general APUSH timeline

Columbus's Discovery of America

Columbus unintentionally discovered America in 1492.

Transatlantic Slave Trade

The trade of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic from 1530 to 1800.

The Enlightenment

Intellectual movement starting in 1690 emphasizing reason and individualism.

The Great Awakening

Religious revival in the American colonies from 1730 to 1770.

French Indian War

Conflict between France and Britain in North America from 1755 to 1760.

Heavy Taxation on Colonies

Imposition of high taxes on American colonies in the 1770s.

Declaration of Independence

Document declaring America's independence in 1776.

American Revolutionary War

War for American independence from 1775 to 1785.

New American Constitution

Establishment of a new constitution in America in 1790.

Louisiana Purchase

Acquisition of Louisiana territory by the US in 1803.

War of 1812

Conflict between the US and Britain in 1812.

Market Revolution

Economic transformation in the 1820s and 1830s.

Election of 1824 (John Quincy Adams Win)

Presidential election won by John Quincy Adams in 1824.

Election of 1828 (Andrew Jackson Win)

Presidential election won by Andrew Jackson in 1828.

The Second Great Awakening + Reform Movements

Religious revival and social reforms from 1795 to 1840.

Manifest Destiny + Gold Rush

Belief in US expansion and the Gold Rush in the 1840s and 1850s.

Mexican American War

Conflict between Mexico and the US from 1846 to 1848.

Republican Party Formed

Formation of the Republican Party in 1854.

Election of 1860 (Abraham Lincoln Win)

Presidential election won by Abraham Lincoln in 1860.

Civil War

War between the North and South from 1861 to 1865.

Reconstruction

Period of rebuilding America from 1865 to 1877.

Westward Expansion

Expansion of the US westward from 1800 to 1860.

Plessy v Ferguson

Landmark Supreme Court case in 1896 on segregation.

The Gilded Age

Period of corruption and wealth inequality from the 1870s to 1900.

The Populist Party

Political party advocating for farmers in the 1890s and 1910s.

Spanish American War

Conflict between Spain and the US in 1898.

Philippine War

Conflict between the US and the Philippines from 1899 to 1902.

The Progressive Movement

Reform movement in the US from the 1900s to 1920s.

World War One

Global conflict from 1914 to 1918 with US entry in 1917.

The Great Depression

Economic downturn from 1930 to 1940.

World War Two

Global conflict from 1940 to 1945 with US entry in 1940.

The Cold War

Tensions between the US and USSR from 1945 to 1990.

Iron Curtain

Term describing the divide between Eastern and Western Europe in 1946.

McCarthyism

Period of anti-communist fear from 1950 to 1954.

Korean War

Conflict from 1950 to 1953 with US involvement due to communism fears.

Brown v Board of Education

1954 Supreme Court case ending school segregation.

Eisenhower Doctrine

Policy providing aid against communism in the Middle East in 1957.

Vietnam War

Conflict from 1955 to 1975 with US entry in 1965 due to communism fears.

Baby Boom

Increase in birth rates from 1945 to 1965.

Cuban Missile Crisis

1962 event with Soviet missiles in Cuba targeting the US.

Counterculture

Movement against mainstream culture in the 1960s.

Nixon's Visit to China

1972 visit strengthening US-China relations.