US History Timeline By calebbaker1 Oct 12, 1492 Discovery of America by Columbus Period: Oct 12, 1492 to Aug 25, 1914 us history May 4, 1607 Founding of James town May 1, 1754 French and Indien war exact day unknown Dec 16, 1773 Boston tea party Apr 19, 1775 Battle of Lexington and Concord Jul 4, 1776 Declaration of Independance Sep 28, 1781 Battle of Yorktown May 25, 1787 Constitutional Convention Jan 1, 1791 The alien and sedition acts Actual dates unknown Mar 14, 1794 Invention of the Cotton Gin Jul 4, 1803 The Louisiana Purchase Jun 18, 1812 The War of 1812 Jan 1, 1820 The Missouri Compromise Dec 2, 1828 Andrew Jacksons Election Jan 1, 1830 The Trail Of Tears this act went through the 1850s Jan 1, 1837 Invention of the Telegraph exact date unknown May 10, 1837 the Panic Of 1837 this lasted into the 1840s Apr 1, 1846 The Mexican American War this date is an estimation Jan 29, 1850 The Missouri compromise Apr 12, 1861 The firing on Fort Sumter Jan 1, 1863 The Emancipation Proclamation Jan 1, 1865 13th amandment Apr 9, 1865 Surrender at Appomattox court house Apr 15, 1865 Abraham Lincolns Assasonation Jan 1, 1868 14th amendment Feb 24, 1868 Andrew Johnson impeachment Jan 1, 1870 15th amendment Aug 5, 1882 Standard Oil Trust Jan 1, 1892 Homestead strike Jan 1, 1894 Pullman strike Jan 1, 1898 Spanish American war Sep 14, 1901 Theodore Roosevelt becomes president