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Oct 11, 1492
The Spanish Exploration
After the discovery of America by Spanish explorers, many european countries wanted to grab a peice of the land, as well as the riches waiting to be found, and a new population that seemed fit for slaves. -
Sugar Act and Stamp Act
After an accumulated debt in Britain. Because of this debt, the paranoid King George and his prime minister passed the Sugar act in 1764 and the Stamp Act in 1765. This was opposed as people in the colonies werent represented in parliament, and they had no say in wether or not the Acts were passed. Colonists rebelled and eventually pushed for indepedence from Britain. -
Declaration of Independence
Because so many people had disagreed with British rule over the colonies, and the increasing tension and acts of violence, the Continental Congress had adopted the Declaration of Indpendence, which had declared that the colonies were now independent. Patriots and Loyalists took sides and took up arms. -
Treaty of Paris
After some years of war between Britain and the colonies, the colonists had finally cornered the British army at Yorktown in 1781, where the British had surrendered. However, it wasn't until three years later that the Treaty of Paris was signed, and the British had accepted the United states as a nation. -
The Constitution is signed
The constitution of the United States of America stated that the government would be made up of three branches. A congress would make the laws, and they would be carried out by the president. The congress would have two houses. Powers were split between the national government and the state's. Because so many people wanted people's rights to be instituted into the government, a Bill of Rights was created to ensure rights to citizens. The constitution is still in effect. -
The election of George Washington
After Washington was elected he elected the very first carbonate. Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, who favored the idea of an economy based on farming, and Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, who favoured an economy based on trade and industry. These two battled over the countries economy, and essentially the two ideas that came from the controversy between the Secretaries led to the development of the country through economic means. -
The War of 1812
The French and British navy has been consistantly seizing American merchant ships. The United States had had enough, and congress declared war on Great Britain. Though the war had no winner, and seemingly no benifits, it had shown that the United States had become independant and unified enough to contest Britain in war. A long lasting sense of nationality had settle among Americans. -
Manifest Destiny
Americans believed that America had the right to expand. The boundaries extended from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, and to obtain this land, the U.S. government made treaties with native americans and bought land from countries who held a part of this land. Because of manifest destiny, America obtained all of the states now known as Oregon, Texas, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and portions of other states. -
Bessemer process
The Bessemer Process was a process that allowed steel to be successfully and effectively produced. Because of the access of stee, more track was layed for tarains, boats were stronger, bridges were built, and the America became more accesable. The Bessemer Process also caused a boom in industry, creating jobs to use the Bessemer Process and companies that used the steel to make inventions such as farm tools. -
Dred Scott case
The supreme court had defined slaves as property, and as the constitution defended citizens' property, slaves would be defended. As one might assume, the defenders of slavery had seen this as unmoral, and the worsened situation had pushed for more people to attack slavery, such as Abraham Lincoln, who later became president and successfully abolished slavery. -
Lincoln's Election
Lincoln's veiws opposed much of the south's in the sense of wether or not slavery was neccessary. Lincoln specifically attacked the immorality of slavery, against the popular idea that slavery helped as far as the market industry. eventually, Lincoln won the election in 1860, and the south was devastated, seeing as how Lincoln had no southern support. Because the South felt they lost their voice, Lincolns election essentially caused the souths succession from the United States. -
Firing on Fort Sumter
After the Confederate states fired upon the union at Fort Sumter, Lincoln sent Union troops to restore the Union. Several more southern states secceded over time, and the Union And confederate states fought until 1865, where General Robert E. Lee surredered the Confederarte States. The effect of the Civil War was actually beneficial, as it resulted in a stronger federal government; however, the south was practically destroyed. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation had freed slaves in the Confederate States, and gave the war a true purpose: to free slaves and protect them as Americans. This led to many African Americans joining the Union army, despite descrimination, to defeat the south. -
Fourteenth Amendment passed
The fourteenth ammendment was passed after the civil war to keep freed slaves free, and make African Americans true citizens of America. -
Reconstruction Legislation
The Reconstruction Legislation said that Congress would only readmit a former Confedrate state to the Union if these states passed the Fourteenth Amendment and give African Americans the right to vote. This was important in keepin the former slaves free long after reconstruction. -
The fifteenth amendment passed
After president Grant was elected in 1867, with much help from the African American population, the fifteenth amendment was ratified. This amendment banned all states from denying African Americans the right to vote. This amendment led to the election of black political officers, which gave the African Americans a voice in government. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
This act had been past in attempt to keep the "undesirable" Chinese immigrants out of America. They only accepted those who could prove they could help improve America. This was passed because the Chinese would work for low wages and take jobs from white workers. This had put them out of the job market, and that was unacceptable. This act had eventually been rewritten, and Chinese entrance into Anerica had been restricted until 1943. -
The Formation of the National Labor Union
Because working and living conditions were so horrible in early America, as well as other parts of the world, labor unions were formed to protect workers. Groups such as the National Labor Union had pushed the government to adopt an eight hour work day. Other groups pushed for higher wages, shorter work weeks, and more that had eventually become successful and long lasting. -
Dawes Act
The Dawes Act had targeted American Indians. As America was expanding, and American citizens wanted to settle in the plains, Native Americans were just seen as in the way. The Dawes Act of 1887 forced American Indians to assimilate into American culture. Though it had failed, reservations and American Indian families were split up, and many white citizens had already settled. The land would soon be taken regardless. -
The Grandfather Clause
Because most blacks had been slaves prior to 1867, and it would also allow many illiterate whites to vote, the Grandfather clause was enacted to deny suffrage to blacks. The Grandfather Clause stated that if a white voter failed the literacy test, or could not pay poll taxes, they were allowed to vote if their father or grandfather had been eligible to vote prior to January 1st 1967. This gave white southern voters a larger vote I'm government.