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Period: Jan 1, 1490 to
History 8 Timeline
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1492
Colombian Exchange
Christopher Columbus sails for Spain to the New World. This is Europe's first contact with the Americas. The West and East hemisphere exchange diseases, horses, pigs, wheat and other things courtesy of the old world. The new world gives potatoes, maize, turkey and more. (Page 34,35 America History of Our Nation) -
Puritans
The Puritans were English people hoping to purify the Church of England. Because of this, they were oppressed and forced to search for a new place to live. They came to America were the had religious freedom. (History Lessons chapter 4) -
Jamestown, First American Colony
English colonists establish Englands's First permanent settlement in North America. Near the Chesapeake Bay. Many struggled and starved until Tabacco was introduced into the economy. -
Oil Lamps
Until the 1700s, oil lamps and lanterns and candles were the only source of light. They provided good light but burnt out fast and needed good amounts of oil. (https://www.1708gallery.org/inlight/docs/History_of_Lanterns.pdf) -
French and Indian War
War broke out between the French and Natives, versus the British. They fought over the land in the Ohio River Valley. Britain wanted land claimed by the French and there were fur trapping quarrels in Canada. The British ended up winning the war and land. (Chapter 5 History Lessons) -
The Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris signed an end to the Seven Years War. Britain gained more wealth and land including islands in the West Indies which were good for producing sugar. It also drew France out of North America entirely. (Chapter 5, History Lessons page 25) -
Parabolic Beacon
A major breakthrough in lighthouse technology was introduced by Antonie Lavoisier which was the parabolic beacon reflector. This reflector focused the beams of light and intensified the result. (http://www.firelight.com/oil_lamps.html) -
Boston Massacre
When Boston crowds got rowdy, they erupt into a fight with 8 British soldiers. Eventually, shots were fired and 5 Americans had died. This was a spark in the flame that fed the need to rebel against Britain.(https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/boston-massacre) -
Boston Tea Party
In 1773, maybe members part of the Sons of Liberty dressed as natives and threw English tea into the Boston Harbor because of a tax on it. This made Britain mad who then closed the harbor and had a more strict presence in Massachusets. (History Lessons page 35) -
The American Revolution
The Thirteen Colonies in America were mad at the British for heavy taxation and no representation. They write their own constitution in 1776, declaring independence from Britain. Fighting went on from 1775 to 1781, resulting in an American win. (History Lessons Chapter 7) -
Indoor Lighting Blueprints
At the turn of the century, Sir Humphrey Davy created new prototypes for indoor lighting. He experimented with a battery and a platinum strip which made the connected strip glow. The incandesant Light Lamp -
First Light Bulb
In 1802, Humphrey Davy created the first electric light bulb. He had been experimenting with electricity. He created it with carbon and wire. (https://www.bulbs.com/learning/history.aspx) -
Reflecting and magnifying laterns
The U.S. Government purchased a patented "reflecting and magnifying lantern" from Winslow Lewis in 1812. His optic was constructed of multiple oil burning lamps, usually from whale oil, with each lamp having its own reflector. (http://www.firelight.com/oil_lamps.html) -
New inventions
In 1846, the invention of the kerosene lantern by Abraham Gesne was a huge improvement in lighting. It refrained from "carrying lights on a stick. (https://www.1708gallery.org/inlight/docs/History_of_Lanterns.pdf) -
Railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad opens for construction. It aims to make travel from coast to coast much faster and easier. Chinese laborers work in the west for the Central Pacific while Irish men worked for the Union Pacific. (America the Story of US page 159-161) -
South Secede
After the Election of 1860, Abraham Lincoln is elected president, a Republican from the north. The south believes that he is threatening their use of slavery, so 1 by 1 they succeed. First South Carolina goes in 1861 and soon many more follow. They create the Confederate States of America. (History Alive Chapter 9 Section 4) -
Battle of Gettysburg
In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Robert E Lee invaded the North with his army of 75,000 fought Union troops of 95,000 for 3 long hard days. Important Union win with 50000 dead or wounded (History Alive Chapter 10 Section 2) -
The 14th Ammendmant
The 14th Amendment states that anybody who was born or naturalized within the US is a legal citizen. This amendment was mostly made to grant citizenship to newly freed African American Men, or Freedman. It is very controversial currently because it has loopholes to it. (History Alive! https://student.teachtci.com/shared/programs/109/glossaries?lesson_id=1328) -
First Incandescent Lights
Thomas Edison first starts to work on Incandescent lights, trying to improve the efficiency of lighting. He started by filling the light with different materials to see which one was most effective including carbon and platinum. (https://www.energy.gov/articles/history-light-bulb) -
New Immigrants Arrive
When there was a high demand for unskilled labor, many immigrants fled from southern and eastern Europe to populous cities for work. There was a huge population boom and the creation of ethnic neighborhoods. Conditions were bad, but work was needed. (History Lessons Chapter 14) -
Doubling the Efficiency of Incandescents
Irving Langmuir figured that instead of vacuuming the inside of the light bulb, you should fill it with inert, a nitrogen-like gas to make it twice as bright. (https://www.energy.gov/articles/history-light-bulb) -
The Zimmermann Telegram
The Zimmermann Telegram was a message from Germany for the Mexicans intercepted by the British for the US. It had Germany asking Mexico to invade and take back Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona with German help to keep the US out of the war. It did the opposite and was a major influence in the US decision to join. (History Alive! Chapter 22 Section 4) -
Fluorescent Lamps on Display
The first fluorescent lamps go on display, introduced by GE and Westinghouse at the New York World's Fair and the Golden Gate Exposition. (https://www.energy.gov/articles/history-light-bulb) -
D-Day
D-Day was the first day of the invasion of Normandy to open a new front in the war against Germany. It was successful in getting the Germans out of France and helped push into Germany. It changed the tide of the war. (History Alive! Chapter 36 Section 3) -
The Marshall Plan (Cold War)
The Marshall Plan was a US plan to help postwar Europe recover from WWII. It offered money to every European Country but USSR declined and forced other communist contries to decline. (History Alive! 38 section 5) -
First Light Emitting Diode (LED) Is Invented
Nick Holonyak Jr. invented first visible LED lights while working at GE. The first lights were red then later green and pale yellow. (https://www.energy.gov/articles/history-light-bulb)
