Important events APUSH

Benjamin Franklin: 1776

Founding Father, diplomat in France during the American Revolution, secured crucial aid.

Thomas Paine: 1776

Political pamphleteer known for 'Common Sense,' inspired American independence.

George Washington: 1789

First President of the United States, led the Continental Army to victory in the Revolution.

John Adams: 1783

Second President, negotiated Treaty of Paris, officially ending the Revolutionary War.

Thomas Jefferson: 1776

Third President, drafted the Declaration of Independence, advocated for democracy.

James Madison: 1787

Fourth President, key author of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Alexander Hamilton: 1790

First Secretary of Treasury, established the U.S. financial system.

Andrew Jackson: 1830

Seventh President, signed the Indian Removal Act, opposed the national bank.

Henry Clay: 1816

Politician who promoted the 'American System,' favoring tariffs and internal improvements.

Abraham Lincoln: 1863

16th President, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, led during the Civil War.

Jane Addams: 1889

Social reformer who founded Hull House, provided social services.

Woodrow Wilson: 1919

28th President, led during WWI and proposed the League of Nations.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR): 1933

32nd President, implemented the New Deal during the Great Depression.

Lyndon B. Johnson: 1964

36th President, passed the Civil Rights Act, expanded social welfare programs.

Martin Luther King Jr.: 1963

Civil rights leader, known for the 'I Have a Dream' speech.

Ronald Reagan: 1981

40th President, promoted free-market policies, took a hard stance against the Soviet Union.

Abolitionist Movement: 1830s

Social movement aimed at ending slavery in the United States.

Frederick Douglass: 1845

A former enslaved person, published an autobiography exposing slavery's brutality.

Harriet Tubman: 1850s

Escaped enslaved woman, led others to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

William Lloyd Garrison: 1831

Abolitionist who founded 'The Liberator,' advocating for the end of slavery.

Underground Railroad: 1850s

Secret network aiding enslaved people in escaping to freedom.

Women’s Suffrage Movement: 1920

Movement that achieved women's right to vote with the 19th Amendment.

Public Demonstrations: 1910s

Used protests and parades to advance women's suffrage.

Seneca Falls Convention: 1848

First women's rights convention, created the Declaration of Sentiments.

Labor Movement: 1880s

Movement seeking fair wages and safe working conditions for workers.

Knights of Labor: 1880s

Labor organization advocating for an eight-hour workday, inclusive of all workers.

Progressive Era Reform Movement: 1890s

Efforts to address issues such as industrialization and urbanization.

Sherman Antitrust Act: 1890

Legislation aimed at breaking up monopolies to promote competition.

Anti-War Movement: 1960s

Opposition to the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Vietnam War: 1960s

Conflict that sparked significant public protest against U.S. involvement.

Environmental Movement: 1960s

Advocated for conservation efforts and pollution control.

Rachel Carson's Silent Spring: 1962

Book that exposed the dangers of pesticides, foundational work in environmentalism.

LGBTQ+ Rights Movement: 1960s

Advocacy for equal rights and societal acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Obergefell v. Hodges: 2015

Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

Temperance Movement: 1920

Campaign leading to Prohibition enacted by the 18th Amendment.

Native American Rights Movement: 1960s

Advocacy for the sovereignty and cultural preservation of Native Americans.

Populist Movement: 1890s

Movement advocating for the rights of farmers and laborers.

Black Power Movement: 1960s

Emphasized self-determination and pride among African Americans.

Chicano Movement: 1960s

Focused on civil rights and cultural pride for Mexican Americans.

Disability Rights Movement: 1970s

Sought equity and accessibility for individuals with disabilities.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): 1990

Law mandating accessibility and protection against discrimination for disabled individuals.

Anti-Apartheid Movement: 1980s

Global movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid.

Nelson Mandela: 1990

Key activist in the anti-apartheid movement, became South Africa's first Black president.

Republicanism: 1776

Political philosophy promoting liberty and civic virtue.

Mercantilism: 1600s

Economic theory advocating government regulation of trade.

Sugar Act: 1764

British tax on sugar that incited colonial protests.

Quartering Act: 1765

Act requiring colonists to house British soldiers.

Stamp Tax: 1765

Tax on printed materials that led to widespread colonial protests.

Stamp Act Congress: 1765

Colonial assembly convened to oppose the Stamp Act.

Nonimportation Agreements: 1765

Colonial boycotts of British goods to protest taxes.

Sons of Liberty: 1765

Group organizing resistance against British taxation.

Samuel Adams: 1773

Revolutionary leader, pivotal in organizing Boston Tea Party.

Townshend Acts: 1767

Series of taxes on imports that provoked colonial dissent.

Boston Massacre: 1770

Incident where British soldiers killed colonial protestors, escalating tensions.

Boston Tea Party: 1773

Protest in which colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor against tax.

Intolerable Acts: 1774

Punitive laws passed in response to the Boston Tea Party, uniting the colonies.

First Continental Congress: 1774

Assembly of delegates from colonies to address British policies.

Lexington & Concord: 1775

First battles in the American Revolutionary War.

Valley Forge: 1777

Continental Army's winter camp, symbolizing resilience.

Zenger Trial: 1735

Legal case that established freedom of the press in the colonies.

Great Awakening: 1730s

Religious revival emphasizing individual faith and personal piety.

New Lights/Old Lights: 1730s

Divisions in religious beliefs during the Great Awakening.

Marbury v. Madison: 1803

Supreme Court case establishing the principle of judicial review.

Cohens v. Virginia: 1821

Asserted Supreme Court authority over state court decisions.

Fletcher v. Peck: 1810

First case to strike down a state law, protecting property rights.

Monroe Doctrine: 1823

U.S. policy declaring the Western Hemisphere off-limits to European colonization.

Roosevelt Corollary: 1904

Extension of Monroe Doctrine justifying U.S. intervention in Latin America.

Open Door Policy: 1899

U.S. policy promoting equal trading rights in China.

Spanish-American War: 1898

Conflict leading to U.S. emergence as a global power.

Panama Canal Acquisition: 1903

Secured U.S. control for canal construction, improving trade routes.

Wilson’s Fourteen Points: 1918

Plan for peace post-WWI, including proposed League of Nations.

Neutrality Acts: 1930s

Laws aimed at preventing U.S. involvement in international conflicts.

Lend-Lease Act: 1941

Provided military aid to Allies during WWII, marking shift from isolationism.

Truman Doctrine: 1947

U.S. policy to contain communism, providing aid to Greece and Turkey.

Marshall Plan: 1948

U.S. program offering economic assistance to rebuild Europe post-WWII.

Containment Policy: 1947

Strategic approach to prevent the spread of communism.

NATO Formation: 1949

Military alliance formed as a defense against Soviet aggression.

Korean War: 1950–1953

Conflict defending South Korea from North Korean invasion.

Cuban Missile Crisis: 1962

Confrontation over Soviet missiles in Cuba, near nuclear war.

Vietnam War: 1955–1975

Extended conflict characterized by U.S. efforts to stop communist expansion.

Detente: 1970s

Eased Cold War tensions, focusing on arms control agreements.

Gulf War: 1990–1991

U.S.-led coalition action to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

War on Terror: 2001–Present

Military and political response to 9/11 attacks, focused on combating terrorism.

Boxer Rebellion: 1900

Uprising in China against foreign influence and imperialism.

Philippine-American War: 1899–1902

Conflict following the Spanish-American War, establishing U.S. control over Philippines.

League of Nations: 1920

International organization proposed post-WWI, ultimately rejected by U.S. Senate.

War Powers Act: 1973

Law limiting presidential power to deploy troops without Congressional approval.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT): 1970s

Negotiations to limit nuclear arms during the Cold War.

Fall of Saigon: 1975

Marked the end of the Vietnam War; significant U.S. failure in the region.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident: 1964

Event leading to increased U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.

Marshall Islands Nuclear Testing: 1946–1958

U.S. conducted nuclear tests in the Pacific, advancing Cold War agenda.

Berlin Airlift: 1948–1949

Effort to supply West Berlin during the Soviet blockade.

Iran Hostage Crisis: 1979–1981

Crisis where U.S. embassy staff were held hostage in Iran.

Camp David Accords: 1978

Peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, facilitated by U.S. leadership.

Persian Gulf Oil Strategy: 1990s

U.S. approach to securing access to oil resources in the Middle East.

Northwest Ordinance: 1787

Established governance for Northwest Territory, prohibited slavery.

Alien and Sedition Acts: 1798

Laws allowing deportation of non-citizens and criminalizing dissent.

Missouri Compromise: 1820

Balanced Missouri's admission as a slave state with Maine's as free, managing slavery's spread.

Indian Removal Act: 1830

Authorized forced relocation of Native American tribes, leading to the Trail of Tears.

Compromise of 1850

Admitted California as free state, enacted Fugitive Slave Act, heightened sectional tensions.