-
English Colony at Jamestown Virginia
Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was established on May 4, 1607 by the Virginia Company of London. -
First Africans brought to North America
The first Africans brought to America consisted of 50 men, women, and children. They initially worked as indentured servants in the tobacco fields. -
Pilgrims land at Plymouth
Religious Separatists from England arrived at Plymouth as pilgrims. They had sailed across the Atlantic in the Mayflower. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials was a series of prosecutions towards people accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts. These cases resulted in the executions of 20 people. -
Start of French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was fought between the colonists of British America and New France in the New World. The conflict resulted in France losing territory east of the Mississippi. -
End of French and Indian War
-
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an incident in which the British army fired upon a mob of Boston civilians, killing 5 and injuring 6 others. The event caused greater tensions between the colonists and Britain -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest against the taxation of tea enacted by the Sons of Liberty. Shipments of tea were forcibly thrown off of ships in defiance to the tax. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document that was adopted by the Continental Congress which stated that the colonies were independent of Great Britain. -
Revolutionary War Ends (Treaty of Paris)
The American Revolution ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris at the Hotel d'York in Paris, France. Several countries such as France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic supported American Independence. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion took place in Massachusetts as a revolt against certain economic problems such as land seizures and bankruptcies. Protesters shut down county courts and began to form an armed force. As a result, the Constitutional Convention was created in order to form a stronger centralized government. -
Constitution Ratified
The Constitution is the supreme law of the United states. It was created in 1787, ratified on June 21, 1788, and enforced since March 4, 1789. -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey rebellion came forth due to a federal tax passed by Congress which taxed alcohol. Farmers who normally sold whiskey felt that the tax was a form of "taxation without representation" and thus began to rebel. Eventually peacekeepers and militia were sent to quell the rebellion. -
Beginning of Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark expedition was the first American expedition to explore all the way towards the Pacific Ocean. The primary objective was to map the unsettled territory of the United States and to find routes to travel or trade on. -
End of Lewis and Clark Expedition
-
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was primarily fought between the U.S. and Great Britain. The U.S. initially declared war because of trade restrictions caused by the British war with France. No borders were changed after the war. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery North of the 36 parallel. It was implemented in order to balance the power between slave and anti-slave states. -
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was a series of forced relocations due to the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Approximately 2,000-6,000 of the 16,543 relocated Cherokee perished along the way. -
Texan Independence
Texas seceded from Mexico because of American settlers in the former Mexican territory against the government of Santa Anna. Eventually, Texas annexed itself into the U.S. in 1845. -
Beginning of Mexican American War
Conflicts between Texas and Mexico over borders raised tensions between the U.S. and Mexico. Eventually, fighting broke out and war started. In the end, Mexico lost more than half it's land to America. -
End of Mexican American War (Treaty of Guadalupe Bay)
-
Gold Rush in California
Gold Rush VideoThe Gold Rush was caused by the discovery of gold in California. About 300,000 people migrated to California in order to pan for gold. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was another measure to relieve tensions between slave and anti-slave states. It allowed California to enter as a non-slave state and caused Texas to give up claims to New Mexico. It also banned slave trade in the capital. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opening new lands for settlement. It also allowed popular sovereignty to decide whether they would be slave or non-slave territories. -
Abraham Lincoln Elected President
Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election of 1860. -
Beginning of Civil War
Civil War VideoThe Civil War was caused by decades of tensions between northern and southern states. The southern states seceded in order to escape the possibility of slavery being abolished. The first shots were fired at the Union-held Fort Sumter. The Union won the war and the Confederacy returned to the Union. -
End of Civil War
-
Transcontinental Railroad Completed
The Transcontinental Railroad improved travel across the United states by lowering the cost and improving safety by installing railroad tracks across the country. -
Reconstruction Ends
The Reconstruction era took place after the Civil War. Many actions were taken in order to restore unity and peace to the Union.
