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Settlement of Jamestown
The first English settlement of North America. 104 English colonists arrived on the shore of Virginia. The Virginia Company, which was the company that funded the settlement, had a criteria for them to locate the perfect spot for settlement. The town was named After King James I. -
Atlantic Slave Trade
The Atlantic Slave Trade or Triangular Trade was a global slave trade that transported around 10 million enslaved Africans to the Americas. In return the Americas would give Europe mainly sugar and coffee. The Enslaved African would boost the economy of the Americas and would later on see a very strong cotton industry. -
Mayflower Compact
Puritans of Europe were escaping persecution from King James I and landed in present day New England which they called the Plymouth Colony. The Document they signed is recognized for establishing the first self-governing Colony in the new world. The idea of law would be the heart of democracy which would later be established. -
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment looked for a scientific way to explain the world. It encouraged to question and test what people believed in and gave the natural rights of life, liberty, property, and happiness. Led by John Locke and many others, they would create a surge in literacy with books and newspapers increasing, and people believing in deism with God being the great clock maker. -
The Great Awakening
The Great Awakening would start after people felt religion was dry. Preachers wanted to make people concerned about their inner emotions. George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards were the most popular preachers of the time and gave the crowd different feelings about God. More churches would then be built with people encouraged to have a personal connection with god. -
Seven Years' War (French and Indian War)
As the British Colonies expanded off the coast they would come across the French with their allied Native Americans. Tensions between Great Britain and France were bad and would go to war multiple times throughout history. Even though Britain would repeatedly lose to the French, they still came out on top with a victory. The Treaty of Paris would be signed in 1763 giving Britain the right for Westward expansion. -
Pontiac's Rebellion
As the French and Indian War ended, Native Americans are dealt with British colonists moving into their homeland. Relationship between Native American Tribes and the British tensed up with Pontiac planning an attack on nearby forts. With British powers being too strong, Pontiac would have to sign a treaty and would eventually be assassinated. -
Stamp, Sugar, and Quartering Act
The Seven Years' War gave Britain a lot of debt to deal with and Parliament's plan was to raise the taxes on the colonies. Colonists would have to deal with higher taxes as well as soldiers living in their houses now. -
Boston Massacre
An angry mob surrounded the Custom House because of the acts placed on them. Violence would quickly begin and the first person to die out of the five was Crispus Attucks. The Colonists would now be more motivated to fight for independence after this. -
Boston Tea Party
With all of the anger built around the tax acts, the Sons of Liberty would be formed out of it. Led by Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, and many others, they would sneak onto a British East India Company boat and dump 342 chests of tea into the ocean. -
Intolerable Acts
Britain felt that there needed to be punishment for the Boston Tea party. They would pass four acts that didn't let the colonists on the Boston Port and even hold courts in Britain which protected accused British Soldiers. This obviously angered the colonists and would begin the revolution -
American Revolution Begins
Skirmishes between the two sides happened often with the big ones being battles at Lexington and Concord. Paul Revere would be a hero in the revolution as he warned the patriots about the British soldiers arriving in Lexington. In Concord soldiers from both sides lined up and a shot that nobody to this day knows who shot would start the American Revolution. -
Thomas Paine's American Crisis and Common Sense
Thomas Paine was one of the most influential authors during the revolution. His writing would impact the war by boosting the morale of the soldiers. Common Sense would outsell the bible and the proceeds would go into the war. This was one of the factors that led to the American victory. -
Declaration of Independence
The Second Continental Congress would take place in Philadelphia and King George would reject the Olive Branch Petition which would have prevented a formal war from starting. The 13 colonies met and Thomas Jefferson would write the declaration of Independence. It would form a new government for the newly named United States. -
Battle of Saratoga
The first turning point of the Revolutionary War. The American army would surround a British army that was left alone. This boosted the morale of the soldiers and gave leverage to Benjamin Franklin who was in France convincing the French to join the war as an ally. The French aided the United States by sending troops and the Navy. -
Battle of Yorktown
General Cornwallis of the British would retreat to Yorktown after fighting the southern colonies. However the British fleet would be wiped off in Yorktown. General Cornwallis would have to surrender after being surrounded. The revolutionary war finally ended. -
Treaty of Paris and Articles of Confederation
The Treaty would end the war and the United States would receive all British land from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River. The Articles of Confederation reflected the previous conflicts that started the war and didn't want the traumas to stay in the new government. It would create a new government with no tax, army, and executive. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was the challenge the new government faced and it would alter the government. Daniel Shay was an Officer that fought in the war and when he arrived home he would be in debt with nobody to take care of his farm while he was gone. Farmers marched under Shay's rule and nobody could stop them because the government had no army. Wealthy investors started a private army and that would be the end of the rebellion. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Ordinance organized a new territory added to the United States. It would be influenced by Thomas Jefferson and the territory would outlaw slavery. They would be split into states; Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The funds from the lands would be used to establish public schools -
The Constitutional Convention
The Convention would question how the country would be governed and split the people into two ideologies, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Federalists wanted a strong federal government and the Anti-Federalists wanted a strong state government. The convention also created the Connecticut Compromise, Bill of Rights, 3/5th Compromise, and Federalist Papers. -
George Washington Inaugurated
George Washington was inaugurated and was not on either side of Federalist and Anti-Federalist. He would set the tone for future presidents by creating precedents like, two terms of presidency, and inaugural and farewell speeches. During his presidency, things would be established like a court system, and the cabinet. Henry Knox would be the Secretary of War, Thomas Jefferson would be the Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton would be the Secretary of the Treasury. -
Bill of Rights
During the convention 10 amendments were passed with the Bill of Rights. It gave individuals freedom of religion as well as court and military related amendments. This protected people with fears of a strong national government. -
Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey was the first thing taxed with the newly formed government and farmers weren't happy about it. When things got bad, George Washington sent the militia to deal with it. This was the first test of the new government and its army and proved that there was federal authority. -
John Adams Becomes President
Once George Washington retired, John Adams would easily win the election and immediately deal with problems. The French would almost go to war with them and the XYZ Affair leaked information to the public. Angered citizens would cause Adams to create the Alien Sedition Acts which stopped people from talking bad about the government and allows deportation of any immigrant they wanted. This would make John Adams to be a corrupt president and unconstitutional. -
Thomas Jefferson Wins Election
After the election win of 1800, the era would be called the Jeffersonian Era and proves the election system works like it was supposed to. John Adams would try and fill the federal courts with Federalists to fight off the Anti-federalist laws being passed. -
Louisiana Purchase
With Jefferson fearing the loss of control of the Mississippi river to the French, he sends James Monroe to negotiate with the French about buying New Orleans to keep the trading alive through the port. The Entire Louisiana Territory would be bought for $15 Million doubling the size of the United States. This would start the Lewis and Clark Expedition to find a water route to the Pacific and trade with Natives. -
Embargo Act of 1807
With the war between Britain and France, each of them wanted the opposing side to stop trading with the United States. Jefferson would ban all foreign trade which single handedly ruined the economy. This would encourage and bring light to domestic manufacturing. -
New Transportation and Inventions
After the Embargo Act, mass production would be used in factories and make things cheaper. The invention of the steam engine would change the way people traveled and was perfect for the economy. The invention of the cotton gin would make cotton profitable. Slavery would be at an all time high. -
War of 1812
The British Navy was oppressing American ships and encouraged Native Americans to resist which would lead to the war. The Hartford Convention would gather people and come up with the Idea of making another country due to war which would lead to the making of the Treaty of Ghent. However the treaty would be signed in Belgium and everyone would not know about so the Battle of New Orleans began. The United States came out on top led by Andrew Jackson. -
2nd Great Awakening
The 2nd Great Awakening gave another surge for religion but this time also organizations and social change. It would increase the popularity of abolition, women's suffrage, and Temperance. Lyman Beecher and Charles Finney were important pastors that would help with the growth of the Awakening. -
Missouri Compromise
With tension between the North and South growing, each of them did not want representatives for the opposing side when creating a new state. Henry Clay would propose the Missouri Compromise which split the country in half (Below Missouri) and anything below would be a slave state while anything above would be an abolition state. States also had to come in pairs so that the country would be balanced. -
Election of 1824 (Corrupt Bargain)
An election between Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, and William H. Crawford. Henry Clay would drop out of the election since he was the speaker of the house and nobody would win majority of electoral votes. A private meeting was held between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay which would lead to Adams being elected and many historians believed that there was an obvious 'Corrupt Bargain'. -
Andrew Jackson's Presidency
People saw Adams as a threat to individual liberties and also felt like he didn't deserve a second term. Andrew Jackson would win the next election and create the first political party (Democratic). Jackson would celebrate by inviting everybody to the White House and fire 200 employees giving the jobs to supporters of Jackson. This would be called the Spoils System which is rewarding supporters with government jobs. -
Indian Removal Act
The Removal Act would be signed off by the Senate and House of Representatives. The government would become sneaky and let a random Cherokee who isn't a higher-up sign a treaty to take their land. This would cause the Trail of Tears which moved the Indians to Oklahoma and many would die of malnutrition. -
The Liberator
The Liberator would be published by William Lloyd Garrison who was a very controversial man that helped further the cause of abolishing slavery. This would popularize the idea of abolishment even more. The North Star (1848) would also have a big impact on abolishment as it was written by a former slave, Frederick Douglas that taught himself how to read. -
Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion
Nat Turner was a slave on a Virginia plantation that would become a preacher and claimed that he would lead them from bondage. His rebellion would kill around 60 people. This would increase the fear of slave owners that feared their own slaves would rebel. Leading to less restrictions for some slaves. -
Overland Trail
Many people would move west as land still equals opportunity and it was cheap because it was undiscovered. Many people would die on this trip and they would also travel in big groups. The Conestoga Wagon would gain popularity during this time as it was the best option for traveling. -
Mexican-American War
Texas would be annexed into the United States which gave the United States to go to war against Mexico. This was due to the mostly American population that disliked the laws that Mexico made. American troops would takeover Mexico and laid siege. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo would give Texas past the Rio Grande River to the United States as well as many other states as they did not want to claim the entirety of Mexico due to the problems they would deal with. -
Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay would propose his last compromise that would last for 10 years. It allowed California to enter the country as a free state and ended slave trade in Washington D.C. Runaways slaves would be hunted and returned to owners and states could choose if they wanted to become a free or slave state. However making a state choose would be abused as Kansas would be raided by pro-slaves stealing votes of making it a free state (Bleeding Kansas). -
John Brown's Plan
John Brown was a pastor and believed that he was called by God to be the tool to end slavery. There would be riots and protests everywhere he went but he would disappear. He would cause the Pottawatomie Massacre and later pop up in Harpers Ferry, Virginia which was where the country's armory was. His plan would be steal weapons and kill plantation owners freeing the slaves, however he would be trapped in the Armory and later hung for his actions. -
Dred Scott Case
The Dred Scott Case could be the worst case ever decided on. Dred Scott would sue as him and his owner would move to Wisconsin which was a free state at the time. The Supreme Court would favor the owner and the North would be filled with anger as the Civil War was about to start. -
Abraham Lincoln's Election
Lincoln would lose to his competition 3 times before being elected and he would also create the Republican Party. Lincoln would follow and promote himself after his opponents. He saw the role of president as to bring people together. He would win the election because the Democratic Party would split into 2 candidates. -
Beginning of the Civil War
Fort Sumter would be the first bloodshed of the war as it was taken over by the South. The South would have major disadvantages like population, weapons, economy, and chance of rebellion. However the North would have some disadvantages too like weaker generals, offensive battle. -
Homestead and Pacific Railway Act
The Homestead act gave land out west for free and people had to live on it. The Pacific Railway act would support the Homestead Act by putting tracks all the way to California and once finished, the popularity was like the moon landing of its time. More people would move west which helped cities that were overcrowding and the Railway Act would help the economy and provided competition between companies. However more people moving west meant more tension between the United States and Natives. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Battle of Antietam was won by numbers to the South. However Abraham Lincoln would consider it a win the North so that he was able to release the Emancipation Proclamation. Now Lincoln would recognize the war as unification and slavery. Lincoln would also make the South look bad to foreign countries so they wouldn't be negotiated with. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This would be the largest battle in North American History and the Union would come out on top. Giving General Lee's army a huge blow. After the battle, Lincoln would give the Gettysburg Address which is one of the most famous speeches in all of history. It would also put a cemetery on the battleground. -
Battle of Vicksburg
Led by Ulysses S. Grant, Vicksburg would be sieged and was even considered the key to victory by Lincoln. Taking over Vicksburg would complete the Anaconda Plan that surrounded the Confederates. The Union finally had a General capable of matching General Robert E. Lee. -
Reconstruction In The South
After the Surrender at Appomattox, the country soon began the reconstruction phase. The South would be in ruins and the economy would pause. There would be a problem figuring out how to bring the South back in to the country without being rebellious. -
Andrew Johnson Impeachment
Andrew Johnson would take over following the assassination of Lincoln. He was viewed a racist and forgave the South of their war debts. He would veto a lot of bills and fire the Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton. He would be impeached and replaced by Ulysses S. Grant -
National Labor Union 51
With people fighting for better working conditions, one of the first labor groups formed would be the National Labor Union. They invited skilled workers and sometimes unskilled workers. Skilled workers would give them leverage as they were less easy to replace. -
Assassination of President Garfield. 52
President Garfield would be killed by Charles Guiteau. He was a vocal supporter of Garfield and wanted a job under the spoils system. The spoils system would end and protection for future presidents would be increased. -
Dawes Act
The Dawes Act was like the Homestead Act but for Native Americans. Giving them a smaller portion of land from their OWN territory but also making them change their lifestyle. This weakened tribes as more and more were Americanized and this was also an attack on their culture. Many groups thought it was beneficial for the Indians. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act 53
The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was made to prevent monopolies, keep competition, and prevent unfair business practices. Teddy Roosevelt would break up the trusts into good and bad. Only allowing good trusts to continue. -
Plessy V. Ferguson 54
Homer Plessy boarded a train and was kicked off. The Supreme Court would make a doctrine that would be "separate but equal". Making Jim Crow Laws equal. -
Spanish-American War 55
America would help out the Cuban people with harsh treatment as Cuba was a Spanish Territory. Spain would have no intentions of honoring a deal with the U.S. as seen in the De Lome letter and a war would start mainly with the Navy. The Spanish would surrender in Cuba and in the Philippines. -
President Roosevelt Elected 56
Teddy Roosevelt is a Republican president but always put America first. He would accomplish many things and fight many battles. Also signing things like the Sherman Anti-trust act and the Meat Inspection act. -
Emergence of Muckrakers 57
Muckrakers were journalists that gave light to many problems going on in the early 20th century. People like Lewis Hine, Jacob Riis, and Lincoln Steffans would influence people into making a change. Problems like tenement housing, child labor, and sanitation. -
Henry Ford and The Model T 58
Henry Ford would introduce the Model T and car culture would begin to grow. However more importantly, he created a moving assembly line that produced Model Ts faster. This made cars more affordable for people and the assembly line could be used for manufacturing other items. Henry Ford would also set a standard for employees as he gave them good working conditions and pay. -
Woodrow Wilson Elected 59
Wilson would become the first democratic president in 16 years because of a republican split. He pledged to break big trusts. Passed the Clayton act and created the Federal Trade Commission. Also create the Federal Reserve which organized the banking system. -
Zimmerman Note 60
WWI began and the U.S would slowly have reasons to join as ships and American people would get caught in the fire. The U.S. would intercept a telegram from Germany saying how they want Mexico to attack the U.S. We would join the war after the Zimmerman Note. -
Selective Service Act 61
The American army was small and ill prepared when joining the war. After the act was signed, we would mobilize 4.5 million troops and businesses started to move towards helping the war out. -
Sedition Act of 1918 62
America takes pride in freedom, however people became upset being in a war and having restrictions. The Espionage act of 1917 prohibited speech of disloyalty and criticism of the government. The Sedition act would follow and punished those. 2000 people would be imprisoned. -
Treaty of Versailles 64
Wilson would propose his 14 points. However they would be rejected. The League of Nations would be created and the United States would not even be a part of it. The Treaty of Versailles would be made and put into action with harsh treatment towards Germany. -
The 19th Amendment 63
Women's suffrage started in the west as they played a larger role during the migration. National Women's Suffrage Association would rise up. Wyoming would be the first state to allow women to vote. -
Volstead Act/18th Amendment 65
The 18th Amendment banned the production and consumption of alcohol as people saw how bad alcohol was. Organized crime and networks would begin and distribution of alcohol. Speakeasies also started. Famous Mob bosses were Al Capone and Bugsy Marone that would run Chicago and would also start the Valentine's Day Massacre. -
Harlem Renaissance 66
Many African Americans would move north during the war. The rise of black artists would be seen especially in Harlem, New York. The 20's were defined by their music as they created blues and jazz which would also become popular with the whites. -
Immigration Act of 1924 67
The Red Scare began and people were becoming fearful of the many Europeans coming into the country. This limited only the Eastern Europeans. Later on the National Origins act would ban all immigrants from coming. -
Rise of The KKK 68
The rise of the KKK would begin again. They would reach 5 million members and would march in Washington. They were fearful of the change of American culture from immigrants and were anti-catholic and anti-semitism. -
Dust Bowl 69
The Dust Bowl would cause an economic and environmental disaster. The Soil would erode and gave a drought with strong winds. Crops would turn to dust and no food would be sent out. It would be the #1 ecological disaster of the 20th century. -
The New Deal 70
FDR would be elected in 1932 and would focus on "Relief, Recovery, and Reform". In his famous first hundred days, he would spend and create programs which would be called The New Deal. The Programs gave jobs and protected Americans. -
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) 71
HUAC was created with the Red Scare still going on. It protected the way of American life. They did so publicly often airing the hearings. The Hollywood 10 would be a group of writers, directors, producers, and actors that were investigated. They would be blacklisted and never worked again. -
Pearl Harbor 72
U.S. oil embargo on Japan was hurting their economy and they wanted to attack the United States for an easy win. Pearl Harbor would be attacked and a lot of our fleet would be destroyed. -
Internment of Japanese Americans 73
Americans grew angry towards the Japanese Americans. They would be moved to internment camps for their "safety". The conditions were bad they would lose everything once the war was over. Some Japanese Americans would join the army to prove their loyalty. -
G.I. Bill of Rights 75
A way to thank the troops for the war. Gave many benefits to the soldiers of the war like giving them free education, low interest home and business loans. Home ownership became more of a reality at that time. -
D-Day 74
The largest seaborne invasion in history and was the turning point of WWII. It was named Operation Overlord before. The Allies would lane over 150,000 troops on the beaches of Normandy. -
Yalta Conference 76
Discussed the future after the war. It would create the United Nations. FDR would pass away during this time and Truman would take over. Dismembered Germany and focused on Japan. -
Baby Boom 77
U.S. population would increase by 30 million. People would hold off making babies because of the depression and war but it would be over. This created a demand for jobs of all kinds. -
Levittown and Suburbs 78
Levitt & Sons would create a new type of neighborhood and prices would be affordable. Families can move out of the cities and their apartments. Neighborhoods would be efficiently made with little cost and waste. -
Jackie Robinson 79
Jackie Robinson would become the first African American in the Major Leagues. He would be discriminated in all sorts of ways but he kept his cool and never retaliated. Inspiration to millions. One of the big factors for the Civil Rights movement. -
Operation Vittles 81
To support west Berlin surrounded by the USSR, President Truman would send an airlift with food and supplies to help out. If the planes were shot down that would spark war. It was a way to work around the blockade and rules the USSR made. -
Marshall Plan 80
The United States would give tons of money to the European countries after the war. This would help them rebuild all of the damage and build a relationship with the countries. Germany would be divided at this time and the Soviets would take half. -
Dean Acheson Becomes Secretary of State 82
Dean Acheson would develop a policy to contain communism and also help create NATO. It brought together countries to created a collective security system.. -
Brown V. Board 84
Schools were supposed to be separate but equal. However they were not equal as black schools were less nicer. Thurgood Marshall would help out Linda Brown's case and would also become the first African American Supreme Court Justice. While also winning the case overturning Plessy. -
Emmett Till 86
A boy would be attacked by 2 men for allegedly whistling at a woman. They would be freed as the court had an all-white jury. The men would brag about the beating later. -
Rosa Parks, Bus Boycott 85
Planned boycott with Rosa Parks challenging the Jim Crow laws. Boycott would last over a year and bus companies would join the fight on their side because of how many blacks use the bus. -
National Interstate and Defense Highways Act 87
Largest public works project in history. Would connect the country and update the American roadways. Evacuation would be made easier in case of an emergency from the Cold War. -
Little Rock 9 88
First 9 students in Little Rock to go to an all-white school. Protests began and the national guard would be sent by the Arkansas governor. President Eisenhower would send the 101st Airborne division to protect the students. -
U-2 Incident 91
A U.S Spy would be shot down over the Soviet Union. Gary Powers would be captured and put on trial. He becomes the most hated man in America at the time because he failed to destroy the plane and keep his mouth shut. -
Ruby Bridges 92
In 1960, Ruby Bridges was the first black student to attend an all white elementary school in the south. She is escorted to and from school by armed federal marshals while community members, parents, and students shout insults, protest, and throw food. -
Election of 1960 90
Nixon and Kennedy would have a debate and it would be televised. Nixon would be seen as unprofessional on camera because he would be talking to the crowd instead of the camera. This gave Kennedy a lead even though Nixon had better points. Kennedy would win the election. -
Rise of Television 89
Millions would have televisions in their homes. This grew in culture as music and shows influenced the next generation. This also gave political relevance. -
Greensboro Sit-ins 93
In Greensboro, North Carolina, 4 black college students sit down at a segregated lunch counter in a Woolworth's department Store and ask to be served. When they are denied, they refuse to leave and begin a sit-in at the restaurant. The event inspires similar sit-in protests at lunch counters throughout the south. Six months after the four students were denied service, they were served lunch at the same Woolworth's lunch counter. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion 95
Cuban refugees were trained by the CIA to invade Cuba. The navy was supposed to back them up in the invasion but JFK would back them out last minute. The refugees would be devastated. -
Freedom Riders 96
Over 1000 student volunteers both black and white, organized by CORE AND SNCC began taking rides through the south to test new laws outlawing segregation in bus and railway stations several groups of riders were viciously attacked and buses bombed by mobs of angry white racists. "Bull" Conner would intentionally send police minutes later so that the mobs could do damage on the freedom riders. -
James Meredith 97
James Meredith applied and was denied admittance to the University of Mississippi. He appeals the decision all the way to the Supreme court and wins. The governor of Mississippi tries to block his entrance. Students riot in response to Meredith’s arrival. 500 U.S. marshals and national guard troops are called in to enforce the ruling and keep peace on the campus. -
President Lyndon B. Johnson. 83
Johnson's goal would be called the Great Society. Starting a war against poverty, reducing tax, creating Medicare and Medicaid. He would also produce acts that protected nature and created the Department of Housing and Urban Development. -
March On Washington 98
The SCLC planned a march and rally in Washington D.C. with support from the NAACP, SNCC, and CORE. Over 250,000 people are in attendance. People are bused in from all over the country. Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his “I have a dream” speech. -
Gulf of Tonkin Incident 94
A reported fire on a U.S. ship would make the United States more focused on the war. The resolution gave President Johnson a broad authority over the military. This would lead to Operation Rolling Thunder and Agent Orange. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964 99
Prohibits discrimination of race, color, religion, or national origin. Signed by President Johnson. It integrated more schools and made employment discrimination illegal. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965 100
Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The law bans discrimination in local, state, and national elections and polling places. Bans literacy tests, intimidation, physical violence.