The USA was one of the last countries to be discovered, so the key dates in American history don’t actually start until the 15th Century. Since then however, there’s been much packed into the following 600 hundred years, and some of the key dates in American history are also globally significant. Here are the first 7 Key Dates in History every American Should Know:
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1507
We should all know that the daddy of all key dates in American history is 1492, the year in which Christopher Columbus landed on what today we know as the Bahamas. However, it wasn’t until 1507 that the term America was applied to what had previously been referred to as the New World. Despite Columbus’s earth shattering discovery, he never had the honor of the continent being named after him. America is derived from Amerigo Vespucci and it is widely thought that it was his sensation causing letters describing his voyages around the north and south continent in the late 1490s/early 1500s that led to the naming.
Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer, had embarked on voyages that highlighted the extent of these newly discovered lands, suggesting they were not simply Asia's eastern outskirts as Columbus had presumed. It was a cartographer named Martin Waldseemüller who, influenced by Vespucci's vivid descriptions, labeled the continent America on his world map of 1507. This marked a crucial turning point in the recognition of this expansive land mass, firmly delineating it as a separate geography and ultimately shaping the course of history for the countless generations to follow.
1620
Although there were many thousands of immigrants, settlers and travelers making their way to the New World after its discovery, one of the most important dates in US history is the landing of the Pilgrims in Massachusetts after sailing over from England on the Mayflower. The significance is that the 100 passengers brought the first form of organized government to America (The Mayflower Compact), and of course the story of the first thanksgiving (in 1621) is known worldwide.
The Mayflower's arduous journey culminated on November 21, 1620, when they anchored at what is now Provincetown Harbor, Cape Cod, before finally settling in Plymouth. The Mayflower Compact set a precedent for self-governance that would echo throughout American history, establishing a rudimentary form of democracy which influenced later constitutional frameworks. Onboard were men, women, and children who braved the Atlantic in search of religious freedom and a new life, an ordeal that has since become emblematic of the American spirit of perseverance, liberty, and community.
Frequently asked questions
1773-1789
I’ve grouped together a number of the most significant dates in American history in this one heading because they are intrinsically linked. 1773-1787 is essentially the period during which the colonies fought for Independence from Britain.
1773 – The Boston Tea Party
1775-1783 – The War of American Independence
1776 – The Declaration of Independence
1787 – The US Constitution is written
1789 – George Washington elected first President of America
These pivotal years denote the tumultuous journey toward self-governance and the establishment of a nation. The Boston Tea Party in 1773 was a defiant response against British taxation, which sparked a revolutionary spirit across the thirteen colonies. As battles raged from 1775-1783, the War of American Independence gestated the birth of a new country. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence affirmed the colonies’ resolve to be free. A decade later, in 1787, the foundational principles of governance were penned in the US Constitution. Subsequently, in 1789, unity and leadership were embodied by George Washington, America's first elected President.
1861-1865
Although the American Civil War only ravaged the country for four years, it actually all began back in 1804 when the northern states declared slavery illegal. The Underground Railway is known to have been active between 1820 and 1860, and other significant pre war events include the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin (by Harriet Beecher Stowe) and the raid on Harper’s Ferry by abolitionist John Browne. Interestingly, whilst Unionists were campaigning for slave freedom, the Native Americans were forcibly removed from their homelands in what became known as the Trail of Tears. (1838-1839).
The American Civil War was a devastating conflict that lasted from 1861 to 1865. It was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America, with the former eventually emerging victorious. The war resulted in the abolishment of slavery in the United States and the reunification of the country.
The prelude to the Civil War began in 1804 when the northern states declared slavery illegal. This resulted in the formation of the Underground Railway, which helped slaves escape to freedom between 1820 and 1860. In 1838-1839, the Native Americans were forcibly removed from their homelands in what became known as the Trail of Tears.
In 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe published the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which depicted the plight of slaves in the United States and helped to further galvanize the abolitionist movement. In 1859, abolitionist John Brown led a raid on Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, in an attempt to start a slave rebellion.
1920
Woohoo, for us ladies, this is one of the key dates in US history, as it is the year the 19th Amendment was added to the American Constitution, giving women the right to vote. The suffragette movement had first started making big noises in 1872 and it took an interminable 48 years to get those stubborn, over bearing men to let women in on the electoral action!
The struggle was real, gals, with activists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton at the forefront, throwing down the gauntlet for women's rights. They faced prison, force-feeding, and downright nastiness, but their resilience was as unbreakable as the corsets of yesteryear. So when the 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920, it wasn't just a win; it was a giant leap for womankind. Finally, our voices could echo in the ballot boxes, shaping the future of the nation. Our grandmothers were no longer silent spectators; they were voters, darlings!
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1929
During the 1920s the US economy was booming. Immigrants had been flooding into the country from all over the world, hungry for financial success to build a bright future. Men were building vast commercial empires, the Jazz Age had been glamorized and even the gangsters had a fascinating notoriety about them. That all came to an abrupt halt when late in 1929 the Wall Street Stock Market Crashed. This significant American event heralded the start of the Great Depression and the repercussion was felt around the world as there had been many overseas investors. The American import market was severely curtailed as well.
1941-1945
One of the most infamous events in Japanese history and a highly significant date in American history is 7th December 1941. The Second World War had already been raging across Europe and South East Asia for two years when having allied themselves to Germany, Japan attacked the main US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Although the US armed forces were deployed with the allies across all theaters of WWII, there was very much a two-sided battle raging between America and Japan, which didn’t end until atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
So there you are – how many of these key dates in American history did you remember?
Next, we’ll be looking at dates from 1946 to the present day (get swotting ladies!)
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