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Oct 11, 1492
Columbus Lands In the Americas
Christopher Columbus and his crew landed in the americas on the Santa Maria, accompanied by the Nina and the Pinta. on October 10th he told his crew if they didn't find land in two days they would turn around, and the next day, the Americas were discovered. -
Jamestown
Some of the first colonizers settled in Jamestown. Jamestown residents faced many hardships once in the town such as famine, disease, and attacks from hostile native Americans. -
Pilgrims Land
William Bradford, and his fellow pilgrims landed in the Americas destined to create the Plymouth colony. They carved the date on a large boulder, and that's where the term "Plymouth Rock" comes from. -
French/ Indian War
As France began to realize the potential for the new land, tensions between the french and Americas thickened due to arguments between money and land. A war was born. -
Lexington and Concord
Lexington and concord battles marked the beginning of the revolutionary war. The battle was fought between the Americans and the British, and was won by the US Militia who drove the British back to Boston. -
Declaration of Independence
The US have created a new colony and are being followed and taxed by the British. They decide to officially declare independence and succeed from the British union through a letter with the list of wrongs the kingdom has committed. -
Constitutional Convention
The convention took place at independence hall. What was the "government" at the time gathered at independence hall to make the articles of confederation, and amendments to past projects. -
Washington Presidency
George Washington was the first president of the United States of America. Even before becoming president he was a strong politician long before the ropes of government had been completely woven. He helped create the foundation for our modern day government. He retired from presidency in 1797. -
Jefferson Presidency
Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the united states. During his presidency he was questioned often because of his philosopher position pre presidency. He was anti-federalist, and had unique views in such a time. -
Louisiana Purchase
The US purchased what we know today as Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. This deal also included part of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, and Louisiana. -
Missouri Compromise
Passed by the 16th congress of the United States, The border ensures that Maine could remain a free state under one condition. Missouri would remain a slave state. -
Jackson Presidency
Andrew Jackson was the 7th president of the US, and dealt with many issues, Indian removal act being the most popular. He was president during the trail of tears which tragically wiped out and relocated nearly the entire Native American population. -
Mother Jones
After losing her whole family to a fire, Mary Harris Jones became not only a seamstress, but a labor rights activist. She witnessed large companies monopolizing industries, and children being forced to work in harsh conditions. She led a children's labor march which gained the attention of many news papers, and worked for the cause until death. -
Nat Turner Rebellion (Connection)
A slave named Nat Turner organized a rebellion against plantation owners, killing around 60 white slave owners. The event was picked up by the press and Turner was portrayed as a hero in the north, and a villain in the south. This further separated the north and the south through propaganda. -
Indian Removal Act
A direct result of the Trail of Tears. Most Native Americans died from sickness, exposure to cold or execution for misbehavior. Nearly 6,000 Cherokee native Americans died in the process. -
Wilmot Proviso (Connection)
If passed, the Proviso would outlaw slavery in territory acquired by the United States as a result of the war, which included most of the Southwest and ran all the way to California. The cause was fought about for 2 years. Its important because it prompted discussion of session. -
End Mexican War (Connection)
This posed a problem because new territories would be admitted as states, and would they be free or slave? To deal with this, Congress passed the Compromise of 1850, which impacts the war because it divided the North and the South into equally powerful and passionate sides. -
Compromise of 1850 (Connection)
Like the Compromise of 1820, but on steroids. Many more states were forced to make compromises concerning slavery and borders. This increased growing tensions between the North and the South. -
Fugitive Slave Act (Connection)
It was passed as part of the Compromise of 1850, and forced every federal official who did not arrest a runaway slave liable to pay a fine. This was the most debated part of the Compromise of 1850 and caused many northerners to increase their efforts against slavery. It also further increased tension leading up to the Civil War. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin (Connection)
Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote an enthralling biography detailing the horrid events slaves experienced daily. This writing disgusted southerners, and opened the eyes of the Northerners to how drastic things were in the south. This motivated Northerners even further to fight for racial justice. -
Bleeding Kansas (Connection)
Both the North and the South fled to Kansas, hoping to shift the slavery vote by population. The two sides struggled for five years with competitive fights that took fifty-six lives. Although both territories eventually ratified anti-slavery constitutions, the violence troubled the nation greatly. This was like a look into the future for the participants of the civil war. -
Dredd Scott vs Stanford
Dredd Scott was an educated man who grew up in the North, but when he took a trip to the south his freedom was questioned and he decided to do something about it. He made it all the way to supreme court, and lost his argument that even though a man can be born and raised in a slave free state, never to have been one himself, when he enters a southern state he is no longer a free man. -
John Browns Raid (Connection)
A small team of white allies and free blacks raided a government arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, lead by a man named John Brown. He hoped to steal weapons and distribute them to Southern slaves in order to inspire a number of slave uprisings. He surrounded and caught, tried, and after his execution, became a martyr in the North for the cause. In the South he was a tyrant. This kind of propaganda made going to war seem like a noble cause. -
Lincoln's Inauguration (Connection)
Arriving in a horse drawn carriage, Lincoln walked into one of the most famous presidencies only to find hundreds of protestors gathered to boycott his election. Abe's election infuriated the south, and put pressure on them to do something about it. Hmm, Maybe go to war? -
Attack on Fort Sumter
The confederacy only had two federal troops guarding the port, and the union closed in on the confederacy and captured with with fire. It took a major trading port out of the control of the south, and marked the beginning of the notorious American Civil War. -
Lincoln Presidency
Lincoln is one of the more well known presidents, and the first to be assassinated. During his time in office America's only civil war in history took place between the Confederacy (south) and the Union (north). The 13th amendment was also passed during his term. -
Fort Donelson (Connection)
The south possessed a valuable base on a river during the war which was over thrown by the union. The union attacked the fort, and took control from the Cumberland river. It was a turning point in the war because the Union was able to secure an important river base/ port. It's important because if they had not succeeded they may not have won. -
Dakota 38
38 Dakota Native American prisoners were led to be hung on a scaffold specially designed and made for their execution. About 4,000 people came to the streets of Mankato to watch the execution. Their bodies were removed 30 minutes later. two of the men hung didn't even commit a crime, and were hung by accident. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Created under Lincoln's rule, the proclamation further solidified freedom for slaves, as they were still treated unfairly and the south was a still a very racially unjust place. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Fires burned the Confederacy's territory, and total war was put into effect. This was one of the major achievements of the union for the entire war because of how deep Sherman the commander was into enemy territory. -
Surrender at Appomattox
The Union and The Confederacy came to an agreement, but the Union still technically “won”. A deal was made that the south would surrender to the army of Virginia, because they were surrounded. This marked the end to the civil war. -
Lincoln Assassination
Being the first president to die of assassination, Lincoln served during a crucial time in America's history. He remained strong through out the civil war, and was assassinated during a play by a man named John Wilkes Booth. -
Thirteenth Amendment Ratified
The ratification of the 13th amendment meant that slavery was no longer legal by the constitution. Although there was still segregation and racism, it was a big step in history. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Signed by president Chester Arthur, The act enabled the prohibition of all Chinese labor immigrants. As gold became harder to find, people became more competitive, and as a result the act was passed. -
Alice Paul
Paul was a strong supporter of woman's rights, and took a more physical approach to advocation for her goals. She lead many protests, and after being arrested had to be put in a straight jacket, and force fed during her hunger strike. -
Muckrakers
The muckrakers were the first to exploit the events of everyday life, and create investigative journalism during the industrial revolution/ Progressive era. with out these reporters there might not have been a "jungle" book, or health codes to todays standards, or at all. -
Sherman Antitrust Act
This Act, passed under the presidency of Benjamin Harrison, allowed federal agencies to investigate business activities and institute trusts. This helped to prevent monopoly. -
Plessy vs Ferguson
This court case was debated between Homer Plessy, and John Ferguson on the issue of racial segregation in public facilities. It pretty much allowed segregation in public places as long as the conditions were "equal", which is unquantifiable, and is knows as possibly the worst decision in US history. -
Spanish American War
As some fought to keep the peace many fought to go to war such as our future President Theodore Rosevelt. The war began when an alleged water grenade blew up a prized war ship off the coast of Spanish territory, and ended when the treaty of Paris was signed by the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Cuba. -
T. Roosevelt Presidency
After President McKinley was assassinated, Roosevelt being the vice president, took his place. He was a strong environmental advocate, and passed the Reclamation Act. He was also active in foreign Policy, and issued the Monroe Doctrine which declared the US the main military power in the western hemisphere. -
Panama Canal
Although the canal was not American made, it was bought what was made of it from the french for 10 million dollars. The canal would allow for easier, safer, and faster passage from sea to sea. A few years later the US bought the remaining equipment, and finished the canal. -
Wilson Presidency
Wilson was an active advocate for democracy, but as hard as he attempted to keep the US during WWI, and even received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts, however still remained strong through out the war. After the war he died of a stroke. -
WWI begins
dubbed "the war to end all wars", this war was no joke. The war began in Europe, but the US was officially involved when a military base in Hawaii called Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japanese war submarines. The US went to war with the Allies. -
Harlem Renaissance
This era was a bench marker in cultural history. It brought New music, fashion, and levels of among genders and races. Women began dressing as flappers, African Americans created jazz clubs where all could be accepted, and everyone flocked to these cities to experience the new. -
WWI Ends
The war lasted over 4 years, and millions were left dead or injured. The Allies took victory, however they punished Germany harshly causing harm to their economy and leaving them in great debt. This would eventually lead to another war. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was an agreement made between the Allie and Axis powers to end WWI. The treaty detailed that Germany would pay for almost all the reparations associated with the war, and take the burden of the brunt when it came to rebuilding. This infuriated Germany, and would later be a leading cause for WWII -
Eighteenth Amendment
Although it seemed like a good idea at the time, this amendment only lasted 13 years before it was repealed. It prohibited the selling of alcohol, but not the owning of it. As a result people bought as much as they could before the laws took effect, and partied hard after they did. -
Nineteenth Amendment
This amendment gave women the right to vote, but only after a lot of protesting and hard work. Women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul illegally voted, and protested, even going on hunger strikes until they had suffrage. Shortly after they convinced the public, the president could express his true feelings on the matter. -
Gitlow vs New York
Gitlow was charged with criminal anarchy for publishing an article in the New York Times called "Left Wing Manifesto". The first Amendment was used by his defense attorney, and the case made it all the way to Supreme Court. He lost the case, but was later pardoned. -
Stock Market Crash
Just one summer before the stock market was the highest its ever been. No one could've predicted Black Monday. This crash would eventually lead to a nation wide financial crisis known as the great depression.
