All Important dates of AP U.S. History -- descriptions apart from event & date

1492 – Columbus’ Arrival in the New World

Started European exploration and colonization of the Americas)

1587 – England’s First Attempt to Settle in North America

Roanoke Colony, known as the “Lost Colony”)

1588 – English Defeat Spanish Armada

End of Spain’s dominance over the seas)

1607 – Jamestown

First permanent English settlement in America, funded by the Virginia Company)

1620 – Mayflower Arrival in Plymouth

Pilgrims settle, founding a key early colony)

1649 – Toleration Act

Religious freedom for Christians in Maryland, step toward religious tolerance)

1688 – Glorious Revolution

King James II overthrown, William and Mary take the throne)

1692 – Salem Witch Trials

Mass hysteria leads to the execution of several women accused of witchcraft)

1754-1763 – Seven Years’ War

US vs. France over land and power in North America, Britain wins)

1763 – Proclamation of 1763

Colonists can’t settle beyond the Appalachian Mountains, angering them)

1765 – Stamp Act

First direct tax on American colonists, sparks "No Taxation Without Representation")

1770 – Boston Massacre

British soldiers kill five colonists, fueling anti-British sentiment)

1773 – Boston Tea Party

Protest against tea tax, leads to harsh British punishments)

1775 – Lexington & Concord

First battles of the American Revolution)

1776 – Declaration of Independence

Colonies declare independence from Britain)

1777 – Battle of Saratoga

Major American victory, convinces France to ally with the US)

1781 – Battle of Yorktown

End of the Revolutionary War, British surrender)

1783 – Treaty of Paris

Britain formally recognizes US independence)

1787 – Constitutional Convention

Creation of the US Constitution)

1789 – Washington’s Election

George Washington becomes first president)

1791 – Bill of Rights Added

First ten amendments to protect individual freedoms)

1800 – Jefferson’s Election

First peaceful transfer of power between parties in the US)

1803 – Louisiana Purchase

US buys large territory from France, doubling its size)

1812-1815 – War of 1812

US vs. Britain over trade issues, no clear winner but US gains respect)

1815 – Battle of New Orleans

Andrew Jackson’s victory, boosts US morale)

1820 – Missouri Compromise

Divides the country over slavery, Missouri as a slave state)

1823 – Monroe Doctrine

Warns Europe to stay out of the Western Hemisphere)

1828 – Jackson’s Election

Rise of Jacksonian democracy, universal white male suffrage)

1830 – Indian Removal Act

Forced relocation of Native Americans to the west)

1845 – Annexation of Texas

US adds Texas as a state, causing tensions with Mexico)

1846-1848 – Mexican-American War

US gains vast territory from Mexico after victory)

1848 – Seneca Falls Convention

First women's rights convention in the US)

1850 – Fugitive Slave Law

Required return of escaped slaves, angered Northern states)

1852 – Uncle Tom’s Cabin Published

Anti-slavery novel that increased abolitionist sentiment)

1854 – Bleeding Kansas

Violence erupts over whether Kansas will be free or slave)

1860 – Lincoln’s Election

Led to Southern states seceding, starting the Civil War)

1861-1865 – Civil War

North vs. South, mainly over slavery, ends with Union victory)

1863 – Emancipation Proclamation

Freed slaves in the Confederacy)

1865 – Lincoln Assassinated

President Lincoln is killed shortly after the Civil War ends)

1877 – Compromise of 1877

Ends Reconstruction, removes federal troops from the South)

1887 – Dawes Act

Divides Native American land, aiming to force assimilation)

1890 – Wounded Knee

Massacre of Native Americans, marks the end of major resistance)

1896 – Plessy v. Ferguson

Supreme Court decision that legalizes racial segregation with "separate but equal" doctrine)

1898 – Spanish-American War

US defeats Spain, gaining territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines)

1877 – Compromise of 1877

Ends Reconstruction, removes federal troops from the South)

1887 – Dawes Act

Divides Native American land, aiming to force assimilation)

1890 – Wounded Knee

Massacre of Native Americans, marks the end of major resistance)

1896 – Plessy v. Ferguson

Supreme Court decision that legalizes racial segregation with "separate but equal" doctrine)

1898 – Spanish-American War

US defeats Spain, gaining territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines)

1914-1918 – World War I

Global conflict; US enters in 1917, helping lead to Allied victory)

1919 – Treaty of Versailles

Ends WWI, sets harsh terms for Germany, lays groundwork for WWII)

1920 – 19th Amendment

Grants women the right to vote)

1929 – Stock Market Crash

Leads to the Great Depression)

1933 – New Deal

FDR's programs to address the Great Depression)

1941 – Pearl Harbor

Japanese attack on US naval base, leads to US entry into World War II)

1941-1945 – World War II

Global conflict; US fights alongside Allies against Axis powers)

1944 – D-Day

Allied invasion of Normandy, pivotal turning point in WWII)

1945 – End of World War II

Germany surrenders in May; Japan surrenders in September after the US drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki)

1947 – Marshall Plan

US provides economic aid to rebuild Europe after WWII, fighting communism)

1950-1953 – Korean War

North Korea, backed by China and the Soviet Union, fights South Korea, supported by the US)

1954 – Brown v. Board of Education

Supreme Court ruling that segregated schools are unconstitutional)

1964 – Civil Rights Act

Outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin)

1965 – Voting Rights Act

Protects voting rights of African Americans in the South)

1968 – Tet Offensive

Major attack by North Vietnam that turns public opinion against the Vietnam War)

1969 – Moon Landing

Neil Armstrong becomes the first human to walk on the Moon, symbolizing US space dominance)

1973 – Roe v. Wade

Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the first trimester)

1974 – Watergate Scandal

Led to President Nixon’s resignation amid a political cover-up)

1980 – Election of Ronald Reagan

Marks the rise of conservatism in US politics)

1991 – End of the Cold War

Soviet Union collapses, ending the US-Soviet rivalry)

1994 – North American Free Trade Agreement

NAFTA)

2001 – 9/11 Attacks

Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, leading to the War on Terror)

2008 – Great Recession

Worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, sparked by a housing market crash)

2016 – Election of Donald Trump

Marks a shift to populism in US politics, with policies focused on immigration and trade)

2020 – COVID-19 Pandemic

Global health crisis that severely impacts the US economy, health system, and daily life)