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Establishment of Jamestown
Jamestown was established in Virginia on May 14, 1607 marking America’s first step to becoming the nation it is today. It was made possible by King James I and the Virginia Company of London and was led by Captain John Smith. -
The Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London took place from Sunday, September 2nd to Wednesday to September 5th, 1666. The fire was started at a bakery owned by Thomas Farriner and consumed the city and is estimated to have destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 churches, St Paul's Cathedral and most of the buildings in the City. The death toll is disputed because there are very few documented deaths but the deaths of poor/middle class people may not have been accounted for so the actual number is unknown. -
The French and Indian War / "The Seven Years War"
From May 28, 1756 to February 10, 1763, conflict rose between British and French colonies with the help of natives in North America over westward expansion which was settled with the 1763 peace conference giving Britain control of Canada and Florida. “The French directory’s foreign minister, Talleyrand, had just proclaimed what he called Frances natural right to give law to the world and recover the colonial empire of the 1750s that France had lost to Britain in the Seven Years War” (Unger,110). -
Birth
John Quincy Adams was born on July 11, 1767 to John and Abigail Adams in what was then called Braintree, Massachusetts, but is now called Quincy, Mass. He was named after Abigail’s grandfather Colonel John Quincy, who died only two days after JQA was born. -
Start of Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution in America started in 1775 and lasted until 1783. This marked America’s transition from being an agrarian society to an urban society. Goods went form being hand made in people’s homes, to mass-produced in factories. The key component to this shift was the invention of the steam engine. -
The American Revolution
The AR began at the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775 and lasted until the Treaty of Paris, September 3, 1783. At the time, there were only 13 American colonies going against the British empire, with the help of our French, Spanish, and Dutch allies, the British were defeated and the United States of America was founded. “Relations between the two nations had soured since they had signed the 1783 peace treaty, whose terms both Britain and the United States had both violated…” (Unger, 84). -
The Signing of the Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776, the 56 delegates of the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson to establish what would be the backbone of America to this day. -
Election of George Washington
On May 4, 1789 George Washington was unanimously elected as the first President of the United States of America. He would serve for two terms with John Adams as his Vice President. -
Storming of the Bastille
The Storming of the Bastille took place on July 14, 1789 and signaled the beginning of the French Revolution. French revolutionaries, which included four-fifths of the French army, seized this fortress that was a symbol for the tyranny of French government. -
Battle of Tippecanoe
The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on Nov. 7, 1811. It lasted exactly one day and was fought primarily over American expansion westward into Indian territory. It was fought between Tecumseh and his native forces, against General William Henry Harrison and the United States armed forces. This battle is said to have struck what would become the War of 1812. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812 started on June 18, 1812 and ended February 18, 1815 with the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent. This war was fought between a new America and the British superpower and was largely due to trade restrictions between the two countries. -
US Secretary of State
John Quincy Adams became Secretary of State on Sep. 22,1817 and served until March 4, 1825 under James Monroe. In this position JQA assisted in decisions regarding foreign policy including the writing of the Monroe Doctrine. “President Monroe named John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts to be secretary of state-the first sign of a break in the Virginia dynasty that had provided four of the first of the five Presidents.” (Unger, 190) -
Inauguration as 6th President
John Quincy Adams was inaugurated as America’s 6th president on March 4, 1825 and he served a four-year term until 1829. Adams is famous for his inauguration because he was the first president to wear trousers instead of breeches. -
The Indian Removal Act
The Indian removal act was passed after Adams during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. It was approved by congress on May 28, 1830 and meant that we as a country decided to take the land of the southern Indian tribes east of the Mississippi river and relocate them to the other side. -
England Outlaws Slavery
In 1833 the Slavery Abolition Act was passed by Parliament of the United Kingdom outlawing slavery throughout all of Britain. The Act provided payment to slave-owners for there loss, a total of "the Sum of Twenty Millions Pounds Sterling" was to be distributed to all slave-owners to make up for their loss of income. -
The Battle of the Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a result of the Texas war for independence from Mexico. With a mere 200 soldiers, Texas held the Alamo for a period of thirteen days (February 23 - March 6) despite being outnumbered by hundreds. It has become a symbol for the endurance and strength of Texas in their fight for independence. -
The Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears refers to the hundreds of miles that the native Americans had to walk west of the Mississippi after they were forced to leave their homes by the US government. This travesty took place between 1838 and 1839. -
Publication of the Communist Manifesto
The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx, is one of the most influential writings in history. It was published in London on February 26, 1848 by Marx, and a group of socialist revolutionaries, known as the Communist League. It was originally published in German and had very little social impact, but became popular in the 20th century and is now one of the most well known publications of all time. -
Lincoln's Presidency
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and was in office during the Civil War and had a huge roll in finally ending slavery. He served from March 1861 until he was assassinated later in 1865. Lincoln was shot while watching a play Fords Theatre in DC by John Wilkes Booth, a well known actor and Confederacy supporter. -
The Civil War
The American Civil war was fought from April 12, 1861 to May 9, 1865 and was between the Union (northern states) and the Confederacy (southern states). The Civil War was primarily due to the issue of slavery and its expansion into Western lands. The war ended with the crushing of the confederate states, the unification of the United States, and the abolition of slavery. -
Surrender of the South
Beaten and war torn, the confederacy had no choice but to surrender. on April 9, 1865 in Appomattox, Virginia General Robert E. Lee and the confederate army surrendered to the Union, led by Ulysses S. Grant.
