TIMELINE to UNITED STATES HISTORY FROM DISCOVERY TO THE FRAMING OF

AMERICAN CONSTITUTION

50, 000 years ago, migration of Asiatic people to the continent through the Beringia.
Big game hunting, Paleo-Indians
Archaic culture (post glaciation), diversity in culture flourished
Ex. eastern woodland, great plains, great basin, arctic culture
Pre-Columbian explorations
1000 AD Vikings
Leif Erickkson (Newfoundland)
Columbus discovered America
Preceding important events: Crusades (Pope Urban II, 1095), European explorations to the East
Christopher Columbus, 1492 (San Salvador)
Amerigo Vespucci, New World
The Making of Spanish Empire and explorations in America
Hernan Cortes and defeat of Montezumas Aztec Empire, 1519. 1521 established Mexico
City( Tenochtitlan)
Francisco Pizarro captured Atahualpas Inca Empire in Peru
Pedro Menendez de Aviles established St. Augustine (Florida) in 1565, first permanent
European settlement in America
Hernando de Soto explored Georgia and Carolinas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas
(1539-1542)
Francisco de Coronado explored interior of America (1540)
Juan de Cabrillo (1542) explored California
Other Europeans followed
Frances Samuel de Champlain founded cities of Quebec and Montreal and established alliance
with the Hurons
Dutch through Henry Hudson exploration. New Amsterdam later became New York
King Henry VII of England sent John Cabot for northwestern passage to the Orient found
newfoundland
Elizabeth I defeated Spanish Armada in 1588, sent Sir Walter Raleigh founded Roanoke but
mysteriously vanished
Establishment of joint stock company, London Company, to start colonization of the New World.
The charter was given by James I. Virginia was founded along Chesapeake bay with the first
town, Jamestown.

The first English town

Starving times
John Smith
Discovery of the value of tobacco
House of Burgesses initiated series of laws for the colony to respond to unruly acts
Powhatans War, sporadic attacks from 1622-24
Charter was revoked by the King and Virginia became a royal colony

Second wave of english settlers

Protestant Reformation in Europe starting in 1517 advocated by Luther
Anglicanism or Church of England, schism with Roman Catholic Church by Henry VIII
Puritanism, a movement borne out of the Church of England.
Fled to Holland in 1608
Gained permission from London Company to sail to Virginia
1620, boarded Mayflower and landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts
Signed the Mayflower Compact

Massachusetts Bay Company

Given charter by Charles I to establish a colony north of Virginia
Boarded Arabella
Great Migration of Puritans to America
1630, settled in Boston, Massachusetts
Roger Williams, founded the first settlement, the town of Providence, in Rhode Island
Fernando Gorges obtained a charter to establish a settlement in Maine, that is loyal to Anglican
Church but his heirs sold the charter to Massachusetts thus making Maine and Massachusetts
as single colony
1679, New Hampshire was founded as royal colony. Settled formerly by John Wheelwright but
the grant was later revoked

Lord Baltimore I became a proprietor for Maryland, a colony for the Catholics later succeeded
by his Cecil Calvert (Lord Baltimore II)

More Colonies following the English Restoration, 1660

Carolinas- many settlers were scots-irish
Charles II granted his brother James II lands between Connecticut and Delaware rivers. The
british fleet made the Dutch governor, Peter Stuyvesant to surrender New Amsterdam to the
British. Renaming it later as New York.
King James II later turned over the lower section of landholdings to his two friends, George
Carteret and John Berkeley which led to the establishment of New Jersey which later became a
royal colony
Pennsylvania-founded by William Penn as the proprietor. One of the most successful proprietary
colony
1732, Georgia was founded by George Oglethorpe

Original 13 states
New England colonies: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire
Middle Colonies: Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware
Southern Colonies: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia

Attempts to control the colonies

James II, established the Dominion of New England composed of Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Later he added the colonies of New York and New
Jersey and Edmund Andros was made governor that granted him to enact laws, including taxes.
The Glorious Revolution of 1688 brought an end to the reign in James II and to Andros.
Navigation Acts, which monopolize trade with England
England follows the policy of salutary neglect and the colonies were unrepresented in the
parliament

Road to Revolution
Recurring bloodbath with the Indians such as Peqout War, 1637 and the Kings Philip War,
1675.
French advancements to the Ohio river valley. The colonists established Fort Necessity, 1754,
only to be devoured by French and Indians attacks. This was known in American history as
French and Indian wars or Seven Years Wars (1756-1763)
The British rescued the colonists from the French slaughter, headed by William Pitt with his best
generals James Wolfe and Jeffrey Amherst
Peace Treaty signed in 1763. France surrendered Canada to the British and compensated
Spain with Louisiana for losing Florida to Great Britain.
At the outset of the conflict, Benjamin Franklin proposed the creation of continental government
with representatives from each colony. This was dubbed as Albany Plan of Union but rejected by
the Congress and the Parliament.
Even after the war, British army remained in the colony and the government issued
Proclamation of 1763 in response to Pontiacs war to pacify the tribes and avoid further
bloodshed but only to infuriate the colonists
The war swelled Englands national debt thus prompting PM George Grenville to tax the
colonies to reduce the debt. Series of laws were passed in the parliament to raise revenue:
Sugar Act of 1764, imposed duties on molasses imported into the colonies by non-British
Caribbean sources. Followed by Quartering Act, colonies provide lodging for troops stationed in
their communities. Stamp Act, tax stamp to any matters involving paper. The Stamp Act was
heavily protested by the colonists.
1765, four colonies sent delegates to New York to discuss the matter. John Dickinson wrote
Declaration of Rights and Grievances in which declared that only the elected legislatures had
the right to tax them. Since they are unrepresented in the Parliament, then it gives no right to tax
them.
Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty were established, the latter always willing to resort to
violence.
Parliament repeal the Stamp Act but only to pass the Declaratory Act, which proclaim that
Parliament could legislate for the colonies in all cases whatsoever
The clamor to denounce the monarchy and parliament began.

Charles Townshend proposed new ways to raise revenue through external taxes. Imposing
duties to goods imported from England such as glass, lead, paints, paper and tea- this was
known as the Townshend Acts. It also imposed that salaries of the royal officials will be taken
from the revenue raised.
1767, the Parliament suspended New York assembly after refusing to supply troops.
1770, the Townshend Act was repealed except tax on tea.
March 5, 1770-Boston Massacre
1773, Tea Act selling of tea in the colony to recover the East India Company from verge of
bankruptcy. The tea will be sold by American agents.
December 16, 1773- The Boston Tea Party
1774- Coercive Acts was passed by the Parliament
The first continental congress convened in Philadelphia. Adapted John Adams Declaration
which affirmed colonists rights to life, liberty and property and the recent acts of Parliament as
unconstitutional, dangerous, destructive
Battle at Lexington and Concord in 1775 started Americas War for Independence
1775, second continental congress, appointed George Washington to head the continental
army, raised continental currency and seek foreign alliance to win the war.
1776, Thomas Paines Common Sense was published.
July 4, 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence
1777, John Dickinson wrote the provisions in the Articles of Confederation. The document
proposed to create a Union among states. Unicameral legislature, and enactment of laws but
has no authority to enforce them to states, it has no power to tax.
1781, the British surrendered
1783, the peace treaty was ratified by the congress

Framing the American Constitution

Shay Rebellion (1786-1787)
Alexander Hamilton called the states for special convention in Philadelphia in 1787, he wanted
to overhaul the Articles
Virginia Plan mainly authored by James Madison of Virginia
New Jersey Plan
Connecticut Compromise
3 branches
Seat in the lower house is proportional to the state population and 2 representatives from each
states in the upper house
The three-fifth compromise
Congress can regulate trade, as the north demanded, but forbade imposition of export duties as
the South insisted
President is elected by college and justices are appointed
The chief executive has veto and appointive powers and the commander in chief of armed
forces
Members of the three branches will receive salary not from the state but from the national
treasury

Remini, Short History of the United States