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Catholic, Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella finance Christopher Columbus's voyage to the discovery of a new continent as part of the Reconquista. When Columbus arrived he believed he had reached Asia (the west indies) and claims the land in Spain's name. This was indicative of Spain's fall from grace as Columbus brought back no gold like he promised and the Reconquista did not result in the national unity they so desired. This also represents the beginning of the Colombian exchange. -
The first English colony (considered successful) in the Americas. Settlers were often haunted by disease and hardship because of their inexperience and lack of supplies. They survived off of subsistence farming until the growth of cash crops was introduced. The first English-owned slaves settled in America were from Jamestown. -
Separatists (Pilgrims) leave England in the mayflower and create a settlement named Plymouth. These settlers also created the Mayflower compact which established not a religious government but one governed by the people. They also received help from natives in order to keep their colony alive.
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One of the original English settlements created by puritan refugees. Roger Williams was banished for criticizing leadership within the group and eventually created the Rhode Island on the basis of freedom of religion. Ann Hutchinson flees persecution from the puritans who did not appreciate her criticisms of gender roles in their society and role as a preacher. -
An armed rebellion against governor William Berkeley by disgruntled settlers. This struggle over relations with natives and their land foreshadows later issues in American history. This would also be indicative of future class struggles, as poorer Virginians could not afford the same high tax rates which rich, tobacco farming settlers could. These issues left Jamestown in rubble. -
A series of accusations and hearings of witchcraft throughout colonial Massachusetts based in religious hysteria. This would be used as an example of the effects of religious extremism and isolationism in political contexts which would eventually help lead to movements such as the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening. -
A sermon by Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards which exemplifies the beliefs of damnation to an eternity in a fiery hell, Gods wrath, and the efforts it would take to be redeemed and earn a chance to go to heaven. He aimed to draw people in with fear of eternal punishment's. This represented one part of a larger trend in preaching in the colonies. -
This was a struggle for world supremacy between Great Britain and France. During the North American portion of this conflict the two sides fought over claims of land. With help of natives Great Britain eventually took a strong victory; though, this would lead to heavy anti-British and anti-native sentiments because of the British army's encroachment on American life. -
The Albany Plan was created to develop a unified government for the original thirteen colonies in order to more effectively combat the British. The plan was developed and promoted by Benjamin Franklin who was, at the time, a representative from Pennsylvania. It eventually failed because the colonial states wanted to preserve their autonomy. -
This proclamation forbade colonial settlements past the Appalachian mountains following the French and Indian war in attempt to keep them under British control. This made colonists extremely angry and they ignored the ruling and continued expanding west. This would mark a significant point where British-colonial relations would make a turn for the worse. -
A British-enacted tax aimed at preventing the illegal smuggling of sugar and molasses throughout the North American colonies. It was successful in reducing smuggling but also had the adverse effect of bringing portions of the Colonial economy to a screeching halt. -
A tax on the legal recognition of documents such as birth and death certificates, land agreements, and any others which would require a specialty stamp of approval. This mainly affected the merchant class and the wealthy. It was met with large protests and attacks on tax collectors. -
These were a series of acts which taxed imports to the American colonies, paid for government officials salaries, introduced more prominent vice-admiralty courts, suspended legislation in New York, and finally put a writ of assistance into use which allowed British forces to search anywhere they wished. Colonists fought against this with protests and they were eventually repealed in 1769. -
A deadly riot which resulted in the death of five Americans at the hands of British soldiers. The marketing around the incident sparked anti-British sentiments to exponentially grow from this point on. An image published by Paul Revere titled The Bloody Massacre is most accredited with bringing this incident into the public eye. -
A form of protest where American men, rallied by alcohol and public speakers, where they boarded British ships dressed as native Americans and threw Tea and other products into the ocean thereby ruining them. They caused some $1.7 million in damages. This infuriated the British and caused them to tighten controls further. -
The Intolerable Acts were a series of punitive laws passed by the British in reaction to the Boston Tea Party. These were meant to punish those who were unhappy with British ruling. These acts included the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, The Quartering Act, and the Quebec Act. -
This first congress convened in Philadelphia and aimed to discuss the boycott of British goods and establish the rights of Americans. They also planned a Second Continental Congress in which they would discuss issuing paper currency, raising an army, and the main function of a federal government. -
This was the first battle of the revolutionary war and took place in Massachusetts. It was a resounding victory for the colonists and proved that they could stand a chance in the face of a European and world superpower like Britain. -
As a last chance for the British government to reconcile with the American colonies, the continental congress appealed directly to King George III. He refused these measures and held onto his belief that the colonies should be under his control and his control only. -
This was a declaration of the American colonies' separation from the British state. In this document representatives from every state agreed on the main principles of unalienable rights of American citizens. These included life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. -
This was the first attempt of the colonies to establish their own form of centralized government which was approved after the second continental congress. This government failed because the government they organized could not collect taxes and ran out of funds. They also could not regulate interstate trade or foreign relations. -
A convention which took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to discuss the issue of how the newly independent states should be governed. Officially it was set to simply revise the Articles of Confederation, but most of the delegates had other motives. -
The United States Constitution was enacted in 1776 and the bill of rights was added in 1791 because there was a lack of clear guidelines as to citizens rights and other things like due process. These set the most important precedents of how federal government would play a role in American life. -
Created many difference precedents during his presidency including the formation of his cabinet, the first national bank, the two term limit, and the farewell address. He also was responsible for enacting Hamilton's financial plan, the neutrality proclamation, and Pickneys treaty. -
Important events during Adam's presidency include the XYZ affair, Alien and Sedition acts, began the debate over issues of southern nullification of federal rulings. His "midnight appointments" placed more federalist judges in power and eventually leads to Marbury v. Madison. -
During Jefferson's presidency he accomplished many feats such as doubling the size of the United States by brokering the Louisiana Purchase, Establishing the military academy, and finally mapped almost the entirety of the unsettled western land in North America by sponsoring Lewis and Clark. This was a huge scientific and geographic step forward. -
The first and arguably most important decision of Madison's Presidency was a declaration of war on Britain in 1812. Though this was a short war there were many important events such as the Battle of New Orleans, the Hartford convention and end of the federalist party, and the American system lobbied for by Henry Clay. -
Monroe's service was characterized as part of the era of good feelings. He oversaw large portions of westward expansion (manifest destiny) and Strengthened foreign policy with the Monroe doctrine which warded away European powers from further attempts at claiming North American lands.. -
This ruling by the supreme court which defined the role of the national bank and is often referred to as the most important court ruling in its history. The necessary and proper clause established the precedent for congress to create a national bank. -
This compromise conducted by Henry Clay stipulated that Missouri could enter the Union as a slave state and Maine would enter as a free state. Any state to enter after these two would have to be south of the 36th parallel. This would further drive North-South tensions leading up to the civil war.
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Signed into law by president Andrew Jackson, this act authorized grants of western land to be given in return for traditional Native American lands. though some went peacefully, most resisted this policy. These groups were either outright slaughtered or forced to march to their new homes. These were often temporary because as soon as any valuable resource was discovered, the tribe would immediately be moved once again. Thousands died of starvation and exposure along the Trail of Tears. -
Also known as the Southampton Insurrection, this was a Rebellion made up of enslaved Virginians led by Nat Turner (a black preacher). These rebels killed at least 50 people, nearly all of whom were white. Most of those who participated were used as examples of the consequences of rebellion against the slave system and were executed. some 200 others were killed in "retribution" by whites. This eventually lead to the creation of Southern slave codes (later renamed black codes). -
To deal with the economic struggles President Jackson left him, Van Buren proposed the creation of an independent treasury to handle federal funds. His presidency is also marked by his refusal to support the annexation of Texas. Since the American people held this issue so near to their hearts this would eventually cost him reelection. -
A financial crisis which occurred at the very beginning of van Buren's presidency. President Jacksons economic policies are often given the blame for this depression, specifically his refusal to renew the charter of the Second Bank of the United States. -
Giving up its independence in return for statehood, Texas was annexed in 1845 and became the 28th state. Before that, Texas had been a part of Mexico where American settlers were allowed to live as long as they followed certain terms. Eventually Americans who lived in this area declared independence and were met with backlash from Mexico. They could not stand their own as an independent nation and had to become part of the Union to survive. -
This war between the United States and Mexico was mainly caused by Mexico's unwillingness to recognize Texan independence, the desire for the annexation of Texas, and American preconceived beliefs of the right of westward expansion. This reopened the issue of slavery in political discussions of the time. -
A treaty which set the norther border between the United States and British North America (now Canada) at the 49th parallel. This solved the issue of growing tensions over the joint ownership they had over this land. -
This treaty ended the Mexican-American war. By its terms Mexico seceded part of its land (present day Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah) and recognized the Rio Grande as the border between Mexico and the United States. This displaced millions of former Mexican citizens in new U.S. territories. -
The compromise of 1850 was a set of five different bills intended to quell political disruption between the Northern and Southern states. These provisions stated that California would be admitted to the Union as a free state, the remainder of Mexican land was divided into the territories of New Mexico and Utah, Texas would be paid $10 million for their part of the land, the fugitive slave act would be enacted, and the slave trade (but not slavery) was to be abolished in the District of Colombia. -
This Act repealed the Missouri compromise, created two new territories, and allowed for popular sovereignty among the states on the issue of slavery. This was a direct cause of bleeding Kansas. -
A period of violent outbreaks between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups after the creation of the new territory of Kansas. Although only around 55 people dies over the course of four years these events were indicative of growing tensions in the areas and throughout the country. -
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union citing "states rights". This was the culmination of years of tension between Southern and Northern economies and cultures and one of the most important events leading to the civil war. -
Built after the war of 1812, Fort Sumter is a military base on an artificial island in Charleston harbor where the first shots of the civil war were fired. The Battle of Fort Sumter was eventually considered a win for the Confederacy after Union leader Robert Anderson surrendered. -
A proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln which stated "all person held as slaves" within the Confederate states are from there on free as Union forces would capture the land they live on. The issue that radical republicans saw with this is that while slaves in Southern Confederate states would be freed, those in border states (Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, West Virginia) within the union were still kept in bondage for the time being. -
This amendment stated that any person naturalized or born in the United states is legally a citizen and is entitled to all of the rights that all others have within the U.S. and their state. It also did not allow any formerly insurrectionist or secessionist people to hold office in courts, congress, state legislature, or any other position. This was a direct result of fears of confederate leaders gaining power and instilling racist laws or advocating for new secession movements. -
This amendment adopted to our constitution in 1869, meant the right of any eligible citizen to vote could not be infringed upon legally on the basis of skin color, race, or previous life in slavery. This was the last of the three Reconstruction amendments. -
A financial depression which lasted for four years and stagnated the United State's economical influence for a few decades. The leading causes were American inflation after the civil war and railroad speculatory investments. This set off a spark of bank failures and unemployment throughout the U.S. (though the industrial Northeast was hit the hardest). -
An unwritten deal which settled the undetermined presidential election. The result was federal troops were pulled out of the South and the era of reconstruction came to an official end, even though the process was rushed and unfinished. -
The siege of Santiago was the last major operation on the Spanish-American war. It ended with the battle of San Juan Hill and the destruction of what little naval power the Spanish had left, leaving them without support and surrounded by U.S. forces. -
The Panama canal was built to cut travel time for maritime trade between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans down significantly. After failed attempts by the French to build the canal, Americans took control in 1904 and eventually opened it for worldwide use in 1914. -
President Woodrow Wilson was elected in 1912 and served an integral role in the legal facet of women's rights, labour rights, and more. He contributed to women's rights by ratifying the nineteenth amendment which gave women the right to legally vote. He supported laws which prohibited child labor and set the pathway for the education system we have today. He also supported railroad workers in their efforts to have an eight hour work day mandated. This later became the gold-standard. -
Woodrow Wilson proclaimed America’s neutrality in the First World War, a position that was extremely popular with the general public. This came along with the hope that America could stay neutral both in ideology and action. This policy did not last long as the actions Germany would take would force the US to feel inclined to join in the fight. Americans would not accept that Germany could be allowed to strike an American ship without consequence and Wilson was moved to join the war effort. -
The RMS Lusitania was a British registered ship which was struck by a German Navy U-boat near ireland. This signifies to the world that Germany had no mercy, including for the innocent who were much like those they murdered upon this ocean liner. Actions like this would eventually force other countries to join the fight, most notibly the United States, and would lead to the overwhelming defeat of the Germans. -
This was a secret communication between Germany and Mexico which proposed that if America were to enter the war that Mexico should side with the Germans in return for financial aid. This was yet another factor that would push the United States into joining the war. This was also considered Britain's greatest information grab during the first world war. -
After many exhausting events pushing the United States towards the war beyond their will, they were finally pushed past their breaking point and joined the allied forces. This would be one of the major events that would ensure Germany's defeat because of America's social, economic, and military influence. They would once again prove themselves on the world stage as a major force to be reconned with. -
Due to the fear that anti-war messaging in speeches and pamphlets could undermine the war effort congress passed these acts. These acts made it illegal in a general sense to criticize the foreign policy decisions of the United States Government. This majorly affected freedom of speech during this time period and allowed many actions taken by the government go unquestioned due to fear of legal repercussions. -
This predecessor to the United Nations was the first intergovernmental group on this large of a scale. This set the precedent for the existence of an international council which could preside over various intercontinental issues. They aimed to prevent wars and mediate conflicts, encourage disarmament, and adress other concerns like the safety of natives, protection of the environment, and mitigation of drug trafficking. -
This event included the first ever presidential candidate being convicted of a crime and going to prison due to their collusion and accepting of bribes from oil companies and was the greatest American political scandal until watergate. This was a major facet of the loss of trust Americans had in their government following the First World War and preceding the Great Depression. -
The significantly period of speculation on the part of banks on wall street caused the initial collapse of the stock market and kicked off the great depression (in the view of urban America). It set forth what would be the biggest drop in the american economy to this day. It also caused the largest percentage of unemployment and natural disasters. This event only came to an end with the emergence of a wartime economy during WWII. -
This act aimed to make the use of bank assets safer, regulate banking systems, and prevent the promotion of speculative actions at the hands of banks. These were specifically targeted after the great depression began and came into full swing because of how commonly accepted it was that these were the causes. These actions and more have helped prevent economic collapse on the scale of the great depression from ever occuring again. -
The first new deal, passed both by congress and by executive order, aimed to support those working in agricultural sectors, the unemployed, and various other at-risk groups. They went about this by involving various social programs, new economic regulations, and financing reforms. These helped both those in need at the time of this issue and helped prevent people from being mistreated in the same manner in the future. -
This second act of the New Deal added onto its predecessor's ideas with the Wagner National Relations Act, the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, the Social Security Act, and more. These actions significantly changed the way American society would function in the future. This set the precedent for the government to be responsible for welfare and economic controls. -
This act required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. This act was significant because it was the first time the United States had ever called for a drought in a time of peace. This Gave the country a frame for how to best organize a draft in a timely, organized, and effective manner. This set the precedent for how a future draft should be conducted. -
This suprise military attack on a US naval base by the Japanese aimed to demolish American morale and eliminate the United State's closest path toward Japan's mainland. This resulted in the signing of Executive order number 9066. This order stated that all people of Japanese dissent must report themselves for internment due to the fear of Japanese spies on American soil. This would lead to racial tensions, mistreatment of Asian minorities within America, and the use of the attack as propaganda -
Atlantic charter conference was significant because it Supported the sense of ally ship between America and the British against axis forces. This would set the precedent for further actions during World War II at the joint hand of the allied powers. It showed a joint hope for free trade, a return to normalcy, and a period of significant peace between these major powers. -
Approved by Congress this act allowed the United States government to lend or lease equipment to any country they deemed integral to the safety of the United States. This would be applied to many different conflicts in the future of American history from this point on in the form of mainly artillery and weaponry. This allowed for proxywars to be fought later on in the cold war and allowed to United States to support rebel groups in many countries. -
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Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the sites of where the two nuclear bombs were dropped on japan. The goal of utilizing these intense weapons was to spare more casualties of American lives in another war and to put a swift into the conflict with Japan. This devastated Japan for a long period of time but they have since built back and free developed their connections with the United States. Most of the effects of the lingering radiation are no longer felt. -
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The Marshall Plan was a choice to provide Europe with a chance to rebuild after World War II with the economic support of the United States. The goal of this plan was to show large swaths of Europe that capitalism was a better choice than communism. They hoped that European citizens would see the prosperity that came along with being allied with the United States and the poverty that was associated with the Soviet union and make the logical choice. This worker exactly as planned. -
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This was a monumental Supreme Court ruling which said that state laws allowing racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional in any circumstance. Each of the consolidated cases involved Black children being barred from attending white-only schools. It was argued that this choice was in violation of the 14th amendment; specifically the Equal Protection Clause. -
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Emmitt Till was a 14-year old from Illinois who was lynched while visiting family in Mississippi. He was killed for allegedly offending a white woman. This caused outrage across the country, across racial lines, in both the city and countryside, and most importantly sent the message to Black Americans that not a single one of them was safe or protected in the United States. This would spark outrage in many places from various groups in the form of protests which often turned violent. -
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This campaign kicked off with Rosa Parks and her planned refusal to give up her seat to a white man (orchestrated by the NAACP). These protests showed the American public that Black Americans could use their power in numbers and their economic sway to enact social change. This would follow the trend of other forms of protest like restaurant sit-ins. -
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The Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed action who's blame can be placed on President Kennedy. He was given a plan from Dwight D Eisenhower and his inexperience he decided to scale back to the plants so much that it was no longer effective. This invasion would turn out to harm American-Cuban relations for many decades to come. -
The Cuban missile crisis occurred after it was discovered by intelligence forces Of the United States that there was a Soviet missile headed in the direction of Cuba. The United States already had fears that a nearby country could ally with Russia and allow them to use ICBM missiles closer to the homefront. They showed the level of mistrust and spying that was going on between the two countries. -
John F. Kennedy was assassinated during a parade through Dallas, Texas while he was campaigning for the next presidential race there. His death resulted in the Warren Commission and the House Select Committee on Assassinations. The Warren Commission, which was appointed by the newly sworn in Lyndon B. Johnson, was tasked with essentially putting together the facts of the crime. The USHSCA was established over a decade after Kennedy’s death and also released reports on people like MLK. -
The collection of speakers and artists (like poets) who were associated with organizations like SNCC and the NAACP who performed or preached on the steps of the Washington monument. This sparked a huge turn in the civil rights movement. It showcased their peacefulness, good intentions, popularity and helped push strong legislature through to secure civil rights for all Americans. -
As an ambitious set of policy decisons Promoted by Lyndon B. Johnson, This ideology set out to In cycles of poverty mainly within cities, reduce crime, eliminate inequality, and establish precedent for the preservation of nature. This included motions for Medicaid, Medicare, the civil rights act of 1964, headstart and many more. These had an astounding affect on the way the american public views these issues. -
The Civil Rights act of 1964 What's a landmark decision that outlawed discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sex, or color. This act was aimed towards racist hiring policies that promoted whites above blacks and other minorities in the United States. This act was also very effective in raising the morale within the movement and gave new hope to push towards better and more equal legislation that still continues today. -
This dangerous resolution in response to the events surrounding the gulf of tonkin allowed president johnson to take any action he deemed necessary. This was essentially the moment that the United States became completely entrenched in the Vietnam war. This was under the guise of preventing more destruction and conflict to occur but would end up with the united states involved in yet another world-changing conflict. -
The passing of this act marked a significant victory on the behalf of the civil rights movement. This won the right for all black citizens to be able to participate equally in democracy without the fear of intimidation, aggression, harassment or any other intentional barriers. This proved to the civil rights movement that in their future endeavors they should never stop at surface level appeasement, and that pushing against the status quo comes with its rewards. -
The rage that spewed from every corner of the civil rights movement after MLK's assassination fueled a widely observed period of mourning throughout the nation. This strong display of feelings towards such a beloved leader of the time would push forward the equal housing bill. This would mark the final major achievement of this era of civil rights. His life and death continues to affect the views around development in the area of civil rights to this day. -
The moon landing is the official end of the Soviet and American space race in the eyes of most American sources due to this implying we won a major victory over the Soviet Union. This was an important victory in the eyes of the American people because it proved to them that if the cold war wre to expand into the unknown field of space, the United States could hold its own. This raised morale amongst the general public and set the standard for American views on space development. -
In order to avoid nuclear war, Nixon utilized the core foreign policy of Détente to promote more communication between the capitalist United States and communist soviet union. This sets the precedent for how discussions between the remnants of the soviet union and current united states and Europe are conducted today. Strategies used today that originated with this strategy were regular summits and talks over control of arms. -
Watergate is considered the most influential political scandal in american history due to its extreme effects on the trust the American public has in their government. It involved president Nixon covering up actions taken by his political party in order to spy on their opponents (the democratic party). These actions are explicitly illegal and rather than expose his party and take the morally correct action Nixon chose to cover up these choices. -
President Ford granted Nixon a full pardon for any crimes he could have committed during his presidency. He cited a wish for the American public political sphere to return to a sense of normalcy. He believed that a drawn out trial would play a role in polarizing the public to an irreversible point. He created the legal precedent for this as there had been no situation like this before in American legal history. -
This accident was a partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island Nuclear plant and resulted in a cleanup process that took nearly 15 years and around $1 Billion. This was a major spark in the anti-nuclear movement. Popularly backed protests held across the country displayed how this movement had grown alongside the generation that witnessed the threat of nuclear war as a part of their everyday lives. -
During the second term of the Reagan Administration; this political scandal occurred when it was revealed that the US government had engaged in a secret operation which sold arms to Iran and hoped to use the proceeds to fund the Contras in Nicaragua. This caused dozens of officials to be indicted including the secretary of defense. This was one of the many scandals that scarred the presidencies of this era and caused the American public to have a new-found distrust in their government. -
Otherwise known as the Gulf War, this armed campaign in response to the invasion and occupation of Kuwait by Iraq. This set the precedent for large increases to the American military budget. It is often acclaimed with the title of the first “Space War” as it was the first extensive operation to use space-related technology. The United States Army would use Desert Storm to develop their multi-faceted techniques for fighting modern wars. -
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was established between Canada, The United States, and Mexico to eliminate all barriers standing in the way of free trade and investment in the Americas. This huge resulting free trade area increases economic development for all three countries. Some critics of this agreement say that we should value fair trade over free trade because this does not benefit all countries equally. -
With the tradgedy of the recent terrorist attacks on New York President Bush was moved by the American people to sign into law the Patriot act. This act sets the precedent for many American views on terrorism in the modern age. It would allow justification for further American involvement in the Middle East under the guise of solving the issue of world-wide terror organizations which threatened American social stability.
