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1492
The Discovery of America by Columbus
Columbus was trying to find an alternote route to Asia from Europe when he happened to run into America instead. -
The Settlement of Jamestown
Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America. It was picked because it was surrounded by water on three sides, was far inland, the water was deep enough, and wasn't inhabited by the Native population. -
French and Indian War
Ended 1763; The French and Indian War happened because the French and British both wanted to extend their influence in frontier regions. -
The Boston Tea Party
The British imposed taxes on tea and Boston patriots protested by sneaking onto three Britsh ships and throwing 342 containers of tea into the Boston harbor. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
These battles signaled the start of the American Revolutionary War. It started when the British Army headed out to capture rebel leaders and to destroy the Americans storage of weapons and ammunition. -
The Declaration of Independence
The formal statement declaring the independence of the thirteen American colonies from Britain written by Thomas Jefferson. -
The Battle of Yorktown
Yorktown was a British base that George Washington surrounded with the help of Continental and French troops. The British surrendered after three weeks of non-stop bombardment. This battle was the last one in the Revolutionary War. -
The Constitutional Convention
A politcal conference attended by state representatives who framed the constitution of the United States. -
The invention of the cotton gin
Eli Witney applied for a patent on this date. This machine speeded up the process of removing seeds from the cotton fiber which increased the amount of cotton that was produced. -
The Alien and Sedition Acts
Laws that included new powers to deport foreigners and made it harder for new immigrants to vote. -
Louisiana Purchase
When the U.S. bought Louisiana from France. It was important because it gave the U.S. control of the Missippi river and New Orleans, which both allowed farmers to ship their crops. -
The War of 1812
Ended February 18, 1815. It began over British violations of American shipping rights. -
The Missouri Compromise
In 1819, Missouri requested to be a slave state. At the time there was an even number of slave and free states. So in order to keep it even, Congress granted Missouri's request but changed Maine to a free state. -
Andrew Jackson's Election
ended on December 2, 1828. He first ran for office in 1824 but, didn't win. When he ran for the second time, he won. He was in office from March 4, 1829 to March 4, 1837. -
The Panic of 1837
Ended in 1843. With changes of the banking system made by Andrew Jackson that dried up credit, there was a crisis because of the financial and economic conditions in the United States. -
The Trail of Tears
Ended in 1839. As part of the Indian removal policy, the Cherokee people were forced to give up land in the east and had to move to an area near present-day Oklamona. The Cherokee people called the journey 'The Trail of Tears' because of the horrible effects. -
The invention of the telegraph
The telegraph revolutionized long-distance communication. It laid the groundwork for later technology, like the internet and telephone. -
Mexican- American War
Ended February 2, 1848. The Mexican- American War was the first U.S. armed conflict fought mostly on foreign soil. Mexico lost present-day Utah, California, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was an attempt to smooth out the conflict between the slave states and free states regarding the status of territories gained in the Mexico-American War. It allowed California to be a free state and the admission of New Mexico and Utah was to be left up to be decided by the people. -
The Firing of Fort Sumter
Ended April 13, 1861. The Firing of Fort Sumter was the first battle in the Civil War. The Confederates won this battle. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
A proclamation from Abraham Lincon that said that on January 1, 1863 all slaves in the rebelious states, would be free. It didn't end up freeing any slaves, but was an important turning point in the war. It changed the purpose of the war from perserving the nation to human freedom. -
The Organization of Standard Oil Trust
The Standard Oil Trust was formed in 1863 by John D. Rockefeller. In 1868 it was the largest oil refinery firm in the world. In 1870, Rockefeller decided to buy out all competition to make one large company after they changed the name to Standard Oil Company. -
13th, 14th, 15th Amendments
The 13th amendment abolished slavery in 1865. The 14th amendment, 1868, defines national citizenship and forbids states to restrict the basic rights of people. The 15th amendment allowed African American men to vote in 1870. -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to General Grant in the village of Appomattox Courthouse, ending the Civil war. -
Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination
John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor, and Confederate sympathizer, assassinated Lincoln at Ford's theather in Washington, D.C. -
Andrew Johnson's Impeachment
Andrew Johnson was the first U.S. president to be impeached. There were 11 articles of impeachment against him. -
The invention of the telephone
The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. This invention is still used today and has impacted our society in many ways. -
The invention of the electric light
Thomas Edison is often credited with inventing the first light bulb. This is because he invented one that was made out of a different material, a higher vaccum than others, and it had a higher resitance. -
The Pullman and Homestead Strikes
Ended on July 6, 1892. The Pullman and Homestead Strikes were a industrial lockout and strike. -
The Spanish- American War
Ended August 13, 1898. A conflict between the U.S. and Spain that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in U.S. acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin Ameria. -
Theodore Roosevelt becomes president
Theodore Roosevelt was the vice president for six months and became president when President McKinley got assassianted on September 6, 1901. -
The invention of the airplane
Wilbur and Orville Wright acheived the first powered, sustained and controlled airplane flight.