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Period: Aug 1, 1492 to
U.S History Timeline
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Aug 3, 1492
The Discovery of America by Columbus
In 1492, Columbus led his three ships the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria out to sea on August 3, 1492. He wanted to find a water route that took in the direction of Europe and eventually Asia but was unsuccessful and instead accidentally, stumbled on what is now America. Although he was not the first person to step foot into "America" his journey and somewhat new discovery marked the beginning of a new chapter for millions. -
The Settlement of Jamestown
Jamestown is a historic site in east Virginia, it is home to the ruins of the first permanent English settlement in North America. Once upon a time Jamestown housed a military post during the revolutionary war and the Civil war. Since then Jamestown has been restored and it is now apart of the Colonial National Historical park. Source: https://www.history.com/topics/jamestown -
The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is dated back to 1754. Also known as "The Seven years War" because it lasted a whole seven years, this war marked another chapter in the long battle between, Britain and France. Because of Frances expansion into the Ohio River valley this brought a lot of different problems with claims from the British Colonies, most importantly Virginia.There were so many things that led to this war, and over time more things kept building up over time. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party a political protest that happened in December 16th around the time 1773.This event was the first major act of defiance that the British made against American Colonists. It showed everyone in Great Britain that Americans wouldn't take taxation and tyranny sitting down. And influenced American patriots across all 13 colonies to fight for their own independence in a time when no one else was. -
The Battle Of Lexington and Concord
The Battle Of Lexington and Concord was just that a battle between Lexington and Concord. It started April 19th, in the year 1775, which kicked off the American Revolutionary War. Many people were waiting for this war, because of the tension that had been between residents of the three colonies and the British Authorities for many years. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, is just that a declaration of independence. It declared that the thirteen colonies that were then at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain. Were going to in the future regard themselves as the thirteen independent sovereign, and no longer be under the British rule. From there these states all took a step forward, to form what we now know as The United States of America. -
The Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown marks the most important battle of the revolutionary war, on this day in 1781 the General (George Washington) commanded his troops to war against the British General. and after a long hard battle three weeks later, General Cornwallis finally surrendered and by doing so he helped in the end of the war for Independence. -
The Constitutional Convection
The Constitutional Convention occurred in 1787, the convection was intended to revise the league of states and the first system of government under the Articles of Confederation. And was the cause of the Constitution of the United States making the Convection one of the most important events in American history as we known it. -
The Invention of The Cotton Gin
The Invention of the Cotton Gin, was created in 1794. Eli Whitney an American inventor who is said to have revolutionized the production of cotton, created and patented it in 1794. by using a technique that revolutionized the cotton industry in the United States. And another fun fact is this invention has even been identified as a contributing factor to the outbreak of the American Civil War. -
The Alien and Sedition Acts
In 1798, The Alien and Sedition Acts were laws passed by the Federalists Congress, signed by the current president at the time (John Adams). The laws entailed new powers to deport foreigners as well as making it harder for new immigrants to vote. -
The Louisiana Purchase
As the current president in 1803, Thomas Jefferson decided to make a land deal of the millennium by buying 800,000 square miles from the french (starting at the Mississippi River ending in the Rocky Mountains) this also marked president Jefferson's most important achievement of his entire presidency. -
The War of 1812
The War of 1812, was between the U.S and Great Britain. The cause of the war was because of the British's attempts to restrict U.S trade, secondly because the Royal Navy’s impressment of American seamen, and lastly because of America’s desire to expand its territory. Throughout all of this the United States would suffer greatly at the hands of the British, Canadian, and the Native troops over the course of the entire war of 1812. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a gesture by Congress to settle the argument between sectional, and political rivalries triggered by the request that was made for Missouri in the year 1819 in which slavery would be permitted at the time. In an effort to preserve the peace, and balance; needed to run Congress between a states that admits slaves and free states. -
Andrew Jackson's Election
Andrew Jackson now known as the seventh president of the United States, then know as a man running for the 11th quadrennial presidential election in the year 1828. In the running against John Quincy Adams, Jackson won the election by a landslide. He fought a hard election along side Adams, taking the jabs that were thrown at him with his head held high and in the end it all payed off. -
The Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was a series of forced relocation's of Native American people from their ancestral homelands in the South eastern United States. On this forced journey, they experienced great tribes and tribulations. Such as hunger, disease, and exhaustion, in other words it left them with a "Trail of Tears" -
The Invention of The Telegraph
Samuel F.B Morse invented the Morse code system used for sending messages through a telegraph who transmitted the first electrical message "What has God wrought?". His invention revolutionized the world of communication such as the printing press and internet. And thanks to him communication was no longer limited to just letters, or in person conversations, but now everyone had another option. -
The Panic of 1837
The reckless speculation involved with land and railroads eventually cause the panic of 183. And the contributing factors being Jackson's veto of the second the Second National Bank renewal charter in 1832 and large transfers of federal money to state banks in 1833 that caused western banks to lower their lending standards. Also the Specie Circular, which mandated western lands could only be purchased by money backed by gold and silver, and the Deposit and Distribution Act. lasting four years -
The Mexican-America War
The Mexican- American war, was a war between the United States and the United Mexican States in the year 1846 lasting until 1848. Because America was ready to expand out westward, they were willing to do anything to get more land even go to war. Which is how this war started, when president Polk offered to purchase California and New Mexico which is now know as U.S Southwest his offer was rejected and so he instigated a fight by moving his troops into a restricted area -
The Invention of the Telephone
Credited as the creator of the telephone Alexander Graham Bell, received his first patent in the year 1876. While spending most of his life in pursuit of finding a scientific discovery, the challenges he would face would not make him stop chasing his one and only dream. While he had one main goal he also had a passion that entailed working with people who were deaf, dedicating himself to that part of the world as well. -
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a time where problems were solved over a dispute that involved slavery,The compromise stated that California would now be a free state, and Utah and New Mexico, territories would be questioned on whether slavery was a current problem, ultimately settling Texas/New Mexico boundary dispute. And ending the slave trade in Washington D.C., while also making it easier for southerners to recover fugitive slaves. -
The Firing on Fort Sumter
The Firing on Fort Sumter is the one and only famous location where the first shots of the American Civil War were shot. The American Civil War started in Fort Sumter because there had been great tension between the Union and Confederacy for many months, and months before the first shot was fired on Fort Sumter the union sent word to the confederates in Charleston of his intentions to fight. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by Abraham Lincoln changing the federal legal status of more than 3.5 million enslaved African Americans in the south. The Proclamation ordered the freedom of all slaves in ten states. Because it was issued under the president's authority it excluded areas not in rebellion against the order, but still applied to more than 3.5 million of the 4 million slaves. -
The Organization of Standard Oil Trust
The Standard Oil Trust was formed in 1863 by the famous John D. Rockefeller. His goal was to build the company up and eventually make it the largest oil refinery firm in the world by buying all of the other companies he combined them all and made it into one big one. Even though his business had it's hardships, he still maintained a strong threshold in the Standard oil business, and it showed all throughout the world. -
13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
Know as the Civil War Amendments, collectively each of them had there own meanings, but together they ensured equality for everyone. (1865)The thirteen Amendment states that, slavery is prohibited, (1868)The fourteenth Amendment states that everyone who is born in the United States is considered a U.S citizen. And lastly (1870) The fifteenth Amendment states that, regardless of anyone's ethnicity no one can be denied the right to vote. -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
Fought on the morning of April ninth in the year 1865 the Battle of Appomattox Court House in Virginia was one of the last battles of the American Civil War. After the long four year battle, Robert E. Lee finally surrendered his troops of Northern Virginia to union General Ulysses S. Grant. bringing the civil war to an abrupt end. -
Abraham Lincoln's Assassination
On April 14th 1865, John Wilkes Booth walked into Fords theater in Washington D.C and assassinated President Abraham Lincoln and wounded his Officer. After many hours of fighting, he was pronounced dead on the morning of April 15th. -
Andrew Johnson's Impeachment
The Impeachment of Andrew Jackson happened in 1868, when people in The United States House of representatives voted eleven articles of Impeachment against him. Making him the first president to ever be Impeached in U.S. history. His Impeachment was the result of political conflicts, that occurred in the aftermath of the American Civil War. That were brought to life soon after. -
The Invention of The Electric light
The invention of the electric light was invented by no other than Thomas Edison in the year 1847, He is neither the first person nor is he the last back then to have attempted to create the incandescent light bulb. Even though many people created different versions of the light bulb. Edison was credited the invention because his is said to have created a version that was able to outstrip the earlier versions because of three contributing factors making his overall the better source. -
The Pullman and Homestead Strikes
The Pullman and Homestead Strikes also known as one of the biggest labor strikes. Took place in Homestead Pennsylvania in 1892, this strike pitted one of the most powerful new corporations, Carnegie steel company against one of the nations strongest trade union. After Andrew Carnegie's many attempts to stop the union, and the union kept refusing his new conditions. And the Manager of the plant decided to not allow them back into the plant. -
The Spanish-American War
The Spanish American War was just that, a war between Spain and The United States in 1898. The war started because of problems that Spain and Cuba had with the U.S. even though the war was initially one-sided between the two countries, because Spain did not have the man-power or resources to participate against the formidable power of the U.S. -
Theodore Roosevelt Becomes President
After the assassination of President McKinley, a young Republican politician Theodore Roosevelt shocked the world and unexpectedly because the 26th president. He brought his youthful energy to the White House and won over the hearts of many. Because of the different approach he used, he brought new excitement and power to the presidency and vigorously led the Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and strong policy. -
The Invention of the airplane
The famous Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright. Were American inventors and pioneers of aviation. In 1903 the Wright brothers achieved the first powered controlled airplane flight and two years later they surpassed another goal and built and flew the first fully practical airplane. As a child, the brothers were each others best friends, and confidants.They were always looking for new ways to invent new things, and discovering new concepts and ideas almost everyday.