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Aug 3, 1492
American discovered
His objective was to sail west until he reached Asia (the Indies) where the riches of gold, pearls and spice awaited.Columbus benefited from calm seas and steady winds that pushed him steadily westward (Columbus had discovered the southern "Trades" that in the future would fuel the sailing ships carrying goods to the New World) -
Oct 8, 1497
The beginning of British exploration
With the exception of John Cabot's voyage to Newfoundland in 1497, the English showed little interest in the New World until the reign of Elizabeth I.While English explorers, most notably Martin Frobisher, continued to look for the Northwest Passage, there was interest in colonizing North America. In 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh scouted possible sites for a colony farther to the south -
Roanoke established
The first English Colony of Roanoke, originally consisting of 100 householders, was founded in 1585, 22 years before Jamestown and 37 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, under the ultimate authority of Sir Walter Raleigh.This Colony was run by Ralph Lane after Sir Richard Grenville, who had transported the colonists to Virginia, returned to Britain for supplies -
Jamestown
the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English Settlement in the Americas.The settlement was located within the country of Tsnacommacahe, which was administered by the Powhatan -
Plymouth/Massachusetts Bay Colony
he colony was founded by the owners of the Massachusetts Bay Company was an English settlement on the east coast of North America (Massachusetts Bay) in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston -
French and Indian War
the Seven Years’ War When France’s expansion into the Ohio River valley brought repeated conflict with the claims of the British colonies, a series of battles led to the official British declaration of war in 1756 -
Treaty of Paris of 1763
he Treaty of Paris of Feb. 10, 1763, was signed by Great Britain, France, and Spain.During the war, Britain had conquered the French colonies of Canada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tobago, the French "factories" (trading posts) in India, -
Proclamation of 1763
The end of the French and Indian War in 1763 was a cause for great celebration in the colonies, for it removed several ominous barriers and opened up a host of new opportunities for the colonists. The French had effectively hemmed in the British settlers and had, from the perspective of the settlers, played the "Indians" against them -
Revolutionary War
Colonists were frustrated because Britain forced them to pay taxes, yet did not give them any representation in the British Parliament. Colonists rallied behind the phrase, “no taxation without representation.”
The first shots rang out on the morning of April 19, 1775 in Lexington, Mass. -
Declaration of Independence
Adams persuaded the committee to select Thomas Jefferson to compose the original draft of the document After ratifying the text on July 4, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in several forms. It was initially published as the printed Dunlap Broadside that was widely distributed and read to the public -
Articles of Confederation
-ratification in late 1781 original colonies that established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution Congress began on July 12, 1776, and an approved version was sent to the states for ratification in late 1777. The formal ratification by all 13 states was completed in early 1781 -
Treaty of Paris of 1783
Peace negotiations began in April of 1782, involving American representatives Benjamin Franklin,John jay,Henry Laurens, and John Adams. The British representatives present were David Hartley and Richard Oswald. The treaty document was signed in Paris at the Hotel d'York (presently 56 Rue Jacob), by Adams, Franklin, John Jay , and Hartley -
Constitution created
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law The Constitution , originally comprising seven articles, delineates the national frame of government. -
XYZ affair
he XYZ Affair was a series of diplomatic events that involved the U.S. and France during the late 1790s. Most of the impact of the XYZ affair was in domestic politics, as it was used as a tool for the opposition -
Alien and Sedition Acts
our bills that were passed by the Federalists in the 5th United States Congress and signed into law by President John Adams in 1798 in the aftermath of the French Revolution.The acts were denounced by Democratic-Republicans and ultimately helped them to victory in the 1800 election, when Thomas Jefferson became President. The Sedition Act and the Alien Friends Act were allowed to expire in 1800 and 1801 -
Thomas Jefferson elected president
Thomas Jefferson possessed impressive political credentials and was well-suited to the presidency. In addition to drafting the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson had served in two Continental Congresses, as minister to France, as secretary of state under George Washington and as John Adams' vice president