diff --git a/main.db b/main.db
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c13ba7
Binary files /dev/null and b/main.db differ
diff --git a/schema.sql b/schema.sql
index 65c36d9..9b9bad5 100644
--- a/schema.sql
+++ b/schema.sql
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "messages" (
 	"user" INTEGER NOT NULL,
 	"thread" INTEGER NOT NULL,
 	"content" TEXT NOT NULL,
+	"time" INTEGER NOT NULL,
 	PRIMARY KEY("id"),
 	FOREIGN KEY ("user") REFERENCES "users"("id")
 	ON UPDATE NO ACTION ON DELETE NO ACTION,
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "messages" (
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "users" (
 	"id" INTEGER NOT NULL UNIQUE,
 	"name" TEXT NOT NULL,
+	"passhash" TEXT NOT NULL,
 	PRIMARY KEY("id")
 );
 
@@ -41,3 +43,11 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "threads" (
 	ON UPDATE NO ACTION ON DELETE NO ACTION
 );
 
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "attachments" (
+	"id" INTEGER NOT NULL UNIQUE,
+	"message_id" INTEGER NOT NULL,
+	"file_path" TEXT NOT NULL,
+	PRIMARY KEY("id"),
+	FOREIGN KEY ("message_id") REFERENCES "messages"("id")
+	ON UPDATE NO ACTION ON DELETE NO ACTION
+);
diff --git a/server/api/forum_api.py b/server/api/forum_api.py
index 8d1a594..359dffe 100644
--- a/server/api/forum_api.py
+++ b/server/api/forum_api.py
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ def send_message() -> tuple[str, int]:
     if any([not p in data for p in ['content', 'thread']]):
         return '', 400
 
-    new_message = database.MessageORM(
-        user=flask_login.current_user.get_id(),
+    new_message = database.MessageDTO(
+        user_id=flask_login.current_user.get_id(),
         content=data['content'],
-        thread=data['thread'],
+        thread_id=data['thread'],
         time=int(time.time())
     )
 
diff --git a/server/api/user_api.py b/server/api/user_api.py
index c1bf8dc..05b246d 100644
--- a/server/api/user_api.py
+++ b/server/api/user_api.py
@@ -23,3 +23,43 @@ def get_user_forums() -> tuple[flask.Response, int]:
     forums_dict = {"forums" : [dataclasses.asdict(forum) for forum in forums]}
 
     return flask.jsonify(forums_dict), 200
+
+
+@user.route('/create', methods=['POST'])
+def create_user() -> tuple[flask.Response, int]:
+    """
+    Create a new user account.
+    Expects JSON with 'username' and 'password' fields.
+    """
+    data = flask.request.get_json()
+
+    if not data:
+        return flask.jsonify({"error": "No JSON data provided"}), 400
+
+    username = data.get('username')
+    password = data.get('password')
+
+    if not username or not password:
+        return flask.jsonify({"error": "Username and password are required"}), 400
+
+    # Validate username length and characters
+    if len(username.strip()) == 0:
+        return flask.jsonify({"error": "Username cannot be empty"}), 400
+
+    if len(password) < 6:
+        return flask.jsonify({"error": "Password must be at least 6 characters long"}), 400
+
+    # Attempt to create the user
+    new_user = database.create_user(username.strip(), password)
+
+    if new_user is None:
+        return flask.jsonify({"error": "Username already exists or creation failed"}), 409
+
+    # Return the created user (without sensitive data)
+    user_dict = {
+        "id": new_user.id,
+        "name": new_user.name,
+        "message": "User created successfully"
+    }
+
+    return flask.jsonify(user_dict), 201
diff --git a/server/database.py b/server/database.py
index cfe492d..efc0b53 100644
--- a/server/database.py
+++ b/server/database.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import flask_login
 
 import mgU
 
-DATABASE = "./main2.db"
+DATABASE = "./main.db"
 
 ph = argon2.PasswordHasher()
 
@@ -46,21 +46,48 @@ class UserDTO:
 
 @dataclasses.dataclass
 class MessageDTO:
-    user: UserDTO
+    user_id: UserDTO
     content: str
     time: int
     thread_id: int
     id: int | None = None
 
-def insert_message(message: mgU.Message) -> None:
+def create_user(username: str, password: str) -> mgU.User | None:
+    """
+    Create a new user with the given username and password.
+    Returns the created User object with id, or None if creation fails.
+    """
+    # Hash the password
+    passhash = ph.hash(password)
+
+    try:
+        with Opener() as (conn, cur):
+            q = load_query("insert_user")
+            cur.execute(q, [username, passhash])
+            user_id = cur.lastrowid
+
+            return mgU.User(name=username, id=user_id)
+    except sqlite3.IntegrityError:
+        # Username already exists or other constraint violation
+        return None
+
+def insert_message(message: mgU.Message | MessageDTO) -> None:
     """
     Insert a new message (from mgU.Message dataclass) and return a new mgU.Message with id, or None on failure.
     """
+    if type(message) == mgU.Message:
+        thread_id = message.thread
+        user_id = message.user.id
+    elif type(message) == MessageDTO:
+        thread_id = message.thread_id
+        user_id = message.user_id
+
+
     with Opener() as (conn, cur):
         q = load_query("insert_message")
         cur.execute(q, [
-            message.user,
-            message.thread,
+            user_id,
+            thread_id,
             message.content,
             message.time
         ])
diff --git a/server/example_jsons/create_user.json b/server/example_jsons/create_user.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2cf1a51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/example_jsons/create_user.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+    "username" : "johndoe",
+    "password" : "securepassword123"
+}
diff --git a/server/mgU.py b/server/mgU.py
index faa07d2..39159a4 100644
--- a/server/mgU.py
+++ b/server/mgU.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import typing
 import dataclasses
 
 @dataclasses.dataclass(kw_only=True)
diff --git a/server/sql/insert_user.sql b/server/sql/insert_user.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3833497
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/sql/insert_user.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+INSERT INTO users (name, passhash)
+VALUES (?, ?);