Untitled Flashcard Set

Here are short, "need-to-know" explanations for every event in your timeline, categorized by period.

Period One (1492–1607)

• 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 generally viewed land as communal; Europeans viewed it as private property to be owned.

• 1587 Roanoke: England’s "Lost Colony"; a failed attempt that proved settling North America would be difficult.

• 1588 Spanish Armada: England defeated Spain's navy, shifting Atlantic power and allowing English colonization to begin.

Period Two (1607–1754)

• 1607 Jamestown: The first permanent English settlement; survived thanks to tobacco profits.

• 1609–1610 Starving Time: 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.

Period Three (1754–1800)

• 1754–1763 Seven Years’ War: Britain defeated France for control of the Ohio Valley but went into massive debt.

• 1763 Proclamation: Blocked colonists from moving west of the Appalachians to avoid Indian conflicts; angered settlers.

• 1765 Stamp Act: First direct tax on colonists; sparked the cry "No taxation without representation."

• 1766 Declaratory Act: Passed after Stamp Act repeal, asserting Parliament’s absolute power to tax colonies.

• 1770 Boston Massacre: British soldiers killed five colonists; used as powerful anti-British propaganda.

• 1773 Boston Tea Party: Protest against tea taxes; triggered the harsh Intolerable Acts as punishment.

• 1775 Lexington & Concord: The "Shot Heard 'Round the World"—the start of the Revolutionary War.

• 1776 Declaration of Independence: Formal break from Britain based on "natural rights" (Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness).

• 1777 Saratoga: Colonial victory that convinced the French to join the war as American allies.

• 1777 Articles of Confederation: The first U.S. government; intentionally weak to avoid "tyranny" (no power to tax).

• 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; featured the Great Compromise (2-house legislature).

• 1788 Washington: The first President; focused on Hamilton’s debt plan and staying neutral in foreign wars.

• 1791 Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments added to protect individual liberties from the government.

• 1798 XYZ Affair: Diplomatic spat with France that nearly led to war.

• 1798 Alien & Sedition Acts: Federalists restricted speech and immigration; seen as a violation of the 1st Amendment.

Period Four (1800–1848)

• 1800 Jefferson: The first peaceful transfer of power between political parties.

• Marbury v. Madison: Established Judicial Review (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 new roads/canals.

• 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 slave and Maine as free to keep the balance.

• 1823 Monroe Doctrine: Warned Europe to stay out of the Western Hemisphere.

• Sectionalism: Growing tension between North (industry/free) and 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 (Cherokee, etc.) west, leading to the Trail of Tears.

• 1832 Nat Turner: Violent slave revolt that led to much 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.

Period Five (1844–1877)

• 1845 Texas Annexation: U.S. admitted Texas, leading directly to war with Mexico.

• Mexican-American War: U.S. won massive territories (California, 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; outraged abolitionists.

• 1852 Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Novel that exposed 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 and 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 it in the West.

• 1863 Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln "freed" slaves in Confederate-held territory; shifted war's focus to morality.

• 1863 Gettysburg: The turning point; the South’s last attempt to invade the North.

• Military Reconstruction: Use of U.S. troops to enforce civil rights in the South after the war.

• 1877 Compromise: Ended Reconstruction; troops left the South, leading to the rise of Jim Crow laws.

Period Six (1865–1898)

• 1876 Little Bighorn: Major Native American victory over Custer, but led to increased 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; ended armed Native resistance.

• 1894 Pullman Strike: National railroad strike broken up by federal troops.

• 1896 Cross of Gold: William Jennings Bryan’s speech pushing for "free silver" to help struggling farmers.

• 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson: Established the "Separate but Equal" doctrine, legalizing segregation.

Period Seven (1890–1945)

• 1898 Spanish-American War: U.S. became an empire by 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 to "make the world safe for democracy" after German submarine attacks.

• 1918 Fourteen Points: Wilson’s plan for world peace; included the League of Nations (which U.S. never joined).

• 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 to provide relief, recovery, and reform.

• 1941 Pearl Harbor: Japanese attack that forced the U.S. into WWII.

• 1944 D-Day: The massive Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France.

Period Eight (1945–1980)

• 1947 Truman Doctrine: Policy of Containment—preventing the spread of Communism anywhere in the world.

• 1950–1953 Korean War: First "hot war" of the Cold War; ended in a stalemate at the 38th parallel.

• 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.

• 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis: 13-day standoff over Soviet nukes in Cuba; closest the world came 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 (Medicare, Medicaid, etc.).

• 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 (later overturned).

Period Nine (1980–Present)

• 1980 Reagan: Shift toward "Reaganomics" (tax cuts/deregulation) and increased 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 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.