Important Dates in American History

European Exploration and Colonization

• Christopher Columbus' European 'discovery' of the continent was sponsored by Spain.
• The Spanish colonized central America and Florida in 1565.
• The English became key exporters of tobacco from their colony in Jamestown, Virginia.
• The Vikings established urban settlements and trading networks in 800 AD.
• The Dutch built trading outposts along the Hudson River in 1613.
• Leif Erikson, a Viking, discovered Newfoundland in 1000 AD.

American Revolution

• The British imposed new taxes on the American colonies, leading to protests and boycotts, during the Seven Years' War.
• The British imposed new taxes on the American colonies, such as the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act, in response to the financial burden of the Seven Years' War.
• The French and Spanish entry into the war on the side of the Americans marked the beginning of open support for the American war effort.
• The Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution of the United States.
• George Washington forced the British to evacuate Boston in 1776.
• The Intolerable Acts led to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson.
• France and Spain entered the war openly on the side of the Americans in 1778.
• The US Constitution was ratified in 1788.
• The Treaty of Paris, marking the independence of the United States and ceasing all land up to the Mississippi river, was signed in 1783.
• The British army surrendered in Yorktown in 1781.