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The Virginia Company Lands (AH)
Under the leadership of Christopher Newport, the Virginia Company successfully settled Jamestown. They were governed by seven council members. Among the settlers were gentlemen and trade workers. They lacked farmers which would cause the settlement to fail until Native Americans offered to help (Oakes 63). -
The Pequot War (AH)
The Dutch owned the Connecticut River Valley and allowed the Pequot Indians to trade there. When English settlers arrived. the Pequots invited them to trade along the Connecticut River but quickly lost the land as the English settled there and outnumbered the Pequots. On May 26, Connecticut settlers brutally attacked a Pequot village, defeating them, selling survivors into slavery, and took their land (Oakes 84). -
The English Civil War Begins (INT)
The struggle for power over the Church of England caused issues between Archbishop Laud and King Charles. Parliament refused to defend and fund King Charles so Charles gathers an army to fight Parliament. The Petition of Right was passed which only allowed taxation from Parliament. King Charles is beheaded in 1649 (Oakes 93). -
Treaty of Utrecht (INT)
"The Treaty of Utrecht brought a period of peace in what is sometimes called the Second Hundred Years War (1689-1815) between France and Britain" (New World Encyclopedia). It also ended the War of Spanish Succession which had been ongoing from 1702-1713. It kept France from gaining power over Europe. -
Industrial Revolution in England Begins (INT)
Britain began to change from an agrarian economy to on that relied on industrial products around the mid 18th century. New energy sources were used such as coal and steam engines. Communication and transportation improved as a result. Their modern technology gave England a monopoly on their goods, but soon other countries would adopt their technology (Britannica). -
Treaty of Paris in 1763 (AH)
The French and Indian War (1754-1763) ended with the Treaty of Paris. The French and Spanish surrendered to British forces, surrendering Canada and Florida. This allowed further expansion to the Mississippi River Valley. Tensions between British and the Colonists were raised when heavy taxation resulted from the war (Oakes 170-171). -
JQA is Born
John Adams and Abigail Adams welcome their second child, John Quincy Adams, on July 11, 1767. John Quincy was born into a politically involved family; his father was George Washington's Vice President for two terms. John Adams made sure his son received proper education overseas in Europe (Unger 10). -
Boston Tea Party (AH)
The British were enforcing heavy taxes on the Colonists to pay for war debt. Once tea was taxed, Colonists revolted, "...and by the end of 1773, protests against a British tea tax climaxed with a mob boarding three ships in Boston Harbor and dumping more than three hundred chests of tea, worth about $1 million, overboard" (Unger 11). This added to the growing sense of rebellion in the New World. -
2nd Continental Congress Meets (AH)
The Second Continental Congress gathered in Philadelphia to discuss how to become an independent nation. They passed the first form of government and unified the North and South. They signed the Olive Branch Petition which addressed the unfair actions King George allowed (Oakes 195-197). -
JQA Witnesses The Battle of Bunker Hill
The British attack Massachusetts, "setting Charlestown aflame, while 2,400 of their comrades swarmed [Bunker Hill]" (Unger 14). At age 7, John Quincy and mother, Abigail watch the Battle of Bunker Hill from a distance. A battle which heavily impacted John Quincy. -
The Declaration of Independence is Ratified (AH)
This is one of the most important documents that resulted from the American Revolution. In Philadelphia, The Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. They declared independence from King George III. Soon after, the American War for Independence began (Oakes 197). -
JQA Admitted to Harvard
After JQA was rejected from Harvard in 1785, he was asked to reapply once he was better prepared. This infuriated JQA, but was tutored by his uncle, Reverend John Shaw. He was finally accepted in 1786 (Unger 62-63). -
JQA Marries Louisa Catherine Johnson
JQA waited until he was financially settled before the pair decided to wed. Once he was promoted to work in Portugal with a salary twice as large, they decided to marry in London that summer (Unger 102). -
Napoleon Takes Power (INT)
Napoleon Bonaparte comes to power during the French Revolution; "On the night of March 20, Napoleon surrounded, it seemed, by the french population, marched into Paris and seized power -- and the palace -- from the king, who had fled with his court" (Unger 182). -
JQA Elected to U.S. Senate
In the state senate, JQA was causing quite a stir by attempting to restrict legislators and funding in Massachusetts. In order to "save face", Adams is elected to the U.S. Senate; "...in the hope that [the Massachusett legislators] would not hear from him again for at least six years" (Unger 122). This would lead to his appointment as Secretary of State when James Monroe is elected. -
Missouri Compromise of 1820 (AH)
As the United States continued to expand with railroads, the issue of balancing free and slave states became an issue. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 allowed Missouri to become a slave state and Maine separated from Massachusetts to become a free state. It will be repealed in 1854 by the Kansas-Nebraska Act (Oakes 414-417). -
The Monroe Doctrine
JQA heavily influenced U.S. foreign policy during Monroe's presidential terms. This doctrine was addressed in Monroe's annual message. It was his warning to foreign nations that the United States would not be available for colonization in the future. He announced that any interference from Britain in the New World would be a declaration of war (Unger 219). The picture is of James Monroe. -
JQA is Elected 6th President of The U.S.
John Quincy's position as Secretary of State suggested his election to the next presidency, as was the pattern with previous presidents. In the Election of 1824, Andrew Jackson ran against John Quincy Adams. Jackson won the popular vote but lost the presidency because the House of Representatives chose Adams. Only serving one term from 1825 to 1829, JQA was not productive as president and faced great criticism from the American people (Unger 236-238). -
The Great Reform Act (INT)
British subjects complained that the electoral system was rigged. The British Parliament settled the matter with a Reform Bill which intended to improve the voting system. Sir Charles Weatherall rejected the Reform Bill which caused the people to riot. The Great Reform Act accepted in order to ward off revolution (Coulson). -
JQA Dies
At 80 years old, Adams went into a coma at a New Years party. He was unconscious for two days before he died at 7:20pm in the Capitol. Washingon D.C. mourns his death by shooting cannons the next morning. The nation came together to mourn and celebrate John Quincy's life. He is buried in his family vault in Quincy, Massachusetts (Unger 309-311). -
Kansas-Nebraska Act (AH)
Introduced by Stephen Douglas to create the Kansas Territory out of the Nebraska Territory to add another free and slave state. This caused citizens to question how much government regulated is necessary. Slavery became a political issue which divided the country. The Act repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and divided the Democratic Party (Oakes 422-427).
