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1492
Columbus Discovery of the Americas
In 1492, Christopher Columbus led a voyage to find a new trading route to India to avoid the taxes places on the goods. This is significant because it was the first time the Spanish colonized the Western Hemisphere. -
1493
Colombian Exchange
The Colombian Exchange is the transfer of goods between Africa, Europe and the Americas, that benefited Europe. This is significant because it industrialized the Old World. -
May 20, 1506
Death of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus died of Congestive heart failure in 1506. This is significant because it was the end of one of the most important imperialist voyagers. -
Colonization of New England
The Pilgrims, the founders of Plymouth, arrived in 1620. This is significant because it was one of the first colonies of the to-be America. -
Creation of Rhode Island
In 1636, Roger Williams settled at the tip of Narragansett Bay after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views. This is significant because it became a safe heaven for Baptists, Quakers, and Jews. -
Beaver's War
The causes of the beaver war was that the Iroquois nation wanted to extend their territory. The significance was that European countries became involved in the conflict whereas the British supported Iroquois while the french supported Algonquian. -
The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
The transatlantic slave trade began in the 15th century, after the Portuguese started exploring the coast of West Africa. This is significant because it introduce the system of slavery to replace indentured servitude. -
Bacon's Rebellion
The rebellion was caused because of tensions between colonists and the government, whereas the colonists wanted to slaughter the rest of the Indians. The significance was that Bacon's Rebellion was the first rebellion in the American colonies. -
Pueblo Revolt
The Pueblo Revolt was an uprising of most of the indigenous Pueblo people against the Spanish colonizers in the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, present day New Mexico. The significance of this revolt was that it was a victory for the Native Indians of America. -
Massachusetts Becomes a Royal Colony
Massachusetts Bay became a royal colony under its second charter in 1691, in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution. It is significant because this event illustrated how rights can be given and take away. -
Salem Witch Trials
More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft—the Devil's magic—and 20 were executed. This is significant because it illustrated the amount of power that was given to religious based governments. -
The French and Indian War
The British eventually won the war with the Treaty of Paris officially ending the war. The significance of the war was that it provided Great Britain enormous territorial gains in North America, but disputes over subsequent frontier policy and paying the war's expenses led to colonial discontent, and ultimately to the American Revolution. -
The Sugar Act
This Act placed direct taxes on the colonies on sugar products. The significance of this Act was that it was the result of war debts of the French and Indian war. -
The Boston Massacre
In 1770, colonists marched in Boston in frustration because of the Quartering Act, which forced the colonists to provide shelter to British soldiers. The significance of the Boston Massacre was that it started a secret communication network, circulating letters of protest against British. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
The British were sent to seize weapons and arrest rebels at concord, but the minutemen assembled at Lexington to stop them. Although it was a defeat for colonials, they still celebrated the amount of British Casualties they caused.The significance of the Battle of Lexington and Concord was that it started the American Revolution. -
Common Sense
Written by Thomas Paine, Common sense was written to highlight everything wrong with British ruling. The significance of this pamphlet was to help cause the American colonists to decide to fight for independence. -
Seige at Yorktown
British leader Lord Cornwallis devised a plan to split the French-American forces in two where he ended up in Yorktown, Virginia. What he didn't suspect was to be surrounded by French and American forces causing him to surrender, granting victory to the American Colonies. -
Shays's Rebellion
Colonists were upset at the federal government for calling in all debts owed and for seizing land. The significance of this rebellion was that it showed the weaknesses the Articles of Confederation had, whereas it had a weak federal government. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase doubled America's size for 3 cents an acre. The significance of this purchase was that it was an attempt of westward expansion, fulfilling manifest destiny. -
War of 1812
This war, following the American Revolution, was the result of impressment of American ships and European attempts to obtain more land. The significance of this war was that it put an end to European Colonization, following the ideologies of isolation. -
The Panic of 1819
The Second Bank of the United States caused a financial crisis by restricting credit for state banks in an attempt to curb inflation. The significance of the Panic of 1819 was that it was the first major financial crisis in the United States. -
The Peak of the Second Great Awakening
It was a religious fervor that began in the 1790s by protestant traditionalists in response to deist leaders. The significance of the Second Great Awakening was that it fueled Antebellum Reform Movements. -
Missouri Compromise
This compromise lead Missouri entering the union as a slave state while Maine entered the union as a free state. The significance of the Missouri Compromise was that it was an effort by Congress to dismantle the sectional and political rivalries caused by the admission of Missouri. -
The Election of 1824
This was a race between John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, William Crawford, and Andrew Jackson. This event was significant because John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson tried to defame each other's reputation. -
Completion of the Erie Canal
The Erie Canal linked Midwest farming to cities which also contributed to the growth of New York. The significance of this construction was that it demonstrated the importance of canal systems in early 19th century. -
Start of the Mexican War (1846-1848)
When the Mexican-American War ended, the United States received the Mexican Cession which included all of California, Nevada and Utah, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. The significance of this war was that it increase tensions between free and slave states which led up to the American Civil War. -
Compromise of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Act was amended and the slave trade in Washington, D.C., was abolished. The significance of the compromise was that the south ended up strengthening of the fugitive slave law, and the north gained a new free state of California. -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
The Kansas-Nebraska Act nullified the Missouri Compromise by allowing slavery in the "forever free" territories. The significance of this act was that it gave Kansas and Nebraska popular sovereignty, where they decided to enter the union as a slave or free state. -
Dred Scott v Sandford
This was a case between a former slave in the North fighting for his rights to freedom. The significance of this trial was that it resulted in ruling that slaves were to be considered property and not people. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
This was a battle between the union and confederates in Fort Sumter, South Carolina. The significance of this battle was that it was the start of the American Civil war, where the first shots were fired. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The battle was an attempt of the south to invade the north. The Battle of Gettysburg was significant in the fact that it was the turning point of the American Civil War because it gain complete control of the war to the north. -
The Freedmen's Bureau
The Freedmen's Bureau provided former slaves welfare, food and clothing, united families, legal representation to African Americans, and Black Colleges were established. This was significant because it was an attempt of congress to bring equality in American society. -
The Creation of the National Labor Union
The creation of the National Labor Union was to obtain better working conditions. It was significant because it was the first national labor federation in the United States that paved the way for the rest of the future unions. -
Seward's Folly
This event describes the time period where William H. Seward purchased Alaska. This is significant because it illustrated America's attempts for expansionism. -
Completion of the Trans-Continental Railroad
The First Transcontinental Railroad was built crossing the western half of America and it was pieced together between 1863 and 1869. The significance of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad was to connect American markets and decrease travel time. -
Battle of Little Bighorn
The Battle of Little Bighorn was fought between the United States and Sioux Indians. The significance of the Battle of the Little Bighorn was that it was the most successful action fought by the American Indians against the United States Army in the West. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
This was an act that restricted Chinese immigration in America. Americans feared that Chinese immigrants were taking their jobs. This is significant because it illustrates the first time in history a group of people were forbidden in America. -
Dawes Severalty Act
This Act was passed to give land to the Sioux Indians. The Dawes Act was significant because it authorized the President of the United States to survey American Indian tribal land and divide it into allotments for individual Indians. -
The Formation of the Anti Saloon League
The Anti Saloon League was an effort sourcing from the temperance movement to ban alcohol. The significance of the Anti Saloon League was that that it was the leading organization promoting National Prohibition in the U.S. -
The Explosion of USS Maine
The USS Maine was a US ship and when it exploded it was speculated that it was a terrorist attack from the Spanish. The Yellow Press exaggerated the story of the USS Maine explosion. This is significant because this explosion led directly to the start of the Spanish American War. -
Spanish-American War
The Spanish American War began after the explosion of the USS Maine. It was speculated by the yellow press that it was an act of terrorism by Spain. This is significant because it shows how miscommunication in the media can affect a country. -
Palmer Raids
Palmer Raids were a series of arrests and deportation of immigrants who were suspected to be radical communists. The significance of the Palmer Raids was that it was actions that were taken that resulted from the Red Scare. -
The Creation of the 18th Amendment
The temperance movement was a movement that believed that alcohol was the source of every problem. Its significance was that it impacted America when the 18th Amendment was enacted, prohibiting the sale and distribution of Alcohol. This is significant because it led to the creation of organized crime. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a period in American history where unemployment rates arose, the stock market crash, and inflation increased. This is significant because it was the largest economic depression in history. -
D-Day (Invasion of Normandy)
Operation Overload was the invasion of Normandy, where it resulted in the liberation of Western Europe from Nazis. This is significant because it was an allied victory during WWII. -
End of WWII
The death of Adolf Hitler resulted in the end of WWII. This is significant because it illustrates how the loss of a leader shows the death of his legacy, including everything he built. -
China falls to communism
China fell to communism when Mao Zedong took over China. This communist victory was considered a failure of the containment policy because communism spread to China. -
NSC-68
NSC-68 wanted to achieve containment by spending a lot more in defense than the USSR. This was significant because it was one of the first measures to contain communism in the Soviet Union. -
Bay of Pigs
The United States were fearful of their lives because Cuba became communist. The US supported Cuban exiles (Anti-Castro Cubans) in the planned invasion to overthrow Castro called the Bay of Pigs. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis began when the United States discovered nuclear missiles in Cuba and the USSR discovered US missiles coincidentally placed in Turkey. Both sides could have started the Nuclear War, and this lasted 13 days. This is important because it showed how communism has spread to and what effect it has on us. -
The March on Washington
John F. Kennedy authorized SCLC to organize a Civil Rights protest in D.C. where this protest would be called March on Washington. This protest is significant because this is where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream Speech" on the memorial of the great emancipator. -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin resolution authorized President Johnson to take matters into his own hands to do what is necessary in the Vietnam War to stop the spread of Communism in Vietnam. This is significant because it illustrates how in desperate measures the power leans more towards the president. -
Passing the Voting Rights Act
This Act allowed African Americans to vote without being discriminated at the poll. This Act banned the use of literacy tests qualifying African Americans to vote. This is significant because it changed the national identity of America to become a little more tolerant. -
MLK Assassination
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 by James Earl Ray. This was significant to the civil rights movement because it made minorities lose hope because their leader was dead. -
Robert F. Kennedy Assassination
Robert F. Kennedy was shot in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, shortly after winning the California presidential primaries in the 1968 election. His death along with the death of MLK Jr. made the civil rights movement lose hope. The loss of leaders is significant because it brought the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
Watergate Break ins
Paranoid of losing the presidential race, Richard Nixon decided to send some of his campaign workers to the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate complex too spy on the results and see their plan to win the race. This is significant because this is one of the many times people lose trust in the government. -
"Star Wars"
Ronald Reagan pushed for the funding of the Strategic Defense System (SDI) otherwise known as "Star Wars". This is significant because it initiated the arms race between the US and the USSR. -
Iran Contra Hearings
Ronald Reagan was not allowed to support anti-communists in Nicaragua, so he began selling illegal weapons to Iran and used that illegal money to fund the Contras. This is significant because it is one of the cases where the American people begin losing confidence in the US government. -
9/11 Terrorist Attacks
Two planes were hijacked in an attempt to destroy the world trade center which ended up killing thousands. This is significant because it started the War on Terror, starting war with the middle east. -
The Great Recession
The Great Recession was caused by an 8-trillion dollar house bubble where people trusted that mortgage was enough, and people would not pay back the loans they took out. This is significant because it showed how America could not rely on banks and the government.
