The discovery of America (1492)
- Leif Erikson, a Viking, was the first European in America around 1000 AD.
- The generally accepted fact is that Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492.
- Although not the first to arrive, Columbus’s voyages led to further expeditions, the establishment of colonies, and the spread of Christianity.
- He mistakenly believed he was in India and referred to the inhabitants as Indians.
- Native Americans spread throughout the continent 35,000 years ago, primarily living from agriculture, hunting, and fishing.
- The year 1492 is often seen as the symbolic beginning of the Modern Age.
- In 1507, the term „America“ was first used, named after Amerigo Vespucci, who helped distinguish it as a new continent.
- From 1492 to 1776, North America served as a colonial land for various Western European countries (Spain, France, Holland, Sweden, England), seeking natural wealth (fur trade, crops like corn, beans, potatoes, tobacco).
Pilgrim Fathers (1620)
- In the 17th century, many members of the Church of England, known as Puritans or Separatists, sought religious freedom in America due to persecution at home.
- They established the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1620, known as the Pilgrim Fathers.
- During the first half of the 17th century, more colonies were established, and southern plantations introduced slavery due to labor shortages.
- In 1626, the Dutch bought Manhattan from the Indians in exchange for trade goods, naming it New Amsterdam. In 1664, Britain conquered it and renamed it New York.
War of Independence (1775-1783)
- The British Parliament imposed heavy taxes on goods imported to the colonies without representation.
- This led to the Boston Tea Party in 1773, where protesters, some disguised as Indians, threw a shipment of tea into the sea.
- This event sparked the struggle for independence, known as the War of Independence (1775-1783).
- On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed. Eventually, the British surrendered, recognizing the United States as a sovereign country.
- George Washington was elected as the first president (1789-1797).
Civil War (1861-1865)
- In the 1850s, abolitionism grew in the North, leading to a secession of the slavery states, forming The Confederacy, while the remaining states formed The Union.
- The Civil War broke out, with the North having advantages in population, industry, and infrastructure.
- In 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves.
- The South surrendered on April 14, 1865; Lincoln was assassinated shortly after by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer.
- The war ended slavery and aimed to establish equal rights for African-Americans, although segregation laws were later enacted in many Southern states.
19th Century & WWI
- In the 19th century, the U.S. became a world power and expanded its territory, acquiring Alaska from Russia in 1867 and annexing Hawaii in 1898.
- During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson kept the U.S. neutral until German unrestricted submarine warfare provoked a declaration of war against the Central Powers.
- Post-war, the American economy prospered until the stock market crash in 1929, leading to the Great Depression. The crash day is known as Black Thursday.
WWII
- The U.S. entered World War II on December 7, 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
- In August 1945, two atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to the war’s end.
- After WWII, the U.S. and USSR entered a Cold War that lasted over forty years, ending with the Soviet Union’s collapse in the 1990s.
- In the 1960s, prominent figures like John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president, were assassinated, shocking the nation.
- In July 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man on the Moon.
- In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon continued the Vietnam War and resigned due to the Watergate scandal.
- In 2009, Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American president.