8th Grade U.S. History
Key People, Events, and Laws
1600-1890
Date / Event / Significance1607 / Jamestown / First Permanent English Settlement
1619 / Virginia House of Burgesses / First representative assembly in America
1620 / Plymouth / First English colony in the Northeast (Pilgrims)
1620 / Mayflower Compact / Beginning of self-government by the colonists
1692 / Salem Witch Trials / Hysteria swept through Salem. A special court tried dozens of people accused of witchcraft.
1700 / Age of Reason / Use of scientific method to find out how the world worked. Benjamin Franklin is synonymous with the age of Reason/Enlightenment
1700’s / Enlightenment / Movement in Europe that emphasized the use of reason. (John Locke and Montesquieu)
1730’s / Great Awakening / Religious movement in the colonies
1754- 1763 / French and Indian War / Removes the French from North America; Beginning of problems between England and the colonies
1763 / Treaty of Paris / Ended the French and Indian War
1770 / Boston Massacre / First civilians killed by British Soldiers
1773 / Boston Tea Party / An act of civil disobedience that symbolized the colonists rebellion against England
1774 / First Continental Congress / First organizing of the colonists, representatives from the colonists met to discuss the colonists’ dissatisfaction with England
1775 / Shot Heard Round the World / First shots of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord.
1776 / Declaration of Independence / Colonists separate from England,” When in the course of human events…, government should protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (unalienable rights.)” Thomas Jefferson (author)
1781 / American Revolution Ends / Battle of Yorktown, the British surrender. Cornwallis surrounded with the help of the French fleet.
1783 / Treaty of Paris / England recognizes the U.S. as independent.
1786 / Shay’s Rebellion / Demonstrated the need for a strong, central government; showed weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.
1787 / Northwest Ordinance / The Ordinance created the Northwest Territory, the first organized territory of the United States, from lands beyond the Appalachian Mountains.
1787 / Constitutional Convention / Meeting to revise the Articles of Confederation which resulted in a new form of government (U.S. Constitution) and the Great Compromise (merging of the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan.)
1789 / Washington Elected President / George Washington was President for two terms. Washington’s Farewell Address set the tone for international policies; isolationism; and precedence for the transition of power. Beware of political factions.
1790’s / Industrial Revolution / Beginning of mass production, interchangeable parts; lowers the cost of goods; factory system; urbanization; deplorable working conditions.
1791 / Bill of Rights / First ten amendments which guarantee individual freedoms; written to gain support for the Constitution to be ratified.
1803 / Louisiana Purchase / Doubled the size of the United States; $15 million
Bought from France by Thomas Jefferson; Jefferson adopts a loose interpretation of the Constitution.
1812-1814 / War of 1812 / War with England over impressment of sailors; Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner; Andrew Jackson gains fame at the Battle of New Orleans.
1820 / Missouri Compromise / Missouri becomes a slave state; Maine a free state. 36/30 line was drawn. North would be free, South would be slave.
1823 / Monroe Doctrine / Non-interference of European nations in the Western Hemisphere. Americas no longer up for future colonization.
1845 / Texas / Annexation/ Statehood; President Polk in office.
Indian Removal / Authorized the president to negotiate with southern Indian tribes for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their land.
1838-
1839 / Trail of Tears / American Indians forced West by Andrew Jackson; went to Oklahoma (Cherokee)
1846 / Mexican American War / Territories gained; present day states of California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado- This is done during Polk’s Presidency
1848-1849 / California Gold Rush / Settlement in the west; thousands of settlers traveled west in search of gold and a better life. Gold first discovered at Sutter’s Mill. Many California Immigrants made the trip as well.
1850 / Compromise of 1850 / California enters as a free state; Mexican Cession divided into New Mexico and Utah; Voters could decide if they were slave or free states (popular sovereignty)
1852 / Uncle Tom’s Cabin / Influential Novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that described the horrors of slavery.
1854 / Kansas-Nebraska Act / bill that mandated “popular sovereignty”–allowing settlers of a territory to decide whether slavery would be allowed within a new state’s borders. Proposed by Stephen A. Douglas. A lot of conflict and violence over this issue.
1857 / Dred Scott Case / a slave who had lived in the free state of Illinois and the free territory of Wisconsin before moving back to the slave state of Missouri, had appealed to the Supreme Court in hopes of being granted his freedom.
1858 / Lincoln-Douglas Debates / Battle for the Illinois Senate. Series of debates over the issue of Slavery.
1860 / Lincoln Elected President / Republican Candidate in Election of 1860. Led to Southern Secession in 1861.
1861 / Fort Sumter / First Battle of Civil War
1861-1865 / Civil War / Union(North) vs Confederate(South)
Jefferson Davis-President of the Confederacy
Abraham Lincoln- President of the U.S.
1863 / Emancipation Proclamation / Lincoln frees the slaves in the Confederacy (only states that left the Union); changed the character of the war to include ending slavery as well as preserving the Union.
1865 / Civil War Ends / The war ended in Spring, 1865. Robert E. Lee surrendered the last major Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865.
1865 / Lincoln Assassination / Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford Theatre, Radical Republicans gained power; military reconstruction followed.
1869 / Transcontinental Railroad / The Golden Spike Event- the two railroads were joined by a golden spike on May 10, 1869 in Promontory, Utah.
1865-1877 / Reconstruction / the federal government set the conditions that would allow the rebellious Southern states back into the Union.
Date / Document, Etc. / Explanation
1215 / Magna Carta / Limited the power of an English Ruler(King)
1620 / Mayflower Compact / A contract(rules) established by Pilgrims for how to self-govern at Plymouth.
1639 / Fundamental Orders of Connecticut / 1st Written Constitution. Established a new government with elected legislature/governor
1649 / Maryland Act of Toleration / Religious tolerance for Christians
1660’s / Navigation Acts / Series of laws passed by England to regulate colonists’ trade so England would make money
1763 / Treaty of Paris / Officially ended the war between England and France.
1763 / Proclamation of 1763 / Law passed by the King of England forbidding the colonists from settling west of the Appalachians.
1764 / Sugar Act / Tax on sugar and molasses. One of the many events angering the colonists, which led to the American Revolution.
1765 / Stamp Act / Tax on legal documents, newspapers licenses, diplomas, dice, and playing cards.
1766 / Quartering Act / British soldiers could stay in colonists’ homes
1767 / Townshend Acts / Taxed goods such as glass, paper, lead and tea.
1773 / Tea Act / Tax on tea; led to Boston Tea Party (protests)
1774 / Intolerable Acts / A series of severe laws passed to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party
1775 / Olive Branch Petition / Colonists declare loyalty to King George III, but ask him to cancel the Intolerable Acts
1776 / Declaration of Independence / The American Colonists officially declare the independence from England.
1777 / Article of Confederation / 1st American Constitution; states had too much power
1783 / Treaty of Paris / Officially ended the American Revolution; recognized American Independence
1785 / Land Ordinance of 1785 / Set up a system for settling the Northwest Territory
1787 / Great Compromise / Merging of the Virginia (favored by large states) and New Jersey (favored by smaller states) Plans. Set up a two- house legislature(bicameral): Senate- 2 representatives per state (equal)
House of Representatives (based on population)
1787 / 3/5’s Compromise / 3/5’s of slaves count towards a states’ population for taxation and representation in the House
1787-
1788 / Constitution Created / Modern Constitution is written setting up the 3 Branches of Government
1791 / Bill of Rights / The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which guaranteed individual rights
1793 / Neutrality Proclamation / Washington declares the U.S. will not support a side in European Wars.
1798 / Alien Act / Allowed the President to deport any foreigner who he thought could be a threat to the country.
1798 / Sedition Act / Citizens could be fined or jailed for criticizing the government or government officials.
1803 / Marbury v Madison / Supreme Court decision establishing judicial review. (the Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional)
1803 / Louisiana Purchase / Thomas Jefferson buys the Louisiana Territory from France (Napoleon) $15 million
1807 / Embargo Act / Banned all trade from foreign countries; hurt economy
1814 / Treaty of Ghent / Officially ended the War of 1812
1820 / Missouri Compromise / Missouri becomes a slave state; Maine a free state. 36/30 line was drawn. North would be free, South would be slave.
1823 / Monroe Doctrine / Non-interference of European nations in the Western Hemisphere. Americas no longer up for future colonization.
1830 / Indian Removal Act / Authorized the president to negotiate with southern Indian tribes for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their land.
1848 / Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo / Treaty between U.S. and Mexico.
Mexican Cession
1848 / Seneca Falls Convention / Meeting calling for rights for women suffrage.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were instrumental in this women’s movement.
1850 / Compromise of 1850 / California enters as a free state; Mexican Cession divided into New Mexico and Utah; Ppopular sovereignty) Slave trade ended in D.C. and strengthened the Fugitive Slave Laws.
1853 / Gadsden Purchase / Mexico sold the U.S. a small strip of land in present day Arizona and New Mexico.
1854 / Kansas-Nebraska Act / Divided Nebraska territory in two: Kansas and Nebraska- Slavery decided by popular sovereignty.
1857 / Dred Scott Decision / Slavery was made legal in all territories; African Americans were denied citizenship rights.
1862 / The Homestead Act / Congress passed the Homestead Act in 1862. It offered a 160-acre plot to anyone who resided on the land for 5 years. Congress wanted to give the poor a chance to own farms. Homesteaders- settlers who acquired free land from the Government-on the Great Plains.
1863 / Emancipation Proclamation / Freed the slaves in the seceded states in the Confederacy (South)
1865 / 13th Amendment / Banned Slavery throughout the nation
1866 / 14th Amendment / Gave citizenship to all people born in the U.S.
1869 / 15th Amendment / Forbade any state from denying African-American males the right to vote.
Marbury v Madison / Established Judicial Review (the Supreme Court can declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional)
Gibbons v Ogden / Steamboat case about a monopoly. Establishes that the Federal Government is above the states in cases involving interstate commerce.
McCulloch v Maryland / Case concerning the national bank, established the power of the national government over state governments.
Dred Scott v Sandford / Declared that African Americans did not have citizenship rights and that they were property. Slavery made legal in all territories.
Plessy v Ferguson / The Court said a law could require “separate” facilities, so long as they were “equal.”
1st Amendment / Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition
2nd Amendment / Right to bear arms
3rd Amendment / Quartering Soldiers
4th Amendment / Protects from unreasonable searches and seizures; warrants
5th Amendment / Double jeopardy; due process; eminent domain
6th Amendment / Speedy trial, witnesses
7th Amendment / Trial by jury
8th Amendment / Protects from cruel and unusual punishment; excessive fines
9th Amendment / You have other rights not listed in Constitution
10th Amendment / Any power not granted to the Federal Government belongs to the state
John Smith / Leader of Jamestown; Great Leadership; “Those that do not work, do not eat.”
Pocahontas / Daughter of Chief Powhatan; married John Rolfe
Powhatan / Chief of Powhatan Tribe
John Rolfe / Created a special strain of tobacco that saved Jamestown (cash Crop)
Nathaniel Bacon / colonist of the Virginia Colony, famous as the instigator of Bacon's Rebellion of 1676
William Bradford / English Separatist leader; helped found the Plymouth Colony. He was a signatory to the Mayflower Compact.
Squanto / Patuxet man who assisted the Pilgrims after their first winter in what is now Massachusetts. He was integral to their very survival. Taught the Pilgrims how to plant different crops.
John Winthrop / first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the chief figure among the Puritan founders of New England.
Anne Hutchinson / Banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for her beliefs
Roger Williams / Banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his beliefs; founded Rhode Island.
Thomas Hooker / Founded Connecticut
William Penn / Founded Pennsylvania; “holy experiment’’ religious toleration