Key U.S. History Terms from Founding to Present

Declaration of Independence

1776 document asserting American colonies' independence from Britain, authored primarily by Thomas Jefferson.

Articles of Confederation

America's first constitution, replaced due to its weak federal power.

U.S. Constitution

The supreme law of the U.S., establishing a stronger federal government with three branches.

Federalism

A system of government in which power is shared between the national and state governments.

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments to the Constitution protecting individual liberties.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution and a strong central government.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who demanded a Bill of Rights.

Alexander Hamilton

First Secretary of the Treasury, advocate for a national bank and federal financial power.

Louisiana Purchase

1803 land deal doubling U.S. territory, purchased from France.

War of 1812

War against Britain over maritime rights and frontier conflicts; led to U.S. nationalism.

Manifest Destiny

Belief that the U.S. was destined to expand westward across North America.

Indian Removal Act

1830 law leading to the forced relocation of Native Americans (Trail of Tears).

Missouri Compromise

1820 law balancing slave and free states, banning slavery north of the 36°30′ line.

Abolitionism

Movement to end slavery in the U.S.

Frederick Douglass

Former slave and prominent abolitionist speaker and writer.

Compromise of 1850

Series of laws including the Fugitive Slave Act and admitting California as a free state.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

1854 law allowing popular sovereignty on slavery; led to 'Bleeding Kansas.'

Dred Scott v. Sandford

Supreme Court case declaring African Americans were not citizens.

Emancipation Proclamation

1863 order by Lincoln freeing slaves in Confederate states.

Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's speech emphasizing unity and democracy during the Civil War.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery in the U.S.

14th Amendment

Granted citizenship and equal protection under the law.

15th Amendment

Gave Black men the right to vote.

Freedmen's Bureau

Federal agency aiding freed slaves with education, health care, and jobs.

Sharecropping

System where freedmen rented land in exchange for a share of crops, often creating debt peonage.

Jim Crow Laws

State laws enforcing racial segregation in the South.

Plessy v. Ferguson

1896 Supreme Court decision legalizing 'separate but equal' segregation.

Transcontinental Railroad

Linked the eastern U.S. with the West Coast, promoting settlement and trade.

Robber Barons

Wealthy industrialists accused of exploiting workers (e.g., Carnegie, Rockefeller).

Labor Unions

Organizations formed to protect workers' rights; e.g., AFL and Knights of Labor.

Progressive Movement

Reform movement addressing problems caused by industrialization, urbanization, and corruption.

Muckrakers

Journalists who exposed social and political injustices (e.g., Upton Sinclair).

Theodore Roosevelt

Progressive president known for trust-busting and conservation.

Federal Reserve Act

1913 law creating a central banking system.

WWI

1914-1918 global war; U.S. entered in 1917.

Zimmermann Telegram

German proposal to Mexico for alliance against the U.S., leading to U.S. entry into WWI.

Espionage & Sedition Acts

Laws restricting speech against WWI; limited civil liberties.

Fourteen Points

Wilson's postwar plan for peace, including the League of Nations.

Treaty of Versailles

Ended WWI, punished Germany, and created League of Nations.

League of Nations

International organization for peace; U.S. did not join.

Harlem Renaissance

Cultural movement of African American art, music, and literature in the 1920s.

Prohibition

Ban on alcohol (18th Amendment); led to speakeasies and organized crime.

Scopes Trial

1925 trial over teaching evolution in schools; clash between science and religion.

Stock Market Crash of 1929

Triggered the Great Depression.

Great Depression

Severe economic crisis during the 1930s.

New Deal

FDR's program to address the Great Depression through relief, recovery, and reform.

Social Security Act

Provided unemployment insurance and retirement benefits.

FDIC

Insures bank deposits to restore confidence in banks.

Lend-Lease Act

U.S. aid to Allies before entering WWII.

Pearl Harbor

1941 attack by Japan that brought U.S. into WWII.

Internment of Japanese Americans

Forced relocation during WWII due to fear of espionage.

D-Day

Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944.

Marshall Plan

U.S. aid to rebuild Western Europe after WWII.

NATO

Military alliance of Western nations during the Cold War.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy to contain communism globally.

Korean War

1950-1953 conflict to stop communist North Korea from overtaking South Korea.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 case ending racial segregation in public schools.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Banned segregation and discrimination based on race, sex, or religion.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Prohibited racial discrimination in voting.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil rights leader advocating nonviolent resistance.

Great Society

LBJ's programs to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.

Vietnam War

U.S. conflict to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia.

Tet Offensive

1968 surprise attack by Viet Cong that turned U.S. public opinion against the war.

Watergate Scandal

Political scandal leading to Nixon's resignation.

Roe v. Wade

1973 decision legalizing abortion nationwide.

Reaganomics

Economic policies promoting tax cuts and deregulation.

Iran-Contra Affair

Scandal involving secret arms sales to Iran and funding rebels in Nicaragua.

End of the Cold War

Fall of Berlin Wall (1989) and collapse of the Soviet Union (1991).

NAFTA

1994 free trade agreement between U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

9/11 Attacks

Terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001.

War on Terror

Global campaign launched by the U.S. post-9/11.

Patriot Act

Increased government surveillance powers post-9/11.

Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

Expanded health insurance coverage and protections.

Great Recession

2008 financial crisis caused by subprime mortgage collapse.

Obergefell v. Hodges

2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage.

Black Lives Matter

Movement protesting police brutality and systemic racism.

Make America Great Again (MAGA)

Trump's slogan emphasizing nationalism and immigration control.

January 6 Capitol Riot

2021 attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.

Impeachment of Donald Trump

Twice impeached on charges including abuse of power and incitement.

COVID-19 Pandemic

Global pandemic starting in 2020; major political, social, and economic impact.