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Jan 1, 1492
Columbian Exchange
This was the exchange of goods, diseases, and slaves between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. This was significant because this exchange was the beginning of the settlement of the Europeans, and helped them build and expand their colonies. -
Jan 1, 1492
European Discovery of the New World
Italian explorer Christopher Columbus was not intentionally searching for the “New World”. He was sailing towards Spain’s Ferdinand and Isabella, and accidently found it. He believed that he had landed in the Indies, when he actually landed in the present day Bahamas. This was significant because it sparked the beginning of European exploration, and his following voyages. -
Jan 1, 1493
Doctrine of Discovery
This doctrine stated that any land not being used by Christians, was available to be discovered by Christians, as well as exploited and claimed. This was significant because it promoted the spread of christianity within the settlement of Europeans. -
Jan 1, 1493
Columbus First Voyage
Columbus described in a letter his first voyage and his experience with the natives. It says that he greeted them warmly and offered many gifts with nothing in return, except for the hope they would become christian and love the King and Queen. I think this is significant because this positive greeting contradicts the events that followed. -
Jan 1, 1512
Encomienda System
Conquistadors and other leaders received grants of a number of indians, from which they would take “tribute” in the form of money (gold) or labor. They were supposed to protect and christianize them, but in reality, they were just enslaved. This was significant because it shows an effective way in which the land of the Indians were easily taken. -
Founding Of Jamestown
Jamestown, Virginia was the first colony founded. This was significant because it was the first permanent English settlement in the New World. -
Slave Trade
The Slave Trade was the beginning of large-scale introduction of African slave labor in the British Caribbean for sugar production. This trade was significant because without the slaves, settlement and growth would have been nearly impossible. -
New Orleans Established
The map of Louisiana was the first detailed map that presented the Mississippi River, which is one of the most important rivers in the world. This also showed Texas. New Orleans being identified on a map for the first time shows how America was being expanded surely, but slowly, and settlement increased drastically. -
Middle Passage
This was the harsh, terrible, long deathly trip that the slaves had to take in order to travel across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa. Here they were sometimes sold, or traded. This is significant because it connects to how africans had to be forcefully migrated from their homes and treated so terribly, that their lives resulted in death. -
Indentured Servitude
This was the term used for the great numbers of youth moving away from their families to become servants or apprentices. This labor was not free but not fair priced either. It did involve contracts that were binding as well. This is significant because it shows how people have been migrating to America since the beginning of time, which increased the people settling there. -
French & Indian War
The French and Indian War, also called the Seven Years War, was fought between the French and Indians vs. the British. They fought over territory against British and American traders.The war ended with the Peace of Paris. Britain ended up getting most of the land, including the Ohio River Valley. This was significant because it displays how vital land was to people who migrated and settled in the Americas. -
Proclamation of 1763
The King made it so that they couldn’t cross a certain line of Proclamation, and that it only was reserved for the Indians and the French. The colonists didn't like this idea because they felt as if their newly found land that they fought for was being stripped from them when really it was saving money from protecting them from the Indians. This was significant because it shows how their has always been a fight over where different people and tribes wanted to settle in the same lands. -
Declaration of Independence
Congress declares independence from Great Britain. It is said that no other document has ever had a greater impact on the country more than this one. This is significant because it is literally the beginning of an independent America, and the one thing that sparked an increase of migration to America. -
Northwest Ordinance Adopted
Gave power to congress to divide the area into 5 territories. This guaranteed property rights and prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory. This is an example of significant settlement because it shows how the land is beginning to be divided and inhabited by many different people. -
Six Nations
Since they were weakened by the American Revolution, the Six Nations entered many treaties with victorious Americans who wanted to pay their soldier with Iroquois land. This was significant because it puts an additional emphasis on the importance to land settlement to the Natives, especially what they had before the Europeans was taken from them. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase nearly doubled the size of America and it cost $10 million. Jefferson sent negotiators to France with orders to buy New Orleans and as much of the Gulf as possible. The significance of this purchase showed how America is constantly increasing, making more room for settlement and migration. -
War of 1812
The United State declared war against Britain for interfering with American shipping and seaman. I think this is significant to settlement because it displays how America wanted nothing to do with Britain and wanted to be independent and settle as well as build on their own. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery in states north of the 36’30’ latitude line except for Missouri who was a slave state and Maine was admitted as a free state. This is significant to migration, because many Americans began to migrate throughout the south depending on slavery. -
Indian Removal Act
The purpose of the Indian Removal Act was to create land for whites to migrate to and live. This goal was reached aggressively, and Indians were promised financial compensation to Indian tribes who agreed to relocate to settle in the lands west of the Mississippi River. This is an example of settlement, because the Indians had to re-settle in places that they probably didn’t want to necessarily want to live in. -
The Trail of Tears
This was another example of migration, because the Indians were forced to migrate on foot from western Georgia to southeastern Tennessee by troops. 14,000 Cherokees were removed and 4000 died en route. This is significant because these same people who are being forced out of their homes were here first, and being forced to migrate to other places by the people who actually migrated to America! -
American Expansion
American expansion was based on the idea of “Manifest Destiny”, which was the mindset that Americans had the God given right to expand and travel west. This also included colonists traveling to the west on foot, along with resources. This is significant because it is an example of one of the first biggest migrations within the United States. -
Mexican American War
America wanted the land of California, so they sent a representative to the Mexican government to buy it for $25-30 million dollars and an additional $3 million owed to American citizens by Mexico. The Mexican government refused to meet with rep and fighting broke out. This was significant because it is another example of how the US is constantly trying to expand and migrate towards new lands for settlement under any cost. -
Mormons arrive in Utah
Mormons were a newly found religious group that was constantly pushed out of several communities, and the leaders were arrested. The members began to seek settlement elsewhere. They migrated to Salt Lake Valley to establish their religion. This is a significant form of migration and settlement because it introduced a new religion to America. -
California Gold Rush
After discovering gold in California, 80,000 men migrated to California hoping to strike rich. This was very significant because it created an influx of families moving to California for the hope of gold. -
Compromise of 1850
This compromise admitted California as a free state without outlawing slavery in other territories acquired by Mexico. This is significant because it officially made California a part of America, and would eventually be the place that people migrated to. -
Purchase of Alaska
The purchase of Alaska was significant to migration and settlement because of the natural resources that we needed their, and it also shows how we needed to expand our country for improved settlement in the states. -
Transcontinental Road Completed
Once the this railroad was completely, you can guess that this was the Holy Grail to transportation, and its significance was simply because it increased the availability of moving and migrating throughout the country. -
Indian Appropriation Act 1871
The purpose of this act was to assimilate the Native Americans into becoming more European and lessening the power of the chiefs. It ended allowing tribes to be independent and made children go to the Carlisle School. These children were taken from their families and migrated to Pennsylvania from all over the nation. This is significant because it displays how the American identity all around the was vital and included migrating children as well. -
Immigration Increases
Over 2 million immigrants immigrated from mostly europe during this time, and they came from so many different types of backgrounds. This is significant because it continued to make America so diverse through the continuation of immigration and settlement. -
Dawes Act
The President of the US was authorized to survey American Indian tribes and divide it into allotments for individual indians. This was significant because it was a new form of settlement for the Indians that they’ve never had before. -
Open Door Policy
This policy was the idea of not discriminating trade with other countries and to “keep the door open”. This is significant because soon this policy influenced the immigration of Chinese immigrants. -
Panama Canal Construction
The Construction of the Panama Canal was significant to migration, because it allowed ships to go in and out of the country, and these ships could transfer people from all over. This was also not exactly the easiest canal to build. It resulted in many illnesses and diseases. -
Roosevelt Corollary
This extended the Monroe Doctrine, and it gave the US the right to police the Caribbean. This was an important aspect of migration because it gave full authorization to the US of the Caribbean. -
Great Migration
In the South, African Americans were subjected to economic abuses and outright discrimination. So, they moved to the urban North for better opportunities. This has an extreme significance on migration, because it was the biggest migration within the US and created more diversity in the North. -
Dust-Bowl and Westward Migration
This dust bowl crisis resulted in farmers to migrate to California in order to find work. This was significant because it increased the number of employees in California, but also played a large part, unfortunately, in the Great Depression. -
First Levittown
Levittowns were housing projects that had identical housing everywhere, and were very suburban like. People all over were ready to leave the city and migrate to the suburbs. This is significant because it shows how people will migrate to be separate from others, and conform to what other people were doing. This was a different type of migration from previous periods, but it was still a way that people migrated and settled constantly. -
Berlin Blockade
The Soviets cut off all access to Berlin, which made it difficult for America to migrate there to give supplies, so they created the Berlin Airlift which solved the issue. This is an example of how easy it is for places to be cut off from us and difficult to travel. -
Federal Highway Act
This act created transportation for people to travel and for defense to transport weapons. This was significant because Americans depended extremely on cars, and allowed them to migrate within the country easily. -
NASA Established
This isn’t exactly significant to migration in america, but it does put more emphasis on how the US wanted to continue to research more and more on what's beyond and find more places and explore what is out in the world. -
Immigration Act of 1965
This act removed the quotas on immigration, which increased the amount of Chinese and Latin Americans to migrate to the US. This was significant because it allowed many new peoples who were excluded before, to migrate to America. -
Immigration & Naturalization Act 1965
The purpose of this act was to attract skilled immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America as opposed to Europe. This was significant because this migration will increase the amount of skilled labor we have in America -
Continued Migration to Sunbelt
Due to the better circumstances of the Sunbelt Region including AC, better living conditions and prices, people chose to migrate towards the south and live there. This is significant because the south experienced an influx of people, in contrast the Great Migration. -
Illegal Immigration
Illegal immigration was and still is a problem. People from all over trying to cross the border, especially Mexico, have tried to get across the border due to financial issues and such. This is a form of migration that is wrong, but it exists, and it is significant because it shows that people will go to any cost in order to migrate to America. -
NAFTA
This was the trade agreement between Canada, Mexico, and America. This was the agreement of free trade between the three countries and was the biggest trade zone in the world. This increased the immigration between the 3 countries, blending the three types of people together. -
The Great Wall of America
There is currently a wall being built between Mexico and America splitting the border. This is going to limit the amount of illegal immigrants that could cross the border. This is a significant time in history, because this is not something that people expected, and it is actually stopping people from migrating.
