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Jamestown Founded
The first permanent English settlement founded by the Virginia Company -
Pilgrims in MA and Mayflower Compact
The pilgrims landed in Massachusets seeking religious freedom from the Church of England and created the MAyflower compact to govern the Plymouth Colony. -
Founding of Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Company forms a permanent settlement along the coast In MA and during the 1630's thousands of puritans migrated to the ne world. -
Halfway Covenant
A form of partial church membership started in New England to try and get youth to come back to the church by allowing them less requirements for memebership. Promoted by Solomon Stoddard. -
King Philip's War
A war between English colonists in MA and RI during 1675-1676 in which an Indian chief known as "King Philip"lead attacks on puritan settlement until his death at this date. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Nathaniel Bacon was fed up with Gov. Berkely not retaliateing against the attacking Indians, so Bacon formed a small army that attacked Indian tribes and burned the capital of Virginia in an attack agaisnt Berkely. -
Salem Witch Trials
A puritan scare of witchcraft that left 29 people accused and executed for witchcraft because of the mass hysteria. -
First Great Awakening
A time of spiritual revitalization that lasted about from 1730-1740. During this time there were many reforms in the Puritan churches and increased membership. Some notable evangilists are Jon Edwards and Georgewhitefield(who preached a good fire and brimstone sermon.) -
French and Indian War (Begins)
A war fought between France and Great Britain in North America. The colonist did a majority of the fighting against French and Indian forces and thus how the war got its name. -
Treaty of Paris (End of the French and Indian War)
The Treaty of Paris officially ended the war in North America and French Canada was ceded to Great Britain. This war left many colonist's in hard shape and feelling underappreciated for thier service in the war. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax passed by the British Parliment on any goods on paper carrying an embossed revenue stamp icluding leagal documant, stamps, and newspapers. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston massacre refers to the death of 5 colonists that were killed during a riot in Boston MA by occupying British Soldiers. -
Boston Tea Party / Tea Act
The Tea Act created an uprising in the colonies because of the injustice of taxation without representation in Parliment. In repsonse to this Act the colonists a few colonists dressed as Indians snuck into the harbor and dumped all the English tea into the bay. -
Coercive (Intolerable) Acts
The British Parliment passed several acts, known as the Intolerable Act, to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. These acts were the Boston Port Act, Massachusetts Government Act, Quartering Act, Adminstration of Justice Act, and the Quebec Act. -
Revoloution Begins (Date of Lexington and Concord)
This is the first battle of the Revolutionary War. During this battle about 700 British regulars were ordered to find and destroy a colonist weapons cache in Concord but were out numbered and defeated by militia men. Bunker Hill was a battle on the outskirts of Boston in June 1775 that reulted in a British Victory. -
Declaration of Independence
Was the statement adopted by the Continental Congress which announced that the 13 colonies were no longer under English rule and instead considered themselves independent states. -
Battles of Saratoga
These battle were fought on Sept. 19, and Oct. 7 and are considered the turning point of the war. These battles ultimately lead to the downfall of the troops lead by Gen. Burgoyne and were a major factor in America achieving an allience with France. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles were an agreement between the original 13 colonies that established the United States as a confederation of soveriegn states and served as the country's first constitution. -
British Surrender at Yorktown
This American victory in Yorktown VA aided by the French navy forced British Gen. Cornwallis into surrender and lead peace negotiations between America and Great Britain. -
Treaty of Paris (Revolutionary War)
This treaty formally ended the fighting between Great Britain and the United States in 1783. It was signed in Paris France by John Adam, Ben Franklin, and John Jay. -
Shay's Rebellion
A rebellion lead by Daniel Shay who was angered by the unfair treatment of Revolutionary War vetrans who were conscipted and often fell into debt upon discharge. The Shayites were eventually defeated by the militia and Daniel Shay was pardoned. -
Northwest Ordinance
This document created by the Congress of the Confedaration set the boundaries for how the U.S would expand westward and allow territories to become states. -
Constitution Signed
This was the date that the Consitutional Convention adopted the U.S Constitution as the supreme law of the U.S. It separated the government into three distinct branches and set forth the powers of the federal government. -
Washington Elected as President
George Washington was the first president of the United Sates and was the only president to ever recieve 100% of the electoral votes. -
Bill of Rights Ratified
The collective ratification of the first 10 amendments to the U.S Constitution that protect idividual liberties and freedoms. -
Cotton Gin Invented
Eli Whitney's invention was a machine that could quickly refine the cotton lint and remove any leaves and seeds. This invention revolutionized the cotton industry is may have affected the revitalization of lavery in the south. -
Whiskey Rebellion
This rebellion was caused by farmers in western Pennsylvania who were unhappy about the tax on whiskey which they sold. As a result many insurrectionist tarred and feathered the tax collectors until Washington supressed the rebellion without conflict by the presence of a large militia. -
Jay's Treaty
This treaty resolved some of the issues left unadressed by the Treaty of Paris such as the withdrawl of British troops from forts, the Canadian border dispute, and allowed trade btween the nations to commence. However the treaty was stongly opposed by Jeffersonians who said that ties wit the British woul undermine the Republic. -
Washingtons farewell adrees/ Adams is president
To retire from the presidency Washington wrote a letter to all the citizens and was published encouraging them to continue on strong. As a result of his retirement Adams became the 2nd president. -
XYZ Affair
This affair was a demand by 3 French diplomats (XYZ) for a tribute from the U.S to France as compensation for signing Jay's Treaty with the British(France's enemy.) The U.S didn't pay a cent and instead built up the navy and fought in an undeclared naval war coined the Quasi-War until 1800. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
These were four laws passed in 1798, the first 3 gave the federal governmen more power over the deportation of aliens in the U.S and the last one the Sedition Act banned any malicious writing against government officials. -
Marbury v. Madison
This case highlighted the distinct boundaries between the different branches of government and was the first time the court invalidated a law by declaring it "unconstitutional." -
Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson bought a large portion of land from Napoleon for $15 million and aent Lewis and Clark west to chart the land that would eventually be developed and become the western United States. -
Jefferson's Embargo Act
The Embargo Act was an attempt by Jefferson to keep America nuetral in an on going struggle between Great Britai and France. The act was designed to stop all trade with Great Britain to punish them for impressing American citizens. -
Congress Declare War
The War of 1812 was a War against Britain. It was the first declared war fought by the U.S and the fighting was mostly in North America including battles in Canada, Indian terriritories, and the burnign of Washinton D.C. -
Treaty of Ghent
After a costly war a peace treaty was signed in Ghent formally ending the War of 1812 and returning the countries back to status quo, ironically because of the 3 weeks it takes to cross the Atlantic fighting continued in North America after the treaty was signed. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery in the Louisiana Territory above the 36th parallel and allowed Missouri to enter a slave state into the Union and Maine as a free state. -
Second Great Awakening
This was a Christian revival movement that picked up pace in the 1820's-1850's. This movement lead to increased church membership but also to many other things as well. These include reforms in education, medicine, and womens' rights. Also the creation of new denominations and expirimental uptopian communities. -
American Temperance Society Formed
The ATS was pro-women's rights, pro-abolitionism, and pro-temerance. It gained widespread support rapidly, especially in the North. -
Trail of Tears
When Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 he was forcefully relocating thousands of Native Americans including Cherokees, Coctaws, asd Seminoles on the east of the Mississippi to reservations on the west of the Mississippi. -
Nullification Crisis and Bank War
President Jackson made it his duty to kill the federal bank during his presidency. Also during this time Jackson signed the tariff of 1832 that South Carolina tried to nullify, but this decision was repealed once Jackson signed the Force Bill. -
Mexican War Begins
The Mexican War was started because of the annexation of Texas which Mexico still considered to be its territory even after the Texas Revolution years earlier. An alterior motive was also to expand the U.S territory to the Pacific Coast. -
California Gold Rush
Started when James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in California. The discoverey of gold resulted in the immigration of around 300,000 people to California. -
Mexican War Ends/ Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago
Outnumbered and over run, Mexico agreed to sign the treaty of Gaudolupe Hildage which ended hostilities between the 2 countries. Also as part of the treaty most of the present day south west (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah) was ceded into the U.S. -
Seneca Fall Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was an early and influential womens rights convention held in Seneca Falls, New York. Well know women's right activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton was among the speakers, and many of the leaders of the convention were leaders of Quaker women in the church. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 drafted by Henry Clay was package of 5 bills passed that helped to cool tensions between slave and abolition supporters at least for a few more years. In the bills California was admitted as a free state, the Wilmont Proviso was abandoned, and the Fugitive Slave law was enacted. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
The anti-slavery novel published by Harriet Beecher Stowe that exposed the evils of slavery in the south and fueled abolitionist views in the north. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This act, designed by Stephan Douglas, created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed them to decide on the issue of slavery by popular soveriegnty, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise. -
Pottawatomie Creek Massacre (Bleeding Kansas)
Bleeding Kansas was a term used to describe the violence that surounded the issue of slavery in the Kansas territory, part of this violence was the massacre of slavey supporters by 5 abolitionist men lead by John Brown. -
Dred Scott Case
Dred Scott was a slave that was bought in the south but then brought to the north by his master to a place where slavery was illeagal. He argued this as a basis of freedom, but the Supreme Court decided that African AMericans couldn't be citizens and therefore weren't protected by law. -
Civil War Begins (Ft. Sumter)
Ft. Sumter was a Union Fort in South Carolina which had ceded from the Union after Lincoln's victory. It was the location of the first battle of the Civil War in which Lincoln sent troop to try and resupply the fort, but they came under Confederate fire. -
Emancipation Proclimation
The Emancipation Proclimation was an executive order by President LIncoln that freed all slaves in the rebelious states as of Jan. 1st. -
Gettysburg Adress
The speech given by Lincoln at the dedication of the cemetary at Gettysberg Pennsylvania a few months after the Union victory at Gettysberg. It gave the Union a large moral boost and inspired America to a "new birth of freedom." -
Lee surrenders at Appomattox
Lee surrendered his army General Grant at Appomattox Courthouse effectivelly ending the Civil War. -
13th Amendment
This amendment outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States. -
14th Amendment
This ammendment outlined the requiremnets for a United States citizen that overruled the Dred Scott Decision and allowed black to become citizens. -
Transcontinental RR Completed
The two main companies the Union Pacific and Central Pacific rail's met at Promonotory Summit in Utah with a cerimony of driving in the last golden spike. -
15th Amendment
Prohibits the denying a citizen the right to vote because of race or color. -
Rockefeller forms Standard Oil Co.
John D. Rockefeller forms Standard OIl company in Ohio as a trust company, he thne managed to buy up his compettion and create a monopoly that made him the owner of 95% of the world's oil refineries until 1911 when his monopoly was broken. -
Bell Patents the Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telophone that revolutionized communication. -
Battle of LIttle Bighorn
The most famous battle of the Great Sioux War, Custer's Last Stand was a battle in Custer lead a force of about 260 men against a much larger Indian force who annihalted the U.S soldiers. -
The Compromise of 1877
A secret compromise between Republicans and Democrats in return for the Democrats respecting Hayes as president the Republican's agreed to withdrawl federal troops from the southern states, marking the end of reconstruction. -
Edison Invents the Lightbulb
Edison invented a electric lightbulb that used a carbon filament between two contact wires as a surce of light. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Signed by President Arthur in 1882 this act allowed U.S official to suspend Chinese immigration into the U.S. -
Interstate Commerce Act
This was a law made to regulate the monopolistic tendencies of the RR. This law mandated the publication of RR rates and created the ICC to further regulate the RR. -
National American Womens Suffrage Association Founded
NAWSA was a women's right group that pursued the right of women's suffrage. Some of the leaders include Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Carrie Chapman Catt. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
A competition law that was supposed to limit the effects of trust and monopolies from big businesses. -
Battle of Wounded Knee
This was a Massacre of Lakota Indian by U.S troops. The lakota were mostly unarmed women and children, about 150 died with another 50 wounded.
