CHRONOLOGY of EVENTS in AMERICAN HISTORY
1096
Crusades to Holy Land start.
1271-95
Marco Polo travels in Far East.
1492
Columbus discovers America.
1494
Line of demarcation.
1497-98
John Cabot’s explorations.
1498
Vasco da Gama reaches India.
1500
Cabral claims Brazil.
1513
Balboa discovers Pacific Ocean.
1519
Cortez lands in Mexico.
1519-22
Magellan’s men circle earth.
1531-35
Pizarro conquers Incas.
1534
Cartier makes first voyage.
1539-42
De Soto explores Southeast.
1588
English defeat Spanish Armada.
1603
Champlain makes first voyage.
1607
Jamestown in founded.
1609
Hudson explores Hudson River.
1619
House of Burgesses meets.
1619
First Negroes arrive in Virginia.
1620
Pilgrims reach Cape Cod.
1620
Mayflower Compact.
1624
Virginia becomes royal colony.
1630
Massachusetts Bay Colony founded.
1632
Maryland is chartered.
1636
Roger Williams founds Providence.
1636
Hartford (Connecticut) settled.
1636
Harvard University founded.
1639
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut.
1643
New England Confederation formed.
1647
Massachusetts passes school law.
1649
Maryland Toleration Act.
1651-63
Principal Navigation Acts.
1663
Carolina is chartered.
1664
English take over Dutch colonies.
1664
New Netherland becomes New Jersey and New York.
1673
Exploration by Marquette, Joliet.
1675-76
Bacon’s Rebellion.
1679
New Hampshire is chartered.
1681
Pennsylvania is chartered.
1681-82
Exploration by La Salle.
1682
Deleware granted to Penn.
1686
Dominion of New England created.
1689-1748
France and Great Britain intermittently at war.
1693
College of William and Mary founded.
1699
Woolens Act.
1701
Yale University founded.
1732
Georgia is chartered.
1732
Hat Act.
1733
Molasses Act.
1735
Zenger trial.
1740
University of Pennsylvania founded.
1746
Princeton University founded.
1750
Iron Act.
1754
French and Indian War starts.
1754
Albany Plan of Union proposed.
1754
Columbia University founded.
1755
Braddock defeated disastrously.
1756
Pitt heads British government.
1759
British capture Quebec.
1763
Treaty of Paris.
1763
Proclamation of 1763.
1764
Sugar Act, Currency Act.
1764
Brown University founded.
1765
Stamp Act.
1765
Stamp Act Congress meets.
1766
Stamp Act repealed.
1766
Rutgers University founded.
1767
Townshend Acts.
1769
Dartmouth College founded.
1770
Boston Massacre.
1772
Committees of Correspondence.
1773
Boston Tea Party.
1774
First Continental Congress.
1775
Fighting at Lexington and Concord.
1775
Second Continental Congress.
1775
Battle of Bunker Hill.
1776
Paine’s “Common Sense” appears.
1776
Declaration of Independence.
1776
American victory at Trenton.
1777-78
Howe occupies Philadelphia.
1777
Burgoyne surrenders at Saratoga.
1778
Treaty of alliance with France.
1778-79
Clark takes the Northwest.
1781
Cornwallis surrenders.
1781
Articles of Confederation go into effect.
1783
Treaty of Paris; United States independence recognized.
1785
Land Ordinance.
1786
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.
1786-87
Shays’ Rebellion.
1787
Northwest Ordinance.
1787
Constitution drafted.
1.
George Washington
1732-1799; Virginia
In office: 1789-1797
1789
Congress creates Departments of State, Treasury, and War.
1789
Unites States courts are organized.
1789
French Revolution begins.
1789
Slater brings knowledge of power-driven machines to U.S.
1790
Assumption Bill provides for federal payment of states’ war
debts.
1790
Patent and copyright law.
1791
Bill of Rights ratified.
1791
Vermont enters Union.
1791
Bank of United States chartered.
1791
Lancaster Turnpike is begun.
1792
Kentucky enters
1792
Gray discovers Columbia River.
1793
Genet visit.
1793
Proclamation of Neutrality.
1793
Eli Whitney invents cotton gin.
1794
“Whisky Rebellion” is crushed in Pennsylvania.
1794
Battle of Fallen Timbers.
1794
Jay Treaty.
1795
Pinckney Treaty.
Union.
1796
Tennessee enters Union.
2.
John Adams
1735-1826; Massachusetts
Federalist
In office: 1797-1801
1797
XYZ Affair angers Americans.
1798
Navy Department is created.
1798
Eleventh Amendment is ratified.
1798-99
Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions.
1800
Interchangeable parts demonstrated.
1801
Marshall becomes Chief Justice.
3.
Thomas Jefferson
1743-1826; Virginia
Democratic-Republican
In office: 1801-1809
1803
Ohio enters Union.
1803
Marbury v. Madison
1803
Louisiana Purchase adds immense are to United States.
1804
Twelfth Amendment ratified.
1804-06
Lewis and Clark expedition.
1805-07
Pike explores western regions.
1805
War with Barbary pirates ends.
1807
Embargo Act.
1807
Steamboat Clermont demonstrated.
1808
Astor builds fort and trading post in Oregon country.
1809
Non-Intercourse Act.
4.
James Madison
1751-1836; Virginia
Democrat-Republican
In office: 1809-1817
1811
Indian fight at Tippecanoe.
1811
National Road is begun.
1811
Fulton builds steamboat in New Orleans.
1812
Louisiana enters Union.
1812-1814
War of 1812 is fought between United States and Great Britain.
1813
Waltham experiment begins – attempt to help factory workers.
1814
Hartford Convention meets; restated Kentucky and Virginia
Resolutions.
1814
Treaty of Ghent restores peace.