APUSH MOST IMPORTANT DATES

1491

• Pre-Columbian societies: Native American civilizations before European contact, diverse in culture, economy, and geography.

1492

•  Columbus' voyage: Christopher Columbus sailed for Spain and lands in the Americas, beginning European colonization.

1607

Jamestown founded: First permanent English colony in North America, located in Virginia.

1619

• First African slaves; House of Burgesses: Slavery begins in Virginia; the House of Burgesses becomes the first elected legislative assembly in the colonies.

1620

Mayflower Compact: Agreement among Pilgrims for self-government based on majority rule.

1676-1677

• Bacon’s Rebellion: Uprising of poor colonists against Virginia's elite; accelerates shift to African slavery.

1730s-1740s

• First Great Awakening: Religious revival movement emphasizing personal faith and emotional worship.

1754–1763

• French and Indian War: War between Britain and France in North America; Britain wins but gains debt.

1763

• Proclamation of 1763: Bans colonists from settling west of the Appalachians to avoid conflict with Native Americans.

1770

• Boston Massacre: British soldiers kill five colonists; fuels anti-British sentiment.

1773

•  Boston Tea Party: Protest against British tea tax; colonists dump tea into Boston Harbor.

1776

• Declaration of Independence: Colonies declare independence from Britain.

1781

• Battle of Yorktown: Final major battle of the Revolution; British surrender.

1783

• Treaty of Paris: Officially ends the Revolutionary War; Britain recognizes U.S. independence.

1787

•  Constitutional Convention: Delegates draft the U.S. Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation.

1789

• Constitution ratified; Washington elected: New government begins with George Washington as first president.

1791

Bill of Rights: First 10 amendments to the Constitution protecting individual freedoms

1800

• Election of 1800: Peaceful transfer of power from Federalists to Democratic-Republicans (Jefferson).

1803

•  Louisiana Purchase; Marbury v. Madison: U.S. doubles in size; establishes judicial review (courts can strike down laws).

1812-1815

 War of 1812: U.S. vs. Britain over trade and maritime rights; ends in stalemate, boosts nationalism.

1820

 Missouri Compromise: Keeps balance of free and slave states; Missouri slave, Maine free.

1823

Monroe Doctrine: U.S. warns Europe not to interfere in the Americas

1830

•  Indian Removal Act: Forces Native Americans to move west; leads to Trail of Tears.

1845

Texas annexed: Texas joins U.S., worsening tensions with Mexico.

1846–1848

• Mexican-American War: U.S. wins and gains Southwest territories.

1850

• Compromise of 1850: Deals with slavery in new territories; includes harsh Fugitive Slave Act.

1854

Kansas-Nebraska Act: Lets states vote on slavery; leads to violence ("Bleeding Kansas").

1860

•  Lincoln elected: Prompts Southern states to secede; leads to Civil War.

1861–1865

Civil War: Conflict between North (Union) and South (Confederacy) over slavery and secession.

1863

•  Emancipation Proclamation; Gettysburg: Lincoln frees slaves in Confederate areas; Union victory at Gettysburg is a turning point.

1865

War ends; Lincoln assassinated; 13th Amendment: Slavery abolished; Reconstruction begins.

1868

14th Amendment: Grants citizenship and equal protection to former slaves.

15th Amendment

• Gives African American men the right to vote.

1877

• Compromise of 1877: Ends Reconstruction; federal troops leave the South.

1882

• Chinese Exclusion Act: First major law to restrict immigration based on race/nationality.

1890

• Sherman Antitrust Act; Wounded Knee: First law to combat monopolies; U.S. troops kill hundreds of Lakota Sioux.

1896

• Plessy v. Ferguson: Legalizes racial segregation ("separate but equal").

1898

Spanish-American War: U.S. defeats Spain and gains overseas territories.

1914-1918

• World War I: Global war; U.S. joins in 1917 and helps Allies win.

1919

Treaty of Versailles; 18th Amendment: Ends WWI; begins Prohibition (alcohol banned).

1920

• 19th Amendment: Women gain the right to vote.

1929

•  Stock Market Crash: Starts the Great Depression.

New Deal Begins

 FDR launches programs to recover from the Depression.

1941

• Pearl Harbor: Japanese attack brings U.S. into WWII.

1945

• WWII ends: U.S. drops atomic bombs; Allies win.

1947

Truman Doctrine: U.S. policy to contain communism during the Cold War.

1950-1953

• Korean War: U.S. and allies defend South Korea from communist North Korea.

1954

Brown v. Board of Education: Ends segregation in public schools.

1964

Civil Rights Act: Bans segregation and discrimination based on race or gender.

1965

• Voting Rights Act: Protects voting rights for minorities.

1968

• MLK assassinated; Tet Offensive: Civil Rights leader killed; major Vietnam War attack shifts public opinion.

1973

• Roe v. Wade; Vietnam War ends: Supreme Court legalizes abortion; U.S. withdraws from Vietnam.

1979

 Iranian Hostage Crisis: 52 Americans held hostage at U.S. embassy in Iran for 444 days

1989

• Fall of Berlin Wall: Symbol of Cold War ending; communism declines in Eastern Europe.

1991

• Soviet Union collapses: Ends the Cold War; U.S. becomes sole superpower.

2001

•  9/11 attacks: Al-Qaeda attacks U.S.; starts War on Terror.

2008

• Barack Obama elected: First African American president.

2020

•  COVID-19 pandemic: Global health crisis that affects all aspects of life and economy.