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900
Gunpowder Invented
Chinese alchemists invented gunpowder around 900 A.D., whilst experimenting with life-lengthening concoctions. -
1100
Compass Invented
The compass was invented during the Han Dynasty in China. -
Period: 1200 to
Early America
This era saw early exploration of the America’s by Spain, France, and England -
1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta (Great Charter) guarantees that everyone is subject to the law, even the king, as well as securing the rights of individuals to a fair trial. -
1440
Printing Press Invented
After being exiled, Johannes Gutenberg began working with printing prototypes in France, in 1440. -
1492
Columbus “Discovers” America
In 1492, Columbus yada yada yada -
1492
Colombian Exchange
After Columbus “discovered” America, the floodgates opened to the international trade of plants, animals, diseases, etc. -
Roanoke
Roanoke was one of the first British attempts to colonize America. It was unsuccessful (for reasons), and the actual circumstances of its demise are unknown. -
Virginia Founded
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Jamestown is founded
The first successful British colony in America. Named after King James. -
John Rolfe Plants Successful Tobacco Crops
The advent of tobacco crops was essential to the growth of the colonies as they required more workers and resources(which led to more profit). -
French Ship Wrecks
Four Frenchmen survived a shipwreck on the coast of New England. After being captured by indigenous people, they threatened that if they were killed, God would enact a 10-fold vengeance. -
The Great Epidemic
During the Columbian exchange, several disease strains found their way into the Americas, infecting the Natives-who had no immunity to the diseases. Casualties: 45-90 million. -
Creation of the Headright System
New settlers in Virginia were offered 50 acres of land in an effort to get more workers to tend to tobacco crops in the colony. -
Slavery Begins
The first slaves arrived in Jamestown -
Massachusetts Founded
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Maine Settled
Maine was initially settled as a part of Massachusetts -
Pilgrims arrive at Plymouth
The Mayflower arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, They would soon elect William Bradford as Governor, and he went on to play a huge role in early colonial America. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first document written and enacted in what is now the U.S.. -
The First Thanksgiving
The first Thanksgiving celebrated the Pilgrim’s first harvest in the new world. It lasted three days. -
New Amsterdam Established
The Dutch settled what would become NYC. -
New York Founded
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New Hampshire Founded
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Period: to
Colonial Period
The Colonial Period included some of the more “iconic” events of early America, such as: King Philip’s war, the Mayflower Compact, the first Thanksgiving, and the French and Indian War -
Maryland Founded
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Roger Williams: Freedom of Worship
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Pequot War
The Pequot people fought against English settlers and rival Native tribes. The Pequots promptly lost. -
CT Founded
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Rhode Island Founded
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Delaware Founded
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North Carolina Founded
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New Jersey Founded
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South Carolina Founded
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King Philip's War
King Metacom of the Wampanoag tribe led what would essentially be the last rebellion against European settlers. Deadliest war in terms of per capita losses. -
Pennsylvania is given to William Penn
In 1681, the proprietary colony of Pennsylvania was granted to William Penn -
Pennsylvania Founded
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Quakers call for abolition
Quakers in Germantown wrote the “Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery”, becoming the first religious body in the 13 colonies to call for abolition -
Georgia Founded
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The Walking Purchase
Obeying a supposed treaty, Delaware Natives offered up as much land as could be walked in 1.5 days. Thomas Penn recruited a runner to take the path. The runner covered double the land initially anticipated, and the Delaware Natives lost 1,200 square miles of land. They later joined the French in the French and Indian War. -
The Bering Strait
On an expedition, Vitus Bering found and aptly named the Bering Strait -
Ben Franklin Discovers Electricity
Franklin's famous experiment with a brass key and a kite, wherein he discovered that lightning contained electricity. -
French and Indian War Begins
Lasted from 1756 to 1763, and is considered a chapter in the second hundred years war. -
Period: to
Revolutionary America
This period started with the Stamp act and ended with the Paris Peace treaty and American Independence -
The Quartering Act
This act required the colonies to guest British soldiers in barracks in the colonies. If none were available, the soldiers were to be housed in inns, houses, and the like. -
The Stamp Act
This act from British Parliament imposed a tax on the colonies, requiring many printed materials to be made on stamped paper produced in London. -
Boston Massacre
After a protest turned violent, British soldiers fired upon colonists, killing 5, and wounding others, marking the beginning of the end of colonist cooperation with the crown. -
The Boston Tea Party
In response to the Tea Act, rebellious colonists dumped 1 million dollars worth of tea into Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
The intolerable acts were laws were law from the British Parliament post-Boston Tea Party. The laws were punitive and meant to punish the colonists for their defiance. -
Boone town
Daniel Boone founded Boonseborough in Kentucky in 1775 -
"Give me Liberty or Give Me Death"
Sam Adams gave a speech protesting the British rule, ending with his famous quote. -
Concord and Lexington: The Shot Heard Round the World
Han shot first. -
Declaration of Independence
The committee of five’s congressionally amended Declaration is ratified. -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine published his controversial pamphlet. -
Battle of Saratoga
Benedict Arnold earned his stripes here, after disobeying direct orders and winning the battle. This victory proved to the French that the Revolution was viable. -
Boonseborough attacked by the Shawnee
Shawnee natives launched a retaliatory strike on Fort Boonseborough. -
Articles of Confederation Ratified
The AOC was sent to individual states in 1777, but years of debate delayed its ratification. -
Treaty of Paris
The treaty officially ended the American Revolution. -
Period: to
The Young Republic
This era was full of early attempts at systems of American governance and democracy -
Shay's Rebellion Begins
Farmer Daniel Shay of Massachusetts led an uprising in response to an unresolved debt crisis. -
Samuel Slater and the Industrial Revolution
Samuel Slater was known as the father of the American Industrial Revolution. -
1st U.S. Census
3.9 Million People, 757,000 of which are enslaved. -
Bill of Rights
It's a fun twist of fate that the Magna Carta was ratified in 1215, and the Bill of Rights was ratified on 12/15. -
11th Amendment Ratified
Guarantees that states cannot be sued by citizens of another state. -
Washington's Farewell
Washington gave his landmark farewell address, in which he warned of the dangers of partisanship. -
Peaceful Transfer
This marked one of the first times in history that power was handed over peacefully. -
Marbury V. Madison
This case set the precedent of judicial review. -
Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson bought the Louisiana territory from Napoleon for a measly 15 million dollars. -
12th Amendment Ratified
Separated balloting procedures for POTUS and VPOTUS -
Lewis and Clark
Lewis and Clark began their journey westward. -
Transportation Revolution
Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston created Clermont, the first steamboat. -
Period: to
The era of Expansion, Political Reform, and Turmoil
This period saw such incidents as The Alamo, Nat Turner’s rebellion, and the Jackson administration -
Expanding Suffrage
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American Colonization Society Founded
The ACS was founded to send free African Americans to Africa as an alternative to staying in the U.S. -
The Second Great Awakening
We hit snooze. -
Period: to
War and Reconstruction
This was the age of unjust wars and abolition. Seeing such advents as the Underground Railroad, the 13th amendment, and the reconstruction period, this was defining moment for America -
Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion
Nat Turner led his bloody uprising of the enslaved, eventually resulting in his death. -
House Gag Rule Concerning Abolition
Because if there's one way to get people to shut up about things... -
The Communication Revolution
Morse sent his first telegraph message from Washington D.C. to Baltimore. -
Baseball
The first recorded games of baseball happened in New York. -
The Mexican/American War
The era of abolition and the Mexican American war shared many similarities with that of Vietnam and the civil rights movement. -
U.S. Wins Mexican-American War
Well that was fast. -
What is a Slave to the Fourth of July?
Frederick Douglass gave a speech concerning his allegiance to his country and government. -
The Bessemer Process
A steel making process that was critical for the industrial revolution. -
The Homestead Act
The Homestead Act allowed any citizen who hadn’t taken up arms against the U.S. to claim 160 acres of governement land. -
The Battle of Antietam
Also known as the battle of Sharpsburg, the battle ended in a stalemate, but gave Lincoln the confidence to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Issued by Lincoln almost three years into the Civil War, The Proclamation declared that all perons held as slaves in the confederate states were to be freed. -
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln's very short(ironic) but iconic speech. -
13th Amendment Ratified
Slavery is abolished. -
Civil Rights Bill Passes
Declared that all males born in the U.S. were citizens, without distinction based on race, color, or previous condition of slavery or servitude. President Johnson vetoed the bill, but the 39th congress overrode it. -
14th Amendment Ratified
The equal protection amendment. I would like to note that the purpose of this amendment remains unfulfilled until we pass more laws that guarantee and establish equal protection. -
15th Amendment Ratified
Guaranteed African American men the right to vote. -
Enforcement Acts
The enforcement acts protected African-Americans’ right to vote, serve on juries, and hold office. -
Hiram Revels is Seated as a Senator
Hiram Revels was the the first African-American to serve in the U.S. senate, and was seated after being delayed by Democrats who sought to nullify his election. -
Period: to
Second Industrial Revolution
The 2nd Industrial Revolution gave rise to the likes of Carnegie, Dupont, and Rockefeller, as well as Edison and Tesla -
National Parks
The U.S. established Yellowstone National Park under President Ulysses S. Grant, who also signed the Yellowstone Nation Park Protection Act. -
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 lasted until 1877, during which Europe and North America experienced a financial crisis that triggered economic depression. -
Chris Nash and Co. march on Colfax Courthouse
Chris Nash was a democratic sheriff who led a group of white miltia
men to retake a courthouse that had been seized by African American insurgents. -
Custer dies at Little Big Horn
Commonly referred to as Custer’s last stand, the battle was an engagment between the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry of the U.S. -
Women’s suffrage amendment proposed
The first time a women’s suffrage amedment was introduced to congress was in 1876, but wouldn’t become ratified until 1920. -
Ending Reconstruction
Reconstruction ended after Southern Democrats promises to enforce and protect the rights of African Americans broken. -
Period: to
Political Reform 2
This era saw battle between progressives such as Teddy Roosevelt against outdated practices like Jim Crow laws, as well as WW1 -
Haymarket
The Haymarket massacre happened after a bombing at a labor demonstration at Haymarket Square in Chicago. -
Santa Clara County V. Southern Pacific Railroad
So... they really fucked us over on this one. -
Plessy V. Ferguson
Ended with the ruling "Separate but Equal" -
War with Spain
The Spanish American War started after the explosion of USS Maine in Havana Harbor, Cuba. -
The Great Migration
The Great Migration was a massive movement of millions of African Americans from rural areas to suburban areas. -
Theodore Roosevelt Elected
The Cowboy President. -
The Second Transportation Revolution
The second Transportation Revolution included the first automobiles powered by steam, which could reach a whole 15 mph. -
Hookworm
The Rockefeller Sanitation Commission was put together to eradicate the hookworm in the south. -
Period: to
War, Prosperity, and Depression
This period experienced the depression, WW1, and the rise of the League of Nations into what would become the UN -
The Year of Upheaval
1919 saw a massive change in power dynamics through labor strikes, suffrage movements, and race riots. -
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment passed the house and senate in 1919. Was finally ratified in 1920. Guarantees women the right to vote. -
Anne Frank, MLK, and Barbara Walters are born
These three all seem as though they are from very different eras, but they were all born in the same year. -
The New Deal
FDR’s new deal ushered in an era of unprecedented economic growth and stability. -
Period: to
WW2 and the New Deal
Desperately in need of economic stimulus, FDR put together the iconic new deal, as well as the Lend-Lease act during WW2 -
Jesse Owens wins first gold medal
Jesse Owens won four Gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Games, foiling Hitler’s plan to put German athletes on top of the world. -
The Manhattan Project
Oppenheimer became death, the destroyer of worlds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb13ynu3Iac -
The Battle of Midway
Using all method of warfare tactics, the allies were able to determine where Japan was going to attack, and ambushed them at Midway. -
Suburbanization
A population migration from urban areas into suburbs -
WW2 Ends
Harry Truman announced the surrender of Japan, thus ending the war. -
Berlin Airlift and Cold War
The Soviet Union had held Western Berlin hostage, via blockade. The allies broke through during the Berlin airlift and foiled the Soviet plan. -
The Birth of Television
The first electronic television system was designed by Philo Taylor Farnsworth -
The Birth of Birth Control
Margaret Sanger met with endocrinologist and birth control advocate Gregory Pincus to begin the process of developing the pill. -
The Pill
If only we had it before Trump was conceived. -
March on Washington
The peaceful march that culminated with MLK’s most famous plea. -
Civil Rights Act Passes
LBJ started his push for the CRA whilst he was majority leader, and finished by signing it into law as POTUS. -
Voting Rights Act
The VRA passed in 1965 and prohibits racial dicsrimination in voting. Led by Justice Scalia, the act was weakened in 2013 by the U.S. supreme court. -
Malcolm X Killed
Malcolm X was assasinated in the Audubon Ballroom. It is still unproven who exactly was responsible for his death. -
Bloody Sunday: Selma
The first march happened on March 7, 1965. Marchers were met by state troopers, who attacked the protestors with billy clubs and tear gas. Among the marchers was John Lewis. -
The Tet Offensive
The Tet offensive was a blitzkreig of North Vietnam attacks on South Vietnam in an attempt to discourage American involvment in Vietnam. -
Trial of the Chicago 7
After protests at the 1968 DNC turned violent, 7 (really 8) organizers were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot as well as several other allegations. -
MLK is Assasinated
MLK was assasinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennesee. -
The Birth of Environmentalism
Nixon founded the EPA, and thus we were able to appropriately handle all manner of environmental disasters, such as climate change, and wait... shit. -
Pentagon Paper Published
The Pentagon Papers detailed a surge of U.S. forces in Vietnam, previously undisclosed to the public. -
Watergate
The dude won 49 states. I don't think he needed to cheat. -
The Personal Computer
I imagine it looked different than the one I'm typing on right now. -
Jaws hits theaters
Steven Spielberg’s legendary first feature film. -
Miracle
Led by Herb Brooks, the 1980 U.S. olympic hockey team overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to upset the commies. -
End of Cold War
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, communism was chased out of Europe, and in 1991 the Soviet Union dissolved completely. -
9/11
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda launched 4 coordinated terrorist attacks against the U.S. -
Obama’s Inauguration
Barack Hussein Obama became the first African American to assume the office of the Presidency, defeating John McCain. -
Ibram X. Kendi: “Stamped From the Beginning”
Ibram X Kendi won the National Book award for non-fiction for this book about race in the U.S. -
Hilary Clinton wins Democratic Nomination
In 2016, Hilary Clinton became the first woman nominated for POTUS by any major party. She would go on to win the popular vote by 3 million. -
First COVID case reported
Some Mother*****r just really had to eat that bat. -
1st COVID-19 case in the U.S.
The first North American COVID-19 cases were reported in the U.S. in 2020. -
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are sworn in
Joe Biden became the oldest person to assume the presidency. Kamala Harris became the first African American and woman (individually and together) to assume the Vice Presidency.
