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Aug 3, 1492
Columbus Discovered America
In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain to the west in an effort to find a short cut to India. The three ships used in this voyage were called the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. However, nobody realized there was a giant mass of land (now called America) that blocked their path to India. So Columbus found America, "A New World," and believed he had reached India (that is why the Native Americans are referred to as Indians). -
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The 13 Original Colonies
The 13 original colonies are Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia. Each of these colonies/states was formed for some reason. For example, the Puritans came to America seeking religious freedom and settled Massachusetts. -
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The French and Indian War
Also refferred to as the Seven Years' War, this war was between the Americans and French, each of which was "supported by...their parent countries" and had some Native American allies. The war ended in 1763 with the Treaty of Pris. The British Americans won. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party happened once the Americans were totally and completely fed up with the taxes that kept coming from Great Britain. The worst of all was arguably the tea tax. Americans told/asked Britain to stop sending tea/get rid of the tax, but they wouldn't stop. So one day the Americans dressed up as Native Americans, boarded a ship in the Boston Harbor, and dumped thousands of pounds of tea into the water. This happened multiple time in various places & the tax was finally repealed. -
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The American Revolutionary War
So, in all honesty, the Americans were pretty sick of all the taxes and other acts being enforced by Great Britain. So during the American Revolutionary War the 13 original colonies fought long hard for their independence from Great Britain. As can be infered from the fact that America is now independent, the Americans came out the victor. -
The Writing of the Constitution
In 1787, at the Constitutional Convention, many leaders got together in a big meeting to discuss and write the constitution. Thomas Jefferson wrote the official constitution. That alone was not enough though; the constitution was also signed by 40 individuals, each representing a state (there were multiple representatives for each state). -
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Lewis and Clark
Lewis and Clark, and a group of other explorers, traveled along the Missouri River and eventually ending up at the Pacific Ocean, in an effort to find the northwest passage, "a water route accross [America]." While traveling along the river they met Sacagawea, the Native American woman we all know and love, who traveled with them "as a translator and ambassador." They never did find the northwest passage, but their expedition led to scientific discoveries and helped map out part of the land. -
The Missouri Compromise
It was a result of Missouri wanting to become a free state. However, Congress didn't want to let that be. So, after trying to figure out this problem for some time, Congress finally reached their final decision: Missouri would be a slave state "under the condition that slavery would be prohibited." So in the end Missouri was a slave state in which slavery was illegal and Congress was happy because the ratio of free states to slave states was equal. -
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Bleeding Kansas
"The heart of the conflict" was similar to that of the Missouri Compromise: will Kansas be a slave state or a free state? This all became a total mess when the "Wakarusa War" began after a shooting. Basically there was tons of "open violence" and more battles. In the end, Kansas became a free state.