PART 1: 50 key apush dates (active recall)

1492 – Columbus Arrives in the New World

• What it Was: Columbus, sponsored by Spain, reached the Americas, sparking European colonization.

• Impact & Significance: Initiates the Columbian Exchange, reshaping economies, cultures, and leading to the displacement of Native populations. It marks the beginning of sustained European involvement in the Americas.

1607 – Jamestown Founded

• What it Was: The first permanent English settlement in North America, founded by the Virginia Company.

• Impact & Significance: Despite early struggles, it marked the beginning of English colonial expansion. It set the stage for the future development of the U.S.

1620 – Mayflower Compact Signed

• What it Was: Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower signed a self-governing agreement.

• Impact & Significance: It is an early example of self-government and majority rule, laying the foundation for future democratic principles in the colonies.

1676 – Bacon’s Rebellion

• What it Was: A revolt led by Nathaniel Bacon against Virginia’s governor, over issues like Native American policy and elite control.

• Impact & Significance: It revealed tensions between the colonies' wealthy planters and poorer settlers, influencing the shift toward African slavery as a more reliable labor force.

1754-1763 – French and Indian War

• What it Was: A conflict between Britain and France in North America, part of the global Seven Years’ War.

• Impact & Significance: Britain won, but accrued massive debt, which led to taxes on the colonies and increasing tensions, setting the stage for the American Revolution.

1763 – Proclamation of 1763

• What it Was: British law prohibiting American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

• Impact & Significance: Intended to prevent conflict with Native Americans, it angered colonists and was one of the first major acts that led to resentment against British rule.

1765 – Stamp Act

• What it Was: A law that taxed all printed materials in the colonies, including newspapers and legal documents.

• Impact & Significance: Sparked widespread protests, it marked the first major instance of colonial unity against British taxation and led to the creation of the Stamp Act Congress.

1770 – Boston Massacre

• What it Was: British soldiers killed five colonists during a protest in Boston.

• Impact & Significance: Used as propaganda to galvanize anti-British sentiment, increasing colonial unrest and pushing the colonies toward rebellion.

1773 – Boston Tea Party

• What it Was: A protest against the Tea Act, where colonists disguised as Native Americans dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

• Impact & Significance: Led to harsh British retaliation, further escalating tensions and setting the stage for the American Revolution.

1774 – Coercive (Intolerable) Acts

• What it Was: A series of punitive laws passed by Britain in response to the Boston Tea Party, including closing Boston’s port and reducing Massachusetts’ self-government.

• Impact & Significance: Unified the colonies in opposition to British rule, leading to the formation of the First Continental Congress and setting the groundwork for rebellion.

1775 – Lexington and Concord

• What it Was: The first military engagements of the Revolutionary War.

• Impact & Significance: The “shot heard 'round the world” marked the start of open conflict between Britain and the colonies, beginning the Revolutionary War.

1776 – Declaration of Independence

• What it Was: The Continental Congress formally declared independence from Britain.

• Impact & Significance: It articulated Enlightenment ideals, justifying the colonies’ separation, and marked the formal beginning of the United States.

1781 – Yorktown / Articles of Confederation Ratified

• What it Was: The British surrender at Yorktown ended the Revolutionary War. The Articles of Confederation were ratified as the first U.S. constitution.

• Impact & Significance: Yorktown secured American independence; the Articles created a weak federal government, which later led to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution.

1787 – U.S. Constitution Drafted

• What it Was: The Constitutional Convention created the U.S. Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation.

• Impact & Significance: Established a stronger federal government with separation of powers and checks and balances, addressing the weaknesses of the Articles.

1789 – Washington Inaugurated

• What it Was: George Washington was sworn in as the first U.S. president.

• Impact & Significance: Set key presidential precedents, including the two-term limit and the formation of the executive cabinet.

1791 – Bill of Rights Ratified

• What it Was: The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing individual liberties.

• Impact & Significance: Ensured protection of civil rights, satisfying Anti-Federalist concerns and fostering broader public support for the new government.

1800 – Jefferson Elected (Revolution of 1800)

• What it Was: Thomas Jefferson was elected president in a peaceful transfer of power from the Federalists to the Democratic-Republicans.

• Impact & Significance: Marked the first peaceful political transition in U.S. history and reinforced the idea of democracy in America.

1803 – Louisiana Purchase

• What it Was: The U.S. bought the Louisiana Territory from France, doubling its size.

• Impact & Significance: Expanded U.S. territory, secured control of the Mississippi River, and set the stage for westward expansion.

1812-1815 – War of 1812

• What it Was: A war between the U.S. and Britain over maritime rights, British impressment of U.S. sailors, and other issues.

• Impact & Significance: Solidified U.S. sovereignty, sparked a sense of nationalism, and led to the death of the Federalist Party.

1820 – Missouri Compromise

• What it Was: An agreement allowing Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while drawing a line (36°30') to divide future free and slave territories.

• Impact & Significance: Temporarily eased tensions over slavery but showed how sectionalism was growing, eventually leading to the Civil War.

1823 – Monroe Doctrine

• What it Was: U.S. policy warning European nations not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere.

• Impact & Significance: Asserted U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere and signaled the end of European colonial influence in the Americas.

1828 – Andrew Jackson Elected

• What it Was: Andrew Jackson, representing the common people, was elected president.

• Impact & Significance: Marked the rise of the Jacksonian Democracy and expanded suffrage for white men, while also deepening divisions over issues like Native removal and slavery.

1830 – Indian Removal Act

• What it Was: Law signed by Jackson authorizing the forced relocation of Native Americans to lands west of the Mississippi.

• Impact & Significance: Led to the Trail of Tears and the displacement of thousands of Native Americans, reinforcing the theme of federal power overriding Native sovereignty.

1846-1848 – Mexican-American War

• What it Was: Conflict between the U.S. and Mexico over territorial disputes, leading to U.S. victory.

• Impact & Significance: The U.S. acquired vast territories (the Mexican Cession), intensifying debates over slavery’s expansion and further deepening sectional divisions.

1848 – Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo / Seneca Falls Convention

• What it Was: Treaty ending the Mexican-American War, and the first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, NY.

• Impact & Significance: The treaty gave the U.S. new territories, while the Seneca Falls Convention launched the women’s suffrage movement.

1850 – Compromise of 1850

• What it Was: A series of laws passed to ease tensions over slavery, including the Fugitive Slave Act and California’s admission as a free state.

• Impact & Significance: Temporarily resolved sectional tensions, but the Fugitive Slave Act angered Northerners and fueled abolitionist movements.

1857 – Dred Scott Decision

• What it Was: The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans (free or enslaved) could not be U.S. citizens and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories.

• Impact & Significance: It intensified divisions between North and South, ruling that slavery could expand into new territories, worsening the sectional conflict.

1861 – Civil War Begins

• What it Was: The conflict between the Union (North) and the Confederacy (South) started after Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter.

• Impact & Significance: It marked the beginning of the deadliest conflict in U.S. history, ultimately leading to the end of slavery and the preservation of the Union.

1863 – Emancipation Proclamation

• What it Was: Issued by Abraham Lincoln, it declared all slaves in Confederate-held territory to be free.

• Impact & Significance: It shifted the war's focus to include the abolition of slavery, and it was a turning point in securing African American support for the Union cause.

1865 – Civil War Ends / 13th Amendment Passed

• What it Was: The Civil War ended with the surrender of the Confederacy at Appomattox, and the 13th Amendment abolished slavery.

• Impact & Significance: The war’s conclusion preserved the Union, while the 13th Amendment ended slavery, but left unresolved questions about civil rights for former slaves.

1865 – Assassination of Lincoln

• What it Was: President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth shortly after the Civil War’s end.

• Impact & Significance: His death led to a more contentious Reconstruction era under Andrew Johnson, delaying the full integration of freed slaves into American society.

1868 – 14th Amendment

• What it Was: The 14th Amendment granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to anyone born in the U.S., including former slaves.

• Impact & Significance: It provided a constitutional foundation for civil rights protections, though full equality would not be realized for many decades.

1870 – 15th Amendment

• What it Was: The 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote.

• Impact & Significance: While it theoretically expanded political participation, Southern states implemented barriers like literacy tests and poll taxes, effectively disenfranchising many African Americans.

1877 – End of Reconstruction

• What it Was: The withdrawal of federal troops from the South, effectively ending the Reconstruction era.

• Impact & Significance: This led to the rise of Jim Crow laws, institutionalizing racial segregation and disenfranchising African Americans in the South for decades.

1890 – Sherman Antitrust Act

• What it Was: The first federal legislation aimed at curbing monopolistic practices and promoting competition.

• Impact & Significance: While initially ineffective, it laid the groundwork for future trust-busting policies in the Progressive Era.

1898 – Spanish-American War

• What it Was: The U.S. fought Spain, leading to the acquisition of territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

• Impact & Significance: Marked the beginning of U.S. imperialism and established the U.S. as a world power.

1901 – Progressive Era Begins

• What it Was: The start of a movement aimed at addressing social, political, and economic inequalities, led by figures like Theodore Roosevelt.

• Impact & Significance: Brought reforms like antitrust laws, women’s suffrage, and labor protections, reshaping American society.

1914 – World War I Begins

• What it Was: A global conflict triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, drawing in most European powers and later the U.S.

• Impact & Significance: The U.S. initially remained neutral, but entry into the war shifted the balance of power, and its conclusion led to the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations, which foreshadowed the rise of totalitarian regimes.

1917 – U.S. Enters World War I

• What it Was: The U.S. declared war on Germany, joining the Allies after unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmermann Telegram.

• Impact & Significance: U.S. involvement helped tip the scales in favor of the Allies, leading to a post-war international order but also contributing to isolationist sentiment in the 1920s.

1920 – 19th Amendment

• What it Was: The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote.

• Impact & Significance: It was a major victory for the women’s suffrage movement, expanding democracy and influencing later gender equality movements.

1929 – Stock Market Crash

• What it Was: A catastrophic stock market crash that marked the beginning of the Great Depression.

• Impact & Significance: Led to widespread economic collapse and mass unemployment, catalyzing the need for New Deal reforms.

1933 – New Deal Begins

• What it Was: Franklin D. Roosevelt launched a series of federal programs aimed at alleviating the Great Depression.

• Impact & Significance: Reshaped the role of government, expanding social welfare programs and economic regulations, and it permanently changed the relationship between citizens and the federal government.

1941 – Pearl Harbor Attack / U.S. Enters World War II

• What it Was: Japan attacked U.S. naval forces in Hawaii, prompting the U.S. to declare war on Japan.

• Impact & Significance: The U.S. entry into WWII marked a turning point, leading to Allied victory and the U.S. emerging as a global superpower.

1945 – End of World War II

• What it Was: The defeat of the Axis powers, with Germany surrendering in May and Japan in September after the atomic bombings.

• Impact & Significance: WWII reshaped the global order, leading to the Cold War and U.S. dominance in world politics.

1947 – Truman Doctrine / Marshall Plan

• What it Was: U.S. foreign policies aimed at containing communism and providing economic aid to Europe for post-war reconstruction.

• Impact & Significance: It marked the beginning of U.S. Cold War interventionism and established a policy of aiding nations to resist Soviet influence.

1954 – Brown v. Board of Education

• What it Was: Supreme Court ruling declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

• Impact & Significance: It was a major victory for the civil rights movement, setting a legal precedent for desegregation in other areas of American life.

1964 – Civil Rights Act

• What it Was: Landmark legislation prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

• Impact & Significance: It was a major achievement of the civil rights movement, dramatically changing American society by outlawing segregation and improving voting rights.

1965 – Voting Rights Act

• What it Was: Legislation aimed at eliminating racial discrimination in voting, especially in the South.

• Impact & Significance: It was a pivotal step in the civil rights movement, significantly increasing African American voter participation.

1968 – Tet Offensive / Assassination of MLK

• What it Was: The Tet Offensive was a major attack by North Vietnamese forces on South Vietnam; Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis.

• Impact & Significance: The Tet Offensive damaged U.S. morale and public support for the Vietnam War, while MLK's death sparked national outrage and escalated civil rights protests.

1973 – Roe v. Wade

• What it Was: Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

• Impact & Significance: It expanded reproductive rights for women and became a central point in debates over personal liberty and government involvement.

1989 – Fall of the Berlin Wall

• What it Was: The physical barrier separating East and West Germany was torn down as communism crumbled in Eastern Europe.

• Impact & Significance: Symbolized the end of the Cold War and the collapse of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe.

1991 – End of the Cold War

• What it Was: The Soviet Union dissolved, and communist rule ended in Eastern Europe.

• Impact & Significance: It marked the definitive conclusion of the Cold War and led to U.S. dominance in the global order, reshaping international relations in the 21st century

2001 - 9/11 Attacks

• What it Was: Terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda on the U.S., including the destruction of the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon.

• Impact & Significance: Led to the War on Terror, including the invasion of Afghanistan, increased security measures like the Patriot Act, and long-term shifts in U.S. foreign and domestic policies.