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1492
Christopher Columbus
Credited with "discovering America". This first contact with North America and Native Americans led to the "Columbian Exchange" -
1519
Hernando Cortes
Claimed new colonies for Spain and conquered the Aztec Empire. -
1532
Francisco Pizarro
Claimed new colonies for Spain and conquered the Inca Empire in Peru. -
1539
Hernando de Soto
Assisted Pizarro with the conquest of the Inca and the first to discover and cross the Mississippi River. -
Period: 1565 to
Spain
Conquered the Native Americans and established New Spain -
Period: to
England
Founded on Roanoke Island off the coast of NC and was the first attempt at an English settlement. -
Jamestown, Virginia
The 1st successful English settlement that was founded by the Virginia company that was primarily settled to make money. -
France
Only Catholics were allowed in the new territory, became fur traders, and they had no self government. -
Dutch Republic
Included New York City, Albany, Long Island, and New Jersey. They offered huge land tracts called patroon ships which was obtained by bringing 50 tenants to the colony. -
Roger Williams
Banished from Massachusetts and left and established Providence, Rhode Island on land he bought from Native Americans -
Anne Hutchison
Held private prayer meetings and challenged the authority of Puritan ministers and leaders and was brought up on heresy charges. -
Period: to
King Phillips War
Indians were defeated and marked the end to Indian resistance in New England -
Proclamation of 1763
Forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains and put the territory under British military control. -
Boston Massacre
A clash between British troops and townspeople in Boston -
Lexington and Concord
British General Thomas Gage sent 700 soldiers to destroy guns and ammunition the colonists had stored in the town of Concord -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The British defeated the Americans in Massachusetts. -
Declaration of Independence
Written by Thomas Jefferson it listed all the grievances against the crown and explained why they were declaring independence. -
Battle of Brooklyn Heights
Americans suffered 1,000 casualties to the British loss of only 400 men during the fighting -
Battle of Trenton
The battle was fought between the Americans against the Hessians and British troops after the Americans lost the battle in New York and were forced to retreat through New Jersey. American Victory. -
Battle of Saratoga
British General John Burgoyne achieved a small, but costly victory over American forces led by Horatio Gates and Benedict -
Battle of Brandywine
The British defeated the Americans and forced them to withdraw toward the rebel capital of Philadelphia -
Period: to
Winter at Valley Forge
Continental Army struggled through the harsh winter – frostbite, exposure -
Battle of Camden
British forces under General Charles Cornwallis routed American troops under General Horatio Gates at the Battle of Camden in South Carolina. -
Battle of Yorktown
a decisive victory by a combined force of American Continental Army led by General George Washington and French army troops over a British Army commanded by British lord and Lieutenant General Cornwallis. -
Battle of Cowpens
American troops under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan routed British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. -
Treaty of Paris
americans won the war -
Land Ordinance of 1785
congress sold land to make money -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
created guidelines for states to be admitted -
Cotton Gin
cleaned the seeds out of cotton -
Jays Treaty
British began stopping US ships bound for France and impressing seamen (taking US sailors captive and forcing them to serve the British) -
Pinckneys Treaty
Spain afraid of alliance between Great Britain and the US -
Election of 1796
Thomas Jefferson (Democratic Republican) v. John Adams (Federalist) -
Interchangeable Parts
basis for industrial development in the US -
Convention of 1800
Meeting between United States and France over the Quasi-Wars - conflict in the Caribbean over shipping and trade -
Embargo Act of 1807
British impressments of US sailors continued, in spite of Jay’s Treaty -
Steam Powered Boat
decreased travel times -
War of 1812
-
Panic of 1819
US faced widespread economic problems -
Election of 1824
Corrupt Bargain -
Erie Canal
increase in trade, decrease in shipping rates and shipping times -
Election of 1828
Andrew Jackson elected as president -
Indian Removal Act
authorized the removal of native americans from the se united states -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
caused the south to strengthen slave codes -
Election of 1832
Jackson won re-election -
Worcester V. Georgia
court ruled that cherokee had a right to remain on their land and could not be forcibly removed -
The Whig Party
national republicans changed their name to the whig party -
Mechanical Reaper
made harvesting wheat easier -
Trail of Tears
troops sent to round up cherokee and move them to oklahoma -
Steel Plow
allowed farmers to plow and grow crops in areas out west that land was too dry or too hard -
The National Railroad
stretched 800 miles west -
Telegraph
device that sends messages using electricity through wires -
Election of 1844
James Polk elected -
Oregon
-
Period: to
Mexican War
Mexico upsets over US annexation of Texas -
Mexican Cession
mexico gave up new mexico and california territories to the US in exchange for payment -
California Gold Rush
-
Compromise of 1850
With the acquisition of the Mexican territory, the extension of slavery once again becomes an issue -
Gasden Purchase
land purchased to run a transcontinental railroad -
Know Nothing Party
wanted to rid the county of immigrants and alcohol -
Election of 1860
lincoln wins election -
Succesion
south carolina was the first state to succeed -
First Battle of Bull Run
first battle between the union and confederate army -
Ft. Sumter
Union soldiers had one month of supplies remaining at Ft. Sumter, SC -
Period: to
Civil War
-
Homestead Act
anyone who would agree to cultivate 160 acres of land for 5 years would receive title to that land from the federal government -
Morril Land Grant Act
states used money from sale of land to finance agricultural colleges -
Antietam
bloodiest single day of the war -
Vicksburg
Union wanted control over the mississippi river -
Fredricksburg
confederate victory -
Chancellorsville
confederate victory -
Gettysburg
lee invades the north -
Shermans March to the Sea
destroyed bridges, factories, railroad lines -
Appomattox
lee surrenders -
Oklahoma Land Rush
people given land in oklahoma to encourage settlement
