U.S. History timeline

  • 1492

    Columbus journeys to the Americas

    Columbus journeys to the Americas
    Columbus sailed to the Americas to find a passageway to India and China. Europe was able to colonize the New World because of this "discovery".
  • Jamestown founded

    Jamestown founded
    Jamestown was an English settlement in Virginia, and it was the first successful settlement in America by the the British. With the founding of Jamestown, tobacco started to be sold, which made a supported Jamestown, allowing for other colonies in America to be made.
  • Pilgrims sail to Plymouth

    Pilgrims sail to Plymouth
    Plymouth was an English colony that was made in Massachusetts and was the first permanent colony of Massachusetts. It
  • French and Indian War

    French and Indian War
    The French wanted to keep the Ohio River Valley but the B wanted the trade route so they fought for it. The British ended up winning and took all the land.
  • Albany Plan of Union

    Albany Plan of Union
    Benjamin Franklin said during the French and Indian war to "join or die" and created a plan for the colonies to unit as one government. The colonies ended up rejected his offer.
  • Treaty of Paris 1763

    Treaty of Paris 1763
    The 1763 Treaty of Paris was the treaty that the French signed that ended the 7 Years War. It ended salutary neglect because the king would now pay attention to the colonies, and it gave the English much land.
  • Proclamation of 1763

    Proclamation of 1763
    The king of England did not let the colonies colonize past the Appalachian Mountains. This limited some colonies, but others protested and did not follow the proclamation.
  • The Stamp Act

    The Stamp Act
    The Stamp Act was when British taxed the colonies on paper products in order to defray their debt. It gave British money and caused widespread outrage and resistance between the colonies.
  • The Quartering Act

    The Quartering Act
    The Quartering Act was when British required the colonies to provide soldiers with housing and supplies. It gave some soldiers a place to live, but in some protests colonies like New York, the people would not provide any housing or any supplies.
  • The Townshend Act

    The Townshend Act
    The Townshend Act was when British imposed import duties for the colonies on various goods like candles, glass, paint, paper, and tea. This made colonists who believed it was an attempt to establish British control angry, and caused many protests and boycotts.
  • The Boston Massacre

    The Boston Massacre
    The Boston Massacre was a tragic event in which the colonies and British troops act violently between each other due to misunderstanding. It was a signal event leading to the revolutionary war.
  • Tea Act of 1773

    Tea Act of 1773
    The Tea Act of 1773 was when the British government made tea cheaper for the colonies because they removed taxations. It stoped people from smuggling tea because it was cheaper than the tea that was smuggled.
  • Boston Tea Party

    Boston Tea Party
    The Boston Tea Party was when resistant colonists dumped around 1,000,000 British pounds worth of tea into a harbor. This event was important because after it occurred the colonists were punished with the Intolerable Acts.
  • Intolerable Acts

    Intolerable Acts
    The Intolerable Acts were four laws passed to gain control of the colonists. The Boston Port Act closed the Port of Boston, making colonists pay for the destroyed tea, the Massachusetts Government act banned colonists from holding town meetings or governing themselves, the Quartering Act forced colonists to pay for soldiers housing, and Administration of Justice Act made only British juries allowed to decide if a Brit is guilty or not.
  • First Continental Congress

    First Continental Congress
    The First Continental Congress was made by the colonists to avoid war with the British king. This was when the colonists decided to be patient and reason with the king, but the king dismissed it.
  • Second Continental Congress

    Second Continental Congress
    The Second Continental Congress created a continental army and named George Washington as the patriots commander. It showed that colonists wanted independence and were prepared for war.
  • Olive Branch Petition

    Olive Branch Petition
    The Olive Branch Petition occurred after the Concord and Lexington war, and it was an attempt to avoid war with Britain. This petition showed that colonists did not want war, and knew it would be harmful for them, but the king rejected their offer.
  • Period: to

    American Revolution (Bunker Hill to Yorktown)

    Bunker hill fought was the starting point of the revolution, and was a British victory. Trenton was fought to stun the British, and was an American victory. Saratoga was fought to isolate New England from the rest of America. With the French on Americas side, this battle was an American victory. Brandywine was fought to protect Philadelphia, which ended up being took over by the British. Yorktown was fought as a finally in gaining independence, which ended in an American victory.
  • Common Sense by Thomas Paine

    Common Sense by Thomas Paine
    The Common Sense was when Thomas Paine declared that independence was logical and that the Americans had to stand up for themselves. It was important because it provoked the Revolutionary War in happening.
  • Declaration of Independence

    Declaration of Independence
    The Declaration of Independence was a document from the colonists showing the British that they are an independent country. This paper showed the British the colonists motives in becoming their own country.
  • Treaty of Paris

    Treaty of Paris
    The Treaty of Paris was a formal peace treaty between the British and Americans. It gave Americans double the land that they originally had, and most importantly, ended the American Revolutionary war.
  • Shay's Rebellion

    Shay's Rebellion
    Shay's Rebellion was violent series of attacks made on courthouses and other government properties which was done because farmers faced harsh economic challenges. It proved the weakness of the government under the Articles of Confederation.
  • Congress ratifies the U.S. Constitution

    Congress ratifies the U.S. Constitution
    This event was when Congress passed the Constitution to be the new form of government in the U.S. The Constitution altered numerous laws and completely changed how the U.S. government works. The ratification of our Constitution has had a long lasting effect, as it is still used for our government system.
  • Whiskey Rebellion

    Whiskey Rebellion
  • XYZ Affair

    XYZ Affair
  • War of 1812

    War of 1812
    The War of 1812 was a war between the British and Americans that happened mostly because of the impressment on American soldiers. This war made America realize that they had to be self sufficient with their economy. It also helped separate American from Britain.