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Jamestown Settlement
The Jamestown Settlement was the first permanent English settlement in the US. 105 Colonists left England in December of 1606, arriving on April 2, 1607. The Indian tribes residing in the area had a mixed relationship with the English settlers. At times they got along and other times blood was shed. -
Boston Massacre
A deadly riot that took place on King Street in Boston between British soldiers and American Colonists. This massacre sparked anti-british sentiment and it helped start the American Revolution. -
Revolutionary War
The American Revolution was the War between Britain and its thirteen colonies which declared the US independence. American patriots no longer wanted to live under Britain's rule so they fought and earned their freedom. On June 17 the first big battle of the Revolution left a colossal amount of casualties (Battle of Bunker Hill.) The British technically won the battle, but this encouraged the revolution and helped provide incentive. -
Louisiana Puchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the purchase of about 827,000 square miles for $15 million. The US bought the land from France, in a time of desperation for France. Napoleon's plans to create a stronger France in the New World was not working in the slightest. They had already had to cede multiple territories in the New World to other countries, which is why Napoleon agreed to sell the land. On April 30, the Louisiana Treaty was signed and the United States majorly expanded in size and worth. -
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was created mostly for African American slaves to have an escape route and shelter. It is unclear what the exact dates are that it existed, but it definitely ranged from late 18th century to Civil War. Harriet Tubman was the founder and conductor of the Underground Railroad. One major event for the Underground Railroad was the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. This declared all slaves free, but the proclamation didn't free slaves in states that hadn't left the Union. -
Women's Suffrage Movement
In 1848, abolitionists gathered to talk about women's rights. It was agreed amongst this group that women deserved their own political voice. In 1890, the National American Woman Suffrage Association was formed, with Elizabeth Cady Stanton as its president. They led protests and were even arrested. In jail, several of the women went on hunger strikes to protest their injust arrest. On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified and women around the US could vote. -
Civil War
The Civil War was the war between Confederate states, who supported slavery, and Union states who were anti-slavery and fought to abolish it. The bloodiest battle of the Civil War was Gettysburg, lasting from July 1 - July 3, 1863, with more than 51,000 casualties. Altogether, there was almost 215,000 deaths from battles of the Civil War. The Civil War ended in 1865 and the Union won. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant. -
Great Migration
The Great Migration was the migration of six million African Americans from the rural South to the urban Northeast from 1916 to 1970. This resulted in new cultures being created and art and music began to flourish in African American communities such as Harlem. One event that really encouraged African Americans to leave the South were the race riots of 1919. White laborers were angry that African Americans were getting their jobs, so they resorted to physical violence and many deaths occurred. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression started in 1929 and lasted a decade. There were many causes and events that led to it, one being the infamous stock market crash in October of 1929. Thousands of banks failed and millions of Americans suffered tremendous debt. Another major cause of the Great Depression was the Roaring 20s. The rapid growth of technology was responsible for the inflation of the 20s. When lack of new technology was being introduced in the later 20s, this placed a strong drag on the economy. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War began in 1954 but did not end until 1975. This extremely long war was costly and unbelievably divisive. The communist North Vietnam went against South Vietnam and its prior ally, the United States. 3 million people were killed in the war, including 58,000 Americans. In 1973, President Nixon ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces in the war. Communists ended the war in 1975 by gaining control of South Vietnam.
