Katherine Fletcher Professor Carter U.S.

History 2110 15, September, 2012 25 Important Events in American History 1492-1820s 1. Columbus arrived in America (1492) 2. St. Augustine founded by Spanish (1565) 3. Jamestown Settlement (1607) 4. Pilgrims left on Mayflower (1620) 5. First Thanksgiving (1621) 6. French & Indian War (1754) 7. The Sugar Act (1764) 8. Stamp Act Passed (1765) 9. Boston Massacre (1770) 10. Tea Act (1773) 11. Coercive Acts (1774) 12. Revolutionary War began (1775) 13. Declaration of Independence (1776) 14. Revolutionary War ended (1783) 15. Treaty of Paris signed (1783) 16. Constitution signed (1787) 17. Ratification of the Constitution (1788) 18. First president is George Washington (1789) 19. Judiciary Act (1789) 20. Bill of Rights ratified (1791) 21. Fugitive Slave Act passed (1793) 22. Whiskey Rebellion (1794) 23. Louisiana Purchase (1803) 24. Slave Trade (1808) 25. War of 1812 (1812)

Turning Points in American History Over the years there have been many events that have taken place in America and have made a big change in this country. These events have made a great improvement on how things work in America. Although there are a countless number of events that have made an impact in Americas history I am going to focus on what I believe are five of the most important events to take place during the 1492-1820s. The first event I am focusing on is the discovery of America. In the year 1492 Christopher Columbus took his three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, and began to sail. He had planned to sail west until he reached Asia. His reasoning for this trip was that there were riches of gold, pearls and spice there. He chose to go this route because he was looking for an easier and quicker route to reach Asia. Instead of finding a faster route he stumbled across some land. Christopher Columbus was not the first to step foot on this land but him finding this land did mark the beginning of conquest and colonization in America. The next event Im going to focus on is the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The American Revolutionary War, which is also known as the American War of Independence, began in the year 1775. This was a war between the thirteen British Colonies on the North American continent and Great Britain. This war began over a disagreement between Great and the colonies over the way Great Britain treated the colonies and the way the colonies felt they deserved to be treated. Great Britain believed that the colonies should be used in a way that best suited the crown and the parliament. The colonies didnt agree with that. They felt like they should be treated with the same rights as all other Englishmen. The British Violated the Magna Carta which stated that there would be no taxation without representation in Parliament. They

taxed the colonist without giving them representation. This caused the colonist to start rebelling, leading to the Revolutionary War. The third event is the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was signed in the year 1776. This document was created to declare the independence and sovereignty of the individual colonies. The Declaration of Independence made the colonies independent states and made them no longer a part of the British Empire. There were fifty-six men who were appointed by their fellow citizens of each colony that signed this document. It was initially published as a printed broadside that was distributed and read to the public. The original July 4th Declaration of Independence document was lost while all other copies have been derived from the original document. It served its original purpose in announcing independence for the colonies, but it was still ignored after the Revolutionary War. Now, over the years, this document declaring independence has come to make a major statement on human rights. The Louisiana Purchase is another event in American history that made a big impact on the country. In the year 1803 France sold 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River to the United States of America. This treaty was known as the Louisiana Purchase. This was one of the greatest deals made for the United States. The purchase of this land caused the United States to more than double in its size. This treaty had a total cost of 15 million dollars. This land stretched from the Mississippi River to the beginning of the Rocky Mountains. France controlled this land from 1699-1762. They then gave the territory to their ally Spain. In 1800 France took the territory back from Spain in hopes of building an empire in North America. President Thomas Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase in order to remove France from the region and protect the U.S. trade access to the port of New Orleans and free passage on the Mississippi River. This was one of Thomas Jeffersons greatest achievements.

The last event I am going to bring attention to is the War of 1812. In the year 1812 the United States declared war on Great Britain. This war was caused by British attempts to restrict U.S. trade, the Royal Navys impressment of American seaman and Americas desire to expand territory. The British used defensive strategies at first, repelling multiple American invasions. Both sides invaded each others territories. These invasions were unsuccessful or temporary though. By the year 1814 both sides had achieved their main war goals. Delegations were sent to a neutral spot in Ghent, Belgium to sign a peace treaty. This treaty is known as the Treaty of Ghent. The treat ignored the grievance that led to the war. American complaints on Indian raid, impressment, and blockades had ended and were not mentioned in the war. This war was considered the second war of American Independence. All of these events caused major turning points in America. Without some of these events occurring America would not be America today.