U.S. History A Timeline

By Gavin Russell
  • Oct 12, 1492

    The Discovery of America by Columbus

    Christopher Columbus land in the Americas after setting sail from Spain.

  • The Settlement of Jamestown

  • The French and Indian War

  • The Boston Tea Party

  • The Battle of Lexington and Concord

  • The Declaration of Independence

  • The Battle of Yorktown

  • The Constitutional Convention

  • The Alien and Sedition Acts

  • The invention of the cotton gin

  • The Louisiana Purchase

  • The War of 1812

  • The Missouri Compromise

  • Andrew Jackson’s Election

  • The Trail of Tears

  • The Panic of 1837

  • The invention of the telegraph

  • The Mexican-American War

    The invasion of Mexico by the US Army.

  • The Compromise of 1850

    Admission of California as a "Free State".

  • The Firing on Fort Sumter

    Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter at Charleston, South Carolina. Marking first shots in the Civil War.

  • The Emancipation Proclamation

    Declared slaves in Confederate states to be free.

  • 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments

    Granted freedom, voting rights, and citizenship to African americans.

  • Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse

    Confederates surrender, marking the end of the Civil War.

  • Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination

    John Wilkes Booth shoots President Lincoln in his presidential box at Ford's Theater.

  • Andrew Johnson’s Impeachmen

    House of Representatives impeaches President Andrew Johnson.

  • The invention of the electric telephone

    Alexander Graham Bell received the patent for his invention the telephone.

  • The invention of the electric light.

    Thomas Edison invents the electric light bulb.

  • The Organization of Standard Oil Trust

    Consolidated many oil companies into one near-monopoly oil company.

  • The Pullman and Homestead Strikes

    Iron and Steel workers strike and revolt against lowering wages and poor conditions.

  • The Spanish-American War

    United States fought Spain gaining control over Cube, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.

  • Theodore Roosevelt becomes president

    Theodore Roosevelt becomes president after the assassination of the former president William McKinley.

  • The invention of the airplane

    The Wright Brothers made the first successful airplane flight.