Important events APUSH

Benjamin Franklin: 1776

Diplomat in France, secured aid for American Revolution.

Thomas Paine: 1776

Wrote "Common Sense," inspired American independence.

George Washington: 1789

First President, led Continental Army to victory.

John Adams: 1783

Negotiated Treaty of Paris, ended Revolutionary War.

Thomas Jefferson: 1776

Drafted Declaration of Independence, advocated democracy.

James Madison: 1787

Key author of US Constitution, promoted individual rights.

Alexander Hamilton: 1790

First Secretary of Treasury, established financial system.

Andrew Jackson: 1830

Signed Indian Removal Act, opposed national bank.

Henry Clay: 1816

Promoted American System, tariffs, and internal improvements.

Abraham Lincoln: 1863

Issued Emancipation Proclamation, led during Civil War.

Jane Addams: 1889

Founded Hull House, advocated for social reform.

Woodrow Wilson: 1919

Led during WWI, proposed League of Nations.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR): 1933

Implemented New Deal, led during Great Depression and WWII.

Lyndon B. Johnson: 1964

Passed Civil Rights Act, advanced social welfare.

Martin Luther King Jr.: 1963

Led civil rights movement, delivered "I Have a Dream" speech.

Ronald Reagan: 1981

Promoted free-market policies, opposed Soviet Union.

Abolitionist Movement: 1830s

Fought to end slavery in the United States.

Frederick Douglass: 1845

Published autobiography, highlighted slavery's brutality.

Harriet Tubman: 1850s

Led enslaved people to freedom via Underground Railroad.

William Lloyd Garrison: 1831

Founded "The Liberator," condemned slavery.

Underground Railroad: 1850s

Secret network aiding escape of enslaved people.

Women’s Suffrage Movement: 1920

Achieved women's right to vote with 19th Amendment.

Public Demonstrations: 1910s

Used protests and parades for women's suffrage.

Seneca Falls Convention: 1848

Created Declaration of Sentiments, advocated women's rights.

Labor Movement: 1880s

Fought for fair wages and safe working conditions.

Knights of Labor: 1880s

Advocated for eight-hour workday, inclusive membership.

Progressive Era Reform Movement: 1890s

Addressed issues from industrialization and urbanization.

Sherman Antitrust Act: 1890

Legislation to break up monopolies, promote competition.

Anti-War Movement: 1960s

Opposed U.S. involvement in Vietnam War.

Vietnam War: 1960s

Conflict that spurred significant public protest.

Environmental Movement: 1960s

Advocated for conservation and pollution control.

Rachel Carson's Silent Spring: 1962

Exposed dangers of pesticides, foundational text of environmentalism.

LGBTQ+ Rights Movement: 1960s

Advocated for equal rights and acceptance.

Obergefell v. Hodges: 2015

Legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

Temperance Movement: 1920

Led to Prohibition with the 18th Amendment.

Native American Rights Movement: 1960s

Advocated for sovereignty and cultural preservation.

Populist Movement: 1890s

Fought for rights of farmers and laborers.

Black Power Movement: 1960s

Emphasized self-determination and African American pride.

Chicano Movement: 1960s

Focused on Mexican American civil rights and cultural pride.

Disability Rights Movement: 1970s

Sought equity and accessibility for individuals with disabilities.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): 1990

Mandated accessibility and protection against discrimination.

Anti-Apartheid Movement: 1980s

Opposed South Africa's apartheid system.

Nelson Mandela: 1990

Key activist in anti-apartheid movement.

Republicanism: 1776

Political philosophy advocating liberty and civic virtue.

Mercantilism: 1600s

Economic theory promoting government regulation of trade.

Sugar Act: 1764

British tax on sugar, sparked colonial protests.

Quartering Act: 1765

Required colonists to house British soldiers.

Stamp Tax: 1765

Tax on printed materials, led to widespread protests.

Stamp Act Congress: 1765

Colonial meeting to oppose Stamp Act.

Nonimportation Agreements: 1765

Boycotts of British goods to protest taxes.

Sons of Liberty: 1765

Organized resistance against British policies.

Samuel Adams: 1773

Leader in American Revolution, organized Boston Tea Party.

Townshend Acts: 1767

Taxes on imports, led to colonial resistance.

Boston Massacre: 1770

British soldiers killed colonists, increased tensions.

Boston Tea Party: 1773

Colonists dumped tea into harbor to protest taxes.

Intolerable Acts: 1774

Punitive laws after Boston Tea Party, united colonies.

First Continental Congress: 1774

Meeting of colonies to respond to British policies.

Lexington & Concord: 1775

First battles of American Revolution.

Valley Forge: 1777

Continental Army's winter camp, symbol of perseverance.

Zenger Trial: 1735

Established freedom of the press in colonies.

Great Awakening: 1730s

Religious revival, emphasized individual faith.

New Lights/Old Lights: 1730s

Divisions in religious beliefs during Great Awakening.

Marbury v. Madison: 1803

Established judicial review in U.S. law.

Cohens v. Virginia: 1821

Asserted Supreme Court's authority over state courts.

Fletcher v. Peck: 1810

Protected property rights against state interference.

Monroe Doctrine: 1823

Declared Western Hemisphere off-limits to European colonization.

Roosevelt Corollary: 1904

Expanded Monroe Doctrine, justified U.S. intervention in Latin America.

Open Door Policy: 1899

Promoted equal trading rights in China.

Spanish-American War: 1898

U.S. gained territories, emerged as global power.

Panama Canal Acquisition: 1903

Secured canal construction, enhanced trade routes.

Wilson’s Fourteen Points: 1918

Plan for post-WWI peace, proposed League of Nations.

Neutrality Acts: 1930s

Laws to prevent U.S. involvement in foreign wars.

Lend-Lease Act: 1941

Supplied Allies in WWII, shifted away from isolationism.

Truman Doctrine: 1947

Policy to contain communism, aid to Greece and Turkey.

Marshall Plan: 1948

Economic aid to rebuild Europe post-WWII.

Containment Policy: 1947

Strategy to prevent spread of communism.

NATO Formation: 1949

Defense alliance against Soviet aggression.

Korean War: 1950–1953

U.S. defended South Korea against North Korea.

Cuban Missile Crisis: 1962

Confrontation over Soviet missiles in Cuba.

Vietnam War: 1955–1975

Conflict to stop communist expansion in Southeast Asia.

Detente: 1970s

Eased Cold War tensions, arms control agreements.

Gulf War: 1990–1991

U.S.-led coalition expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

War on Terror: 2001–Present

Response to 9/11 attacks, military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Boxer Rebellion: 1900

Uprising in China against foreign influence.

Philippine-American War: 1899–1902

Conflict following Spanish-American War, U.S. control over Philippines.

League of Nations: 1920

International organization proposed by Wilson, rejected by U.S. Senate.

War Powers Act: 1973

Limited presidential authority to deploy troops without Congressional approval.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT): 1970s

Agreements to limit nuclear weapons during Cold War.

Fall of Saigon: 1975

End of Vietnam War, U.S. failure to contain communism.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident: 1964

Justified escalation of Vietnam War.

Marshall Islands Nuclear Testing: 1946–1958

U.S. nuclear tests in Pacific, Cold War advancements.

Berlin Airlift: 1948–1949

Supplied West Berlin during Soviet blockade.

Iran Hostage Crisis: 1979–1981

U.S. embassy workers held hostage in Iran.

Camp David Accords: 1978

Peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.

Persian Gulf Oil Strategy: 1990s

U.S. policies to secure oil access in Middle East.

Northwest Ordinance: 1787

Created system for governing Northwest Territory, prohibited slavery.

Alien and Sedition Acts: 1798

Allowed deportation of non-citizens, criminalized anti-government speech.

Missouri Compromise: 1820

Balanced admission of Missouri as slave state and Maine as free state, limited slavery's expansion.

Indian Removal Act: 1830

Authorized forced relocation of Native American tribes, resulting in Trail of Tears.

Compromise of 1850

Admitted California as free state, enacted Fugitive Slave Act, heightened sectional tensions.

Kansas-Nebraska Act: 1854

Allowed settlers to decide on slavery, led to "Bleeding Kansas."

Homestead Act: 1862

Provided 160 acres of land to settlers, promoting westward migration.

Pacific Railway Acts: 1862, 1864

Authorized construction of First Transcontinental Railroad, provided land grants.

Reconstruction Acts: 1867–1868

Divided South into military districts, enforced Reconstruction policies.

Chinese Exclusion Act: 1882

Banned Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S., marked first significant immigration restriction.

Interstate Commerce Act: 1887

Established ICC to regulate railroad rates and practices.

Sherman Antitrust Act: 1890

Outlawed monopolistic business practices to promote competition.

Dawes Act: 1887

Aimed to assimilate Native Americans by allotting individual plots of land.

Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act: 1883

Established merit-based system for federal employment.

Pure Food and Drug Act: 1906

Regulated food and drug safety, established FDA.

Federal Reserve Act: 1913

Created Federal Reserve System to regulate U.S. monetary system.

Clayton Antitrust Act: 1914

Strengthened Sherman Antitrust Act, exempted labor unions from antitrust laws.

Espionage and Sedition Acts: 1917–1918

Criminalized dissent against U.S. government during WWI.

National Origins Act: 1924

Established quotas for immigration based on national origin.

Social Security Act: 1935

Established social insurance programs during Great Depression.

Wagner Act: 1935

Protected workers' rights to unionize and engage in collective bargaining.

GI Bill: 1944

Provided veterans with benefits, including educational funding and housing loans.

Civil Rights Act: 1964

Banned discrimination in public places and employment.

Voting Rights Act: 1965

Outlawed discriminatory voting practices.

War Powers Resolution: 1973

Limited president’s ability to deploy U.S. forces without Congressional approval.

Immigration and Nationality Act: 1965

Abolished national-origin quotas, diversified U.S. immigration patterns.

Emancipation Proclamation: 1863

Declared freedom for enslaved individuals in Confederate territories.

13th Amendment: 1865

Outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States.

14th Amendment: 1868

Granted citizenship to all born or naturalized in the U.S., established Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses.

15th Amendment: 1870

Prohibited denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous servitude.

The Civil Rights Cases: 1883

Limited federal action against private discrimination.

Plessy v. Ferguson: 1896

Upheld racial segregation under 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Brown v. Board of Education: 1954

Declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Montgomery Bus Boycott: 1955-1956

Led to desegregation of buses, highlighted nonviolent resistance.

Shelley v. Kraemer: 1948

Ruled courts could not enforce racial covenants in housing.

Nine Black Students Enter Little Rock's Central High School: 1957

Federal troops protected students integrating Central High School.

The Presidential Election of 1960

Shifted Black political alignment toward Democratic Party.

Interstate Travel Desegregation: 1960

Mandated desegregation in interstate travel, tested by Freedom Riders.

The March on Washington: 1963

Mass protest for civil rights, featured MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Banned discrimination in public places and employment.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Outlawed discriminatory voting practices.

Loving v. Virginia: 1967

Invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage.