-
Period: Jan 1, 1400 to
European Exploration
European Exploration was a period of time that spanned from the 1400s into the 1700s. This is when colonists were making their way over from Europe in order to find freedom, wealth, land, and many other things. This was the beginning of the European's life in the America's, although not the beginning of the America's. -
Period: to
Slavery
Slavery was a time period that emerged shortly after the time of European Exploration. This was when the white man went to Africa in search of free labor, which in turn was a very dark time for those who were plucked from their home and forced to work in harsh conditions. This dark time period lasted until the Civil War. -
Period: to
Triangular Trade
The period of time that was referred to as the Triangular Trade was comprised of the trade that was occurring between Europe, the America's and Africa, thus creating a triangle of trade. Coming from Africa were the slaves, and coming from America were raw materials, such as tobacco and indigo. Finally, coming from Europe were manufactured goods, and more colonists making their way over to America. -
Period: to
Industrial Revolution
This was a time in which society as a whole, both in America and Great Britain, began to advance their way of life. During this time, the railroad began to be built, and the steamboat was invented. Also during this time, machines began to be used a lot more in an industrial setting. -
Period: to
Revolutionary War
This war, also known as the American Revolution, was when the colonists of America rebelled against Great Britain in order to gain their own freedom as an independent nation. The fighting of this war took place on the ground in America, not in Great Britain. This war helped lead to the Declaration of Independence, when the colonists declared themselves the Americans, thus declaring their freedom as well. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a document drafted by members of the colonies, who were the leaders, declaring to Great Britain that the colonies are now an independent nation. Thomas Jefferson wrote this document, along with 55 other men who signed it in agreement. This document was originally published on July 4, 1776. -
Period: to
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation refers to a group that served as the first "government" figure in the colonies. It was comprised of members from each of the 13 original colonies, though the rules and terms of the group were very loose. The Articles of Confederation were created on November 15, 1777, with its main purpose to serve at the first constitution for the United States. -
Constitution
The U.S. Constitution was a framework that came after the Articles of Confederation that contained all of the laws in the Americas. This document was originally created on September 17, 1787, and further ratified on June 21, 1788. The Constitution contains the main outline of the government at that time. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is a section of the United Sates Constitution that contains the first 10 amendments. The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791. It was written/drafted by James Madison, but inspired by Thomas Jefferson. -
Invention of Cotton Gin
The Cotton Gin, or the cotton machine, was invented in 1795 by Eli Whitney. This machine was able to harvest cotton and separate the cotton fibers from their seeds. This machine helped to alleviate a lot of the work of slaves or other workers who were manually cleaning the cotton. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase occurred when the United States purchased the territory of Louisiana from France in 1803. The purchase of this land cost France 15 million dollars at the time. The territory had originally been sold to France from the Spanish. Louisiana officially became a US state in 1812. -
Period: to
Westward Movement
Westward Movement was a period of time when the Europeans who were living in the Americas began to migrate West, toward the Pacific Coast. A notable event that took place during this time was the California Gold Rush. Gold and mining were the major draws of those who began to move out west. -
Period: to
Lewis and Clark Expedition
This was an expedition led by Captain Lewis and his companion, Clark. They explored the Western region of the United States when it was newly acquired land. The expedition was successful in learning a lot about the flora and fauna of the land, but unsuccessful in finding a waterway from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. -
Invention of Steamboat
The first steamboat was built in 1807 by Robert Fulton. This invention helped to move forward the advancement of society, in transportation of people and goods. It could be known as a turning point in the Industrial Revolution. -
Period: to
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was a cultural belief in the 1800s that was held by colonists. The belief was that the colonists in the United States were destined to expand across all of North America. Their wish was to spread democracy, capitalism, and their rule across the continent. -
Period: to
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a war fought in North America between the United States of America and the United Kingdom. The Americans had help with their fight from their allies in the states, such as some from Spain. This war was won by Britain, as they were able to defend their colonies in North America. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was basically a document that put a policy in place. This policy told of the feelings that North American colonies, The United States, had towards European countries and their attempts to further colonize the country. They wished to deter the European powers from doing so, as they would not put up with that and would be ready to fight against it. -
Period: to
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was not only a physical trail, but a metaphor for the trials that the Native American people had to endure from the colonizers of North America. The Native American people were forced to remove themselves from their lands, and relocate themselves elsewhere, in order to assimilate with the new American way of life. All of the "Five Civilized Tribes" were forced to fo this, as part of the cultural cleanse of America. -
Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott Decision was a decision made by the United States Supreme Court in 1857. This ruling, Dred Scott v. Sanford, ruled against Scott becoming a free man. His argument consisted of Scott was that Scott lived in a free state and territory, but still he was not granted his freedom. -
Period: to
Civil War
The American Civil War was a war fought in North America between the Union and Confederacy. The Union was comprised of the northern states, and the Confederacy was comprised of the more southern states. The issue at hand was the matter of slavery, as the Union wanted to abolish it, and the Confederacy wanted to expand it into further territories. -
13th Amendment - Abolition of Slavery
This was the 13th Amendment added to the United States Constitution, and it abolished slavery in the states. President Abraham Lincoln approved this amendment, and the abolition of slavery is referred to as The Emancipation Proclamation. This amendment was passed by Congress in 1865. -
14th Amendment - Equal Treatment Under the Law
The 14th amendment was added to the United States Constitution in 1866. This amendment granted every person in the United States citizenship and equal rights, such as the African American former slaves. This amendment also punished states that did not allow their citizens to vote. -
15th Amendment - Voting Rights for Black Men
This amendment was the 15th to be added to the Constitution, and it gave Black men in America the right to vote in elections. A lot of women did not support this amendment, as it only granted men the equal right to vote, however it was still passed and added to the Constitution. This was adopted after the Civil War. -
Period: to
World War I
This was the First World War, and it began after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. The two "sides" in this war were the Allied and the Central Powers. This international conflict lasted for over 4 years, and can also be referred to as the war fought from the trenches. -
19th Amendment - Voting Rights for Women
This was the 19th amendment added to the Constitution, and it extended the right to vote to all citizens in America, including women. This was a long time coming, as women had been advocating to gain this right for a very long time, and they finally were granted it in 1920, just over 100 years ago. When this amendment was ratified, it ended almost a century of protest from women. -
Period: to
Great Depression
In October of 1929, the stock market in America crashed, which was the catalyst of the Great Depression. This was a period of time in which the economy in America suffered a great deal, resulting in poverty running rampant in American towns and cities. The money supply was very short, so no one had much at all, and the majority of the American population lost a great deal and struggled just to make it through this trying time. -
Period: to
New Deal
The New Deal came to be under the Roosevelt Administration in 1933. This was following right behind the Great Depression, and it provided programs and jobs for the American People, which served as the light at the end of the tunnel. This New Deal helped to boost and restore the economy to its former state. -
Period: to
World War II
This was the second World War, and it began when Germany invaded Poland. Germany was being led by the dictator, Adolf Hitler, and his Nazi Army, and they were persecuted Jewish people, Gypsies, and other minority groups. They would capture these people and put them into Concentration Camps, killing them on the spot, or forcing them to work in horrid conditions. This war, fought between the Allied and the Axis Powers, finally ended when Japan surrendered in 1945, after Hitler killed himself. -
Period: to
Korean War
The Korean War was a war that took place between North and South Korea from 1950 to 1953. This war started when North Korea invaded South Korea, and the US soon took aid to South Korea in defense against their northern neighbor. Along with this, the US was amidst the Cold War, and had to stay on guard with that defense as well. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
This was a Supreme Court ruling that ruled schools were no longer able to be segregated. This allowed schools to consequently be interracial from here on out, as they were unequal if they were to still be segregated; this was a turning point for the American Education System. The very first African American student to integrate a school was Ruby Bridges, at William Frantz Elementary School, in New Orleans, Louisiana. -
Period: to
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a war that took place in Vietnam, starting in 1955. The US entered this war in March of 1965, supporting South Vietnam, who was fighting North Vietnam. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union, North Korea, and China, while South Vietnam was supported by the US, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. -
Period: to
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a display of a Civil Rights Protest in Montgomery, Alabama when the African American citizens refrained from riding the public buses. The movement was led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and it was started in response to Mrs. Rosa Parks being arrested for not giving up her seat on a bus for white person. This boycott lasted from December 1955 to December 1965. -
"I Have a Dream" Speech
The "I Have a Dream" speech is a very famous speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in August of 1963. In this speech, Dr. King was addressing the crowd in front of Lincoln Memorial in the nation's capital of Washington D.C. From this speech comes the famous quote, "They will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." -
September 11
On September 11, 2001, 4 commercial airliners in America were hijacked by terrorists, and crashed. These attacks were made at the World Trade Center in New York City, The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the last one crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. This terrorist attack on America was performed by the terrorist group, al-Qaeda, and it was the catalyst for the war on terror.