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Founding of Virginia
On April 26th, 1607 Virginia was named after Queen Elizabeth who was known as “The Virgin Queen” because she was never married. Originally in Virginia, people who lived there were criminals who were given the choice to come to Jamestown and work or be put in prison. The mortality rate was also high due to unclean water in the river, diseases, starvation, and Native American attacks. -
Anglo-Powhatan War
The second Anglo-Powhatan war started due to the Powhatans wanting to show their domination of the new people in their land who were starting to grow. On March 22nd, 1622, Opechancanough led a surprise attack north of Jamestown that wiped out about one third of the colonist population; however, after the 10 year long war the English ended up defeating the Powhatans (Rice). -
Georgia is Founded as a Colony
In February of 1732, Georgia was established as a colony by James Edward Oglethorpe, a general for England, along with a crew of twenty one men. The name Georgia was created in honor of King George the second, who signed it making it the last of the thirteen original colonies. At first, Oglethorpe did not allow slavery in Georgia because he believed it was immoral, but in the 1750s this rule was taken away due to many people stating they needed slaves (Background). -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War AKA “Seven Years War” was a fight in result of the nation’s arguing over frontierland in the western part of North America. Despite the name, the French and Indians did not fight each other; they actually helped one another fight the British. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War on February 10th, 1763, after seven years of fighting. In the treaty, France got the short end of the stick and had to give up all of their land in the mainlands of North America (U.S. Department of State). -
John Quincy Adams is Born
John Quincy Adams was born on July 11th, 1767 and was the son of John Adams, our nation’s 2nd president. He will later grow up to become our nation’s 6th President and a member of the House of Representatives after his presidency. -
First Battle of the Revolutionary War
On April of 1775, The Battle of Lexington and Concord started after the “shot heard round the world”. When the militiamen realized how heavily outnumbered they began to retreat until a single shot was fired, which created a chain reaction of everyone breaking out into battle. People are still not completely sure which side fired this first shot (Battles of Lexington and Concord). -
Common Sense
In January of 1776, Thomas Paine released a pamphlet called “Common Sense” that explained why it was common sense for us to become independent of England and create a democratic republic nation. This was a very influential writing that helped colonists make their decisions on whether to support independence because originally they were unsure if they wanted to break away and become an independent nation (Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense). -
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
On July 4th of 1776, fifty-six delegates signed the Declaration of Independence which was written by Thomas Jefferson. News of the Declaration did not reach England until August 8th. The King of England, George the third, did not make a public speech until October 31st. Despite the harsh words said by the King, other British leaders still wanted Americans to rejoin Great Britain (Delegates sign Declaration of Independence). -
John Quincy Sails to France
At ten years old, he went to France with his father who wanted his son to gain experience with foreign affairs. While crossing the Atlantic ocean their ship survived a hurricane, and was struck by lightning. While in France he became fluent in French. He moved back to the States July of 1785. “Every part of the country is cultivated, the fields of grain, the vineyards, the castles, the cities, the parks, the gardens, everything is beautiful. Yet every places swarms with beggars” (Unger 33). -
John Quincy Adams enables a degree from Harvard
Adams returned to France in 1783 to work with his father and attend school in Europe. While there, he became fluent in Dutch and German after already knowing French. In 1785 he traveled back to America and went to Harvard University for a law degree. He graduated in 1787 (two years later) with a law degree and became a lawyer in Boston, MA. -
Louisiana Purchase
In 1803, under the ruling of Thomas Jefferson, the U.S. purchased 530 million acres from the French for just $15 million ($.03 per acre) which was cheap even for that time period. This tremendous purchase doubled the size of the United States adding fifteen additional states, this was one of the most important achievements of Thomas Jefferson as president (Louisiana Purchase). -
Napoleon Bonaparte Dies
Napoleon Bonaparte mysteriously died on May 5th, 1821 while exiled to St. Helena, an island in the Atlantic Ocean, under British imprisonment. His last words were “My death is premature. I have been assassinated by the English oligopoly and their hired murderer.” It is believed that he died of cancer but there was no autopsy to confirm it and there are many different conspiracy theories on how people think he really died (What Killed Napoleon Bonaparte). -
John Quincy Adams Wins the Presidency!
In the 1824 presidential election, Jackson received more votes than Adams but not enough to win. Adams win was due to what Jackson called the Corrupt Bargain. Allegedly, Adams told Henry Clay, Speaker of the House and presidential candidate, that he would be Secretary of State if he convinced Congress to elect him. “My election as President of the United States was not half so gratifying to my inmost soul. No election or appointment conferred upon me ever gave me so much pleasure” (Unger 262). -
Erie Canal Completed
The Erie Canal was America’s first canal in the United States. It was 363 miles long and stretched from Albany, NY to Buffalo, NY at Lake Erie. The canal was one of the nation’s greatest accomplishment while John Quincy Adams was president because it allowed more trade throughout the United States. -
John Quincy Adams First Son Passes
On April 30th, 1829 John Quincy Adams first son, George, died during a journey to Washington, DC to visit his father. While drunk, he asked the captain to return to shore but the captain refused. He was last seen around 2:00 AM and the only thing he left behind on board was his hat and jacket and it is unclear if he purposefully jumped off or accidentally fell off the boat. -
John Quincy Adams Joins the House of Representatives
After his presidency, in March of 1831, John Quincy Adams joined the House of Representatives for Massachusetts's 11th district. He served until March of 1833 and then changed to Massachusetts’s 12th district. He continued there until March of 1843 and then represented Massachusetts’s 8th district until February of 1848. -
Irish Potato Famine
In the 1800s, the potato was a huge part of the Irish people's diet, especially the poor. From 1845-1849 a disease called, Potato Blight, destroyed most of the potatoes grown in Ireland and was the worst famine in Europe in the 19th century. The Irish were even more vulnerable due to not getting as many nutrients as they needed since they relied on potatoes too much. -
John Quincy Adams Passes
On February 23, 1848, John Quincy Adams died due to an intracerebral hemorrhage. Before falling into a coma, John Quincy Adams said, “This is the end of earth, but I am composed” (Unger 310). John Quincy was laid to rest in a silver frame coffin in his hometown Braintree, which is now known as Quincy, Massachusetts. -
Big Ben Opened
The tower named Big Ben in London rang its’ bell for the first time on July 11th, of 1859. The tower gets its name from the colossal bell inside that weighs over 26,000 pounds! The clock keeps its accuracy simply using a stack of coins on its pendulum that makes it move steady (Big Ben goes into Operation in London). -
Civil War Begins
The American Civil War started on April 12th of 1861. The first battle was led by Confederate General P.G.T Beauregard attacking Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC. On April 13th, Major Robert Anderson surrendered to the confederates even though no soldiers were actually killed during the firefight. The Civil War will last until 1865 and to this day still has claimed more American lives than any other war (The Civil War Begins).
