Spirit of America Bookstore U.S.  Timeline  –  up  to  1800 jump to 1801-1900    •    1901-1950    •    1951-2000    •    2001 to present Columbian Era    •    Pilgrim Era    •    Before The Revolution The Revolutionary War    •    The Constitutional Era Columbian  Era 1492 Aug 3: Italian-born Christopher Columbus set out from Palos, Spain on his First Voyage to the New World. 1492 Oct 12 [Oldstyle Oct 21]: Columbus arrived in the present-day Bahama Islands, narrowly avoiding mutiny by his crew. 1493 March 15: Columbus returned to Spain, ending his First Voyage to the New World. 1493 Sept 25: Columbus sailed from Cadiz, Spain on his Second Voyage to the New World, leading a flotilla of 17 ships, founding the town of La Isabella on Hispaniola and returning to Spain in 1496. 1498: Columbus's Third Voyage (taking along 30 women) bumped against the South American continent: first Trinidad, then Venezuela, then a return to Hispaniola, where he was arrested for terrible administration during the Second Voyage. 1500 Nov 25: Columbus arrived in Spain in chains, but was quickly released by royal decree. 1502 May 9: Columbus sailed from Cadiz, Spain on his Fourth [and final] Voyage to the New World, with his son Ferdinand. 1503 June 25: Columbus beached his ships on Jamaica and was stranded for a year. 1504 Nov 7: Columbus returned to Spain. 1506 May 20: Columbus {born in 1451} died a pauper in Valladolid, Spain at age 55. 1542 Sept 28: Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo arrived at present-day San Diego, California. 1565 Sept 8: Founding of the city of St. Augustine, in what is now Florida, by a Spanish force of 500 soldiers, 200 sailors and 100 farmers & craftsmen (some with wives & family) led by Pedro Menendez de Aviles. 1582 Oct 4-15: By order of Pope Gregory, the calendar was adjusted; Great Britain & the American colonies did not conform until 1752. 1585 Spring: First attempt by Sir Walter Raleigh to establish a colony; expedition leader Sir Richard Grenville left approximately 75 men on the north end of Roanoke Island (now North Carolina). 1586 June 19: Colonists at Roanoke Island accepted Sir Francis Drake's offer to return to England with him; fifiteen men stayed behind (to maintain possession for Raleigh). 1587 July 22: Re-establishment of the Roanoke Island colony by 120 English settlers; Indians reported that the small remainder of the first attempt had gone north in a boat. 1587 Aug 18: Birth of Virginia Dare on Roanoke Island, the first child of English parents born on American soil (granddaughter of the colony's Governor John White). 1590 Aug 18: After the war with Spain prevented the planned re-supply expedition for three years, returning Gov. White found the 'Lost Colony' deserted.

Pilgrim  Era 1607 April 26: Capt. John Smith's expedition to the Virginia Colony arrived at Cape Henry, Virginia. 1607 May 14: The location of Jamestowne, the first permanent English settlement in the New World, was chosen and the settlement begun. [see also Jamestown 1607-2007 site {requires Flash}]    "The Jamestown Project" [2007] by Karen Ordahl Kupperman Belknap Press 9½x6¼ hardcover [3/2007] for $19.77 1607 May 31: Popham colonists set sail from England, landing in September near Kennebec, Maine where they built Fort St. George. 1608 July 3: Samuel de Champlain founded the city of Quebec, in Canada. 1609 Sept 12: English explorer Henry Hudson sailed into the river that bears his name. 1614 April 5: Virginia colonist John Rolfe married Pocahantas, the daughter of the leader of the Powhatan natives. 1620 Sept 16: Pilgrims in the vessel Mayflower set sail for the New World. [The Mayflower was previously a whaler, and later a slave ship.] 1620 Nov 11: Aboard the vessel Mayflower, anchored off the coast of Massachusetts, 41 pilgrims signed a compact calling for a 'body politick'. 1620 Dec 21: Pilgrims on the vessel Mayflower stepped ashore for the first time at present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts. 1621 April 5: The Mayflower sailed from Plymouth Colony on a month-long return trip to England. 1621 June 3: The Dutch West India Company received a charter for a trade monopoly in the New World and for the territory of New Amsterdam, now known as New York. 1626 May 4: Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed on present-day Manhattan Island in New York. 1630 Feb 22: Quadequina of the Wampanoag tribe introduced popcorn to the English colonists at Plymouth Colony. 1630 Sept 16: The Massachusetts Colony village of Shawmut changed its name to Boston. 1634 March 25: English colonists founded the city of Baltimore (Maryland), named for their patron, the second Lord Baltimore. 1636 Oct 28: Harvard College founded in Massachusetts. 1653 Feb 2: New Amsterdam – now New York City – was incorporated. 1663 July 8: King Charles II of England granted a charter to the Rhode Island Colony. 1664 Sept 8: The Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam to the British, who renamed it New York. 1689 April 11: William III of Orange [1650-1702] and wife Mary II [1662-1694] were crowned as joint sovereigns of Britain, Scotland & Ireland. 1690 Feb 3: First paper money was issued in America, by the Colony of Massachusetts, to pay soldiers fighting in a war against Quebec. 1699: Founding of the City of Williamsburg as the capital of Virginia Colony. (The historic district is preserved as Colonial Williamsburg, created in 1927.)

Before  The  Revolution 1701 May 23: Notorious pirate Boston-based Captain William Kidd was executed in London, England after trial and conviction on charges of piracy & murder. 1705: City of Albuquerque (New Mexico) was founded by Spanish settlers. 1706 Jan 17: Birth of Benjamin Franklin in Boston, Massachusetts. 1710: City of Santa Fe (New Mexico) was founded by Spanish settlers. 1718 Nov 22: Notorious English pirate Edward Teach – known as 'Blackbeard' – was killed in hand-to-hand fighting during a battle off the Virginia coast. 1732 Dec 19: Benjamin Franklin began publishing Poor Richard's Almanak. 1733 Feb 12: English colonists led by James Oglethorpe founded Savannah, Georgia. 1736: Benjamin Franklin invented suspenders. 1743 April 14: Birthday of revolutionary Thomas Jefferson; he died 4 July 1826. 1752 Sept 2-13: Great Britain & the American colonies finally adopted the Gregorian calendar of October 1582. 1754 July 3: The French and Indian War began.    "The War That Made America: The Story of The French and Indian War" [P.B.S./W.Q.E.D. Jan 2006] Co-produced, written & co-directed by Ben Loeterman & Eric Stange; hosted by Graham Greene, starring Larry Nehring, Alex Coleman, Chris Davenport, Ed Brigadier, Kevin McClatchy, Jeff Monahan, Anne Harsch & Shane Callahan P.B.S. 4-hour color DVD [2/2006] 2 disks for $29.99 Valley soundtrack CD [1/2006] for $16.98 full credits at IMDb • official movie site 1763 Feb 10: France ceded Canada to England under the Treaty of Paris, ending the French and Indian War. 1765 March 22: Britain enacted the Stamp Act, to raise money from the American colonies to repay military expenses defending North America. 1765 May 29: At the Virginia House of Burgesses, Patrick Henry [1736-99] denounced the Stamp Act; he responded to a cry of 'Treason!' by declaring "If this be treason, make the most of it!" 1765 Oct 19: The Stamp Act Congress, meeting in New York City, drew up a declaration of rights and liberties. 1765 Nov 1: The Stamp Act went into effect. 1766 March 18: After fierce resistence from colonists, the Stamp Act of 1765 was repealed.

The  Revolutionary  War War Film Festival - Revolutionary War Movies Founding Fathers of America page 1770 March 5 The Boston Massacre: British soldiers fired on a taunting crowd, killing five people. 1773 Dec 16: Colonists dressed as Indians staged the Boston Tea Party in reaction to the prior Tea Act, dumping over 300 chests of tea overboard in Boston Harbor. 1774 Sept 5: The First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Peyton Randolph of Virginia presiding. 1774 Oct 26: The First Continental Congress adjourned. 1775 March 23: Patrick Henry's famous call for independence from Britain at the Virginia Provincial Convention: "Give me liberty, or give me death." 1775 April 18: Paul Revere's famous ride to warn of the Redcoats' advance - the start of the War of Independence. 1775 April 19: The American Revolutionary War began at the battles of Lexington & Concord. 1775 May 10: Second Continental Congress convened, with John Hancock of Massachusetts presiding, and was the government of the Colonies until ratification of the Articles of Confederation on 1 March 1781. 1775 June 14: Founding of the Continental Army (forerunner of the U.S. Army), with George Washington at the head. 1775 June 17: The Battle of Bunker Hill near Boston, Massachusetts (actually at Breed's Hill). 1775 Aug 22: England's King George III proclaimed the American colonies in a state of open rebellion. 1776 Jan 10: Thomas Paine published his "Common Sense" pamphlet. 1776 May 4: Rhode Island declared its freedom from England, two months before the Declaration of Independence. 1776 June 7: Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence. 1776 June 11: Continental Congress formed a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence from Britain. 1776 June 12: Virginia legislature adopted its Declaration of Rights. 1776 June 29: Adoption of the Virginia state constitutiuon; Patrick Henry made Governor.        Declaration of Independence 4 July 1776 14"x16" art print for 17.99 from AllPosters Declaration of Independence entry at Wikipedia Declaration of Independence at National Archives website 1776 July 8th: Declaration of Independence returned from the printer; the Liberty Bell rang to summon citizens of Philidelphia to the first public reading. 1776 July 9: Declaration of Independence was read to Washington's troops in New York. 1776 Sept 9: The Second Continental Congress made the term 'United States' official, replacing 'United Colonies'. 1776 Sept 22: Nathan Hale was hanged as a spy by the British. 1776 Nov 16: British troops captured Fort Washington in New York. 1776 Dec 25: Gen. Washington moved his troops across the Delaware River for a surprise attack against Hessian forces at Trenton, New Jersey. 1777 Jan 3: Gen. Washington's army routed the British forces at Princeton, New Jersey. 1777 June 14: The Continental Congress adopted the Stars & Stripes as the national flag. 1777 Aug 16: American forces won the Battle of Bennington in Walloomsac, New York. 1777 Sept 19: The First Battle of Saratoga began (actually the Battle of Freeman's Farm). 1777 Oct 7: The Second Battle of Saratoga began (actually the Battle of Bemis Heights). 1777 Oct 17: The battle at Saratoga ended; the 9,000-man British force under Gen. John Burgoyne surrendered to the American militia. 1777 Nov 15: The Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation, precursor to the U.S. Constitution. 1777 Dec 17: France recognized the independence of the new United States from Britain. 1777 Dec 19: Washington's Continental Army entered camp at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania following defeats at Brandywine and Germantown. 1778 April 1: The symbol of the dollar sign was invented by businessman Oliver Pollock of New Orleans, Louisiana. 1778 June 19: Washington's retrained & resupplied Continental Army left Valley Forge. 1779 Sept 23: The American warship Bonhomme Richard, commanded by John Paul Jones, defeated the British warship HMS Serapis. 1780 Sept 23: Papers carried by captured British spy John Andrι revealed American Gen. Benedict Arnold's plot to surrender the fortifications under his command at West Point, New York to the enemy. 1781 March 1: The Articles of Confederation were ratified, and the Continental Congress adjourned and re-formed the next day as the Congress of the Confederation (or the United States in Congress Assembled), which was the government of the Colonies until the government under the U.S. Constitution became operative on March 4, 1789. 1781 Sept 4: City of Los Angeles (California) founded by Spanish settlers. 1781 Sept 28: American forces, with the backing of a French fleet, began the successful siege of Yorktown, Virginia. 1781 Oct 19: British troops under Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia. 1782 June 20: Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States. 1782 Aug 7: Army General George Washington established the Order of the Purple Heart, honoring wounded soldiers. 1783 Feb 4: England declared hostilities with its former colonies in America at an end. 1783 Feb 5: Sweden recognized the independence of the new United States. 1783 April 11: America declared hostilities at an end. 1783 June 5: The Montgolfier Brothers publicly demonstrated their hot-air balloon in a ten-minute flight in Annonay, France. 1784 Jan 14: The Revolutionary War ended as the U.S. ratified the Treaty of Paris.

The  Constitutional  Era 1787 May 25: The Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania after enough delegates arrived for a quorum. 1787 Aug 22: Inventor John Fitch demonstrated his steamboat on the Delaware River near Philadelphia to delegates to the Constitutional Convention. 1787 Sept 17: The U.S. Constitution document was completed and signed by delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. 1787 Sept 28: Congress voted to send the new Constitution to state legislatures for ratification. 1787 Oct 27: First of the Federalist Papers, essays urging ratification of the U.S. Constitution, was published in a New York City newspaper. 1788 June 21: The U.S. Constitution went into effect as New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify.        U.S Constitution 17 September 1787 14"x16" art print for 17.99 from AllPosters U.S. Constitution entry at Wikipedia U.S. Constitution at National Archives website 1789 March 4: The U.S. government began official operations under the Constitution (and the Congress of the Confederation was dissolved). The first meeting of Federal Congress in New York City was adjourned for lack of a quorum. 1789 April 30: George Washington was inaugurated in New York City as the first President of the United States. 1789 July 27: Congress established the Department of Foreign Affairs. 1789 Aug 7: Congress established the War Department. 1789 Sept 15: The Dept. of Foreign Affairs was renamed the Department of State. 1789 Sept 25: Twelve item 'Bill of Rights' approved by Congress. 1789 Nov 20: New Jersey was the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights. 1790: Founding of The King Arthur Flour Company in Boston, Massachusetts; company moved to Norwich, CT in 1978. 1790 May 29: Rhode Island became the 13th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, making the matter unanimous. 1790 May 31: First U.S. Copyright Law was enacted, entitled "An Act to Promote the Progress of Useful Arts". 1790 July 16: The District of Columbia was established as the seat of the U.S. government. 1790 Aug 1: First U.S. Census completed, showing a population of 3.93 million people in the 13 original states (vs. estimated world population of 870 million). 1790 Dec 6: Congress moved from New York City to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1791 Dec 15: The Bill of Rights went into effect following ratification by Virginia.        U.S Bill of Rights: approved 25 September 1789; ratified 15 December 1791 14"x16" art print for 17.99 from AllPosters Bill of Rights entry at Wikipedia Bill of Rights at National Archives website 1792 Feb 20: President Washington signed legislation creating the U.S. Post Office. 1792 March-April: U.S. financial crisis dubbed the 'Panic of 1792', during which securities lost 25 percent of their value. 1792 May 17: Founding of the New York Stock Exchange, by brokers meeting under a tree on what is now Wall Street in New York City. 1793: The Copyright Act of 1790 was repealed and replaced by a slightly longer act, the drafting of which is largely attributed to Thomas Jefferson. 1793 March 2: Birthday of Sam Houston, the first President of the Republic of Texas, in Lexington, Virginia. 1794 March 14: Eli Whitney received a patent for his cotton engine (or 'cotton gin') which revolutionized the production of cotton in America, especially in the Southern states. 1794 Nov 19: U.S. and Britain signed Jay's Treaty, resolving some issues left over from the Revolutionary War. 1795 Summer & Fall: The Whiskey Rebellion, over taxes on small distiller farmers. George Washington assembled a gigantic army and scoured Western Pennsylvania, but only two men were tried & convicted, and Washington pardoned both. 1797 Oct 21: Launch of the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution in Boston Harbor; the vessel was later nicknamed 'Old Ironsides'. 1798 July 11: Congress formally re-established the U.S. Marine Corps and created the U.S. Marine Band. up to 1800 { this page }    •   next: 1801-1900    •    1901-1950    •    1951-2000    •    2001 to present

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