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Christopher Newport sails three English ships with supplies and about a hundred colonists over to present day Virginia. -
In the spring of 1609, the first new world colony, Jamestown was founded. -
In the year of 1616, the colonists of Jamestown discovered the crop of Tobacco. Tobacco will not only end up creating and increasing trade between England and the Americas, but it is also credited with the saving of Jamestown! -
In the summer of 1619, the first slave ship, called White Lion, came over from the continent of Africa and settled in Virginia. Although the ship only had 20-30 slaves, it marked the beginning of a long, blood red trail through American history. -
In the year 1619, the House of Burgesses was the first democratically elected legislative body in the Americas. Mainly made up of rich, white, land-owning males, the House of Burgesses contrasted the already existing monarchy in England. -
Harvard was officially founded by a vote of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The group ordered for the new collegiate school to be located in Newetowne (later named Cambrige). -
In 1675, Nathaniel Bacon got tired of the Native Americans taking up land. When the mayor wouldn't help Bacon get more land from the Indigenous tribes, Bacon put together an "army" with indentured servants and white males. Together, they burned Jamestown to the ground. this rebellion, although odd, cleared the path for slavery. Once the colonists realized Indentured servants still had rights, they focused more on slaves who didn't have rights and therefore could not rebel. -
After being disrespected by the colonists, the allied Indigenous tribe began to fight back. Unfortunately, the unrest ended with the Indigenous tribe leader's head on a stick. The colonies fought this war on their own, and that single factor made many groups realize that they could be independent from Britain. Revolution was stirring. -
Over 200 frenchmen and allied indigenous warriors attacked the unguarded community of Schenectady, New York. As many as 60 people were killed and many fled into the woods. -
Two girls, Betty and Abigail, claimed to see and feel witchcraft from three people in Salem, Massachusetts. The whole town woke in riot and then began the manhunt for those who were witches. As a result of this time of mayhem, 25 people were killed, and the girls were never questioned or punished. -
It was the dream of John Davenport, the religious leader of the colony, to establish a theocracy college to educate future leaders. First started in Abraham Pierson's house, it was moved to Saybrook in 1701. -
After being chased by the JANE, Blackbeard was killed when the crew of the JANE tricked him by faking their deaths on the deck of the ship. Once Blackbeard boarded the ship to observe the success of his cannons, he was met by a surprise attack where he was fought at close range. Once the 6 minutes of fighting ceased and the smoke cleared away, Blackbeard lay dead. -
The Great Awakening was a revitalization of religious piety that swept through the American colonies. Through this period, multiple minority denominations were strengthened, and the ideological ideals of Christianity swept the world.
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New ideas of technology and the shift to mechanical processes swept through all of Europe. Later, this revolution will sweep through the Americas and is responsible for shaping much of the world we know today. -
On a cold evening, the Sons of Liberty, an undercover activist group, dressed up as Native Americans and dumped thousands of pounds of tea into the Boston harbor. This act of protest was inspired by the harsh taxes that were being imposed on the colonists by Great Britain.
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This war took place between Britain and the Colinies. In a war for American Independence, the colonies revolted against the the British's harsh taxes. The "shot heard round the world" officially kicked off the revolution. Eventually, the American colonies would come out on top and win independence.
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This document, unanimously signed by the 13 United States of America, adopted by the Second Continental Congress, declared American Independence from Britain. -
These documents provided the United States with a beginning idea of a structured government. After paving the way for new ideas, the Articles of Confederation made room for the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the current form for U.S. Government. -
The treaty of Paris not only recognized the independence of America from Britain, but it also ceded most of the territory east of the Mississippi River to the U.S.
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Containing the first 10 amendments of the U.S.Constitution, the Bill of Rights was ratified in December of 1791. Written by James Madison, the document stated the basic rights of colonists as well as the rules that were to be followed by both the government and the citizens. -
The Louisiana Purchase was the gaining of the territory of Louisiana from the French Republic. Sold for around $8 per sq/mi, the U.S. obtained 828,000 of land in middle America. -
After gaining help from Britain during the Haitian Revolution, Haiti received independence from French imperial rule. Haiti was the first black country to win independence from a European power. -
This doctrine, delivered to Congress by James Monroe, warned European nations that the U.S. would not tolerate any more puppet governments or colonization in the Western Hemisphere. It stated that any intervention made by Europeans was a hostile act against the U.S. -
In 1833, the Slavery Abolition Act was passed. This act freed more than 800,000 Africans in the Caribbean, South Africa, and a few in Canada.
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The first Opium war was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing Dynasty. In order to get the Chinese to buy British goods, the British started sneaking Opium into China illegally. Eventually, addictions swept through the Chinese nation, and because of the sudden disturbance to their colony, they began to resist. The war ended with the Treaty of Nanking, which enabled free trade for Britain (they could trade whatever with whoever (including Opium)).
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In May of 1846, the U.S. declared war on Mexico due to a dispute on land. President Polk accused Mexican troops of attacking Americans on U.S. soil, but Mexico claimed that the land was a Mexican territory and the Americans were the ones who were trespassing. Sam Houston said that when the U.S. annexed Texas, the U.S. became responsible for Texas' disputes with the Mexican government.
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While building a mill for John Sutler, James Marshall noticed flecks of shiny metal left behind from running water. After the word spread about his findings, the rush to the mines began. -
In retaliation of Lincoln's presidential election, the slave holding south had cries of disunion. They felt threatened by the non-slaveholding states in the Union. Their succession is a major component in the kicking off of the civil war. -
At 4:30am, Confederate troops fired upon Fort Sumpter in Charleston Harbor. Later, Union forces surrender and mark the start of the Civil War. -
Shortly after 10pm, John Wilkes Booth entered the presidential box in Ford's Theatre, Washington D.C. and fatally shot Lincoln. As Lincoln slumped in his seat, Booth ran on the stage and escaped out the back door. Booth was caught after days of searching, and was shot as he tried to escape Union soldiers.