American History Timeline

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    Early Republic

  • The Ratification of the U.S. Constitution

    The Ratification of the U.S. Constitution
    The U.S. Constitution was ratified and this established a stronger central government and this also paved the way for American democracy.
  • 1st: George Washington

    1st: George Washington
    George Washington was a part of the Federalist party and served two 4-year terms as president in 1789-1797
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    The United States and the French Revolutionary War

    The French were battling a lot of European wars and they made a policy with the United States for them to remain neutral because they saw that a war with them would lead to a lot of economic problems. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/french-rev
  • The Second Great Awakening

    The Second Great Awakening
    A movement on the revival of religion that emphasized personal faith and inspired social reforms and this included abolitionism. (1790-1830's)
  • John Adams

    John Adams
    John Adams was in the Federalist Party and served one 4-year term as in 1797-1801
  • Thomas Jefferson

    Thomas Jefferson
    Thomas Jefferson was a part of the Democratic-Republican Party and he served a two year term in 1801-1809
  • James Madison

    James Madison
    James Madison was in the Democratic-Republican Party and he served two 4-year terms as president in 1809-1817
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    Manifest Destiny/Westward Expansion

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    The War of 1812

    The War of 1812 was a conflict between the U.S and Great Britain mainly over British restrictions and policies on American trade, Native American Affairs, and the impressment of American sailors.
  • James Monroe

    James Monroe
    James Monroe was a part of the Democratic-Republican Party and he served two 4-year terms from 1817-1825
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    Era of Good Feelings

  • Era of One-Party Rule Begins

    Era of One-Party Rule Begins
    This marked and showed a time of political unity and nationalism under the Democratic-Republicans and it showed how one party controlled the government either by law or practice.
  • Missouri Compromise

    Missouri Compromise
    The Missouri Compromise was basically an attempt to settle the continuing issue of slavery in the United States. It divided the nation into two halves, one being free and the others still slaves.
  • Temperance Movement

    Temperance Movement
    A movement that advocated for the reductions of alcohol consumption and this led to Prohibition in the 1920's. (1820's)
  • Monroe Doctrine

    Monroe Doctrine
    The Monroe Doctrine declared the Western hemisphere off limits or banned to European Colonization and this asserted U.S. dominance in America. Declaring the Western hemisphere being off limits made sure that America wouldn't interfere in European affairs.
  • John Quincy Adams

    John Quincy Adams
    John Quincy Adams was a part of the National Republican Party and served one 4-year terms from 1825-1829
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    Jacksonian

  • Indian Removal Act

    Indian Removal Act
    The Indian Removal of 1830 was passed and it gave permission for the government to negotiate treaties with Native Americans East of the Mississippi River. This promised them land and protection on the West side of the river in exchange for their ancestral lands. One big reason Americans wanted their land, was for the gold and many other resources on the land.
  • Expansion of Voting Rights to White Men Without Property

    Expansion of Voting Rights to White Men Without Property
    Poor people were restricted from voting and this new opportunity gave poor people the chance and the right to vote.
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    Nullification Crisis

    The Nullification Crisis was a political confrontation in 1832-1833 and it was over South Carolina and the Federal Government about the issue of tariffs. Eventually the crisis was solved through a compromise tariff and it was passed by Congress which eventually led to the tariffs dropping down in price.
  • Andrew Jackson

    Andrew Jackson
    Andrew Jackson was a part of the Democratic Party and he served two 4-year terms as president.(1829-1837)
  • Martin Van Buren

    Martin Van Buren
    Martin Van Buren was apart of the Democratic Party and served one 4-year term as president. (1837-1841)
  • William Henry Harrison

    William Henry Harrison
    William Henry Harrison was apart of the Whig Party and he died the year he was elected as president. (1841)
  • The Great Famine and Irish Immigration

    The Great Famine and Irish Immigration
    A famine in Ireland that was very destructive led to mass migration to the US and this is where Irish immigrants faced discrimination. (1845)
  • John Tyler

    John Tyler
    John Tyler was apart of the Whig party and he served one 4-year terms as president. (1841-1845)
  • Annexation of Texas

    Annexation of Texas
    The process for the Republic of Texas was formed, formerly an independent nation. Texas joined the United States as its 28th state in 1845.
  • James K. Polk

    James K. Polk
    James K. Polk was apart of the Democratic party and he served one 4-year term as president. (1845-1849)
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    Mexican-American War

    A battle between the United States and Mexico for territory. The Mexican-American War was the first war fought on foreign land for the United States. The United States won the battle and won Texas over.
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    Mexican-American War

    The Mexican-American War was a conflict between the United States and Mexico around the concerns of a border dispute after the U.S annexation of Texas.
  • Seneca Falls Convention

    Seneca Falls Convention
    It was the first women's rights convention in the US and this is where activists like Elizabeth Cady called for gender equality and equal rights fro women. (1848)
  • Zachary Taylor

    Zachary Taylor
    Zachary Taylor was a part of the Whig Party and he served only for a year and died of a stomach disease (1849-1850)
  • California Gold Rush

    California Gold Rush
    The California Gold Rush was a period in time where there was a huge growth in population and also huge growth in economic activity in California. The reason this started was because of the finding of gold there.
  • Millard Fillmore

    Millard Fillmore
    Millard Fillmore was a part of the Whig Party and he served a 3-year term and he couldn't complete his term in office because he lost the Whig Nomination in 1852. (1850-1853)
  • Franklin Pierce

    Franklin Pierce
    Franklin Pierce was a part of the Democratic Party and he served a 4-year term as president. (1853-1857)
  • James Buchanan

    James Buchanan
    James Buchanan was a part of the Democratic Party and he served a 4-year term as president. (1857-1861)
  • Abraham Lincoln

    Abraham Lincoln
    Abraham Lincoln was a part of the Republican Party and he served a 4-year term, but got assassinated before he could finish it. (1861-1865)
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    Civil War

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    The Civil War

    The Civil War was issued around slavery and there was a conflict between the United States (Union) and the Confederate States of America (Confederacy).
  • Emancipation Proclamation

    Emancipation Proclamation
    The Emancipation Proclamation was a paper signed by Abraham Lincoln that all slaves in the Confederate states were to be free.
  • Battle of Gettysburg

    Battle of Gettysburg
    The Battle of Gettysburg was a 3-day engagement during the American Civil War and it was fought in the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
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    Progressive Era

  • Andrew Johnson

    Andrew Johnson
    Andrew Johnson was a part of the Democratic (Union) and he served a 4-year term in office. (1865-1869)
  • Ulysses S. Grant

    Ulysses S. Grant
    Ulysses S. Grant was a apart of the Republican Party and he served two 4-year terms in office. (1869-1877)
  • Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad

    Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad
    The Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad that connected the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific Coast in the United States and it was completed on May 10, 1869.
  • Election of Abraham Lincoln

    Election of Abraham Lincoln
    Abraham Lincoln was elected as president and he was a very important for the removing of slavery and the beginning of freedom for African-Americans.
  • Jim Crow

    Jim Crow
    Laws in the US that had a system of segregation that opposed African Americans. (1870's-1965)
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    Gilded Ages

  • Rutherford B. Hayes

    Rutherford B. Hayes
    Rutherford B. Hayes was a part of the Republican Party and he served a 4 year term in office. (1877-1881)
  • Settlement House Movement

    Settlement House Movement
    A movement that established and placed community centers to help/support immigrants and the poor in urban areas. (1880's)
  • James A. Garfield

    James A. Garfield
    James A. Garfield was a part of the Republican party and he served less than a year and was shot and died. (1881)
  • Chester A. Arthur

    Chester A. Arthur
    Chester A. Arthur was a part of the Republican Party and he served a 4-year term in office. (1881-1885)
  • Chinese Exclusion Act

    Chinese Exclusion Act
    This was a law that was the first in America to restrict immigration on race and it bared Chinese laborers from entering the country. (1882)
  • Grover Cleveland

    Grover Cleveland
    Grover Cleveland was a part of the Democratic Party and he served a 4-year terms in office. (1885-1889)
  • Rise of Labor Unions

    Rise of Labor Unions
    The Rise of Labor Unions was a process that was driven by the need for worker representation and it improved working conditions during the Industrial Revolution and the Great Depression.
  • Interstate Commerce Act

    Interstate Commerce Act
    The Interstate Commerce Act was a piece of federal legislation that aimed to regulate railroad industry. It was created to oversee railroad operations to ensure they charged reasonable rates and treated all shippers fairly.
  • Benjamin Harrison

    Benjamin Harrison
    Benjamin Harrison was a part of the Republican Party and he served a 4-year term in office. (1889-1893)
  • Sherman Antitrust Act

    Sherman Antitrust Act
    The Sherman Antitrust Act was a U.S landmark that prohibits certain business activities that relate with trading and competition, mainly ones that would lead to monopolies. In summary this Act made sure everything was fair and just.
  • Grove Cleveland

    Grove Cleveland
    Grove Cleveland was a part of the Democratic Party and he ran again for another 4-year term in office. (1893-1897)
  • Plessy v. Ferguson

    Plessy v. Ferguson
    The Plessy v. Ferguson case ruled that racial segregation in public places and facilities was constitutional as long as the facilities provided for different races were "separate but equal".
  • William McKinley

    William McKinley
    William McKinley was a part of the Republican Party and he served a 4-year terms in office. (1897-1901)
  • Women's Sufferage Movement Gains Momentum

    Women's Sufferage Movement Gains Momentum
    This movement paved the way for the expansion of women's political rights and it also added the 19th Amendment.
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    The Spanish American War

    The Spanish American War was a conflict between the United States and Spain for the independence of Cuba.
  • Theodore Roosevelt

    Theodore Roosevelt
    Theodore Roosevelt was a part of the Republican Party and he served two 4-year terms in office. (1901-1909)
  • William Howard Taft

    William Howard Taft
    William Howard Taft was a part of the Republican Party and he served a 4-year terms in office. (1909-1913)
  • Woodrow Wilson

    Woodrow Wilson
    Woodrow Wilson was a part of the Democratic Party and he served two 4-year terms in office. (1913-1921)
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    WWI

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    WWI

    WWI was sparked by the assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand and there was a war between the Allied Powers and the Central powers.
  • U.S. Enters WWI

    U.S. Enters WWI
    In 1917 the U.S. enters into WWI and it marked a shift from isolationism to global involvement for the U.S.
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    Espionage and Sedition Acts

    The Espionage and Sedition Acts were U.S laws that were enabled during WWI and It significantly restricted the freedom of speech.
  • Treaty of Versailles Debate

    Treaty of Versailles Debate
    The main point of this debate were centered around the treaty's harsh terms on Germany, the inclusion of a League of Nations, and the American public's reluctance to join a global organization that possibly involve them in future wars.
  • 19th Amendment Ratified

    19th Amendment Ratified
    In 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified/passed and this granted the right for women to vote which was a spark in American history.
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    Roaring 20's

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    Harlem Renaissance

    The Harlem Renaissance was a period in time where African American art, literature, and culture took over and it took place in Harlem, New York City, from the 1920's to the mid 1930's.
  • Tulsa Race Massacre

    Tulsa Race Massacre
    An attack on the black community of Greenwood Tulsa by white mobs resulting in the death of hundreds. (1921)
  • Warren G. Harding

    Warren G. Harding
    Warren G. Harding was a part of the Republican Party and he served only for 2 years and died of a heart attack. (1921-1923)
  • Introduction of The ERA

    Introduction of The ERA
    This was the first proposal of the Equal Rights Amendment and this ensured gender equality under the law. (1923)
  • Calvin Coolidge

    Calvin Coolidge
    Calvin Coolidge was a part of the Republican Party and he served 6 years in office and later retired. (1923-1929)
  • Stock Market Crash

    Stock Market Crash
    This event was a sudden but severe decrease in stocks that took place in late October of 1929. This even marked the end of the Roaring 20's and it was a root problem to why the Great Depression happened later on.
  • Herbert Hoover

    Herbert Hoover
    Herbert Hoover was a part of the Republican Party and he served a 4-year terms in office. (1929-1933)
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    Great Depression

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    Bank Failures and Unemployment Surge

    In the 1930's there were lots of bank failures and there was an unemployment surge and this crippled the economy and it led to widespread poverty.
  • New Deal Program Begins

    New Deal Program Begins
    this New Deal Program was issued by President, Franklin D. Roosevelt and it was made to provide relief, recovery and reform from the Great Depression. it involved a wide range of government initiatives at aiming towards the economic crisis.
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt

    Franklin D. Roosevelt
    Franklin D. Roosevelt was a part of the Democratic Party and he served for 12 years. (1933-1945)
  • Social Security Act

    Social Security Act
    The Social Security Act was a piece of legislature enacted in order to provide a safety net for American citizens during the time of the Great Depression and further past that.
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    WWII

    WWII was a global conflict which included most of the world's nations and as a result 60 to 80 million people died. WWII was basically a culmination of unresolved issues from the Treaty of Versailles and the Great Depression.
  • Chicano Movement

    Chicano Movement
    A movement for Mexican American rights like labor rights and cultural pride. (1940's-1970's)
  • Attack on Pearl Harbor

    Attack on Pearl Harbor
    The Attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike from Japan on the U.S Naval base in Pearl Harbor and the attack lasted about 75 minutes and as a result, 2,400 Americans were killed and 20 boats were destroyed.
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    WWII

  • Japanese Internment

    Japanese Internment
    Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans were forced to move from camps during World War II. (1942)
  • Harry S. Truman

    Harry S. Truman
    Harry S. Truman was a part of the Democratic party and he served 7 years in office and retired. (1945-1953)
  • Zoot Suit Riots

    Zoot Suit Riots
    In Los Angeles White servicemen targeted young Mexican Americans wearing zoot suits. (1943)
  • D-Day Invasion

    D-Day Invasion
    On June 6th, 1944 there was an Allied Invasion of Normandy, France and it involved the biggest assault in history with troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries landing on the beaches of Normandy.
  • Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

    Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
    The U.S detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These bombings from the air killed between 150,000 to 246,000 people and to this day this is the only time nuclear weapons were used in an armed conflict.
  • Truman Doctrine

    Truman Doctrine
    The Truman Doctrine was announced by President Harry S. Truman in 1947 and it pledged American support for nations resisting communism, mostly in Greece and Turkey. The Truman Doctrine was a significant shift in U.S foreign policy.
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    Cold War

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    The Cold War

    The Cold War wasn't a war that was fought physically and it was more of a capitalism versus communism war and it was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respected allies.
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    Korean War

    The Korean War was when North Korea attacked South Korea and the United States jumped in to protect South Korea. The war ended in a stalemate with an armistice signed, but there was no treaty signed and this left Korea into pieces.
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Dwight D. Eisenhower
    Dwight D. Eisenhower was a part of the Republican Party and he served two 4-year terms in office. (1953-1961)
  • John F. Kennedy

    John F. Kennedy
    John F. Kennedy was a part of the Democratic Party and he served 3 years as president before getting assassinated.
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    The Vietnam War

    The Vietnam War was a conflict in Southeast Asia and it was pitted in North Vietnam and was supported by communist nations, against South Vietnam that was supported by the United States and its allies.
  • Red Power Movement

    Red Power Movement
    Demanding better rights and control over Native American's land primarily through protests and activism and the reason for this is because advocating for self-determination and tribal sovereignty. (1960's-1970's)
  • Lyndon B. Johnson

    Lyndon B. Johnson
    Lyndon B. Johnson is a part of the Democratic Party and he served 6 years as president.
  • Cuban Missile Crisis

    Cuban Missile Crisis
    The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union in October of 1962 and in this standoff, the world became closer to nuclear war.
  • The Stonewall Riots

    The Stonewall Riots
    Protests in New York that were against police raids on LGBTQ+ establishments and this marked the beginning of our modern LGBTQ+ rights movements. (1969)
  • Richard M. Nixon

    Richard M. Nixon
    Richard M. Nixon was a part of the Republican Party and he served 5 years as president.
  • Gerald R. Ford

    Gerald R. Ford
    Gerald R. Ford was a part of the Republican Party and he served a total of 3 years as president
  • Jimmy Carter

    Jimmy Carter
    Jimmy Carter was a part of the Democratic Party and he served a total of 4 years as president.
  • Ronald Reagan

    Ronald Reagan
    Ronald Reagan was a part of the Republican Party and he served 8 years as president.
  • George Bush

    George Bush
    George Bush was a part of the Republican Party and he served a total of 4 years as president.
  • Second National March on Washington

    Second National March on Washington
    A huge LGBTQ+ rights demonstration in Washington DC advocating for AIDS awareness and equal rights. (1987)
  • Fall of the Berlin Wall

    Fall of the Berlin Wall
    The Fall of the Berlin Wall was when East German border guards opened the Berlin Wall and this allowed the passage of East and West Germany. This event symbolized the ending of the Cold War.
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    Contemporary History

  • Bill Clinton

    Bill Clinton
    Bill Clinton was a part of the Democratic Party and he served a total of 8 years as president.
  • George W. Bush

    George W. Bush
    George W. Bush was a part of the Republican Party and he served a total of 8 years as president.
  • 9/11 Terrorist Attack

    9/11 Terrorist Attack
    The 9/11 Terrorist Attack was a series of 4 coordinated attacks by the Islamic terrorist group. They both hijacked a plane and crashed into the twin towers which killed lots of those who were working in the building that day.
  • The election of Barack Obama

    The election of Barack Obama
    Barack Obama was the first African American to be president and this was a huge moment in history.
  • Barack Obama

    Barack Obama
    Barack Obama was a part of the Democratic Party and he served a total of 8 years as president.
  • Donald Trump

    Donald Trump
    Donald Trump was a part of the Republican Party and he served 4 years as president.
  • COVID-19 Pandemic

    COVID-19 Pandemic
    COVID-19 was a huge pandemic that broke out amongst the world and this exposed global health vulnerabilities and it has reshaped our economy as we know it today.
  • Joe Biden

    Joe Biden
    Joe Biden was a part of the Democratic Party and he served a total of 4 years as president.
  • Donald Trump

    Donald Trump
    Donald Trump was a part of the Republican Party and he is serving another 4 years as president after his first term.