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The Boston Massacre
When tension was rising between Britain and the colonies, youths and dockworkers surrounded British soldiers stationed in front of the State House. The people got rowdy, throwing snowballs and insults, the soldiers thought they would have to defend themselves so they shot into the crowd and killed 5 people. It flamed the spark of the Colonies freeing themselves from Britain because people were so outraged. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence declared America free from British control. It was based on the idea that people have natural rights that government cannot take away. It was a signal to the King that they wanted to be free. -
Alexander Hamilton becomes Treasury Secretary
Alexander Hamilton had ties to George Washington from the war but he was also very smart so he was appointed Secretary in 1789. Hamilton's job was to straighten out the War debts which came up to about $52 million. In paying off the debts he proved that they where a strong government and only made stronger by his other idea to make a National Bank. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Mississippi River was a key trading route for American Merchants and was part of the Louisiana Territory. When France gave control of the Louisiana Territory to Spain in 1802, Spain returned it to France after shutting down the ports, causing an outrage among the Americans. America offered to buy New Orleans so they could open up the Mississippi and avoid war, but France in turn offered them the whole Territory for 3 cents an acre. This doubled Americas size and opened up the West. -
The Donner Party
Jacob and George Donner led a wagon trail to California. Instead of taking the regular path, they took a path that was supposedly shorter, but actually added 18 days to their journey. The shortcut caused them to get stuck in the Nevada Mountains because of heavy snow. They turned to cannibalism when they ran out of food, and ate the people who had already died. Only half of the party made it to California. The pass they took is now called the Donner Pass and connects San Francisco with Reno. -
The California Gold Rush
Thousands of people from around the world went to California, hoping to strike it rich after James Marshal found gold. The road to the west was hard, but people still took it. There were many methods to mining, immigrants would take over neglected mines and find gold that Americans couldn't. Miners were willing to pay so much for things that prices rocketed. The Gold Rush helped get people from the East into the West and also raised prices and contributed to economics in California. -
The Attack on Fort Sumter
The confederates attacked Fort Sumter by surrounding it with heavy guns from all sides and demanding surrender. Fort Sumter did not surrender or evacuate so needed supplies were sent. The Civil War started when Fort Sumter was attacked. -
President Lincoln Assasination
Only a little time after the Civil War was over President Lincoln was assassinated. John Wilkes Booth, a confederate, shot him while he was watching a play at Ford's Theatre. It was the first assassination ever of a president. -
Thomas Edison Invented the Lightbulb
Electricity became critical in the second industrial age. Edison announced in 1878 that he would invent a practical electric light. People were very excited but could hardly use the light bulb because of the lack of electricity in homes and offices. So Edison built a power plant to get electricity to buildings in New York. It was the start of long distance power and light bulbs. -
Women gain the right to vote
By 1917 the NAWSA (National American Woman Suffrage Association) had reached 2 million members. The president of NAWSA, Carrie Chapman Catt, offered their services if they went into WWl to gain the favor of the President in hopes he would be in favor of Suffrage. In 1918 women were given full voting rights, the amendment was approved in 1919 and in 1920 made it a law after many rallies by the NAWSA. -
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
America cut off from Japan, when it started invading other countries, in July 1941, freezing all bank accounts and trading so Japan planned an attack on the Naval fleet in Hawaii. In December they sent bombs raining down on Pearl Harbor, killing more than 2,400 americans. This led to America declaring War against Japan and Germany Declaring War of the US. It initiated the US joining WWll. -
Brown v. The Board of Education
Brown v. The Board of education was about a girl named Linda Brown who couldn't go all white school had to walk across town to get to her school. Her Father and NAACP sued so Linda could go to school closer to her home. The supreme court on May 17, 1954 issued a ruling that there should be no segregation in public places and school. -
September 11, 2001
On September 11, 2001, an Islamic terrorist group hijacked four commercial airliners and crashed two of the airplanes into the twin towers, collapsing them and killing about 2,500 people. They also crashed a plane in the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. This act brought countries together to mourn and eventually the terrorist were caught. This also started the war in Afghanistan. -
My Birthday
The day I was born
