American History I

Magna Carta

Dec 10, 1215

Document that recognizes the rights of nobles. Limits the rights of the king. Leads to establish a series of checks and balances here.

Triangular Trade

Dec 11, 1450

Trade between the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Helped show the idea of Mercantilism and grow the American market of goods.

Jamestown Founded

Jan 1, 1607

Mayflower

Sep 6, 1620

The Mayflower set sail

City Upon a Hill

Dec 11, 1630

Winthrop articulated his view of the prospective Puritan colony as “a city upon a hill,” meaning it cannot be hidden.

King Philip's War

Dec 10, 1675

Last major effort by Native Americans of southern New England to expel the British

Bacon's Rebellion

Dec 10, 1676

Indian disputer on the frontier. Colonist Asked for protection, Virginia government denied. Nathanial Bacon led the colinsts in a rebellion against the Virginia government.

English Bill of Rights

Dec 10, 1689

Creates rights for English citizens.

John Locke-Two Treatises of Government

Dec 10, 1689

Two part book justifying the American Revolution. Outlines the role of government. Also borrowed his ideas of Social Contract and Natural Law.

Salem Witch Trials

Oct 15, 1692

A west Indian slave woman was accused of being a witch and accusations snowballed.

French and Indian War

Dec 10, 1754

The "Seven Years War". Between the British, French, and Indians. Ended in 1763.

Pontianc's Rebellion

Oct 15, 1763

Confederacy of Native Americans under Ottawa chief Pontiac attacked British forces at Detroit trying to remove them from French lands

Sons of Liberty

Dec 10, 1765

Radical group in Boston that fought for fair rights for colonists. Included Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Dickinson. Attacked tax collectors.

Regulator Movement

Dec 10, 1771

Farmers in western NC resented the assessment of taxes and fees and the favoritism of the tidewater region. Governor William Tryon led militia forces against them and won at Alamance Creek.

Committees of Correspondence

Dec 10, 1773

First attempt by the colines to create a government. Met before American Revolution. Involved mostly Virginia and Massachusetts. Set up the first Continental Congress.

Lexington and Concord

Apr 10, 1775

First shots were fired buy Minutemen who attacked British troops on their way to destroy supplies of the militia. Showed that the colonists would put up a fight.

Bunker Hill

Jun 16, 1775

2200 Redcoats charge up Breed's Hill to drive away 1200 Minutemen. British won but lost over 1000 casualties.

American Revolution

Dec 10, 1775

Between America and Great Britain. The war were America won its independence.

Adam Smith-The Wealth of Nations

Dec 10, 1776

Economist who influences the idea of Capitalism-anyone can open a business and sell items to the public, as long as they are doing so legally.

Battle of Trenton

Dec 10, 1776

Americans against Hessians and British troops. Americans won.

Articles of Confederation

Oct 15, 1777

Created a loose union of states where states' rights were importans. Created a unicameral legislature, Each state recieved one vote.

Shays's Rebellion

Dec 10, 1786

Poor western farmers rebelled after being taxed by the local government. Led by Revolutionary War veteran, Daniel Shays.

New Jersey Plan

Oct 20, 1787

Called for equal representation. Written by William Patterson. Wanted multiple presidents.

The Great Compromise

Oct 20, 1787

Representation based on population.

The 3/5ths Compromise

Oct 20, 1787

Counted each slave as 3/5 of a person for representation.

The Virginia Plan

Oct 20, 1787

System of checks and balances between 3 branches of government so that no one part becomes too powerful. Written by James Madison. Called for one president in the executive branch.

Judiciary Act of 1789

Dec 10, 1789

Established the supreme Courth as the Judiciary ruker of the US.

George Washington

Dec 11, 1789

First president of the US. Served from 1789-1797. Also the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental army during the American Revolution.

Whiskey Rebellion

Dec 10, 1791

Small farmers revolted in Pennsylvania after whiskey was taxed. These farmers used Whiskey to barter. President Washington sent militia and crushed the rebellion without a single death. Set a precedent that the government would use force to maintain peace.

Bill of Rights

Dec 10, 1791

Based on the English Bill of Rights. First ten amendments of the US Constitution. Protects the rights of citizens. Basic Freedoms.

Cotton Gin Invention

Dec 11, 1793

Created by Eli Whitney. Separates the cotton from the plant. Whitney invented it to cut down on slavery. Had the opposite effect.

John Adams

Dec 11, 1797

Second president of the US. Served from 1797-1801. Was a Founding father and a leader of American independence from Great Britiain.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Dec 10, 1798

Passed to silence criticism of the Federalists. Discrimnatiied against aliens (immigrants), many of whom joined the Republican party. Forbid people from speaking or writing anything.

Thomas Jefferson

Dec 11, 1801

Third president of the US. He was a founding father. He served from 1801-1809.

Embargo of 1807

Dec 11, 1807

Passed by Thomas Jefferson, stopped all exports from US targeting England and France, attempt to show American neutrality.

James Madison

Dec 11, 1809

Fourth president of the US. Served from 1809-1817. Nicknamed "Father of the Bill of Rights".

James Monroe

Dec 11, 1817

Fifth president of the US. Served from 1817-1825.The last president who was a Founding Father of the US.

Erie Canal Invention

Dec 11, 1825

A waterway in New York that opened trade to midwestern states.

John Quincy Adams

Dec 11, 1825

Sixth president of the US. Served from 1825-1829. Also served as a member of the House of Representatives.

Monroe Doctrine

Oct 20, 1828

James Monroe established 2 foreign policy ideals in this speech:
-Non-intervention: US woould not interfere in European affairs if European powers did not interfere in the Western Hemisphere.
-Non-colonization- Western Hemisphere was closed to any further colonization from European nations.

Andrew Jackson

Dec 11, 1829

Seventh president of the US. Served from 1829-1837 Acted as a courier in the Revolutionary War.

Industrial Revolution

Dec 11, 1830

Began in Lowell, MA. Began the mass production of goods, and the creation of industrial factories across the US.

Martin Van Buren

Dec 11, 1837

Eighth president of the US. Served from 1837-1841.

Trail of Tears

Dec 11, 1838

“First Indian Removal Act” enacted by Andrew Jackson, killed many.

William Henry Harrison

Dec 11, 1841

Ninth president of the US. Served for exactly one month before he died.

John Tyler

Dec 11, 1841

Tenth president of the US. Served from 1841-1845.

Vulcanized Rubber Invention

Dec 11, 1844

Created by Charles Goodyear and Thomas Hancock. Process that makes rubber stronger, and easier to mold into usable items such as tied, and soles for shoes.

Texas Annexation

Sep 10, 1845

The republic of Texas voluntarily asked to become part of the United States, rather than being independent. The government agreed. Mexico then declared war on the US.

James K. Polk

Dec 11, 1845

Eleventh president of the US. Served from 1845-1849.

Mexican American War

Dec 10, 1846

Between Mexico and America mostly over territory. Mexico lost in 1848.

Zachary Taylor

Dec 11, 1849

Twelfth president of the US. Served from 1849-1850.

Millard Fillmore

Dec 11, 1850

Thirteenth president of the US. Served from 1850-1853.

Franklin Pierce

Dec 11, 1853

Fourteenth president of the US. Served from 1853-1857.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Oct 20, 1854

Senator Stephen A. Douglas pushed for the organization of Kansas and Nebraska territories. He proposed the idea of popular sovereignty, allowing settlers to vote on the status of the territories.

James Buchanan

Dec 11, 1857

Fifteenth president of the US. Served from 1857-1861

Civil War

Dec 10, 1860

Between the Union and Confederacy. Causes were secession of the south and the electon of 1860. Over 600,000 soldiers killed. Union was saved and strengthened. Ended in 1865

Abraham Lincoln

Dec 11, 1861

Sixteenth president of the US. Served from 1861-1865. Wrote the Emancipation Proclamation.

Antietam

Sep 17, 1862

South invades MD. 23,000 killed. Bloodiest war.

Homestead Act

Dec 10, 1862

Promised 160 acres of land for cultivation

Battle of Vicksburg

Jul 10, 1863

Grant bombarded the city on the Mississippi River for six weeks. Victory secured control of the river.

Emancipation Proclamation

Dec 10, 1863

Freed slaves in states in rebellion.

Fredricksburg and Chancellorsville

Dec 10, 1863

Both southern victories as Lee and his troops kept Union from capturing Richmond.

Thirteenth Amendment

Dec 10, 1865

Ended slavery.

Andrew Johnson

Dec 11, 1865

Seventeenth president of the US. Served from 1865-1869.

Barbed Wire Invention

Dec 11, 1867

Mass produced by Joseph Glidden. Kept cattle in your land and protected crops. Lightweight, could easily be carried across the United States.

Fourteenth Amendment

Dec 10, 1868

Equal protection for all citizens

Ulysses S. Grant

Dec 11, 1869

Eighteenth president of the US. Served from 1869-1877.

Telegraph Invention

Dec 11, 1937

Created by Samuel Morse. Easy way to communicate over long distances. Created a code of short and long beeps to represent letters, names Morse Code.