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Portugal gains independence from Spain
The Portuguese Restoration War, that began with the Portoguese Revolution of 1640, ended the 60 year reign of the Spanish Habsburgs over the Portuguese. In a war fought by the Portuguese, the Spanish and the Dutch, all nations fought for control over territory and pride. The war ended with the Treaty of Lisbon, which finally recognized Portugal as an independent nation. -
Louis XIV dies after 72 years of French Rule
Louis XIV of France, also known to many as the Sun King, died in 1715 after 72 years of reign, the longest ruling monarch in European history. Throughout his reign he fought 3 major wars, which he believed to enhance his glory. He lived out his days in the lavish palace of Versailles. -
Peter the Great starts rule of Russia
Peter the Great of Russia started his rule in November of 1721. During his reign he expanded trade, grew his empire, and made Russia a European power. Peter the Great was also a reformer of culture, and reformed Russias systems to be more modern, to fall in line with many ideas of the enlightenment period. He also opened the seaport of St. Petersburg which open Russia to trade through the Baltic Sea. -
Boston Massacre
After tensions were continually rising in the America’s, the colonist finally broke. In an event that started out as insults, it escalated into the death of multiple civilians, with riots ensuing. This event scared many Americans and was essential in the progression of the American revolution. -
Declaration of Independence Adopted
After years of turmoil and unrest, the politicians and founding fathers of the United States drafted up a document that would set them free from the binds of English rule, this document was the Decleration of Indepence. Members of congress piled their ideas together to create this piece to show to the King of England. This document was drafted by Thomas Jefferson. -
JQA passes bar exam & opens law office
Quickly following his fathers inauguration, John Quincy passes his bar exam and opens a law office in Boston, using his family’s name to hopefully draw in customers. He waited without reward and saw barely a few clients within the first months. Because he was not making enough to sustain himself, "handled fewer than a dozen cases, none of which had yield a penny...completely dependent on the 9£ per month allowance that his father had been sending him since his days at Harvard" (Unger 71). -
Washington controls the Whiskey Rebellion
Troubled by high taxes, the people of Western Pennsylvania rebelled in response. President Washington did not take this lightly. He sent in 13,000 troops to calm the rioters. In this, he also addresd that it was not the same as what the British did to the Americans because in this case, they did have taxation with representation. -
John Adams is inaugurated as President
John Adams was elected the second president of the United States, and had quite the prior advantage by being the Vice President to George Washington. His running mate would be Thomas Pinckeny. And they ran against the Democratic Republicans nominees of Thomas Jefferson, for President, and Aaron Burr for Vice President. -
John Quincy marries wife Louisa
John Quincy had met his wife Louisa Johnson while dining and interacting with Joushua Johnson, the Maryland dignitary who lived in France. He proposed to her much earlier, but wanted to be more settled in his career and his salary. They married in an Anglican church in London of 1797, surrounded by family. They would stay married until their deaths. -
U.S. purchases the Louisiana Territory
Napoleon, exhausted by war on his own front, was ready to give up his territory in North America, and Thomas Jefferson was right there to scoop it up. The Louisianna Territory was 883,000 square miles, which included more than just the anticipated area of New Orleans. The United States purchased the territory for roughly 3.5 cents per acre. -
JQA becomes American minister plenipotentiary to Russia
After the election of James Madison as president, Madison asked John Quincy to be the American minister plenipotentiary to Russia. Much to his wife's and his family's irritation, he took the job without consulting his wife. In a letter explaining his rash decision, John Quincy tells his wife "the age of may parents and the infancy of my children both urge to the same result...To oppose all this I have the duty of a citizen to obey the call of his country" (Unger 146). -
John Quincy resigns from the Senate
Due to some unfortunate steps with the British embargo, many of Quincy’s collegues felt that he was responsible for the nations economic plight. Accordingly, he received little support from his friends in political office, which also led him to believe that those in the Federalists party were subservient to Britain. When his collegues voted to repeal the embargo he resigned because it didn’t support the values he believed in for so long. -
Simon Bolivar begins to liberate Venezuela
Bolivar, on a mission to fight the Spanish, began his liberation of Venezuela in 1813. In that same year, the Venezuelan Second Republic was formed. Bolivar was known as the Liberator, as he continued to become involved with other territories that included Columbia, Panama, Ecuador, and later the territory of Bolivia. -
John Quincy selected to be Secretary of State
Knowing that the next most powerful step in government, besides the President, was the Secretary of State, President Monroe quickly named John Quincy Adams to be the Secretary of State. He undoubtly named him Secretary because of his abroad experiences, relations with diplomats, understanding of law and fleuncy of multiple languages. John Quincy was the first break in the Virginia Legacy that provided four of the first five presidents. -
Missouri Compromise
When Missouri applied for statehood, the abolishonists, the slavery supporters and the antislavery activits all had something to say. The Compromise stated that no more slaves were to be brought into the state and that slavery would be gradually abolished after the state was admitted to the union, this caused tension on both sides. The compromise was just that, a compromise and only passed narrowly in March of 1820. -
Historic Gibbons v. Ogden Supreme Court case
In this landmark Supreme Court case, the debate was between two steamboat operators who said they had control over the same waters. Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the federal power. They said that the Constitution had given Congress the right to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several states. -
John Quincy Adams is inaugurated as President
After a very controversial election, known as the corrupt bargain, John Quincy ultimately ended up victorious. With Henry Clay by his side as Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams was inaugurated on March 4, 1825. Unfortunately, his moral support, and loving wife, Louisa could not attend due to illness. -
Jackson becomes President
After a clear win over John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, or Old Hickory was elected President. Jackson was elected by a wide variety of voters, many of which identified with his stance as a victim to the elites. Jackson was very much elected on the idea that he was a President of the people. -
Greece wins independence from Turkey
The Greek War for Independence was fought between 1821 and 1832 against the Ottoman Empire. Throughout their fight, the Greeks were aided by Russia, Great Britian and France. After their discussion and acceptance of a protocol written by their allies, Greece gained their independence from the Ottoman Empire. -
John Quincy tries the Amistad case
A case of morals, the Amistad case about slaves highjacking a ship and killing its drivers, was in question since its conception. Being educated in law, John Quincy joined the appeal to the Supreme Court. On his way to triumph, in his closing argument he preached that "There does not seem to us to be any ground for doubt that these Negroes ought to be free" (Unger 291). Being a man before his time, John Quincy fought for the freedom of these slaves. -
John Quincy Adams dies
Although he suffered some very severe strokes and other illness in his later years, John Quincy continued his service and returned to Congress. However, when he grew sicker, he, ironically, collapsed in Congress, the place he loved the most. Finally, slipping into a coma, John Quincy Adams died at the age of 80 in 1848.
