American History Timeline

Flashcards of key events in American History

Jamestown Founded (1607)

First permanent English settlement in North America; marked the beginning of British colonization.

Mayflower Compact (1620)

Early form of self-government signed by Pilgrims; established a covenant for a civil society in Plymouth.

Bacon’s Rebellion (1676)

Frontier rebellion in Virginia against Governor Berkeley; highlighted tensions between rich planters and poor settlers.

First Great Awakening (1730s–1740s)

Religious revival that emphasized individual faith and questioned traditional authority; led by figures like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield.

French and Indian War (1754–1763)

Conflict between Britain and France in North America; led to British debt and colonial taxes, setting stage for Revolution.

Proclamation of 1763

British law forbidding colonial settlement west of the Appalachians; angered colonists eager for land.

Stamp Act Crisis (1765–1766)

British tax on printed goods sparked colonial protests and the cry of “no taxation without representation.”

Boston Massacre (1770)

British troops killed 5 colonists during a protest; used as propaganda to fuel anti-British sentiment.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

Colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act; led to the Intolerable Acts.

First Continental Congress (1774)

Meeting of delegates to respond to British policies; began to unite colonies against Britain.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Document by Jefferson declaring American independence and outlining Enlightenment principles of liberty.

Battle of Saratoga (1777)

Turning point in the Revolutionary War; convinced France to ally with the colonies.

Articles of Confederation Ratified (1781)

First U.S. government framework; weak central government, no power to tax or regulate commerce.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

Drafted the U.S. Constitution to replace the Articles; featured compromises on representation and slavery.

Bill of Rights Ratified (1791)

First ten amendments to the Constitution; guaranteed individual liberties and eased Anti-Federalist fears.

Washington’s Farewell Address (1796)

Warned against political parties and foreign alliances; shaped early American foreign policy.

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

Jefferson bought land from France doubling U.S. size; raised questions about constitutional interpretation.

War of 1812 (1812–1815)

Conflict with Britain over trade and impressment; ended in stalemate but boosted nationalism.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Maintained slave-state/free-state balance; banned slavery north of 36°30′ in Louisiana Territory.

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

Declared Americas off-limits to European colonization; asserted U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere.

Indian Removal Act (1830)

Authorized relocation of Native tribes to west of the Mississippi; led to the Trail of Tears.

Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

First women’s rights convention; issued the “Declaration of Sentiments” demanding gender equality.

Compromise of 1850

Tried to ease sectional tensions; California free, stronger Fugitive Slave Act, popular sovereignty in new territories.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

Allowed popular sovereignty on slavery; led to violent conflict (“Bleeding Kansas”) and ended Missouri Compromise.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Supreme Court ruled slaves were not citizens and Congress couldn’t ban slavery in territories.

Election of Abraham Lincoln (1860)

Lincoln’s win triggered Southern secession; seen as threat to slavery despite his moderate platform.

Civil War (1861–1865)

War between Union and Confederacy over slavery and states’ rights; resulted in Union victory and abolition of slavery.

Reconstruction Era (1865–1877)

Period after Civil War focused on reintegrating the South and securing rights for freedmen; ended with Compromise of 1877.

Gilded Age (1870s–1900)

Era of rapid industrialization, big business, and corruption; major labor and immigration issues.

Spanish-American War (1898)

U.S. defeated Spain; gained Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico; marked U.S. as an imperial power.

Progressive Era Begins (1901–1917)

Reform movement tackling corruption, monopolies, and social injustices; included figures like Teddy Roosevelt and muckrakers.

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (1911)

Deadly NYC factory fire that led to major workplace safety reforms and labor activism.

Federal Reserve Act (1913)

Created the Federal Reserve System to manage the economy through monetary policy.

U.S. Enters World War I (1917)

Joined Allies after submarine warfare and Zimmermann Telegram; shifted war balance and increased global influence.

Treaty of Versailles & League of Nations Debate (1919–1920)

Ended WWI; Wilson’s League rejected by Senate, signaling return to isolationism.

Harlem Renaissance (1920s)

Cultural and artistic explosion among African Americans; celebrated Black identity and creativity.

Stock Market Crash & Start of Great Depression (1929)

Crash triggered economic collapse; widespread unemployment and bank failures followed.

New Deal Programs (1933–1939)

FDR’s response to the Depression; relief, recovery, and reform programs reshaped government’s role in the economy.

Pearl Harbor & U.S. Enters WWII (1941)

Japanese attack pulled U.S. into WWII; marked end of isolationism.

D-Day Invasion (1944)

Allied forces landed in Normandy, France; major turning point that led to the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings (1945)

U.S. dropped atomic bombs to force Japanese surrender; started nuclear age.

Cold War Begins (1947)

U.S.–Soviet tensions sparked a global ideological and political rivalry after WWII.

Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan (1947–1948)

U.S. pledged to contain communism and rebuilt Western Europe to resist Soviet influence.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Supreme Court ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional; overturned Plessy v. Ferguson.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956)

Sparked by Rosa Parks; led to desegregation of buses and launched Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership.

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Closest U.S. and USSR came to nuclear war; ended with Soviet missile withdrawal and secret U.S. deal.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Banned segregation and discrimination in public places and employment; major victory for Civil Rights Movement.

Vietnam War Escalation (1964–1973)

U.S. deepened involvement after Gulf of Tonkin; war sparked massive protest and ended with withdrawal.

Watergate Scandal & Nixon Resignation (1972–1974)

Break-in and cover-up led to Nixon’s resignation; deepened distrust in government.

Reagan Revolution (1980–1989)

Conservative shift emphasizing tax cuts, deregulation, and strong anti-communism; reshaped American politics.