History of the United States I.
Filip Doubek 4C
GML
Pre-Columbian era
• Many theories about first Native Americans
• Probably came from Siberia using a land bridge
• Native Americans – hunting, gathering, pueblos
• Vikings (1000)
Colonial era
• 1492 – Christopher Columbus discovers America
• Building colonies on the west coast – UK
• Other countries – Spain (Florida), France (Louisiana), Netherlands (New York)
• Britain controlled all of the colonies
• 1733 – 13 colonies
American Revolution
• American people – not same rights as British
• British – many absurd taxes =) unity between the colonies
• Colonists got in fight with British soldiers =) Boston Massacre
• This led to Boston Tea Party 1773
• Leaders of the 13 colonies = Continental Congress
American Revolution
• The Revolutionary war begins with the battles of Lexington and Concord
• 1776 - The American colonies declare their
independence as the United States of America
• Important leader – George Washington
• British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia
• Americans win their battle for independence
The Federal Period
• 1781 – Confederation – almost no federal power
• 1787 - The Constitution is adopted by the Constitutional Convention.
• First president – George Washington
• Bill Of Rights added to the Constitution
Expansion, Slavery
• In need of new space =) expansion to the West
• Conflicts with Native Americans
• Monroe Doctrine – Europe shouldn´t control the USA – president James Monroe
• California Gold Rush
• North – industrial, against slavery while South – agricultural, profiting from slavery
The Civil War
• 1860 - Abraham Lincoln is elected president.
• One year later – Civil War begins
• Union Army wins the Battle of Gettysburg
• Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation
=) frees the slaves in the South.
• American Civil War comes to an end with General Robert E. Lee surrendering at the Appomattox Court House
• President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated.
Reconstruction
• Slavery is outlawed by the Thirteenth Amendment.
• White southerners – Ku Klux Klan – against black people
• Alaska is purchased from Russia.
• First Transcontinental Railroad is completed.
• Homestead Act – new free land for everybody
