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Mar 22, 1491
Early Contact (1491-1607)
Bow and arrows were weapons that helped Indians to hunt down animals for hunting and gathering. A bow is a projectile that shoots arrows up to hit. -
Mar 22, 1491
Hunting and Gathering
Hunting and gathering societies rely on hunting animals and catching fish and gathering fruits and vegetables. Natives used the animals for their skin. Native Americans in the Northwest and some areas of California were hunters and gathers. -
Mar 22, 1491
"Three sisters"
Developments that allowed for the emergence of permanent villages in the Northwest and along the Atlantic Seaboard were agriculture, trade, and trappers. They used the "three sisters". The "three sisters" were the main agriculture crops (squash, corn, and beans) used in this areas. -
Mar 22, 1500
Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange brought in new plants, animals, and technology that altered the natural environment of North America and affected interactions among various groups in the colonial period that continued. During the Columbian Exchange , the Spanish introduced horses to the Indians. This made getting around easier for the Indians. The motives for European Exploration was ealth (gold), increased power and status, God, & convert to Christianity, and glory. -
The Atlantic World (1607-1754)
Jamestown was the first permanent English colony in North America. It was founded in 1607. The goal of the Virgina Company in Jamestown was to send people to America in the hopes of finding gold and other valuable resources. Difficulties many Jamestown settlers encounter early on was lack of leadership and failure to find gold. Tobacco was the "cash crop" that helped financially save the Jamestown colony. Tobacco was easy to cultivate in Virginia because of Virginia's climate was perfect for it. -
Fur
The French had a North American settlement located just North of the British colonies called Quebec. It was a small trading post in 1608. It was founded by Samuel de Champlain. The settlement maintained a positive relationship with the Natives to ensure the survival of the colony. The French were interested in beaver fur in Quebec from the Natives to export to Europe. One important legacy of the fur trade was the creator of cooperation between the French and Native Americans. -
Rice and Sugar
In the Middle Colonies farmland and rivers helped the Mid-Atlantic to thrive through agriculture and trade. They had a major port in New York and the Ohio River. These were a major rivers in the Middle Colonies. In the Middle Colonies they were involved in commerce to bring in money. They bought and sold things to bring in money. Tobacco cultivation laid the framework for rice as the main cash crop in the Carolinas. -
Fish
Main reason for the settlement of New England was that the Puritans came to the colonies to seek religious freedom. New England colonists were called Puritans and lived in Plymouth. Environmental factors posed a significant problem for the pilgrims because winters were long, growing season were shorter so land wasn't fit for growing tobacco. The death rate among pilgrims the first 3 months were 1/2. The local Native Americans helped the pilgrims to grow crops in the sand with fish as fertilizer. -
Triangular trade system
Between the 16th and 19th century 12 million slaves crossed the Atlantic Ocean to work on sugar, cocoa, coffee, and cotton plantations in the Triangular Trade System. Triangular Trade System involved shipping slaves to Americas, shipping raw goods to Europe, and selling goods back to Europe. Goods were also excahnged. -
The New Nation (1754-1800)
Clothing and metal work were goods in demand during the colonies (supplied by local artisans). -
Weapons
Frustrated by the enforcement of the Stamp Act (taxes placed on anything paper), a group of disgruntled Bostonians began to protest taxes between colonists and the Britsh troops troops that turned deadly. The Bostonians harassed troops guarding the customs house by throwing rocks and frozen oysters (Boston Massacre). The guards fired into the crowd. They used sharp, shootery weapons (weapons used for battles). They killed 5 people. Many colonist after hearing about this sprang into action. -
Guerilla Warfare
Guerilla warfare is warfare military tactics that includes ambush, sabotage, raids, hit-and-run tactics, and mobility to fight a larger military. The British angered the colonist by hiring German mercenaries in 1776. Patriots persistence owed much to the leadership of George Washington and his use of guerilla warfare and unorthodox tactics to hold off the British. -
Vaccines
Military throughout history have made contributions to medicine, like vaccines. Driven by the effects of diseases during battles. Diseases were common due to close confirement combined with poor diet and sanitation. During the Continental Army in 1776, smallpox was killing troops and vaccines were used to treat this. -
Reform & Social Change (1800-1848)
The Cotton Gin was invented on March 14, 1793. The Cotton Gin is a machine that separates the seeds from raw cotton fibers. It was invented by Eli Whitney. The South was stimulated by this invention because it made removing seeds from the cotton much easier and faster. Eli Whitney also invented interchangeable parts. Interchangeable parts helped manufacturing to switch parts instead of making new ones. -
Turnpikes
Turnpikes, or toll roads, linked many towns to the eastern US in the 1800s. -
Railroad
Railroads were a cheap method of connecting the country in the 1800s. This was the quickest and most successful means of transporting goods and people across vast distances. By 1860, the S had constructed more than 30,000 miles of railroads. -
Steam Engine
James Watt invented the Steam Engine. in 1796. The Steam Engine used coal rather than water. The first factories rellied upon water poer. The Steam Engine powered machines like cotton mills. It will lead to the factory system (allow factories to be built wherever and not just near a water source). -
Steamboat
Robert Fulton invented the steamboat in 1807. Robert Fulton designed a steam engine for a steamboat that could move against the current of a river, or against the wind. The Steamboat created more opportunities for trade and transportation on rivers. Also, this invention brought people of the nation closer to each other. -
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is an early example of improved trade connections and is largely responsible for the growth of New York City. It linked New York City with the Great Lakes. -
Telegraph
In 1837, the telegraph was invented by Samuel Morse. With the telegraph, it took only seconds to communicate with another city. This invention brought people of the nation closer to each other. -
The Civil War: Conflict & Compromise (1844-1877)
During the Civil War, a special new bullet called a Minie Ball was used in war. The Minie bullet, a cylindrical bullet with a hollow base that when fired, proved accurate over long distances. The ability to load the muskett determines if you live or die during many battles of the Civil War. -
"Ironclad"
A "ironclad" was a revolution in naval warfare, these ships would come to replace wooden ships in the American Civil War. -
Factories
The Union won the Civil War, even though the Confederacy had a well-trained military. The Union had a great manufacturing, a lot of factories, and a lot of railroads as compared to the South and because of this reason they had an advantage in the war. Factories made it possible for man and women to do industrial work and helped bring in prosperity and a better standard of living. -
The Gilded Age (1865-1898)
In the mid-19th century, the process of making steel changed because the Bessemer process shortens the time it takes to transform iron into steel from 2 weeks to 15 minutes. This means more railroad tracks! Andrew Carnegie was a steel tycoon who brought Bessemer process to the US. -
Transcontinental Railroad
To link eastern markets to western territories, the government proposed a transcontinental railroad. The government provided loans and land grants to private companies to build the railroad. In 1863, the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Company began construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. This promoted economic growth because it linked California all the way westward from Nebraska and it was the quickest and most successful way of transporting goods and people across long distances. -
Standard Oil Company
The 'poster boy of the era' of the Gilded Age was John D. Rockefeller. John D. Rockefeller was an oil tycoon. Standard Oil Company was the name founded by John D. Rockefeller. His company was an example of Horizontal integration (when a company consolidates many firms into one business). -
Amusement Parks
Leisure time became prized during the Gilded Age as a way to get away from industrial life. Amusement parks and County Fairs were a place to showcase new innovations and encourage wildness. -
Telephone
An important invention credited to Alexander Graham Bell was the telephone. This invention transmitted sound by electricity. This helped transmit the human voice by electric current. Bell was granted the first official patent for his telephone in March 1876. -
Thomas Edison's inventions
Thomas Edison was a famous American inventor; patented the light bulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture camera. The phonograph created new pastimes for many Americans. The light bulb allowed 24 hour day operation and no longer were they only operational during daylight. The motion picture camera created new pastimes for many Americans. -
Steel Construction
Cheap, efficient steel leads to the construction of skyscrapers, elevators, and bridges throughout the country. Railroads and canals allowed quick, easy transport of steel. America experienced rapid urbanization ( the process of people moving from rural areas to cities). -
Model T
Henry Ford was a industrialist who helped create personal mobility by creating the Model T’s by using mass production. Mass production is when you produce more goods in less time and the mass production method Henry Ford used to create his Model T cars was by using the assembly line (each person does one thing in a line and makes products faster). -
Modern Warfare
Modern Warfare during WWI included machine guns, land grenades, and chemical warfare. Chemical warfare lead to gas masks, guide dogs, diseases, and attacks. Submarine warfare was also used. The Germans perfected us of submarines during the war. -
Warfare technologies
Warfare technologies pioneered during WWI were flame throwers, seed helmets, x-ray machines, tanks, and air crafts. -
Panama Canal
To support US trade in Latin America, Teddy Roosevelt took control of the construction of the Panama Canal. Before construction could begin, the US needed approval from the Colombian government. In 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened. The canal cut travel times in half. Instead of going around the tip of South America, boats could cut through the canal. -
Trench Warfare
Trench warfare was developed in the Civil War but was improved in WWI. Dogs were used in the trenches of WWI to deliver supplies and messages. The "trench coat" was developed for keeping officers warm and dry. -
Mass Media
New forms of mass media occurred in the 1920s, like movies and radios. Thomas Edison invented the motion picture camera. People flocked to movie theaters in the 1920's because movies are fun and were something different in the regular routine. On the radio, many people listened to the news, games, advertisements, and music. The radio cut across the geographical barrier because it allowed everyone to listen to the same news in different regions no matter if you live in the rural or urban setting. -
Housework
Housework changed in the 1920s because machines cut chore time and women started to work. Some inventions from the 1920s were the radio, lie detectors, electric razor, radio broadcasting, television broadcasting, band aids, Penicillin, refrigerators, air-conditioning, toasters, and vacuum cleaners. People were attracted to buy these new items because new advertising techniques persuaded them that they needed and deserved to own the product. -
Credit
Credit became popular during the 1920s because it was a new form of financing that allowed every family to spend beyond their current means. Many people bought new items during the 1920s with credit. Department stores opened up because of credit. -
Power Plants
The Tennessee Valley Authority was one of the first work programs of the New Deal. The TVA brought jobs to the rural South called the Tennessee Valley. The TVA brought power plants to the very poor rural South. -
Hoover Dam
Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) was a governemnt corporation that provided financial support to state and local government and lends money to banks, railroads, and other businesses. The RFC financed the Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam) attempted to "tame" the Colorado River. Engineers hoped to harness hydroelectric power from the river. -
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was the code name for US program that was building the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb was tested in Las Alamos, New Mexico. The lead scientists who worked in the developing of the atomic bomb were Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer. -
Prosperity & Global Responsibility (1945-1980)
Medical discoveries increased life expectancy. Penicillin, is an antibiotic discovered in the 1940s, improved the chances of someone surviving infection by bacteria. It successfully immunized people. -
Levittowns
William Levitt was the leader in the mass production of suburban
homes. These communities designed by Levitt became known as Levittowns. -
Electronic Industry
In the 1950s, the Electronic Industry experienced significant growth. Consumer spending of the 1950s surpassed consumer spending of the 1920s. People were buying record players, refrigerators, and new "transistor radios" revolutionized the lives of America. -
Air travel
Air travel became more accessible during the 1950s because it was no longer affordable only for the ultra-wealthy, as commercial flights became more accessible for people to travel around the country and even the world. -
Air conditioning
Post-WWII people flock to the Sunbelt. The Sunbelt was the name given to the South and Western states. Air conditioning attracted many to the once unbearable climates. Political power shifts from the Rust Belt and Northeast to the South and West. The invention of air conditioning led to a population explosion in cities such as Phoenix, Dallas, Miami, Los Angeles and Atlanta. -
Polio vaccine
Polio is a debilitating disease that was a threat to people all over the world. Jonas Salk’s discovery of the vaccine serum successfully immunized people. -
Interstate highway system
Eisenhower pushed legislation for the new interstate highway system. Eisenhower deemed it necessary to homeland security. From a military standpoint, Eisenhower pushed for legislation to build a New Interstate Highway System to allow military easy transport in case the US was attacked or invaded by the Soviet Union. New Interstate Highway System impacted cities across the country by building Multi-lane expressways that would connect major cities. -
Sputnik
In 1957, the Soviet Union (USSR) launched Sputnik into space. Sputnik was a satellite. When Sputnik launched, it signaled the official start of the Space Race. Space Race was the competition between the US and USSR. The launching of Sputnik shocked many Americans because of apparent superiority of USSR's technological advance. Eisenhower reacted to the launch of Sputnik by supporting the National Defense Education Act. -
Super computers
Supercomputers opened doors for engineers and designers in space, aeronautics, and automobiles. What once took weeks to calculate, the computer could churn out in a matter of hours. -
Birth control pills
With the advent of the birth control pill and the beginnings of the feminist movement in the 1960s, many Americans believed that the old sexual mores of their parents were repressive. Pills prolonged age women first marry and helped women invest in their education and careers. Pills increased school attendance and graduation rates. Pills became controversial as Americans struggle with sexual morality, controlling population growth, and women's control of their reproduction rights. -
LSD
Timothy Leary was a Harvard lecturer and researcher became an advocate for LSD and later entertainment figure. He took mushrooms in Cuernavaca, Mexico, Leary conducted behavioral experiments with psilocybin, an active ingredient in fungi. He started to use LSD in the 1960s. He faced criticism for his role in encouraging youth to LSD. On 1969, a music festival on a farm in New York were “Hippies” gathered at the concert for a three-day party that involved peace, sex, love, drugs (LSD) and music. -
Antibiotic
Through advances in medicine such as organ transplant, artificial life support, and advanced drug therapy, human life can be extended. Previously deadly bacteria can now be treated easily with antibiotics. -
Globalization/ Redefining National Identity (1980-Present)
What was once the stuff of science fiction movies and literature became real between the years 1965 and 2000. In the years of 1965 and 2000, advances in biotechnology, mass communications, and computers have brought the world together, bringing excitement and danger along with progress. -
Satellite
Satellite communications opened up the world to television audiences, as news from around the world can be transmitted in seconds. Cable news stations changed television news into a 24-hour thing. -
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web developed from smaller networks of computers (a.k.a the internet). Bill Gates developed the technology to create the personal computer. By the late 1990s almost every person in the US had used the Internet at some
point. In the 21st century, the US is linked to a broader global
economy in a way that it never has been before -
Telephones
Portable communication in the 1960s was only an idea that appeared in spy stories. The first portable telephones were introduced in the 1980s at prices only the wealthy could afford. -
Stem Cells
Medical researchers have been experimenting with using human stem cells to regenerate damaged cells to cure different illnesses. The use of embryos in stem cell research has proven to be highly controversial in the US.
