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United States Politics
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Shays's Rebellion
Shays's Rebellion erupts in the north. Farmers from New Hampshire to South Carolina take up arms to protest high state taxes and stiff penalties for failure to pay. -
Constitutional Convention
Constitutional Convention, was made up of delegates from 12 of the original 13 colonies. They meet in Philadelphia to draft the U.S. Constitution. -
George Washington Elected President #1
George Washington is unanimously elected president of the United States in a vote by state electors. Was the first president of the united states -
U.S. Constitution Goes Into Effect
U.S. Constitution goes into effect, having been ratified by nine states. U.S. constitution still in effect today. -
U.S. Supreme Court Meets for the First Time
U.S. Supreme Court meets for the first time at the Merchants Exchange Building in New York City. The court, made up of one chief justice and five associate justices, hears its first case in 1792. The nation's first census shows that the population has climbed to nearly 4 million. -
Bill of Rights are ratified
First ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, are ratified. We are still adding amendments today. -
U.S. Capital is Moved
The U.S. capital is moved from Philadelphia to Washington, DC. This is the current residency for the Capital. -
U.S. Congress Meets fir the First Time
U.S. Congress meets in Washington, DC, for the first time. Congress is still in Washington D.C. -
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison was one of the biggest decisions in U.S. history. Landmark Supreme Court decision greatly expands the power of the Court by establishing its right to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional. -
Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase: United States agrees to pay France $15 million for the Louisiana Territory, which extends west from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and comprises about 830,000 sq mi. As a result, the U.S. nearly doubles in size. -
Lewis and Clark
Lewis and Clark set out from St. Louis, Mo., on expedition to explore the West and find a route to the Pacific Ocean. They explored many new land. -
War of 1812
U.S. declares war on Britain over British interference with American maritime shipping and westward expansion. British capture Washington, DC, and set fire to White House and Capitol. -
War of 1812 Ends
Treaty of Ghent is signed, officially ending the war. Signed in the city of Ghent in Belgium. -
McCulloch v. Maryland
Landmark Supreme Court decision upholds the right of Congress to establish a national bank. A power implied but not specifically enumerated by the Constitution. -
Missouri Compromise
In an effort to maintain the balance between free and slave states, Maine (formerly part of Massachusetts) is admitted as a free state so that Missouri can be admitted as a slave state; except for Missouri, slavery is prohibited in the Louisiana Purchase lands north of latitude 36°30'. -
Monroe Doctrine
In his annual address to Congress, President Monroe declares that the American continents are henceforth off-limits for further colonization by European powers. Europe can no longer colonize the American Colonies. -
Indian Removal Act
President Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, which authorizes the forced removal of Native Americans living in the eastern part of the country to lands west of the Mississippi River. By the late 1830s the Jackson administration has relocated nearly 50,000 Native Americans. -
Texas Declares Independence form Mexico
Texas declares its independence from Mexico. During the Texas Revolution, a convention of American Texans meets at Washington-on-the-Brazos and declares the independence of Texas from Mexico. -
Trail of Tears
More than 15,000 Cherokee Indians are forced to march from Georgia to Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. Approximately 4,000 die from starvation and disease along the “Trail of Tears.” -
Mexican-American War
U.S. declares war on Mexico in effort to gain California and other territory in Southwest. It followed in the wake of the 1845 US annexation of Texas, which Mexico considered part of its territory, despite the 1836 Texas Revolution. -
Oregon Treaty
Oregon Treaty fixes U.S.-Canadian border at 49th parallel; U.S. acquires Oregon territory. West of the Rocky Mountains, veering around Vancouver Island and then proceeding through the Strait of San Juan de Fuca. -
Mexican-American War Ends
War concludes with signing of Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Mexico recognizes Rio Grande as new boundary with Texas and, for $15 million, agrees to cede territory comprising present-day California, Nevada, Utah, most of New Mexico and Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. -
Compromise of 1850
The continuing debate whether territory gained in the Mexican War should be open to slavery is decided in the Compromise of 1850: California is admitted as a free state, Utah and New Mexico territories are left to be decided by popular sovereignty, and the slave trade in Washington, DC, is prohibited. It also establishes a much stricter fugitive slave law, than the original, passed in 1793. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Congress passes the Kansas-Nebraska Act, establishing the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. The legislation repeals the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and renews tensions between anti- and proslavery factions. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Landmark Supreme Court decision holds that Congress does not have the right to ban slavery in states. Furthermore, that slaves are not citizens. -
John Brown Revolt
Abolitionist John Brown and 21 followers capture federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Va. (now W. Va.), in an attempt to spark a slave revolt. -
South Carolina Secedes
South Carolina secedes from the Union. South Carolina became the first slave state in the south to declare that it had seceded from the United States. -
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and Louisiana
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana secede. Confederate States of America is established. Jefferson Davis is elected president of the Confederacy. Texas secedes. -
Civil War
Conflict between the North (the Union) and the South (the Confederacy) over the expansion of slavery into western states. Confederates attack Ft. Sumter in Charleston, S.C., marking the start of the war. -
Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee Secede
Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee secede. A border between the north and south becomes clear. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Emancipation Proclamation is issued, freeing slaves in the Confederate states. The Emancipation Proclamation was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln. -
Civil War Ends
Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Va. The end of the Civil War. -
Thirteenth Amendment
Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, prohibiting slavery. -
Alaska Purchase
U.S. acquires Alaska from Russia for the sum of $7.2 million. Russia wanted to sell its Alaskan territory, fearing that it might be seized if war broke out with the United Kingdom. -
Fourteenth Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, defining citizenship. -
Fifteenth Amendment
Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, giving blacks the right to vote. -
First Telephone
The first telephone line is built from Boston to Somerville, Mass.; the following year, President Hayes has the first telephone installed in the White House. -
National American Woman Suffrage Association
National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) is founded. Elizabeth Cady Stanton as president. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Landmark Supreme Court decision holds that racial segregation is constitutional. This Paved the way for the repressive Jim Crow laws in the South. -
Spanish-American War
USS Maine is blown up in Havana harbor. Prompting U.S. to declare war on Spain. -
U.S. Annexes Hawaii
U.S. annexes Hawaii by an act of Congress. Without Presidential approval, marines stormed the islands, and the American minister to the islands raised the stars and stripes in Honolulu. -
Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the Spanish-American War. Spain gives up control of Cuba, which becomes an independent republic, and cedes Puerto Rico, Guam, and (for $20 million) the Philippines to the U.S. -
Wright Brothers
Wright brothers make the first controlled, sustained flight in heavier-than-air aircraft at Kitty Hawk, N.C. -
Seventeenth Amendment
Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified. Providing for the direct election of U.S. senators by popular vote rather than by the state legislatures. -
WWI
U.S. enters World War I, declaring war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. Three years after conflict began in 1914. -
WWI Ends
Armistice ending World War I is signed. The agreement that ended the fighting on the Western Front. -
Nineteenth Amendment
Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified. Granting women the right to vote. -
Stock Market Crash
Stock market crash precipitates the Great Depression. The Great Depression was the deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world. -
Twentieth Amendment
Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution, sometimes called the “Lame Duck Amendment,” is ratified, moving the president's inauguration date from March 4 to Jan. 20. -
New Deal
New Deal recovery measures are enacted by Congress. The New Deal was a series of programs, including, most notably, Social Security, that were enacted in the United States between 1933 and 1938, and a few that came later. -
Social Security Act
Social Security Act is passed. An act to provide for the general welfare by establishing a system of Federal old-age benefits, and by enabling the several States to make more adequate provision for aged persons, blind persons, dependent and crippled children, maternal and child welfare, public health, and the administration of their unemployment compensation laws; to establish a Social Security Board; to raise revenue; and for other purposes. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
Fair Labor Standards Act is passed, setting the first minimum wage in the U.S. at 25 cents per hour. The FLSA establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, record keeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments. -
World War II: U.S. declares its neutrality
World War II: U.S. declares its neutrality in European conflict. President Roosevelt declares US neutrality and upholds ban on export of weapons. -
F. Roosevelt's 3rd Inauguration
F. Roosevelt's third inauguration. The only chief executive to serve more than two terms, President Roosevelt took office for the third time as Europe and Asia engaged in war. -
World War II: Pearl Harbor
Japan attacks Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines. The attack on Pearl Harbor, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor, the Hawaii Operation or Operation AI by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, and Operation Z during planning, was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. -
World War II: U.S. declares war on Japan
U.S. declares war on Japan. Germany and Italy declare war on the United States; U.S. reciprocates by declaring war on both countries (Dec. 11). -
F. Roosevelt's 4th Inauguration
F. Roosevelt's fourth inauguration. President Roosevelt dies of a stroke on April 12 and is succeeded by his vice president, Harry Truman. -
World War II: Germany Surrenders
Germany surrenders unconditionally. On this day in 1945, the German High Command, in the person of General Alfred Jodl, signs the unconditional surrender of all German forces, East and West, at Reims, in northwestern France. -
First Atomic Bomb Detonated
First atomic bomb is detonated. On this day in 1945, at 5:29:45 a.m., the Manhattan Project comes to an explosive end as the first atom bomb is successfully tested in Alamogordo, New Mexico. -
World War II: Potsdam Conference
President Truman, Churchill, and Stalin meet at Potsdam, near Berlin, Germany. They demanded Japan's unconditional surrender and to discussed plans for postwar Europe. -
World War II: U.S. Drops Bombs in Japan
U.S. drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. U.S. drops atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan (Aug. 9). Japan agrees to unconditional surrender (Aug. 14). -
U.N. Established
United Nations is established. The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization to promote international co-operation. -
Presidential Succession Act
Presidential Succession Act is signed into law by President Truman. The Presidential Succession Act establishes the line of succession to the powers and duties of the office of President of the United States in the event that neither a President nor Vice President is able to "discharge the powers and duties of the office". -
Marshall Plan
Congress passes foreign aid bill including the Marshall Plan, which provides for European postwar recovery. American initiative to aid Western Europe, in which the United States gave over $12 billion in economic support to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II. -
Soviets Begin Blockade
Soviets begin blockade of Berlin in the first major crisis of the cold war. In response, U.S. and Great Britain begin airlift of food and fuel to West Berlin. Soviets end blockade on May 12, 1949. -
NATO Formed
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is established. The North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty. -
Vietnam War: Truman Sends Aid Package
Vietnam War: Prolonged conflict between Communist forces of North Vietnam, backed by China and the USSR, and non-Communist forces of South Vietnam, backed by the United States. President Truman authorizes $15 million in economic and military aid to the French, who are fighting to retain control of French Indochina, including Vietnam. As part of the aid package, Truman also sends 35 military advisers. -
Korean War
Cold war conflict between Communist and non-Communist forces on Korean Peninsula. North Korean communists invade South Korea. President Truman, without the approval of Congress, commits American troops to battle. -
Twenty-Second Amendment
Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, limiting the president to two terms. Although the Twenty-second Amendment was clearly a reaction to Franklin D. Roosevelt's service as President for an unprecedented four terms, the notion of presidential term limits has long-standing roots in American politics. -
Puerto Rico Becomes a U.S. Commonwealth.
Puerto Rico becomes a U.S. commonwealth. Puerto Rico officially became a territory of the United States in 1998. -
Korean Armistice Agreement
Armistice agreement is signed. It was signed by U.S. Army Lieutenant General William Harrison, Jr. representing the United Nations Command (UNC), North Korean General Nam Il representing the Korean People's Army, and the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army. -
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kans.
Landmark Supreme Court decision declares that racial segregation in schools is unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896, which allowed state-sponsored segregation, insofar as it applied to public education. -
Little Rock Nine
President sends federal troops to Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., to enforce integration of black students. Three weeks earlier, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus had surrounded the school with National Guard troops to prevent its federal court-ordered racial integration. -
Explorer I
Explorer I, first American satellite, is launched. Explorer I's small package of instruments produced the first major discovery of the Space Age—The Van Allen radiation belts surrounding the Earth. Explorer I burned up in the atmosphere on March 30, 1970. -
Alaska and Hawaii Join U.S.
Alaska becomes the 49th state. Hawaii becomes the 50th state on Aug 21. -
Bay of Pigs
Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba fails. The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the CIA-sponsored paramilitary group Brigade 2506. -
First U.S. Astronaut
Lt. Col. John Glenn becomes first U.S. astronaut to orbit Earth. He was one of the many test pilot school graduates in excellent physical shape, less than 40 years old, shorter than 5 feet 11 inches, qualified jet pilots, and they had to have at least 1,500 hours flying time and bachelors' degrees in engineering. Glenn met all the requirements. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
President Kennedy denounces Soviet Union for secretly installing missile bases on Cuba and initiates a naval blockade of the island. A 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union concerning American ballistic missile deployment in Italy and Turkey with consequent Soviet ballistic missile deployment in Cuba. -
I Have A Dream Speech
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech before a crowd of 200,000. It happened during the civil rights march on Washington, DC . -
Civil Rights Act
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act. Ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin, is considered one of the crowning legislative achievements of the civil rights movement. -
Vietnam War: U.S. Declares War
North Vietnamese torpedo boats allegedly attack U.S. destroyer in Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam (Aug. 2, 1964). Congress approves Gulf of Tonkin resolution, authorizing President Johnson to take any measures necessary to defend U.S. forces and prevent further aggression. -
Vietnam War: U.S. Starts Bombing
U.S. planes begin bombing raids of North Vietnam. First U.S. combat troops don't arrive in South Vietnam until March 9th. -
Miranda v. Arizona
Landmark Supreme Court decision further defines due process clause of Fourteenth Amendment. Also establishes Miranda rights. -
First Astronauts on Moon
John F. Kennedy was the president of the United States. He wanted to land humans on the moon. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, Jr., become the first men to land on the Moon. -
SALT I
U.S. and Soviet Union sign strategic arms control agreement known as SALT I. Intended to restrain the arms race in strategic (long-range or intercontinental) ballistic missiles armed with nuclear weapons. -
Vietnam War: Paris Peace Accords
Representatives of North and South Vietnam, the Viet Cong, and the U.S. sign a cease-fire agreement in Paris. It ended direct U.S. military combat, and temporarily stopped the fighting between North and South Vietnam. However, the agreement was not ratified by the United States Senate. -
U.S. establishes Diplomatic Ties with China
U.S. establishes diplomatic ties with mainland China for the first time since Communist takeover in 1949. -
Iran Hostage Crisis
Iranian students storm U.S. embassy in Teheran and hold 66 people hostage; 13 of the hostages are released (Nov. 19–20). -
Invasion of Grenada
U.S. invades Caribbean island of Grenada after a coup by Marxist faction in the government. Code named Operation Urgent Fury, it was triggered by a hard-line Stalinist coup that resulted in the execution of the previous left-wing revolutionary leader. -
Challenger Accident
Space shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members. It is the worst accident in the history of the U.S. space program. -
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
Reagan and Gorbachev sign INF treaty, the first arms-control agreement to reduce the superpowers' nuclear weapons. The treaty marked the first time the superpowers had agreed to reduce their nuclear arsenals, eliminate an entire category of nuclear weapons, and utilize extensive on-site inspections for verification. -
Financial Institutions Reform Recovery and Enforcement Act
President Bush signs legislation to provide for federal bailout of nearly 800 insolvent savings and loan institutions. After the widespread failure of savings and loan institutions, President George H. W. Bush signed and Congress enacted the Financial Institutions Reform Recovery and Enforcement Act in 1989. -
Persian Gulf War
Persian Gulf War: U.S. leads international coalition in military operation (code named “Desert Storm”) to drive Iraqis out of Kuwait. Iraq accepts terms of UN ceasefire, marking an end of the war (April 6). -
START I Treaty
U.S. and Soviet Union sign START I treaty, agreeing to further reduce strategic nuclear arms. START I was the first treaty to provide for deep reductions of U.S. and Soviet/Russian strategic nuclear weapons. -
End of the Cold War
Following the breakup of the Soviet Union in Dec. 1991, President Bush and Russian president Boris Yeltsin meet at Camp David and formally declare an end to the cold war. -
North American Free Trade Agreement
President Clinton signs North American Free Trade Agreement into law. Since its entry into force, U.S. manufacturing exports to NAFTA have increased 258% and the United States maintains a growing manufacturing trade surplus with Canada and Mexico. -
9/11
Two hijacked jetliners ram twin towers of World Trade Center in worst terrorist attack against U.S.; a third hijacked plane flies into the Pentagon, and a fourth crashes in rural Pennsylvania. More than 3,000 people die in the attacks. -
Homeland Security Act
President Bush signs legislation creating a new cabinet department of Homeland Security. It is the largest federal government reorganization since the Department of Defense was created via the National Security Act of 1947. It also includes many of the organizations under which the powers of the USA PATRIOT Act are exercised. -
Invasion of Iraq
War waged by the U.S. and Britain against Iraq begins. The 2003 invasion of Iraq lasted from March 20 to May 1 2003 and signaled the start of the Iraq War, which was dubbed Operation Iraqi Freedom by the United States. -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina wreaks catastrophic damage on Mississippi and Louisiana; 80% of New Orleans is flooded. All levels of government are criticized for the delayed and inadequate response to the disaster. -
Barack Obama is officially sworn in as United States President
On this date Barrack Obama is officially sworn in as United States President #44. He was the first African american to be elected as a President. -
Close of all CIA Camps
President Obama signs executive orders closing all secret prisons and detention camps run by the CIA, including the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, and banning coercive interrogation methods. -
Prism
The Guardian receives information that reveals that the National Security Agency (NSA) is using PRISM to spy on the web activities, including email, of U.S. citizens. Through PRISM, a clandestine national security surveillance program, the NSA has direct access to Facebook, YouTube, Skype, Google, Apple, Yahoo and other websites.
