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American History
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The Townshend Revenue Act
British taxes on imports of tea, glass, lead, oil and paper into the colonies.
The announcement of these taxes caused rioting in Boston and the commissioning of more troops to the city. British trade eventually dried up because the colonists were not buying anything from Britain, and powerful merchants ended up speaking on behalf of the colonists. -
The Boston Massacre
A street fight between colonists and Redcoats, that ended in the immediate death of three men, with two more dying a few days later. This was the spark that caused the Revolutionary War. -
Beginning of First Continental Congress
Delegates from all the colonies except Georgia met at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia to discuss the rights of the colonists. The original intentions of the Congress weren't clear, but all the Representatives agreed that the King and Parliament were overstepping their power. At the end of the Congress, the representatives released a pact banning English goods until the Intolerable Acts were removed. -
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
The signing of the Declaration of Independence took place on August 2, 1776. It was officially finished on July 4, then copied and sent to the delegates of the Congress to be read. They reconvened on August 2 to sign the official document. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War. Its ten articles declared the colonies to be free from governing by Great Britain. It was signed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay from the colonies, and David Hartley from Britain. -
Constitution is Ratified
After nine states, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, and New Hampshire, approved the Constitution it is ratified and becomes law. -
Passing of the Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments of the United States Constitution, were adopted by the House of Representatives on August 21, 1789, but were not official amendments until December 15, 1791. The Bill of Rights gives us freedoms not explicitly stated in the Constitution, such as the freedoms of religion, speech, free press and free assembly. -
Election of George Washington
George Washington, the first president of the United States, was elected almost unanimously by the electors in 1789. John Adams became his vice president after receiving the second most electoral votes. -
Congress Moves to Philadelphia
The UnitedStates Congree moves from New York to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which was the capitol at the time. This meant that all the branches of the government were located in the same place. -
Election of John Adams
John Adams was the second elected President of the United States. This was important because it showed the America could make a peaceful transition of leaders. -
Washington D.C. Becomes Capitol
The United States Capitol is moved from Philadelphia to Washington D.C.. This is the chosen location because the city lies in both Virginia and Maryland, the North and the South. -
Ohio Becomes A State
Ohio, the 17th state admitted, was the first state west of the Appalachian Mountains. Its name comes from the Iroquois word for "Great River", which is appropriate because the southern border of Ohio is the Ohio River. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a sale between France and the United States, where President Thomas Jefferson bought 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million dollars. This allowed the country to expand, and also removed the immediate threat of France, because the borders were not as close now. -
The War of 1812
Fought between Great Britain and the United States, the War of 1812 was called "America's Second War of Independence. One of the main causes for the war was Great Britain’s attempt to restrict the trade of the US, along with America's desire to expand its territory. -
Battle of Lake Erie
During the War of 1812, nine United States Naval ships captured six British ships on Lake Erie. The American ships were led by Oliver Hazard Perry, and with this victory, the lake was kept in the power of America for the remainder of the war. -
British Troops Burn the White House
During the War of 1912, British troops ransacked and burned down the White House. This was done in retaliation of the burning of Canadian buildings in York, Ontario, Canada, by American troops. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was needed after Missouri requested to join the Union as a slave state. This would have caused there to be more slave states than Free states, which was an upsetting thought to many. To handle this, Congress decided to agree to Missouri’s request, and admit Maine as a free state. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indiand Removal Act was a piece of legislation from President Andrew Jackson to move all eastern Indians west of the Mississippi River. This was not only to allow the Americans to expand, but also because the Native Americans were still seen as savages and dangerous. -
Battle of the Alamo
On February 23, General Santa Anna, of Mexico, marched his army towards the Alamo, a former mission in Texas. It was believed by those fighting to defend it that whoever held the Alamo, held Texas. So for 13 days the men inside defended the Alamo with small firearms and cannons, shooting at the Mexicans. Although they lost, the Alamo is still seen around the world as a symbol of freedom. -
Invention of the Colt Revolver
The two most important impacts of the Colt Revolver was its ability to allow the expansion of the American west, because it allowed for better self-defense, as well as the introduction of the concept of a multi-shot firearm into the culture of America. -
Gold Discovered In California
The discovery of gold nuggets in the Sacramento Valley inspired many people to travel by sea and land to California in hoopes of becoming rich. Though not many people did find gold, there was a large increase in the population because of the Rush. -
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave from Missouri who was taken by his master to Illinios and Wisconsin, free territiories, and lived there for many years until his master returned to Missouri. After his master died, he went to court to fight for his freedom, because he had lived in a free state for so long. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where they decided that no African-American was a U.S. citizen, or ever had been. -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln's election was almost guaranteed, because the Democrats could not agree on a candidate. He received all the votes from free states, but none from slave states. It is believed his election was the spark that started the Civil War. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
Confederate troops stationed near Charleston Harbor began attacking Fort Sumter and the Union troops stationed there. This continued until 2:30 the next day, when the commander of the fort surrendered and the troops were evacuated. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was a document issued by Abraham Lincoln that was supposed to free all slaves in the Confederate States. While it didn’t actually free any slaves, it changed the fight from trying to keep the country whole to a fight for basic human rights.
