APUSH IMPORTANT DATES

1492

End of Pre-Columbian Era; European contact begins.

1607

Establishment of Jamestown, first permanent English colony.

1619

First enslaved Africans arrive in Virginia.

1680

Pueblo Revolt against Spanish colonial rule.

1730s-1740s

First Great Awakening, religious revival movement.

1754

Seven Years War, known as French and Indian War.

1770

Boston Massacre

1773

Boston Tea Party

1774

Intolerable Acts: punish colonists for Boston Tea Party; suppress resistance and restore authority

1776

Declaration of Independence formally adopted.

1783

Treaty of Paris ends the American Revolution.

1787

U.S. Constitution written during Constitutional Convention.

1790-1850

Market Revolution: period of technological advancements (cotton gin) and significant changes in the economy, including increased production and the rise of factories.

1793

Cotton Gin invented, revitalizing slavery in the South.

1800

jefferson elected; Revolution of 1800

1803

Louisiana Purchase doubles U.S. territory.

1812

Second War of Independence, known as War of 1812.

1820

Missouri Compromise addresses slavery in new states.

1823

Monroe Doctrine establishes U.S. no longer intervening in European affairs and that any European intervention in America is seen as act of aggression

Starting in 1830

Abolitionist movement: social and political effort to end slavery

1845

Annexation of Texas: followed Texas’ declaration of independence from Mexico

1845-1848

Mexican American War expands U.S. territory.

1848

Seneca Falls Convention advocates for women's rights.

1860

Election of Lincoln triggers Southern secession.

1862

Homestead Act promotes westward expansion.

1865

Civil War ends; Lincoln assassinated shortly after.

1865-1877

Reconstruction Era: reintegrating confederate states into union

1869

Transcontinental Railroad completed, connecting East and West.

1877

Hayes-Tilden Affair ends Reconstruction era.

1887

Dawes Severalty Act aims to assimilate Native Americans.

1890s-1920s

Progressive Era: intense social and political reform (focus on workers rights, income inequality, child labor issues, etc.)

1894

Pullman Strike highlights labor unrest.

1896

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

1898

Spanish American War leads to U.S. annexation of Hawaii.

1909

NAACP founded to advance civil rights.

1914

Start of WW1

1917

U.S. enters World War I.

1917-1920

First Red Scare: Palmer raids (government raided homes) in search for communist spies

1918

End of WW1

1919

19th Amendment drafted, granting women the right to vote.

1925

Scopes Monkey Trial tests limits of teaching evolution.

1929-1939

Great Depression: global market crash; inflation; high unemployment

1933

FDR declares Bank Holiday to stabilize economy.

1933-1938

New Deal: Roosevelt focused on relief, recovery and reform in society

Democratic party shifts to centralized government views

1939

Start of WW2

1941

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th.

1945

Atomic bombs dropped on Japan, ending WWII.

1947

Truman Doctrine: aimed at preventing spread of communism (containment)

1947-1960s

Second Red Scare: McCarthy accuses communist infiltrations in government

1950

Korean War begins, marking Cold War conflict.

1954

Brown v. Board of Education declares school segregation unconstitutional.

1962

Cuban Missile Crisis heightens Cold War tensions.

1964

Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race.

1968

Tet Offensive (surprise attacks by N vietnam against US and S vietnam) and assassinations shake U.S. politics.

1969

Stonewall Riots spark LGBTQ+ rights movement.

1970

Environmentalism: raising awareness for environmental issues

1975

Nixon resigns amid Watergate scandal.

1979

Iran Hostage Crisis challenges U.S. foreign policy.

1980

Reagan elected, signaling rise of conservatism.

1991

Fall of the USSR; First Gulf War begins.

1994

NAFTA signed, promoting trade between U.S., Canada, Mexico.

2001

9-11 attacks lead to significant security changes.

2003-2011

Iraq War: US overthrow of Iraq government

2008

Obama elected as first African American president.