US History A Timeline

  • Oct 12, 1492

    Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus

    America was discovered by Christopher Columbus after he tried to find a new water route to India for the Spice Trade.
  • Settlement of Jamestown, Virginia

    The settlement of Jamestown was a settlement of British Protestants trying to escape religious persecution in England.
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    French and Indian War

    The French and Indian war was the American portion of the seven years war. The seven years war was brought on by England against France, for settling on the continent of America.
  • Boston Tea Party

    The Boston tea party was a protest on British tea taxes by dumping bags of tea into the harbor of Boston.
  • Battles of Lexington and Concord

    These battles were the start of the conflict between England and the colonies of America, commonly called the Revolutionary war.
  • Declaration of Independence

    The Declaration of Independence was America declaring its freedom from British rule.
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    Siege of Yorktown

    The Siege of Yorktown was a decisive battle for the Revolutionary war. It was fought from the American and French armies against the British army.
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    Constitutional Convention

    The constitutional convention was a meeting of politicians to try and fix the current government, and it ended up creating the US Constitution.
  • Cotton Gin invented

    The Inventor of the Cotton Gin was Ely Whitney, and the cotton gin's purpose was to separate the cottons seeds from the cotton itself.
  • Alien Act Passed

    These acts made it harder to vote as an immigrant, and gave the US new powers to deport foreigners.
  • Sedition Act Passed

    These acts made it harder to vote as an immigrant, and gave the US new powers to deport foreigners.
  • Louisiana Purchase

    The Louisiana Purchase was the purchase of 828 thousand square miles of land from France.
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    War of 1812

    The war of 1812 was fought against England because of the Trade Embargoes placed on the united states.
  • Missouri Compromise

    The Missouri Compromise was a practice put in place by the US government. It says that any states north of the 36 degree meridian cannot practice slavery.
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    Andrew Jackson as President

    Andrew Jackson was elected president first in 1829, running against John Quincy Adams. For his second term, he was running against Henry Clay
  • Indian Removal Act was Passed

    The Indian removal act was an act that relocated tens of thousand of Indians from their lands to reservations. This is usually called "The Trail of Tears".
  • Panic of 1837

    The panic of 1837 was a financial crisis that put the US into a recession until the mid 1840s
  • Invention of the Telegraph

    The Telegraph was invented in 1838, and quickly became the country's main way of communicating.
  • The Compromise of 1850

    The compromise of 1850 was a compromise between the pro- and anti-slavery states on the new territory gained in the Mexican-American war, and how it would be divided.
  • Firing on Fort Sumter

    The Battle of Fort Sumter was a two day battle started on Fort Sumter started by the recently succeeded southern states, starting the Civil War.
  • Emancipation Proclamation

    The Emancipation Proclamation was a presidential order by President Lincoln, that freed over three million slaves.
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    Reconstruction Amendments

    The Reconstruction Amendments were three amendments passed between 1865 and 1870, trying to recoup the US after the devastating civil war.
  • Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse

    The surrender at Appomattox was an agreement between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee for Lee to surrender his army in Virginia.
  • Assassination of President Lincoln

    Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at fords theater, watching the play "Our American Cousin".
  • Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

    Andrew Johnson was impeached on February 24th, after being accused of high crimes and misdemeanors.
  • Organization of Standard Oil

    Standard oil was founded in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller, his brother, and other influential people at the time.
  • Invention of the Telephone

    The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.
  • Invention of the Lightbulb

    The Light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison.
  • Homestead Strikes

    The Homestead and Pullman strikes were worker strikes that shut down big parts of the economy, especially the Pullman strikes. These were major events for labor unions.
  • Pullman Strikes

    The Homestead and Pullman strikes were worker strikes that shut down big parts of the economy, especially the Pullman strikes. These were major events for labor unions.
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    Spanish-American War

    The Spanish-American war started when the USS Maine was sunk in Havana harbor, and democrats pushed republican president William McKinley to enter into a war he didn't want to.
  • Election of Theodore Rosevelt

    Theodore Roosevelt was appointed president after William McKinley was assassinated. He then ran for another term.
  • Invention of the Airplane

    The airplane was invented by the Wright brothers (Orville and Wilbur)