free from Britain. -
British Evacuate Boston
info For some time, conditions for those living in Boston were worsening to the point that many people left. Many people blamed the British for this. Eventually, the continetnal army attacked british ships in Boston and the British retreated and evacuated. -
Declaration of Independence Announced
info The Declaration that had been approved and signed in secret was announced. This document announced to the world that the colonies were free from Britain. -
"The Crisis" Published
info A series of articles written by Thomas Paine that showed support for the American Revolution. They were very inspirational to the soldiers who were fighting for freedom. -
Washington Captures Trenton
info After going a long time without winning any battles, the coloniests were feeling discouraged and weakened. To get a much needed victory, Washington decided to lead his troops across the Delaware river to launch a sneak attack on the Hessians. It worked, and they successfully won the Battle of Trenton. This victory was just what the colonists needed to keep on going with the revolution. -
British Defeated at saratoga
info The British planned to separate New England from the rest of the colonies in order to weaked the revolution. At first, the British were winning, and the captured Fort Ticonderoga. In Saratoga, though, the British surrendered and were defeated. -
Period: to
Winter at Valley Forge, PA
info George Washington's troops spent the winter in Valley Forge. Although the winter was rough, it ended up being good for them. While they were there, they learned military strategies that helped to unite the Continetal Army as one military rather than various military units, allowing them to have the same techniques and work together. -
John Paul Jones Defeats the Serapis
info In a major naval battle of the American Revolution, John Paul jones and his crew took on the British ship Serapis. They managed to defeat the British and take over the ship. -
Benedict Arnold's Plans Found Out
info Arnold was once a supporter of the revolution, but he soon turned against his country and began working with the British. Arnold planned to give the British West Point, but the British officer who he had been speaking to was captured, and documentation of their correspondences was found. -
Newburgh Conspiracy
Newburgh Conspiracy Soldiers were upset and demanded to be payed or the army would disband. Washington addressed congress in an attempt to get the soldiers what they deserved. -
cornwallis Surrenders
info In the Batlle of Yorktown, the French and American forces overpowered the British and General Cornwallis surrendered. This British loss signified the end of the American Revolution. -
Articles of Confederation Signed
Articles of Confederation The articles of Conferderation were signed by 48 people from 13 different states. They united the states and created a government for them. The government had very little power, and many feared that it was too weak. -
Treaty of Paris Signed
Treaty of Paris The signing of the Treaty of Paris officially ended the war for independence that was fought between the United States and Britain. It established the United States as a country and did other things such as defining country boundaries. -
Spain Closes the Mississippi River
Info Spain closed the Mississippi River to American for navigations. This upset many people, and some even threatened to go to war. -
Land Ordinace of 1785
Info The land ordinance of 1785 determined how newly acquired United states land land would be split up and sold. -
Ordinace of Religious Freedom
Info Promoted freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. -
Shay's Rebellion
info Many Massachusetts farmers were struggling with debt. Those who couldnt pay it off lost their farms. To protest this, Daniel Shay led a rebellion against the government, -
Annapolis Convention
infoThe Annapolis Convention was intended to be a meeting between delegates sent by all of the states to discuss issues that the country was facing. Unfortunately, only five states sent delegates, so it didn't work out as well as planned. -
Constitutional Convention Opens
infoPeople realized that the Articles of Confederation needed to be modified as they didn't give the government enough power to effectively run the country. In order to discuss this and many other issues, delegates from the states attended a meeting. -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
info The northwest ordinance determined how to govern and divide new lands acquired by the United States. -
The Great Compromise Agreed to
info The Great Compromise, or the connecticuit Compromise, was a solution to the issue of representation in the United States. it combined the main ideas to create one that worked for everybody. It was decided that there would be two houses of congress: one with equal representation, and one with proportional representation. -
Constitution sent to the states for ratification
infoThe Constitution was written to replace the Articles of Confederation. when it was completed, it was sent to the states for consideration. It needed 9 out of 13 states to agree with it in order for it to be ratified. -
Federalist Papers appear
info on federalistsThe federalists were the people who did want the Constitution to be ratified. They agreed with its contents. They also expressed their views in written documents. -
Anti-Fedferalist Articles Appear
info on anti-federalists Not everyone wanted the Constitution. Those who were against it were called Anti-Federalists. One of the main reasons they opposed it was because it lacked a bill of Rights. They wrote papers promoting their ideas. -
-
Massachusetts Ratifies Constitution
infoAfter holding a convention to discuss whether or not to ratify the constitution, Massachusetts finally decided to ratify it. They started leaning towards ratifying it when a Bill of Rights was suggested. The vote was very close, but in the end the majority was for the ratification of the Constitution. -
New Hampshire Ratifies Constitution
infoNew Hampshire held a convention to discuss the ratification of the constitution. after much deliberation, they decided that it was a good idea, but still needed a few alterations. New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify the constitution, meaning it was the state that made the ratification of the constitution official. -
George Washington Elected President
infoGeorge Washington had the majority of voted from the electors that were selected by the states. This made him the president. John Adams became his vice president with the second highest nhimber of votes. -
Bill of Rights sent to the states for ratification
infoThe Bill of Rights was added to the constitution to protect the rights of the people. It is made up of the first 10 amendments of the constitution. After it was written, it was sent to the states for approval. -
Bill of Rights Ratified
infoThe Bill of Rights is intended to protect the rights of the american people. After many states signed it, it was ratified. the last state to sign it was virginia. -
The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
info! Political statements written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. These statements promoted states' rights and opposed the federal Alien and Sedition Acts. The Kentucky Resolves were written by Jefferson, and the Virginia Resolution was written by Madison. The former was passed by the state legislature on Nov. 16, 1798, and the latter was passed on Dec. 24, 1798. -
Hartford Convention
info! As the war of 1812 was raging on, many New Englanders did not want to support it. A convention was held in the winter of 1814 where New England federalists discussed the war and the government. They spoke about possible changes to the United States and to the constitution. -
Missouri Compromise
info! When Missouri became a state, the balance between slave and free states was thrown off. To fix that problem, Missouri became a slave state, and Maine became a free state. Also, the "30 60 line" was added and it was said that any land above the line was free, and any below it was slave territory. -
Tariff of Abominations
info! A tax was passed on foreign goods. This tax was good for the industries in the north, but it was detrimental to the south's cotton exports. -
South Carolina Tries to Nullify
info! John C. Calhoun decided that a government can't exist without the states allowing it to. Because of this, he felt that a state could decide not to follow a federal law if they felt that it was unconstitutional. South Carolina then proceeeded to pretend that the Tariff of Abominations did not exist. -
Abolition of Slavery Act
info! An act was passed in Britain to abolish slavery. Slaves were intended to become "apprentices" for 6 years after the bill passed, but this system was also abolished in 1838. Slaveholders were compensated for their losses. -
Texas Declares Independence from Mexico
info! A group of delegates met to discuss whetehr or not Texas would delcare independence from Mexico. They ended up writing a Declaration of Independence and holding a vote. The decision was that Texas would break free from Mexico. -
James K. Polk Elected President
info! After an extremely close election, James K. Polk was elected president. -
Mexican-American War
info! Mexico and America went to war over an area of land that is now a large portion of the American Southwest. -
Wilmot Proviso
info Wilmot was against the expansion of lsavery into the lands won in the mexican-american war. He wrote the Wilmot Proviso in an attempt to keep slavery out of these areas. Unfortunately for Wilmost, the Wilmot Proviso never became an official law. -
California Enetrs the union
info California joined the union, but it became a free state, which once again upset the balance of free states and slave states in government. -
Fugitive Slave Act
info law that was created in the compromise of 1850. It stated that all fugitive slaves had to be returned to their owners. If a person was caught helping fugitive slaves rather than reporting them, they would face fines and jail time. -
Publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin
info! Uncle Tom's Cabin is a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that depicts slavery in a different light than people were used to. It opened people's eyes to the horrors of slavery by making them see the slaves as people, rather than as objects. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act passed
info The kansas nebraska act was put into place to deal with the issue of the balance between slave and free states. It split nebraska territory into kansas and nebraska and allowed the two regions to decide whether or not to have slavery by popular sovereignty. -
Border Ruffians attack Lawrence
info over 800 supporters of slavery from Kansas and Missouri rode into Lawrence and attacked. They raided and destroyed parts of the city to send a message to the abolitionists. -
Charles Sumner attacked
info Charles sumner, a MA senator, was brutally beaten by Preston Brooks, a South Carolina congressman, with a cane because of comments he had made in a speech. -
Pottawatomie Creek
info John Brown and friends murdered five men who were settled along Pottawatomie Creek. The men who were killed were all pro-slavery. -
Formation of the Republican Party
info A group of people who opposed slavery banded together to create the republican party and attempt to end slavery. -
Dred Scott Decision
info Dred Scott, a black slave, took his master to court in an attempt to win his freedom. He claimed that since he had lived in a free state for some time, he should be free. He was not freed. -
Period: to
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
info A series of debates between Stephen Douglass and Abraham Lincoln was held in Illinois. Both men were running for a senate seat at the time. -
Raid at Harper's Ferry
info John Brown, an abolitionist, tried to take over the arsenal in Harper's Ferry to supply slaves with wweapons and start a slave uprising. It did not go as planned. Many people were killed, and he was later hanged for his actions. -
Democrats split in 1860
info When the election came around, there were two leading democratic candidates (Douglas and Breckinridge). One half of the party sided with Breckenridge, while the other sided with Douglas. -
Formation of the Constitutional Union Party
info A new party was formed during the election. People realized that they did not agree with the split democratic party or the republican party. They ended up forming their own party. They were against the split of the states. Their candidate was John Bell. -
Election of 1860
info The candidates were Stephen douglas, Abraham Lincoln, John Bell, and John C. Breckinridge. Lincoln won by electoral votes, but not by popular votes. He was the republican candidate. -
assassination of abraham lincoln
info abraham lincoln was shot and killed by john wilkes booth in the ford's theater. -
Black Codes created in Mississippi
info the black codes were laws that limited the rights and liberties of blacks in the United States after the Civil War. -
ratification of the thirteenth amendment
info The thirteenth amendment abolished slavery in the united states. -
Ku Klux Klan Created
info White supremacists formed organizations to intimidate blacks adn republicans. one of these organizations was the KKK. the KKK was originally a group for former confederate soldiers, but later evolved into a terrorist organization. -
civil rights act of 1866 enacted
info The civil rights act of 1866 gave citizenship and the same rights that whites had to all males in the united states regardless of race. -
Andrew Johnson impeached
infoJohnson's ideas of what to do with the South were not what the rest of the government wanted. he tried to go with his ideas anyway, and ended up with other government officials trying to get him impeached. he had an impeachment trial and ended up not being impaeched. -
Ratification of teh fourteenth amendment
info the fourteenth amendment, which made everyone who was born or naturalized in the US (even the newly freed slaves) citizens, was ratified. -
Ulysses S. Grant elected president
info U. S. Grant, a former Civil War general, was elected president of the US. People hoped that he would fix the problems in the country. -
Ratification of the 15th Amendment
info the 15th amendment declared that everyone has the right to vte, regardless of their race. -
Hiram Revels elected to senate
info Hiram Revels was elected as a senator of Mississippi. He was the first black senator. People who did not want him to be elected tried to stop him. Some tried to use the excuse that he had not been a citizen for the required nine years (they felt that blacks didn't become citizens until the 1866 civil rights act was passed). Regardless of the efforts of some, Revels was elected to senate by a large minority of the vote. -
Ku Klux Klan Act Enacted
info The Kuu Klux Klan act made private criminal acts federal offenses. it was made as a response to the violent acts of the ku klux klan. -
Freedman's bureau abolished
info the Freedman's bureau, which helped freed slaves get things like an education and a job, is abolished. it was really the only organization helping out blacks at the time. it made people against racial equality feel threatened. -
Civil Rights Act passed
info this act gave all americans of all races the right to access public facilities and transportation. It also gave them all the right to serve on juries. -
Rutherford B. Hayes is elected president
info Hayes is elected president of the United States. It was an extremely close and controversial election. He won by only one electoral vote. -
Civil Rights Act overturned
info the civil rights act was determined to be unconstitutional. This act had required equal treatment in public places for African Americans -
Case of Plessy vs. Ferguson
info Case that allowed racial segregation as long as each race got separate accomodations. It was specifically about trains and train seats. A man with black heritage sat in the car designated for whites, and this case was the result.
