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1492
Columbus discovers the new world
talian explorer Christopher Columbus, sailing for Spain’s Ferdinand and Isabella, accidently discovered the New World. Columbus had set out to find a route west to Asia from Europe, and, upon landing in the present-day Bahamas, he at first believed he had reached the Indies. Columbus’s discovery made him a celebrated hero upon his return to Europe. -
1492
The Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange refers to the flow of goods between the Americas, Europe, and Africa that followed Columbus’s widely advertised “discovery” of the New World. People, animals, plants, and disease passed from continent to continent. -
1512
Encomienda system established
Under the encomienda system, conquistadors and other leaders received grants of a number of Indians, from whom they could exact “tribute” in the form of gold or labor. They were supposed to protect and Christianize the Indians, but they most often used the system to effectively abuse the Indians. -
1525
The rise of the Atlantic slave trade
Atlantic Slave Trade was a process of moving Africans from Africa and moving them to the Americas to be sold in auctions. Many Africans were snatched from their homes and deported into the Americas where they were put to work in mines and plantations. Sugar, tobacco, and cotton were sent to europe while manufactured goods were sent to Africa. -
Jamestown founded
James became the first permanent English settlement in North America. This settlement was named after King James I of england. -
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a Dutch settlement that began in the 1620's. In 1664 the future James II of England dispatched Colonel Richard Nicolls (or Nicholls) to seize the colony. -
Boston founded
20,000 Puritans left England for America to escape religious persecution. They hoped to establish a church free from worldly corruption and founded on voluntary agreement among congregants -
The Half-Way Covenant
New England Puritans established the Half-Way Covenant, an agreement extending partial church membership to church members’ children who had not yet experienced conversion. -
King Philip’s War
Metacomet, known as Phili by the English, led a war against New England settlers who wanted to subject the native New England population to colonial control. When Philip himself was killed in August of 1676 over half of all the English towns in New England had been destroyed. In fact, in proportion to population, King Philip’s War was the most fatal war in American history.” -
The Pueblo Revolt
Popé, coordinated an uprising against the Spanish at dozens of settlements scattered across hundreds of miles. The Indians destroyed buildings and churches and killed more than 400 Spaniards. They burned Sante Fe and drove the Spanish back to El Paso. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts. Eventually eighteen men and women were found guilty and hanged. -
The French and Indian War
As a result of the close relations with the French via the fur trade, many Native Americans sided against the British. Great Britain would end up winning the war against the French and Native Americans -
Proclamation of 1763
British signed Proclamation of 1763 with Natives, stating that they would not settle lands west of Appalachian Mountains. Many colonists ignored the Proclamation and ventured West regardless. -
The Sugar Act
To maintain the army and repay war debts, Parliament decided to impose duties on colonial trade. It passed the Sugar Act, a law that imposed duties on foreign wines, coffee, textiles, and indigo imported into the colonies, and that also expanded the customs service. -
The Stamp Act
Parliament passed the Stamp Act to help pay for British troops stationed in the colonies during the Seven Years’ War. The act required the colonists to pay a tax, represented by a stamp, on various forms of papers, documents, and playing cards. It was a direct tax imposed by the British government, -
The Boston Massacre
Frustrated, a group of Bostonians began to harass troops guarding the customs house. The guards fired into the crowd killing five and wounding six protesters. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The American Revolutionary War began with the “shot heard ’round the world.” At the battles of Lexington and Concord, seventy-three British troops were killed and 200 were wounded or missing in action. The patriot losses were forty-nine dead and forty-six wounded or missing. -
Articles of Confederation
The Second Continental Congress named a committee to draft a document, the Articles of Confederation, to define the relationship among the thirteen new states. Virginia became the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation. Maryland was the last. -
Jefferson elected
The House of Representatives elected Thomas Jefferson the third president of the United States. Jefferson attempted to allay Federalist fears of a Republican administration by declaring, “We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists.” -
Embargo of 1807
n an attempt to avert war, the United States imposed an embargo on foreign trade. The embargo was an unpopular and costly failure. It hurt the American economy far more than the British or French and resulted in widespread smuggling and unemployment. -
War of 1812
The United States declared war against Britain in 1812 over interference with American shipping and impressment of American seamen. New England became more independent because of the industrial war industries that developed -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30' N. except in Missouri, which was admitted to the Union as a slave state while Maine while Maine was admitted as a free state. As Missouri was added in 1819, the balance of 11 states free and 11 states slave was about to be tipped in the favor of the North or the South -
The Second Great Awakening
A religious revival swept the nation during the early republic, this was known as the Second Great Awakening. This religious revival and perfectionism fueled Antebellum Reform Movements. -
Nullification crisis
South Carolina, with the support of Vice President John C. Calhoun, in protest of federal protective tariffs, adopted an Ordinance of Nullification declaring the tariffs of 1828 and 1832 null and void in the state. The Nullification Crisis exploded over the Tariff of 1828, and President Jackson sent federal military forces to Charleston, but the conflict was resolved with the passage of Henry Clay's compromise tariff bill in 1833. -
Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War was fought between the United States and Mexico over the territory of Texas. The Mexican-American War was the first major conflict driven by the idea of Manifest Destiny. At the end the U.S gained what is now Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas, and parts of Colorado, Nevada and Utah. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. The convention called for women’s suffrage and issued a Declaration of Sentiments based on the Declaration of Independence -
Compromise of 1850
In a series of resolutions, Henry Clay introduced the Compromise of 1850 in an attempt to seek a compromise and avert a crisis between North and South.This admitted California to the Union as a free state without forbidding slavery in other territories acquired from Mexico. -
Fugitive Slave Law
Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act as part of the Compromise of 1850. The law forced northerners to cooperate in returning runaway slaves to the South. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Nebraska Territory was to be divided into two units, Kansas and Nebraska.The question of slavery, which had seemingly been answered, was to be decided by popular sovereignty, allowing the territorial legislatures to decide. -
The Civil War Begins
With the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, amny southern states were not happy. The south was the first to succeed from the union and short after Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana followed and created the Confederacy of the United States. Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in the harbor at Charleston, South Carolina, officially beginning the American Civil War. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed over President Johnson’s veto. The act defined all persons born in the United States as citizens. -
Reconstruction Acts of 1867
Congress asserted greater control over Reconstruction with a series of acts passed in 1867. These acts placed former Confederate states under martial law, separating the south into 5 military districts. Some laws guaranteed African-Americans the right to vote and introduce the Tenure of Office Act, which took away the President's ability to remove office holders. -
First Transcontinental Railroad
This date was signified the completion of the first U.S transcontinental railroad. The completion of this railroad allowed for travel across the country in order to ship goods, stock, and people. -
The Gilded Age
The Gilded Age was a time of economic, social, and political improvement in the U.S after the Civil War. There was a lot of corruption in politics while many of the wealth enjoyed luxurious lives. -
Standard Oil organized
Standard Oil Co. Inc. was an American oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company created by John D. Rockefeller.. John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil company was incorporated in 1870. The company had grown into an empire, controlling about 90 percent of oil refining in the United States. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first immigration law in the U.S that restricted immigration. This law restricted the amount of Chinese laborers entering the U.S at the time. The Chinese at this time were also widely discriminated against. -
Progressive Era
The Progressive Era was a time of social and political reform in the U.S. There were many different approaches to the economic and social problems rapid industrialization introduced to America. This time is also expanded into the "roaring 20's" in the 1920's. -
Wounded Knee Massacre
After the death of Sitting Bull Native Americans fled, troops were sent after them. This event led to the deaths of over 100 native men, women, and children. This was the final clash between Sioux Indians and federal troops. -
Plessy V. Ferguson
The US Supreme Court, which ruled that, as long as the accommodations were equal, states could legally enforce segregation. The ruling provided legal justification for segregation on trains and buses, and in public facilities such as hotels, theaters, and schools. -
World War 1
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary led to a declaration of war against Serbia. As Russia began to mobilize due to its alliance with Serbia, Germany declared war on Russia. -
America Enters the War
During the Start of the War, Woodrow Wilson declared that the United States would be isolated from the war. However, germany's use of unrestricted warfare led to the president declaring war on Germany. The U.S provided the forces and firepower to help tilt the favor in the allies favor. -
The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a black cultural movement that resulted in the creation of many works setting the culture of African-Americans in the American society. It took place in Harlem, New York, and continued to expand throughout the 1920's. -
Start of World War II
Germany Invades Poland which set off the World War II in Europe. -
D.Day
During this day, 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on french beaches in order to take back Normandy from enemy control. During this time most of northern France was liberated, the victory of Normandy resulted in the liberation of Paris. The Germans were driven out of north western France, this battle turn the tides against the Nazis. -
The Truman Doctrine
Truman stated that the United States would support any democratic nation that resisted communism. The U.S would supply political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations. Many developing countries benefited from the doctrine, communists countries gained nothing. -
China Falls To Communism
Mao Zedong and his communist supporters defeated Chiang Kai Shek and renamed China to The Peoples Republic of China. After sucessfully becoming a communist country, Mao Zedong become allies with the communist super power, USSR. -
The Korean War Begins
As the ussr spread its influence of communism through Korea, the United States reacted to this by allying with South Korea. The process of containment was a success as North Korea was drove away by the help of US Troops. -
Little Rock 9
Nine students who volunteered to enroll in Central High School were met with attacks by white segregationists. In response to this, President Eisenhower sent US Troops to escort the students into the School. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis
This was a period of confrontation between Russia and America, where Russian missiles were found in Cuba aiming towards the United States. This event was the closes point towards a nuclear standoff but was resolved through removal of missiles in both turkey and italiy, and the removal of missiles in Cuba. -
John F. Kennedy Assassinated
In Dallas Texas the President, John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Soon after his death, Lyndon B. Johnson became the new president. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
With the help of President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Civil Rights Act was passed. This stopped discrimination in voting, jobs, and schools for men and women. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was signed to increase executive order in the Vietnam war. This gave the president more authority during the vietnam war. -
Ronald Reagan Elected
The once governor of California Ronald Reagan was elected, he was a conservative and believed in smaller government. He persued an economic policy of Reagonomics or trickle down economics. -
Iran Contra Hearings
The Reagan Administration adminited that profits were made from selling weapons to Iran. This caused many Americans to feel sceptical about the US Government. -
The Berlin Wall Fell
Reagan instructed Soviet leader Gorbachev to end its control in satellite areas, which led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The fall of the Berlin Wall led to the reunificated of East and West Germany. -
Collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Leaders Gorbachev resigns from the Soviet Union, this led to the end of the 50-year cold war between America and the USSR. Following its collapse. the soviet union is dissolved into 15 individual republics. -
September 11th, 2001
Coordinated attacks led by Al-Qaeda were launched, destroying the world trade center and killing many. After the attack, George W. Bush announced a war on terrorism. -
US Invaded Iraq
In an effort to remove the dictator Saddam Hussein, America invaded the nation of Iraq due to the refusal of weapon inspections. The iraqi military was quickly defeated but concflict still continues. -
President Barack Obama signs The Affordable Health Care Act
The signing of The Afordable Health Care Act provided middle-class families with an affordable health care by taxing high health providers and families.
