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1492
30,000 years ago
First people by boat arrive in North America in 30,000 BC, prior to settlers, such as Columbus, in 1492 -
Europeans arrive
Spanish, Portuguese, French and English arrive on in the new world -
European Settle Jamestown
The Virginia Company formed a settlement in Jamestown. Settlers from England. -
First Known Africans arrive in Virginia
The first Africans arrive in Virginia. They were used as trade for supplies. This would be the start of slave trading in the New World. -
First Wave of Irish Immigration
Irish started to arrive in the new world in 1630 -
First Jewish Settlement in New Amsterdam
The first known Jewish settlement in the New World was in New Amsterdam in 1654 from Brazil -
German Immigration
Some Germans came to American with the English to settle Jamestown in 1607. In 1683, thirteen families came to America seeking religious freedom -
Declaration on Independence
Congress adopts the Declaration on Independence that breaks the United States from Great Britton -
End of the Revolution
The Revolutionary War was from 1777 - 1783. The United States was free country. -
The Constitution is Adopted
The Constitution was adopted in 1787, but did not detail who/whom would be an American citizen. -
Trail of Tears
In the name of expansion and exploration, Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. This took land from Native Americans that had been stewards for centuries. They were moved, by foot, westward and many did not survive. -
Chinese arrive on the Pacific Coast
Chinese arrive to San Francisco to try to find their luck with the California Gold Rush. -
Dread Scott vs Sanford
A former Slave went to court to establish he was an American Citizen. The court decided he was not. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863 that states all African Americans were free of slavery in the Northern states. -
Civil War 1861-1865
A major issue during the Civil War was slavery. The Confederacy felt that slaves were a state right and were required to continue to provide cotton to the world -
Juneteenth
Juneteenth 1865: When word of the freeing of the slaves arrived in Texas, making all African Americans free from slavery -
The 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment "grants citizenship to all PERSONS born or naturalized in the United States." This included formerly enslaved people. It also grated "equal protections under the laws" previously discussed in the Bill of Rights. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment decreed that African Americans were given the right to vote in State and Federal elections. -
Chinese Seclusion Act
In 1882, The United States banned Chinese immigration for 10 years and segregated schools in San Francisco. -
Tape vs. Hurley
The California Supreme Court decided that Chinese American students were afforded the same public education. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
The Untied States Supreme Court found that equal but separate for whites and colored people. -
Poll Taxes and Literacy Tests
In the 1900's many states wanted to find ways to stop Blacks from voting. Poll taxes, literacy tests and imitation made it very tough for Blacks to vote during elections. -
European immigrants from 1870-1900
Between 1870-1900 immigrants came from Great Britain, Ireland, and Scandinavia. They worked in factories and low wages. They lived in tight quarters and tenement buildings in urban areas of large cities -
Women's Right to Vote
The 19th Amendment allowed women the right to vote. Women had fought for equal rights for others, but it wasn't until 1920 that women could vote. -
Japanese Internment Camps
During WWII, FDR created internment camps for Japanese Americans with decedents from Japan. This made those born in the United States feel like they were not American. -
Brown vs. The Board of Education
In 1954 The United States Supreme Court ruled that segregation of public schools was a violation of the 14th Amendment and unconstitutional. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights movement in the early 1960's led to The Civil Rights Act of 1964. This act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national orgin. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The era for push for the Equal Rights Amendment started in 1972. While there is strong support, it is not yet a part of the Untied States Constitution.