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House of Burgesses.
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly that specialized in making laws of elected representatives that was formed in Jamestown, Virginia. Formed by the Virginia Company, the house's purpose was to create laws that would the make living conditions in the colony more reasonable and profitable. The event was brought about by Sir George Yeardley. -
Mayflower Compact
Written by the Seperatists of the Plymouth Colony, the Mayflower Compact's purpose was for the pilgrims to not be ruled under a royal leader, but rather to have their own government when they traveled over to Provincetown Harbor (off of Cape Cod). The Mayflower compact was designed as an allegiance to the king which would grant laws the pilgrims would follow in order to live independently. -
John Rolfe
John Rolfe, a businessman born on 1585 in Heacham, Norfolk, was known for his accomplishments for the usage of tobacco as the export crop in the Colony of Viginia. At the time, Spain was the dominant country of tobacco and John Rolfe took it as an opportunity to steal and plant the seeds himself in Virginia. He was also known as the husband of Pocahontas, the daughter of a Native American leader. His significance was to popularize tobacco as the main economic source of Virginia. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Led by Nathaniel Bacon in Jamestown, Virginia, against colonial Virginia's governor William Berkeley, this rebellion was a reseult of dissatisfaction of farmers who faced high taxes, low tobacco sales, the poor defense against Native Americans, and the govenor's unfair governing techniques. The rebellion led to the burning of the colonial capital in Jamestown. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch trials were a series of trails held against alledged witches in various citites of Massachusetts. Accused of Satanic activties, these women were eventually hung, burned, and deceased due to being locked in jail. -
Salem Witch Trials End
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Zenger Case
John Peter Zenger, a journalist and publisher in New York City, wrote a newspaper article that talked about his disagreements with a the British governor, William Cosby, and his corrupted acts. He was arrested on November 17, 1734 for speaking against order. This case led to the policy of the First Amendment which granted the Freedom of the Press. -
Stono Rebellion
The Stono Rebellion was the largest uprising by slaves in South Carolina. Led by Jemmy, the slaves recruited others to form a group of about 80, then they marched over to the Stono River. 44 of slaves died and they took along with them 20 white militia members. The rest of the slaves ran for Florida and were confronted once again by the militia. 44 of the slaves were hung and killed. The Slave trade was temporarily stopped and slave laws were passed. -
Albany Plan
This was a proposal that was suggested by Benjamin Franklin in an attempt to unify the government of the Thirteen Colonies. It was formed during the French and Indian War and representatives of many colonies in the East Coast came together and forged a plan to defend against threats made by the French and Native Americans. The plan was called off due to the fear of losing too much power. -
Fort Necessity
Also known as the battle of Great Meadows, this battle took place in Pennsylvania. George Washington built this fort as a prison camp. After failing to take over Fort Duquesne, a French fort, the French proceeded to attack the English force and caused Washington to surrender after one third of his men were killed. -
Boston Massacre
After colonists in the Boston mildly attacked at some British troops who were there to serve and protect political officials, and the troops fired their guns and killed five colonists. The colonists were upset due to the officials's decisions to enforce taxes on the colonists. The massacre led to propaganda acts. -
Coercive Acts
Also known as the Intolerable Acts, these were 4 acts established by the British government in an attempt to punish those who took part in the Boston Tea Party. The acts were the closing of ports in Boston -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson in order to declare that the 13 colonies would longer be a part of the British Empire but pass as their own independent colonies. This document was approved by Congress. The document's nature was of discontent to the unfair actions of the British King and it's ideas gave the citizens the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. -
Shay's Rebellion
Named after Daniel Shays, a soldier and leader in the American Revolutionary War, Shay's rebellion was an armed uprising that took place in Massachusetts. The reason for the rebellion was mainly due to farmers and their necessity to pay high taxes or the American Revolutionary War debt and if the farmers are unable to pay the taxes, their land and property will be confiscated and some will face time in jail. A more centralized government was the result. -
Shay's Rebellion ends
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Whiskey Rebellion
Also known as the Whiskey Insurrection, this armed and physical rebellion took place in Pennsylvania and was a protest of tax that was placed on the production of whiskey, which at the time, was a lot more convenient for farmers to sell and store. The rebellion was put down by an army led by George Washington, and proved the strengthened government and it's ability to face various threats imposed on the colonies. -
Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was a machine, invented by Eli Whitney, that was used to seperates and clean seeds from cotton fibers. The invention of the machine increased productivity of cotton. This invention spread to the south of the United States and expanded souther development. The cotton gin was patented in 1794 and was made valid in 1807. -
Whiskey Rebellion ends
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Alien and Sedition Acts (Adams)
The Alien and Sedition Acts were four bills passed by the Federalist Congress following the events of the French Revolution. The four bills are the Naturalization, Alien, Alien Enemy, and the Sedition Acts and were all signed into law by John Adams, the president of the United States during that time. The purpose of these bills were to not grant aliens the same right as someone who is a citizen as well as to prevent people from criticizing the United States government. -
Manifest Destiny
The Manifest Destiny was a belief in the early 19th century that revolved around the idea that the it was the United States' destiny to expand to the west and conquer the rest of the continent, which was unoccupied at the time. This belief led to the ideas of acquisition of land and territory. -
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison was landmark case of United States and was the basis for judicial review. William Marbury was about to be appointed Justice of the Peace by President John Adams before his presidency ended. After the new president, Thomas Jefferson, was elected, he refused to grant Marbury the role he was issued to by John Adams. -
Lewis and Clark
Also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was an expidition issued by President Thomas Jefferson after the acquisition of Louisiana. Jeffereson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the west and this led to further availability of the western part of the United States. This also opened up trade amongst the Natives. -
The Lewis and Clark Expedition ends
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Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was an agreement made between the northern and southern part of the United States to make Louisiana a state of the United States. The reason for this is to allow Louisiana to be a pro-slave state and for Maine to be a free state under the Union. A 36'30' line was made and any state north of that will be considered a free state and for any state south to be a slave state. -
Monroe Doctrine
Written by John Quincy Adams, the Monroe Doctrine was a policy set that states that if any European nations would interfere with either Northern or Southern America, it would be seen as a act of agression. The doctrine was written due to discourage Europeans from getting in the way of America's desire to nationalize. -
The Alamo
The Alamo is a mission sieged by Santa Anna during the Texas War of Independence. Americans, later on, immigrated to Texas and wanted it to become a new state that would be part of the United States. Texicans, or Texan rebels, were not in favor of Santa Anna's government, and chose to side with the US to fight the Mexican Army. The battle lasted 13 days and the Mexicans had won. -
The Battle at the Alamo ends
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The Trail of Tears end
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The Trail of Tears
In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act which allowed the Cherokee to move. The Trail of Tears was forced removal of the Cherokee to Oklahoma due to the United States wanting to expand their territory. Many Cherokee died along the way due to disease and illnesses. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was a convention that provoked the right of women that took place in Seneca Falls, New York. Elizabeth Cady Staton, a social activist, read a Declaration of Sentiment that talked about the many descriminations. This event led to women and their natural rights as citizens to expand and become more aware of their place in the United States. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850, drafted by Henry Clay, consisted of five bills that were put into affect after the Mexican-American War. These five bills stopped a four year confrontation between the southern states and the northern states that did not get along well due to the free and slave nature of the states. Because of this, the US avoided a possible civil war. California became a new state and slavery was abolished in some states and a democracy of slavery in Utah and New Mexico formed. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin is a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that revolved around the idea of anti-slavery. The book sparked conflict and the it provoked the idea of abolition. Written before the Civil War, it showed how horribly lives were for the slaves, and this affected the North and how their views on slavery affected their government and social reputation. Many believe the book was the reason for the Civil War. -
Dred Scott Case
The Dred Scott Case was a landmark case that argued that since Scott is a black man, regardless of whether he was living in a free state or not, will not have to rights affiliated with being an American citiizen. The Supreme Court concluded their decision that he could not sue in a federal court, because he was a black man, and therefore, will have no rights. -
Dred Scott Case ends
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Emancipation Proclamation
Issued by President Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order that stated that all slaves shall be free. The purpose of this was to bring down confederacy. This allowed black slaves to enter as soldiers in the union. Ultimately, the Emancipation Proclamation changed initial purpose of the war and instead, changed it into a battle for slavery. -
KKK-Force Acts
Congress issued three force acts against the Ku Klux Clan, whose purpose was to not allow blacks to vote, that were made to protect the rights of blacks and would allow them to vote and not be interfered by any KKK actions. -
Spanish American War
The Spanish American War was a war between Spain and the United States that lasted for less than 3 months. The cause of this war is because of United State's support for Cuban independence, the explosion of the USS Maine, and the disregard of the Monroe Doctrin suggesting no interactions among European nations. The war resulted in Cuba's gain of independence. -
Spanish American War ends
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Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was a German message sent to Mexico requesting them to go to war against the United States. The telegram was intercepted by the US and caused the Germans to go to war with the US because to US considered the German's message to be a hostile attempt. Following this was World War 1. -
Harlem Reanaissance
The Harlem Renaissance, also known as the New Negro Movement, is the period after World War 1 that took place in New York City's, Harlem. A group of African American writers began a spark of African American culture in several different genres. This era is considered the flourishing of African cultures and -
Black Tuesday
Also known as the Wall Street Crash of 1929, is considered the most devastating market crash in the history of the United States. This day marked the beginning of the Great Depression. The markets were closing down about 13 percent and 16 and a half million shares of stocks were for sale but no one bought them. This was caused by the fact that no politicians were regulating the sales of stocks. -
New Deal
The New Deal is Franklin D. Roosevelt's plan to end the era of the Great Depression. The New Deal included providing work so that Americans can make an imcome and programs that aided Americans in paying for food consumption and more. Not all programs were successful, however. -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was a naval base in Hawaii that was owned by the United States and was the destination for a military strike by the Japanese Navy. The Japanese attacked this base because they were aware that most of the American's bases were naval and that the base held a majority forces in the Pacific. This action sparked conflict and the start of war between the Japanese -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Hiroshima and Nagasaki were two cities in Japan that recieved a nuclear bomb and was destroyed. The marked the end of World War 2. The reason for these two cities was because the US did not want to hurt any US casualties. Therefore, they took it upon themselves to bomb these two cities. To this day, the two cities are still being affected by the aftermath of the blast. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine is an idea imposed by President Harry Truman that tries to prevent communism from spreading worldwide and to prevent it from being practiced. His solution was known as "containment" which is the idea to contain communism is Eastern Europe and China. After the Ottoman Empiree's collaspe in World War 2, the doctrine provided Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark case where laws stated the blacks and whites must be segregated in schools and shall not be in the same learning environment. This case put an end to segregation amongst schools and all people were to be treated equally with the rights provided through the Constitution and the BIll of Rights. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution has it's significant part in history due to the fact that it gave President Lyndon B. Johnson authorization to do what he desires to protect Southeast Asia without declaring war with anyone. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive are a series of suprise military attacks by the Viet Cong and the troops of Northern Vietnam to cities all over South Vietnam, who at the time was aided in battle by the United States. The significance comes from the fact that the North Vietnamese were dominant and they were pushing back the Americans and were winning the battle. The battles resulted in propaganda acts for Communism. -
Watergate
The Watergate Scandal was a political scandal and crisis that made President Richard Nixon to resign. Watergate is the name of a hotel in Washington DC of the same name. Burglers entered the Democratic Party National Headquarters and some of them are working with some members of the Nixon Administration. This event acts as a warning for our nations' voters and out decison to choose them to lead our country. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
The Iran Hostage Crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the US. The Muslim Student Followers, a group of students of a militant university, held several US citizens hostage because of Iran's anti-american nature. President Jimmy Carter stated that the hostages are victims of terrorism. This event is significant because the event still affects the relationship between Iran and the US. -
Iran Hostage Crisis ends
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Iran-Contra Scandal
When President Ronald Reagan was in office, he secretly traded weapons with Iran who were holding six US hostages. This was a problem because he was in no position to do this and did not have to authority to do so. The significance of this is to show that the government is capable of performing tasks without the acknowledgement of the public and causes questioning of whether or not out government is corrupted. -
Challenger Explosion
A space shuttle by the name of Challenger was involved in an accident that caused the Challenger to explode and caused seven people to die. -
9/11
The unfortunate day of 9/11 occurred when four terrorist attacks were targeted at the World Trade Center in New York and Washington DC. Many conspiracy theories surround this topic and still to this day are being debated. This is the first time American Airlines have allowed terrorists to aboard and hijack these planes killing thousands of people.
