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Aug 12, 1492
Columbus Discovers The Americas
On a voyage to find a better route to Asia Columbus stumbled upon parts of Central and South America. This began the process of different countries vying for control of the territory through colonization. -
Founding Of Jamestown
Jamestown was a major turning point for the English because it was the first successful colony that they had been able to put into place. In the end, the colony stuck around for a long time and even served as the capital of Virginia for a while. -
House Of Burgesses Established
The House of Burgesses was the first General Assembly to be elected in the English colonies. Its impact lasted for a long time and played a major role in establishing a democratic government after the Revolutionary War. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first thing resembling a written constitution in the Americas. It ended up serving a guideline for some of the other most important documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution which is still what we are governed by today. -
First Thanksgiving
After their first successful harvest, the Pilgrims had a large feast, and often times it is depicted that the Wampanoag were also there although why they came and if they really feasted with the Pilgrims is disputed. However, either way, the holiday has become a staple of American culture and is still celebrated today. -
¨City On A Hill¨ Sermon
The ¨City on a Hill¨ sermon was delivered as John Winthrop and his fellow settlers were traveling to New England. It was mainly about how the Massachusetts Bay Colony would serve as a religious example for the rest of the world. -
New England Legalizes Slavery
Slave labor in New England started off small but quickly gained popularity as the richer colonists began to purchase slaves to do their household tasks. This was the beginning of a sad trend of the popularity of slavery. -
Bacons Rebellion
Bacon´s Rebellion was a rebellion involving armed settlers and even slaves, and was led by Nathaniel Bacon. It put fear into the minds of the White Elites as many of them had been slain at the hands of the participants of the rebellion. -
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Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was the first great religious movement in America and produced many of the most famous sermons of all time. The most popular was titled, ¨Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God¨, and was preached by Jonathon Edwards. -
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Seven Years War
The Seven Years war was a war between the British and French who were both dominant world powers at the time. The war gave the colonists more freedom due to the salutary neglect brought on by the war. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 set boundaries as to where the colonists could travel, with one of the main boundaries being the Appalachian Mountains. This marked the end of salutary neglect by Britain. -
Sugar Act
The sugar act was the first of numerous tariffs placed on goods by the British. They did this to pay off the debts from the French and Indian War. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the United States. After a while under the articles though Americans began to see how flawed they were, which led to there eventual replacement. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre occurred when a mob of colonists confronted several British soldiers. In the end, the soldiers fired shots and 5 colonists ended up dead. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was in retaliation to the recent actions by the British monarchy such as the different acts and the Boston Massacre. The event was organized by the Sons of Liberty. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting held between 12 of the 13 colonies and was held in response to the recent intolerable acts. It pretty much told Britain that if they didn't ease up they would begin to protest British goods. -
Shot Heard Around The World
The "Shot Heard Round The World", refers to the first shot in the battle of Concord. This one shot began the war for freedom from Britain known as the Revolutionary War. -
2nd Continental Congress
The 2nd Continental Congress was a meeting between the 13 colonies to unite them for the Revolutionary war. It also established the continental army. -
Common Sense- Thomas Paine
Common Sense was written as an anti-British rule pamphlet encouraging the colonists to fight to rule themselves. It placed a specific emphasis on the common people of the colonies, trying to get them too to fight. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is one of the most well-known documents in American history because it was the official document stating that the colonies would be free from British rule. -
Washington Selected to Lead the Continental Army
This is one of the biggest moments in American History because was the first major role that the future first president of the United States had. It also was even more impressive that Washington was able to lead a Ragtag group of soldiers to victory. -
France Allies with America
The French becoming an ally to the Americans during the Revolutionary War was a huge moment for the Americans. This allowed the Americans to be provided with economic and military support. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was so significant because it officially ended the Revolutionary War. The treaty ensured that America was recognized by Britain as an independent country. -
Constitution Put Into Effect
The most popular document in American history outlines the way Americans are to be governed and the basic rights that we are granted. As everyone should know the same constitution signed then is still in place today. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights was in addition to the constitution because the founding fathers knew as time progressed things would need to be amended. But to begin with, the Bill of Rights only started with 10 amendments. -
Election of 1800
The election of 1800 represented a shift from the original political parties which were Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Instead, the Democratic-Republicans and Whigs burst onto the scene with the Democratic-Republicans dominating. -
Judiciary Act
The Midnight Judges were appointed by Adams in a last-ditch attempt to help extend the effects of the ideals of the Federalists. It ended up becoming such a mess that it required the Judiciary Act was needed so that there would not need to be "circuit riders", anymore. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana purchase was a steal for the United States because of the amount of land they got, for such little money, from France who had no use for it. However, Jefferson the president at the time purchased the land without congressional approval which was a very dominant move for a president to make. -
Embargo Act
The Embargo Act was signed by Thomas Jefferson and prohibited America from taking place in foreign trade. It was designed to show Britain and France that hey could not stand without American goods but actually devastated the American economy. -
Non-Intercourse Act
The Non-Intercourse Act removed embargos from American exports but as the Embargo Act did it ended up lessening the strength of the American economy instead of its competition. -
Battle of Tippecanoe
The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought over the expansion of the white into the Native American lands. This conflict was short-lived only lasting one day before the U.S. secured victory. -
War of 1812
The war of 1812 was fought between the U.K. and the U.S. and had several causes. The United States felt that some of the laws that Britain was passing were hindering their ability to trade with anyone else while the other side felt like America was becoming to land-hungry. -
McCullogh vs. Maryland
McCullogh vs. Maryland was a case based on the legality of the national bank and whether or not the taxes the state of Maryland was placing on it were as well. In the end, the outcome of the case further increased the power the federal government had over state governments. -
Missouri Compromise
Unfortunately at this time in the U.S. slavery was running rampant and many believed that without it our economy would collapse so as new states were admitted it was always a battle as to whether they would be slaveholding or non-slaveholding states. This was true when Missouri and Maine joined the country and in the end, it was decided that Missouri would be admitted as a slave state, and Maine would not be. -
Corrupt Bargain
The Corrupt Bargain was an agreement thought to have been made between Henry Clay and Adams in order to allow Adams into office and Henry Clay into a high governmental position as well. -
Tariff of Abominations
The Tariff of Abominations was put into place to help preserve the Northern industry and protect them from foreign competition, but in doing this the South was affected in a negative way. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by Andrew Jackson and forced the Natives to move from the lands they had lived on for their whole lives so that Americans could expand westward. -
Nat Turners Rebellion
Nat Turners Rebellion was a slave rebellion that killed 51 whites in Virginia. The rebellion brought attention to the awful ways slaves were treated but in the end, it causes stricter legislation against the slaves. -
Tariff of 1832
The Tariff of 1832 decreased the tariff that had been set in 1828 in order to appease the South, however, it did not and protests and rebellions began to break out which caused military action to be needed. -
Force Bill
The Force Bill was put into place under Andrew Jackson and allowed him to use military enforcement to go collect from unwilling South Carolinians who were unhappy with the tariffs. -
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was an economic recession that many say was caused by Andrew Jackson's decision not to renew the Second Bank of the United States. During the time period, unemployment skyrocketed while salaries fell. -
William Harrison Dies
William Henry Harrison is the shortest tenured president of all time, dying only 31 days into his first term. -
Repeal of the Gag Rule
The Gag Rule was originally put into place to stop discussions on the legal level about ending slavery. However, many began to see how unfair this was and it was eventually repealed in a bi-partisan vote. -
Texas Annexed from Mexico
The annexation of Texas came after Texas had tried to declare independence from Mexico. When it was admitted as the 28th state it once again sparked the slave state or free state debate. -
Mexican War
The Mexican War was fought between the United States and Mexico and was mainly causes by the border dispute between Mexico and Texas. In the end, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed and ended the war. -
Oregon Treaty
The Oregon Treaty was signed to settle a land disagreement between the U.S. and Great Britain and in the end, the U.S. got everything South of the 49th parallel while Great Britain got everything North. -
Fugitive Slave Law
While it may have seemed that the Compromise of 1850 was purely a step forward for ending slavery that was not the case because of this component mainly which required slaves to be returned to their owners even in a free state. -
Abolishion of Slave Trade in DC
The abolition of slavery in Washington DC came along with the Compromise of 1850. -
Unle Tom's Cabin
It may not seem that a single book could have an effect on the outcome of a country but this was the case for Harriet Beecher Stowe's, "Uncle Tom". "Uncle Tom" was an anti-slavery book that many believe sped up the coming of the Civil War. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act was put into place as a replacement to the Missouri Compromise and left the choice of whether there would be slavery in these territories up to the people living in them. However, there was no way to make sure the people voting on the matter actually lived in the area and many votes were thrown in favor of slavery. -
Creation of Know Nothing Party
The Know-Nothing Party was comprised of extremist American Nationalists who believed that the United States should be purely for people who were born in the country thus firmly opposing immigration. -
Dred Scott vs. Sandford
Another big setback in the ending of slavery Dred Scott vs. Sanford ensured slave owners the right3 to their slaves because they were listed as property. -
Freeport Doctrine
The Freeport Doctrine was argued by Stephen Douglas who said that even though the Dred Scott decision had been decided that way slavery could still be excluded in territories by local governments. However, this method of preventing slaveries was thought of in a negative light because of the failed Kansas Nebraska Act. -
Hanging of John Brown
John Brown fought to abolish slavery by leading a raid on Harpers Ferry to steal weapons and ammunition but in the end, was stopped and hanged for treason. -
SC First of 11 States to Secede
With tensions running high between the North and South, southerners felt like they were being wronged so in response many southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States with Jefferson Davis as their President. -
Abrahamm Lincoln Elected
With the country falling apart American's sought a strong leader and found their man in Abraham Lincoln who defeated Stephen Douglas in the 1960 election. He was then tasked to guide America through one of the most challenging times in American history. -
Civil War
The Civil War is the deadliest war in American History and this is mainly due to the fact that it was Americans fighting Americans. The war broke out after an attack by the Confederacy on Fort Sumter and ended at Palmito Ranch. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln and declared all slaves in the United States as free. -
Freedmens Bureua
The Freedmen's Bureau was established shortly after the war by helping to aid Southern Reconstruction. It aimed to help poor Southerners both black and white but mainly focused on former slaves. -
Lincoln Assassinated
Shortly after the end of the Civil War white nationalist approached Abraham Lincoln from behind while he was watching a play and shot him. Booth then managed to escape from the theater but was later captured. -
Founding of the KKK
The KKK is one of if not the most famous white nationalist group ever. Known for their awful torment of African Americans one of the things people often associate with them is the burning of crosses although this was actually only adopted after a movie portrayed it. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act was passed in order to make it to where anyone born on U.S. soil would be considered citizens regardless of race. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment was put in place in order to allow African American men the right to vote. However, women of all races couldn't vote still. -
Whiskey Ring Scandal
The Whiskey Ring Scandal was a major scandal involving numerous government official and whiskey producers. The liquor tax at the time was 70 cents per gallon but the producers bribed the government officials in order to lower or avoid the tax. -
Tweed Scandal
Boss Tweed was able to create a political machine in New York by doing things such as promising jobs to people to ensure their votes and at the same time embezzled millions of dollars. -
Great Railroad Strike
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was caused by the B&O Railroad company. The company had cut wages for their workers three times in a single year which angered the workers who then went on strike until wages were increased. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was an act that prevented an entire ethnic group from immigrating into America with the thought process behind it being to preserve jobs for American born citizens. -
Pan-American Conference
The Pan American conference was held to increase communication between the U.S. and Latin America with the ultimate goal of increasing trade. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was put into action under Benjamin Harrison in order to defeat the monopolies that were beginning to emerge at the time. -
Pullman Strike
The Pullman Strike was against the businessman and owner of the Pullman company George Pullman. George had created a community for his workers to live in but when he decreased wages and executed layoffs he did not decrease rent which led many without a home and job. -
Plessey vs. Ferguson
Although slavery had been ended and African Americans were slowly beginning to gain more rights there was still heavy racism remaining in the United States. This was evident by the upholding of the racial segregation laws in the United States stating that blacks and whites were "separate but equal". -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris marked the end of the Spanish American War which had been fought because of the Spanish rule over Cuba and the Philippines. In the end, Spain ceded these territories to the U.S. -
William Mckinley and Teddy Roosevelt
This is kind of a funny event in history because Teddy Roosevelt was never supposed to be the vice president. The Republican party put him in a different position to get him out of the way but due to an unfortunate death, he ended up becoming Vice-President. -
Teddy Roosevelt On His Own
Teddy Roosevelt was never supposed to be vice president and definitely not the president but another untimely death this time being Mckinley. However, after assuming the role he was so well-liked that he easily won in 1904 as well. -
Northern Securities Monopoly Split Apart
The Northern Securities railroad company was in charge of the Northern Pacific Railway, Great Northern Railway, and the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad. The three companies being combined allowed them to form a monopoly thus being able to charge whatever they wanted until hey eventually lost a court case and were split apart. -
The Jungle
"The Jungle", was a book authored by Upton Sinclair and had a lesser but still strong effect on the labor movement as "Uncle Tom" did for slavery. The book mainly focused on the meatpacking industry and how nasty and corrupt it was. -
William Howard Taft Elected
William Howard Taft built off of what Teddy Roosevelt had started and his main campaign promise was to do just that and in the end, it got him elected. -
FBI Formed
The FBI was created by Charles Bonaparte and was originally called the BI or BOI before the Federal part of the name was added on. -
4 Way Election
The election of 1912 may be one of the most if not the most confusing election of all time. With Teddy Roosevelt joining the mix again along with Eugene Debs in the running there ended up being 4 candidates with Wilson taking home the win. -
Neutrality in WWI
Woodrow Wilson ran on a strict neutrality policy and stayed true to that when he declared neutrality at the beginning of WWI. However, America was eventually forced into the war. -
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal was important for the U.S. because it greatly decreased the cost of shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. -
Lusitania Sunk by Germans
The Lusitania was not an American vessel but instead a British passenger ship, however, when sunk by a German torpedo there were Americans on board. This angered most Americans citizens and caused America to see an uptick in support for joining the war. -
Woodrow Wilson Wins Again
Woodrow Wilson garnered a lot of popularity in his first term as president with his progressive views although he was not credited as much as Roosevelt. Roosevelt tried to join the race again but the Republican party was able to convince the Progressive party to just support Wilson. -
U.S. Rejects Leauge of Nations
Post-War the allied powers had many meetings and in those meetings discussed ways that they could ensure that this wouldn't happen again. However, Wilson came to these meetings with his own plan consisting of 14 points, and when that was pretty much pushed off the table he refused to join the league of nations. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was sent from Germany to Mexico promising Mexico their territories back that the United States now had control over if they would aid Germany in the war. However, it was intercepted by the British who told the United States and it ended up being one of the final things that got the U.S. involved in the war. -
Declaration of War on Germany
With all the recent events surrounding WWI that were negatively affecting the U.S., the U.S finally declared war on Germany in a landslide vote of 82 to 6. Though they came in towards the tail end of the war they were able to greatly shift the war in favor of the allies and most likely allowed it to end quicker than it would have. -
Espionage Act
The Espionage basically went hand in hand with the Sedition Act and was put in place to assure that Americans would not be aiding foreign countries. -
Sedition Act
The Sedition Act was seen by many as an encroachment on free speech since it outlawed anti-government speech. -
18th Amendment
The eighteenth amendment banned all sale and distribution of alcohol but gave way for the rise of bootleggers and mobsters who distributed alcohol for a living. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was the main treaty issued to end the war and one of the big parts of it was that Germany would accept full responsibility for the war. -
Scopes Trial
The Scopes trial was fought in court between Tennesee and John Scopes who was accused of teaching evolution in school. -
Stock Market Crash
The cause of the great depression was the stock market crash and affected everyone in the U.S. although the people who were already poor had it worse. -
Great Depression
The Great Depression was one of the hardest times in American History with poverty and unemployment at an all-time high. -
Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl was numerous dust storms that swept the prairies of America causing severe damage and if caught outside killed anyone in its path. This coupled with the great depression caused America to be in a state of turmoil. -
Al Capone Arrested
The biggest bootlegger and mobster of the time Al Capone racked up millions but was able to evade charges for years before being charged with tax evasion. -
Emergency Banking Act of 1933
The emergency banking act of 1933 was put into place by FDR in order to create regional federal banks in order to look over smaller local banks. -
2nd New Deal
The Second New Deal had the main focus of trying to ensure that Unions would be protected. It also sought to protect farmers as well. -
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs that FDR put into place in order to help right the economy and help the U.S. out of the depression. -
Lend-Lease Act
The lend-lease act was put into place by FDR in order to try and maintain U.S. neutrality by only allowing the lending and leasing of supplies but no selling. -
Pearl Harbor
The attacks by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor caught America completely off guard as the American's hadn't been involved in any combat up to this pint in the war, however, this was the last straw for America. -
D-Day
The D-Day invasions at Normandy by the allied forces was the largest invasion by sea to date and was very deadly as there was around 435,000 deaths total. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
The bombing of Hiroshima was the United States' attempt to put a quick end to the Japanese aggression in WWII. It was effective but many lives were lost since it was the first atomic bomb to be dropped in the history of the world. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was not an act or law but rather a term used to describe the United States foreign policy plan at the time which was to contain Soviet expansion.