U.S. Business History By johns319 Period: Jan 1, 1600 to Dec 31, 1776 Atlantic World Trade Jan 1, 1720 South Sea Bubble Jan 1, 1750 Begininning of Industrial Revolution Period: Jan 1, 1760 to Jan 1, 1779 Trade Embargo with Great Britain Jul 4, 1776 U.S. Declares Independance form Great Britain Jan 1, 1781 First U.S. bank chartered Sep 11, 1789 Alexander Hamilton appointed first Secretary of the Treasury May 7, 1792 NYSE Created Jan 1, 1793 Eli Whitney invents the Cotton Gin Period: Jan 1, 1800 to Jan 1, 1865 Plantation Economy Jan 1, 1801 Development of the Steam Engine Jan 1, 1808 Slave Trade becomes illegal Jan 1, 1865 Slavery Abolished Jan 1, 1890 U.S. become world's leading manufacturer Jan 1, 1893 Panic of 1893 Jan 1, 1913 Federal Reserve is formed Jan 1, 1913 Ford Introduces the Assembly Line Jan 1, 1914 Panama Canal Opens Period: Jan 1, 1914 to Nov 11, 1918 WWI Oct 24, 1929 Stock Market Crash Period: Oct 24, 1929 to Jan 1, 1941 Great Depression Period: Jan 1, 1939 to Aug 14, 1945 World War II Jun 22, 1944 President Roosevelt signs the GI Bill Jan 1, 1946 Post WWII Consumerism Jan 1, 1970 Wage Stagnation Begins Jan 1, 1989 Berlin Wall Falls