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Period: Oct 12, 1492 to
US History: VHS Summer: Katie Halpern
This timeline traces the history of the United States from 1492 to 1877. It covers 15 events and 5 ideas that relate to early America. Topics covered in this timeline range from the pre-colonial era of the Native American population to the after-math of the Civil War. -
First Attempt at Colonization
In 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed land in the New World for the Crown despite the fact that people from other countries had already settled in the area. When returning home, Sir Humphrey Gilbert was lost at sea. -
Quebec is founded
The Founding of QuebecIn 1608, Sameul de Champlain led a group of settlers up the St. Lawrence River. The French were colonizing parts of the New World around the time that the British were. The French and British had many imperialist wars, fighting over which country could get control of new territories. -
House of Burgessess
The Virginia House of Burgessess was the first popularly elected legislature in the New World. Its members would meet at least once a year with their royal governor to decide local laws and determine local taxation. -
The French and Indian War Begins
The French and Indian WarThe French and Indian War originally started as a dispute between the British and the French. Britain wanted to gain control of land in the Ohio River Valley, land that the French occupied. This land was very valuable, as it provided resources for the fur-trade as well as access to the Mississippi River. The British eventually gained control of the parts through clever and new military strategies. -
First Continental Congress
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress met on September 5, 1774. Every colony except for Georgia sent delegates. While everyone there had ideas to overcome Britain's control, not everyone had the same aims. Some wanted for there to be a resolution with Great Britian while others wanted complete seperation. -
Popular Sovereignty
Excerpt of Article about Popular SovereigntyContinental Congress urged colonies to create their own laws and rules through "popular sovereignty". Popular sovereignty is the idea that people are the highest authority. Many states put this idea into effect by giving less power to the governor and more to the assemblies (which represented the people directly as opposed to just one person). -
The Cotton Gin is Invented
The Cotton GinIn April of 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. The cotton gin allowed hours of tedious work to be cut down to a long-cost and faster alternative. This invention greatly shaped the culture and idealogy of the United States, especially the South. -
Jefferson Idealogy
Jefferson IdealogyJefferson Idealogy began when Thomas Jefferson took office. It revolved around the core ideas of majority vote, Agragian Democracy, and power to the people and the states. Jefferson Idealogy was a major factor in the United States, as Democratic-Republicans continued to lead in U.S. politics for years. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase
In April of 1803, Thomas Jefferson signed a treaty to purchase the Louisiana Territory from the French Empire. The land more than doubled the area of the United States. It also provided access to important areas such as the New Orleans port, full control of the Mississippi River, and areas west of the Appalachian Mountains. -
Jackson is Inaugurated
The Campaign and Inauguration of President Jackson
Jackson's inauguration was the start of the Jacksonian Era. It was a time of radical changes--both good and bad. These changes included the rise of the common man in politics, the formation of new political parties, and westward expansion. -
David Walker Publishes Appeal
David Walker
David Walker was an African American man born into freedom. He associated with black activists in the North and joined many institutions that opposed slavery and discrimination. In September of 1829, Walker published his appeal to slavery. He had many ways of smuggling the document to African Americans and anti-slavery activists throughout the country. -
Nat Turner and Followers Revolt
Nat Turner's RebellionNat Turner was a slave that won his freedom through a lottery. He reportedly had visions of God that led him to believe that they were signs to start a rebellion. In August of 1831, Turner and some of his friends/followers went to the home of a wealthy, white family and killed them all. By the end of the uprising, an estimated 75 white men, women, and children had been killed. -
Texans Declare Independence
Texan Declaration of Independence
Up until 1836, Texans were considered Mexicans, as Texas was still under Mexican rule. When Stephen Austin went to Texas seeking a compromise with the Mexican dictator, Santa Anna, he was thrown into prison for 18 months. This strained relationships between the two, and in 1835, war ensued. On March 2, 1836, Texas finally declared independence. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was possibly the most influential convention for women's rights. The leaders and organizors of the event were Lucrettia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The "Declaration of Sentiments" , which where the demanded terms of women's rights, was modeled after the Declaration of Independence. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850
Throughout the 1800s, various issues were developing in the United States, especially with westward expansion. Most of these issues revolved around determining whether or not to accept western states into the Union and if they should be free or slave holding. Henry Clay, known as the Great Compromiser, proposed his ideas in the Compromise of 1850--which was approved by Congress through individual bills. -
The Pottawatomie Creek Massacre
John Brown and the Pottawatomie Killings
John Brown, a settler of Kansas, was not a supporter of slavery in the least. In May of 1856, Brown and a few volunteers went into the pro-slavery town of Pottawatomie and killed 5 people. This was the start of warfare between the pro-slavery state of Missouri and the anti-slavery state of Kansas. -
South Carolina Becomes the First State to Secede from the Union
A Summary of the States that Seceded from the Union
The election of Abraham Lincoln as president was the final blow to the South. In December of 1860, a debate was held in Charlestown as to whether the state should secede from the Union. The result was unanimous--the state would secede. Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, and Alabama all followed shortly after. -
The Freedmen's Bureau Act is Passed
Freedmen's Bureau Acts
The Freedmen's Bureau Act, supported by Republicans, was created to protected the newly freed blacks. In 1866, the Act was passed through Congress to extend its life and widen its scope of responsabilities. President Johnson vetoed the bill, but outraged Republicans overturned his vote. It was the first time in history that a major piece of legislation was overturned. -
The Fourteenth Amendment is Passed
The Fourteenth Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment was a radical change to the Constitution. It prevented "states from abridging equality before the law." In other words, the law was not allowed to discriminate against a person because of their race. -
The Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad Finally Meet
The Golden Spike
The developement of railroads in the 1800s was a major contribution to the U.S. from the Industrial Revolution. The Central Pacific and the Union Pacific railroads worked through opposites parts of the country. The two railroads finally met in Promontory, Utah in 1869,
