America's top 40 Historical Events

1607

1st permanent English settlement, Jamestown founded

1619

First record of enslaved Africans arriving in VA

1763

Peace of Paris ends French and Indian War/Proclamation Line

1776

Declaration of Independence

1781-1787

Critical Period (Articles of Confederation)

1789

Ratification of US Constitution/ New Government Established

1793

Rise of King Cotton in the South - further entrenchment of slavery in America

1800

Jefferson elected/transfer of power to new political party/America's 1st Party

1803

Jefferson purchases LA Territory from French... debate over legality of this

1828

Election of (King?) Andrew Jackson/America's 2nd Party Begins

1838

Trail of Tears- 6,000 native people die from Jackson's previous signing of 1830 Indian Removal Act

1848

Seneca Falls Convention is held... 1st convention on rights of women in US

1857

Dred Scott case legalizes slavery everywhere in US-identified states and territories

1861-1865

American Civil War

1863

President Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation

1864-1877

Reconstruction Era

1887

Dawes Act is signed by Pres. Cleveland

1890

Wounded Knee Massacre occurs

1896

Plessy v Ferguson US Supreme Court Cases legalizes segregation/Jim Crow laws become further entrenched

1898

Spanish American War begins and put into question America's world power/purpose

1898-1917

Progressive Era.. women and men in US fight for more rights and liberties

1909

NAACP founded

1914-1918

WW1/US involvement from 1917-1918

1929

Stock Market Crash/Beginning of Great Depression

1941

FDR announces the Four Freedom/US enters WWII

1945

Yalta Conference/V-E Day/V-J Day/End of WWII

1950-1953

Korean War....often referred to as the "Forgotten War" No formal declaration by US

1954

Brown v Board of Education Supreme court cases ends legalized segregation in public schools

1954-1968-today

US Civil Rights movement—including Red Power, Black Power, Women's Rights, LGBTQ+

1963

Historical March on Washington occurs-MLK has a dream/Feminine Mystique published

1964

Historic Civil Rights Act signed by Johnson & Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

1964-1973

Direct Involvement by United States in Vietnam War

1968

Assassination of MLK/"Indian" Civil Rights Act passed/Tet Offensive/antiwar demonstrations/riots at Democratic Convention

1969

Stonewall Uprising occurs

1974

Resignation of Nixon & Watergate Scandal

1980

Election of Reagan marks upswing of conservative politics

1989

Berlin Wall falls/political change in Eastern Europe

1991

Gulf War

2001

US attacked by members of Al Qaida

2015

Same sex marriage is legalized by the US Supreme Court