25,000 Years of U.S History

1) 25,000 B.C. Migration from Asia to North America across the Bering Strait

2) 1000 A.D. Leif Erickson sailed across the coast of North America

3) 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered America Columbus first set out for his voyage on August 3, 1492 and spotted land October 12, 1492. He called the island San Salvador (today known as The Bahamas)

4) 1609 Jamestown Settled First permanent English settlement in the United States

5) 1600s to late 1700s North America is colonized by the European powers Great Britain France Spain

6) 1776-1784 American Revolution 13 colonies joined together to break free from the British Empire 1776 Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence War ended in October 1781 with British abandonment of any claims to the United States

7) 1803 Lewis and Clark survey the Louisiana Purchase Acquisition of 828,800 square miles of French Territory in the United States Purchased during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency

8) 1812 War with Britain U.S. declared war on Britain for: Trade restrictions British support of American Indian tribes against American expansion White House burned British Army occupied Washington DC and set fire to many public buildings like the White House and Capitol buildings

9) 1861-1865 U.S. Civil War 11 Southern States formed the Confederacy First shots fired April 1861 at Fort Sumter in South Carolina

10) 1869 Railroads connected from coast to coast Last spike laid in Utah, joining the Union Pacific rail with the Central Pacific Railroad

11) 1890 Last Indian Battle; Frontier Officially closed

12) 1898 Spanish American War U.S. was upset at Spanish atrocities and the sinking of the USS Maine War lasted from April 1898 – August 1898