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1492
Columbus finds America
Columbus set Sail and later found America, which was called "the new land" -
1519
Hernando Cortez
Claimed new colonies for Spain.
Conquered the Aztec Empire (Most Aztec died from small pox and measles.) -
1532
Francisco Pizarro
Claimed new colonies for Spain.
Conquered the Inca Empire in Peru. -
1539
Hernan de Soto
Assisted Pizarro with the conquest of the
Inca.
First to discover and cross the mississippi River. -
Founding of Jamestown
1st successful English settlement!
Primarily settled to make money -
Roger Williams
Banished from Massachusett, where he left and established Providence, Rhode Island on land he brought from the Native Americans. -
Anne Hutchison
Banished from colony and moved to rhode island. -
Pequot War
Pequot indians in Connecticut resisted white settlement.In 1637, pequot were virtually wiped put by the English -
Period: to
King Phillip’s War
Involved the wampanoag indians in the plymouth colony. They began to attack white settlements. Indians were defeated and marked the end to indian resistance in new england -
Pittsburgh
The French built Fort Duquesne at the point where the Ohio River forms -
Proclamation
Proclamation of 1763
Forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains and put the territory under British military control. -
Sons of Liberty
In response to the Stamp Act, the colonists boycotted British goods.
Means they refused to buy them. -
Period: to
Stamp Act Congress
Colonists held a meeting called the Stamp Act Congress in response to the Stamp Act
Declared “no taxation without representation” -
Boston Massacre
The British fired into a crowd that was threatening them, killing five civilians and wounding 6 others.
The soldiers had been sent to help the government maintain order and were resented by colonists. -
The Boston Tea Party
Colonists dressed as Native Americans and marched to Boston Harbor.
They raided ships hauling British tea and threw the crates overboard.
In response to the Townshend Acts -
Lexington and Concord
On April 18, 1775, British General Thomas Gage sent 700 soldiers to destroy guns and ammunition the colonists had stored in the town of Concord, just outside of Boston. -
Declaration of Independence
Listed all of the colonists grievances against the Crown; explained why they were declaring independence
Proclaimed the United States of America was forevermore a free nation -
Treaty of Paris
Americans won the war
War was officially ended with the
Treaty of Paris
Great Britain acknowledged the US as a free nation -
End of the American Revolution
Americans won the war
War was officially ended with the Treaty of Paris
Great Britain acknowledged the US as a free nation -
Land Ordinance of 1785
Congress sold tracts of land to raise money
Divided land into 36-square-mile units with Unit 16 set aside for schools. Divided the Ohio Territory -
The United States Constitution
Delegates met to revise the Articles of Confederation but decided to create a new constitution
Of course, everyone had different ideas about how it should work -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Created guidelines for admission as states in the US
At 5,000 settlers, the territory could send a non-voting representative to Congress
At 60,000 settlers, the territory could apply for statehood
Outlawed slavery in the area -
Judiciary Act
No details for a court system in the Constitution
Federal law remained the “Supreme Law of the Land”
Washington wanted to set up a federal court system headed by a Supreme Court -
Textile Mills
First textile mills in America were opened by Samuel Slater in Pawtucket, Rhode Island -
Eli Whitney - Cotton Gin
Cleaned the seeds out of cotton
Sped up the cleaning of seeds
Revolutionized the cotton crop
Demand for cotton from Great Britain for textile manufacturing
South becomes “The Cotton Kingdom” & financially dependent on cash crops & slavery -
Jay’s Treaty - Great Britain
British began stopping US ships bound for France and impressing seamen (taking US sailors captive and forcing them to serve the British)
Intended to hurt the French, but hurt US trade -
Pinckney’s Treaty - Spain
Spain afraid of the alliance between Great Britain and the US
Spain barred the US from the lower part of the Mississippi River and the Port of New Orleans
The US needed Mississippi River to transport goods -
Period: to
Amendments 11-27
Amendments added to the Constitution to protect the rights of citizens in the United States -
Election of 1796
Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican) v. John Adams (Federalist)
John Adams elected as the 2nd president
Thomas Jefferson - his political rival, becomes Vice President
Federalist Era -
Eli Whitney - Interchangeable Parts
Introduced with muskets in 1798
Henry Ford - Assembly Line
Parts of one musket could be used as parts for another musket
The basis for industrial development in the US -
Convention of 1800
Meeting between the United States and France over the Quasi-Wars - conflict in the Caribbean over shipping and trade
Hostility between the US and France following the XYZ Affair
Convention of 1800 resolved the conflict between the US and France - delicate balance with no alliance to avoid war with Great Britain
End of any US foreign alliance for another 100 years
US Neutrality -
Election of 1800
The battle between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans
Federalist Candidate: Incumbent John Adams
Running mate: Charles Pinckney
Democratic-Republican candidate: Thomas Jefferson
Running mate: Aaron Burr
Electoral college voted - Jefferson and his running mate, Aaron Burr tied -
Period: to
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Corps of Discovery left St. Louis, Missouri on May 14, 1804
Along the way, a Native American woman was enlisted to serve as a guide and interpreter - Sacajawea
The expedition led to a large migration of settlers to the Pacific Northwest - traveled via the Oregon Trail
Two years and four months later on September 23, 1806, the Corps of Discovery returned to St. Louis -
Robert Fulton - Steam Boat
Launched the first successful steamboat service in 1807
Steamboats decreased travel time - made trips shorter -
Embargo Act
British impressments of US sailors continued, in spite of Jay’s Treaty
British blockading US ships bound for France
The US did not want to get involved with problems between Britain and France
President Jefferson declared an embargo(no trade) with Britain and France
Jefferson’s alternative to war
Believed it would hurt Britain and other European countries and force them to accept American Neutrality -
Election of 1812
James Madison reelected in 1812 -
War of 1812
Causes:
British military aid to Native Americans on the frontier
British impressments of American sailors - Jay’s Treaty
Embargo Act - Jefferson’s alternative to war
War Hawks - Pushed for war with Great Britain -
Election of 1816
James Monroe Elected President
1816 - 5th President of the United States
“Era of Good Feelings” -
McCulloch v. Maryland
Supreme Court (John Marshall) ruled that Congress had the right to establish a national bank under the Necessary and Proper (Elastic) Clause of the Constitution
Power of federal government over state government -
Adams Onis Treaty
Secretary of State - John Quincy Adams
Negotiated a treaty with Spain
US acquired Florida and established a firm boundary between the Louisiana Territory (US territory through the Louisiana Purchase) and Spanish territory in the west -
Panic of 1819
The US faced widespread economic problems
Foreclosures
Bank failures
Unemployment
A slump in agriculture and manufacturing -
Election of 1820
James Monroe reelected -
Missouri Compromise
1820 - The extension of slavery into new territories divides the North and South - conflict over state’s rights
Needed a balance of slave and free states to maintain the sectional balance
Maine admitted as a free state
Missouri admitted as a slave state
Remaining Louisiana Territory split into - one part for slaveholders, one part for free settlers - 36°30’ line
North of the line (except Missouri), slavery was banned
South of the line, slavery was legal -
Texas
Mexico gained independence from Spain - Texas part of Mexico -
Monroe Doctrine
Doctrine issued by President Monroe
Stated the US would not tolerate European intervention in the affairs of an independent nation in the Americas
1823 - Stated American continents were no longer open to colonization - the US would view any attempt as an act of aggression
Stated that the US would not interfere in the affairs of other nations
Europe should stay out of the western hemisphere -
Gibbons v. Ogden
Supreme Court (John Marshall) ruled that only Congress had the power to regulate interstate commerce and foreign trade -
Election of 1824
Evidence of sectional differences within the US
John Quincy Adams v. Andrew Jackson - both were Democratic-Republicans
Neither candidate received a majority of electoral votes in the Electoral College
The House of Representatives decided the election
Henry Clay, Speaker of the House, threw his support to John Quincy Adams, and Adams was elected president
Adams named Henry Clay his Secretary of State - Jackson called the election a “corrupt bargain” -
Erie Canal
Opened in 1825
Increase in trade, decrease in shipping rates and shipping time
Connected the Great Lakes with the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean -
Election of 1828
Andrew Jackson elected president
Jackson defeated Adams in part as a result of the Tariff of Abominations -
Tariff of Abominations
1828 - Protective tariff designed to protect northern manufacturing from competition from cheaper British imports
Upset the south - detrimental to the southern cotton economy
British threatened to seek cotton in other markets due to the high cost of the tariff -
Indian Removal Act
Congress passed the Indian Removal Act - authorized the removal of Native Americans from the SE United States -
William Lloyd Garrison
Founded The Liberator, an anti-slavery newspaper
Used the freedom of press to get his message out. -
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
Virginia
Led by a slave - Nat Turner - rebellion was a failure
Caused the south to strengthen slave codes (laws restricting activities and conduct of slaves) -
Worcester v. Georgia
The Cherokee appealed to the US Supreme Court
The court ruled that the Cherokee had a right to remain on their land and could not be forcibly removed -
Election of 1832
Pet banks a key issue of this election
Jackson won re-election
Portrayed the national banks as institutions for the wealthy, rich, and powerful - “pet banks” -
The Whig Party
Jackson enemies felt he acted like a king - “King Andrew”
National Republicans changed their name to the Whig Party in 1833 -
Cyrus McCormick - Mechanical Reaper
Increased productivity
Made harvesting wheat easier -
Trail of Tears
President Jackson ignored the court’s decision
Troops sent to round up Cherokee and move them to Oklahoma
800-mile march in 1835
Over a quarter of the Cherokee died from disease, starvation, and weather exposure. -
Election of 1836
Martin Van Buren (Democrat) elected president over William Henry Harrison (Anti-Masonic) -
Period: to
The Alamo/ Annexation
Gen. Santa Anna responded with military force - Texans took a stand at The Alamo
Every Texan perished - “Remember the Alamo”
Texans took Santa Anna hostage - agreed to recognize the Republic of Texas - 1836
Texas requested annexation to become part of the United States
Texas becomes a slave state in 1845 -
John Deere - Steel Plow
Allowed farmers to plow and grow crops in areas out west that’s land was too dry or hard -
Election of 1840
William Henry Harrison elected -
Period: to
The National Road
Stretched 800 miles west
A network of roads connected most of the cities and towns in the US
Promoted travel and trade—AND SETTLEMENT OF THE WEST! -
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
Signed in 1842 by Daniel Webster of US and Lord Ashburton of Great Britain
Established the United States’ northern border with Canada in Maine and Minnesota -
Samuel F.B. Morse - Telegraph
Telegraph - device that sends messages using electricity through wires-Instant communication
Communication is a revolutionized-whole different way of sending msgs -
Election of 1844- Polk Elected
Won by Democrat James K. Polk - first “dark horse” winner in US history
Election of 1844
Won due to Whig opponent Henry Clay’s avoidance of the issue of annexation of Texas and Oregon
Called for the annexation of both Texas and Oregon -
Period: to
Oregon
US owned the Oregon territory jointly with Great Britain
Thousands of US settlers began moving to Oregon
President Polk approached Britain proclaiming “”54-40, or fight!” - claimed US had rightful claims to Oregon territory - 1844
British accepted, fearing loss of trade with US – 49th parallel used as official boundary
Oregon became a state in 1846 -
Sewing Machine
Elias Howe had the first patent on a sewing machine in the United States in 1846
Helped to increase speed of manufacturing of textiles -
Wilmot Proviso
Pennsylvania Congressman David Wilmot came up with a proviso, or condition
1846 - Proposed banning slavery from any land purchased from Mexico
Upset the Southern states
Not approved -
Period: to
Mexican War
Mexico upset over US annexation of Texas
Polk sent troops to Texas border to settle US-Mexico border dispute and to negotiate the purchase of California and New Mexico
Mexican president refused to talk, and war soon followed
Congress declared war on May 12, 1846 - Mexico eventually surrendered
War was ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
Called for the Mexican Cession -
Women’s Rights Movement
Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth
Stanton called for women to be given the right to vote
Seneca Falls Convention
first women’s rights convention
Sojourner Truth was a former slave who became known for her charismatic speaking
Also had an impact on the abolitionist movement -
Mexican Cession
Result of Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, ended Mexican War
1848 - Mexico gave up New Mexico and California territories to the United States in exchange for payment -
Election of 1848
Zachary Taylor (Whig) elected President over Lewis Cass (Democrat) and Martin Van Buren (Free-Soil) -
Period: to
California Gold Rush
California enters the union as a free state due to the Compromise of 1850
Gold was discovered in California in 1848
People rushed to California to “get rich quick” - they became known as “49’ers”
Huge population increase -
Compromise of 1850
With the acquisition of the Mexican territory, the extension of slavery once again becomes an issue
Henry Clay offers a compromise to maintain balance between the free and slave states
California admitted as a free state
Unorganized territories declared free
Utah and New Mexico territories were to decide the issue of slavery through popular sovereignty
People in these areas could decide on the issue of slavery for themselves -
Death of President Taylor
President Zachary Taylor died of cholera
VP Millard Fillmore became President -
Election of 1852
Franklin Pierce (Democrat) elected president over Winfield Scott (Whig) and John P. Hale (Free-Soil) -
Gadsden Purchase
Gave the United States parts of New Mexico and Arizona for $10 million from Mexico
Land purchased to run a transcontinental railroad
Manifest Destiny complete! -
Election of 1856
James Buchanan (Democrat) elected president over John C. Fremont (Republicans) and Millard Fillmore (Whig & American {Know-Nothings} -
Know-Nothings
Also known as the American Party
Wanted to rid the country of immigrants and alcohol
Became part of the Republican Party -
Election of 1860
Douglas, Lincoln, Breckinridge run
Lincoln wins election with no southern electoral votes
Pledges to stop the spread of slavery but to not interfere in the south -
Period: to
Secession
As a result of Lincoln’s victory in the Election of 1860, southern states begin to secede from the union.
Secede = withdrawal
South Carolina was the first state to secede on December 20, 1860
By February 1861, six other states joined them: Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Texas -
Fort Sumter – First Shots Fired
1861
Union soldiers had one month of supplies remaining at Ft. Sumter, SC
Lincoln sent food for the troops, but before it arrived, Confederate soldiers opened fire
Union troops surrendered the following day
Civil War begins!!!!!!!!! -
First Battle of Bull Run
AKA – Manassas
First battle between the Union and Confederate army
Watched by citizens
CONFEDERATE VICTORY -
Morrill Land Grant Act
Distributed millions of acres of western territory to state governments
1862 - States used money from sale of land to finance agricultural colleges -
Antietam
September 1862
Antietam Creek, Maryland
Bloodiest single day of the war
23,000 killed in one day
UNION VICTORY for McClellan -
Vicksburg
November 1862
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Union wanted control of the Mississippi River
UNION VICTORY -
Homestead Act
Settlers moving west for land
Purpose: Encourage settlement of the Plains
1862 - Anyone who would agree to cultivate 160 acres of land for 5 years would receive title to that land from the federal government -
Period: to
Fredericksburg / Chancellorsville
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Dec. 1862
Large number of Union casualties
CONFEDERATE VICTORY
Chancellorsville, Virginia
May 1863
Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson killed
CONFEDERATE VICTORY -
Emancipation Proclamation
Issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863
Freed the slaves in the confederate states while preserving slavery in the border states that were still loyal to the union
Encouraged free African Americans to serve in the army
Lincoln hoped to give the war a moral purpose – “preserve the Union”
Hoped to undermine the South’s reliance on slave labor
Ensure the support of England and France -
Election of 1864
Lincoln in danger of not being reelected
Some northerners upset over the war
Democrats nominated George McClellan – former Union general to run for president
Sherman’s capture of Atlanta showed non believers the war was close to being over
Lincoln elected to a second term -
Appomattox – End of the War
April 1865
Grant surrounds Lee outside of Richmond, Virginia
Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox Court House – Virginia
End of the Civil War!!! -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Congress passed with the intention of giving citizenship rights to African Americans
Johnson vetoed it
Congress gave an override
Instead passed the 14th Amendment
Guaranteed no person, regardless of race, would be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law
Guaranteed citizenship for all people in the United States -
Grant Elected President
Put this in the 10th Amendment block on the bottom
Republican party refused to support Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant elected in 1868
Administration known for corruption -
Election of 1872
Ulysses S. Grant (Republican) reelected president over Horace Greeley (Democratic) -
Election of 1876
Grant’s administration surrounded by corruption (Whiskey Ring, Credit Mobilier)
Samuel Tilden (Democrat) v. Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican)
Election contested – results in some states disputed – results unclear
Compromise of 1877 settled the issue of the winner -
Compromise of 1877
Democrats agreed to give Hayes the presidency
Hayes elected as President
Republicans agreed to end Reconstruction in the South -
Oklahoma Land Rush
People given land in Oklahoma to encourage settlement
Settlers came rushing from all around to claim land
Native Americans forced off the land
1889 -
Birthday
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