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Founding Jamestown
The first permanent English settlement. Was established by the Virginia Company of London. Original name was going to be "James Fort". -
House of Burgesses
The first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company. The word "burgess" means an elected or appointed Official. -
Founding of Plymouth Colony and Mayflower Compact
The first settlement of the Plymouth colony was New Plymouth. New Plymouth was surveyed by Captain John Smith. The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. -
Founding of Massachussets Bay
Founded by the owners of the Massachussets Bay Company. English Settlement. It was settled around present day Salem and Boston -
Pequot War
This was a conflict between the Pequot Indians against the alliance of Massachusetts bay, Plymouth and Saybrook. Hundreds were killed, but a lot of them were captured as slaves and sold as slaves to the West Indies. -
King Philip's War
Sometimes called the "First Indian War". This was a conflict in present day New England between Indians and the English settlers and their native american allies. -
Bacon's Rebellion
An uprising in the Virginia Colony. This eebellion was led by 29 year-old farmer, Nathanial Bacon. It was the first rebellion in the American Colonies. -
Salem Witch Trials
A series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts. Most famous trials were done in the court at Salem Town. -
French and Indian War
Seven year war fought between the Colonies of British America and New France. Both sides had military support from their own countries. -
Stamp Act
Direct tax imposed on the colonies. The act required many printed materials in the colonies be printed on stamped paper produced in England. The stamp act created alot of civil unrest in the colonies. -
Quartering Act
These acts forced English settlers to provide British Soldiers with housing and provisions. This angered the affected settlers and violated the Bill of Rights of 1689, as well. -
Boston Massacre
British soldiers killed 5 civilians during a protest on King Street. Also known as "Incident on King Street" by the British. There was what was considered to be an unfair trial against the soldiers. -
Tea Act
And act enforced by the British Parliment to reduce the massive surplus of tea held by the British East India Company. This outraged the settlers, which later caused them to carry out the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
Political protest by the Sons of Liberty against the Tea Act. Patriots dumped lots of British tea into the Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
Series of laws passed by the British Parliment. These acts triggered anger throughout the Thirteen Colonies. This was an important development of the American Revolution. -
Lexington and Concord
First military contact of the American Revolution. Marked the outbreak of a conflict with Great Britan and the Thirteen Colonies. "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" -
Declaration of Independence
Document created by Thomas Jefferson that was adopted by the Continental Congress. 56 Delegates signed the declaration. This declared the independence of the United States of America. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was to address problems with governing the United States, which were operating under the Articles of Confederation since their independence from Great Britain. -
Shay's Rebellion
This conflict in Massachusetts caused many to criticize the Articles of Confederation and admit the weak central government was not working; uprising led by Daniel Shays in an effort to prevent courts from foreclosing on the farms of those who could not pay the taxes. -
Judiciary Act of 1789
This was an Act to establish the Judicial Courts of the United States. The Constitution also stated that the judicial powers of the United States would be invested in one Supreme Court. -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was a tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791, during the presidency of George Washington. The new stronger federal government had a large debt to pay off from teh Revolutionary War, so they implemented a tax on liquors and distilled drinks. This also marked the first time under the new Constitution that the federal government had used strong military force to exert authority over the nation's citizens. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
These were a series of laws that sought to restrict the activities of people who opposed Federalist policies. The Jeffersonian Republicans first replied in the Kentucky Resolutions, adopted by the Kentucky legislature in November, 1798. They were an attack on the Federalists' broad interpretation of the Constitution, which would have extended the powers of the national government over the states. A similar set of resolutions was adopted in Virginia in December, 1798. -
The Revolution of 1800
Thomas Jefferson won the election against John Adams, which brought in a new generation of the Democratic-Republican Party and basically ended the Federalist Party. The people looked at this as breaking away from European precedent and becoming our own free nation with a bright future ahead. -
Marbury v. Madison
The 1803 case in which Chief Justice John Marshall and his associates first asserted the right of the Supreme Court to determine the meaning of the U.S. Constitution. The decision established the Court's power of judicial review over acts of Congress, (the Judiciary Act of 1789). The day before the end of his presidency, John Adams tried to hinder the incoming Democratic-Republican Party and appointed "midnight judges", who were usually strong Federalists, one of them being William Marbury. -
Louisiana Purchase
The U.S., under Jefferson, bought the Louisiana territory from France, under the rule of Napoleon, in 1803. The U.S. paid $15 million for the Louisiana Purchase, and Napoleon gave up his empire in North America. The U.S. gained control of the Mississippi trade route and doubled its size. -
Embargo Act of 1807
During the Napoleonic Wars, U.S. cargo ships were being seized and their cargo being taken as contraband. The Embargo Act of 1807 was signd into law for commercial warfare and to bring economic hardship to Great Britain and France to end the molestation of American ships. It was implemented so they would honor America's neutrality and to end the policy of impressment. -
The War of 1812
A war (1812-1814) between the United States and England, who were trying to interfere with American trade with France. -
The Election of 1816 (Era of Good Feelings)
James Monroe won the Election of 1816. President Monroe's two terms were a period of strong nationalism, economic growth, and territorial expansion. Since the Federalist party dissolved after the War of 1812, there was only one political party and no partisan conflicts. -
Election of 1824
Neither candidate won enough electoral votes, so according to the 12th amendment, the House of Representatives chose John Quincy Adams to be president, even though Andrew Jackson won more electoral and popular votes. Jackson then claimed that his rival Henry Clay, entered a corrupt bargain with John Adams in order to deny him the presidency and achieve the position of Secretary of State. -
Election of 1828
The presidential election of 1828 was a rematch between the runner-up in the 1824 election, Andrew Jackson, and the current president, John Quincy Adams. -
Texas Independence
A formal declaration for the Republic of Texas. The Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico was signed at Washington-on-the-Brazos. -
Mexican-American War
A conflict between Mexico and the United States. The majority of the fighting took place in Mexico and what is Texas today. The Battle of the Alamo played a significant role in this war. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
A peace treaty between Mexico and the United States to end the Mexican-American War. This granted the U.S. a lot of land, but at the cost of 15 million dollars. -
Spanish-American War
This was conflict that that started because of American intervention in the Cuban war for Independence from Spain. Many new territories were gained from this. -
Election of 1932
This election took place in the midst of the Great Depression, which crushed Herbert Hoover because of his promises of prosperity. Franklin D. Roosevelt won by a landslide. -
New Deal
The new economic policies and programs implemented by FDR to benefit struggling U.S. citizens and to get our economy back on it's feet.
