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Founding of Jamestown
Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement on the American continent, founded upon a swampy delta in eastern Virginia. The original settlers sought out precious metals, but reform turned the fort into a timber and tobacco powerhouse. In 1618, Jamestown faced a labor shortage so the headright system was established, which gave 50 acres of land to any man who paid for his passage to the colony. Families were encouraged to move together as they were each guaranteed 50 acres. -
Pilgrims and Puritans
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Bacon's Rebellion
Nathaniel Bacon led this armed uprising of Virginian farmers (mostly indentured servants) against the governor William Berkeley. The farmers were constantly under threat from native tribes that the government did little to nothing to protect their citizens against. Jamestown, the capital at the time, was burned down in this rebellion. The main lasting effect of this was the fall of indentured servitude and the rise of slavery. -
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Deism
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Great Awakening
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Mercantilism and Salutary Neglect
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Effects of the French and Indian War
At the end of the war, Britain acquired both French Canada and Spanish Florida, in addition to establishing the British Empire as the chief power in North America, and the empire with the strongest navy. The main effect, however, was the end of salutary neglect in the colonies as the crown had to pay back its massive war debt. The Proclamation of 1763 was also put into law, preventing colonists from settling west of the Appalachians, though it had little success. -
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Revolutionary War
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Declaration of Independence
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Articles of Confederation
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British Violations of the Treaty of Paris
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Land Ordinance of 1785
This Congressional ordinance provided the means for which the government divided and sold plots of land in the Northwest Territory to prospective settlers. Each plot was six-miles square and the ordinance created the grid system still used in development today -
Land Ordinance of 1787
Also called the Northwest Ordinance, this legislation formally created the Northwest Territory and put into the place the regulations that would determine whether or not a new state in this region could be admitted to the Union. These regulations called for a population of at least 60,000, a congressionally appointed governor, secretary, three judges, and an elected assembly, as well as an approved bill of rights. -
Constitution
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The Founding Fathers and Political Parties
The Founding Fathers assumed no well-defined political parties would arise, but the division between Federalists and Anti-Federalists proved otherwise. Washington, in his farewell address, warned of the dangers of parties, but his words were largely unheard. -
Hamilton's Economic Plans
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Lowell System
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The Bill of Rights
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Washington's Neutrality Proclamation
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Eli Whitney & the Cotton Gin
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Washington's Farewell Address
Washington's published farewell address is as famous as it is ironic, as his main points were for Americans to not get involved in European affairs, form no permanent alliances, form no political parties, and to not fall into sectionalism -- all of which the nation did at one point or another. -
Alien & Sedition Acts
In the wake of the XYZ Affair, John Adams passed two of the most unpopular laws in US history. The Alien Act made it harder to become a naturalized citizen as well as being easier to deport, while the Sedition Act made it a criminal offense to publicly (in print) criticize the government. Both acts expired shortly after the election of Jefferson. -
Cult of Domesticity
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Election of 1800
The results of this election swept the Federalist party from both the presidency and Congress in what was known as the "Revolution of 1800". The shift of control from Federalists to Democratic-Republicans was a peaceful one, setting a precedent for elections to come. -
Early 19th Century Authors
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Manifest Destiny
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Marbury v. Madison
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Louisiana Purchase
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War of 1812
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Hartford Convention
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American System & Clay-Whig Policies
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Missouri Compromise
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Transcendentalism
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Monroe Doctrine
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Andrew Jackson
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William Lloyd Garrison
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Tariff of Abominations & Nullification Crisis
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Mexico & Election of 1844
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Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
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Seneca Falls Convention
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Popular Sovereignty
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Compromise of 1850
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Kansas-Nebraska Act
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Irish Immigration & The Nativist Party
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Dred Scott Decision
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John Brown & Harper's Ferry
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Republican Policy on Slavery in 1860
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Civil War
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Emancipation Proclamation
