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1492
Columbus lands in America
During the late 14 hundreds a Italian explorer named Christopher Columbus reached the Americas and Claimed to be the first person to reach the land although natives had already inhabited the Americas. His trip was funded by Spain and allowed them to start colonizing the land. -
Pilgrims land
The Mayflowers filled with pilgrims in hopes of new lives in the new world made its way to New England after 66 days of travel. The ship, originally headed for the Hudson rivers had to alter its course when bad winds and dangerous groups of fish were discovered. This led the pilgrims to travel to cape code instead and set up settlement there. -
Jamestown
This was the first english colony in North America founded by the Virginia Company. The health of the settlers were threatened by disease and conflict with native tribes. However, the colony survived by the import of new settlers and the profitable growing of tobacco. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian war was a 7 years war that happened mainly between Britain and France although each sides had many different allies including native Americans. France started to expand into the Ohio River valley because the land was so prosperous however, the British claimed the valley was theirs. This led to France's conflict with the British colonies. -
Lexington and Concord
Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the Revolutionary War and ended in a colonial victory. The result of this battle stunned the British and gave the colonies hope that they could finally become independent. -
Declaration of independence
The Declaration was written during the revolutionary war and the concept was created by the second continental congress that met in Pennsylvania. The document claimed the United States independence from Britain. The Declaration was written by Thomas Jefferson and signed by what would be known as the founding fathers. -
Constitutional Convention
Was the meeting of delegates to write the a new constitution since the articles of confederation was failing. At the convention major compromises were carried out one being the mix of a small state plan (new jersey plan) and a big state plan (Virginia plan) which was named the great compromise. They created the constitution that gave basic human rights to the population. -
Jefferson Presidency
Thomas Jefferson became the third president of the united states in 1801 and served till 1809. In office he expanded America Westward with the Louisiana Purchase which doubled the size of the nation. After the purchase he commissioned Lewis and Clark to explore the new land that America had acquired. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the purchase of land from the Mississippi river valley to the rocky mountains. The land was originally under french control but with economic issues Napoleon negotiated a very fair deal to sell the land to the United States. Thomas Jefferson initiated the purchase of the 828,000,000 square miles of land while in office and expanded the nation dramatically. -
Invention of the Steam Boat (innovation/invention)
Robert Fulton built the first successful steamboat named the Clermont. The boats had a steam engine that turned a paddle wheel in the back of the boat which allowed the boat to cut back on time during transportation. This is important because it was one of the first advancements of transportation for America. -
Missouri compromise
There was a lot of tension between the slave and free states (non-slave states) and Missouri wanted to enter the union as a slave state which would disrupt the balance between free and slave states. So to compromise Congress entered Missouri as a slave state and Main as a free state. Also congress passed an amendment that entailed an “imaginary line” across the previously purchased Louisiana territory that split into half free and half slave states. -
Jackson presidency
Andrew Jackson got inaugurated in 1829 and ran on the campaign that he was a government official “for the people.” He filled the government up with his friends and people he promised government positions to if they voted for him which coined the term spoils system. In office Jackson also was behind the Indian Removal Act since he was a big believer in manifest destiny. -
Indian Removal Act
This act was signed by the president at the time, Andrew Jackson. In this act the government could grant lands west of the Mississippi to Indian Tribes if they realized to give up their original homelands. The intention of this was so white Americans could expand without native interference. Many tribes went peacefully but others were reluctant to give up their homes to the American government. -
Pendleton Act (my own)
Congress passed the Pendleton act to counteract the spoilers system that had the potential of filling the government with unskilled workers. This act was the first start of having tests in order to obtain certain jobs and it made it illegal to fire or demote government officials, and prohibited soliciting campaign donations on government owned property. -
Women's suffrage conference in Seneca Falls New York (my own)
This conference was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Matt and was the first major conference on the women's suffrage movement. They wrote the declaration of sentiments and created the National American Woman Suffrage Association. -
Creation of the Bessemer process
This made the mass production of steal way more cost efficient and easier. The process was created by Henry Bessemer in 1856 and was big part of the industrial revolution. This was important because it allowed America to produce mass amounts of steal at a high production rate that helped America begin an industrial revolution. -
Dredd Scott vs sanford
Dredd Scott, who was a African American that had lived on a free state and recently returned to Missouri which was a slave state at the time filed for freedom. Scott believed that if he had lived in a free state he should be granted emancipation. However the supreme court did not grant him freedom. The verdict left slaves to be perceived as property and people therefore not eligible to be free after living in a free state if still enslaved. -
Battle of Gettysburg (my own)
This war was fought over the span of 3 days in Gettysburg Pennsylvania resulting in many deaths on both sides. This was a very important battle because it showed a turning point in the war. After the victory at Gettysburg the union had hopes of actually being able to win the war. -
Battle of Bull Run (my own)
The Battle of Bull Run was the point of the war when both side realized that this war wouldn't be as quick as they thought. The Battle took place in Massachusetts and ended in a confederate victory. -
Attack of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter was the first battle of the civil war and resulted in a confederate victory. The confederacy invaded a union fort in North Carolina and the repeated shooting caused the union to surrender. This battle was very impactful since it led many americans to want to enlist in the war and president lincoln to go about asking men to fight for their country. -
Emancipation Proclamation
This Was issued in the third year of the civil war by president Abraham Lincoln. The proclamation stated that all slaves in rebel states or confederate states were now all freed. This proclamation reflected Abraham Lincolns negative views on slavery. -
Creation of the standard oil company (innovation/invention)
John D. Rockefeller created the standard oil company and this was one of the frost monopolies seen. Rockefeller used vertical integration to buy out all his competitors and convert it into all one company owned by him. This is important because it was one of the first and biggest monopolies seen in the industrial revolution that influenced many more big businesses. -
Lincoln presidency
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the united states and was in office during the civil war. Lincoln is famous for the emancipation proclamation which freed all slaves in rebel states as well as the Gettysburg address. The Gettysburg address was a speech given after the very bloody Gettysburg Battle during the civil war. However, Lincoln has a tragic end to his life when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. -
Surrender at Appomattox courthouse
This was the last battle of the Civil War that marked a union victory. The Union cut off all food and supplies of the confederacy while they surrounded resulting in 500 confederate casualties. This forced General Lee to surrender and the Union finally won the war. -
Lincoln assassination
The 16th president was murdered in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth. Booth was a regular actor at the fords theater in Washington DC and attended the same show that Lincoln was at on the night of April 14th. However, Booth had a plan to shoot him during the play and was successful. After the surprise attack Lincoln died the next day. -
Thirteenth amendment ratified
The thirteenth amendment abolished slavery in America. All the states ratified it in December of 1865 and this amendment really expanded the civil rights for the people. It was the first amendment to show a major step forward for America. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
Plessy v.s Ferguson was a court case that deemed segregation constitutional and created the doctrine separate but equal. The case came about when Homer Plessy an African American refused to sit in the area of a train for black passengers. Plessy argued that a segregated train went against his rights given by the constitution however, the supreme court rejected his argument. After this case, Jim Crow laws worsened. -
Invention of the telephone (innovation/invention)
Alexander Graham Bell created the telephone in the late 1800s. Graham Bell came to America from Scotland as a teacher for the deaf and came up with the idea of “electronic speech” that manifested into his invention of the telephone. This is important because it was one of the first advances in Americas technology. -
Chinese exclusion act
This act did not allow any new Chinese immigrants into the country for 10 years. This was the first law in American history to limit the entry of a certain ethnic group. The act also placed burden on Chinese already in the country. For example, if any person of Chinese ethnicity left the country in order to re enter they had to obtain certifications. -
Spanish American War
The Spanish American War was fought between Spain Cuba and America. The Cubans were getting very angry at the ways that Spain was treating them and so the U.S. intervened and helped the Cubans to fight the Spanish helping them gain Independence. After this America was able to set up naval bases in Cuba and gained control of lands previously under Spanish control. -
Invention of the camera (innovation/ invention)
George Eastman created the first camera which was the Kodak and came out in 1888. George Eastman created the Eastman Kodak company when he invented the first camera and the camera was used to capture war pictures during world war one and pictures of people living their best lives in the 1920s to the long bread lines the 1930s. The invention of the camera was very important because it influenced technology greatly and allowed Americans to see what was going on in the nation. -
Sherman antitrust act
This was the first act that outlawed monopolies in American businesses. Now businesses weren't able to have trusts. Many states had already passed similar laws but this was the first law put in place on the federal level. -
The Geary Act (my own)
This act extended the Chinese exclusion act after it was invalid anymore and Chinese were allowed into America. The Geary Act required Chinese to carry resident papers and stated that if they were not able to provide papers then they had to do free hand labor or be deported. This act gave way for more racism in America and restated a form of slavery. -
Invention of the Radio (innovation/invention)
Marconi conducted the first successful transatlantic radio communication. The Radio became huge in America during the 20s and everyone began to buy radios most on the new creation of credit. The main radio station in America was KDKA that began broadcasting on November 2, of 1920. The radio was a very important invention because it not only revolutionized communication but also brought a common topic for people to talk about and a leisure activity. -
T. Roosevelt presidency
Teddy Roosevelt was the 26th president after William McKinley was assassinated. However, he was elected for another term since he was very adored by the public. In office Roosevelt was given the name “trust buster” when he made it clear that he was against big industrial corporations. Roosevelt set aside a lot of land for national parks, passed many acts including the expediting act and the square deal, and began 45 antitrust cases to dissolve business monopolies. -
Invention of the washing machine (innovation/invention)
The first electric washing machine was seem in 1908 created by Alva J. Fisher. The washing machine was widely sold in the 20s and made life easier for woman and cut back on the time they had to take washing clothes and gave them more time to work on other things. This invention was important because it was another advancement that made life easier and made a difference relation to women's independence. -
Invention of the Airplane (innovation/invention)
The first successful Airplane was invented in 1903 by Wilbur and Oliver Wright. The bothers conducted. They had called in the “Flying Machine” and had made four other attempts before having a successful flight on December 17th. This is important because it helped lead the world into a new era if innovation that made American life easier, in this case making transportation more efficient. -
Sinking if the Lusitania (my own)
The Lusitania , A British passenger ship, was sailing to New York carrying some American Passengers during in 1915. Germany sunk the ship without any warning killing 1,198 people including 128 US citizens. Germans claimed that the was actually carrying weapons however America was very angry at this stunt as they were not part of the war at that point. -
invention of the car (invention/ innovation)
Henry Ford created the first practical car in 1908 which was called the Ford Model T. Soon after the production of the first one 15 million had been sold from 1908 to 1927. With the invention of the car Ford also created the “modern factory” and new easier ways of producing goods using the factory system. This is important because it was another step in advancing transportation to make life in America easier. -
Wilson Presidency
Woodrow Wilson was the 26th president of the united states and was the president during World War One. Wilson is most known for his 14 points which were a plan for peace and a league of nations. While in office Wilson passed two very important amendments then 18th and 19th amendments. Sadly Wilson died 1924 which was 3 years after he left the presidential office. -
Panama canal
The canal was created to reduce the time it would take for American trade and military transport. However, Panama was part of Columbia and Columbia rejected the idea. So the US Navy helped to support the Panama revolt and the US formally recognized panama as a sovereign nation. After this they made a deal with newly free Panama to build a canal that at the end of the 20th century they would give to the nation of Panama and it would be under Panama control. -
Treaty of versailles
The treaty of versailles was a peace treaty that ended World War One brought about at the Paris Peace Conference. The treaty punished Germany and blamed them for the war as well as distributed land for the allies as well as met their other goals. Negotiating the treaty as a very complex process that took a long time. A main term of the treaty was that Germany would have to pay reparations for causing the great war. -
WWI begins
Alliances formed one called the Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria Hungary, and Italy and another the Triple Auntant which included Russia, France, and Great Britain. Many countries had been building up their armies and tension was at a high point however it was the assassination of the Austrian archduke Ferdinand that pushed the countries to their breaking point and the attacking started. -
Sussex pledge (my own)
Germany kept sinking ships carrying us citizens without warning this time the Sussex. President Wilson protested and made Germany issue the Sussex pledge. The Sussex Pledge was a promise that Germany would not sink anymore ships without warning. However, the Germans broke the pledge in February of 1917 and continued their unlimited submarine warfare. This greatly influenced the U.S. to join the war. -
Wilson's 14 points
Wilson proposed his 14 point plan for world peace to congress which included a plan to form a league of nations, free trade between countries, and freedom of the seas. The 14 points were somewhat successful although not completely since they didn't prevent WWII from coming. France and Italy accepted the points as well as Britain later on however the united states never joined the league of nations. -
WWI ends
The war came to an end in 1918 when Germany finally surrendered. Russia had backed out of the war because they Bolshevik Revolution and America had taken their place. The American troops were fresh and eager to fight and were able to push the Germans back and they were took weak to fight anymore. German leader Kaiser Wilhelm stepped down and two days later Germany signed the armistice and the war was officially over. -
Eighteenth amendment
the 18th amendment stated that one year after it was passed, the selling and manufacturing of alcohol would be illegal. This amendment reflected the growing temperance movement at the time and gave way for new and very strong conservative views to be seen. However, this amendment was not followed by many citizens and the illegally selling and manufacturing of liquor took place. -
19th amendment
The 19th amendment finally gave women the right to vote. The women's movement started to make great strides in the mid 1800s to early 1900s and many women were well known for advocating for women's rights. Some of these woman included carrie Chapman Catt, Alice Paul, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The first major women's suffrage began in Seneca falls New York in 1848 and form there women were granted the right to vote in 1920. -
Harlem Renaissance (part 1)
The Harlem Renaissance was a major boom of new art, music, and intellectual outlooks that took place in Harlem New York. This was one of the first times that African Americans were recognized for such things by the white population. The new music genre of music, Jazz was born out of the renaissance as well as new art forms. -
Harlem Renaissance (part 2)
Many famous African Americans came out of the Harlem renaissance including Duke Ellington and Langston Hughes. This revolution was brought about as an effect of the great migration which was the major migration of Arfican Americans from the south to the north. -
Prohibition (part 1)
After the 18th Amendment was ratified that stated that the sale, transportation, and manufacturing of liquor was illegal in the United States than the America went to a time period called prohibition. However, many Americans did not follow these laws and a huge amount of illegal alcohol was being sold and produced through a process called bootlegging. -
Prohibition (part 2)
Also many speakeasies were created in the 20s which were illegal drinking spots. A lot of violence came out of the prohibition area including gang violence so the 21st amendment was passed that repealed the 18th amendment and prohibition ended. -
Rise of the KKK
The pre existing ku klux klan grew in the 1920s and the number of klan members rose to 8 million. The KKK now welcomed the middle class and they started to take over the politics of many states. Now they didn't just target African Americans but also many religious groups and foreigners. In the 20s they even were the priority funders and backers of Marcus Garvey's back to Africa Movement. -
Invention of credit (innovation/invention)
A new way of purchasing for the consumer was seen in the 20s called credit. Credit was the new way of buying now and paying later in installments. Banks gave the first mortgages and furniture and radios were also examples of thing bought on credit. 75% of all radios in the 20s were bought on credit. This is important because it let Americans love expensive and lavish lives without having to pay for all of it up front. -
Scopes Trial
John T. Scopes was a science teacher who started to teach Darwin theory of evolution in Tennessee. Many people were against evolution because it went against any teachings in the bible and what was called religious fundamentalism. So Scopes was charged on the facts that he went against a Tennessee law that made it illegal to teach evolution. -
Gitlow vs New York (part 1)
Gitlow was charged since he had encouraged a violent overthrow of the government. Gitlow was a publisher of a radical newspaper called The Revolutionary Age in which he printed the “The left Wing Manifesto.” This was driven by Gitlow's communist ideals and derived from ideas proposed by Karl Marx and suggested a violent overthrow of the government. -
Gitlow vs New York (part 2)
For this, Gitlow was arrested although he argued that went against his first amendment rights. However the supreme court ruled that there are limits to freedom of speech as relating to clear and present danger and the 14th amendment applies to federal and state governments. -
Stock Market Crash
The stock market expanded so much that almost everyone had shares however the biggest crash was on its way. Stock prices began to decline and a panic was seen on Thursday while bankers and investors tried to stabilize the market. However these efforts failed and on Tuesday the 29th the stock prices had crashed completely. Some many people lost everything and banks began to close and with it peoples savings were gone. The stock market crash of 1929 brought America into the Great Depression. -
Roosevelt 1st election
Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected during the Great Depression promising America efforts to bring them out of the depression. FDR won the election by a landslide and promised his “New Deal.” The new deal was a plan for reforms, relief organizations, and helped lead recovery for the U.S. This reinvented the role of government in people's lives and government became more involved. -
Bonus Army (my own)
The World War Adjusted Compensation Act was that each veteran of WWI would get $1 a day for each day they served in the war and were able to obtain the money in 1944. However, when the Great Depression rolled around people wanted their money earlier. Their acts were not successful and Hoover and the Republicans refused to give out the money early. The Bonus Army camped out on the capitol grounds since they had no where else to go with no money until Hoover forcefully removed them. -
CCC (part 1)
The Civilian Conservation Corps was an organized which was part of FDR’s the new deal and provide relief as well as recovery. Many CCC camps started to go up in America accepting young unmarried men to live there and plant trees, build roads, and other relief roles. The men would payed a dollar a day as well as a free place to stay and food. -
CCC (part 2)
The men would send $30 home to their families which at the time of the depression made a huge difference in people's lives. The CCC helped provided 2.5 million young men with jobs as well as helping the environment tremendously. -
Social Security Act
The Social Security Act was signed by FDR and a federal safety net for many people. The main purpose of it was pay elderly people over the age of 65 money after they had retired from their jobs. This act helped many citizens with financial needs including the elderly and unemployed. -
FDR court packing scandal
Roosevelt presented a plan to extend the court to 15 judges to improve the supreme court and make it more efficient. Although, critics believed that he was doing this with intent to pack it with people that agreed with his new deal plan and many of his own political views.
