Key events, treaties, and figures in Native American history from first contact through the 20th century. Front: the term, event, or figure. Back: a one to two sentence explanation of its significance.
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- Christopher Columbus
- Italian explorer whose 1492 voyage to the Caribbean initiated sustained European contact with the Americas, resulting in catastrophic consequences for indigenous populations.
- Columbian Exchange
- The transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and ideas between Europe and the Americas after 1492; while introducing new crops to both continents, it brought devastating epidemics to Native American populations.
- Pequot War
- Conflict from 1636-1637 between Pequot Nation and English colonists in Connecticut, resulting in the near-extinction of the Pequot and establishing colonial military dominance in New England.
- King Philip's War
- 1675-1678 war between Wampanoag (under Metacom, called King Philip) and New England colonists, marking the end of indigenous sovereignty in the region.
- Bartolomé de las Casas
- Spanish Dominican friar and early advocate for indigenous peoples' rights in the American colonies, whose writings documented Spanish atrocities against Native Americans.
- Proclamation Line of 1763
- British proclamation establishing a boundary along the Appalachian Mountains beyond which colonists could not settle, intended to reduce tensions with Native Americans but ultimately ignored.
- Pontiac's War
- Conflict from 1763-1766 led by Ottawa chief Pontiac in response to British policies; demonstrated pan-Indian resistance to colonial encroachment despite its military failure.
- Treaty of Fort Stanwix
- 1768 treaty between Britain and the Iroquois Confederacy that drew a boundary between colonial and Native American lands; colonists violated it almost immediately.
- Treaty of Greenville
- 1795 treaty between the United States and a confederation of Native American tribes led by General Anthony Wayne; forced Native Americans to cede most of Ohio and Indiana.
- Tecumseh
- Shawnee leader (1768-1813) who attempted to create a pan-Indian confederation to resist American expansion; his movement was defeated at the Battle of Tippecanoe.
- Indian Removal Act
- 1830 federal law authorizing the removal of Native Americans from southeastern United States to Indian Territory in Oklahoma; enabled forced relocations of thousands of people.
- Trail of Tears
- 1838-1839 forced removal of the Cherokee Nation from the Southeast to Oklahoma resulting in the deaths of approximately 4,000 Cherokee from disease, starvation, and exposure.
- Black Hawk War
- 1832 conflict between Sauk and Fox leader Black Hawk and United States forces in Illinois and Wisconsin, resulting in Native American defeat and further westward displacement.
- Seminole Wars
- Series of three wars (1817-1858) between Seminoles in Florida and the United States; most Seminoles were forced to Oklahoma, though some successfully remained in Florida.
- Homestead Act
- 1862 law providing 160-acre plots to settlers who would cultivate the land for five years; facilitated white settlement of Native American lands in the Great Plains and West.