Key Dates in American History

These flashcards cover significant dates and events in American history from pre-Columbian times to the present.

1492

Columbus' first voyage to the Americas.

1607

Establishment of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.

1649

Toleration Act passed in Maryland allowing religious freedom for Christians.

1688

The Glorious Revolution in England, leading to constitutional changes.

1692

The Salem Witch Trials occur in colonial Massachusetts.

1754-1763

The Seven Years' War fought between Britain and France.

1763

The Proclamation of 1763 prohibits American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

1765

The Stamp Act is enacted, taxing printed materials in the colonies.

1770

The Boston Massacre, where British troops kill five colonists.

1773

The Boston Tea Party, a protest against British taxation.

1775

Battles of Lexington and Concord mark the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.

1776

The Declaration of Independence is adopted.

1777

The Battle of Saratoga is fought, marking a turning point in the Revolutionary War.

1781

The Battle of Yorktown leads to British surrender in the Revolutionary War.

1783

The Treaty of Paris officially ends the Revolutionary War.

1787

The Constitutional Convention drafts the United States Constitution.

1788

George Washington is elected as the first President of the United States.

1798

The XYZ Affair increases tensions between the U.S. and France.

1798

The Alien and Sedition Acts are passed, limiting immigration and free speech.

1800

Thomas Jefferson is elected as the third President of the United States.

1803

The Louisiana Purchase, acquiring territory from France.

1812-1815

The War of 1812 is fought between the United States and Great Britain.

1814

The Battle of New Orleans takes place after the War of 1812.

1816-1824

The Era of Good Feelings marks a time of national unity.

1820

The Missouri Compromise attempts to balance slave and free states.

1823

The Monroe Doctrine establishes a U.S. foreign policy against European intervention.

1820s

Sectionalism begins to rise in the U.S. due to regional differences.

1828

Andrew Jackson is elected as the seventh President of the United States.

1830

The Indian Removal Act is passed, leading to the forced relocation of Native Americans.

1832

Nat Turner's Rebellion occurs, an uprising against slavery.

1830-1850

Manifest Destiny promotes the expansion of the U.S. across the continent.

1836

The Battle of the Alamo takes place during Texas's fight for independence.

1845

Texas is annexed into the United States.

1845-1848

The Mexican-American War is fought over territorial disputes.

1848

The Seneca Falls Convention advocates for women's rights.

1850

The Fugitive Slave Law is enacted, increasing penalties for helping runaway slaves.

1852

Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes Uncle Tom's Cabin.

1854

Bleeding Kansas results from conflicts over slavery in new territories.

1857

The Dred Scott Case rules that African Americans cannot be citizens.

1860

Abraham Lincoln is elected as the 16th President of the United States.

1861-1865

The Civil War is fought between the North and South.

1862

The Homestead Act encourages westward expansion.

1863

The Battle of Gettysburg occurs, a turning point in the Civil War.

1867

The Reconstruction Acts are passed to rebuild the South after the Civil War.

1867

The United States purchases Alaska from Russia.

1877

The Compromise of 1877 ends Reconstruction.

1876

The Battle of Little Bighorn results in a major defeat for U.S. forces.

1886

The Haymarket Square Riot in Chicago highlights labor unrest.

1887

The Dawes Act attempts to assimilate Native Americans by allotting land.

1887

The Interstate Commerce Act establishes federal regulation of railroads.

1890

The Wounded Knee Massacre occurs, killing many Native Americans.

1890

The Sherman Antitrust Act is passed to combat monopolies.

1894

The Pullman Strike disrupts rail traffic and leads to federal intervention.

1896

William Jennings Bryan gives the 'Cross of Gold' speech advocating for bimetallism.

1896

The Plessy v. Ferguson case establishes 'separate but equal' doctrine.

1898

The Annexation of Hawaii occurs, expanding U.S. territory.

1898

The Spanish-American War results in U.S. acquisition of territories.

1903

The Wright Brothers make their first flight.

1917

The United States enters World War I.

1920

Women gain the right to vote with the 19th Amendment.

1920s

The Red Scare leads to anti-communist sentiments in the U.S.

1920s

Prohibition is enacted, banning alcohol production and sale.

1929

The Stock Market Crash triggers the Great Depression.

1932

The Bonus Army marches on Washington demanding payment for wartime service.

1935

The Social Security Act is established to provide financial support.

1939

World War II begins in Europe.

1941

Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, leading to U.S. entry into WWII.

1944

D-Day marks the Allied invasion of Normandy.

1945

The atomic bomb is dropped, leading to Japan's surrender.

1945-1991

The Cold War represents geopolitical tension between the U.S. and the USSR.

1947

The Truman Doctrine states U.S. support for countries against communism.

1950-1953

The Korean War is fought between North and South Korea.

1950s

McCarthyism involves investigations and accusations of communism.

1954

The Supreme Court rules in Brown v. Board of Education that segregation in schools is unconstitutional.

1955

The Montgomery Bus Boycott protests segregation in transportation.

1957

The launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union starts the Space Race.

1962

The Cuban Missile Crisis brings the U.S. and USSR to the brink of nuclear war.

1963

The March on Washington advocates for civil rights.

1963

JFK is assassinated, shocking the nation.

1964

The Civil Rights Act is passed, prohibiting discrimination.

1968

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy are assassinated.

1968

The Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War shifts public opinion.

1968

The Democratic National Convention in Chicago faces protests.

1969

The United States lands the first humans on the moon.

1972

The Watergate break-in leads to a major political scandal.

1973

The Supreme Court rules in Roe v. Wade, protecting women's rights to abortion.

1979

The Iranian hostage crisis begins, lasting 444 days.

1980

Ronald Reagan is elected as the 40th President of the United States.

1989

The Cold War officially ends with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

1991

The Persian Gulf War begins, leading to U.S. military intervention.

1994

The Contract with America brings Republican reforms to Congress.

1995

The Oklahoma City Bombing, a domestic terrorist attack, occurs.

2000

The Supreme Court decision in Bush v. Gore resolves the 2000 presidential election.

2001

The September 11 attacks change U.S. domestic and foreign policy.

2008

The Great Recession impacts the U.S. economy.

2008

Barack Obama is elected as the first African American president.

2011

The Affordable Care Act is enacted, reforming health care.