american history timeline by Janelle Marrero _ Student - SalemMS

october 12, 1492- columbus "discovers" the new world

jamarrero — 2025-08-27 20:59:17 UTC

columbus landed on a bahamian island but he thought he was in asia. the king of spain sponsored his trip which led to the colonization of the americas and began the age of exploration. there were already native americans living there when columbus "discovered" it.

august 13, 1521- conquest of tenochtitlan

jamarrero — 2025-08-27 21:02:52 UTC

this was the fall of the aztec capital to spanish conquistadors led by cortes. this victory came from their advanced weapons (guns and cannons) and the spread of smallpox

july 22, 1587- roanoke settlement

jamarrero — 2025-08-27 21:07:28 UTC

an attempted permanent colony in north america by the british. they were led by john white who went back to england after a lack of supplies but when he returned the colony was abandoned.

june 20, 1675- king phillip's war

jamarrero — 2025-08-27 21:10:36 UTC

a conflict in new england between the native americans led by the wampanoag chief known as king phillip and the english colonists

1676- bacons rebellion

jamarrero — 2025-08-27 21:11:49 UTC

an uprising in virginia led by nathaniel bacon against governor william berkeley over tensions on native american policies, land, taxes, and falling tobacco prices. bacon's group attacked native americans and burned the capital (jamestown)

july 4, 1776- declaration of independence

jamarrero — 2025-09-12 15:50:48 UTC

the declaration of independence was signed in 1776 and states that all people are created equal and have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. it lists the grievances against the king, justifying why the american colonies want to separate from britain.

august 29, 1786- shay's rebellion

jamarrero — 2025-09-12 15:52:14 UTC

an armed uprising by farmers in Massachusetts in protest against high taxes and debt. the uprising highlighted the weakness of the articles of confederation and led to the drafting of a new constitution.

1754-1763- french and indian war

jamarrero — 2025-09-12 15:53:49 UTC

fought between britain and france over control of the ohio river valley. the war involved native americans on both sides. britain's victory led to territorial gains and the treaty of paris. it also caused major debt for britain which led to them taxing the colonies and leading to the revolutionary war.

december 16, 1773- boston tea party

jamarrero — 2025-09-12 15:55:00 UTC

as a response of the tea act, colonists dressed up as native americans and threw tons of british tea off the ships into the boston harbor.

may 25, 1787- constitutional convention

jamarrero — 2025-09-12 15:56:35 UTC

a meeting of elected or appointed delegates to draft a constitution.

september 19, 1796- washington's farewell adress

jamarrero — 2025-09-12 15:57:50 UTC

a letter written by george washington before retiring to his home in virginia.

september 5, 1774- first continental congress

jamarrero — 2025-09-12 15:59:31 UTC

a meeting of delegates from the colonies in response to the intolerable acts.

april 20, 1803-louisiana purchase

jamarrero — 2025-09-26 16:21:22 UTC

the acquisition of the territory of louisiana by the united states from the french

march 6, 1820-missouri compromise

jamarrero — 2025-09-26 16:22:59 UTC

law that admitted missouri as a slave state and maine as a free state, balancing power in congress, and prohibited slavery in the rest of the louisiana

august 24 1814- white house burned

jamarrero — 2025-09-26 16:24:55 UTC

the white house was burned by british troops during the war of 1812, in retaliation for the american burning of york, ontario

june 18, 1812-war of 1812

jamarrero — 2025-09-26 16:26:32 UTC

the war of 1812 was fought between the us and britain from 1812 to 1815, primarily due to british interference with american trade, the impressment of american sailors into the royal navy, and us ambitions for westward expansion.

july 19, 1848- Seneca falls convention

jamarrero — 2025-09-26 16:28:35 UTC

the first women's rights convention. its organizers advertised it as "a convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman".

1815- market revolution

jamarrero — 2025-09-26 16:30:55 UTC

the market revolution in the 19th century united states is a historical model that describes how it became a modern market-based economy

1846-1848- the mexican-american war

jamarrero — 2025-10-17 16:04:29 UTC

a conflict between the us and mexico, driven by the us' want for texas and the desire to fulfill the manifest destiny.

1857- dred scott decision

jamarrero — 2025-10-17 16:05:51 UTC

landmark supreme court ruling that stated african americans were not us citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court

january 1, 1863- emancipation proclamation

jamarrero — 2025-10-17 16:07:34 UTC

an executive order issued by abraham lincoln that declared all enslaved people in confederate-held territory to be free

april 9, 1865- appomattox court house

jamarrero — 2025-10-17 16:09:14 UTC

the site in virginia where confederate general robert e lee surrendered his army and ended the american civil war

april 14, 1865- lincoln assassinated

jamarrero — 2025-10-17 16:11:17 UTC

confederate sympathizer john wilkes booth assasinated president abraham lincoln days after the end of the american civil war.

1865-1877- reconstruction era

jamarrero — 2025-10-17 16:12:30 UTC

period following the civil war that focused on rebuilding the nation and integrating formerly enslaved people into society.

1896- plessy v. ferguson

jamarrero — 2025-11-06 16:11:17 UTC

supreme court case that established the "separate but equal" doctrine, ruling that racial segregation was constitutional as long as separate facilities provided for blacks and whites were equal.

may 4, 1886- haymarket riot

jamarrero — 2025-11-06 16:13:25 UTC

a violent confrontation in chicago between police and labor protestors. the event began as a peaceful rally for an 8-hour workday, but escalated to violence

1892- homestead strike

jamarrero — 2025-11-06 16:15:20 UTC

a violent labor dispute at the carnegie steel company plant in homestead, pennsylvania, between the company and members of a union.

1894- pullman strike

jamarrero — 2025-11-06 16:17:25 UTC

nationwide railroad strike and boycott in the us when workers at the pullman palace car company in illinois walked out over wage cuts and high rents in the company town.

1906- "the jungle" is written

jamarrero — 2025-11-06 16:18:57 UTC

novel that exposed the harsh living and working conditions of immigrants in chicago's meatpacking industry

1898- uss maine destroyed

jamarrero — 2025-11-25 13:04:57 UTC

the sinking of the us navy battleship in havana harbor was an event that was a primary catalyst for the spanish-american war

1898- spanish-american war

jamarrero — 2025-11-25 13:08:02 UTC

hostilities began after the us declared war on spain, following the explosion of the uss maine and in support of cuba's struggle for independence.

1899- boxer rebellion

jamarrero — 2025-11-25 13:09:23 UTC

an anti-foreign uprising in china. the rebellion was a violent backlash against foreign imperialism, particularly missionary activity, and advocated for the expulsion of all foreign influence from china

1915- sinking of the lusitania

jamarrero — 2025-11-25 13:10:52 UTC

the sinking of the lusitania was a pivotal event in us history that helped turn american public opinion against germany and contributed to the united states' entry into wwI.

1917- world war 1

jamarrero — 2025-11-25 13:12:59 UTC

a global conflict that the united states entered in april 1917 after nearly three years of official neutrality. the war transformed america from a regional power into a leading global economic and military force.

1920- roaring 20's

jamarrero — 2025-11-25 13:14:38 UTC

a decade in us history defined by significant economic prosperity, rapid social change, and a vibrant cultural explosion. this era of consumerism and new freedoms, marked by technological advancements, ended abruptly with the stock market crash of 1929, which ushered in the great depression.

1929- great depression

jamarrero — 2025-11-25 13:15:56 UTC

a severe, prolonged global economic downturn that began in the us in 1929 and lasted through the late 1930s. it was triggered by the 1929 stock market crash and characterized by high unemployment, a collapse of industrial production and trade, widespread poverty, and banking failures.

1933- new deal

jamarrero — 2025-11-25 13:17:00 UTC

a comprehensive series of domestic programs and policies enacted during the 1930s by president franklin d. roosevelt to combat the great depression.

1939- world war 2

jamarrero — 2025-11-25 13:18:20 UTC

the global conflict (1939–1945) in which the united states was officially drawn in after the japanese attack on pearl harbor, leading to its entry into the war alongside the allied powers against the axis powers

1955- murder of emmett till

jamarrero — 2025-12-17 13:37:03 UTC

the brutal lynching of a 14-year-old black boy from chicago by white men in mississippi, after his accusers claimed he harassed a white woman, becoming a pivotal catalyst for the civil rights movement due to the graphic violence, and his mother's fight for justice, exposing racism in the jim crow south.

1960- greensboro sit-ins

jamarrero — 2025-12-17 13:38:49 UTC

a series of nonviolent protests when four black college students sat at a segregated woolworth's lunch counter in greensboro, nc, demanding service, sparking a movement that challenged jim crow laws, desegregated public spaces across the south, and led to the formation of the sncc (student nonviolent coordinating committee)

1963- march on washington

jamarrero — 2025-12-17 13:40:32 UTC

a massive, peaceful demonstration where over 250,000 people gathered in dc to demand civil and economic rights, culminating in martin luther king jr's "i have a dream" speech and pushing for legislation against segregation and for better wages, housing, and jobs

1963- assassination of jfk

jamarrero — 2025-12-17 13:41:49 UTC

john f. kennedy, the 35th president of the united states, was assassinated while riding in a presidential motorcade through dealey plaza in dallas, texas

1968- assassination of mlk jr

jamarrero — 2025-12-17 13:53:33 UTC

the murder of the pivotal civil rights leader on in memphis, tennessee, by james earl ray, sparking nationwide grief, riots

1968- civil rights act of 1968

jamarrero — 2025-12-17 13:55:29 UTC

also known as the fair housing act, was landmark us legislation that banned discrimination in housing sales, rentals, and financing based on race, religion, national origin, and sex

us withdrawals from vietnam

jamarrero — 2025-12-17 13:59:05 UTC

a phased process, primarily under president nixon's "vietnamization" policy (starting 1969), shifting combat roles to south vietnamese forces while gradually removing american troops

1970- watergate scandal

jamarrero — 2025-12-17 14:02:18 UTC

a major us political crisis in the 1970s, starting with a 1972 break-in at the democratic national committee (dnc) headquarters in the watergate complex, orchestrated by nixon's re-election campaign (creep). it escalated into a massive cover-up involving obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and illegal activities within the nixon white house, ultimately leading to nixon's historic resignation in 1974 to avoid impeachment and revealing deep government corruption

1980- iran-contra affair

jamarrero — 2026-01-09 17:16:40 UTC

a major 1980s us political scandal where reagan administration officials secretly sold arms to iran despite an embargo to secure the release of american hostages, using the profits to fund contra rebels in nicaragua illegally

1994- nafta

jamarrero — 2026-01-09 17:19:20 UTC

the north american free trade agreement was an agreement between the us, canada, and mexico to create a free-trade zone by eliminating most tariffs and trade barriers, significantly boosting regional commerce and investment

1998- clinton impeachment

jamarrero — 2026-01-09 17:22:39 UTC

bill clinton was impeached by the house of representatives in 1998 for perjury and obstruction of justice related to his testimony about an affair with white house intern monica lewinsky, though he was acquitted by the senate and remained in office

2000- bush v gore

jamarrero — 2026-01-09 17:25:08 UTC

bush v gore was a landmark 2000 supreme court case that effectively decided the outcome of the presidential election. the court's controversial 5-4 decision was in favor of bush

2001- war on terror

jamarrero — 2026-01-09 17:27:10 UTC

the international military campaign launched by president bush after the 9/11 attacks, targeting terrorist groups and their supporters through military action, financial disruption, and new domestic security measures like the patriot act

2001- the patriot act

jamarrero — 2026-01-09 17:29:20 UTC

the usa patriot act (uniting and strengthening america by providing appropriate tools required to intercept and obstruct terrorism act) was a law passed after the 9/11 attacks, expanding government surveillance and investigative powers to fight terrorism