Important Events in American History from 1776 to 1886

By MIa Hurst

  • "Common Sense" was published

    This is important because it was the first document to openly ask for independence from Great Britain.

  • Declaration of Independence was approved

    This is important because this document gave us independence from Great Britain.

  • The Great New York Fire

    This is important because this fire destroyed 10 to 25 percent ot the city and many people believe British leaders deliberatley started the fire.

  • The Articles of Confederation were ratified

    The Articles of Confederation were important because they allowed for a weak set of rules until they were replaced by the Constitution.

  • Treaty of Paris was signed

    This is important because this document ended the American Revoutionary War.

  • Northwest Ordinance

    This led to the creation of the Northwest territory, the first United States territory above the Great Lakes.

  • The United States constitution came into effect

    This is important because the Constitution guides American society in law and politics.

  • The Bill of Rights is ratified

    The Bill of Rights plays a key role in law and government and symbolizes American freedoms.

  • The Library of Congress was founded

    The Library of Congress is important because it is the official research place for the United States Congress

  • Louisiana Purchase

    The United States paid less than 3 cents per acre for the 828,000 square miles of the Louisiana Territory.

  • Lewis and Clark set out

    This is an important date because Lewis and Clark were leaving to go explore the Louisiana Territory, which eventually led to the Louisiana Purchase.

  • The War of 1812 formally began

    This is an important event because the United States proved to the world that we were in independent nation.

  • Treaty of Ghent was signed

    This is an important event because it ended the War of 1812.

  • Missouri Compromise

    Slavery was prohibited in all of the Louisiana Territory with the exception of Missouri.

  • Monroe Doctrine

    This is one of the United States' foreign policies stating that European countries should not intervene in countries south of the United States.

  • Indian Removal Act

    The Indian Removal Act allowed President Jackson to negotiate with the Indians for them to leave to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their homelands.

  • Texas Annexation

    This is important because the United States annexed the Republic of Texas and admitted it to the Union as a 28th state.
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    The Mexican-American War

    This is important because this war helped us expand westward by gaining Texas.

  • Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

    This is important because it led to Mexico surrenduring to the United States and negotiations to end the war.

  • California Gold Rush began

    This is important because it brought a lot of immagrants and American citizens from Europe to California.

  • Dred Scott Decision

    This was a landmark decision by the United States Surpreme Court stating that African American slaves were not considered as United Sates citizens.
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    Slave-States seceded from the Union

    This is important because these 11 Slave-States formed the Confederate States of America.
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    Batte of Fort Sumter

    This is important because this batlle started the American Civil War.

  • First Battle of Bull Run

    This is important because this was the first major land battle fought in the American Civil War.
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    Second Battle of Bull Run

    The Second Battle of Bull Run was a very important victory for the South, and was fought on the same ground as the First Battle of Bull Run.

  • The Emancipation Proclamation is issued

    This is very important because this proclamation by Lincoln, immidiately freed 50,000 slaves.
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    Battle of Gettysburg

    This battle is important because it had the most casualties out of all the other battles in the American Civil War.

  • The assassination of Lincoln

    This is important because Lincoln was very imortant to the Union and he was the president.
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    The Great Chicago Fire

    This is an important event because it was one of the biggest U.S. disasters in the 19th century.

  • Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone

    This was important because it was a huge technological advance for society.