APUSH Cram

If you know you're cooked, bare minimum be comfortable with these

1492 – Columbus arrives

Columbus lands in the Caribbean, initiating sustained European contact and colonization.

Columbian Exchange

Transatlantic trade of goods, ideas, people, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds.

Encomienda System

Spanish labor system that exploited Native Americans in exchange for supposed protection and Christianization.

1607 – Jamestown founded

First permanent English settlement in North America, established in Virginia.

1620 – Mayflower Compact

Early agreement for self-government signed by Pilgrims at Plymouth.

Salem Witch Trials

Series of trials and executions in colonial Massachusetts reflecting social and religious tensions.

Navigation Acts

Laws passed by Britain to control colonial trade and enforce mercantilism.

First Great Awakening

Religious revival that emphasized emotion and challenged established churches.

1754–1763 – French & Indian War

British vs. French and Native allies; Britain wins but gains debt and land.

1763 – Proclamation Line

Banned colonial settlement west of the Appalachians to prevent Native conflict.

1776 – Declaration of Independence

Document declaring colonial separation from Britain, citing Enlightenment ideas.

1781 – Articles of Confederation

First U.S. constitution; weak central government with little authority.

1787 – Constitutional Convention

Meeting to draft a stronger national government, resulting in the U.S. Constitution.

1791 – Bill of Rights

First ten amendments to protect individual liberties from federal power.

1803 – Louisiana Purchase

U.S. buys territory from France, doubling its size and encouraging westward expansion.

War of 1812

War against Britain to protect U.S. trade and independence; increased nationalism.

1820 – Missouri Compromise

Maintained slave/free state balance and banned slavery north of 36°30'.

1830 – Indian Removal Act

Authorized forced relocation of Native tribes, leading to the Trail of Tears.

Second Great Awakening

Religious revival that inspired reform movements like abolition and temperance.

1848 – Seneca Falls Convention

First women's rights convention; issued the Declaration of Sentiments.

1846–48 – Mexican-American War

U.S. gains Southwest territory, intensifying sectional conflict over slavery.

1854 – Kansas-Nebraska Act

Allowed popular sovereignty in new territories; led to Bleeding Kansas.

1861–1865 – Civil War

War between North and South over slavery and states' rights; Union victory.

1863 – Emancipation Proclamation

Freed slaves in rebelling states, redefining the war as one for abolition.

1865 – 13th Amendment

Formally abolished slavery throughout the U.S.

Reconstruction Acts

Set of laws to rebuild the South and protect rights of freed slaves.

1869 – Transcontinental Railroad

Linked East and West, boosting trade, migration, and Native displacement.

1877 – Great Railroad Strike

Labor protest crushed by federal troops; showed growing labor unrest.

1887 – Dawes Act

Split tribal lands to assimilate Natives; undermined tribal culture.

1890 – Wounded Knee Massacre

U.S. Army killed hundreds of Sioux; ended Native armed resistance.

Populist Party

Farmers' political movement demanding reform against banks and railroads.

1898 – Spanish-American War

U.S. defeats Spain and gains empire (Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico).

1901–17 – Progressive Era

Reform era targeting political corruption, business abuse, and social issues.

1917 – U.S. enters WWI

U.S. joins Allies due to German threats and idealism about democracy.

1920 – 19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote nationwide.

1929 – Stock Market Crash

Triggered the Great Depression and mass unemployment.

1933 – New Deal

FDR’s programs to combat the Great Depression through federal action.

1941 – Pearl Harbor

Surprise Japanese attack that brought the U.S. into WWII.

1947 – Truman Doctrine

U.S. pledges to contain communism globally.

1954 – Brown v. Board

Declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

1964 – Civil Rights Act

Outlawed discrimination based on race, gender, or religion.

1965 – Voting Rights Act

Outlawed literacy tests and barriers to Black suffrage.

1964–75 – Vietnam War

Conflict involving U.S. to stop communism in Southeast Asia; caused domestic protests.

1974 – Watergate Scandal

Political scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation.

1980 – Reagan elected

Start of modern conservatism with tax cuts, deregulation, and strong Cold War policy.

1991 – Collapse of USSR

Ended the Cold War; U.S. emerged as sole global superpower.

2001 – 9/11 Attacks

Terrorist attacks that led to the War on Terror and new security policies.

2008 – Obama elected

First African American president, symbolizing progress and division.

2020 – COVID-19 Pandemic

Global health crisis affecting politics, economy, and daily life.