APUSH Anchor Dates

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards mapping key AP US History anchor dates and historical events to their significance based on the lecture material.

Columbus Lands in the Americas (1492)

First European contact in the Americas.

Founding of Jamestown (1607)

First permanent English settlement in America.

First Enslaved Africans in Jamestown (1619)

Sets the stage for the system of slavery in North America.

Pueblo Revolt (1680)

Most successful indigenous revolt against Europeans; drove Spanish away for 12 years and established better terms upon their return.

First Great Awakening (1730s)

Protestant revival movement based on Puritan ideals as a reaction to the Enlightenment. Featured powerful & emotional sermons whose anti-authority ideals helped lead to the American Revolution.

Beginning of French & Indian War (1754)

British increase taxes on colonists to pay off war debt after victory, leading to colonial resentment that leads to the American Revolution.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Summarized colonists' motivations for seeking independence, drawing on Enlightenment ideals.

Battle of Yorktown (1781)

British General Cornwallis surrenders, and Americans officially win the Revolutionary War.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

Replaces the weak Articles of Confederation with a stronger Constitution.

Revolution of 1800

Democratic-Republican Jefferson wins over Federalist opponents in Presidential Election; marks the first time power in America successfully & peacefully transfers from one party to another.

Missouri Compromise of 1820

Temporary solution to sectional divide over slavery; shows Era of Good Feelings (1815-1825).

Election of Andrew Jackson (1828)

Expanded democracy for white male citizens, reorganized banking system to lessen federal control, & forced Indian Removal Act of 1830.

Second Great Awakening (1830s)

Protestant revival movement where diverse sects such as Mormons emerge, women play a large role, and increased political participation of common citizens helps lead to new reforms.

Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

Led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Lucretia Mott; first women's rights convention in the United States, marking the beginning of efforts by women to achieve equality and resulting in the Declaration of Sentiments.

Election of James Polk (1844)

Expansionist who ran on a platform of Manifest Destiny and oversaw significant expansion to the US, including the Oregon territory & the Mexican-American War.

Compromise of 1850

Attempted to address sectional divisions by admitting California as a free state, allowing popular sovereignty in New Mexico/Utah, ending the slave trade in DC, & strengthening the Fugitive Slave Act; ultimately heightened tensions rather than resolving them.

Election of Abraham Lincoln & Secession of South Carolina (1860)

Begins the Civil War.

Lee's Surrender at Appomattox (1865)

Ends the Civil War; also the year Abraham Lincoln is assassinated, ushering in a new era of Reconstruction in the South.

Compromise of 1877

Ended Reconstruction era, resulting in loss of protection for African-Americans in the South & leading to the rise of Jim Crow laws.

Completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad (1869)

Connected East & West coasts leading to massive economic/industrial growth.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

First major restrictive immigration law in American history, setting precedent for future similar acts; remained in place until 1943.

Closing of the Western Frontier (1890)

Ended era of westward expansion, leading US to shift to imperialism to gain new territories/resources.

Homestead Strike (1892)

Created a lasting impact on how the nation viewed the relationship between labor & management.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Established "Separate but Equal" doctrine - i.e., racial segregation is constitutional.

Beginning of the Spanish American War (1898)

US gains Puerto Rico, Guam, and Philippines, becoming established as a major world power.

US Entry into WWI (1917-1919)

US emerges with stronger industrialization/economy as a leading economic power; served as a catalyst for social change/reform such as Great Migration and women's suffrage.

Ratification of the 19th Amendment (1920)

Constitutional Amendment that guarantees women the right to vote.

Beginning of the Great Depression (1929)

Profound economic crisis following stock market crash.

Presidency of FDR & Beginning of the New Deal (1933)

New Deal policies expand federal government's role in the economy, laid groundwork for a welfare state, and established key institutions, making the overall government more involved with its citizens.

US Entry into WWII (1941)

Marks US emergence as a global superpower, sets stage for Civil Rights Movement, and sees the US establish concentration camps for Japanese-Americans.

US Drops 2 Atomic Bombs on Japan (1945)

Ended WWII; led to massive civilian casualties/long-term suffering for Japanese citizens, both highlighting the dangers of nuclear weaponry & marking the beginning of the nuclear age.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Desegregates schools; Southern states resist.

Vietnam War (1950s-1970s)

Proxy war of the Cold War; led US to be more cautious in foreign involvement in the future, led to new social/civil rights movements & a new counterculture.

Passage of the Civil Rights Act (1964)

Victory for Civil Rights activists, prohibiting discrimination in public spaces, enforcing desegregation, and ending Jim Crow.

Iran Hostage Crisis (1979)

Carter's failure to rescue hostages increases sense of vulnerability & anti-Iranian sentiment, a legacy that continues today.

Inauguration of Ronald Reagan as President (1981)

Sign of rising conservatism in the US, marking the start of the modern conservative movement & "Reaganomics".

Destruction of the Berlin Wall (1989)

Marks symbolic end to Cold War.

9/11 Terrorist Attacks (2001)

Begins American War on Terror and heightens Islamophobia in the US.

Election of Barack Obama (2008)

First African American president elected in the United States.