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Oct 12, 1492
Columbus Discovers the New World
About.comItalian Christopher Columbus set sail for India and ended up in the Bahamas. He is said to be the first European to land in North America, but Leif Erikson may have come in 900 A.D. This voyage set up a clash between Native Americans where the Europeans slaughtered, raped, pillaged, and stole the land from the Native Americans. -
Aug 13, 1521
Hernan Cortes Conquers the Aztecs
History.comSpanish Noble. Sailed to Hispaniola in 1504. He was made captain general of the Spanish expedition to America. Led army into the Mexican interior and became allies with other Native Americans who wanted the Aztecs to fall. Learned of Cuban army in 1520 and led his army out to meet them. After fighting Cortes when back to the Aztec empire and conquered it marking the end of the Aztec empire. This began the Spanish conquering of South America and the Native Americans were never powerful again. -
Jan 1, 1552
Bartolome de Las Casas
thelatinlibrary.comBartolome de Las Casas wrote the book "A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies". It is about the mistreatment of the Native Americans. The reason he wrote this book is because he thought there would be a divine punishment for killing the Native Americans. This book is largely responsible for the passing of the New Laws of 1542 which abolished native slavery. -
Founding of Jamestown
History of JamestownOn May 14, 1607 the Virginia Company explorers landed on Jamestown Island. Jamestown was starving and disease ridden until John Smith started to barter goods with Powhatan tribe in exchange for food. Smith left the colony in 1609 and only 60 of the 214 original settlers survived. Governor Lord De La Ware helped the colony by sending supply ships. The Native Americans were introduced to tobacco and started growing it on their own land which led to hostility. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacons RebellionNathaniel Bacon formed a rebellion against Governor Sir William Berkeley who made high taxes and low tobacco costs. Bacon with others marched on Jamestown and forced the Governor to commission his campaigns against Native Americans. Berkeley later declared them traitors and rebels and Bacon returned to take the town. After a fight Bacon took the town only to die in October of that year. Berkeley returned later to stop Native American Attacks. -
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French and Indian War
sparknotes.comTensions between the French and British were rising in America because each side wanted more land. In 1753, George Washington and troops went to the Ohio region and demanded French withdrew from the territory. They refused and fighting went on until 1763 at a peace meeting. Britian recieved Canada and Florida and Spain recieved Louisiana. Native Americans supplies were cut off by Britian because of them siding with France. -
Proclamation of 1763
Proclamation of 1763This proclamation was signed after the French and Indian War. Four new colonies were established. Quebec, East Florida, West Florida, and Grenada. The main subject of the document regarded the Indians. It said they were now under the power of the king and they had to abandon all English land. -
Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris 1783The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War and recognized America's independence. Talks of a treaty began in April 1782 after a French-American victory at Yorktown. This treaty established an outline of today's eastern seaboard. The Native Americans were still forced to move away because of the American victory. -
Treaty of Greenville
The Latin LibraryThis treaty marked the end of a multi-tribal war in the 1770s. The Native Americans gave up Ohio, part of Indiana, modern Detroit, Toledo, and Chicago. They were promised a permanent boundary between their land and American territory. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana PurchaseThe Louisiana Purchase aquired 828,000 square miles of land for the United States from the French. Thomas Jefferson wanted to purchase this land because he didn't want Napolean to own it because he could cut off U.S. commerce through the Mississippi River. The land was purchased for less than 5 cents per acre. -
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Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and ClarkThis expedition was the first U.S. overland expedition to the Pacific coast and back. They started near St. Louis and went westward. They went up the Missouri River until they reached Idaho, then set out on foot. They collected samples of plants and animals on the journey. They started their journey home on March 23, 1806. After the expedition Lewis was made governor of the Louisiana Territory. -
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Tecumseh and the Prophet
Native American TimelineTecumseh was the chief of the Shawnee. He and his brother, known as The Prophet established Prophetstown, a settlement for Indians. They said that their confederacy would not sign any U.S. treaties. In 1811 while Tecumseh was away, William Henry Harrison led troops into the town and destroyed it. -
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Creek War
Creek WarAndrew Jackson instigated the war against the Creek Indians who refused to give up their land to the U.S. government. The Creeks were defeated and at the Treaty of Fort Jackson, the Creek lost 14 million acres of land. To count how many Indians they killed, the U.S. cut off the Indians noses. 557 noses were collected. -
Indian Removal Act
Indian Removal ActPassed on May 28, the Indian Removal Act called for the removal of tribes in the east to west of the Mississippi. From 1830 to 1840 thousands of Native Americans were forcibly removed from their land. The Indians gave the U.S. 8 million acres of land in exchange for land in Oklahoma on September 15. On December 22, Georgia made it unlawful for Cherokee to meet in council, unless it was to give land to the whites. -
Worcester v. Georgia
Worcester v. GeorgiaA missionary from Vermont was arrested and then sued the State of Georgia claiming that the state had no authority over him on Cherokee land. Worcester won the case clarifying that Indian tribes were under the protection of the federal government. -
Trail of Tears
Trail of TearsPresident Jackson sent troops to forcibly moved 16,000 Cherokee who had refused to move away from Georgia. In May, the soldiers put some in camps where about 1,500 died. During the removal process, over 4,000 Native Americans died. -
Oregon Trail
Oregon TrailCreated by scouts and fur traders who decided to go trade with the Indians. When they found out this was prosperous, people started to migrate west. This trail went from Missouri to Oregon and for the settlers that couldn't make it all the way settled in the Midwest. -
Gold Discovered in California
Gold Rush of 1848James W. Marshall discovered gold in California in 1848. He was overseeing construction on a sawmill in Sutter Creek. In 1849, prospectors came from everywhere to California searching for a gold fortune. -
Passage of the Homestead Act
In 1862, it was almost impossible to get land. The least you could buy at at time was about 300 acres. The Homestead Act stated that you could get land for free if you built a house and maintained a farm for five years. -
Sand Creek Massacre
In Colorado territory, John Chivington and troops slaughtered at least 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho (mainly women and children). -
Diminished Buffalo Herds
Buffalo herds are diminished to a crisis point for Plains Indians. This was started because of the railway service in the plains which let the meat be delivered to far-off markets. -
Gold in the Black Hills and the Ft. Laramie Treaty
Ft. Laramie TreatyThe Black Hills were a sacred land for the Sioux Indians. They were angered when Custard led a group of minors into the hill looking for gold. Ft. Laramie Treaty was signed by the Indians saying that they move into a reserve on the Black Hills and give up the land they were on. -
Battle of Little Big Horn
Battle of Little Big HornGeorge Armstrong Custer ignores Sioux warnings of 2,000-4,000 men. Custer has 250 soldiers and attack forces at Little Big Horn. 210 of his soldiers are killed. -
Nez Perce War
This war was a response to American death along the Salmon River, said to have been comitted by the Nez Perce. To avoid a battle on a reservation, the Nez Perce fled 1,500 miles. They were caught 50 miles from the Canadian border and were sent to Oklahoma.
