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Oct 12, 1492
Columbus Discovers America
On this day in history, Columbus accidentally landed on the Bahaman islands while trying to find a different route to Asia. Instead, he found North America. He would later return. -
Settlement of Jamestown
On December 6, 1606, the journey to Virginia begun. Early in 1607, Jamestown was discovered. On May 13, they decided to settle in Jamestown. The location was very advantageous. However, most of the settlers came with gold-digging tools, seeking riches. Jamestown lacked just that, and the town quickly spiraled into poverty and many resorted to even cannibalism. Not long after, tobacco was discovered as a rich commodity there. Jamestown became rich and well known for their tobacco exports. -
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The French and Indian War
This war lasted seven years and consisted mainly of the colonies of British America fighting the colonies of New France in North America. Both sides had their parent countries supporting them, making the war that much longer. -
The Boston Tea Party
On this night in December, a group by the name of 'The Sons of Liberty' with renowned leader Sam Adams boarded British ships in the Boston Harbor and discarded 342 chests of tea into the water. It escalated tensions and further contributed to the Revolutionary War not much later. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
This is the first official battle of the Revolutionary War. Approximately 700 British troops were sent to confiscate weapons from colonials. Along the way, they were ambushed by an untrained but furious colonial militia. It was considered a great victory, and significantly increased the moral and confidence of the colonials. -
The Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776, after much planning, writing, and revision in the Pennsylvania State House, A.K.A. Independence Hall, this document was founded; declaring the colonies as sovereign from The Kingdom of Great Britain. -
The Battle of Yorktown
On this day, The Battle of Yorktown began. This battle is perhaps the most important battle in the entirety of the Revolutionary War. The 17,000 French and Colonial troops fought about 9,000 British troops at Yorktown. French and Colonial troops surrounded and bombarded the British for days. The British then surrendered, essentially ending the land war within the colonies. Fighting would continue on the seas, but the land aspect of it was over indefinitely. -
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Constitutional Convention
Throughout this time period, the idea was to fix the existing government within the colonies. Instead, the Constitution was founded and a new government was created. -
The Cotton Gin
The cotton gin was patented by Eli Whitney, maximizing efficiency and overall effectiveness of removing seeds from cotton fiber, greatly speeding up the rate at which goods of that nature could be processed and sold. -
The Alien and Sedition Acts
These Acts consisted of four laws passed by the Congress as America prepared to go to war with France. These laws allowed the government to imprison or deport aliens considered as a threat to the safety of the United States. It also increased the residency requirement to be fourteen years (previously five) to become a citizen. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Colonies purchased this entire region from the French for approximately $15,000,000 USD (~$250,000,000 today). -
The War of 1812
With the British restricting trade and funding anti-American tribes in North America, the U.S. declared war on Great Britain. The war lasted for two years, and didn't amount to much (except for some territory gains for the U.S.), at which point the war was ended in 1814 after peace talks. -
The Missouri Compromise
Late in 1819, tensions were raising between pro-slave and anti-slave groups in the U.S.. Tensions were at an all-time high when Missouri requested to be a state in which slavery would be permitted in 1820. Congress allowed it but subsequently changed Maine to a free state and drew an imaginary line across Louisiana in which slavery would and wouldn't be permitted. -
Andrew Jackson's Election
On this day, Andrew Jackson became president over John Q. Adams who was running for re-election. -
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The Telegraph
Throughout the 1830s and 1840s, the telegraph was developed and essentially invented by Samuel Morse and other inventors. It revolutionized long-range communication and was used for a long time in many different ways. -
The Panic of 1837
The panic of 1837 was essentially a crisis in a financial sense that caused a recession that lasted until about 1840. Out of 850 banks in the U.S. at the time, 343 closed permanently and 62 failed partially. -
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The Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was a series of forced removals that required Native Americans to leave their ancestral homelands and live in areas deemed as Indian Territory. -
The Mexican-American War
The essence of this entire war was territory-gain for the United States. The U.S. fought for and took approximately 1/3 of the land from a militarily-unprepared Mexico. It lasted until February 2, 1848. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 consists of five laws that were passed to avert crisis between the Union states and the Confederate states. -
The Firing on Fort Sumter
Lasting just two days, 'The Firing on Fort Sumter' was an assault by the Confederacy on Fort Sumter, a Fort occupied by the U.S. Army. The U.S. Army was caught off guard, but returned fire nonetheless. After two days of relentless barraging, the U.S. Army surrendered, starting the American Civil War. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln three years into the Civil War, declaring that "all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free." Obviously, this statement was entirely dependent on a Union victory. -
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The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
These amendments are primarily known as the Civil War amendments. They were essentially written into law to protect the rights of slaves as humans and citizens under this country's rule of law as to be seen as equals in the eyes of it. -
Surrender at Appomattox
The Battle of Appomattox Court House was one of the last battles of the Civil War. On the morning of April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union Army. -
The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
As the Civil War was coming to a close after bitter, long and bloody years of fighting, Abraham Lincoln was attending a play at the Ford Theatre. John Wilkes Booth then came up behind Lincoln and shot him in the back of the head. Twelve days later, Wilkes Booth was killed by Union soldiers. -
Andrew Johnson's Impeachment
February 24 was the date at which the House of Representatives resolved to begin the impeachment process of Andrew Johnson due to high crimes and misdemeanors. This being significant in that it was the first ever U.S. President to be impeached. -
The Standard Oil Trust
In 1870, the Standard Oil Trust was founded by John D. Rockefeller and was the largest oil refinery in its time. It essentially streamlined streamlined production and logistics of oil and undercut competitors. It paved the way for the production and consumption of oil in the United States in its time and today. -
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Invention of the Telephone, Electric Light and Airplane
These inventions essentially forced the world to see the United States as a leader in technological innovations (although the telephone was invented by a Graham Bell, a Scot, these other inventions were basically all-American). These inventions and the people who invented them changed the course of history in ways more drastic than any of us may understand in our lives. Innovators in each field: Telephone: Graham Bell
Electric Light: Thomas Edison
Airplane: The Wright Brothers -
The Pullman & Homestead Strikes
The strikes occurred in Homestead, Pennsylvania at the Homestead Steel Works building. It was essentially a Steel Union strike and ended in a defeat for them and some general setbacks. Federal soldiers were even required to come in and end the strikes. -
The Spanish-American War
The Spanish-American War was only a four month involvement of the U.S. in the Cuban War of Independence. However, due to the recession that the U.S. had just recovered from, public opinion was very against starting a war that didn't seem explicitly necessary. -
Theodore Roosevelt Becomes President
Upon the assassination and death of the 25th President, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt became president. He was president for two terms, after which he left office on March 4, 1909.
