Page 14 - All About History - Issue 29-15

USA

The States across history

The signing of the Declaration of
THE COLONIAL WarofIndependence Independence during the war marked the
1775-83
birth of the United States of America
ERA BEGINS After the Seven Years’ War, Britain
8 SEPTEMBER 1565 imposed new taxes on their
American colonial cousins to help
The Spanish founded the settlement
pay off their debts. This sparked
of San Agustin (now St Augustine,
fierce protest from the American
Florida), the first of many permanent
people – who considered it a
European colonies in what would
violation of their rights – and by
eventually become the United States.
1775 the situation had escalated
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries,
into a full-blown war between
European powers made their mark
the two. The colonies formed a
on the continent, warring with the
Continental Congress and elected
native population and one another in a
George Washington as their
scramble for dominance. In particular,
army’s commander-in-chief before
the British-French rivalry had a marked
declaring their independence in
influence on the future of North America.
July 1776. The brutal and bitter
Debts amassed by Britain during the
conflict raged for the best part of
Seven Years’ War led to increased a decade before the Treaty of Paris
taxation in the colonies, ultimately Spanish conquistador Pedro
Menéndez de Avilés claimed San ratified the USA’s independence
provoking the independence movement. Agustin for Spain, marking the start in 1783.
of European colonisation in the US
USA timeline O The dawn of a O The great O The abolition
of slavery
California
presidency
George gold rush The 13th
O Firsthumansreach O Salem Witch Washington Thousands of Amendment to

North America Trials takes the gold prospectors the Constitution
Hunter-gatherers In a frenzy of oath of office flock to is ratified,
from Asia travel to paranoia, more after he is California after formally
America via the Bering than 200 people unanimously a nugget of the banning slavery
Land Bridge. These in Massachusetts elected first rare metal is throughout the
‘paleoamericans’ are are accused of president of the A courageous discovered in the United States. Abolitionists rejoiced
the ancient ancestors witchcraft, and 20 The trials were a notorious United States. revolutionary leader, American River. 6 December as the amendment was
of Native Americans. are executed. case of mass hysteria: 30 April 1789 Washington was one of the 1848-58 1865 passed in the House of
17,000 BCE 1692-93 nation’s Founding Fathers Representatives
superstition and hearsay saw
innocent people killed
17,00BCE 1500 1600 1700 1800
O Spanish explorers O Pilgrims and O “We the O The Louisiana O The Alaska
discover Florida natives hold ‘first’ people…” Purchase Purchase is
Conquistador Juan Thanksgiving One of the founding France sells agreed
Ponce de León is The Wampanoag tribe documents of its Louisiana Russia sells Alaska
the first European join pilgrims for a the USA, the territory to to the US for $7.2
to reach the thanksgiving meal to US Constitution the US for $15 million, in order to
continental United Similar harvest festivals celebrate the year’s organises the million, which keep the area out
States. 1513 had been held before, but successful harvest. fledgling nation’s The Constitution was signed is roughly four The Louisiana territory now of British hands.
many consider this the 1621 government. by 40 delegates from the cents per acre. accounts for a quarter of the 30 March 1867
origin of Thanksgiving 4 March 1789 Thirteen Colonies 4July1803 area of contiguous US
Civil Rights Movement The assassination of JFK
1954-64 22 NOVEMBER 1963
Although the 15th Amendment granted While campaigning in Texas, President
African-American men the right to vote in 1870, John F Kennedy was shot twice as he rode
some states prevented them from doing so by in a motorcade through downtown Dallas.
deliberately introducing obstacles such as poll taxes Although he was immediately rushed to
or literacy tests. Many states enforced segregation, hospital, the president’s head and neck injuries
and racism was rife, particularly in the former were too severe and he was pronounced dead
Confederacy, where violent white supremacist at 1pm. At 2.38pm, Vice-President Lyndon B
groups such as the Ku Klux Klan existed. The Civil Johnson took the oath of office. Police arrested
Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King Jr the gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, who himself
challenged this injustice by organising marches, was murdered two days later. The events
sit-ins and boycotts. Eventually, the campaign shocked the nation, but inconsistencies with
King’s I Have A Dream speech
during the March on Washington gave African Americans legal equality via the Civil evidence also perpetuated theories that the
was a defining moment of the Rights, Voting Rights and Fair Housing Acts. JFK greets the crowds in Dallas assassination was part of a larger conspiracy.
campaign for racial equality moments before the assassination
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