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Christopher Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492 and kicked of the beginning of the Columbian Exchange. This was a massive exchange of disease, ideas, crops,and population between the Old World and the New World. The Old World focuses on the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe, while the New World focuses on North America, Central America, and South America. This was a huge turning point for the world, but was not an entirely great thing because of the massive spread of disease. -
In 1607, 104 men arrived in North America and started a voyage. They chose Jamestown, Virginia as their first settlement that was named after King James. This became the first American place of settlement. -
Portuguese slave traders brought over 20 enslaved African Americans to the colonies. This was the beginning to the human suffering and slavery. -
The Mayflower Voyage was a ship that set sail in 1620 that carried Pilgrims from England to Plymouth, where they established the first permanent settlement. All the people on the Mayflower were hoping to be able to start a new life on the other side of the Atlantic. The ship did not arrive until November, and only half of the people were able to make it the whole way there. -
The Great Awakening was a revival of religious ideas that impacted the European colonies. Christian leaders would go town to town to preach about the gospel. This resulted in great dedication to religion, and is believed to have a lasting impact on American culture today. -
The Sugar Act was created by the British in an attempt to stop the smuggle trade in sugar and molasses from the French and Dutch West Indies. This act was very hurtful to the colonies and made the depression a lot worse. It forced them to have to buy and trade more expensive molasses from the British -
In 1765, the British needed to station an army in North America. For this to work they needed money, so they passed the Stamp Act. This put a tax on newspapers, legal documents, and many other things. People saw this as a complete violation and said it was illegal to unnecessarily tax documents. -
The Quartering Act was created in 1765 stating that British soldiers would be able to house anywhere. This included providing them with food, fuel, drinks, and quartering. The colonists were against this rule calling it unfair and not fair. It also taxed them unfairly. -
The Boston Massacre is best explained as a street fight between a patriot mob and British soldiers. The mob threw snow balls, stones, and sticks at the soldiers causing them to begin shooting into the crowd. Several colonists were killed, and this act caused the colonies to work together against Britain. -
The Boston Tea party was a political protest that happened at Griffin's Wharf. The American Colonists were upset with the new taxation, and decided to dump 342 chests of tea into the harbor. This was important because it fueled more rage between Britain and America, being another factor that led to the Revolutionary War. -
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of 12 delegates from the 13 colonies that became the United States. This established an army, navy, post office, and issued a currency. They also rejected a plan for reconciling British authority. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord are said to kick off the Revolutionary War. The British ordered troops to go take weapons from Concord and capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock from Lexington. However, American spies got the word out causing it to not happen. The American soldiers surrounded Boston in an attempt to save themselves. -
The Battle of Yorktown was the final battle fought in the American Revolution. General Charles Cornwallis and his army surrendered to General George Washington's american forces and french allies. This started America's new found independence. It also helped prove George Washington's great leadership, making him Americans first president. -
The Treaty of Paris was signed between the American colonies and Great Britain. It was signed to end the American Revolution and formally recognize America as an independent nation. It also granted the United States the western territories. -
A group of protesters began a six month rebellion taking over the court. The goal was to prevent the trial and imprisonment of debt-ridden citizens. It led to a military confrontation in 1787. -
The Constitutional Convention began on March 25, and ended on September 17th in Pennsylvania. The idea of this event was to decide how America should be governed. The delegates read and rejected the Articles of Confederation together, and produced the first written Constitution. It created a system where not too much power was at use, and a threat to be abused. -
The Judiciary Act was created in 1789 by President George Washington. It was made to establish a Judicial Court system in the United States. It created structure as well as creating a position for attorney general. The founders of the nation saw this as one of the most important things they could do at the time. This Act brought the Supreme Court and Judicial Branch of government into existence. -
John Adams was elected president with 71 electoral votes. This election was the first time American voters had to choose between political parties. -
George Washington decided to finally step down in September of 1796 after serving two terms. In his farewell he advised the nation to rethink how they view themselves, as well as foreign powers in the nations domestic affairs. His ideas in his farewell helped shape democracy. -
The XYZ affairs were a failed negotiation where French Diplomats demanded a bribe to help them fight the war against Great Britain. The American diplomats actually ended up benefitting by these affairs. -
The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed in 1798. They included new laws about powers to deport foreigners as well as make it harder for immigrants to vote. These acts violated the First Amendment which protects freedom to speech and press. This caused them to end up null and void. -
The Revolution of 1800 was the first time in America that power was passed from one political party to another. Vice President of the Democratic-Republican party defeated President John Adams of the Federalists party in an election. This marked a new generation in Democratic-Republican leadership. It was also important because power was able to be changed without a war or breakdown in government. -
Marbury v Madison was a supreme court case that established the meaning of judicial review. They decided that American courts have the power to strike down laws that they find violate the constitution. This was a powerful case that stopped new violating laws from being created. -
The Louisiana Purchase is where the United States purchased 828,000 square miles of land from France. This land was west of the Mississippi River and cost $15 million. This doubled the size of the United States and expanded it westward. It also strengthened the country by a ton, and it confirmed the power of the Federal Government. -
The United States purchased 828,000 square miles of west land of the Mississippi River for $15 million. This doubled the size of the US and expanded it to the nation westward. It was a political victory, and avoided war with France. -
The Embargo Act was created by the US Congress that closed all U.S. exports and imports to Britain. This act caused prices and earnings to fall, unemployment to rise, and existing markets to crash. It was seen as a fail because it hurt America way more than it hurt Britain or France. It is important though because it was one of the leading factors to the War of 1812, and increased the tensions between the US and Great Britain. -
The War of 1812 was a war fought because of the conflict between the United States and Great Britain. It was caused because of the British violations to the U.S. maritime rights. The British ended up winning the war on February 15 of 1815 by being able to defend its colonies. This war was important because it helped gain respect for America because of its great war power. -
The Battle of New Orleans was the last battle bought in the War of 1812. The British hoped to seize New Orleans to expand their territory. It was an unnecessary war because the Treaty of Ghent would end the war just two weeks later. -
The Missouri Compromise stated that Missouri was a slave state, and Maine was a non-slave state. It made the U.S equally divided. It also preserved gave the balance of Congress in the debate of slavery. -
Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States, and won 178 electoral votes.He helped to lay the framework for the democracy, pay off national debt, and many other things. -
The Indian Removal Act was an act signed by President Andrew Jackson in 1830. This authorized the president to grand land west of Mississippi in exchange for Indian land with existing state borders. People who believed in manifest destiny thought that the indians were stopping them from expanding and supported this idea. Others though believed that this was unfair because contributed to the loss of tribes, culture, and tradition. -
The Indian Removal Act was signed by President Jackson authorizing the president to grant lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands. Some tribes went peacefully, while others retaliated. Native Americans saw this as a disgrace to their land as well as their culture. -
The Whigs party emerged into the world in opposition to Andrew Jackson. It brought together groups that opposed him and created a new political party. -
The Texas Revolution was a conflict between American and Mexican settlers. The refusal of Texas to accept governmental changes was the start to the problem. -
The Battle of Alamo was fought over the issues of Federalism, slavery, immigration rights, and the cotton industry. -
Beginning in around 1840 to 1900, over 5 million immigrants moved to America from other countries. These included Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, and the German states. This was all due to failing crops, land and job shortage, and taxes rising. Immigrants saw America as a new start because of the economic opportunity. -
The California Gold Rush was sparked by the discovery of gold in Sacramento Valley in early 1848. This is arguably one of the most significant events that shaped American history. The gold rush redirected the technologies of communication and transportation. It also expanded American and British empires. -
The Compromise of 1850 called for admission of California as a "free state". This provided for a territorial government for Utah and New Mexico, as well as establishing a boundary between Texas, and the United States. It also abolished the Fugitive Slave Act. -
Dred Scott was an african american man who had resided in a free state, and a slave state. He overall sued for his freedom on grounds that his residence on free soil should free him. The court ended up ruling that no african american was a citizen and he was still a slave. -
In 1860, President Lincoln was elected president. This was important because it showed the division in the United States right before the Civil War. It was unusual because 4 people ran instead of 2. However, Lincolns being elected caused a huge outrage from people not in support of him. -
Forces from the Confederate States of America attacked the United States military at Fort Sumter. Less than two days later the fort surrendered. No one was killed, but this battle did start the Civil War. -
The Civil War was fought between the United States and the Confederate States of America. The conflict began primarily as a result of long-standing disagreement over the institution of slavery. -
The Morrill Act of 1862 allowed for states to establish public colleges funded by the development or sail associated federal land grants. This helped to benefit agriculture as well as mechanical arts. Over 10 million acres provided grants to tribal lands for Native Americans. -
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation as the nation approached the third year of the Civil War. The proclamation explained that all persons held as slaves should be free. This really helped to end slavery in the world. -
The Marshall Conference created the Marshall Plan that provided markets for American goods, and created reliable trading partners. It also supported the development of stable democratic governments in Western Europe. Many good things were able to come from this conference. -
In 1864, the US had a surprise attack on Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians. They killed over 160 men,women, children, and elderly. This was very important because it marked a huge change in the relationship between the Federal Government and the American Indian Tribes. -
On April 15, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington. People do not know why he did it and were devastated to here the news. -
The Reconstruction Act outlined the terms for readmission to represent the rebel states. It stated that southern states would be readmitted to the Union following the Civil War. -
The political backing to begin the impeachment of Johnson was after he breached the Tenture of Office Act by removing Edwin Stanton from the cabinet. This is important because it showed that the Congress was able to control unjust things that happen in the government. -
The Battle of Little Big Horn marked the most decisive Native American victory. It was also one of the U.S army's worst defenses during the war. This outraged white men because they said it confirmed that the Native Americans were blood thirsty. Sioux and Cheyenne won the battle, killing Custer and every single one of his men. -
In 1862, Congress passed the Homestead Act that provided 160 acres of federal land to anyone who was willing to farm it. This distributed acres to millions of settlers, and helped to accelerate the settlement in the western territories. This act however did start pushing Native Americans out of there territories, and cause them to crowd in other places. -
The creation of the first automobile was by Karl Benz. He gets the credit because his car was the first one to be created that was practical. It used gasoline-powered internal-combustion engine and worked just as modern cars do today. These creations continue to affect us today with the newer creations of vehicles, as well as the changes in travel. -
The DeLome letter was written by a Spanish Ambassador to the United States named Enrique Depuy de Lome. It criticized President William McKinley calling him weak, and saying he is only concerned with gaining the favor of the crowd. This letter enraged the American people. -
The United States declared war on Spain after the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana harbor. This war ended Spain's empire in the western hemisphere. It also secured the position of the United States as a Pacific power. The war ended on December 10, 1898 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. -
The Platt Amendment was a treaty that was created between Cuba and the U.S. that was made to protect Cuba's independence from foreign intervention. It limited Cuba's right to make treaties without other nations, and outlined the role that the United States had. The United States did this to help protect Cuba. -
The Meat Inspection Act of 1906 to prevent misbranded or adulterated meat products from being sold, and ensures that they are processed under sanitary laws. The main purpose was to prevent health hazards and foodborne pathogens from contaminating meets. The new law was important because it mandated food safety standards, and provided new tools to hold imported food to the same standards as domestic foods. -
The Great Migration was the relocation of Black southerners to northern and mid western cities. This included New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Pittsburgh. This was because they wanted to find more freedom and jobs. They wanted to be able to finally live lives like everyone else. This migration lasted from 1910-1940. -
The 16 Amendment gives the federal government or Congress the power to levy an income tax without the basis of the population. This amendment was a huge deal because people saw this as more fair for everyone. This amendment also enabled the passage for the Revenue Act. -
The Square Deal was Theodore Roosevelt's domestic program he created. It reflected three major goals; conserving natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection. This deal established that the president could establish their legislative goals for his administration. It also gained more government involvement in these areas. -
The Federal Reserve act was implemented to establish economic stability in the United States by introducing a central bank. This created the Federal Reserve System and was one of the most influential laws shaping the U.S. financial system. It also addressed the banking panics that were happening at the time. -
The National Women's Party was a women's political organization in America created to fight for women's suffrage. The goal was to adopt the Nineteenth amendment into the United States Constitution, and other issues that involved equal rights. It was created by Alice Paul, and Lucy Burns, two very feminist women who fought for their rights throughout the 1900's. -
The Keating-Owen Act was the first child labor bill passed. It banned the sales of products from anywhere that employed children under the age of 16. This was very important because it was helpful in getting government involvement in helping with this problem. It also led to more laws being passed to finally end child labor all together. -
The Sedition Act limited the free speech rights of U.S. citizens during the time of war. It made it a crime to convey information intended to interfere with war efforts. It was made to help with the war, and not let any citizens be against it. People were very against this act because it took away rights that Americans were supposed to have. -
The 19th Amendment was a huge accomplishment because it finally granted women the right to vote. It achieved a milestone that took decades of hard protest. This law continues to impact us today because without it women like me would not have the right to vote when they turn 18. Without this women would not get to share there political views in a fair way. -
The Volstead made it illegal to manufacture, sell, barter, import, etc, any alcoholic beverages. It formally started the National Prohibition Act. It gave a fine or penalty to anyone who does these things, being $10,000 or imprisonment that wont exceed five years. -
The National Origins act was enacted to reduce the number of immigrants that are allowed to enter the United States. It set immigration quotas for each European nation. This policy stayed in place for nearly three decades, and was not replaced until 1965. -
The Dust Bowl was a period of dust storms that damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian places in the 1930's. This lasted for about ten years and finally ended when rain returned in significant amounts to many areas of the Great Plains. This drought was very hard for many, and people thought it was never going to end. -
The Smoot-Hawley Tariff was created to increase U.S. farmer protection against agricultural imports. The consequence of this was raising tariffs made it harder for American farms and businesses to sell abroad. It also led to a decrease in the United States exports. This was said to fuel the stock market crash, and did the opposite of its intentions. -
The Revenue Act of 1932 raised US tax rates across the board, with the rate on top incomes rising from 25% to 63%. It was able to broaden the income tax base, and raised the corporate tax rate from 12 to 12.75%. This act replaced the act that was created in 1929. -
The Holocaust was the systematic persecution and murder of 6 million Jews that was organized by the Nazi State and its collaborators from 1933 to 1945. This group was led by Hitler, and he tortured and killed jews because of the belief systems that they had. This is a devastating attack, and is something that many still mourn today. -
The Agricultural Adjustment Act was a federal law passed in 1933 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. The law offered farmers subsidies in exchange for limiting their production of certain crops. People were very against the act because it messed up processes with taxes. It also ended up being ruled unconstitutional because it attempted to regulate and control agricultural production. -
This law was signed in by President Franklin Roosevelt to stimulate business, and spread available work among a larger number of workers. It limits hours of public worker programs, and increases individuals' purchasing power by establishing minimum wage rates. This ended in 1935 when the Supreme Court said it was invalid. -
This act was created to conserve and develop Indian lands and resources. It also extended Indians the right to form business and other organizations. This act encouraged and forced Native Americans to move to cities for job opportunities. It played a significant role in the population of urban Native Americans in succeeding decades. -
The Wagner Act was created to guarantee workers the right of collective bargaining sets down rules to protect unions and organizers. It lets unions negotiate with employers concerning hours, wages, and other terms of employment. This act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. -
The Social Security Act created a social insurance program that was created to pay retired workers age 65 or older a continuing income after retirement. It established old-age benefits for workers, unemployment insurance, and aid for dependent mothers and children. This act is so important because it continues to be something we have in America today, and without it many Americans would struggle. -
The REA was created to bring electricity to farms. This was created because nearly 90 percent of farms lacked power due to the cost of electricity. It provided energy projects financing electric funds. -
The Fair Labor Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, and young employment standards affecting employees in private sectors and in Federal, State, and local governments. It makes sure you get paid for all additional hours that you work on a job. This act is very important because t makes working fair, and continues as something we do in the United States today. -
The Lend-Lease act set up a system that would allow the US to lend and lease war supplies to all nations that are deemed "vital to defense of the United States." Initially this act was created to help Great Britain, but ended up expanding to include China and the Soviet Union. -
Pearl Harbor was when Japan attacked the US naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This surprise attack was by 350 Japanese aircraft that sunk and badly damaged eighteen US naval vessels. It killed 2,403 men, and 300 US aircraft.This was a huge attack that set off an entire way between the US and Japan. -
The double V campaign was launched in an African American newspaper. It stood for victory abroad and victory at home. It championed military success against fascism overseas, and victory at home gave equality for African Americans in the United States. This article made a huge impact on the roles that they had in society. -
The Manhattan Project is known as one of the most transformative events of the 20th century. It ushered in the nuclear bomb age because of the world's first atomic bomb. American scientists took steps in 1939 to organize this project and get it to win. -
Operation D-Day brought together the land, air, and sea forces. This was known as the largest invasion force in human history. The operate delivered five naval assault divisions to beaches of Normandy, France. This was America's big response to Hitler, and the Soviet Union. -
The Yalta Conference was when Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill came together to discuss the conditions under which the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan. All three agreed that in exchange for potentially crucial Soviet participation in the Pacific theater. This was strange for many because many did not trust Stalin and did not understand why Roosevelt would. -
The Potsdam Conference was known as President Truman's conversation with Stalin. It was decided that Germany would be occupied by the Americans, British, and French from the Soviets. It would also be disarmed. German industry was capable of being used for military purposes was to be dismantled and the defeated country's educational and judicial systems to be purged. -
The Taft Harley Act prohibited secondary boycotts, making it unlawful for a union that has a primary dispute with one employer to pressure a neutral employer to stop doing business with the first employer. This act has many detractors who feel the act has hurt labor laws and decreased worker rights. The main purpose was to stop employers from doing business with the first employer. -
This is a Supreme Court case that held that restrictive covenants in real property deeds which prohibited the sale of property to non-whites unconstitutionally violate the equal protection provision of the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision of this court was that the covenants do not violate the Fourteenth Amendments. -
The Brown v Board of Education started after Linda Brown was denied entrance to Topeka's all white elementary school. The Supreme Court issued a unanimous 9-0 decision in favor of the Brown family. This was a big step towards turning over the separate but equal idea that the court held. -
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. She was arrested for this because it was seen as a crime. 1Her courageous act of protest was considered the spark that ignited the Civil Rights movement. It was a huge deal that made a huge impact on African American life. -
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a civil rights protest during which African Americans refused to rise city buses in Alabama to protest segregated seating. The boycott lasted from December 5,1955 to December 20, 1956. It was regarded as the first large-scale U.S. demonstration against segregation. -
The March on Washington was a full march for jobs and freedom. It was lead by civil rights leaders to protest racial discrimination and to show support for major civil rights. This march included Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. This date is super important and something that everyone remembers. -
Congress finally passed the Civil Rights Act that prohibits the discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. This forbids any discrimination including, hiring, promoting, and hiring. This act was a huge deal and finally ended the civil journey that people fought for for a very long time. -
The Voting Rights Act was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson. It aimed to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote. It was seen as unconstitutional under the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution. -
The AIM was created to curb racial profiling in Minneapolis and give a voice to Native Americans living in the city. This movement was a national influence and ultimately died out with time. This inspired policies that continue to live on to this day, -
The 9/11 attacks involved the hijacking of four planes that were used to strike three different U.S. sites. It started with two planes flying into the Twin Towers, and a third hitting the Pentagon. This was a huge scare to America, and has caused plane searches and security to rise in America ever since.