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1492
The Discovery of America by Columbus
Columbus stumbled upon the Americas in 1492 with a fleet of three ships, The Nina, The Pinta, and The Santa Maria. -
The Settlement of Jamestown
In Virginia, a group of around 100 settlers in what was known as The Virginia Company created the first settlement in North America. This was known as Jamestown. -
The French and Indian War
Also known as the Seven Years War, the French and Indian war started in 1756 and started a long standing strife between British and French colonies. This war anded in 1763 -
The Boston Tea Party
In response to increasing taxes on American Colonies from the British homeland, the group The Sons of Liberty dressed as Mohawk Indians and threw 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
These were the first two battles of the Revolutionary War, between British Soldiers and Militia men. -
The Declaration of Independence
This was the formal document drafted by American Colonists which stated their true intentions and hold the foundational ideas of the American Revolution -
The Battle of Yorktown
The last on land battle of the war. -
The Constitutional Convention
This was a convention held in Philadelphia to create and improve a new American government -
The Invention of the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which revolutionized the cotton industry. It allowed slaves to process cotton quickly and created an expansion in the slave industry even as the anti-slavery movement took hold. -
The Alien and Sedition Acts
These acts were created under John Adams in order to prepare the US for war, they made changes to imagration laws, and residential law. -
The Louisiana Purchase
One of the largest purchases in US history, America bought much of the now mid-west from the French. -
The War of 1812
The United States took on Great Britain. This is also known as the "second war of independence." -
The Missouri Compromise
As tensions rose between slave and non-slave states, Missouri was added to the United States as a slave state, but in compromise, Maine was added as a free state. It also drew a border between free and slave states dividing the country in half. -
Andrew Jacksons Election
This was a very close election and even went to recount. -
The Trail of Tears
In the 1830's white settlers forced thousands of Native Americans to walk from the homeland to Indian Territory, many died in the process. -
The Panic of 1837
This was a financial crisis in the US where the economy dropped signifigantly. -
The Invention of the Telegraph
The telegraph allowed for simple, instant long-distance communication for the first time ever. -
The Mexican American War
The first US war fought mainly on foreign soil, the US defeated Mexico and took nearly 1/3 of its land. -
The Compromise of 1850
In an effort to resolve feuds between the north and the south, things such as the fugitive slave act, and slave trade in Washington DC were abolished. -
The Firing on Fort Sumter
Known for being the first of any gunfire in the Civil War, Fort Sumter was a military base off of the coast of South Carolina. -
The Emancipation Proclomation
As president Lincoln decided that emancipation was the correct path both morally and strategically, he proclaimed that all slaves will be free, creating a turning point in the war. -
The Surrender at the Appomattox Court House
General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army at the Appomattox Court House. -
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was shot in the back of the head and died the next day. -
13th, 14th, and 15th amendments
These "civil war amendments," ensured equality for slaves. -
The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the first president to be impeached. -
The Organization of the Standard Oil Trust
This trust was designed so no oil companies could own stock in one another. -
The Homestead and Pullman Strikes
These Strikes occured between employees and their companies. -
The Spanish American War
A war between Spain and America which led to both Spanish Colonial Rule in South America, and US territories in South America and the Pacific Ocean. -
Theodor Roosevelt becomes President
On the assassination of William Mckinley, Roosevelt took office to become the 26th president of the United States. -
The invention of the electric light, telephone, and airplane.
Three separate inventions, but all led the way into the America we know today.
