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Christopher Columber lands in the Bahamas and discovers America.
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Ponce de Leon explores Florida in search of gold.
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Francisco Coronado was the first European to see the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.
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Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo explored all the way up the California Coast.
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The Spanish built a fortress at St. Augustine, Florida to block the French ambitions and rotect sea lanes.
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Sir Walter Raleigh landed on Roanoke Island in North Carolina where Roanoke Colony was formed. Not long after that, however, Roanoke Colony mysteriously vanished.
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One hundred men on three English ships arrived in North America, sailing up the Chesapeake Bay and moving in towards what is now Virginia to colonize Jamestown.
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Don Juan Onate proclaimed the area of New Mexico, along with founding its capital at Santa Fe.
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John Rolfe had perfected the tobacco plant by 1612. Because of this, a tabacco rush swept through Virginia and tobacco became known as "King Nicotine".
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Lord De La Warr introduced "Irish Tactics" on the Indians, raiding their villages and stealing items. This was the First Anglo-Powhattan War that ended in a peace agreement of John Rolfe marrying Pocohontas.
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The first African Slaves were introduce to America at Jamestown in 1619. A Dutch ship sold twenty slaves to the colonists at Jamestown.
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In 1620, the Mayflower landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Pilgrims were Puritans leaving their home country and creating a colony at Plymouth.
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The Mayflower Compact was signed to give the Puritans a set of rules to abide by in the New World.
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James I revoked the charter of the Virginia Company making Virginia its own colony and controlling it himself.
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Lord Baltimore sent his settlers to this area to found Maryland. Most were Catholics, making this one of the few regions to have high ranking officials being Catholic.
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The Indians tried to remove the Virginians from their homes, but failed. The Indians were sent else where to live.
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Carolina was founded in 1653 by Charles II and other Virginians. It had close economic ties with the English West Indies allowing it to fluorish.
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Nathaniel Bacon started an uprising due to high taxes, low cost for tabacco and favoritism from the governor.
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In 1681, William Penn founded the Pennsylvania colony, naming it after himself.
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The English Parliament adopted a Bill of Rights that guarenteed the freedom of religion to Protestants.
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This treaty ended King William's War and Queen Anne's War. Britain was given Acadia along with the Hidson Bay.
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This was a period of time when liberal ideas began to challenge the old time religion traditions. It was started by Jonathan Edwards and continued by George Whitefield.
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The Molasses Act was passed to stop trade between America and West Indies. It made molasses cheaper to buy from Britain than from there.
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Peter Zenger was charged with seditious libel when his newspaper criticized the royal governor. He was, however, found not guilty.
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This war was fought between Britain and Spain when Jenkins returned to Britain with a severed ear due to one of the Spainiards. It was fought in the Caribbean Sea and Georgia. It eventually led into the War of Austrian Succession.
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This ended the War of Jenkins's Ear but angered the colonists when Louisbourg was handed back to the French.
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Washington erected the "perfect" fort called Fort Necessity, but it wasn't strategically placed. This was the one and only place that Washington had to surrender in his career.
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This plan was made through the meetings of the Albany Congress and would have the power to raise a navy, make war or peace with the Native Americans, regulate trade, and tax.
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This war was otherwise known as the French and Indian War, where the French and Indians battled the British army. This war fought around the world however.
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This treaty was signed between Britain, France, Spain, and Portugal to end the Seven Years' War. With this, France lost all power in North America.
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This proclamation prohibited settlement anywhere beyond the Appalachian and that the Indians now owned the land that they resided on. This was to keep Pontiac's men from attacking the British settlers.
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The Sugar Act was passed to increase the tax on foreign sugar imported and was the first law passed to raise tax revenue.
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The Stamp Act was to raise revenues for the new British army. Any paper, document, or even playing cards required a stamp to show a tax was paid for it.
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The Americans were upset with the Stamp Act and started forming protest groups like the Sons of Liberty. Eventually, stamp agents were forced to resign, leaving no one to sell stamps. The British commoners started suffering from this when they had to pay high taxes, so Parliament repealed it.
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The Townshend Acts were created by Charles Townshend. These acts put a tax on imported glass, white lead, paper, paint and tea.
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The people of Boston were harassing soldiers for killing a boy. This led to the soldiers opening fire and killing or wounding 11 people.
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The Sons of Liberty dressed in Indian costumes and boarded British ships filled with tea. They emptied these chests into the Boston harbor, upset with the high tax on tea.
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These acts were to punish Boston for the Boston Tea Party. The acts included the Boston Port Act and the New Quartering Act.
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The Quebec Act gave much of the Ohio Valley to France as a means of befriending them. However, the colonists did not see it that way and were upset.
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This was the meeting of twelve out of the thirteen colonies to discuss the colonial grievances. Eventually, they drew up the Declaration of Rights and sent it to the king to protest the policies.
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The Battle of Lexington and Concord were the first battles fought in the Revolutionary War.
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The Second Continental Congress served as the first government for five years. All thirteen states met in Philadelphia for these years.
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King George officially proclaimed that the colonies were in rebellion and now everything they did became treason.
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Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called the Common Sense so the colonists would see the need to revolt.
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This document declared independence from Great Britain during the Revolutionary War.
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This document was the first Constitution of the new nation. It was very weak but was a milestone in history. At this point, it was adopted by the Second Continental Congress.
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This alliance helped the Americans defeat the British because of the help from their ally, France.
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This battle was the last major battle fought in the Revolutionary War. The British were defeated and had to surrender.
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The British signed this treaty to show that the United States was completely independent from Britain.
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This ordinance was drawn up to survey and sell land in the northwest reagion to help raise revenue.
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This rebellion was led by Daniel Shays. The group of rebels were farmers and poor people and were upset that they just fought in the war and then were losing their homes due to the high debt.
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This convention was held in Philadelphia to create a new Constitution since the Articles of Confederation were weak.
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This document acted as a charted government for new states in the northwest region. It had a set number of people in a region to be allowed to become a state. This helped the US gain six states from this region.
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George Washington was unanimously chosen to be President. This was the first official election in the United States.
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The citizens of France were upset with their country so they beheaded King Louis XVI and overturned the throne. This bloody war lasted many years.
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This act officially established Judicial Courts of the United States.
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This tax was put on items after they were sold, giving them the name hidden taxes. Many people were upset with them but it was to raise revenue for the government.
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The Bill of Rights were established to ensure the rights of the people. The anti-federalists were against the Constitution unless it contained the Bill of Rights.
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This act reorganized the Judicial System and replaced the Judiciary Act of 1789.
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Thomas Jefferson negotiated with Napoleon to obtain this large piece of land. In the end, Napoleon agreed and actually wanted to get rid of it.
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Sent by Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark made their famous expedition into the Louisiana Purchase to observe what was out there. They were assisted by an Indian named Sacajawea. This expedition lasted approximately 2 1/2 years.
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In 1804, Samuel Chase was impeached due to high crimes and misdemeanors. However, in 1805, these charges were dropped with claims that his acts were just arrogance. This was the only time in US history that a Supreme Court judge was impeached.
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While Lewis and Clark were busy exploring the western part of the Louisiana Territory, Zebulon Pike explored the southern part, sailing down the Mississippi River.
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Congress issued this act to forbid the exports of US goods to any country. This was hated by many Americans because they couldn't sell their goods now to other countries.
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Since the Embargo Act was failing, Congress passed the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809 which reopened trade with all the countries except France and Britain.
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This bill was passed in 1810 because the Non-Intercourse Act was to expire. It reopened trade with all the world. Whichever country, either France or Britain, first lifted its commercial restictions with the US, the US would trade with them and embargo the other. It was France who lifted their commercial restrictions.
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This battle was fought between the Shawnee Indians, led by Tenskwatawa, and the United States, led by William Harrison. Up to this point, the United States was constantly pushing the Indians westward. So Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh led an uprising to fight back the United States.
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In the year of 1812, America, once again, fought with the British. There are several reasons as to why they fought including trading issues, Indians attacking settlers, and the English impressing American merchants.
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In August of 1814, the British arrived in the Chesapeake Bay and moved into Washington. While in Washington, the British managed to burn the Capitol along with the White House.
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After the British landed in the Chesapeake Bay, they attacked Fort McHenry in Baltimore. While aboard one of the British ships during this battle, Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner to describe the fighting.
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During the end of the War of 1812, Massachusetts called for a meeting to discuss all of the grievances of the United States.
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This treaty was signed between the United States and the United Kingdom in Ghent, Belgium. The Treaty of Ghent officially ended the War of 1812.
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Andrew Jackson led an army to try to defeat the British in New Orleans. The British made the frontal assult on Jackson, however, Jackson managed to defeat the British and take New Orleans.
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In 1816, Congress passed this tariff, not as a source of revenue, but rather for protection of American goods. This tariff was the first of its kind.
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This agreement was signed because of Canada's demands. The Canadians feared that the United States might attack them becasue of the British. The Rush-Bagot Agreement demilitarized the Northern Part of the States and created the longest border without a fence.
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This treaty was signed to move Spain away from the eastern side of the United States. It gave Florida to the United States and gave the Southwest to Spain. It also defined the southern line of the United States, making a border next to Mexico.
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This court case was held in 1819 and resulted in only strengthening the Supreme Court. Its result was that the Supreme Court could overrule the decisions of the state courts.
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During this time period of 1819, many "wildcat banks" were opening and were very unsteady. This caused worry throughout the United States because people were losing money due to banks closing.
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Since Missouri wanted to be admitted to the States as a slave state, a compromise was needed to keep the North happy. The North was then allowed to admit Maine as a free state. Along with this, the 36 degree 30 minute line was established so that slave states could only be admitted south of this line.
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This court case strengthened the Supreme Court by stating that the Supreme Court had the right to review any decision of the state courts.
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This was a society that was formed to stop the constant consumption of alcohol. It wasn't a law but it was what was right.
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This was a new religion founded by Joseph Smith. They slowly moved west due to persecution. When Smith died, Brigham Young took the Mormons to Utah to reside.
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Nat Turner led an uprising in Virginia killing 60 Virginians.
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This resolution was passed by southerners in the House to stop the petitions for ending slavery. It put aside all petitions for ending slavery.
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The American Scholar was a speech given by Ralph Waldo Emerson to explain the relationship between the scholar and nature.
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The Caroline was an American ship that was trading with the Canadians. The British in Canada became upset and set fire to it while it was on the United States side of the Niagara River.
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This war was fought between the Lumberjacks of upper Maine and the British. The British wanted the Aroostook River Valley to build a road into Canada but the Lumberjacks claimed that it was theirs.
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Lord Ashburton came to America to settle the Aroostook War. In the end, this treaty gave the British the Aroostook River Valley but gave the Mesabi Range to the United States.
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Polk officially signed the document that granted statehood to Texas, which would becom the 28th state as well as a slave state.
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This war was fought between America and Mexico over a land dispute. Gen. Taylor had purposefully entered an undetermined land mass in southern Texas where he was attacked by Mexico. This gave reason for the United States to declare war. In the end, America won and managed to buy California from Mexico.
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As people were moving west on the Oregon Trail, a boundary was needed to define Canada and America. The United States wanted to have up to the 54 degee, 40 minute line. However, the Canadians wanted the line to be along the Columbia River. So the United States and Canada agreed that the border would be the 49th Parallel.
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In 1846 during the Mexican War, John C. Fremont took thirty-three soldiers into California and claimed that it was the United States.
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The treaty was signed between Mexico and the United States. It officially ended the Mexican War and allowed the United States to purchase California for $15 million.
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This convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York to discuss giving women rights. It was led by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
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This community was founded in hopes of creating a Utopian Society. It prospered from the silverware that they made.
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The Free Soil party was a political party that only lasted a few elections. Its primary view was to stop slavery in the south.
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For several years, many Easterners headed west to California in hopes of finding gold and becoming rich. However, most of the people barely found enough to make a profit.
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This popular novel was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne to describe life in the 1600s and dealt with a woman committing adultery.
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This treaty allowed California to enter the United States as a free state, allowed Utah and New Mexico to decide on slavery by popular sovereignty, gave Texas $10 million, and enforced the Fugitive Slave Law.
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The United States wanted an easier way to travel to Southern California without having to cross the Rocky Mountains. James Gadsden purchased land from Mexico near southern Arizona and New Mexico to be used for the Transcontinental Railroad. This purchase became known as the Gadsden Purchase,
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In 1856, a small civil war broke out in Kansas over the issue of Kansas entering as a free state or slave state.
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This massacre was led by John Brown who killed five pro-slavery people in Kansas over the issue of whether Kansas should be free or a slave state.
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Dred Scott was a slave who moved with his master to Illinois, a free state. There, he sued for his freedom because it was a free states. In the end, the decision was made that slaves can't sue, can live anywhere because they are property, and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional.
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This panic occurred as a result of people moving west to find gold in California. The gold found inflated the United States Treasury and overspeculated the land.
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In 1858, Lincoln was battling Douglas for a seat in Illinois's senate. Lincoln questioned Douglas on the issue of popular sovereignty and Douglas answered it the wrong way to lose the Presidential Election of 1860.
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Republican Abraham Lincoln wins presidency in 1860, causing the south to be upset and eventually secede.
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After Lincoln won the election of 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. Six more states followed shortly after that.
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This tariff was passed by the Union to help with war costs. It was a protective tariff.
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After the secession of the southern states, a new country was created called the Confederate States of America. They elected Jefferson Davis as their president and fought against the Union is the Civil War.
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After the seven southern states seceded, Fort Sumter was the first battle site of the American Civil War. This fort is in South Carolina and the Confederates won this battle.
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The Merrimack (Union) and Monitor (Confederate) were two iron ships that fought at sea. Neither won because the cannons couldn't destroy the metal. This started a new era of iron warships.
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The Confederates bought a ship called the Alabama that would raid Union ships of good. It lasted for two years until it was sunk in 1864.
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This act was passed in 1862 to give applicants of land for free or of little cost.
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In the midst of the Civil War, a transcontinental railroad was called for, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
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This battle lasted seven days in which McClellan lost and was removed from his postition as leader of the Union troops.
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This battle ended the same way as the first. Lee defeated Pope and Pope was dismissed from his position as leader.
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This battle became the single bloodiest day of battle. The Union managed to stop the Confederates from advancing northward, however, it was a draw.
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Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to free all slaves in the rebellling states.
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The National Banking System was created in 1863 to hold the government money without being a bank.
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This battle become one of the famous battle of the Civil War. The Union managed to win their first major battle of the War.
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Napoleon had wanted to control Mexico so he sent the Archduke Maximilian to become the emperor of Mexico. He was later overthrown and killed.
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In this election, Lincoln defeated McClellan to become the president once again. With this, there were goiing to be no negotiations to end the war.
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In the Winter of 1864, the 13th Amendment was ratified to outlaw slavery and involuntary servitude.
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This was intended to provide clothing, medical care, food, and education to freedmen and white refugees.
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On Good Friday, Lincoln spent his evening watching a play at Ford's Theatre. There, he was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth.
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This planned called for all states attend a convention so that each would repeal secession, repudate Confederate debts, and ratify the 13th Amendment.
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This was a series of laws designed to regulate the affairs of emancipated slaves.
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This group was founded in Tennessee by whites who were upset with slaves being free. They would either intimidate or hurt the blacks of the south.
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In 1866, the National Labor Union was created to help support the workers of companies. This union disliked blacks, women, and Chinese. It wanted shorter work hours for the workers.
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In 1867, William Seward signed a treaty with Russia that gave Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million.
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As the election of 1868 arrived, Grant was the canidate for the Republican Party. He defeated Seymour to become president, however, he proved to be a weak political leader.
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After the National Labor Union failed, the Knights of Labor was then known. They supported all people unlike the NLU. They wanted the work day to be eight hours and wanted a safer working condition.
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In July of 1869, the 15th Amendment was ratified to grant black men the right to vote.
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After seven years of working on the railroad, it was conjoined in 1869 in Utah.
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Gould and Fisk decide to buy large quantities of stocks of gold. Then they convinced Grant's brother-in-law to talk to Grant about eliminating the amount of gold in circulation. Because of this, the market for gold went up and Gould and Fisk sold their stocks to make a large profit.
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In 1870, John D. Rockefeller created the Standard Oil Company which used the idea of horizontal integration. This meant that all smaller oil companies put their stock into his company. In a way, it was a monopoly.
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Boss Tweed created this political machine to gain votes from the Irish and win elections
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In 1875, the Civil Rights Act was passed to keep African Americans equal to the whites. In 1883, this act was declared unconstitutional.
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With a president like Grant, workeers manaaged to get away with things that they normally couldn't. As people were being taxed on alcohol, the workers of the treasury were pocketing the tax money.
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In the Election of 1876, a standoff occurred and a president was needed. Tilden had won the popular vote but needed one more electoral vote. Three states in the south didn't vote. In the end, Hayes won because of an agreement that the northern troops would be pulled from the south.
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In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell created the telephone to communicate over long distances.
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In 1877, Reconstruction of both the North and South had been completed.
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As election day was arriving, a president was needed to to enter office. This compromise allowed Hayes to enter office as long as they remove the federal troops from the south.
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Three years after the telephone was created, Thomas Edison invented the electric light with electricity.
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Shortly after Garfield became president, he was assassinated. It was Arthur who only finished out his term.
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In 1882, the government declared that Chinese Immingration was illegal and came to an end.
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In 1883, the Pendleton Act was created to make campaigning contributions from federalemployees illegal. It also created the Civil Service Commission.
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In 1886, the American Federation of Labor was formed and was the only successful one out of the three. The public thought that this union wasn't allowed to go on strike making it a strong union.
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The Interstate Commerce Act was created in 1887 to prohibit pools and rebates as well as charging more for a short trip than a long one.
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As president, McKinley created this tariff to raise revenue yet again. It had a negative effect on the farmers and caused the Republicans to lose support in Congress.
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In 1894, Wilson created this tariff to lower the tariff price from the McKinley tariff. It also added a two percent income tax.
