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Period: Apr 24, 1491 to
Period 1
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Aug 3, 1492
Columbus departs from Europe
Christopher Columbus sets sail from Spain across the Atlantic to the Americas. Columbus reaches the bahamas on an archipelago he titled "San Salvador"; this marked the beginning of European contact with Native Americans on a larger scale and had devastating effects to the Americas with many foreign diseases running rampant particularly smallpox, killing off the majority of the Native population. Foreign livestock, plant life, and horses etc. as well had a major effect on the Americas. -
Oct 12, 1492
Columbian Exchange
The trades made between Europe and the Americas due to the arrival of Columbus and the procceeding interactions between the Spanish and Native Americans. Trade brought massive devastation from many foreign diseases such as smallpox to the Natives as well as new forms of livestock, food, technology, etc. and vise versa slowly shaping a new environment with new species and lifestyles in general -
Nov 25, 1493
Ponce De Leon
Discovery of Florida and brutal slaughter and conquering of Natives led to later rule in the area. -
Encomienda System
The diseases of Europe killed off many of the inhabitant Natives of the Americas followed by the enslavement of the remaining, The enslaved were used for cultivating land and race mixing was a result leading to a more diversified America in the future. -
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Period 2
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Jamestown, VA
The founding of Jamestoww marked the first English colony to be used to cultivate Tobacco in the Americas and shipped back to Europe requiring the need for more land to be used for farming. Jamestown led to a series of other colonies that would eventually become the 13 colonies and eventually the U.S. -
Mayflower Compact
Charter for a colony signed in search of religious freedom by king of England. Led to the founding of Massachussets and further destruction of the native people. -
Founding of Rhode Island
Roger Williams was forced to leave Massachussets Bay Colony for being different than the individuals there. Founding of Rhode Island became a land of diverse nations after a while. -
Pueblo Revolt
Successful Native American revolt that resulted in about a dozen years of Native rule. Native Americans then banned many of the things that had any affiliation with the Spanish making the land temporarily inhabited by Native peoples, plants, and livestock once again; the return of Spanish rule came with more respect and better treatment towards the natives serving as influence in later rebellions. -
King Williams' War
War between French and British colonies in the North in which Natives were allies on both sides. War set border for Canada and America in the North. -
Queen Anne's War
Another war between France and Britain colonies, natives involved on bot hsides as well. British gain the victory and multiple sections of Canada. -
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Period 3
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Pontiac's rebellion
Northeast Natives led a war against the English due their dissatisfaction with what was provided in the conclusion of the French and Indian War. Pontiac's War led to the destruction of the Native alliance and as well the tribes, later to be settled by frontiersmen. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 set the legal boundaries for the frontier on the western front of the 13 colonies. This kept the further cultivation of Native land from occurring on a mass scale; first time the 13 colonies truly resented the King. -
American Revolutionary War
The Revolution granted independence to the U.S. from England. The Emancipation Proclamation of 1963 was ended as a result re-opening the frontier for Americans to cultivate and take as their own. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were the first forms of a constitution that the U.S. adopted. The extremely weak federal government allowed virtually no progress to be made; the country in shambles without much growth leaving the U.S. in a worse condition than before. -
The Constitution
The official Constitution that is still held to this date for the U.S. came about as a replacement due to the ineffectiveness of the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution allowed the country to progress westward easier and gain more land. -
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Period 4
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The Slave Trade Act
Slavery saw banishment overseas influencing domestic slave trade within the U.S.. Demographics changed in south and north due to this act. -
Embargo Act
Intentions to protect American ships from foreigners went wrong when the U.S. simply slumped economically durig Jackson's presidency. Embargo Act practically had the opposite effect and prevented expansion and progress in general for the U.S. -
Adams-Onis Treaty
The remainder of Florida was sold to the English colonies by the Spanish. Contributed to further Native resistance and more English settlements -
Erie Canal
One of the first major canals to open in the country allowing increased trade in New York. Allowed the U.S. to complete trade within and outside of the country quicker; helped foreign relations. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal act under Jackson's presidency legally took Natives away from their homeland in the southeast and pushed them westwards particularly Oklahoma on what was known as "The Trail of Tears". The Removal of Native Americans allowed westward land in the south become inhabited by more southerners who would most likely bring slaves along. -
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Period 5
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Irish Famine
Led to immigration of Irish into U.S. causing increase in urbanized areas. Urbanization became prevalent in the 19th century due to immigration. -
Annexation of Texas
Largest state directly connected to the Union was adopted as a state in 1845. Border disputes led to the Mexican-American War and later turmoil over Mexico's land such as that of the zimmerman telegram. -
Mexican-American War
War between Mexico and U.S. over southwest land particularly Texas, considered a war for slavery. Led to the acquisition of multiple territories that eventually became states. -
Pacific railway act 1862
The Pacific railway Act ultimately led to a fight against Native Americans standing in the way of the railroad's path, the massive killings of buffalo were common in order to see the construction of railroads completed. Buffalos were hunted almost to extinction removing a primary source from Native tribes in the areas of the great plains. -
Period: to
Period 6
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14th amendment
The basic rights of all free people were to be protected by law. Had no true effect on previous circumstances, lack of migration and progress. -
Railroads
The invention and use of the railroad which saw completion of a trans-continental railroad in 1869 allowed the western frontier to be maneuvered through easily. Not only were the coasts connected, but cultivation of land took place quickly allowing the development of the West as the East was. -
Manifest Destiny
The God-given right/mission for the U.S. to continue expansion to the pacific. Led to conflict with tribes as well as another reason to expand railroads and communities on the Frontier. -
Battle of Little Bighorn
The end of the Natives resistance as a whole was seen at Little Bighorn as after this successful battle only retaliation and assimilation was to occur. Little Bighorn made America's citizens see the Natives as even more savage-like than before. -
Compromise of 1877
The end of reconstruction in which Northern troops withdrew from the South. Overall left the South in a condition still not fit to compete with other parts of the country. -
Period: to
Period 7
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Battle of Wounded Knee
A slaughter of 200 (mostly women and children) Native Americans as a form of retaliation to the previous loss of Americans at Little Bighorn. Assimilation policies followed this battle as well as "Americanization". -
Assimilation
Americanization and Assimilation policies led to the forced culture of America upon the Natives. Leading to Natives becoming simple second-class Americans and the land of the west being inhabited by settlers. -
American Anitquities Act
USFS created during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency establishing 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, 4 national game preserves, 5 national parks, and 18 national monuments. Early environment movements established led to this. -
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
The most destructive flood of U.S. history topping even modern day natural disasters; an extreme overflowing of the Mississippi river by seemingly endless rains caused the flood. Aided the great migration as many victims and towns were African American affiliated leading to the demographic transition northwards. -
Dust Bowl
Over farming of the land as well as an extremely harsh droubt led to a dry unhealthy top soil in the midwest & western rural areas of the U.S. in the 1930s which was often blown away by giant windstorms and gusts leading to what was known as the "Dust Bowl". Depletion of the land led to need for new deal actions to help restore both business and nature in the following years. -
Prairie States Forestry Project
CCC and WPA work together to work on natural environment and aid its preservation during FDR's presidency within the first 100 days of the new deal. Further awareness of environmental protection risen. -
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Period 8
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Nagasaki & Hiroshima
The bombings of Nagasaki & Hiroshima saw the eventual surrender of the Japanese and the end of WWII. This was the first time Nuclear radiation had made an appearance on such a mass scale with intentions of destruction on other humans leaving the two towns covered in radiation. -
Korean War bombings
The war in Korea saw more bombings on North Korea than all of the bombings in Europe during WWII combined leaving the landscape far more than just war-torn but completely devastated. Federal spending on this war was extremely high and contributed to steps towards further debt. -
"Silent Spring"
Novel written by Rachel Carson bringing emphasis and awareness to the widely unknown amounts of toxic waste being dumped in the wilderness as well as pesticides and such, enlightening many Americans of the growing environmental issues -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Event for potential nuclear war within JFK's presidency. Though the removal of soviet missiles from Cuba was accomplished, the potential for the complete destruction of the human race and planet was also an option; nuclear warfare was at all cost even further avoided after this confrontation. -
Hippie Movement
The Hippie movements of the 1960s and 70s consisted of a "return to nature" character through this new group of individuals that wished to experiment with drugs, unregulated sex, and even polygamy. These movements gained an exceptional amount of followers and brought awareness back to human roots before dying out due to irrationality as well as unhealthy living and deaths. -
Vietnam War Bombings
The bombings in North Vietnam and surrounding affiliated countries were more than both all of the bombings in the pacific and Europe during WWII for the U.S.. As a result, Vietnam became one of the most artificial landscapes known to man with much of the jungle being deformed in purposeful ways and the U.S. was launched once again into debt that grew worse gradually. -
Period: to
Period 9
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Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan saw more payment than the Korean war, Vietnam War, and WWII combined along with major bombings within the two countries. The landscape saw total destruction in both countries making them even more desolate than they are in their natural state while also conitnuing a streak of wars truly lost and common disrespect towards the government and military. -
Hurricane Katrina
A devastating Hurricane during the presidency of George W. Bush in which the U.S. was not prepared to help itself. President Bush took much of the blame and as a result the idea of a better prepared America for natural disasters grew more prevalent in the federal government resulting in the National Response Plan -
Superstorm Sandy
The largest hurricane ever recorded was better handled than its predecessor Hurricane Katrina yet costed much more in damage, preparation, and protection showing improvement over previous legislation and aid from the Federal government. -
Obama's action plan
Obama's action plan provided potential treatment to the degrading natural world. Proved to be effective in terms of campaigning and further awareness of the environment. -
Fossil Fuel Debates
The debate over whether or not to use fossil fuels as a main source of energy continues to modern times as fear of fossil fuels running out is prevalent in modern day society. The debate over fossil fuels and the destriuction of Earth due to its depletion has been an asset to presidential campaigns in order to gain votes.
