American timeline by Felicity North _ Student - GreenLevelHS

Columbus Discovers the New World

fnorth3 — 2025-08-27 17:03:26 UTC

1492

Conquest of Tenochtitlan

fnorth3 — 2025-08-27 17:04:54 UTC

1521

Roanoke Settlement

fnorth3 — 2025-08-27 17:05:58 UTC

1585

King Phillips War

fnorth3 — 2025-08-27 17:06:54 UTC

1675

Bacon's Rebellion

fnorth3 — 2025-08-27 17:08:07 UTC

1676

French and Indian War

fnorth3 — 2025-09-08 17:46:44 UTC

competing colonial empires expanding into frontier regions, particularly the Ohio River Valley

Boston Tea Party

fnorth3 — 2025-09-08 17:47:22 UTC

American patriots, members of the Sons of Liberty, boarded three British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water in protest of the Tea Act and "taxation without representation"

First Continental Congress

fnorth3 — 2025-09-08 17:47:59 UTC

organize colonial resistance to the British "Intolerable Acts"

Declaration of Independence

fnorth3 — 2025-09-08 17:48:36 UTC

formally announced the thirteen colonies' separation from Great Britain

Shays Rebellion

fnorth3 — 2025-09-08 17:49:18 UTC

farmers uprising against the AOC because they were being compensated unfairly

Constitutional convention

fnorth3 — 2025-09-08 17:50:44 UTC

delegates from twelve states met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

Washington Farewell Address

fnorth3 — 2025-09-08 17:51:38 UTC

ONE LAST TIMEEEEEEE, the people will hear from me, ONE LAST TIMEEEE we Gon get this right. and then we'll teach Em how to say goodbyeeeee, you and iiiiiii.

Louisiana Purchase

fnorth3 — 2025-09-25 12:31:58 UTC

the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803

War of 1812

fnorth3 — 2025-09-25 12:39:11 UTC

a conflict between the United States and the British Empire from 1812 to 1815

White House Burned

fnorth3 — 2025-09-26 17:33:30 UTC

the event on August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812 when British forces, seeking to retaliate for the American attack on York, Upper Canada, invaded and set fire to the U.S. capital, including the Presidential Mansion, the Capitol, and other federal buildings

Missouri Compromise

fnorth3 — 2025-09-26 17:34:55 UTC

a 1820 U.S. law that resolved the intense debate over the expansion of slavery into the Louisiana Territory by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, thus maintaining the balance of power between slave and free states

Market Revolution

fnorth3 — 2025-09-26 17:36:12 UTC

a period of dramatic economic and social transformation in the United States during the early 19th century, primarily from 1815 to 1860, where the economy shifted from localized, subsistence-based farming and artisanal work to a larger, market-oriented system of production and consumption

Seneca Falls Convention

fnorth3 — 2025-09-26 17:37:29 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"

Mexican-American War

fnorth3 — 2025-10-17 17:15:21 UTC

a 1846-1848 conflict between the United States and Mexico that resulted in the U.S. acquiring a vast amount of Mexican territory, including present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming

dred Scott decision

fnorth3 — 2025-10-17 17:16:10 UTC

a 1857 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared African Americans were not citizens and had no right to sue in federal court.

emancipation proclomation

fnorth3 — 2025-10-17 17:17:33 UTC

an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, that declared enslaved people in Confederate-held territory to be free

appomattox court house

fnorth3 — 2025-10-17 17:19:04 UTC

The Appomattox Court House National Historical Park is the preserved 19th-century village named Appomattox Court House in Appomattox County, Virginia.

Lincoln assassinated

fnorth3 — 2025-10-17 17:19:57 UTC

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War, defeating the Confederate States and playing a major role in the abolition of slavery.

reconstruction

fnorth3 — 2025-10-17 17:20:33 UTC

The Reconstruction era was a period in US history that followed the American Civil War and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the abolition of slavery and reintegration of the former Confederate States into the United States.

haymarket riot of 1886

fnorth3 — 2025-11-03 18:50:29 UTC

a violent confrontation between police and labor protesters in Chicago that stemmed from strikes for an eight-hour workday

homestead strike of 1892

fnorth3 — 2025-11-03 18:51:22 UTC

a violent labor dispute at the Carnegie Steel Company in Homestead, Pennsylvania, that began as a lockout and became a full-blown strike over wage cuts and the company's refusal to negotiate with the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers union

Pullman strike of 1894

fnorth3 — 2025-11-03 18:52:06 UTC

a nationwide railroad strike and boycott that occurred in 1894, crippling rail traffic across the U.S. Midwest

plessy v ferguson

fnorth3 — 2025-11-03 18:52:42 UTC

a landmark 1896 U.S. Supreme Court case that established the "separate but equal" doctrine, which legally sanctioned racial segregation

the jungle written

fnorth3 — 2025-11-03 18:53:23 UTC

1906 novel written by Upton Sinclair

USS Maine Destroyed (1898)

fnorth3 — 2025-11-20 18:20:28 UTC

The U.S. Navy ship Maine sank in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, after a massive explosion, killing over 260 of its crew members.

spanish-american war

fnorth3 — 2025-11-20 18:20:57 UTC

A brief conflict fought between Spain and the United States from April to August 1898, primarily over the issue of Cuban independence.

boxer rebellion

fnorth3 — 2025-11-20 18:21:18 UTC

An anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in Northern China by a secret society known as the "Boxers" (Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists) from 1899 to 1901.

sinking of the lusitania

fnorth3 — 2025-11-20 18:22:14 UTC

The British ocean liner Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, during WWI. Nearly 1,200 people died, including 128 Americans

WWI

fnorth3 — 2025-11-24 17:59:58 UTC

A global conflict (1914-1918) involving the Allied Powers and the Central Powers, primarily centered in Europe. It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history and led to significant developments in weaponry and a reordering of the international balance of power.

Roaring 20's

fnorth3 — 2025-11-24 18:00:23 UTC

A decade of exuberant, freewheeling popular culture and widespread economic prosperity in the United States and other Western countries following WWI (roughly 1920-1929). This era was characterized by new styles of dancing and dress (e.g., "flappers"), the rise of jazz music, an unregulated stock market boom, and social changes, which ultimately preceded the Great Depression.

Great Depression

fnorth3 — 2025-11-24 18:00:48 UTC

The worst economic downturn in modern American history, lasting from 1929 until the beginning of WWII (approx. 1929-1939). It was triggered by the stock market crash of October 1929 and was characterized by widespread bank failures, high unemployment (over one-quarter of the U.S. workforce was jobless at its peak), and immense social and emotional suffering

New Deal

fnorth3 — 2025-11-24 18:01:12 UTC

A series of domestic programs and projects instituted during the Great Depression by President Franklin D. Roosevelt that aimed to restore prosperity to Americans. These programs focused on the "3 Rs": relief for the needy, economic recovery, and financial reform to prevent a future depression. It fundamentally expanded the U.S. federal government's role in the economy and included job creation programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

WWII

fnorth3 — 2025-11-24 18:01:40 UTC

A second global conflict (1939-1945) that ultimately ended the Great Depression through massive government spending and increased industrial/wartime production. The U.S. home front mobilized its resources, leading to a significant increase in national output and a drastic reduction in unemployment as the nation ramped up for war.

Murder of Emmett Till (1955)

fnorth3 — 2025-12-15 18:22:05 UTC

A 14-year-old African American boy was brutally murdered in Mississippi for allegedly offending a white woman. His open-casket funeral highlighted racial violence and galvanized the Civil Rights Movement.

Greensboro Sit-Ins (1960s)

fnorth3 — 2025-12-15 18:22:37 UTC

A series of nonviolent protests where African American students sat at segregated lunch counters in Greensboro, North Carolina, challenging racial segregation and leading to increased awareness and activism.

March on Washington (1963)

fnorth3 — 2025-12-15 18:23:06 UTC

A massive civil rights rally where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, advocating for racial equality and job opportunities for African Americans.

Assassination of JFK (1963)

fnorth3 — 2025-12-15 18:23:41 UTC

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, a shocking event that impacted the nation and highlighted the turbulence of the era.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

fnorth3 — 2025-12-15 18:24:13 UTC

Although not listed, the act was a significant piece of legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It is paramount to mention as a precursor to the following events.

Assassination of MLK Jr. (1968)

fnorth3 — 2025-12-15 18:24:46 UTC

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, leading to widespread riots and a renewed urgency in the Civil Rights Movement.

Civil Rights Act of 1968

fnorth3 — 2025-12-15 18:25:22 UTC

Also known as the Fair Housing Act, it aimed to eliminate housing discrimination and was part of the broader push for civil rights in America.

US Withdraws of Vietnam (1973)

fnorth3 — 2025-12-15 18:26:00 UTC

The formal withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam ended America's involvement in the Vietnam War, which had significant social and political implications for the country.

Watergate Scandal

fnorth3 — 2025-12-15 18:26:24 UTC

A political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and subsequent cover-up by President Nixon's administration, leading to his resignation in 1974 and a crisis of confidence in government.

Iran Contra Affair

fnorth3 — 2026-01-09 18:12:28 UTC

A political scandal during the Reagan administration where senior officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran (under an arms embargo) to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua, which was illegal and violated congressional restrictions.

NAFTA

fnorth3 — 2026-01-09 18:12:57 UTC

An agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico that created a trilateral trade bloc, aimed at eliminating trade barriers and promoting economic cooperation among the three countries.

Clinton Impeachment

fnorth3 — 2026-01-09 18:13:32 UTC

President Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice related to his extramarital affair with Monica Lewinsky, but he was acquitted by the Senate.

Bush v. Gore

fnorth3 — 2026-01-09 18:14:02 UTC

A landmark Supreme Court case that effectively decided the outcome of the 2000 presidential election, ruling that the Florida Supreme Court's order for a recount of ballots violated the Equal Protection Clause, resulting in George W. Bush winning the presidency.

War on Terror

fnorth3 — 2026-01-09 18:14:34 UTC

A global military campaign initiated by the United States in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks, aimed at combating terrorism, particularly targeting al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

The Patriot Act

fnorth3 — 2026-01-09 18:14:58 UTC

A law enacted in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks to enhance law enforcement's ability to prevent terrorism, allowing for greater surveillance and the expansion of government powers in investigating and detaining suspected terrorists.