American History (through 1850) A Brief Timeline of Major Events
Pre-1600 A period of exploration and colonization. Native American culture comes into contact and conflict with European culture.
1600-1650 1607: Establishment of Jamestown 1620: Plymouth Colony 1621: First Thanksgiving at Plymouth 1636: Providence Founded 1637: Pequot War 1638: Anne Hutchinson Banished (Ma. Bay)
1650-1700 1673: The exploration of the Mississippi by Marquette and Joliet 1675-78: King Philip’s War 1683: William Penn and the Quakers found Pennsylvania 1688: Glorious Revolution 1689-1763: French and Indian Wars 1692: Salem Witchcraft Crisis
1700-1750 1702-1713: Queen Anne’s War 1705: Virginia Black Code 1727: Benjamin Franklin’s Junto Club 1730-40: The Great Awakening 1731: First Circulating Library in U.S. 1732: Benjamin Franklin Begins Publishing Poor Richard’s Almanac
1750-1800 1763: Patrick Henry – Mutual Compact 1765: Stamp Act 1773: Boston Tea Party 1775-1783: War for Am. Independence 1776: Declaration of Independence 1787: U.S. Constitution 1791: Bill of Rights 1793: Fugitive Slave Act 1798: Alien and Sedition Acts
1800-1850 1803: Marbury vs. Madison 1804: Lewis and Clark Expedition 1811: Battle of Tippecanoe 1812: War of 1812 1820: Missouri Compromise 1828: Noah Webster’s Dictionary 1836: Siege of the Alamo 1841: Brook Farm Institute 1848: Seneca Falls Convention 1850: Fugitive Slave Act
Post-1850 1857: Dred Scott Decision 1861-1865: Civil War 1863: Emancipation Proclamation 1865: 13th Amendment (Abolishes Slavery) 1920: 19th Amendment (Women’s Suffrage)