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1492
Christopher Colombus makes landfall in the Bahamas
One of the, if not the most important discoveries in history, Christopher Colombus made landfall in the Bahamas. Colombus was sailing west to find new trade routes with Asia and India.
Although he never made it to the planned destination, Colombus' landing in North America paved the way for arguably the greatest era of human advancement in recorded history. -
1565
Spain establishes St. Augustine
Ponce de Leon originally claimed the land that would become St. Augustine in 1513 for the Spanish crown but did not become a permanent settlement until 1565 when French privateers established a small settlement north of the area. Nobleman Pedro Menendez led an attack on the French settlement, eliminating the settlers and destroying the fort and establishing St. Augustine. -
Jamestown becomes the first permanent English settlement
After failing to establish a permanent settlement in Roanoke, partly because of the lack of supplies and funding from England, Jamestown was established in 1607 with the backing of the Virginia Company, named for Elizabeth I, the "virgin queen", a joint stock company created solely to establish colonies in the new world. -
Samuel de Champlain founds New France
After exploring the Carribean in 1601 and the New England coast in 1603, Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec, establishing New France. Champlain tirelessly promoted trade between New France and Europe so he could finance more explorations -
The Dutch found New Amsterdam
The Dutch East India Company was founded in 1602 to establish trade with Asia and the Dutch West India Company was chartered in 1621 to trade in the Americas. New Amsterdam was established as a fur trading outpost along the Hudson River, harvesting the coveted bever fur and making both East and West India among the largest corporations of their time and in turn made Amsterdam the richest city in the world at the time. -
The Glorious Revolution
In England, opponents of King James II overthrew his reign and jailed James' constituents.
Colonists in New England followed suit and overtook the local government, showing the animosity toward British rule. -
The Great Awakening
During the First Great Awakening, Protestants split into several denominations: Congregationalists, Anglicans (members of the Church of England), and Presbyterians. Each group favored a less formal style of worship, focusing on the individual's faith over literal interpretation. -
Seven Years' War
Fought from 1756 to 1763, the French and Indian War (aka the Seven Years' War) began as a dispute between Great Britian and France over land claims in modern western Pennsylvania. Although England eventually won the war, the British Empire was saddled with a crippling debt from the success and was forced to enact a series of taxes and tariffs on American businesses, eventually leading to conflict between the colonies and England. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years' War, awarding Britian most of what was New France, which established England as the pre- eminent power in the Americas.
The war also put England in severe debt, which forced the Britian to enact the Stamp Act, one of the catalysts to conflict between the colonies and England. -
Stamp Act and Quartering Act
The Stamp Act imposed a tax on any printed paper. things like newspapers, documents, playing cards, and of course, stamps.
The Quartering Act essentially allowed British soldiers that were stationed in the colonies to occupy any building as they see fit. -
Boston Tea Party
In December 1773, the Sons of Liberty, a politically motivated organization that stood against the taxation implemented by the British Parlaiment, raided a shipment of tea and dumped it into Boston Harbor. Britian considered the protest an act of treason and responded harshly.
These actions strained tensions between the colonies and England, paving the way for the American Revolution. -
The Battle of Lexington kicks off the Revolutionary War
Widely considered the first conflict of the Revolutionary War, a militia from Massachusetts defended Lexington and Concord from British troops who were attempting to seize weapons form the colonists. -
The Declaration of Independance
Drafted and signed by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, the Declaration of Independance proclaimed that the colonies should be independent states, free from rule of the British Crown. -
Treaty of Paris, Redux
Signed on September 3, the Treaty ended the Revolutionary war and established the United States as an independent country. -
The Constitution of the United States
Written by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the Constitution was drafted between May 25 and September 17. The document established the three branches of the federal government and laid the groundwork for the responsibilities of state legislatures. -
The Second Great Awakening
Spurned from the terrible working conditions of the average American, people began to look at themselves as individuals and wanted to make improvements to their lives, both physically and spiritually.
The Second Great Awakening gave birth to movements such as transcendentalism, temperance, and phrenology. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights are the first 10 Amendments of the Constitution, establishing protections for individual rights and limiting the power of the federal government. -
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution saw technological advances that changed the way business operated throughout the world, changing society and the creating a true global economy. -
South Carolina Secedes from the Union
Abraham Lincoln was the first President to represent the newly formed Republican Party, which was committed to stopping the spread of slavery into the western territories. Republicans refused to budge on the issue, so the slaveowners of the deep south decided to separate from the Union and create the Confederate States of America -
Emancipation Proclomation
President Lincoln signed the document into effect on January 1st, freeing the enslaved peoples of the Confederate states. Slaveholders did not adhere to the policy, instead hiding the news to keep slavery going in the south. -
The Civil War Ends
The war effectively ended in April 1865 when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
The final surrender of Confederate troops occurred in Galveston, Texas on June 2, enabling Union armies to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Lincoln two years prior.