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Virginia Company
The Virginia Company was an English trading company chartered by King James in 1606. Their Objective was to colonize east-coast america. The coast they settled on was named Virginia, after Elizabeth I. -
New England Puritans
Puritans were a group of religious colonizers who believed that the church of england had become too much like the roman catholic church. They sought to reform the church, and end the corruption and bigotry within it. These puritans came to Plymouth to practice their own beliefs without interference. -
Bacons Rebellion
started as a fight over Virginia's Indian policy, Opechancanough attacked again in 1644, Nathaniel Bacon accused the grandees or elite planters that they used the government for personal gain, governor Berkeley called for a new election and lost, Bacon passed Bacon's Laws that gave people a voice in government, Bacon declared war against Berkeley and fought the Indians, did not dislodge grandee power- strengthened them. -
Great Awakening
Instigated by Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield preached messages of sin and salvation, communicated that every soul mattered, bridged colonial divides of faith region class status. -
Molasses Act
An act that put a tax on molasses. The prices were 6 pence per gallon on any molasses purchased from non-British sources. The purpose was to discourage French Caribbean trade. This failed. -
Albany Congress
An assembly created with the goal was to repair relations with Indians and secure their help against the French. Albany Plan of Union- proposed a colonial government for war and defense policies. This was, at the time, rejected. But, it put the idea of independence into peoples minds. -
7 Years War
A war between The British and the French. Conflict began over land in the Ohio Valley where French traded with indians. Pennsylvanians and Virginians infringed on the territory. The French sent soldiers and built forts like Fort Duquesne. The French and Indians allied together against George Washington. Treaty of Paris resolved. -
Treaty of Paris
Treaty that ended the French Indian wars. The treaty included France giving up all territories in mainland North America. This effectively ended all French military threats against British colonies. -
Proclamation of 1763
After the French Indian war, The British acquired more land to the west. When colonists rightfully wanted to expand, the British government put the proclamation of 1763 into place. This prohibited any travel past a certain line. Colonists disobeyed this, and were "punished" by not having British protection. -
Revenue Act / Sugar Act
An act/law that attempted to curb the smuggling of sugar and molasses in the colonies. They did this by reducing the previous tax rate and enforcing the collection duties. -
Stamp Act
An act by the British parliament that exacted revenue from the American colonies by imposing a stamp duty on newspapers and legal and commercial documents. Colonial opposition resulted in the removal of the act in 1766. -
Virginia Resolves
A series of resolutions passed by the Virginia house of Burgesses in response to the Stamp act. This argues that Virginia alone had the right to tax virginians. Colonists saw them as radical. -
Boston Massacre
A deadly riot that resulted in the death of 5 innocent colonists. The colonists were protesting directly to British soldiers, and the soldiers opened fire on the colonists. This caused outrage across the colonies. -
Coercive Acts + Quebec Act = Intolerable Acts
Laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774. These were the result of the Boston tea party. The laws were meant to punish colonists for thinking that they could stand up and retaliate against the crown. -
Tea Act
A law passed by the British parliament that gave the East India Company the right to directly ship its tea to North America and the right to the duty-free export of tea from britain. Colonists claimed that the act was violating their rights as englishmen. -
Boston Tea Party
A protest from the colonists in which British imported tea was dumped into the ocean off of British boats. The amount of tea lost equates to 1.7 million dollars in today's money. This was led by Sam Adams. -
Noncomsumption Agreements
The boycott of British goods among colonists. This was seen as a rebellious act of patriotism for representation. Opposition to Townshend Acts. -
First Continental Congress
A meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 British colonies. They met in Philadelphia, and discussed things such as the declaration of rights, and the limited trade boycotts. -
Start of Revolutionary War
Starting with the battles of Lexington and Concord, the war began with colonists against the British military. It was 77 minutemen vs 400 soldiers. -
Second Continental Congress
Meeting among delegates from all 13 colonies. Discussed issues such as appointing ambassadors, printing money, and raising continental army. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
During the siege of Boston in the first stage of the revolutionary war. The Americans were defeated , but proved they could hold their own against the British military. -
Declaration of Independance
Written by Thomas Jefferson, states the reason the British colonies of North America sought independence. It states that a long history of abuses led the colonists to overthrow the government. -
Articles of Confederation
The first set of laws put into place in the new nation. The instability of these articles showed the cracks of the idea that government is not needed. Historic in the sense that it was the first set of rules. -
Shays Rebellion
Uprising in western Massachusetts in opposition to high taxes and stringent economic conditions. Daniel Shay led hundreds to the supreme court to protest. -
Bill of Rights signed
An article containing the first 10 amendments. These contained things like the freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and the powers reserved to the states. -
Cotton Gin Invented
Prior to the rise in thechnological advancements in the US, slavery was on the decline due to the amount of labor needed to produce cotton. With the intention of the cotton gin, It made slavery grow to levels it never had before. Made the process of de-seeding cotton 10x more quicker. -
Alien and Sedition acts
Laws passed by the federalist congress. They were a political play in an attempt to limit the power of the opposition. This included new powers to deport foreigners, and make it harder for immigrants to vote. -
Kentucky and Virginia Resolves
The resolution stated that the several states are united by compact under the Constitution, that the Constitution limits federal authority to certain enumerated powers, that congressional acts exceeding those powers are infractions of the Constitution, and that each state has the right and duty to determine the constitutionality of federal laws and prevent application of unconstitutional federal laws in its own territory. -
Election of 1800
Well known election for the reason that it was the first time there was a peaceful transition of power. Jefferson also beat out an incumbent. And third, Adams legally tried to block freedom of speech and still lost. -
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that established for the first time that federal courts had the power to overturn an act of Congress on the ground that it violated the U.S. Constitution. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 brought into the United States about 828,000 square miles of territory from France. Part or all of 15 states were eventually created from the land deal, which is considered one of the most important achievements of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. -
War of 1812 Begins
Due to occupation of US ships, and the wanting of the US to prove they did not just win independence by luck, the war of 1812 was sparked. The War ultimately ended in a tie, but for the US, that looks like a win. -
Hartford Convention
A series of meetings in Hartford CT, in which the new england Federalist party met to discuss their disagreements with the ongoing war with England. It was a declaration calling onto the US government to financially support the economy. -
Battle of New Orleans
Battle led by Alexander Hamilton. By now, the war was over, but word had not reached New Orleans yet. Hamilton gathered hundreds of homeless, prisoners, and other "rejects" and executed the bloodiest victory over British forces in the war. He did this by digging trenches, and having a five man reload system. -
The Missouri Compromise
Battle led by Alexander Hamilton. By now, the war was over, but word had not reached New Orleans yet. Hamilton gathered hundreds of homeless, prisoners, and other "rejects" and executed the bloodiest victory over British forces in the war. He did this by digging trenches, and having a five man reload system. -
Tariff of Abominations/Nullification Crisis
Conflict between the US Government and South Carolina in which Calhous opposed the tariffs of 1828. He argued that the US constitution gave the state the right to declare a law void if they found it unconstitutional. -
Indian Removal Act
Law signed by President Andrew Jackson, authorizing the president to grant lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders. Most tribes resisted in being relocated, and resulted in the trail of tears. -
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
Treaty signed between the US and Mexico after the state of texas sought for independence against mexico. Treaty included Mexico seceding 55 percent of its territory, including parts of modern day Arizona California, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah, to the US. -
Seneca Falls Convention
Launched the women's suffrage movement, a movement in which advocated for women's rights in politics. It was the first ever women's civil rights convention, and talked about issues such as voting rights, and equal rights in general. -
Compromise of 1850
Package of five seperate bills passed by congress that defused a poolitical conforntation between slave and free states. It stated that california was admitted as a free state, and the remainder of the Mexican cession was divided into the two territories of New Mexico and Utah and organized without mention of slavery. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Repealed the Missouri compromise, created two new territories and allowed for popular sovereignty. Produced a violent uprising known as bleeding kansas. -
Dred Scott Case
A court case that decided that slaves who were descendants of american slaves were not citizens of the United States. Significant for the fact that the courts got this wrong, and was a huge step back in the abolitionist movement. -
John Brown at Harper's Ferry
Raid by abolitionist John Brown, in which a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia was raided, in an attempt to start an armed slave revolt and destroy the institution of slavery. John Brown was charged with treason against the State of Virginia. -
SC Secedes from the union
South Carolina became the first state to secede from the federal union. Caused by the victory of Abe Lincoln, they feared that Lincoln would infringe on their constitutional rights. Many states followed after. -
Civil War Begins
Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina's charleston Harbor. Less than 34 hours later, union forces surrendered. Base was deep in southern territory. -
Battle of Bull run
First major battle in the civil war. Going into the war, the Union thought it would be easy to beat the confederacy, but the first battle proved otherwise. Confederacy win shocked the north. -
Emancipation Proclomation
War strategy by Abe Lincoln that made slavery illegal in the south. This made it so Great Britian, along with other nations, would not trade with the south, boosting their economy. -
End of Civil War
War ended when Robert E. Lee surrendered the last major confederate army to General Grant. at the Appomattox courthouse. General Grant refused Lee's sword as a sign of respect to him as a general. -
Abraham Lincoln Assasination
The 16th President of the US was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth in a theater. Johm, a supporter of slavery, believed that Lincoln was determined to overthrow the constitution and the south. -
End of reconstruction
Caused by the compromise of 1876, reconstruction ended when southern democrats promised to protect the civil and political rights of black americans. This came with the 14th and 15th amendments, those of which gaurentee these rights under the constitution. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
Act that allowed the federal government to institute court proceedings in order to disolve them. This was to stop monopolies from forming and existing. Broke up huge monopolies such as U.S Steel and Standard Oil. -
Plessy V. Ferguson
Court case that determined that segregation laws did not violate the 14th amendment as long as the facilities and privelidges were equal. This is an example of a court case that was not the right decision because as we know, there was seperation but not equality. -
Spanish American War
War that was the aftermath of the internal explosion of USS Maine in Havana Harbor in Cuba, leading to United States intervention in the Cuban War of Independence. Resulted in american occupation of the phillipines. -
Temperance
Movement of sobriety that was pushed by women across the nation. They believed that alcohol was the root of all evil and that if they did away with it, that all domestic issues would be solved. The movement began in protestant churches but gained popularity in the 1900's -
Teddy Roosevelt
The 26th President that only became president from the assasination of McKinley. Widely considered one of the best Presidents in U.S history. Created National Parks, the FDA, and had the most real change of any president up until that time. -
Anthracite Coal Mine
The Anthracite Coal Mine, one of the highest producing coal mines in the country, had workers go on strike right before winter. President Roosevelt, fearing the worst, ordered the workers to strike a deal with the mine owners or else, he would order the military to mine the coal themselves. This is a clear overstepping of bounds for Teddy. -
Big Stick Diplomacy
Foreign Policy Concept by Teddy Roosevelt that revolved around having a large military as a scare tactic for diplomatic relations. Allowed for control of south american countries under the guise of protection. -
Panama Canal
Physical Canal created across the Panama land bridge that was wanted for decades, but never progressed past planning stages. Allowed for trade to be sped up exponentially due to the cut in distance from not having to go around the southern tip of Argentina. -
Wisconsin Plan
A set of political ideas by Robert La Follette, Governor and Senator from Wisconsin. It proposed many changes in America's administration of democracy. They included ways to do away with monopolies, trusts, high cost of living, and predatory wealth. Reforms in labor and worker's rights were major aspects of the Wisconsin Idea. -
Howard Taft
The president after Teddy Roosevelt that was originally supported by Teddy. Very progressive president but Teddy, his prime supporter, did not see him as progressive enough and saw that as betrayal. So, he lost re election due to Teddy splitting the votes. -
The Great Migration
The movement of asn estimated 6 million african americans from the south to the north. This happened in waves and over many years. They did this in search of job opportunities, education, and an overall better life than the south. Although racism was still an issue in the north, it was nowhere near as big an issue as it was in the south. -
Wilson Elected
The election was unique in the sense that a third party had ground. Teddy Roosevelt ran under the bull moose party, which split the vote for him and the current president at the time. This split resulted in Wilson being the winner. -
Lusitania Sink
The lusitania was a world class British oceanliner that was sunk by German submarine warfare. It resulted in 1,100 civilian deaths. This caused the Americans to support the war against Germany which led to victory for the allies. -
Zimmerman Telegram
A telegram that was intercepted by the U.S government that was sent by the Germans to Mexico. It said that Mexico should attempt a U.S invasion in order to distract and split the military for a hopeful German invasion. This resulted in a declaration of war on Germany from the U.S. -
Espionage Act
The Espionage Act essentially made it illegal to speak out against war in the United States. This is remarkable mainly because it is a clear violation of the first amendment. But, they saw it as necessary in order to keep nationwide morale at a high, something essential in war victory. -
U.S Declares war on Germany
The Zimmerman Telegram, along with Germany continuing unregulated submarine warfare, prompted the U.S to declare war on Germany. We would join Great Britian and France in the fight. -
Wilsons 14 Points
The 14 points were Wilsons proposal for ending the World War. In his speech to congress, he talked about open diplomacy, freedom of the seas, and equal trade conditions. His plan was ultimately a faliure because it was rejected my many other countries. Germany rejected it because they still had intentions of winning the war. -
Treaty of Versailles
This treaty was the treaty that ended world war 1. It mainly surrounded around the idea that Germany is at fault for the war, and that they need to take all blame. This went against Wilsons 14 points but, Germany and France saw it necessary to put all the blame on Germany. This resulted in nationwide poverty throughout Germany. -
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural explosion of african american culture. African american food, music, and art were brought into the mainstream. This mainly was centered in New York City, in which Harlem was a predominately black neighborhood. This caused the jazz boom for blacks and whites. -
Al Capone
A gangster and bootlegger that was based in Chicago. He made millions bootlegging alcohol across the nation. He was also a vicious gang leader, ordering numerous hits on rival gang members and others. He was never convicted of bootlegging alcohol but was convicted for carrying deadly weapons. -
Stock Crash of 1929
This stock market crash is often called black monday. Share prices in the NY Stock exchange collapsed. The Dow declined by 13 percent. This day is credited as the beginning of the great depression on a widespread level. While poverty was being expirienced in agricultrure for years, this is what set it off for the rest of the country. -
Hoovervilles
Hoovervilles was the nickname given to the towns of homeless people nationwide. These towns were basically tent cities filled with thousands of jobless citizens. They were called this because President Hoover was ultimately blamed for the continuation of the depression because of his lack of action. -
FDR's 100 days
It was no surprise that Hoover lost the election. Because Hoover was hated for a lack of legislation to end the depression, FDR was loved nationwide simply because he was doing something. The New Deal enacted a large amount of new legislation and even if not good legislation, people still liked him because it was better than nothing. -
New Deal
The New Deal was a major set of legislation that sought to provide relief for everyone effected by the great depression. This lowered the unemployement rate thus stimulating the economy, and it regulated the financial system nationwide. While many were pleased with the new legislation, some were critical for the fact that some of the legislation was not very productive. -
AAA & CCC
The AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Administration) and the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) were new legislation part of the new deal. They both provided relief to the victims of the depression. The AAA was a relief bill that reduced subsidies for farmers not to plant in order to kill excess livestock. The CCC was a government work program for unemployed men with the purpose of giving them something to do. They built infrastructure, national parks, etc. -
Banking Act of 1933
The Banking Act seperated commercial banking from investment banking and created the FDIC. This was meant to ensure banks were not making bad deals and that they needed to pass inspection in order to practice. It was widely debated because the opposition saw it as too much government interfearence with the private sector. -
Second New Deal
The Second New Deal was a second installment of legislation in order to end the depression. This one included redistribution of wealth, income, and gave power to the poor, old, farmer, and labor unions. It also included new tax laws, relief programs, and banking reforms. -
Social Security Act
The Social Security Act was an act to provide benefits to the elderly through a tax system. When you reach the age of 65, the thought was that you could retire and live off the social security benefits for the rest of your life. This was a major part of Roosevelt's new deal program. -
Atlantic Charter Conference with Churchill
The conference was a joint meeting between FDR and British Leader Winston Churchill. The purpose of the conference was to discuss and announce their joint war aims. The conference made it clear that the United States would support Great Britian in war. Both sides wanted to present unity and mutual principles. -
Pearl Harbor
Attack from Japan on the U.S that initiated our participation in the war. The attacked because we did not support their seige on China, which we simply saw as a foreign relations issue. They saw it as an act of war. -
D-Day
The day that the allied powers of the U.S, Great Britian, Canada, and France invaded Nazi france on the northern shores of france near England. They prepared for the mission for years and it was extremely successful. -
Yalta Conference
A conference held by Winston Churchill, FDR, and Joseph Stalin. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss post war eurpoe and how they were going to rebuild it. Roosevelt wanted soviet support in the war against Japan, Churchill wanted free elections in eastern europe, and Stalin wanted soviet influence in eastern Europe. -
Hiroshima & Nagasaki
When Japan refused to surrender during WW2, The United States had no choice but to drop nuclear weapons on 2 Japanese cities. The first one was called "little boy" and the second was called "fat man". The cities were strategically chosen because they were port and manufacturing cities. -
FDR Dies, Truman President
In April of 1945, President Roosevelt died from a stroke. This meant Truman was to be sworn in as president. The timing caused an interesting dynamic among the 2 that were at the yalta conference and Truman because, Truman had a much different outlook on foreign policy. Truman was a military man, and even went to the Korean War as President. -
Truman Doctrine
President Truman announced that the United States would support financially, militarily, and politically a free world over authoritarian governments. It was initially expressed as a speech to congress, wanting them to allow a bill to support Greece and Turkey in the fight against the USSR. -
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was a baseball player from the black league that was selected to be the first black player in the MLB in order to de-segregate the league. He was chosen for the fact that he did not react to racist remarks or unkind acts from the crowd. He was ultimately the thing that sparked the civil rights movement as we know it today. -
Korean War
The Korean war was a war between the North and the South Koreans. A russian influenced commuinist dictator was attempting to take over the nation. This was a proxy war during the cold war for the United States. The war is technicially ongoing today due to a treaty not being signed. -
McCarthyism
An era in Washington in which Senator McCarthy claimed to have a list of 205 communists working in D.C. This was all a lie but it resulted in a sweep of paranoia and loss of jobs for innocent people across the nation. -
Eisenhower Presidency
Eisenhower was elected president in 1953, and was also a former military member. He is arguably most well known for ordering the military to protect the little rock nine when schools were being integrated. He also signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, which was the first civil rights legislation since the end of reconstruction. -
Brown V. Board
A landmark Supreme Court Case that ruled segregation in public schools was unconstitutional and that schools needed to be integrated. This was because black schools were poorly funded compared to the white schools. This was a huge stepping stone in the fight for equality nation wide. -
Suez Crisis
The Egyptian President nationalized the Suez Canal, one of the most used trading routes in the world. British, French, and Isreali forces staged a joint assult on Egypt, which ended up cutting off western Europes oil supply. The U.S refused to provide support, which made the allied countries forced to withdrawl. -
U-2 Incident
A United States spy plane was shot down by soviet forces. The crash caused the collapse of a summit conference in Paris between the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France. -
Bay of Pigs invasion
A failed invasion of cuba due to JFK's orders to hold back military support. The U.S military trained and weaponized thousands of native Cuban immigrants that immigrated due to Cuba's revolution. When we sent them in to fight, they were wiped out catistrophically due to the lack of air support. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The U.S Government spotted dozens of missile silo's across cuba being built. The USSR then sent nuclear weapons to cuba on a military ship, which was then physically blocked by U.S ships. This resulted in a few warning shots, and russian ships being sent back. This was seen as redemption for JFK's bay of pigs faliure. -
JFK Assasinated
While campaigning in Dallas Texas, President Kennedy was assasinated by a sniper in a building above the car. The motive of the shooter is full of conspiracy theories. This resulted in numerous security changes for future presidents. It also resulted in Johnson being sworn in as president. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was originally hypothesized by President Kennedy but, eventuaolly signed by President Johnson. This act banned discrimination based on race, religion, or ethnicity. This ensured the civil rights for african americans in the public and private sector of our society. -
Watergate Scandal
A political scandal in which the democratic headquarters was broken into in an attempt to find dirt against the opposition. This ultimately resulted in backlash against Nixon not because he planned it, but because he attempted to cover it up. In no way did this help him win any political campaign. -
Nixon Resigns
Due to his attempts to cover up the watergate scandal, Nixon bore the brunt of all backlash for the scandal. He resigned in 1974, even though he would have more than likely been impeached. This resulted in the swearing in of Gerald Ford. -
3-Mile Island Faliure
A partial nuclear meltdown at a nuclear energy plant in Pennsylvania. It was the worst accident in the U.S commercial nuclear energy industry. While the consequences of the meltdown were not actually very severe, it ultimately ruined the public perception of nuclear energy. The public saw it as dangerous and unpredictable. -
Reagan Elected President
In the 1980 Presidential election, Ronald Reagan won by a landslide, taking 489 electoral votes. This was the highest number of electoral votes ever won by a non incumbant president. At the time, he was the oldest President ever in history which is where a great deal of his critisizm came from.
