APUSH Exhaustive Timeline: 1492-2001

Period 1 ($1491$-$1607$): Early Colonization and Contact

• $1492$: Arrival of Christopher Columbus     * Marks the beginning of the Columbian Exchange, the global transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas.     * Spain initiates exploration and conquest, sending conquistadors and the Spanish Armada to secure claims.     * Encomiendas System: Spain establishes missions and labor systems, specifically noted in California and other regions.

• Early English Efforts at Colonization     * $1587$: Roanoke Island: Established by Sir Walter Raleigh. By $1590$, the settlement became known as the ‘Lost Colony’ after the inhabitants disappeared.     * $1588$: Defeat of the Spanish Armada: England defeats the Spanish fleet, emerging as a global superpower. This victory cleared the path for English colonization to begin shortly after.

Period 2 ($1607$-$1754$): Settlement and Colonial Development

• $1607$: Jamestown and the Chesapeake     * Established by a Joint Stock Company (the Virginia Company), which was investor-backed for profit.     * Captain John Smith acted as the leader; he instituted martial law to ensure the colony's survival during early hardships.     * $1609$-$1610$: Desperate times (Starving Time) where the Powhatan Confederacy provided aid to the settlers.     * Tobacco: Developed as a cash crop, saving the colony from economic extinction.     * Chesapeake: The name given to the area surrounding the settlement.     * Labor Systems: Indentured servants became a popular and useful labor source.     * $1618$: Headright System: Offered $50 ext{ acres}$ of land to any plantation owner who sponsored a person’s passage to America.     * $1619$: Key Milestones:         * House of Burgesses: The first representative government in the colonies. Voting was restricted to white, property-owning males.         * Slavery: The arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the English colonies marks the beginning of the institution in America.

• New England and Religious Settlements     * $1620$: Plymouth: Separatists fleeing England accidentally arrived in Massachusetts on the ‘Mayflower’.     * Mayflower Compact: An agreement that established a government where power was derived from the governed, rather than directly from God.     * Settlers received critical aid from local Indians to sustain the settlement.     * $1629$: Massachusetts Bay Colony:         * Established by Congregationalists led by John Winthrop.         * Winthrop famously described the colony as a ‘City on a hill’, based on Puritan and Calvinist ideals.         * The colony was known for religious intolerance.         * Roger Williams: Banished for his views; he subsequently created Rhode Island, which allowed for free religion.         * Anne Hutchinson: Another prominent figure banished due to religious dissent.     * $1629$-$1642$: Great Puritan Migration: A massive influx of Puritans to New England.     * $1649$-$1660$: Migration slowed significantly because the government in England was primarily Puritan during this time.

• The Middle and Southern Colonies     * $1635$: Connecticut receives its charter.     * Maryland: Founded by Lord Baltimore as a haven for Christians and Catholics.     * $1649$: Act of Toleration: Passed in Maryland to protect the religious freedom of Christians.     * $1685$: New York is established as a colony.     * Pennsylvania: Founded by William Penn, a Quaker.     * Carolina: Originally a proprietary colony. It eventually split into North Carolina (which resembled the Virginia colony) and South Carolina (settled by individuals from Barbados).     * Proprietary vs. Royal Colonies: Most proprietary colonies eventually transitioned into royal colonies, which were directly controlled by the King.

• $1650$-$1750$: Salutary Neglect     * A period where Britain maintained a "hands-off" approach toward the American colonies, granting them high levels of autonomy.

• Internal Colonial Conflict and Social Change     * $1670 ext{'s}$: Bacon’s Rebellion:         * The central issue involved conflict between settlers and Indians.         * Governor Berkeley was accused of leading a corrupt, elite group that secured the best land and failed to protect backcountry farmers.         * Nathanial Bacon led frontier farmers in raids against Indians and eventually burned Jamestown, driving out Berkeley.         * Outcome: The rebellion led to the creation of Black Codes as the elite realized they could not easily control white indentured servants.     * $1692$: Salem Witch Trials: Resulted in many executions; the hysteria was fueled by unrest regarding religion, politics, and gender roles.     * $1730 ext{'s}$ to $1740 ext{'s}$: The Great Awakening:         * Jonathan Edwards: A Congregationalist known for his sermon ‘Sinners in the hands of an angry God’, which emphasized "fire and brimstone," Hell, and predestination.         * George Whitefield: A Methodist involved in the evangelical movement; emphasized emotionalism and spirituality. He conducted sermons outdoors, traveling the length of the colonies. This became a "shared experience" that helped build a shared colonial identity.     * The Enlightenment: Focus on rationalism and science.         * John Locke: Advocated for natural rights.         * Montesquieu: Ideated the separation of powers.         * Ben Franklin: Considered the quintessential "Enlightenment man."

Period 3 ($1754$-$1800$): Independence and the New Republic

• The Road to Revolution     * $1754$: Albany Plan: Proposed by Ben Franklin to create an inter-colonial government for defense; the plan was not accepted.     * $1754$-$1763$: Seven Years’ War (French-Indian War): Britain's victory eventually led to rising anti-British sentiment.     * $1763$: Proclamation of $1763$:         * Forbade colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.         * Angered colonists and marked the end of salutary neglect, serving as a turning point in British-Colonial relations.     * $1764$: Sugar Act and Currency Act: The Sugar Act aimed to stop smuggling, while the Currency Act banned colonists from printing paper money.     * $1765$: Stamp Act:         * A direct tax for revenue covering legal documents.         * Affected the literate population and lawyers specifically; taxed goods made in the colonies.         * Colonial Reaction: "No taxation without representation."         * British Response: Claimed virtual representation.     * $1766$: The Stamp Act Congress formed and organized boycotts. The Act was repealed, but the Declaratory Act was passed, asserting Parliament's right to tax and legislate for colonies in all cases.     * $1767$: Townshend Acts:         * Taxed goods imported from Britain.         * Revenue paid for government officials' salaries.         * Created more vice-admiralty courts and suspended the New York legislation.         * Instituted the ‘writ of assistance’, allowing British officials to search anywhere.     * $1770$: Protests intensified. On March $5$, $1770$, the Boston Massacre occurred.     * $1769$: Repeal of Townshend Duties.     * December $16$, $1773$: Boston Tea Party: A protest against the tea tax.     * Early $1774$: Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts): Closed the port of Boston (except for essentials) and forced colonists to house British soldiers.     * Late $1774$: First Continental Congress: Attended by all colonies except Georgia.         * Goals: Determine grievances, organize boycotts, and define parameters of Parliamentary interference.

• The Revolutionary War     * April $1775$: Battles of Lexington (first battle) and Concord (where colonists held off British; the ‘shot heard ‘round the world’).     * $1775$: Second Continental Congress:         * Established the Continental Army led by George Washington.         * Began printing money ().         * Established government offices for policies.     * July 5$,$1775: Olive Branch Petition: A final attempt at reconciliation to avoid armed conflict; King George III ignored it.     * January 1776: ‘Common Sense’: Published by Thomas Paine, arguing that an island should not rule a continent.     * 1776$</strong>: <strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong> commissioned to write the <strong>Declaration of Independence</strong>; signed <strong>July$4$,$1776.     * 1778: Franco-American Alliance: Negotiated by Ben Franklin following the Battle of Saratoga, bringing the French into the war on the American side.     * 1783: Treaty of Paris: Formally granted the U.S. independence and land.

• The Early Government and the Constitution     * 1777: Articles of Confederation: The first central government. It lacked the power to tax, declare war, or form a national military.     * Summer 1787: Constitutional Convention:         * NJ Plan: Supported small states with equal representation.         * Virginia Plan: Supported large states with representation based on population; included checks and balances.         * Great Compromise: Established a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives (population-based) and the Senate (equal representation: 2 per state).         * 3/5 ext{ths}$Compromise</strong>: Enslaved populations were counted as$3/5 of a person for representation purposes, empowering Southern states.     * 1789: The Constitution becomes effective.     * 1791: The Bill of Rights is added.

• The Federalist Era     * 1789: Election of Washington:         * Cabinet: Jefferson (Secretary of State), Hamilton (Treasury).         * Hamilton’s Financial Plan: Focused on reducing debt and creating a National Bank.         * Foreign Policy: Neutrality Proclamation and Pinckney’s Treaty.     * 1796: Washington declines a third term.     * 1797: Farewell Address: Washington championed neutrality.     * 1797: John Adams (President):         * XYZ Affair.         * Alien & Sedition Acts.         * VA & KY Resolutions: Addressed nullification.         * Midnight Appointments: Adams appointed Federalist judges to positions shortly before leaving office, leading to Marbury v. Madison.

Period 4 (1800$-$1848): The Era of the Common Man and Expansion

• The Jeffersonian Period     * 1801: Jefferson elected.     * Marbury v. Madison: Established the principle of Judicial Review.     * 1803: Louisiana Purchase: Followed by the Lewis & Clark expedition.     * 1804: Jefferson re-elected.     * 1807$/$1809$</strong>: <strong>Embargo Act</strong> and <strong>Non-Intercourse Act</strong> hurt the American economy in response to British <strong>impressment</strong>.</p></li><li><p><strong>The War of$1812 and Its Aftermath     * 1809$-$1817: James Madison:         * Macon’s Bill #2: Unsuccessful attempt to stop attacks from Britain and France.         * War of 1812: Ended with the Treaty of Ghent.         * Battle of New Orleans: Led by Andrew Jackson (victory).         * Hartford Convention: Resulted in the end of the Federalist Party.         * American System: Lobbied by Henry Clay; included a protective tariff, roads, and re-chartering the National Bank.

• 1817$-$1825: James Monroe and the ‘Era of Good Feelings’     * McCulloch v. Maryland: Determined that states cannot tax the National Bank.     * Panic of 1819: Economic crisis where individuals could not pay loans.     * 1819: Adams-Onis Treaty: Florida acquired from Spain.     * Monroe Doctrine: Declared America off-limits to further European colonization.     * Missouri Compromise (by Henry Clay): Missouri admitted as a slave state, Maine as a free state. Established the boundary of slavery at the latitude line of 36^ ext{o} 30'.

• The Rise of Jacksonian Democracy     * 1824: Corrupt Bargain: Henry Clay became Secretary of State and JQA (John Quincy Adams) became President; leads to the formation of the Democratic Party by Jackson supporters.     * 1829: Andrew Jackson’s Presidency: Known as the ‘Era of Common Man’; marked by universal white male suffrage.     * 1830: Indian Removal Act: Led to the Trail of Tears.     * Tariff of 1832: Caused nullification issues.     * Bank War: Jackson vetoed the charter of the 2 ext{nd} Bank of the US.     * Specie Circular: Financial policy contributing to the Panic of 1837.     * Nat Turner’s Rebellion: An unsuccessful slave revolt that led to harsher Black Codes.     * Whig Party: Emerged as an anti-Democratic party.

• Successors to Jackson     * 1837$: Martin van Buren</strong>: Presidency marred by the <strong>Panic of$1837.     * 1841: William Henry Harrison: Died one month into office.     * 1841: John Tyler: Referred to as the "President without a Party."     * 1790 ext{'s}$–$1840 ext{'s}$: Second Great Awakening</strong>: Social reforms including <strong>Temperance</strong>, abolition of slavery, and general society improvements.</p></li></ul><h3 id="240a309a-2d2b-4892-95ca-7477e8c2a3a7" data-toc-id="240a309a-2d2b-4892-95ca-7477e8c2a3a7" collapsed="false" seolevelmigrated="true">Period 5 ($1848$-$1877): Expansion, Civil War, and Reconstruction

  • Manifest Destiny and the Mexican War     * 1844$-$1845: Texas annexed.     * 1845: James K. Polk elected.     * 1846: Oregon Treaty: Defined the northern border with Canada, acquiring OR, WA, and parts of ID, WY, and MT.     * 1846$-$1848: Mexican-American War:         * Wilmot Proviso: Defeated quickly.         * Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848$)</strong>: Ends the war. U.S. pays$15 ext{ million} for the Mexican Cession (CA, AZ, NV, CO, UT, NM).

  • Escalating Sectionalism     * 1849: Zachary Taylor: The last Whig elected President.     * 1850: Taylor dies; Millard Fillmore takes over.     * Compromise of 1850: Written by Stephen Douglas and Henry Clay.         * California admitted as a state.         * Stronger Fugitive Slave Law.         * UT and NM territories created with popular sovereignty.         * Slave trade abolished in DC.     * 1852: ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ published.     * 1854: Kansas-Nebraska Act:         * Repealed the Missouri Compromise line.         * Championed popular sovereignty; essentially ended the Whig party.         * Republican Party emerges.     * 1855: Conflicts known as Bleeding Kansas and the physical assault on Charles Sumner (Bleeding Sumner).     * 1857: Dred Scott Decision.     * 1858: Lincoln-Douglas Debates: Included the Freeport Doctrine.     * 1859: John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry.

  • The Civil War and Reconstruction     * December 1860$</strong>: South Carolina seceded, followed by$7 more states to form the CSA under President Jefferson Davis.     * April 12$,$1861: Fort Sumter: Marking the start of the Civil War.     * January 1$,$1863: Emancipation Proclamation.     * Early 1865: Freedman’s Bureau established.     * April 1865: War ends; Abraham Lincoln is assassinated.     * Reconstruction Plans:         * 10 ext{%} Plan (Lincoln).         * Wade-Davis Bill (Vetoed by Lincoln).         * Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan (A combination of the 10 ext{%} and Wade-Davis plans).     * Black Codes: Re-instituted in the South during Johnson's administration.     * 14 ext{th} Amendment passed.     * 1867: Military Reconstruction Act.     * 1869$:$15 ext{th} Amendment passed.     * 1872$-$1873: Scandals (Credit Mobilier and Whiskey Ring) and financial panic.     * 1877$: Compromise of$1877:         * Rutherford B. Hayes becomes President.         * Military Reconstruction ends in the South.

  Period 6 (1865$-$1898): The Gilded Age

  • Prominent Figures     * Industrialists/Inventors: Carnegie, Rockefeller, JP Morgan, Thomas Edison.     * Journalists: Pulitzer and Hearst (noted for yellow journalism).     * Labor/Civil Rights: Gompers (unions), Booker T. Washington, Susan B. Anthony (woman’s suffrage).

  • Politics and Legislation     * Forgotten Presidents: Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison.     * Other Key Figures: Debs, Bryan, McKinley, Seward (Alaska purchase).     * 1890: McKinley Tariff and Sherman Anti-Trust Act.     * 1894$</strong>: <strong>Wilson-Gorman Tariff</strong>.</p></li></ul><h3 id="cc683d94-ae53-4659-a736-1a4b4cc1b24d" data-toc-id="cc683d94-ae53-4659-a736-1a4b4cc1b24d" collapsed="false" seolevelmigrated="true">Period 7 ($1898$-$1945): Imperialism, World Wars, and Great Depression

    • The Era of Expansion     * 1898$-$1900: Spanish-American War: U.S. drives Spain out of Cuba and Philippines; ended by Treaty of Paris.     * 1901: Platt Amendment.     * The Progressive Era     * 1904: Panama Canal and Roosevelt Corollary:         * Big Stick Policy.         * Assertion that America would not involve itself in Europe but would be involved in the Western Hemisphere.

    • World War I     * 1912: Woodrow Wilson elected.     * 1914: Neutrality declared.     * 1915: Sinking of the Lusitania.     * 1917: Zimmerman Telegram; U.S. declares war on Germany.     * 1917$/$18: Espionage Act and Sedition Act.     * FBI: Created with J. Edgar Hoover in charge.     * January 1918$:$14$Points</strong>: Included the <strong>League of Nations</strong>, which failed in Congress because Wilson would not compromise.</p></li><li><p><strong>The Roaring$20 ext{'s} and The Great Depression     * Culture: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, the Harlem Renaissance, Jazz.     * Events: Scopes Trial (featuring Bryan and Darrow), Prohibition (18 ext{th} Amendment).     * 1921: Warren Harding: Marked by scandals.     * 1923: Calvin Coolidge: Focused on business and the automobile industry.     * October 1929: Stock Market Crash begins the Great Depression.     * 1932: FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt):         * 100 Days: Period of intense legislative activity.         * New Deal Implementation.

    • New Deal and World War II     * 1933: Banking Act (FDIC), AAA (Agricultural), PWA (Public Works), SEC (Securities & Exchange Commission).     * 1934: Second New Deal: WPA, Social Security, and the Good Neighbor Policy.     * 1935$-$1937$</strong>:$3 Neutrality Acts.     * 1940: Selective Training & Service Act.     * 1941: Lend-Lease Act and Atlantic Charter Conference (with Churchill).     * December 7$,$1941: Pearl Harbor Attacked.     * June 6$,$1944: D-Day.     * 1945: Yalta Conference; FDR dies, Truman becomes President.     * Potsdam Conference: Determined usage of the A-bomb.     * August 1945$</strong>: Bombing of <strong>Hiroshima</strong> and <strong>Nagasaki</strong>.</p></li></ul><h3 id="0400cf55-19fb-4850-8ebd-9c2c94129303" data-toc-id="0400cf55-19fb-4850-8ebd-9c2c94129303" collapsed="false" seolevelmigrated="true">Period 8 ($1945$-$1980): The Cold War and Civil Rights

      • Post-War and Containment     * 1947: Truman Doctrine: Financial support for anti-Communist nations for the containment of Communism.     * Marshall Plan established.     * 1949: NATO formed; leads to the creation of the CIA.     * 1950: McCarthyism: Joseph McCarthy claims to have names of Communists in the government.     * 1950$-$1953: Korean War.     * Eisenhower Presidency:         * 1954: End of the Army-McCarthy scare.         * 1954: Brown v. Board of Education.         * 1956: Suez Crisis.         * 1957: Sputnik launched, leading to NASA.         * 1960$: U-$2$Incident</strong>.</p></li><li><p><strong>$1960 ext{'s}$and$1970 ext{'s}: Conflict and Crisis     * 1961: JFK (John F. Kennedy): Bay of Pigs; Vietnam Conflict begins.     * 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis.     * 1963: JFK assassinated; LBJ (Lyndon B. Johnson) becomes President.     * 1964: Civil Rights Act; Gulf of Tonkin resolution in Vietnam.     * 1965: Great Society legislation.     * 1969: Richard Nixon becomes President.     * 1969$-$1979: Detente.     * 1969: Moon Landing.     * 1971: U.S. removed from the gold standard.     * 1972$-$1974$: Watergate Scandal</strong>: Leads to Nixon's resignation in <strong>$1974.     * 1974: Gerald Ford: Becomes President and pardons Nixon.     * 1977: Jimmy Carter elected.     * 1979$:$3$-Mile Island</strong> nuclear failure.</p></li></ul><h3 id="9575e4a0-82e9-4ca0-b848-fb0d99201f53" data-toc-id="9575e4a0-82e9-4ca0-b848-fb0d99201f53" collapsed="false" seolevelmigrated="true">Period 9 ($1980-Present): The Modern Era

        • The Reagan and Bush Eras     * 1981: Ronald Reagan elected.     * 1981: First space shuttle launched.     * 1983: Strategic Defense Initiative (‘Star Wars’).     * 1986: Iran-Contra Scandal.     * 1989: George H. W. Bush elected.     * 1990$-$1991$: Persian Gulf War</strong> and <strong>Operation Desert Storm</strong>.</p></li><li><p><strong>$1990 ext{'s} and Beyond     * 1993: William ‘Bill’ Clinton elected.     * 1994: NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) established.     * 2000: George W. Bush elected amidst electoral controversy.     * September 11$,$2001: Terrorist Attacks.     * 2001$$: Patriot Act passed.