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Nov 9, 1492
Chritopher columbus lands in America.
Christopher Columbus landed in America, thinking that it was it India. He conquered this land for Spain, briging over Chritian beliefs. -
Nov 10, 1492
The Spanish Empire
Christopher Colombus, Hernan Cortez, Fransisco Pizaro claimed the Carribean and South America by conqering the people, with the help of diseases that they brought over. One of their main goal was to find gold. -
Nov 10, 1534
New France
For the French, beaver fur were as valuable as Spanish gold. When the French came over to what is now Canada, they didn't know how to survive in the harsh climate, so they formed a partnership with the Huron Indians. -
The Lost Colony of Roanoke
English noble named Sir Walter Raleigh tried to start a colony on Roanoke Island. After the first group of people failed to settle in the Island, Raleigh sent another group. He returned with supplies to give to the people in Roanoke Island, after a delay of 3 years, to find that all the men were missing. -
Jamestown: The First English Colony
Pocahontas is the reason Jamestown survived. If she didn't have the courage to protect someone against her own tribe's wishes, John Smith would have been dead and no one could have lead the English colony. -
New Netherland
Henry Hudson discovered what is now Hudson River. Later on colonists settled along the river. This was a very short lived Dutch colonization because later on the English took whatever the Dutch owned without a fire of a single gun shot. -
The Starving Times
Without John Smith and Pocahontas to act as go-betweens, the Native American refused to trade with the English men, which left them starving. To survive, they had to eat dogs, rats, and even human corpses. -
New Netherland turns into New York
In 1664, Charles II (who refused to recognize Dutch claims), told his brother, James, the Duke of York, that if he could conquer Dutch land, he could have the m all. He conquered the land without a single shot fired. -
Pennsylvania
King Charles II granted William Penn a huge amount of land. The colony is called Pennsylavania, after Penn's father. William Penn promised that people who lived in Pennsylavania will all be treated equally, even if they are rich or poor. People from all faith are treated as equals. -
Proclamation of 1763
The British Government passed the Proclamation of 1763 that states that the Colonists sould noe stay on the East side of the Appalachian Mountains. Britain could not afford the Native Americans and Colonists getting into a fight because they already lost a lot of money from the war with France and Native Americans. -
The Stamp Act
The British had just lost a lot money because of the French Indian war and they decided that it was time for the colonists to pay their debts. They now made a law that for every piece of paper the colonists bought, they would hav to buy a stamp with it too. This included newspaper, playing cards etc. The colonists were very unhappy. They didn't have any representation n the parliment. They didn't think that it was fair. Mobs attacked the tax collector's homes.The parliment repealed the act. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was for the colonists to provide homes for the British Troops. Since the British Troops were thre in the colonies to keep the colonists safe then the colonists should provide food and housing for the sodiers. The colonists were very unhappy with this. They did't want any soldiers living in their homes, but the British refused to repeal this act. -
The Townshend Act
The Townshend act placed taxes on imported goods including glass, paint, paper and tea. This lead the colonists to boycott British goods. To avoid buying British goods the women started making hand made goods. The British government had to repeal this except for the tax on tea because they weren't making any income. -
The Tea Act
The colonists had to but tea from only East India company, a british company that was going bankrupt. The colonists didn't like the British government controlling them so the Bostanaians retaliated by dumping 90,000 pounds of tea into the harbor. -
The Intolerable Acts
As an effect of the Boston Tea Party, the king was furous with the Bostonians. He decided it was time for harsher punishments so the colonists knew there place. he placed four punishemnts on the colony Massachusetts.
1. The harbor was closed until the tea was paid for.
2. British had all conntroll over Boston government.
3. British soldiers accused of murder would have their trial in Britain insead of the colonies.
4.More British troops were being sent to watch over the colonists. -
Lexington & Concord
After the colonists sent polite letters to the King, King George had decided that it was time to put the rebellions in their place. 700 British troops arrived at Lexington to seize the weapons the colonists had stored. The colonists had spies that warned them that the British were coming. When Paul Revere and William Dawes came with the news, a small band of Minuteman gathered. When they arrived, a shot rang, and that started all the shooting. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
When Israel Pautnom lead a few colonists to Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill, British General, William Howe, ordered immediate attack. What he didn't know was that the colonists were ready for them. The British regrouped after losing the first time. It took 2 more tries before the British could win. -
The Olive Branch Petition
Many colonists still wanted peace with the British. They sent petitions to the king, but King George was far from forgiving. He now considered the colonists as traitors. This lead to the phamplet commin sense. In here Paine presents arguments on why the colonists should no longer feel any loyalty to Britain. -
The Siege of Boston (The British Abandon Boston)
The "Americans" started started to gather guns and gunpowder. They even started a rumpr that they had 1,800 barrels of gunpowder, a big exageration, to scare the British away.One morning, the British woke up to a not-so-great surprise. All the cannos were pointed at them. The British retreated to Canada. -
Battle for New York
In Brooklyn, the American and British armies met. The Americans had high hopes of winning but soon they realized that it wasn't going to be so easy. After two days fighting, Americans lost 1,407 soldiers while the Bristish only lost 377. British had won the fight for New York. -
Trenton
The day after Christmas, George Washington and his soldiers marched over to Trenton planning to attack the Hessians. The Hessians were caught completely by surprise. They were sleeping off their Christmas feast, The American captured 868 prisoners and they hadn't lost a single man. -
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution for the United States of America. It stated that the State government had more power than the national government. -
Saratoga
Burgoyne, the British General, arriver to Saratogo spring not expecting militia to be swarming the place. Even though he was outnumbered, he still made his army attack, but they still lost. Burgoyne had to surrender to Gentleman Johnny. The victory in Saratoga is markes as a turning point for the Americans. After they won, France and Spaine decided to enter the war as allies with the Americans. -
The Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was a peace treaty that both the Americans and the British had to sign. The British had to recognize the Americans as a inderpedent country. It was held in Paris because that place was neutral. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's rebellion was a farmer's rebellion. It was named after Shay. Danielle Shay was thrown to jail because he couldn't pay back the money he borrowed to produce for the American Amy during the war. -
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional convention was held in Philadelphia, because the Articles of Confederation was not working. 55 delegates met in secret so they did not have to worry about the press. The states had many different opinions so they had to argue for hours before they made any decsisions. -
Ratification of the Constitution
It was time to change the rules. With the state government having more power, different states had different armies, money and rules. They no longer seemed like united states. So in the constitution it says that the government had more power. So that there was no tyranny, the government is split into three branches; the judicial branch, the executivge branch and the legislative branch, so that no one person (or branch) has all the power. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Unite States wanted to buy Loisiana French. French ruler, Napolean, was so scared of losing the land to British, who they were at war with during that time, that he sold the land to the Americans for 7.5 million dollars. -
Spain gives Florida to the U.S.
After Andrew Jackson invaded Spanish territories in Florida illegally with 1,700 troops, Spanish people demanded an apology. But Spanish people did not want to start a war. They decided to sell Flroida for 5 million dollars and move and claim Texas. -
The Indian Removal Act
The settlers in the United States wanted to move West, where the Indians had claimed the land. That is why President Andrew Jakson passed the Indian Removal Act. This act allowed the president to make treaties with the Native Americans, asking them to leave their land and move to a area meant for the Native Americans in what is now Oklahoma. The Native Americans that resisted suffered alot. -
The Trail of Tears
The journey Native Amerincans from all over the country had to take is remembered as the trail of tears. A lot of the Native Ameircans had to walk for months, by feet. They had no animals to carry them, hardly any food and no blankets. It was a horrible time for them therefore known as the Trail of Tears. -
Texas is Annexed
When Stephen Austin came to Texas he agreed that any settler who came to this land, that was claimed my Mexico, had to follow Mexican rules. Soon the Americans got tired of these ruules and attacked. For 10 years Texas was an independednt counrty, before the Americans decided to annex it. -
The Fugitive Slave Law
The Fugitive Slave Law stated that all run-away slaves must be returned to their owners. The Northerners did not want to follow this law. This law was against everything they stood for. They anti-slavery and they didn't want to return slaves to the place where they would be tortured. -
The Outcome of the Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a slave who lived for a long time in free land with his owner. H e thought he was a free man since slavery wasn't allowed in Missouri. He wanted to take this to court. The Supremem Court decided that Dred Scott was not a citezen, therefore he could not go to court. They also decided that Dred Scott was not a free man since the Missouri compromise was unconstitutional. Slaves were like property and in the Bill of Right it said you could not take property away. The north was upset. -
John Brown's Raid
In 1859, John Brown felt that it was time to get into action about slavery. He planned to take hold of the federal arsenal (where all the weapons are stored.) at Harpes Ferry, Virgina. He wanted to arm the slaves so they could fight. Even though he got caught and was hanged, the South was very upset about this because they were afraid that this might inspire slaves to rebel. This might give the slaves hope. -
Abraham Licoln as President
In 1860, Abraham Licoln got 40% of the Nation's votes, yet he still won. The other 60% was was split between Stephen Douglas and John C. Breckinridge. Abraham Lincoln won as president. The South was very upset will this. Abraham Licoln might try to ban slavery. Now the south would have no more power. -
The Civil War
In 1861, 11 Southern states seceded from the U.S becaue they did not agree with Abraham Licoln being president. They were called the Confederacy. The remaining states were called the Union. The first battle started when the Southerners fired in Fort Sumter. The Union had more states and had the slaves on their side. Soon the Confederacy got tired and surrendered.
