U.S. History Overview (1491–2020)

These flashcards cover key events and concepts in U.S. history from 1491 to 2020.

What marked the beginning of European colonization in the Americas?

Christopher Columbus' voyage in 1492.

What was the first permanent English colony in North America?

Jamestown, founded in 1607.

What document established self-government for the Pilgrims?

The Mayflower Compact of 1620.

What event in 1776 marked the colonies' declaration of independence from Britain?

The Declaration of Independence.

What was the significance of the House of Burgesses?

It was the first elected legislative assembly in the colonies, established in 1619.

What rebellion accelerated the shift to African slavery in Virginia?

Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676-1677.

What was the purpose of the Proclamation of 1763?

To prevent colonists from settling west of the Appalachians.

What was the major consequence of the Boston Massacre in 1770?

It fueled anti-British sentiment among colonists.

What act was a protest against British taxation in 1773?

The Boston Tea Party.

What battle marked the final major confrontation of the Revolutionary War?

The Battle of Yorktown in 1781.

Which treaty officially ended the Revolutionary War?

The Treaty of Paris in 1783.

What major event did the Constitutional Convention of 1787 address?

Drafting a new Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation.

What did the Bill of Rights protect?

Individual freedoms; it comprises the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

What political transition occurred in the Election of 1800?

A peaceful transfer of power from Federalists to Democratic-Republicans.

What was the outcome of Marbury v. Madison in 1803?

Established the principle of judicial review.

What war was fought between the U.S. and Britain over trade and maritime rights?

The War of 1812.

What compromise maintained the balance between free and slave states in 1820?

The Missouri Compromise.

What did the Monroe Doctrine state in 1823?

It warned European powers not to interfere in the Americas.

What was the Indian Removal Act of 1830?

A law that forced Native Americans to move west, leading to the Trail of Tears.

What did Texas’ annexation in 1845 cause?

Worsened tensions with Mexico.

What war resulted in the U.S. gaining Southwest territories?

The Mexican-American War (1846–1848).

What did the Compromise of 1850 address?

Slavery in new territories and included the Fugitive Slave Act.

What was the result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854?

It allowed states to vote on slavery and led to 'Bleeding Kansas' violence.

Who was elected president in 1860, prompting Southern secession?

Abraham Lincoln.

What major conflict lasted from 1861 to 1865?

The Civil War.

What was the Emancipation Proclamation?

Lincoln's order freeing slaves in Confederate territories.

What significant amendment abolished slavery in 1865?

The 13th Amendment.

What did the 14th Amendment establish in 1868?

Citizenship and equal protection for former slaves.

What right was granted to African American men by the 15th Amendment?

The right to vote.

What event in 1877 ended Reconstruction?

The Compromise of 1877.

What was the first major law to restrict immigration based on race?

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

What did the Sherman Antitrust Act tackle in 1890?

Monopolistic practices in business.

What case legalized racial segregation in 1896?

Plessy v. Ferguson.

What war resulted in the U.S. gaining overseas territories in 1898?

The Spanish-American War.

What global conflict did the U.S. participate in from 1914 to 1918?

World War I.

What event in 1920 enfranchised women?

The passage of the 19th Amendment.

What economic event began the Great Depression?

The Stock Market Crash of 1929.

What was the New Deal?

FDR's series of programs to recover from the Great Depression.

What attack brought the U.S. into World War II in 1941?

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

What was the Truman Doctrine established in 1947?

U.S. policy to contain communism during the Cold War.

What landmark Supreme Court case ended segregation in public schools?

Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

What legislation banned segregation and discrimination in 1964?

The Civil Rights Act.

What was the significance of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

It protected voting rights for minorities.

What major event changed public opinion regarding the Vietnam War in 1968?

The Tet Offensive.

What legal case established abortion rights in 1973?

Roe v. Wade.

What event marked the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989?

The Fall of the Berlin Wall.

What major political event occurred in 2008?

Barack Obama was elected as the first African American president.

What significant event occurred in the U.S. on September 11, 2001?

The Al-Qaeda attacks, leading to the War on Terror.

What global health crisis emerged in 2020?

The COVID-19 pandemic.