-
Period: to
Early Republic
-
George Washington
(1789-1797) - No party -
The Second Great Awakening (1790s-1830s) 🟦
The Second Great Awakening inspired people to improve society, leading to major reform movements like abolition, temperance, and women's rights. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Second-Great-Awakening -
Hamilton’s Financial Plan 🟧
Established a national bank and assumed state debts to stabilize the American economy and strengthen federal authority. https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=2&psid=2973 -
John Adams
(1797-1801) - Federalist -
Thomas Jefferson
(1801-1809) - Democratic-Republican -
James Madison
(1809-1817) - Democratic-Republican -
War of 1812 (1812–1815) 🟥
A conflict between the U.S. and Britain over maritime rights that strengthened American nationalism and solidified independence. https://www.nps.gov/stsp/learn/historyculture/nationalism-civic-pride.htm -
Period: to
Manifest Destiny/Westward Expansion
-
Period: to
Era of Good Feelings
-
James Monroe
(1817-1825) - Democratic-Republican -
Temperance Movement (1820s) 🟦
Aimed to reduce alcohol consumption, leading to the eventual enactment of Prohibition in the 20th century. https://www.britannica.com/topic/temperance-movement -
John Quincy Adams
(1825-1829) - Democratic-Republican/National Republican -
Andrew Jackson
(1829-1837) - Democratic -
Period: to
Jacksonian
-
Indian Removal Act 🟪
Authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes to lands west of the Mississippi, leading to the Trail of Tears. https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/removal#titlePage -
Jackson Vetoes the Second National Bank 🟧
President Jackson's veto led to the demise of the national bank, increasing state banking power, and contributing to economic instability. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/andrew-jacksons-veto-of-the-national-bank -
Martin Van Buren
(1837-1841) - Democratic -
John Tyler
(1841-1845) - Whig (later unaffiliated) -
William Henry Harrison
(1841) - Whig -
James K. Polk
(1845-1849) - Democratic -
The Great Famine and Irish Immigration 🟪
The Irish Potato Famine led to a massive influx of Irish immigrants to the U.S., significantly impacting American demographics. https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Collections-Research/Folklife-Collections/Folklife-Collections-List-(1)/Other/Emigration/Irish-Emigration-to-America -
Mexican-American War (1846–1848) 🟥
Resulted in the U.S. acquiring vast territories in the Southwest, reigniting national debates over the expansion of slavery. https://www.nps.gov/teachers/classrooms/lasting-effects-of-the-treaty-of-guadalupe-hidalgo.htm#:~:text=The%20war%20and%20treaty%20extended,a%20nation%2Ddefining%20civil%20war. -
Seneca Falls Convention 🟦
Marked the beginning of the women's suffrage movement in the U.S., advocating for women's rights and equality. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/seneca-falls-convention-setting-national-stage-womens-suffrage#:~:text=Philosophically%2C%20the%20Seneca%20Falls%20Declaration,in%20the%20great%20American%20democratic -
Zachary Taylor
(1849-1850) - Whig -
Millard Filmore
(1850-1853) - Whig -
Franklin Pierce
(1853-1857) - Democratic -
Kansas-Nebraska Act 🟧
Introduced the concept of popular sovereignty to decide on slavery in new territories, leading to violent conflicts and escalating tensions that contributed to the Civil War. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Kansas_Nebraska_Act.htm#:~:text=The%20Kansas%2DNebraska%20Act%20repealed,territories%20to%20sway%20the%20vote. -
James Buchanan
(1857-1861) - Democratic -
Civil War (1861–1865) 🟥
A pivotal conflict over slavery and states' rights that preserved the Union and led to the abolition of slavery in the United States. https://www.britannica.com/summary/Causes-and-Effects-of-the-American-Civil-War -
Abraham Lincoln
(1861-1865) - Republican -
Period: to
Civil War
-
Period: to
Progressive Era
-
Andrew Johnson
(1865-1869) - Democratic -
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln 🟧
Lincoln's death disrupted plans for a lenient Reconstruction, leading to harsher policies under his successors. Jordan, Brian Matthew. “How Lincoln’s Assassination Changed American History.” National Review, April 14, 2024. https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/04/how-lincolns-assassination-changed-american-history/#:~:text=veteran%20Willie%20Clark.-,Lincoln’s%20death%20elevated%20a%20bigoted%20Democrat%20from%20east%20Tennessee%2C%20Andrew,had%20snuffed%20out%20the%20... -
13th Amendment 🟧
Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, except as punishment for a crime. https://www.jackmillercenter.org/our-work/resources/thirteenth-amendment -
Reconstruction Acts (1867-1868) 🟧
Divided the South into military districts and laid out the process for readmission to the Union, enforcing civil rights for freed slaves. https://www.history.com/articles/reconstruction -
14th Amendment 🟧
Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and guaranteed equal protection under the laws. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-14/ -
Ulysses S. Grant
(1869-1877) - Republican -
Jim Crow (1870s-1965) 🟧
Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation and discrimination across the South, limiting African Americans' civil rights and opportunities for generations. https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/what.htm -
15th Amendment 🟧
Prohibited the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/amendments/amendment-xv#:~:text=Section%202-,Section%201,or%20previous%20condition%20of%20servitude. -
Rutherford B. Hayes
(1877-1881) - Republican -
Period: to
Gilded Age
-
James A. Garfield
(1881) - Republican -
Chester A. Arthur
(1881-1885) - Republican -
Chinese Exclusion Act 🟪
The first significant law restricting immigration into the U.S., targeting Chinese laborers and setting a precedent for future immigration policies. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chinese-Exclusion-Act -
Grover Cleveland
(1885-1889) - Democratic -
Settlement House Movement (Mid-to-Late 1880s) 🟦
Provided social services and education to the urban poor, laying the groundwork for modern social work. https://study.com/learn/lesson/settlement-houses-movement-purpose-benefits.html#:~:text=Settlement%20houses%20were%20housing%20projects,educational%20programs%20for%20community%20members.. -
Benjamin Harrison
(1889-1893) - Republican -
Grover Cleveland
(1893-1897) - Democratic (second, non-consecutive term) -
William McKinley
(1897-1901) - Republican -
Spanish-American War (1898) 🟥
Marked the U.S.’s emergence as a global power with overseas territories like the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. https://www.britannica.com/event/Spanish-American-War/Consequences-of-the-war -
Theodore Roosevelt
(1901-1909) - Republican -
William H. Taft
(1909-1913) - Republican -
Woodrow Wilson
(1913-1921) - Democratic -
Period: to
WWI
-
Period: to
Roaring 20s
-
World War I (1917–1918) 🟥
The U.S. entry helped end the war in favor of the Allies and established the nation as a major international actor. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/wwi -
Tulsa Race Massacre 🟥
The Tulsa Race Massacre showed how unfairly Black Americans were treated and led to long-lasting harm and calls for justice. https://www.tulsahistory.org/exhibit/1921-tulsa-race-massacre/ -
Warren G. Harding
(1921-1923) - Republican -
Calvin Coolidge
(1923-1929) - Republican -
Introduction of the ERA 🟧
Proposed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex, sparking ongoing debates over gender equality. https://now.org/the-equal-rights-amendment-and-why-its-important/ -
Great Depression 🟩
A severe worldwide economic downturn led to massive unemployment and reforms in financial systems. https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Depression -
Herbert Hoover
(1929-1933) - Republican -
Period: to
Great Depression
-
The Dust Bowl 🟩
Severe dust storms and drought devastated agriculture in the Great Plains, worsening the economic difficulties of the Great Depression. https://drought.unl.edu/dustbowl/#:~:text=Drought%20in%20the%20Dust%20Bowl%20Years&text=The%20resulting%20agricultural%20depression%20contributed,other%20physical%20and%20emotional%20hardships. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt
(1933-1945) - Democratic -
The New Deal (1933-1936) 🟩
A series of programs and reforms that were implemented to recover from the Great Depression and prevent future economic crises. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/great-depression-and-world-war-ii-1929-1945/franklin-delano-roosevelt-and-the-new-deal/#:~:text=In%20the%20short%20term%2C%20New,social%20affairs%20of%20the%20nation. -
Chicano Movement (1940s-1970s) 🟦
Mexican-American activists sought civil rights, educational reform, and cultural recognition, empowering the Chicano identity. The Chicano Movement achieved key reforms, including bilingual programs, better migrant worker conditions, more Chicano teachers, and increased Mexican-American elected officials. https://www.history.com/articles/chicano-movement -
World War II (1941–1945) 🟥
U.S. involvement turned the tide against the Axis powers and positioned America as a global superpower in the postwar world. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/new-global-power-after-world-war-ii-1945 -
Period: to
WWII
-
Japanese Internment 🟪
During WWII, over 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated to internment camps, violating civil liberties. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_Americans -
Zoot Suit Riots 🟥
The Zoot Suit Riots showed that Mexican American teens were treated unfairly and targeted because of racism during World War II. https://www.history.com/articles/zoot-suit-riots -
Period: to
Cold War
-
Harry S. Truman
(1945-1953) - Democratic -
Cold War (1947–1991) 🟥
A prolonged geopolitical standoff between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that shaped global alliances and led to multiple proxy wars and arms races. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/cold-conflict -
Korean War (1950–1953) 🟥
An early Cold War conflict where the U.S. intervened to contain communism, ultimately resulting in the continued division of Korea. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/1950s-america/a/the-korean-war -
Dwight D. Eisenhower
(1953-1961) - Republican -
Vietnam War (1955–1975) 🟥
A long and controversial conflict that fueled domestic protest and deeply influenced American foreign and military policy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/1960s-america/a/the-vietnam-war#:~:text=The%20war%20in%20Vietnam%20had,impose%20constraints%20on%20presidential%20power. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956) 🟦
A pivotal protest in the Civil Rights Movement that led to the desegregation of buses and elevated Martin Luther King Jr. to national prominence. https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/montgomery-bus-boycott -
John F. Kennedy
(1961-1963) - Democratic -
Lyndon B. Johnson
(1963-1969) - Democratic -
Red Power Movement (1960s-1970s) 🟦
Native American activists demanded self-determination and rights, leading to policy changes and increased awareness of Indigenous issues. The Red Power Movement ended the federal policy of termination. https://libguides.uml.edu/c.php?g=945022&p=6820187 -
Richard Nixon
(1969-1974) - Republican -
The Stonewall Riots 🟦
Catalyzed the LGBTQ+ rights movement, leading to increased activism and the fight for equal rights. https://www.american.edu/sis/news/20190618-the-legacy-of-the-stonewall-riots.cfm -
Roe v. Wade 🟧
Legalized abortion nationwide under the right to privacy, transforming reproductive rights and sparking lasting legal and political battles. https://reproductiverights.org/roe-v-wade/#:~:text=The%20Roe%20v.,Wade%20Ruling%2C%201973&text=In%20its%201973%20decision%20Roe,whether%20to%20continue%20a%20pregnancy. -
Gerald Ford
(1974-1977) - Republican -
Jimmy Carter
(1977-1981) - Democratic -
Ronald Reagan
(1981-1989) - Republican -
Second National March on Washington 🟦
Advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, highlighting issues like AIDS awareness and anti-discrimination policies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_National_March_on_Washington_for_Lesbian_and_Gay_Rights#:~:text=Passage%20of%20the%20Congressional%20lesbian,%2C%20research%2C%20and%20patient%20care. -
George H.W. Bush
(1989-1993) - Republican -
Period: to
Contemporary History
-
Bill Clinton
(1993-2001) - Democratic -
September 11 Attacks 🟥
Coordinated terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda on U.S. soil that killed nearly 3,000 people and fundamentally reshaped U.S. foreign and domestic policy. https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/911-investigation#:~:text=History-,9%2F11%20Investigation,U.S.%20and%20around%20the%20globe. -
George W. Bush
(2001-2009) - Republican -
The Great Recession (2007-2009) 🟩
The Great Recession caused massive job losses, home foreclosures, and financial hardship, leading to major changes in U.S. economic policy and banking regulations. https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/great-recession-and-its-aftermath -
Barack Obama
(2009-2017) - Democratic -
Donald Trump
(2017-2021) - Republican -
Joe Biden
(2021-2025) -
Capitol Riot on January 6 🟧
Supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol to overturn election results.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Capitol-riot-of-January-6-2021