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British Acts on Colonists
The British and the American colonists were involved. The British passed several acts on the colonists highly raising taxes. This happened across the American colonies from 1764 - 1767. This events leads up to the American Revolutionary War. The British needed to pay for a recent war and taxed the colonists to pay for it because it had protected them. -
American Revolutionary War
The American colonists and Great Britain were involved in the (American) Revolutionary War. The Americans declared the colonies independent and fought against Great Britain. The war took place in the American colonies from 1775 to 1783. This event is important because it marks the reason America is it's own separate country. The Americans received help from countries like France to defeat Great Britain in a series of battles. -
Articles of Confederation
The new free American country needed a national government and only Americans were involved. The Articles of Confederation were created to hold together to the new country but mostly give power to the states. The document was created in Maryland in 1777, but was ratified in 1781. This event was our first try for a national government. Delegates from states came together to create this document. -
The Constitution
The Americans created a new document to replace the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution was made to have a stronger government over the states. The constitution was written in 1787 in the Constitutional Convention and ratified in 1788. This is the document we use as a basis for government still today. The Americans decided to create a new document to replace the Articles because they were too weak. -
George Washington as First President
George Washington was elected by the American people to be the country's first president. George Washington was president of the United States of America from 1789-1797. George Washington was the first president and set presidents for future presidents to follow. Almost everyone in the United States wanted George Washington as the first president. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Americans bought the Louisiana territory from the French. America made the purchase in 1803 and payed 68 million francs for the territory. This territory includes lots of modern day states such as Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and more. This event shows how America majorly expanded the country. France wanted money for it's wars and the United States bought the territory which helped pay for France's wars. -
Ohio Admitted as a State
The United States of America admitted Ohio as the 17th state in 1803. Ohio was part of the Northwest Territory and later became a state added to the union. This event includes the State of Ohio where we live and is important that we know when and why it was expanded by the United States. The state applied for statehood and met the requirements to become a new state. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark and their expedition team set out to mark the newly acquired territory of the United States. They also encountered many new types of plants, animals, and new native tribes. From 1804-1806 they explored the newly acquired Louisiana territory. This event charted much of the unexplored lands of the United States. The United States need the new land surveyed before people could inhabit it. -
The War of 1812
The United States and their allies fought the British and their allies. The war lasted from 1812 to 1815 and ended in favor of the Americans. The war happened in the United States and it has a significance because the British started to see the United States as a truly independent country from itself and not just a rebellion. -
Adams–Onís Treaty
This treaty included the countries of the United States and Spain. The United States received Florida and a new boundary between the United States and New Spain was established. The treaty was also known as the Transcontinental Treaty, the Florida Purchase Treaty, or the Florida Treaty. This deal took place in 1819 and set the boundaries for the country at the time which was a very important issue. -
Indian Removal Act
Native Americans and Americans were involved, including president Andrew Jackson. The Indian Removal Act moved native Americans to new land west of the Mississippi river in exchange for their current lands. This act took place in 1830 in Southeastern United States land. This event shows more expansion of the United States. The law was signed by Andrew Jackson to pass this. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
The citizens of Virginia and slaves within were involved. Nat Turner's rebellion was a slave rebellion that killed between 55-65 people. This happened in the state of Virginia in 1831 . This event shows a slave revolt that resulted in a lot of casualties. The rebellion was put down within a few days and later laws were passed banning slaves from being educated and other similar things. -
Texas War for Independence
Americans, Tejanos, and Mexico were involved in this conflict. A large number of American colonists existed in the Texas territory that Mexico claimed. The Texans declared independence from Mexico and in 1835-1836 in the Texas area, Mexico and the newly declared Texas fought. This shows American colonists forming their own country from the Mexican government, later to be annexed by the United States. The Mexican government had too much land they tried to control at once. -
Trail of Tears
The Cherokee Indians and other tribes were involved in the trip known as the Trail of Tears. From 1838 to 1839 Native Americans were moved west of the Mississippi and forced to give up their land by Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy. The move had devastating effects such as starvation and disease. Many people died from this move. This was allowed because of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy. -
Mexican-American War
The United States and Mexico were involved in this conflict. The United States and Mexico had armed conflicts from 1846 to 1848. The conflicts took place along the new United States territory from Annexing Texas and Mexico. The United States Marched through Mexico and conquered the capital of Mexico. The resulting treaty gave American former North Mexican lands. This is how American received land we still use today. The United States went to war with Mexico when annexing Texas. -
Discovery of Gold in California
In the California Territory Americans heard stories of finding gold. Many people moved to the new land to have their chance at becoming rich, even if the chance was small. The discovery happened in 1848 and was significant because of the amount of colonists that moved to the territory in search of gold. This gold rush from finding a small piece of gold caused mass movement to the territory from all over. -
Admission of California as a State
The Californians that later joined the United States as a state were involved. In 1849 California wanted statehood and was later entered as a free state and the 31st state in the United States. This took place in the current state of California. California is a very important state now and even then because it brought up the issue of free states versus slave states. This territory became a state from the influx of people from the gold rush. -
American Civil War
This war only involved Americans, the North states and the Southern succeeding states. The war started in 1861 and lasted until 1865. Many Americans died and the country was divided between the free North and slave South. This happened due to Southern states not feeling equal with the North and there being constant disputes. Due to this the South wished to break free from the Union. -
Abraham Lincoln Assassinated
The United States president and his killer were involved. The USA president Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed in a theater. This leader had brought the North through the American civil war. A confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth, shot the president in the back of the head in Ford's theater. Lincoln was shot in 1865 and killed. The tensions in the country were high and he was unguarded from an assassination. -
Civil Rights Act of 1875
The Civil Rights Act of 1875 occurred in 1875 and was to bring equal rights to African Americans. The law was passed by president Ulysses S. Grant, however it was not well enforced and the public did not like the new law. This act was passed in the United States and has importance because of the basis it provided for more civil rights. It was enacted because of the civil right violations of African Americans during the time.
