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The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a conflict between Great Britain and France along with their Indian allies over land and trade rights in North America. The war ended with a British victory. This event is important because it led to the American Revolution. -
Proclamation of 1763
This proclamation created an imaginary line along the Appalachian mountains that prohibited Europeans from settling beyond that line. This declaration is important because it became a foundation of Native American law in the United States. -
First Continental Congress
A convention held in Philadelphia and attended by delegates from 12 of the colonies to discuss a response to the Intolerable Acts passed by the British. This event is important because it layed the ground work for the Declaration of Independence. -
Second Continental Congress
A convention held in Philadelphia and attended by delegates from all 13 colonies. It succeeded the First Continental Congress. It is important because it managed the Colonial War effort and moved toward independence. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was mainly written by Thomas Jefferson with help from Adams and Franklin. It was signed in Philadelphia where the Second Continental Congress met. It states the reasons the British colonies of North America sought independence in July of 1776. It is important because it contains the goals of our nation, the complaints of the colonists against the British king, and the arguments the colonists used to explain why they wanted to be free of British rule. -
Articles of Confederation
A written document created in Pennsylvania among the 13 colonies that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain. This document was important because it served as the first constitution of the United States of America. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the U.S. war for independence. It was signed in Paris by representatives of King George III of Great Britain and representatives of the U.S.A. On September 3, 1793. It was important because it recognized U.S. independence and granted the U.S. significant western territory. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was a gathering of the state's delegates in Philadelphia to design a government with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It was important because the convention restructured the government and went on to produce a new, stronger plan of government as the U.S. constitution. -
The War of 1812
This war was a conflict fought between the United States and Great Britain. In 1812, congress declared war in an attempt to stop the British from seizing American merchant ships trading with France. Both sides agreed to stop fighting and sign a peace treaty. It is important because it proved the stability of the country's republican form of government. -
Monroe Doctrine
In this declaration the U.S. asserted that the monarchies of Europe had no business meddling with American republics. The U.S. promised to stay out of European affairs. It is important because it had a long lasting impact on the foreign policy of the United States. -
Indian Removal Act
Southern voters expected Jackson to help them remove the 60,000 Native Americans living in the region. The Indian Removal Act sought to negotiate the peaceful exchange of Indian lands in the south for new lands in Indian territory. It is important because it led to the Trail of Tears. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
By September 1847, U.S. forces had captured Mexico City which forced the Mexicans to sign this treaty. This gave the U.S. possession of New Mexico and California for the price of $18 million and secured the Rio Grande as the southern boundary of Texas. This treaty is important because it added an additional 525,000 square miles to U.S. territory. -
Seneca Falls Convention
This convention attracted hundreds of men and women in the United States. It was held in Seneca Falls, New York and spanned two days over July 19-20, 1848. The social, civil, and religious condition and rights of women were discussed. It is important because it was the first meeting of the women’s rights movement in the U.S. -
Free-Soil Party
Northern opponents of slavery formed the Free-Soil Party. Its main purpose was to prevent the expansion of slavery into the western territories. It is important because it argued that free men on free soil constituted a morally and economically superior system to slavery. -
Compromise of 1850
Congress passed the Compromise of 1850 after California applied to enter the union as a free state. This set of laws attempted to give something to groups favoring slavery and groups opposing it. It is important because the Fugitive Slave Act was amended, the slave trade in Washington D.C. was abolished, California entered the union as a free state, and a territorial government was created in Utah. -
Civil War
The Civil War was fought in the United States between the northern states and the southern states over slavery. It is important because it solved the longstanding controversy of the enslavement of blacks. -
Battle of Gettysburg
General Lee marched into Pennsylvania hoping to win a surprise victory but in July 1863, Union troops defeated Lee in the town of Gettysburg. This battle is important because it went down in history as the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which declared all slaves it the United States would be freed. By doing this, Lincoln hoped to inspire the slaves in the confederacy to support the Union cause. It is important because eventually, about 180,000 African American men served in the Union Army. -
Thirteenth Admendment
Before the Civil war ended, Congress passed the Thirteenth Amendment, making slavery unconstitutional. It is important because it was a victory for the abolitionist movement and a milestone in the development of the civil rights movement in the nineteenth century. It also further applied the founding principles of equality and liberty of the United States -
Civil Rights Act of 1875
This guaranteed African American citizens in the United States the right to ride trains and use public facilities, such as hotels. It is important because it prohibited racial discrimination in public places and facilities
