APUSH Dates

Most important dates, periods, and information to go along with them

1492

Christopher Columbus arrives in America

Cause: Spain competition with Portual/Europe for trade/settlement, Desire to spread Christianity after the Reconquista of Spains resulting in Catholic fervor

Effect: Encomienda, Caste System, mass Native American death, beginning of Columbian Exchange(animals, crops, disease, religion)/Atlantic Slave Trade/

Trick: 1492 - Sailed the ocean blue

1494

Line of Demarcation/Treaty of Tordesillas

1517

Protestant Reformation

1521

Hernan Cortés conquers Tenochtitlan

Cause: Arising tensions with Montezuma

Effect: Cortés’ superior European weaponry and alliances with tribes led to the fall of the Aztec Empire

Trick:

1550 - 1551

Valladolid Debate

1584 - 1590

Failed Roanoke Colony

Cause: Desire for gold

Effect: Colony disappeared

Trick:

1607

Jamestown

Cause: The Virginia (joint-stock) Company invests in an expedition of people to find gold in the Americas

Effect: All lot of the colonists die until Tobacco is discovered with John Rolfe’s help as a cash crop and John Smith takes charge to mobilize tobacco farming / trade with the Powhatans

Trick: 07 = o7 Jamestown

1539 - 1540

Hernando de Soto explores Florida

1598

Spain takes New Mexico / Arizona

Started putting up posts, not just missions

1608

Quebec (French)

1718

New Orleans trade center/port

After French went down the Mississippi starting in 1673

1624 - 1625

New Amsterdam established by Dutch West India Company

1607 - 1624

Virginia Company

1620

Plymouth / Mayflower Compact

1630

Massachusetts Bay Colony - Puritans led by John Winthrop

1632

Maryland - Charles gave it to the Catholic Lord Baltimore(and then II)

1689

Protestant Revolt (Maryland vs. Catholics)

1649

Act of Toleration(Lord Baltimore II, Maryland, Catholic)

1636

Rhode Island (Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, toleration)

1636

Connecticut(Thomas Hooker, John Davenport)

1639

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

1679

New Hampshire (From Massachusetts, Royal)

1662

Halfway Covenant (less pure Massachusetts Puritans)

Because of decline in membership

Children of baptized/unconverted can be baptized

1653

Oliver Cromwell (executed Charles I)

English Civil War

1663

Carolinas (Royal)

1701

Pennsylvania (William Penn, Quakers, diverse)

Frame of Government

Charter of Liberties

1664

New York (New Amsterdam, Duke of York/James II)

1664

New Jersey (from New York, Lord John Berkeley, toleration)

1702

Deleware (from Pennsylvania)

1732

Georgia (James Oglethorpe, then royal, Spain buffer)

1619

House of Burgesses

Virginia

1650 - 1673

Navigation Acts

Colony trade through England - mercantilism

Neglect led to smuggling

1685

James II

No salutary neglect

1686 - 1688

Dominion of New England

James II

1688

Glorious Revolution

No Dominion

1675 - 1676

Metacom’s War

New England Confederation and Pequots vs. Wampanoags

1676

Bacon’s Rebellion

William Berkeley vs. Nathaniel Bacon

Because of depression and Native raids

Attacked Native villages and kicked out Berkeley

1680

Pueblo Revolt

Cause: Encomienda/missionaries

Tribes kicked out Spanish until 1692 led by Po’pay(Popé)

1660s

Slavery Arrives

New England < Middle/South < West Indies

Indentured cost more and less people from England because of higher wages, less rebelious, labor need(more land), higher life expectancy

1641 1661 1664

Slave Laws

Massachusetts first legalized slavery: Body of Liberties

Virginia hereditary enslavement

Maryland can enslave Christians (no conversion escape)

1730s - 1740s

Great Awakening

George Whitefield(Evangelical)

Jonathan Edwards

Angry god, emotional

Interpretations, domestic study, denominations, individuality, less minister control

Beginning of state church separation

1735

The Zenger Case

John Peter’s Zenger(Lawyer) newspaper won trial for dissent

1700s - 1820

The Enlightenment

Lockean ideals - Natural rights(life, liberty, and property(happiness)), social contract(can overturn gov.)

Rationalism - Education/Science, Newton, less religion, science explanations

Progressivism(human improvement)

1754 - 1763

French and Indian War

Worldwide conflict (Seven Years War)

French made Ohio River forts to stop Britain expand

British lost at beginning(Washington, Edward Braddock)

Britain organization with Albany Plan of Union

Then Britain took Louisburg, Quebec, Montreal

1754

Albany Plan of Union

Ben franklin, colonial leaders want organization because of loss

Failed because of dislike national power

1763

Peace of Paris

Ended French/Indian War

Britain got Canada(French) and Florida(Spain)

Spain got Louisiana

French gone from continent

Turning point - Britain power increased, dominant in North America and navy

1760

George III

Salutary neglect ended with needing to fund the war and colonial military

Mercantilism reinforcement

1763

Pontiac’s Rebellion

Pontiac alliance destroyed settlements NY to Virginia

1763

Proclamation of 1763

Stabilize frontier by getting better Native relations (Pontiac’s Rebellion)

Colonists often refused it

1764

Sugar Act

Enforced Navigation Acts

Oversaw sugar trade

1765

Quartering Act

Colonists had to house soldiers

1765

Stamp Act

Document tax

Affected everyone

Patrick Henry House of Burgesses movement against the tax without representation

1766

Declaratory Act

Repealed Stamp Act

Declared that colonists had to accept taxes

1767

Townshend Acts

Import tax(not direct, on merchants)

Tea, glass, paper

Gave money to loyalists - paid salaries with tax money

Writ of Assistance - Search warrant for smuggled goods in homes

Writings against the tax, smuggling stayed, repealed 1770

1770

Boston Massacre

Soldiers on pier fought colonists

Crispus Attucks abolition symbol

John Adams lawyer for colonists

Samuel Adams dramaticized incident

1772

Committees of Correspondence

Initiated by Samuel Adams

Meetings for British resistance, somewhat secretive

1773 House of Burgesses made official intercolonial committees

1773

Tea Tax

Very low price/tax on tea to support East India Tea Company, harmed merchants

Colonists supported more expensive smuggled Dutch tea (no tax)

1773

Boston Tea Party

Boycott Tea Tax

Dumped tea into Boston harbor while dressed as Native Americans

1774

Intolerable/Coercive Acts:

Port Act - closed harbor until dumped tea was paid for

Massachusetts Government Act - reduced legislative power

Administration of Justice Act - brought officials to England to be tried instead of colonies

Quartering Act expanded

1774

Quebec Act

Catholicism made the official religion of Quebec

Expanded boundary to Ohio River (to middle/new england colonies)

1776

Common Sense

Pamphlet by Thomas Paine for definitive revolution

Spread widely and among common people

1774

First Continental Congress

From the Intolerable Acts

Most didn’t want independence, just protest/negotiation

Radicals: Patrick Henry, Samuel/John Adams

Moerates: Washington

Conservative: John Jay, Joseph Galloway

Loyalists not allowed

1774

Suffolk Resolves

1st cont. cong.

Repeal Intolerable Acts

Called to resist/boycott British goods

George refused to recognize —> Lex. and Concord

1775

Lexington and Concord

Britain tried to take military supplies from Concord

Paul Revere/William Dawes warned of British coming, colonists were ready and fought the british

British successful, then went to Boston

1775

Battle of Bunker Hill

Boston

Colonist fort on Breeds Hill attacked by British and taken over

1775

Second Continental Congress

New England wanted independence

Middle wanted negotiation

Declaration of the Causes and Necessities for Taking up Arms - organized the colonial army and appointed George Washington

Made the Articles of Confederation

1775

Olive Branch Petition

After 2nd cont. cong.

Wanted protection from George III

1775

Prohibitory Act

Declared the colonists in rebellion

Cut off trade from the colonies

1776

Declaration of Independence

Richard Henry Lee proposed

Thomas Jefferson and delegates organized the writing

2nd cont. cong. accepted

1777-78

Winter at Valley Forge

After British got New York and Philadelphia

Disease, bad economy, low materials/food

1777

Battle of Saratoga

First major win of war

Convinced French/Spain/Holland to join (revenge) 1778

1781

Yorktown

Last battle

French army/navy and patriots vs. Cornwallis

Britain started disliking war because of economic damage

1783

Treaty of Paris

U.S. independence

U.S. goes to Mississippi

U.S. fishing rights off of Canada

Pay debt to merchants, Loyalists innocent

1793

Cotton Gin/Industry

Eli Whitney

Slavery was justified with politics/religion to benefit cotton industry

1789

French Revolution (for democracy)(contributed to U.S. parties)

World impact of Revolution

1791

Haitian Revolution (from France)

World impact of Revolution

1776 - 1777

Articles of Confederation

John Dickerson

Weak central government

Along with state constitutions (Each 3 branches)

Ratified 1781 because national vs. state power over Native land

1 vote per state, 1 branch, 9/13 votes, no taxes

Main achievements - Land ordinences

1735

Land Ordinance

Organized surveying/selling of west

Give land for schools

1787

Northwest Ordinance

Determined how states would be created

Prohibited slavery

School reserves

Attractive land

Speculators buy expensive amount of land

1786

Shay’s Rebellion

Uprising against taxes/lack of paper money

Tried to get weapons

Massachusetts stopped it

Debtors against courts

1787

Constitutional Convention

Philadelphia, Hamilton/Madison, most states

To strengthen/centralize government

New constitution(Federalists) vs. revise Articles(Anti-federalists)

Great Compromise(Virginia/New Jersey plans), 3/5 Compromise(slave representation, South power), Commercial Compromise(commerce, tariffs, veto)

1789

Bill of Rights

Individual protection from federal government

Anti-federalist contribution to new constitution

1790

Constitution

Division of power (national vs. state)

Checks and balances/separation of powers - 3 branches

Amendments made federal government more powerful (not the Bill of Rights)

1789

Judiciary Act

Supreme court has chief and associates

13 district courts

3 circuit courts of appeals