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Oct 12, 1492
The Discovery of America by Columbus
Christopher Columbus did not 'discover' the Americas, but instead arrived there and made it known for the Europeans. -
The Settlement of Jamestown
The Virginia Company of England made a daring proposition: sail to a new mysterious land and begin a settlement. They established Jamestown, Virginia, on May 14, 1607, the first permanent British settlement in North America. -
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The French and Indian War
It took more lives than the American Revolution, involved people on three continents, including the Caribbean. The war was the product of an imperial struggle, a clash between the French and English over colonial territory and wealth. The war can also be seen as a product of the localized rivalry between British and French colonists. -
The Boston Tea Party
A group of Boston patriots boarded three English Ships, the Bedford, Beaver and Dartmouth. They threw the tea aboard into Boston Harbour. These patriots were disguised as Mohawk Indians and, in order to gain access to the ships, armed themselves with hatchets and axes. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
The first battle of the America Revolutionary War is about to began. 700 hundred British soldiers marching to Lexington, they are on their way to Concord to consfigate hidden weapons. They run into untrained militia. Dozens on each side fought and died, but surprisingly, the ragtag team have defeated the British. -
The Declaration of Independence
A five man committee, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin had a task to draft a formal statement of the colonies' intentions. -
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Battle of Yorktown
General George Washington, commanding a force of 17,000 French and Continental troops, begins the siege known as the Battle of Yorktown against British General Lord Charles Cornwallis. By September 28, Washington had completely encircled Cornwallis and Yorktown with the combined forces of Continental and French troops. After three weeks of non-stop bombardment, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington in the field at Yorktown on October 19, effectively ending the War for Independence. -
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The Constitutional Convention
After numerous failed attempts at creating a government, a 1787 convention is called to draft a new legal system for the United States. This new Constitution provides for federal authority while still protecting the basic rights of its citizens. It was signed on September 17, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. -
The 13th, 14th, 15th Amendment
Also known as the Civil War Amendments, they were made to ensure equality for slaves.
The 13th amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. The 14th amendment defined what it means to be a US citizen. The 15th amendment gave all men the right to vote regardless of race or color or whether they had been slaves. -
The Invention of the Cotton Gin
In 1794, Eli Whitney was a Us-born inventor who made the cotton gin, a machine that revolutionized the production of cotton by separating the seeds. -
The Alien and Sedition
The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed down by Congress in 1798 in preparation for an anticipated war with France. These laws included new powers to DEPORT foreigners as well as making it harder for new IMMIGRANTS to vote. -
The Louisiana Purchase
When Thomas Jefferson became president, he wanted to take possession of the New Orleans, it's prime location at the mouth of Mississippi river. It was ideal for American farmers to transport goods to markets. Jefferson's offerED the French 2mil, but declined. In 1803 he raised it up to 15mil, and bought 828,000 worth of land. -
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The War of 1812
James Madison asked Congress to declare war against the British empire. During the war, both sides suffered many losses and even the White House was burned down. The Treaty of Ghent was finally signed on December 24, 1814, and the war was officially over when the treaty was ratified on February 18, 1815. -
The Missouri Compromise
Missouri wanted to join the Union and become one of a slave state. Congress granted Missouri's request but also admitting Maine as a free state to balance it out. -
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Andrew Jackson's Election
John Quincy Adams had a rematch with Andrew Jackson. It had become obvious that Jackson won the election in a landslide. -
The Invention of the Electric Light, Telephone, and Airplane
The Wright brothers were two Americans who built and invented the airplane. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Thomas Edison invented the Electric Light bulb. -
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The Invention of the Telegraph
Samuel Morse and other inventors in the 1830s and 1840s developed the telegraph. It revolutionized long-distance communication.In 1844, Samuel sent out his first telegraph message from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, Maryland. By 1866, a telegraph line had been laid across the Atlantic Ocean from the U.S. to Europe. -
The Panic of 1837
Also known as the Long Depression, it was a financial crisis that triggered a depression that lasted for six years. It led to economic hardships, civil unrest, and protests. -
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The Trail of Tears
Nearly 125,000 Native Americans lived on millions of acres of land in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, and Florida in the 1830s. White settlers wanted to grow cotton on the Indian's land, the Federal Gov. forced them to leave. They walked thousands of miles away from their homes to a specially designated "Indian Territory" across the Mississippi River, known as the Trail of Tears. -
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The Mexican-American War
In the 1840s, America was a young country and was hungry to expand. James believed in manifest destiny, meaning to expand westward. James offered 30mil to the Mexicans, but refused to sell. After two years of fighting, Mexico was defeated. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise consisted a series of bills passed mainly to address issues related to slavery. There are only 5 bills, one was about the emission of California as a free state, another was about the organization south west territories, New Mexico, and Utah without regard to slavery, 3rd one was about the adjustment to the border, 4th one was elimination of slave trade, 5th was fugitive slave law. -
The Firing on Fort Sumert
Fort Sumter is most famous for being the site of the first shots of the American Civil War. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
That as of Jan. 1st, 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation declared that all slabes in the states in the rebellion will be forever freed. While the Emancipation Proclamation did not free a single slave, it was a major turning point during war. -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
General Robert E. Lee surrender to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865. The Confederates were low on supplies, many soldiers were deserting, and were greatly outnumbered. General Lee had no choice but to surrender. -
Abraham Lincoln's Assassination
John Wilkes Booth fired one bullet into the back of Lincoln's head on April 14, 1865. They were inside of the Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. Abraham died the very next day. -
Andrew Johnsons Impeachment
The House voted Johnson, the first president to be impeached. They wanted to impeach the president for high crimes and misdemeanors. -
The Pullman and Homestead Strikes
The Homestead Steel works was located southeast of Pittsburgh. It was an important Segment of Andrew Carngie's Empire. The Pullman Strike was a nationwide railroad strike in the United States on May 11, 1894, and a turning point for US labor law. -
Theodore Roosevelt Becomes President
Theodore becomes president on Sept. 14, 1901. He ended his presidency career on March 4, 1909. With the assassination of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, not quite 43, became the youngest President in the Nation's history.
