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Period: 1492 to
1492-1877
The years 1492-1877 were arguably incredibly formative in the United States' History. From 1492, when Columbus discovered the sea route to America, to 1877, the end of the Reconstruction Era, these dates encompass a large amount of development of the U.S and its impact on the wider world. -
Landing at Jamestown
In 1607, Englishmen arrived in North America to start a settlement. The settlement, named after their king, became the first permanent English settlement in North America. -
The First Thanksgiving
The First Thanksgiving marked an instance of smooth relations between the colonists of Plymouth and their neighboring Native Americans. The pilgrims ate alongside Massasoit, the chief of the nearby Wampanoags, and about 90 other Native Americans. -
Michel-Guillaume de Crèvecoeur comes to America
Michel-Guillaume de Crèvecoeur was a French-American author whose work painted a broad picture of life in the New World, with specific observations on the incredible diversity in the American colonies.
Sources:
https://www.ushistory.org/us/7f.asp
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michel-Guillaume-Saint-Jean-de-Crevecoeur -
The Boston Tea Party
The Thirteen Colonies had been established, and Americans were resisting British control. Tensions were high, and American colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor as a result of their "taxation without representation". This marked the first attempt of the colonists to rebel against Britain. -
Daniel Boone settles Kentucky
In the fall of 1767, Boone made a brief trip through the Cumberland Gap to Kentucky. On May 1, 1769, he went back to Kentucky on a more extended trip, helping to open a trail for future pioneers. Later, he returned to Kentucky after facing Native American resistance and founded the colony of Boonsborough.
Source:
https://www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion/daniel-boone -
Independence Day
In a culmination of the colonist's efforts, they'd finally gained independence from Britain. On July 4th, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming the colonies' separation from Great Britain. -
Ratification of the Constitution
On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify the Constitution and it became the foundation of the United States government.
Sources:
https://www.ushistory.org/us/16.asp
https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/blog/the-day-the-constitution-was-ratified#:~:text=On%20June%2021%2C%201788%2C%20the,13%20states%20to%20ratify%20it. -
George Washington is Elected President
The presidential election of 1788–1789 was the first election of a federal head of state or government in United States history. Under the newly made U.S. Constitution, George Washington was elected by the Electoral College. Sources:
https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/presidential-election-of-1789/
https://www.ushistory.org/us/17.asp -
Expedition of Lewis and Clark
After Jefferson acquired the Louisiana Purchase, a group of 50 Americans led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark started on their famous expedition. They were tasked with trying to find a route across the continent along with exploring and taking notes on the geography of the new territory. Source: https://www.ushistory.org/us/21b.asp -
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a conflict between America and Great Britain and their allies. It was caused by many things, mainly British attempts to restrict U.S. trade and America's desire to expand its territory. The British were ultimately defeated in what is sometimes thought of as a "second war of independence." Sources: https://www.ushistory.org/us/21.asp
https://www.history.com/topics/war-of-1812/war-of-1812 -
The Missouri Compromise
As the tensions between slave and free states mounted, Congress made an effort to preserve the balance of power between those states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. This was significant because it helped to reduce tensions between the North and the South and delayed the Civil War.
Sources:
https://guides.loc.gov/missouri-compromise
https://www.ushistory.org/us/23c.asp -
The Election of 1824
John Quincy Adams won the election over Andrew Jackson in 1824 by accumulating more electoral votes through the House of Representatives, although Jackson initially gained more popular and electoral votes. The 1824 election signifies a watershed in American politics - the final collapse of the Republican-Federalist political structure.
Sources:
https://edsitement.neh.gov/curricula/presidential-election-1824-election-house
https://www.ushistory.org/us/23d.asp -
Nat Turner's Slave Revolt
Nat Turner, who claimed to have religious visions, organized a rebellion that involved around 70 slaves and went from plantation to plantation and murdered a number of white people. Consequences of this revolt included the hanging of Turner and 18 of his supporters and the increase of slave codes and patrols.
Sources:
https://www.ushistory.org/us/27e.asp
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/nat-turner -
The Mexican-American War
When the war started against Mexico in May 1846, the United States Army garnered 60,000 volunteers joined their ranks, bolstering their military force. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo formally concluded the war. The United States acquired the disputed Texan territory that caused the war and New Mexico territory and California. 15$ million was issued to both Mexico and France by the U.S.
Source:
https://www.ushistory.org/us/29d.asp -
Fugitive Slave Act is Passed
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed by Congress in 1850 and dictated that slaves be returned to their holders, whether they were free or not. It also made the government responsible for finding, returning, and trying escaped slaves. However, this was highly controversial and only increased the growing tensions between the North and South.
Sources:
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/fugitive-slave-act
https://www.ushistory.org/us/28d.asp -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 attempted to settle disputes over slavery in new territories added to the United States after the Mexican-American War. It deemed California a free state, let Utah and New Mexico decide whether to be a slave or free state, defined the Texas-New Mexico boundary, and enabled slave owners to reclaim runways under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
Sources:
https://www.history.com/topics/abolitionist-movement/compromise-of-1850
https://www.ushistory.org/us/30d.asp -
The Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed slavery in the remainder of the original areas of the Louisiana Purchase, created two new territories, and allowed for popular sovereignty. It was also the catalyst for an uprising known as “Bleeding Kansas,” as slavery advocates and abolitionists flooded into the regions to sway the vote. Sources:
https://www.ushistory.org/us/31a.asp
https://www.cop.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Kansas_Nebraska_Act.htm -
The Election of 1860
The election of 1860 was one of the most significant presidential elections in American history. Lincoln emerged victorious over Stephen Douglas and John Bell. He became the 16th President of the United States during the Civil War (1861-1865). Shortly after the election, South Carolina seceded from the Union, exacerbating the tension between the North and South. Sources:
https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/election-of-1860
https://www.ushistory.org/us/32d.asp -
Congressional Elections of 1866
These elections brought the "radical" Republicans into power. They won overwhelming majorities in both the House and Senate, putting them in a position to override any veto by President Andrew Johnson easily.
Sources:
https://www.ushistory.org/us/35.asp
https://history.house.gov/Congressional-Overview/Profiles/40th/ -
Military Reconstruction Acts of 1867
The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 began the period known as Radical Reconstruction. A portion of these Acts were the Military Reconstruction Acts of 1867, which separated the South into five military districts and detailed how the new governments would be designed until adequate state constitutions could be written and approved by Congress.
Sources:
https://www.facinghistory.org/reconstruction-era/reconstruction-acts-1867
https://www.ushistory.org/us/35.asp
