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Major U.S. Historical Events
Native Americans lived on this land for thousands of years.
Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 to find a western route to Asia
(India, Far East). Instead he found the Americas. His discovery of these lands led other
explorers from Europe to the Americas in search of riches and new land to conquer.
European countries started colonies in the Americas.
France
England
Spain
England created colonies. A colony is land controlled by another country.
The first colony was Jamestown, Virginia it was settled in 1607. The colonies were controlled by
the king of England. He made the rules they had to follow. The profit they made also went to the
king.
Other English settlers came for religious freedom. They were the pilgrims. They sailed on the
Mayflower in 1620. While on the ship they signed the Mayflower Compact. It stating... they
would work together and be good to each other. This document was important because it would
be the first in American history.
The Pilgrims first winter in the new world was difficult and many died. They made friends with a
Native American named Squanto. That fall they celebrated a successful harvest and had the
first Thanksgiving dinner with their native friends.
By the 1700’s there were 13 colonies in America controlled by the British government. They
were…
The French and Indians (Natives) lived on the land between the Appalachian Mountains
and the Mississippi River.
The French used this area to hunt beaver fur. The Natives had already been pushed from the
colonies area westward. These two groups wanted to protect this area from the British so they
combined forces.
In 1754 the French-Indian War began against the British.
1. The British won
2. The French lost their rights and
were forced off the land
3. The Natives kept fighting
Remember that the British control the American colonies.
The French Indian War was very costly for the British so they taxed the American colonists to
pay for the war.
o The problem was many colonists felt the British government did not act in favor of the
colonists and the taxes were not used to help the colonies.
o The colonists also did not have representatives to speak to the King on issues they felt
were important.
*Loyalists- colonists who were loyal to Britain
*Patriot- colonists who were rebels against Britain
The Stamp Act was passed. Stamped products meant the colonists paid taxes to also help pay
for the French-Indian War.
By 1770, the colonists were very upset about the taxes.
Colonists teased the British soldiers in the streets of
Boston by throwing snowballs. One day they aimed at
each other. Someone shot first. In the end, 5 colonists
died. Paul Revere called it the Boston Massacre in the
newspapers. Patriots were trying to get other colonists
to rebel against the British.
Angry colonists set up the Boston Tea Party, that happened in 1773. To show they were upset,
the colonists dressed up like Natives and went to a ship in the Boston Harbor and dumped the tea
into the harbor.
They protested “NO TAXATION, without REPRESENTATION”.
After the Boston Tea Party, England passed the Intolerable Acts as a punishment
Ex: Quartering Act… (forced to feed and shelter British soldiers)
In 1774 Colonists created the 1st Continental Congress to discuss the issues happening in Boston
and see if England would listen to their complaints.
In 1775, while trying to protect their guns and gun powder, the American colonists battled with
the British in Massachusetts in FIRST battle called the Battle of Concord and Lexington.
In reaction to the Battle of Concord and Lexington, the next month the
2nd Continental Congress was formed this time to set up the Continental Army to be led by
General George Washington.
On July 4th, 1776, Thomas Jefferson read the Declaration of Independence. It was written to
the king of England announced:
1. The American colonies should be free from England
2. Listed all unjust actions of the king to the American colonists
3. People have natural basic rights
1. life
2. liberty
3. pursuit of happiness
American Revolutionary War (Colonists Vs British) lasted from 1775-1781
Some important battles and events
Battle of Trenton (Washington crosses the Delaware River)
Battle of Saratoga
Valley Forge (Washington’s army was posted there for the winter, it was rough but they
left there well trained)
Battle of Yorktown (last battle) (French help the colonists)
(General Cornwallis surrenders)
In Treaty of Paris (document between U.S. and Britain)
It officially ends the war
It legally gives America its freedom to be its own country
They named their new country United States of America (made up of 13
states)
George Washington was elected the 1st president of the country.
The country’s first constitution was called the Articles of Confederation.
It was weak because it…
*allowed each state to act like a separate nation
ex: each state made its own money
The new constitution was called the US Constitution (law of the land)
This document explains the rules and powers for each branch of the U.S.
*3 branches of government
*Executive
*Legislative
*Judicial
This document was stronger and better because it had…
*Checks and balances (no branch is stronger than the other)
*Federal government has more power than the states governments
*It protected the country from having one, all powerful leader
*Great Compromise
(Smaller States Vs Larger States) (Sherman’s Plan)
What was fair?
How many representatives should a state be allowed?
How do you decide?
Do you decide based on the size of the state or the state’s population?
These questions led to the creation of the senate and the House of Representatives.
The Senate has 2 senators from each state no matter what… 50x2= 100
The House has representatives based on the population.
*Bill of Rights
...were amended (added) to the U.S. Constitution
Thomas Jefferson wanted to protect the rights of the citizens!
1st Amendment
2nd
3rd
4th
The first ten
amendments are called
the Bill of Rights
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
27th Amendment
1st Amendment...
freedom of Speech
freedom of Press
freedom to protest against government/assemble
freedom of religion (your belief, what you worship)
*Northwest Ordinance (document/laws about the land they won in F.I. War)
*Louisiana Purchase
the land purchased by President Jefferson from France it was a bargain for $15 million,
since we only wanted New Orleans for $5 million
the city of New Orleans gave the U.S. access for shipping down the Mississippi River
doubled the size of the U.S.
*War of 1812 (U.S. vs British)
The British attack America
Burned the White House
*Westward Movement
Natives driven off their land
White Americans believed the land belonged to them from a belief called, Manifest Destiny
*The United States has been adding new states to the Union like Michigan in 1837
*Civil War 1861-1865
North vs South
The president was Abraham Lincoln
One of the main reasons for the war was over slavery
*Slaves- a person forced to work for free, they have no rights
*Plantation- a large farm with one crop
*Abolitionists- a person who helped slaves get to freedom
*Underground Railroad- a secret trail to get slaves to the north (Canada) for freedom
Timeline KEY WORDS
B.C.
0
B.C.E.
Timeline- a line that has key events in history with the date.
*decade- 10 years
*Century- 100 years
*Score- 20 years
A.D.
C.E.