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Period: Jan 1, 1492 to
Columbus to Ulysses S Grant
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Oct 11, 1492
Columbus
On October 11th, 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered the Continent of North America. This Discovered was that of which prompted our explorations and later industrialization of the North American Continent by later explorers and settlers to this newly discovered land. During his First voyage he searched for loot and other gold while returning with captured locals as slaves for the Queen of Spain. -
Jamestown
This was the first English attempt to make a permanent colony in North America. This expedition lead by John Smith was an utter failure on its first couple of attempts. The party consisted of 144 men who were unskilled for the task at hand and were disease prone. The party afterwards which consisted of 900 people because of land incentives suffered through the winter months by starvation and cannibalism. The expedition had 80% total casualties. -
Plymouth Plantation
The English Government granted the pilgrims a charter of land in 1620 in Virginia which was the original destination of the ship. When they landed in modern Massachusetts the Pilgrims developed the Mayflower compact which they wrote out their own laws because they were no longer bounded by any previous agreements with the government. The Plymouth Colony initially had great relations with the natives who helped them survive the first winter. -
Maryland
Maryland was an interesting bargaining piece in the development of our nation. Maryland, named after King James’ wife had a pro tobacco economy and was made up of mostly a Catholic population. George Calverty wrote into law the “Act Concerning Religion” of 1649 stating religious tolerance to all citizens of the Colony of Maryland. -
English Civil War
o The Outcome of the English civil war resulted in King Charles 2nd as the new king of England. The Restoration Colonies were the outcome on our side of the Atlantic that affected us. The king granted Royal Charters to whoever supported him during the war. The Resulting states were New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Carolinas. For the most part all new colonies had a very fundamental constitution that was Christian based. -
Bacons Rebellion
Bacons `Rebellion was an organized and attempted uprising against the planter class by poor whites and yeoman farmers in Virginia. Lead by Nathan Bacon to overthrow the Governor of Virginia William Berkley. Bacon used the plight of everyday farmers to rise up against the upper class and while doing so he died attempting to do so. After the dispute was settled, the government had slave laws rewritten to promote the use of slavery more so than land grant to poor whites in exchange for service. -
Boston Massacre
On the night of March 5, 1770 is on that changed American perspective to push toward revolution and resentment of the British presence on its lands. In Boston a couple locals began harassing guards of a tax house and then the small harassment became a small mob where British regulars were ordered to fire upon the crown. Later this would be called the Boston Massacre which was fuelled by a nationalist propaganda committees nationwide. -
Boston Tea Party
British government enacts the Tea Act giving the British East India Tea Company exclusive rights to sell to colonists. However this gets boycotted by the Colonists and they begin to start smuggling of other goods into the Colonies. Which leads into the Boston Tea Party where about 150 Boston residents dress as natives and dump the stockpile into Boston harbor. -
Coercive Acts
A direct result of the Boston Tea Party the British Government created a series of laws as a punishment to the colonists. They closed down Boston Harbor, Decreased the amount of self government in Massachusetts, Allowing the quartering of troops, Criminals have trials held outside the colonies, and give Catholics in Quebec more rights . -
Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress is a milestone in and of itself. A gathering of the leaders of the statesmen all throughout the colonies. Their goal was to organize and make an attempt to unify the colonies against British rule. A few of their goals were too reject union under the rule of Britain. Another goal was to produce a moderate plea against the British for the coercive acts. Also build up a military and boycott British made goods -
Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War was the war America fought against the British to gain independence. As a result of the war, the Declaration of Independence was written. America was assisted by the French and Spanish and ultimately won the war after British general Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. The war lasted about 6 years total and resulted in the Treaty of Paris. -
Election of 1776 : John Adams vs Thomas Jefferson
In the election of 1776, Jefferson was the Republican candidate and John Adams was the federalist. Still, the Federalists were the dominant party but were hurt by factional rivalries. Adams ending up beating Jefferson by only 3 electoral votes and accepted presidency. Jefferson won vice presidency since he was the second in the running. This election showed a strong political divide for the first time. -
Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence
As a result of the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence was written. It is a written document that announced that the 13 colonies which were at war with Britain were then independent states and free from Britain's rule. The document includes grievences against King George III and the right to revolt and have human rights. Eventually, 56 delegates signed the Declaration of Independence. -
George Washington becomes first president
After serving as a general in the Revolutionary War, George Washington becomes the first president of the United States. Washington built a government that we still use today and also assisted in writing the Constitution. John Adams was elected as his vice president and Washington was reelected in 1792. -
Bill of Rights approved
Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights are the first 10 Amendments in the Constitution. James Madison originally came up with them as a series of legislative articles. They consist of limitations put on the federal government having to do with the natural rights of liberty and property including freedom of speech, a free press, free assembly, and free association. -
Whiskey Rebellion
Farmers in Pennsylvania started refusing to pay the new whiskey excise tax and terrorized tax collectors. Washington assembled an army of about 15,000 and personally led the troops to Pennsylvania. Ultimately, the federal government won the respect of the rebels and other Westerners by intimidating them. War was never fought. -
Jay's Treaty
in 1794, the British navy was seizing hundreds of American ships. Hamilton did not want to go to war because it would ruin trade with England. They named a special commissioner, John Jay to make a deal with Britain. He was to secure compensation for the recent seizure of American ships, demand withdrawal of British posts on the American frontier, and negotiate a commercial treaty. The treaty failed, but did improve relations with the British. -
Election of 1796: John Adams vs Thomas Jefferson
In the election of 1776, Jefferson was the Republican candidate and John Adams was the federalist. Still, the Federalists were the dominant party but were hurt by factional rivalries. Adams ending up beating Jefferson by only 3 electoral votes and accepted presidency. Jefferson won vice presidency since he was the second in the running. This election showed a strong political divide for the first time. -
Election of 1800
The election of 1800 is sometimes referred to as the “Revolution of 1800”. Thomas Jefferson ended up defeating John Adams. The election was brutal in that both sides strongly opposed each other. They believed that the other side would ruin the government. Aaron Burr, Jefferson’s running mate ending up getting the same amount of electoral votes as him and pushed Adams out of the election. -
Beginning of Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution shaped America to what it is today. New technologies, transportation, ideas and more were presented. Things like canals, railroads, telegraphs, and factories were being introduced and changed America’s economy drastically. The Industrial Revolution also introduced a new class; the working class, since many people got jobs in the factories. -
Louisiana Purchase
America paid France a total of about 15 million dollars for the Louisiana territory. The purchase included all of the mid-west territory that is a part of the United States today. Some people thought the purchase was unconstitutional but Jefferson concluded that it was necessary for fear of Spain and France having access to the New Orleans port. -
War of 1812
Britain’s interference with American trade, capturing and impressing American ships led to the War of 1812. It was a war of 3 years and some say it was unnecessary and a war of nationalism that emerged in America during this time. Ultimately the British couldn’t continue fighting the war because they were already involved in the Napoleonic Wars. -
Early Opposition of Slavery
Life membership certificate For the ACS In 1817, a group of prominent white Virginians organized the American Colonization Society (ACS), which proposed a gradual freeing of slaves, with masters receiving compensation. The liberated black would then be transported out of the country and helped to establish a new society of their own -
Monroe Doctrine
The former president, James Monroe created the policy about foreign influence. He said that any foreign efforts to colonize American land or to interfere would be considered a threat. The Doctrine suggested that America has nothing to do with any internal European issues and basically that they mind their own business and America does the same. -
Erie Canal
Historical Images of the Erie Canal The Erie Canal was the greatest construction project Americans had ever undertaken. The canal itself was a simple ditch forty feet wide and four feet deep, with towpaths along the banks for the horses or mules that were to draw the canal boats. The Erie Canal opened in October, 1825. -
The Book of Mormons
Mormonism started upstate New York through the efforts of Joseph Smith.. The book of Mormon told the story of two ancient civilizations in America whose people had anticipated the coming of Christ and were rewarded when Jesus actually came to America after his resurrection. Ultimately both civilizations collapsed because of their rejection of Christian principles. -
Nat Turner Slave Revolt
Nat Turner BookSlave revolts were extremely rare in the South. . Nat Turner, a slave preacher led a successful revolt. He led a band of African Americans armed with guns and axes from house to house in Southampton County, Virginia. The killed sixty white men, women and children before being overpowered by state and federal troops. More than one hundred blacks were executed in the aftermath. -
Morse Code
MorseSamuel F.B. Morse, a professor of arts with an interest in science began experimenting with a different system. . Technology did not yet permit the use of the electrical wiring to send reproductions of the human voice or any complex information. Morse realized that electricity itself could serve as a communication device. He developed the Morse code. -
Nullification Crisis
This crisis came about when South Carolina responded angrily to a congressional tariff bill that offered no relief from the 1828 tariff of abominations. In early 1833, Jackson proposed a forced bill to congress authorizing the president to use military to see that the acts were obeyed. Clay, senator at the time, device a compromise which would lower the tariff gradually so by 1842 it would reach the same level as it was in 1816. Bothe the compromise and force bill were passed on 03/01/1833. -
Anti-Abolitionism
However the rise of abolitionism provoked a powerful opposition. Almost all white southerners were bitterly hostile to the movement. In the North, some whites feared that abolitionism would produce a destructive civil war. Others feared that it would lead to a great influx of free blacks in to the North. The result of such fears was an escalating wave of violence. A mob in Philadelphia attacked the abolitionism headquarters in 1834, burnt it to the ground, and began a bloody race riot. -
The Panic Of 1837
The land sales and revenues from the 1833 tariff resulted in a federal budget surplus which reduced the national debt. Congress decided to return the surplus to the states. Jackson feared that the Government was selling land for state bank notes of questionable value so in 1836 he issued an executive order, the “Specie Circular.” This executive order stated that all payment to the government for public land would only be gold or silver coins or currency backed by gold and silver. -
Trails of Tears
Trail Of tears Historical visito Around 1,000 Cherokee fled to North Carolina, where eventually the federal Government provided them with a small reservation. But most of the rest made it a long, forced trek to “Indian Territory,” what later became Oklahoma, which began in 1838. Thousands, perhaps a quarter or more of the émigrés, perished before reaching their unwanted destination. In the harsh new reservation, the survivors remembered the terrible journey as “The Trail where they cried,” The trail of tears. -
Richard Hoe
o Richard Hoe invented the steam-powered cylinder rotary press. This made it possible to print newspaper more rapidly and cheaply than it was in the past. This spurred the growth of mass-circulation newspaper. This is important, because of his invention more information was available for more people. -
California Gold Rush
In January of 1848 a gentleman working in a sawmill owned by John Sutter found small amounts of gold in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Soon after, word of the discovery spread and hundreds of thousands of people (also known as the 49ers) begun the trek to California in hopes to strike it rich. The gold rush is also responsible for the first Chinese migrants in the western United States. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
President Polk sent Nicholas Trist and a presidential envoy to meet with the new Mexican government in regards to this treaty. Mexico agreed to give up California and New Mexico to the U.S and agreed upon using the Rio Grande river as the new boundary for Texas. In exchange Mexico would be paid 15 million dollars and the U.S would assume any financial claims its new citizens had against Mexico. -
The Triumph Of Railroads
o Railroads became large part of the nation’s transportation. By 1860, the total railroad was over 27,000 miles. Railroad construction required massive amounts of capital. State and Government invested in railroad, but even greater assistance came from the federal government in the form of public land grants. By 1860, congress had allotted over 30 million acres to eleven states to assist in railroad construction. -
The election of 1860
The separation that our country was going through was never more visible then during the election of 1860. The democratic party had divided its candidacy between J.C Breckinridge (southern democrat) and Stephen A. Douglas (northern democrat) while John Bell represented the Constitutional Union, and the republicans chose a little know politician from Illinois named Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln would subsequently win the election but only took home 2/5ths of the popular vote, and more importantly t -
The Start of the Civil War
Fort Sumter, held in control by a small northern army under Major Robert Anderson was waiting for supplies from President Lincoln. Unknown to the major but P.G.T Beauregard (commander of Confederate forces in Charleston, S.C) had been ordered by the new confederate government to take the fort. A battle in sued and after two days of fighting Major Anderson was forced to surrender the fort on April 14th 1861. The civil was had officially began. -
The Battle of Bull Run
A northern army of over 30,000 troops serving under General Irvin McDowell were stationed just outside of Washington. In Manassas sat a slightly smaller Southern army serving under P.G.T Beauregard. On July 21st 1861 a fight in sued. McDowell’s Union army almost succeeded in destroying the confederate army, but the southerners held on and launched a strong counter attack. McDowell and his troops had no choice but to retreat back to Washington defeated. Confederate forces were deemed vic -
The Surrender of New Orleans
A Union army commanded by David G. Farrgut launched a surprise southern attack on the weak Confederate forts around the mouth of the Mississippi river. The Confederates, who were expecting the attack to come from the north were caught completely off guard and were forced to surrender New Orleans on April 25th, 1862. This was a huge turning point in the war because now the largest southern port and most important banking center (for the Confederate army) was now in the hands of the Union troops -
The Emancipation Proclamation
After the Union victory at the battle of Antietam president Lincoln announced that he would be making an executive order freeing all the slaves in the confederacy. Following this announcement on January 1st 1863 Lincoln formerly signed the Emancipation Proclamation which made the slaves inside the confederacy forever free. Thus leading to the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in all parts of the United States. -
The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
On the night of April 14th 1865 John Wilkes Booth, a man with strong roots in the southern cause entered the presidential box at the Fords Theater and shot President Lincoln in the head. Later the next morning this gun shot wound would prove to be fatal sending the people of the north into a panic. Booth was a leader in a conspiracy on this tragic night. -
The First Civil Rights Acts
In April 1866 Congress passed the first Civil Rights Act, which declared that blacks were citizens of the United States, and gave the federal government power to intervene in state affairs in order to protect the rights of these citizens. President Johnson vetoed both of these bills, but Congress overruled him on each. -
The Enforcement Acts of 1870 & 1871
The Enforcement Acts of 1870 and 1871, better known as the Ku Klux Klan Acts, prohibited states from discriminating against voters based on their race, and gave the federal government power to prosecute against this. The Enforcement Acts also gave the president power to use federal troops in order to protect these civil rights. Although these enforcement acts were rarely enforced it was enough to decline violence from the Klan by 1872. -
The election of 1876 Hayes vs. Tilden
The election of 1876 like the elections of 1824, 1888, and 2000 was not the winner of the popular vote. Tilden won the popular vote by nearly 300,000 votes, but lost the electoral college by one vote. This did not come without controversy. There were disputed returns from four states; Louisiana, South Carolina, Florida, and Oregon. These 20 votes remained in question, and after a disputed vote all 20 went to Hayes and thus won him the election.
