Untitled Flashcard Set

1492 Columbus

Initiated the Columbian Exchange, the global transfer of foods, plants, and diseases.

Spanish Dominance

Spain led early exploration, establishing the encomienda system to extract gold and labor.

Native vs. European Views

Natives viewed land as communal; Europeans viewed it as private property.

1587 Roanoke

England’s Lost Colony; a failed attempt that showed the difficulty of settling North America.

1588 Spanish Armada

England defeated Spain's navy, shifting Atlantic power and allowing English colonization.

1607 Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement, which survived thanks to tobacco profits.

1609–1610 Starving Time

A period of extreme famine and conflict with the Powhatan Confederacy.

1620 Mayflower

Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact, an early step toward self-government.

1649 Toleration Act

Maryland law protecting Christians; a foundation for religious freedom.

1688 Glorious Revolution

Limited the power of the English monarchy, influencing colonial ideas of liberty.

1692 Salem Witch Trials

Mass hysteria in Massachusetts reflecting social and religious tensions.

1754–1763 Seven Years’ War

Britain defeated France for control of the Ohio Valley but incurred massive debt.

1763 Proclamation

Blocked colonists from moving west of the Appalachians to avoid Indian conflicts.

1765 Stamp Act

First direct tax on colonists; sparked the cry 'No taxation without representation.'

1766 Declaratory Act

Asserts Parliament’s absolute power to tax colonies after Stamp Act repeal.

1770 Boston Massacre

British soldiers killed five colonists; used as anti-British propaganda.

1773 Boston Tea Party

Protest against tea taxes that triggered the harsh Intolerable Acts.

1775 Lexington & Concord

The start of the Revolutionary War marked by the 'Shot Heard 'Round the World.'

1776 Declaration of Independence

Formal break from Britain based on the ideals of natural rights.

1777 Saratoga

Colonial victory that convinced the French to ally with America.

1777 Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. government, intentionally weak to avoid tyranny.

1781 Yorktown

British General Cornwallis surrendered, effectively ending the war.

1783 Treaty of Paris

Britain recognized U.S. independence and set the border at the Mississippi River.

1787 Constitutional Convention

Scrapped the Articles for a new Constitution, featuring the Great Compromise.

1788 Washington

The first President focused on Hamilton’s debt plan and neutrality in foreign wars.

1791 Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments added to protect individual liberties.

1798 XYZ Affair

Diplomatic spat with France that nearly led to war.

1798 Alien & Sedition Acts

Federalists restricted speech and immigration, viewed as a violation of the 1st Amendment.

1800 Jefferson

The first peaceful transfer of power between political parties.

Marbury v. Madison

Established Judicial Review; the Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional.

1803 Louisiana Purchase

Jefferson bought land from France for $15 million, doubling U.S. size.

War of 1812

Second War for Independence against Britain; ended the Federalist Party.

American System

Henry Clay’s plan for high tariffs, a national bank, and infrastructure improvements.

1815 New Orleans

Andrew Jackson’s major victory fought after the peace treaty was signed.

Era of Good Feelings

A brief period of political unity under one party (Democratic-Republicans).

1820 Missouri Compromise

Admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state to maintain balance.

1823 Monroe Doctrine

Warned Europe to stay out of the Western Hemisphere.

Sectionalism

Growing tension between the North (industry/free) and the South (agriculture/slavery).

1828 Jackson

Era of the 'Common Man'; expanded voting rights to almost all white males.

1830 Indian Removal Act

Forced relocation of tribes, leading to the Trail of Tears.

1832 Nat Turner

Violent slave revolt leading to harsher slave codes in the South.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that God wanted the U.S. to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

1836 The Alamo

Key battle in the Texas Revolution against Mexico.

1845 Texas Annexation

U.S. admitted Texas, leading directly to war with Mexico.

Mexican-American War

U.S. won massive territories including California and the Southwest.

1848 Seneca Falls

The first major convention for women’s rights; issued the Declaration of Sentiments.

1850 Fugitive Slave Law

Required Northerners to help catch runaway slaves, angering abolitionists.

1852 Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Novel exposing the cruelty of slavery to a mass audience.

1854 Bleeding Kansas

Guerilla warfare between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers.

1857 Dred Scott

Supreme Court ruled Black people weren't citizens; Congress couldn't ban slavery in territories.

1860 Lincoln

His election caused South Carolina to secede, fearing he would end slavery.

1861–1865 Civil War

Bloodiest war in U.S. history, fought over slavery and states' rights.

1862 Homestead Act

Offered 160 acres of free land to anyone willing to farm in the West.

1863 Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln 'freed' slaves in Confederate-held territory, shifting war focus to morality.

1863 Gettysburg

The turning point of the Civil War; South’s last attempt to invade the North.

Military Reconstruction

Use of U.S. troops to enforce civil rights in the South after the Civil War.

1877 Compromise

Ended Reconstruction; troops left the South, leading to Jim Crow laws.

1876 Little Bighorn

Major Native American victory over Custer, prompting military crackdowns.

1886 Haymarket

A bomb at a labor rally linked unions with 'anarchy' and hurt the labor movement.

1887 Dawes Act

Attempt to 'Americanize' Natives by breaking up tribal lands into individual farms.

1890 Wounded Knee

The final massacre of the Indian Wars, ending armed Native resistance.

1894 Pullman Strike

National railroad strike broken up by federal troops.

1896 Cross of Gold

William Jennings Bryan’s speech advocating for 'free silver' to help farmers.

1896 Plessy v. Ferguson

Established the 'Separate but Equal' doctrine, legalizing segregation.

1898 Spanish-American War

U.S. became an empire, gaining Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

1904 Roosevelt Corollary

Stated the U.S. would act as an 'international police power' in Latin America.

1917 WWI Entry

U.S. joined WWI to make the world safe for democracy after German attacks.

1918 Fourteen Points

Wilson’s plan for world peace including the League of Nations.

1920 Women’s Suffrage

The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote.

1920s Red Scare

Fear of communism/anarchy following the Russian Revolution.

1929 Crash

The start of the Great Depression, the worst economic collapse in history.

1932 FDR / New Deal

Massive government spending programs for relief, recovery, and reform.

1941 Pearl Harbor

Japanese attack that led the U.S. into WWII.

1944 D-Day

Massive Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France.

1947 Truman Doctrine

Policy of Containment—preventing the spread of Communism globally.

1950–1953 Korean War

First 'hot war' of the Cold War; ended in a stalemate.

1954 Brown v. Board

Overturned Plessy; ruled that 'separate is inherently unequal' in schools.

1955 Bus Boycott

Sparked by Rosa Parks; launched MLK Jr. as the leader of the Civil Rights movement.

1957 Sputnik

First satellite (USSR); started the Space Race and led to NASA's creation.

1962 Cuban Missile Crisis

13-day standoff over Soviet nukes in Cuba; closest to nuclear war.

1964 Civil Rights Act

Banned discrimination in public places and employment based on race/gender.

1965 Great Society

LBJ’s plan to end poverty and racial injustice, including Medicare.

1968 Tet Offensive

Major North Vietnamese attack; convinced Americans the Vietnam War was unwinnable.

1972 Watergate

Scandal involving a break-in and cover-up that led to Nixon’s resignation.

1973 Roe v. Wade

Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide.

1980 Reagan

Shift toward Reaganomics (tax cuts/deregulation) and military spending.

1989 End of Cold War

Fall of the Berlin Wall and eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.

1994 NAFTA

Trade agreement removing barriers between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

2001 9/11

Terrorist attacks leading to the War on Terror and invasions of Afghanistan/Iraq.

2008 Great Recession

Global financial crisis sparked by the housing market collapse.

2011 Affordable Care Act

'Obamacare'; major healthcare reform aimed at universal coverage.