Although native Americans lived on the continent
for thousands of years, the Spanish were the first Europeans to found a permanent
settlement; at Saint Augustine, Florida, in 1565.
1600s
The British made their presence felt in 1607, setting up camp at
Jamestown, Virginia.
1700s
In 1763 they gained control of the eastern part of North America after
the Seven Years' Wars;
collectively known as the French and Indian wars.
Discontent grew in the 1770's, and Boston
became the focus of this anti-British sentiment. The American War
of Independence began nearby in 1775.
The Declaration of
Independence was made in Philadelphia in 1776, but
would not be recognised by the British until 1783; two years after they were heavily
defeated at the Battle of Yorktown.
The Constitution
was written in 1787, and ratified by all 13 states in 1790.
1800s
President Thomas Jefferson acquired Louisiana
from France in 1803, and the United States almost doubled in size.
In 1812, Britain and the United States were at it again, but the two
heavyweights concluded nothing.
After the Mexican War, in 1848, and
the acquisition of Oregon in 1846, the territory of the United
States stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The Confederate States
were formed in early 1861, when some of the Southern slave states seceded. This brought
about the start of the American Civil War, in
April of that year.
Four years later (1865), the Confederacy surrendered, and slavery was
abolished. With so much killing going on, was it any wonder that President Abraham Lincoln
would be assassinated too.
Big bucks were flying around and America purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, for $7.2 million in gold.
For the next twenty years, the Americans sought out the Indians and
corralled them into reservations.
On winning the Spanish-American War in 1898,
the United States gained territories in the Caribbean
and the Pacific.
1900s
After the completion of the Panama canal, in 1914, America spent most
of the Twentieth Century getting involved in other people's territorial conflicts.
2000s
Today, America's Bill Gates tries to control the world's desktops.
African
American Heritage
African American Heritage sites in the Golden Crescent.
American
Civil War
Index of Civil War information available on the Internet.
Camping
America
The Go Camping America Directory provides a listing of the parks belonging to ARVC, the
National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds. Pick a state or two.
Maps On Us
Plan out your route across the United States.
Music Festivals
Search for a music festival in North America.
National
Anthem of America.
National Historic Landmarks
Search by state for National Historical Landmarks to visit.
Natural History Museum
Forty exhibition-halls with artefacts and specimens from all over the World.
Pony Express:
Ranked among the most remarkable feats to come out of the 1860 American West, the Pony
Express was in service from April 1860 to November 1861. Its primary mission was to
deliver mail and news between St. Joseph, Missouri, and San Francisco, California.
Scenic Byways:
The U.S. Department of Transportation recognises National Scenic Byways for their
archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and/or scenic qualities.
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