Events under important US presidents

Washington 1789-1797 (Period 3)

(1789)

-Constitution is effective

• National bank

• Hamilton’s plan to reduce debt

• Neutrality proclamation

• no third term

(1797) Farewell address, neutrality championed

John Adams 1797-1800 (Period 3)

(1798)

• XYZ Affair

• Alien and Sedition Acts: restrict immigration and limit 1st Amendment protections for freedom of speech.

• Quasi-War with France

• Appointment of John Marshall as Chief Justice: leads to Marbury v. Madison

Thomas Jefferson 1800-1808 (Period 4)

• (1801) Election marked the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties: F to DR

• (1803) Louisiana Purchase: doubled the size of the United States, Louis and Clark exploration (got help from Natives)

• (1804) re-elected. British impressment,

• Embargo Act of 1807:closed U.S. ports to all exports and restricted imports from Britain.

• Non-Intercourse Act of 1809: regulated trade with foreign nations following the embargo.

• hurt American economy

James Madison 1809-1817 (Period 4)

• (1812) War of 1812 against Britain - national unity and increased patriotism, and the burning of Washington, D.C. - introduces a national bank.

• (1813) Hartford Convention and growth of industry in the US.

• (1816) Second National Bank established, promoting economic stability and growth. (Henry Clay)

James Monroe 1817-1826 (Period 4)

• (1818-1825) Era of good feelings

• (1819) Panic of 1819: People couldn’t pay loans

• (1820) Missouri Compromise: balance of free and slave states

• McCulloch v. Maryland: States can’t tax national bank

• (1823) Monroe Doctorine: foreign policy warning against European colonization and intervention in the Americas

Andrew Jackson (1829-1836)

• (1830) Indian Removal Act

• Trail of tears

• Tariff of 1832: nullification issues

• Panic of 1837

• Nat turner’s rebellion: fail, leads to black codes

• Whig party emerges bc they hated him: anti democratic

John Tyler (1841-1845) Period 5

• (1790’s-1840’s) 2nd Great Awakening: renewed interest in Christianity and various social reform (Temperance, abolition, women)

• Annexation of Texas in 1845

• Vetoed several bills favored by the Whig Party

• Focused on foreign policy, including relations with Britain and Mexico.

James K. Polk 1845-1849 (Period 5, Pre Civil-War)

• (1846-1848) Mexican-American War: caused by annexation of texas leading to dispute in Texas-Mexico border

• Wilmot Proviso: Proposed banning slavery in territories gained from Mexico, but was never passed.

• (1846) Oregon Treaty: settled territorial disputes with Britain and established northern border w/ canada. Gains OR, WA, WY, MT

• (1848) Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: ended the Mexican-American War and ceded large territories to the US. $15M for California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico

• Expansion of Manifest Destiny ideals.

Filmore1850-1852 (Period 5)

• (1850) Compromise of 1850: aimed to ease tensions between slave and free states, included the Fugitive Slave Act and California's admission as a free state.

• (1850) Admission of California as a free state and stricter Fugitive Slave Act.

Franklin Pierce 1852-1860 (Period 5)

• (1854) Kansas-Nebraska Act: created territories allowing popular sovereignty to decide on slavery, leading to "Bleeding Kansas".

• (1856) Conflict with pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions exacerbated national tensions.

• Dred Scott decision 1860s: ruled African Americans were not citizens and had no legal standing to sue for freedom, further inflaming sectional tensions.

Abraham Lincoln 1860-1865 (Period 5)

• (1861) Civil War: fought to preserve the Union and end slavery.

• (1863) Emancipation Proclamation: declared freedom for slaves in Confederate states, redefining the war's purpose.

• (1865) Gettysburg Address: reaffirmed the principles of liberty and equality, emphasizing unity post-war.

• Freedman’s Bureu: assist freed slaves and poor whites in the South through education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

Andrew Johnson 1865-1869 (Period 6 Reconstruction)

• (1865) Took office after Lincoln's assassination, implementing lenient Reconstruction policies.

• (1867) Purchase of Alaska: acquired Alaska from Russia, expanding US territory.

• Black Codes in the south

• 15th Amendment: prohibited denying the right to vote based on race, furthering civil rights for African American men.

Hayes 1877 (Period 6)

• (1877) Ended Reconstruction: with the Compromise of 1877, withdrew federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction efforts.

• 1877 Great railroad strike): a nationwide railroad strike that resulted in violent clashes between workers and authorities, highlighting labor unrest.

Mckinley 1890 (Period 7)

• (1898) Spanish-American War: led to US expansion and acquisition of territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

• Treaty of Paris: ended the Spanish-American War, granting the US control over former Spanish territories.

• Open door policy: a diplomatic statement that promoted free trade in China and aimed to ensure equal trading rights for all nations.

Theodore Roosevelt (1882-1945)

• (1901-1909) Progressive President known for trust-busting, the Square Deal, and significant conservation efforts.

• Panama Canal: completed in 1914, facilitating maritime trade by connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

• Roosevelt Corollaryt o the Monroe Doctrine, asserting that the US could intervene in Latin America to maintain stability and protect its interests.

Widrow Wilson (1912) Period 7 WWI

• (1913-1921) Led the US during World War I and championed the League of Nations. didnt pass congress

• Neutrality

• (1915) Lusitania sunk

• (Early 1917) Zimmerman Telegram, war declared on Germany

• Espionage Act of 1917: a law that made it a crime to interfere with military operations or recruitment.

• Sedition Act of 1918: a law that restricted speech and actions criticizing the government during wartime.

• Treaty of Versailles

Hoover (1929-1933) Period 7 Great Depression

• (1929-1933) President during the onset of the Great Depression, criticized for his response to the economic crisis and promoting voluntary measures for recovery.

• (1929) Stock Market Crash: His policies were seen as ineffective, leading to widespread unemployment and social unrest.

Franklin D Roosevelt (1933-1945) RRR and WWII

• (1933-1945) Elected during the Great Depression, he implemented the New Deal to provide relief, recovery, and reform. He led the nation through most of World War II.

• New Deal

• WPA: Works Progress Administration, created millions of jobs in construction, arts, and various public projects.

• AAA: Agricultural Adjustment Administration: aimed at boosting agricultural prices by reducing surpluses through direct payments to farmers.

• SEC: Securities and Exchange Commission: regulate the stock market and protect investors.

Franklin D Roosevelt (1933-1945) RRR and WWII part 2

3 Neutrality Acts: A series of laws passed in the 1930s aimed at preventing American involvement in foreign conflicts by restricting arms sales and financial support to warring nations.

(1941) Lend-Lease Act allowed the U.S. to provide military aid to foreign nations during World War II, particularly to allies such as Britain and the Soviet Union.

Dec 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor

Truman 1945 (Period 7)

• (1945) Hiroshima and Nagasaki

• (1947) Truman Doctorine: A policy established to counter Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War, offering political, military, and economic assistance to countries resisting communism.

• (1949) NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed to provide collective defense against potential Soviet aggression.

• Korean War

Dwight Eisenhower 1950 somthing (Period 7)

(1950) McCarthyism: a campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions, named after Senator Joseph McCarthy, marked by aggressive investigations and questioning.

(1954) Brown v. Board of education of topeka: landmark Supreme Court case declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

1957 Sputnik space thing

John F Kennedy (Period 8)

(1961) Vietnam conflict: escalation of U.S. military involvement beginning in the early 1960s, with significant troop deployments and controversial strategies to combat the spread of communism in Southeast Asia.

(1962) Cuban Missle Crisis: a 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the presence of nuclear missiles in Cuba, leading to heightened Cold War tensions and a naval blockade.

Nixon 1969 (Period 8)

(1969) initiating a policy of Vietnamization to reduce American involvement in the Vietnam War and improve the South Vietnamese military's capabilities.

(1969-1979) Detente: the easing of strained relations, especially between the US and the Soviet Union, through diplomacy and negotiations.

(1971-1974) Watergate scandal: a political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and the subsequent cover-up by members of the Nixon administration.

Jimmy Carter 1977-1981 (Period 8)

(1978) Camp David Accords: a series of agreements between Israel and Egypt, brokered by President Carter, leading to a peace treaty and normalization of relations between the two nations.

3 mile island failure: a nuclear accident that occurred in 1979 at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, resulting in the release of radioactive gases and raising concerns about nuclear energy safety.

Ronald Reagan 1981-1989 (Period 8)

(1981-1989) Reaganomics: “trickle down” economic policies promoting tax cuts, deregulation, and reduction of government spending to stimulate economic growth.

(1986) Iran-Contra Scandal: a political scandal involving the secret sale of arms to Iran, with proceeds used to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua, contradicting Congress's ban on such funding.

George H. W. Bush 1989-2000

(1990-1991) Persian Gulf War: a conflict initiated to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait following Iraq's invasion, led by a coalition of countries assembled by President Bush.

Operation Desert Storm: the combat phase of the Persian Gulf War, where coalition forces launched a massive air and ground offensive to liberate Kuwait.

George W Bush

(2001-2009) President during the September 11 attacks, initiated the War on Terror, and led the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Patriot Act: a law enacted in response to the September 11 attacks, enhancing law enforcement's ability to surveil and prevent terrorism.