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Oct 12, 1492
Columbus Finds America
Christopher Columbus first sighted land on his voyage that (unintentionally) lead to the discovery of America on October 12, 1492. He almost returned to Spain because he hadn't seen land in a long time. However, he soon came to land and discovered America. -
The Original Thirteen Colonies
The original thirteen colonies were established between 1607 (when the first settlers came to America) and 1733. Although they were part of the same country, there was a big difference among them. They are sometimes called the English Colonies, the Middle Colonies and the Southern Colonies. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War lasted from 1754-1763. It was a war between the British, France and the Native Indians in a fight over land. The war ended by the signing of the Treaty of Paris after the British won the war. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a rebellion against British taxes. The British had been putting taxes on the Americans for many years, so the Americans protested by throwing taxed tea into Boston harbor (therefore destroying it). -
Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War was a war between America and Great Britain. At that time Britain was still controlling (taxing, setting laws, etc.) the people in America, but the Americans did not like it. Eventually France and Spain would join the fight. -
Writing of the Constitution
The Constitution was written during the spring/summer of 1787. It was written in secret. There were two different plans that were proposed (the Virginia plan and the New Jersey plan) that were taken into thought, voted on and revised that eventually created the constitution. -
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution of the 1800s was a period of time when lots of new technologies were invented that changed how people did things dramatically. Some of the inventions in America that were invented include the steamboat, the cotton gin, the telegraph, factories and the locomotive. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
On June 20, 1803 President Thomas Jefferson asked Meriwether Lewis to explore new land to find a faster way to get to the Pacific Ocean. William Clark would later join him. The land that they explored (in the Western section of present day America) was at least as big as America was then. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise solved an argument between the Southern and Northern states over admitting the state of Missouri into the Union. It solved it by admitting Missouri as a slave state and admitting Maine as a free state (therefore keeping the ratio of slave states and free states the same). It also made it so that slavery was outlawed in the Louisiana Territory above 36°30' latitude. -
Bleeding Kansas
The Bleeding Kansas War was caused by an act that allowed the Missouri Compromise to no longer be in effect and allowed the new territories to decide for themselves whether they wanted to be a slave state or a free state. This act angered many people and had a huge affect on what happened later in America. In fact, this caused the future president Abraham Lincoln - known for his involvement in the Civil War - to be involved in anti-slavery efforts.
