Forever Dates in U.S. History – Practice Flashcards

34 question-and-answer flashcards covering every "Forever Date" from the lecture notes, designed to help students memorize key years and events in U.S. history.

What major event in 1607 marked the first permanent English settlement in North America?

The founding of Jamestown, Virginia.

Which pivotal development occurred in 1619 that signaled the beginning of slavery in British North America?

The first Africans were brought to British North America (same year the House of Burgesses was founded).

What war began in 1754 between Britain and France (with Native allies on both sides) for control of North America?

The French & Indian War (Seven Years’ War).

Which 1763 treaty ended the French & Indian War and shifted British-Colonial relations toward revolution?

The Treaty of Paris of 1763.

Where were the first shots of the American Revolution fired in April 1775?

The Battles of Lexington & Concord.

What foundational document, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, was adopted in 1776?

The Declaration of Independence.

Which 1783 treaty formally ended the American Revolution and recognized U.S. independence?

The Treaty of Paris of 1783.

What 1787 convention produced a new governing framework to replace the Articles of Confederation?

The writing of the U.S. Constitution (ratified in 1789).

Which 1791 document secured individual liberties by amending the Constitution?

The Bill of Rights (First 10 Amendments).

What land deal in 1803 doubled the size of the United States?

The Louisiana Purchase.

Which 1846–1848 conflict, concluded by the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, fulfilled much of Manifest Destiny?

The Mexican-American War.

What conflict erupted in 1861 over sectional tensions, chiefly slavery?

The American Civil War began.

Which 1865 event effectively ended the Civil War?

General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865).

What constitutional amendment, ratified in 1868, guaranteed birthright citizenship and equal protection?

The 14th Amendment.

Which transportation milestone was completed in 1869 at Promontory Point, Utah?

The driving of the golden spike completing the first Transcontinental Railroad.

What political compromise ended Reconstruction in 1877?

The Compromise of 1877, which resolved the disputed Election of 1876 and withdrew federal troops from the South.

Which 1890 clash is considered the last major armed Native resistance on the Plains and symbolizes the closing of the frontier?

The Battle/Massacre at Wounded Knee.

What 1898 conflict signaled the United States’ emergence as an imperial power?

The Spanish-American War.

Which global conflict began in Europe in 1914, while the U.S. initially declared neutrality?

World War I began.

In what year did the United States enter World War I, aiming to “make the world safe for democracy”?

1917.

What 1918 event marked the end of World War I fighting?

The Armistice of November 11, 1918 (Treaty of Versailles signed 1919).

Which 1920 amendment extended suffrage to women nationwide?

The 19th Amendment.

What catastrophic financial event occurred on October 29, 1929, foreshadowing the Great Depression?

The Stock Market Crash (Black Tuesday).

Which domestic reform program began with FDR’s first 100 days in 1933?

The New Deal.

What major world conflict started when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939?

World War II began.

What attack on December 7, 1941, brought the U.S. into World War II?

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Which 1945 developments ended WWII and established a new international organization for peace?

The Allied victories ending the war (May in Europe, Aug/Sept in Japan) and the founding of the United Nations.

What conflict began in 1950 when Communist North Korea invaded South Korea?

The Korean War began.

Which 1954 Supreme Court decision declared segregated public schools unconstitutional, sparking the modern Civil Rights Movement?

Brown v. Board of Education.

What 1964 congressional resolution authorized major U.S. military escalation in Vietnam?

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

Which 1974 political event made Gerald Ford president?

President Richard Nixon’s resignation over the Watergate scandal.

What 1975 event marked the definitive end of the Vietnam War for the United States?

The fall of Saigon (evacuation of U.S. personnel).

Which 1989 event symbolically ended the Cold War?

The fall of the Berlin Wall (November 1989; USSR dissolved in 1991).