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1607: Jamestown is founded, marking the first permanent English settlement in North America.

• Established by the Virginia Company of London, a joint-stock company seeking profit.

• Captain John Smith's leadership was crucial; his "no work, no food" policy ensured the colony's survival.

• Faced severe challenges: disease (especially malaria), famine (the "Starving Time"), and conflicts with the Powhatan Confederacy.

• The headright system encouraged settlement by granting land (typically 50 acres) to those who paid for their own or another's passage, leading to indentured servitude.

1619: The first African slaves are brought to Jamestown, Virginia, aboard a Dutch ship.

• Marks the beginning of chattel slavery in the English colonies, though initially, some Africans were treated as indentured servants.

• Tobacco cultivation, introduced by John Rolfe, dramatically increased demand for labor, solidifying the slave-based plantation economy.

• The House of Burgesses, the first legislative assembly in the American colonies, was also established this year, allowing for some degree of self-governance.

1620: Pilgrims establish Plymouth colony, signing the Mayflower Compact.

• Separatists seeking religious freedom from the Church of England, they sailed on the Mayflower.

• The Mayflower Compact, signed aboard ship, was an early agreement to form a self-governing body based on majority rule.

• Faced a difficult first winter with high mortality rates, but received essential assistance from Native Americans like Squanto, who taught them how to cultivate local crops.

• William Bradford served as the colony's governor for over 30 years, documenting the colony's history in Of Plymouth Plantation.

1754-1763: French and Indian War, a conflict between Britain and France for control of North America.

• Part of the larger Seven Years' War fought globally.

• Resulted in British dominance in North America, but also left Britain with a massive war debt.

• Increased tensions between Britain and its colonies due to new policies aimed at recouping war expenses, such as the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts.

• The Treaty of Paris in 1763 officially ended the war, with France ceding most of its North American territories to Britain.

1775-1783: American Revolutionary War, leading to American independence from Britain.

• Triggered by colonial grievances over taxation without representation, the Boston Massacre, and other oppressive measures.

• 1776: Declaration of Independence is signed.

• Declared the 13 American colonies independent from Britain, articulating ideals of liberty, equality, and self-government.

• Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, influenced by Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, it asserted natural rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

• Listed grievances against King George III and affirmed the right of the colonies to separate from British rule.

1787: The United States Constitution is drafted.

• Convened in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation, but instead created a new framework for a federal system of government.

• Established three branches of government: legislative (Congress), executive (President), and judicial (Supreme Court), with a system of checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

• Included compromises over issues like representation (the Great Compromise, establishing a bicameral legislature) and slavery (the Three-Fifths Compromise).

• James Madison is often called the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the document.

1791: The Bill of Rights is ratified, protecting individual liberties.

• Consists of the first ten amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing fundamental rights and freedoms.

• Guarantees rights such as freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the right to bear arms, protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and due process of law.

• Designed to limit the power of the federal government and address concerns raised by Anti-Federalists during the ratification debates.

1803: Louisiana Purchase, doubling the size of the United States.

• Acquired from France under President Thomas Jefferson for approximately 15 million.

• Opened up vast new territories for exploration, settlement, and economic development.

• Raised questions about the expansion of slavery into the new territories and set the stage for future conflicts.

• The Lewis and Clark expedition (1804-1806) explored the newly acquired territory, mapping the region and documenting its natural resources and Native American cultures.

1861-1865: American Civil War, fought over slavery and states' rights.

• Fought between the Union (North) and the Confederacy (South), resulting in over 620,000 deaths.

• 1863: Emancipation Proclamation, declaring slaves free in Confederate territories.

• Issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, as a military strategy to weaken the Confederacy.

• Changed the focus of the war to include ending slavery, making it a moral imperative.

• Had a limited immediate impact, as it only applied to Confederate-held territories, but paved the way for the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery throughout the United States.

• The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) was a major turning point in the war, marking the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.

1898: Spanish-American War, resulting in U.S. acquisition of territories like the Philippines and Cuba.

• Triggered by the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor and fueled by expansionist ambitions and yellow journalism.

• Marked the emergence of the U.S. as a global power with overseas colonies and increased influence in Latin America and Asia.

• Led to debates over imperialism and the role of the U.S. in the world, with some Americans advocating for expansion and others opposing it.

• Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders gained fame for their role in the Battle of San Juan Hill.

1917-1918: United States participates in World War I.

• Entered the war in 1917, joining the Allied Powers (Britain, France, Russia) against the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire).

• President Woodrow Wilson initially sought to maintain American neutrality but ultimately declared war in response to unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany (the Zimmerman Telegram).

• The war ended with the Treaty of Versailles, which imposed harsh terms on Germany and led to the formation of the League of Nations, though the U.S. Senate refused to ratify the treaty or join the League.

• Resulted in significant social, economic, and political changes in the U.S., including increased industrial production, the expansion of government power, and the rise ofProgressivism.

1929: Stock Market Crash, triggering the Great Depression.

• Marked the beginning of a severe economic downturn that lasted throughout the 1930s, with widespread unemployment, bank failures, and business bankruptcies.

• Causes included overproduction,speculation, and an unstable global economy.

• Prompted government intervention in the economy under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who implemented the New Deal programs to provide relief, recovery, and reform.

• The New Deal included measures such as the Social Security Act, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

1941-1945: United States participates in World War II.

• Entered the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

• Fought against the Axis powers: Germany, Italy, and Japan.

• The war ended with the surrender of Germany in May 1945 and Japan in August 1945, following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

• Led to significant industrial growth and technological advancements, as well as the emergence of the U.S. as a global superpower.

1950-1953: Korean War, a conflict between North Korea and South Korea.

• The U.S. intervened as part of a United Nations force to defend South Korea against invasion by communist North Korea.

• The war ended in a stalemate with the Korean Peninsula divided along the 38th parallel.

• Increased Cold War tensions and military spending, leading to a long-term U.S. military presence in South Korea.

• General Douglas MacArthur was a key figure in the war but was later removed from command due to disagreements with President Harry S. Truman over strategy.

1954: Brown v. Board of Education, declaring state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

• The Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Earl Warren, overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

• Argued that separate schools were inherently unequal and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

• A major victory for the Civil Rights Movement, paving the way for desegregation and greater educational opportunities for African Americans.

• Thurgood Marshall, who later became the first African American Supreme Court Justice, argued the case before the Supreme Court.

1964-1975: Vietnam War, a conflict between North Vietnam and South Vietnam.

• The U.S. supported South Vietnam against the communist North in an effort to contain the spread of communism (the Domino Theory).

• Highly controversial and divisive war, with growing anti-war protests and social unrest in the U.S.

• Resulted in significant social and political upheaval in the U.S., including the rise of the counterculture movement and increased skepticism towards government authority.

• The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) gave President Lyndon B. Johnson broad war powers, but was