Comprehensive APUSH Timeline: 1492-2001

Period 1 (1491 – 1607): Early Contact and Colonization

• 1492: Arrival of Christopher Columbus     - Marks the beginning of the Columbian Exchange, the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World.     - Spain initiates the era of exploration by sending Conquistadors and the Spanish Armada.     - Spain establishes the Encomienda system, focusing on missions such as those seen in California and other regions.
• 1587: Roanoke Island     - Established by Sir Walter Raleigh.     - By $1590$, the settlement had vanished, earning the name the "Lost Colony."
• 1588: Defeat of the Spanish Armada     - England defeats the Spanish fleet, emerging as a global superpower.     - This victory clears the way for England to begin colonization in North America shortly thereafter.

Period 2 (1607 – 1754): British Colonization and Colonial Society

• 1607: Establishment of Jamestown     - Founded as a Joint Stock Company, meaning it was backed by private investors.     - The specific backer was the Virginia Company.     - Captain John Smith served as the leader.     - To ensure survival, martial law was instituted within the colony.
• 1609 – 1610: Desperate Times     - Known as a period of severe hardship.     - The Powhatan Confederacy provided critical aid to help Jamestown survive.     - Tobacco was introduced as a cash crop, which ultimately saved the colony from economic extinction.     - The surrounding region became known as the Chesapeake.
• Labor and Land Systems     - Indentured servants became a popular and useful labor source.     - 1618: Headright System: Offered $50\,\text{acres}$ of land to plantation owners for every person they sponsored to come to America.
• 1619: Political and Social Milestones     - House of Burgesses: The first representative government established in the colonies; voting was restricted to white, property-owning males.     - Slavery begins in the English colonies.
• 1620: Plymouth Colony     - Separatists (Pilgrims) leave England and accidentally arrive in Massachusetts aboard the "Mayflower."     - Mayflower Compact: A governing document establishing that power is derived from the governed rather than from God.     - The settlement received aid from local Native Americans to further its development.
• 1629: Massachusetts Bay Colony     - Founded by Congregationalists led by John Winthrop.     - Winthrop famously described the colony as a "City on a hill."     - The society was based on Puritan and Calvinist ideas and was characterized by religious intolerance.     - 1629 – 1642: Great Puritan Migration: A massive influx of Puritans to the colony.     - Religious dissenters like Roger Williams (who founded Rhode Island for religious freedom) and Anne Hutchinson were banished.
• 1635 – 1685: Expansion of Colonies     - 1635: Connecticut receives a charter to become a colony.     - Maryland: Founded by Lord Baltimore as a haven for Christians and Catholics.     - 1649: Act of Toleration: Maryland legislation protecting Christians.     - 1649 – 1660: Period of little immigration because England was predominantly Puritan at the time.     - 1685: New York becomes a colony.     - Pennsylvania: Founded by William Penn as a Quaker colony.     - The Carolinas: Proprietary colonies that split into North Carolina (similar to Virginia) and South Carolina (settled by people from Barbados).     - Proprietary colonies (land grants to individuals) usually transitioned into royal colonies controlled directly by the King.
• 1650 – 1750: Salutary Neglect     - A period where Britain remained "hands-off" regarding American colonial affairs, granting the colonies a significant degree of autonomy.
• 1670s: Bacon's Rebellion     - Conflict between settlers and Native Americans.     - Governor Berkeley was viewed as corrupt, favoring an elite group with the best land and failing to protect farmers in the backcountry.     - Nathaniel Bacon led frontier farmers in raids against Native Americans, burned Jamestown, and drove out Berkeley.     - This event led to the creation of Black Codes, as the elite realized they could not easily control white indentured servants.

Religious and Intellectual Movements

• 1692: Salem Witch Trials     - Resulted in many executions.     - Caused by unrest regarding religion, politics, and gender roles.
• 1730s – 1740s: The Great Awakening     - Jonathan Edwards: A Congregationalist who preached the famous "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon; focused on fire and brimstone, Hell, and predestination.     - George Whitefield: A Methodist associated with the evangelical movement, emphasizing emotionalism and spirituality.     - Sermons were often held outdoors rather than in traditional churches.     - This movement scaled the length of the colonies, becoming a shared experience that helped build a shared identity.
• The Enlightenment     - Focused on rationalism and science.     - John Locke: Noted for the concept of natural rights.     - Montesquieu: Known for the theory of separation of powers.     - Benjamin Franklin is cited as the quintessential example of an Enlightenment man.

Period 3 (1754 – 1800): Conflict, Revolution, and New Government

• 1754: Albany Plan     - Proposed by Benjamin Franklin as a plan for inter-colonial government and defense.     - The plan was not accepted by the colonies.
• 1754 – 1763: Seven Years' War (French and Indian War)     - Britain wins the conflict, but the aftermath leads to rising anti-British sentiment.
• 1763: Proclamation of 1763     - Forbade colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.     - This angered colonists and marked the end of Salutary Neglect and a major turning point in British-Colonial relations.
• British Acts and Colonial Resistance     - 1764: Sugar Act: Aimed at stopping smuggling.     - 1764: Currency Act: Forbade colonists from printing paper money.     - 1765: Stamp Act: A direct tax for revenue covering legal documents and goods made in colonies. Affected the literate and lawyers specifically. Led to the slogan "No taxation without representation."     - British response was the concept of virtual representation.     - 1766: Stamp Act Congress forms and organizes boycotts; the act is repealed, but the Declaratory Act is passed, asserting Parliament's right to tax and legislate in all cases.     - 1767: Townshend Acts: Taxed goods imported from Britain to pay government salaries. Created more vice-admiralty courts and "writs of assistance" for searches. Suspended the New York legislature.     - March 5, 1770: Boston Massacre: Occurred after soldiers were sent to Boston to keep the peace.     - 1769: Townshend Duties repealed.     - December 16, 1773: Boston Tea Party: A protest against the tea tax.     - Early 1774: Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts): Closed Boston port and mandated the quartering of British soldiers.     - Late 1774: First Continental Congress: Attended by all colonies except Georgia. Goals included determining grievances, addressing actions like boycotts, and defining parameters of Parliamentary interference.

The American Revolution

• April 1775: Battles of Lexington and Concord     - Lexington: The first battle.     - Concord: Colonists held off the British; known as the "shot heard 'round the world."
• 1775: Second Continental Congress     - Established the Continental Army with George Washington as leader.     - Began printing money and established government offices.
• July 5, 1775: Olive Branch Petition     - A last attempt at reconciliation to avoid armed conflict; King George III ignored it.
• 1776: Moving Toward Independence     - January: Thomas Paine publishes "Common Sense," arguing an island should not rule a continent.     - June: Thomas Jefferson commissioned to write the Declaration.     - July 4, 1776: Declaration of Independence signed.
• 1778: Franco-American Alliance     - Negotiated by Benjamin Franklin following the Battle of Saratoga; brought the French into the war on the side of the colonists.
• 1783: Treaty of Paris: Formally granted the U.S. independence and land.

Creating a Nation

• 1777: Articles of Confederation     - The first central government; lacked the power to tax, declare war, or form a military.
• Summer 1787: Constitutional Convention     - New Jersey Plan: Supported small states with equal representation.     - Virginia Plan: Supported large states with representation based on population and checks and balances.     - Great Compromise: Created a bicameral legislature (House of Representatives based on population; Senate with equal representation of $2$ per state).     - $3/5$ths Compromise: Counted three-fifths of the slave population toward representation, empowering Southern states.
• 1789: Constitution becomes effective.
• 1791: Bill of Rights added.
• The Washington Presidency (1789)     - Cabinet included Thomas Jefferson (State) and Alexander Hamilton (Treasury).     - National Bank created.     - Hamilton's financial plan designed to reduce debt.     - Neutrality Proclamation and Pinckney's Treaty.
• 1796/1797: Washington refuses a third term; gives Farewell Address championing neutrality.
• 1797: John Adams     - XYZ Affair and Alien & Sedition Acts.     - Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions introduced the concept of nullification.     - Midnight Appointments: Adams placed Federalist judges in positions, leading to Marbury v. Madison.

Period 4 (1800 – 1848): Growth, Expansion, and the Era of the Common Man

• The Jefferson Presidency     - 1801: Election of Jefferson.     - 1803: Marbury v. Madison: Established Judicial Review.     - 1803: Louisiana Purchase: Explored by Lewis and Clark.     - 1804: Jefferson re-elected.     - 1807/1809: Embargo Act and Non-Intercourse Act hurt the American economy in response to British impressment.
• 1809 – 1817: James Madison     - Macon's Bill #2 fails.     - War of 1812: Declared on Britain; ended with the Treaty of Ghent.     - Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson wins.     - Hartford Convention: Marks the end of the Federalist Party.     - American System: Lobbied by Henry Clay; included tariffs, roads, and a re-chartered National Bank.
• 1817 – 1825: James Monroe     - Era of Good Feelings: Characterized by the first political party system.     - McCulloch v. Maryland: Determined states cannot tax the National Bank.     - Panic of 1819: Economic crisis where people couldn't pay loans.     - 1819: Adams-Ons Treaty: Florida acquired from Spain.     - Monroe Doctrine: U.S. policy opposing European colonialism in the Americas.     - Missouri Compromise: Authored by Henry Clay. Missouri enters as a slave state, Maine as a free state. Slavery is prohibited north of the $36^{\circ} 30'$ line.
• 1824 – 1825: John Quincy Adams     - "Corrupt Bargain": Henry Clay becomes Secretary of State and JQA becomes President.     - Democratic Party forms with supporters of Andrew Jackson.
• 1829: Andrew Jackson     - "Era of the Common Man": Universal white male suffrage.     - 1830: Indian Removal Act: Led to the Trail of Tears.     - Tariff of 1832: Caused nullification issues.     - Vetoed the 2nd Bank of the U.S. charter.     - Specie Circular led to the Panic of $1837$.     - Nat Turner's Rebellion: Failed rebellion that led to stricter Black Codes.     - Whig Party emerges in opposition to Jackson's "democratic" style.
• 1837 – 1841     - Martin van Buren: Presidency marred by the Panic of $1837$.     - 1841: William Henry Harrison dies after one month; John Tyler becomes President ("President without a Party").
• 1790s – 1840s: Second Great Awakening     - Era of social reforms including Temperance, Abolition, and general societal improvements.

Period 5 (1848 – 1877): Sectionalism, Civil War, and Reconstruction

• 1844 – 1845: Expansion     - Texas is annexed.     - 1845: James K. Polk elected.
• 1846: Oregon Treaty     - Established the northern border with Canada; U.S. acquires OR, WA, and parts of ID, WY, and MT.
• 1846 – 1848: Mexican-American War     - Wilmot Proviso: Defeated quickly.     - Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: Ends the war. U.S. pays $\$15\,\text{million}$ for the Mexican Cession (California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico).
• Presidencies     - 1849: Zachary Taylor (last Whig elected).     - 1850: Taylor dies; Millard Fillmore takes over.
• 1850: Compromise of 1850     - Written by Stephen Douglas and Henry Clay.     - California admitted as a free state.     - Stronger Fugitive Slave Law.     - UT and NM territories created with popular sovereignty to decide slavery status.     - Slave trade abolished in D.C.
• 1852 – 1855: Rising Tensions     - 1852: "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" published.     - 1852: Franklin Pierce elected.     - 1854: Kansas-Nebraska Act: Repealed Missouri Compromise and championed popular sovereignty; effectively ends the Whig party and leads to the emergence of the Republican Party.     - 1855: "Bleeding Kansas" and "Bleeding Sumner."
• 1856 – 1860: Path to War     - Dred Scott decision.     - 1858: Lincoln-Douglas debates; Freeport Doctrine.     - 1859: John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry.     - December 1860: South Carolina secedes, followed by $7$ others to form the CSA under President Jefferson Davis.
• 1861 – 1865: The Civil War     - April 12, 1861: Fort Sumter; war begins.     - January 1, 1863: Emancipation Proclamation.     - Early 1865: Freedman's Bureau established.     - April 1865: War ends; Abraham Lincoln is assassinated.
• 1865 – 1877: Reconstruction     - Options included the $10\%$ Plan, the Wade-Davis Bill (vetoed by Lincoln), and Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan (a combination of the two).     - Black Codes instituted in the South.     - 14th Amendment passed.     - 1867: Military Reconstruction Act.     - 1869: 15th Amendment.     - 1872: Scandals (Crdit Mobilier and Whiskey Ring).     - 1873: Financial panic.     - 1877: Compromise of 1877: Rutherford B. Hayes becomes President and military reconstruction in the South ends.

Period 6 (1865 – 1898): The Gilded Age

• Key Figures: Titans and Journalists     - Carnegie, Rockefeller, Morgan, Edison.     - Pulitzer and Hearst (Yellow Journalism).     - Samuel Gompers (Unions).     - Booker T. Washington and Susan B. Anthony (Suffrage).
• Political Figures     - "Forgotten Presidents": Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison.     - Others: Eugene V. Debs, William Jennings Bryan, William McKinley, William Seward (Alaska purchase).
• Legislative Acts     - 1890: McKinley Tariff; Sherman Anti-Trust Act.     - 1894: Wilson-Gorman Tariff.

Period 7 (1898 – 1945): Global Power and Conflict

• 1898 – 1901: Spanish-American War     - Americans drive Spain out of Cuba and the Philippines.     - Treaty of Paris ends the war.     - 1901: Platt Amendment.
• Progressive Era Expansion     - 1904: Panama Canal.     - Roosevelt Corollary: Addition to the Monroe Doctrine (Big Stick Policy). Asserted U.S. involvement in the Western Hemisphere while staying out of Europe.
• 1912 – 1918: World War I     - 1912: Woodrow Wilson elected.     - 1914: Neutrality declared; 1915: Lusitania sunk.     - 1917: Zimmerman telegram leads to war declaration against Germany.     - 1917/1918: Espionage and Sedition Acts; FBI created under J. Edgar Hoover.     - January 1918: 14 Points: Includes the League of Nations, which failed to pass in Congress due to Wilson’s refusal to compromise.
• 1920s: Roaring 20s and Depression     - People: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Scopes, Bryan, Darrow.     - Events: Scopes Trial, Prohibition ($18\text{th Amendment}$), Jazz, Harlem Renaissance.     - 1921: Harding (scandals).     - 1923: Coolidge (focus on business and cars).     - October 1929: Stock Market Crash; Great Depression begins.
• 1932 – 1945: FDR and the New Deal / WWII     - New Deal ($100\text{ Days}$): Includes Banking Act of $1933$ (FDIC), AAA, PWA, SEC.     - 1934: 2nd New Deal: WPA, Social Security, Good Neighbor Policy.     - 1935 – 1940: Neutrality Acts; Selective Training & Service Act of $1940$.     - 1941: Lend-Lease Act; Atlantic Charter (Churchill); December 7 Pearl Harbor attack.     - 1944 – 1945: D-Day (June 6); Yalta Conference; FDR dies; Truman becomes President; Potsdam (A-bomb determination); Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Period 8 (1945 – 1980): Cold War and Social Change

• 1947 – 1950: Containment     - Truman Doctrine: Financial support for anti-Communist nations.     - Marshall Plan.     - 1949: NATO; leads to the creation of the CIA.     - 1950: McCarthyism: Joseph McCarthy claims to have names of Communists in the U.S. government.
• 1950s: Conflict and Rights     - Korean War; Civil Rights Movement begins under President Dwight Eisenhower.     - 1954: Army-McCarthy trial ends the Red Scare; Brown v. Board of Education.     - 1956 – 1957: Suez Crisis; Sputnik launch leads to NASA.
• 1960s: Radical Change     - 1960 – 1961: U-2 incident; JFK becomes President; Bay of Pigs.     - 1961 – 1963: Vietnam Conflict begins; Cuban Missile Crisis; JFK assassinated; LBJ becomes President.     - 1964 – 1965: Civil Rights Act of $1964$; Gulf of Tonkin; "Great Society" legislation.
• 1969 – 1979: Nixon through Carter     - Nixon: Detente ($1969\text{--}1979$), Moon landing, ending the gold standard ($1971$).     - 1972 – 1974: Watergate scandal; Nixon resigns.     - 1974: Gerald Ford pardons Nixon.     - 1977: Jimmy Carter elected.     - 1979: 3-Mile Island nuclear failure.

Period 9 (1980 – Present): The Modern Era

• 1981: Ronald Reagan     - First Space Shuttle launch.     - 1983: Strategic Defense Initiative ("Star Wars").     - 1986: Iran-Contra Scandal.
• 1989 – 1991: George H.W. Bush     - Persian Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm.
• 1993: Bill Clinton     - Establishment of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement).
• 2000 – 2001: George W. Bush     - Wins controversy-laden election.     - September 11, 2001: Terrorist attacks lead to the Patriot Act.