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10,000 BCE
First Americans Enter North America
If the first Americans had never entered North America, we would not be here right now. -
Period: 1436 to 1506
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was a man who sailed across the ocean and claimed the "discovery" of America. In 1492, he voyaged across the ocean and found a new land. He claimed to have discovered this land, however there were already Native Americans living there. He took them as slaves and killed many of them to claim this new land. -
1492
Christopher Columbus Lands in North America
Christopher Columbus was a European explorer who sailed across the ocean in 1492 and claimed to discover America. However, he discovered that there were already people living on the new land, Native Americans. -
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Mercantilism
Mercantilism was a policy introduced to increase accumulation of gold and silver. It is mainly aimed gaining a large trade surplus, and it has evolved over time. There were debates over mercantilism, with supporters arguing that it created stronger economies. -
Jamestown
In 1607, the Virginia Company established a colony on the east bank of the Powhatan River. It was the first permanent English settlement in America and was the capital of Virginia for 83 years. -
Navigation Acts of 1651
The Navigation Acts of 1651 required that trade between England and the colonies be transported in English vessels or vessels belonging to the colonies. This resulted in the Anglo-Dutch War of 1652. -
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The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a movement that changed European philosophy, politics, and science. The "Enlightenment thinkers" did this by questioning the normal authority and welcoming the idea of change. Ideas were advanced such as liberty, progress, tolerance, constitutional government, and separation of church and state. This Enlightenment directly inspired American and French Revolutions. -
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Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was a president and founding father of the United States. He was also an author, scientist/inventor, and activist. He founded both the Philadelphia fire department and University of Pennsylvania. He was also the first United States Ambassador to France. Franklin died in April of 1790. -
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George Washington
George Washington was a president, general, and founding father of the United States. He was the original president, and he fought for freedom of speech. He is also sometimes referred to as the "father of the country". Washington died in December of 1799. -
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Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was a president and founding father of the United States. He wrote the Declaration of Independence and fought for freedom from Great Britain. He also organized the Democratic-Republican party along with James Madison. Jefferson died in 1826. -
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French and Indian War
When the French attempted to take over the Ohio river valley, a small militia from Virginia was sent to drive them out. Washington led this militia, and after firing the first shots at a scouting party, the war was started. The war ended for 7 years before Great Britain and France signed a treaty to end the war. -
Proclamation of 1763
After the French and Indian War, Great Britain issued a proclamation that restricted settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. American colonists were angry at this proclamation because they wanted to continue their westward expansion. -
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Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was an act that required special stamps for documents, cards, calendars, newspapers, and dice. This sparked protests from the colonies, so delegates from the colonies claimed that the Parliament could not do this. This caused the Stamp Act to be repealed. -
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Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was a soldier and president of the United States. While serving as president, he created the Jacksonian Democracy where he claimed to give more power to the people, however he was accused of abusing his powers. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate. He was also a wealthy slave-owner and planter. Jackson died in June of 1845. -
Boston Massacre
In 1768, British troops were stationed in Boston, and a few years later in 1770 a mob formed and harassed the British soldiers. The soldiers fired into the crowd, and they ended up killing 5 people and wounding others. -
Boston Tea Party
In 1773, people in Boston protested the Tea Act by boarding ships that were shipping tea and they threw the chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. This event sparked the American Revolution. -
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American Revolution
In the American Revolution, the colonies were arguing "no taxation without representation". After different protests, Massachusetts gained rights of self-government and caused the other colonies to rally behind them. This started a war that lasted for 8 years, and ended with the Americans winning their independence. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence claimed that the former thirteen colonies were no longer part of the British Nation, and they were a free and independent country. The Declaration was approved by congress on July 4th and then signed. -
United States Constitution Signed
After months of debate, the Constitutional Convention signed the United States Constitution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. -
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Dred Scott
Dred Scott was an American activist and slave. He went to court and sued for his freedom, and even though he lost the case he became free later on. Despite losing this legal battle, he made history and inspired others to abolish slavery. Dred Scott died in 1858. -
Louisiana Purchase
In 1803, the United States paid millions and millions of dollars to France in order to purchase the Louisiana territory from them. The territory contains Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, and portions of other states. -
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Westward Expansion
In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase began Westward Expansion of the United States. Americans migrated west in hopes of finding new and prosperous lands. Millions of people had migrated into new western lands by 1840. During Westward Expansion, the Native Americans were pushed out of their lands by the Indian Removal Act. -
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Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition began in 1804 when explorers named Lewis and Clark explored the Western portion of the United States. The purpose of this was to explore and report back to President Thomas Jefferson about possible new land to claim. -
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Lewis and Clark
Lewis and Clark were American explorers that explored towards the Pacific Coast in order to find more land to claim. Another purpose of their expedition was to study the new area's plants, wildlife, and geography, and also to attempt to trade with the inhabitants of that land. Their expedition began in 1804 and ended in 1806 when they returned to St. Louis to report back to Thomas Jefferson. -
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Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was a statesman, lawyer, and president of the United States. Lincoln led the Civil War and fought for the Union. He also fought to abolish slavery. Lincoln was a lawyer and he served in the Illinois House of Representatives. He also debated with Stephen A. Douglas during his run for president. Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth and died on April 15, 1865. -
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Manifest Destiny
During Manifest Destiny, Americans expanded across the United States and gained more land. The idea of Manifest Destiny was that the United States had a "God-given right" to expand westward and claim land even if there were already inhabitants living there. -
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Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist, writer, and statesman. He fought to end slavery and was a later in an abolition movement. He escaped from Maryland where he was a slave, and fled to the North where he became a very popular abolitionist. He wrote autobiographies, and remained an abolitionist even after the Civil War. Douglass died in February of 1895. -
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Jacksonian Democracy
The Jacksonian Democracy was when President Jackson largely influenced the United States. He claimed to give more government power to the people, and began a democracy. However, the government was accused of abusing their power even though they were claiming the people had more power. -
Election of 1828
In 1828, there was an election that was mainly between Andrew Jackson and John Adams. Jackson won both the electoral vote and the popular vote over Adams. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed in 1830 by President Jackson. This act removed the Native Americans and pushed them to new territory. During their move, the Trail of Tears was made when a large amount of the Native Americans died on their way to new land. -
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Abolitionist Movement
The Abolitionist Movement was a movement that had a goal to emancipate slaves and finally end slavery and segregation. Many activists and slaves fought for abolition of slavery and increased the movement in Northern churches and in politics. This event lead to the Civil War. -
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Mexican American War
James K. Polk asked to purchase land from Mexico, and when they refused he sent troops into the disputed territory. Mexican forces attacked these troops, which started a lot of battles in the Mexican American War. The war only lasted about 2 years before it ended with a treaty and the U.S. paying millions of dollars to Mexico. -
Compromise of 1850
In 1849, California attempted to enter the Union as a free state, which prompted Henry Clay to create resolutions that would stop a potential crisis. The Compromise of 1850 amended the Fugitive Slave Act and abolished the slave trade in D.C., and another act was passed that settled boundaries between Texas and New Mexico. -
Dred Scott Decision
In 1857, a slave named Dred Scott went to court to try to become free. His argument was that he had once been moved to a free state, therefore he could go back to that state and be free. While he lost the court case, he was eventually freed and this helped the fight against slavery. -
Election of 1860
In 1860, there was an election between Abraham Lincoln, John Breckenridge, John Bell, and Stephen Douglas. Lincoln won the election with a majority of the electoral vote and the popular vote. Lincoln remained president until he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. -
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Civil War
After a controversy between the North and South about slavery, after Southern slave states declared secession from the U.S. This started the war with the Northern free states named as the Union and the Southern slave states named as the Confederacy. The Union won the war after 4 years, and this ended slavery in the United States. -
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Era of Reform
The Era of Reform was an era of social activism and political reformation across the country. Some objectives of this era were to get rid of problems, and the movement also targeted politics. A democracy was being attempted by taking down the political machines and their bosses. There were also a lot of other things that were supported, such as prohibition of alcohol.