IMPORTANT THINGS/ PEOPLE
by Callie Greene
Important people
- James Oglethorpe was famous as a leader of the Georgia Colony. James Oglethorpe was a British general, member of Parliament, philanthropist, humanitarian, was the founder of the colony of Georgia in America in 1733.
- Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826) came to prominence in the early stages of the American Revolution and was at the forefront of the revolutionary movement in Virginia.
- Benjamin Franklin was was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and helped to draw up the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Franklin was a printer, inventor, author, statesman, and scientist. As a scientist he is remembered particularly for his research in electricity.
- Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) came to prominence in the early stages of the American Revolution during which time he served in the army and became a secretary of George Washington. He became the leader of the Federalist Party and advocated a centralized government and the ideas of a capitalistic economy.
- James Madison (1751-1836) came to prominence as a politician and statesman and became the fourth President of the United States in 1809.
Important Places
- Bunker Hill Monument
AN important US historic site, The Bunker Hill Monument commemorates the first major battle of the American Revolution in 1775. - Chickamauga Battlefield
The Chickamauga Battlefield was the scene of the Confederates’ last major victory in the American Civil War. - Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter was the site where the American Civil War officially began on 12 April 1861. - Gettysburg Battlefield
Scene of the Battle of Gettysburg, one of the fiercest and most important battles in the American Civil War. - Independence Hall - Philadelphia
Independence Hall is the site where the The Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Constitution of the United States (1787) were both signed and is among the most important historical sites in America.
Important Inventions
1793 Cotton gin The cotton gin is a machine that separates cotton fibers from seedpods and sometimes sticky seeds, a job previously done by hand. These seeds are either used again to grow more cotton or, if badly damaged, disposed of.
1833 Sewing machine (lock-stitch) Most modern sewing machines use the lockstitch technique of sewing invented by Walter Hunt, which consists of two threads, an upper and a lower
1836 Morse code Morse code is a type of character encoding that transmits telegraphic information using rhythm. Morse code uses a standardized sequence of short and long elements to represent the letters, numerals, punctuation, and special characters of a given message.
1858 Mason jar In home canning, food is packed into a jar, and the steel lid is placed on top of the jar with the integral rubber seal resting on the rim of the jar. The band is screwed loosely over the lid, which will allow air and steam to escape.
1867 Paper clip The paper clip attaches sheets of paper together, allowing them to be detached as necessary
Important Conflicts
American Revolution (1775–1783) Great Britain forced its 13 American colonies to pay taxes but did not give them representation in the British Parliament. This and other injustices led the colonies to declare independence on July 4, 1776. Independence was achieved in 1783, when the Treaty of Paris was signed with Britain.
War of 1812 (1812–1815) British interference with American trade, impressment of American seamen, and “war hawks” in Congress calling for western expansion into British territory led to war. At the war's conclusion, trade issues remained unresolved, but Britain gave up some of its territorial claims on the continent.
Mexican War (1846–1848) The U.S. annexation of Texas, and its stated desire to acquire California and other Mexican territory, precipitated this war. Mexico was forced to give up two-fifths of its territory. This land eventually became the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
Civil War (1861–1865) Economic and political rivalry between an agrarian South and an industrial North grew into a civil war fought over slavery and states' rights. Eleven states seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America. The Union victory led to the reunification of the country and ended slavery.
Indian Wars (colonial era to 1890) U.S. expansionism led to numerous military conflicts with the indigenous inhabitants of North America, forcing them to give up their land. The massacre at Wounded Knee, S.D., in 1890 is generally considered the last of these conflicts.