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By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain, establishing U.S. sovereignty. -
During the American Revolution, the colonies struggled with international diplomacy to gain support against the British. Their key diplomatic success was forming a critical alliance with France, exemplified by the signing of the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce on February 6, 1778. -
In 1782, Benjamin Franklin declined informal peace talks with Great Britain that offered autonomy for the thirteen states, insisting on full recognition of American independence and refusing a separate peace from France. He agreed to negotiate an end to the war alongside peace commissioners John Adams and John Jay, starting formal negotiations on September 27. -
On 19 November 1794, the Jay Treaty, negotiated by John Jay, was signed to resolve disputes inherited from independence. Although unpopular, the agreement averted imminent conflict by maintaining the peace and neutrality of the United States, allowing it to consolidate its strength and stability, albeit at the cost of ceding certain commercial rights to Britain. -
On October 27, 1795, Spanish and U.S. negotiators finalized Pinckney’s Treaty, a significant diplomatic achievement for the U.S. It resolved territorial disputes and allowed American ships free navigation of the Mississippi River and duty-free transport through the Spanish-controlled port of New Orleans. -
“The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave”. -
Securing control of the Mississippi River. -
US declared war on Britain over trade tensions and the practice of impressment. The conflict was marked by events such as the burning of Washington and key battles on land and sea. On 24 December 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, restoring the pre-war borders and ending the conflict.
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The three main concepts of the doctrine—separate spheres of influence for the Americas and Europe, non-colonization, and non-intervention—were designed to signify a clear break between the New World and the autocratic realm of Europe. -
First formal treaty signed between the United States and China in 1844. It served as an American counterpart to the Anglo-Chinese Treaty of Nanjing that ended the First Opium War in 1842. -
Driven by Manifest Destiny, President Polk annexed Texas (1845), negotiated the Treaty of Oregon (1846) and concluded the Mexican-American War with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848).
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On July 8, American Commodore Matthew Perry led his four ships into the harbor at Tokyo Bay, seeking to re-establish for the first time in over 200 years regular trade and discourse between Japan and the western world. -
The acquisition of Alaska in 1867 signified the conclusion of Russia's attempts to extend trade and settlements to North America's Pacific coast. This event also played a crucial role in the emergence of the United States as a significant power within the Asia-Pacific region. -
Secured the position of the United States as a Pacific power. Victory in the war led to a peace treaty that forced Spain to give up its claims on Cuba and transfer sovereignty of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States. Additionally, the U.S. annexed the independent nation of Hawaii. -
Secretary of State John Hay introduced the "Open Door" concept in China through notes in 1899-1900. These notes sought international support for the U.S. policy of promoting equal trade opportunities in China while respecting its administrative and territorial integrity. -
Theodore Roosevelt adds the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, asserting the U.S. right to intervene in Latin America under the pretext of stabilizing economic matters -
On 28 July, following the assassination of the president, the US landed in Haiti, imposed an election and, in September, signed a treaty that concluded the active invasion and began a two-decade occupation, giving it absolute control over Haiti's finances, military and territorial policy. -
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Woodrow Wilson proposed the Fourteen Points, advocating self-determination and the League of Nations; his vision for a new world order influences international diplomacy—even though the U.S. Senate ultimately rejects joining the League of Nations. -
peace agreement that marked the end of World War One -
The Kellogg-Briand Pact was part of numerous international initiatives aimed at averting another World War. However, it had minimal impact on curbing the growing militarism of the 1930s or in preventing World War II -
Was a global event that derived in part from events in the United States and U.S. financial policies. As it lingered through the decade, it influenced U.S. foreign policies in such a way that the U.S. Government became even more isolationist -
The U.S. Government enacted a set of laws aimed at keeping the nation out of foreign conflicts by clearly defining the terms of American neutrality -
A dispute near Mukden (Shenyang) led to Japan's conquest of Manchuria. U.S. Secretary of State Henry Stimson responded by issuing the Stimson Doctrine, stating that the U.S. would not recognize any agreements between Japan and China that restricted free commercial trade in the area -
Was the foreign policy of the administration of President Franklin Roosevelt towards Latin America. Although the policy was implemented by the Roosevelt administration, 19th-century politician Henry Clay paved the way for it and coined the term "Good Neighbor" -
President Roosevelt ended almost 16 years of American non-recognition of the Soviet Union. -
The New Deal redefines the role of the federal government, introducing sweeping economic reforms, social safety nets, and regulatory frameworks to combat the Great Depression, though its benefits are unevenly distributed across racial and gender lines. -
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941 and the United States became fully involved in the war. -
Allowed the U.S. to supply military aid to Allied nations, primarily Britain, without immediate payment. While framed as assistance, its true objective was to support the fight against Nazi Germany while keeping the U.S. out of direct combat until it was fully prepared for war. This agreement also laid the groundwork for a new international economic order after WWII. -
Delegates from 44 nations met to design a post-war global financial system. The agreement established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, tying global currencies to the U.S. dollar, which was backed by gold. -
On August 6, 1945, during World War II, an American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima -
The United Nations was founded on October 24, 1945, after 50 nations drafted its Charter in San Francisco, establishing a global organization for collective security and peacekeeping. -
Established by President Harry S. Truman, committed the U.S. to supporting democratic nations threatened by authoritarian forces, shifting its foreign policy toward active intervention. -
Introduced by George Kennan, the U.S. adopted containment to prevent the spread of Communism, shaping Cold War foreign policy. It led to key initiatives like the Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, and U.S. involvement in conflicts such as the Korean War and Vietnam War. -
Provided over $12 billion to rebuild war-torn Western Europe, aiming to counter Communist influence and restore economic stability -
Was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union
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Senator Joe McCarthy began his aggressive campaign to root out Communist influences within the U.S. government, entertainment industry, and other sectors. This period, known as McCarthyism, involved accusations of disloyalty and subversion, often without evidence, leading to blacklisting, loss of jobs, and public ruin for many.
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Conflict between North Korea, backed by communist allies, and South Korea, supported by the United Nations and the U.S., beginning with North Korea's invasion of the South. 1950 - 1953
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On June 16, East Berlin workers protested productivity demands, sparking nationwide riots. The U.S. responded with an aid program to support East Germans and gain Western favor
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Under the Doctrine, a country could request American economic assistance and/or aid from U.S. military forces if it was being threatened by armed aggression from another communist state
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Failed military operation in April 1961, in which a CIA-backed force of Cuban exiles attempted to overthrow Fidel Castro’s communist government in Cuba -
Kennedy implemented the “flexible response” defense strategy, one that relied on multiple options for responding to the Soviet Union, discouraged massive retaliation, and encouraged mutual deterrence.
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The U.S. discovered Soviet missile sites in Cuba, leading to a confrontation that ended with the Soviets agreeing to remove the missiles in exchange for U.S. promises not to invade Cuba and the secret removal of U.S. missiles from Turkey -
Nixon's handling of the Vietnam War, through strategies like Vietnamization and secret bombings, was central to his presidency, but the lack of a lasting peace and the eventual fall of Saigon in 1975 marked a failure, despite his promises of an honorable end to U.S. involvement. 1965 - 1973 -
On August 15, 1971, President Nixon unveiled his New Economic Policy, aimed at “creating a new prosperity without war.” This initiative, commonly referred to as the “Nixon shock,” signaled the beginning of the decline of the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates that had been established following World War II. 1971-1973 -
On May 26, President Nixon and Soviet leader Brezhnev signed the first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I), marking a key moment in détente by capping nuclear missile stockpiles and limiting missile defense systems. -
U.S. President Nixon traveled to China, meeting with Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai, leading to the Shanghai Communiqué and a significant step toward U.S.-China diplomatic normalization. -
President Jimmy Carter redefined U.S. foreign policy by prioritizing human rights, emphasizing moral diplomacy and advocating for global freedom in his inaugural address. -
President Reagan adopted a confrontational stance against communism, rejecting détente and advocating for the active opposition of Soviet-backed regimes worldwide. His administration provided support to anti-communist movements in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, framing the Cold War as a battle between freedom and oppression. -
Political changes in Eastern Europe and civil unrest in Germany put pressure on the East German government to loosen some of its regulations on travel to West Germany. -
Under President George Bush, the U.S. led a coalition to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait, demonstrating American military power and leadership in a unipolar world after the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. -
Making his first trip to the United States, Russian President Yeltsin met with U.S. President Bush at Camp David where the two leaders signed a declaration on Russian-American cooperation based on a new era of “friendship and partnership,” formally ending the Cold War. -
The North American Free Trade Agreement deepens economic ties between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, influencing trade policy and international relations. -
On September 11, the terrorist attacks triggered the War on Terror, redefining U.S. foreign policy priorities and leading to extensive military engagements abroad. President Bush signs a joint resolution authorizing force against those responsible for 9/11, later used to justify the invasion of Afghanistan, warrantless surveillance, and the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. -
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), which began on October 7, 2001, is the official name used by the U.S. government for the War in Afghanistan, together with a number of smaller military actions, under the umbrella of the Global 'War on Terror. -
The Bush Doctrine redefined U.S. foreign policy, emphasizing preventive strikes and a unilateral approach, moving beyond containment (Truman Doctrine) and support for freedom fighters (Reagan Doctrine), while rejecting the multilateralism of the Clinton era. -
In March 2003, U.S. forces invaded Iraq with the goals of eliminating Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ending the dictatorial rule of Saddam Hussein. However, the war lost public support, and the legitimacy of the U.S. involvement was questioned, which negatively impacted President Bush's popularity and affected the outcome of the subsequent elections. -
President Obama announces that the remaining U.S. troops will return from Iraq by the end of 2011, marking a conclusion to the nearly nine-year war and “a new phase in the relationship between the United States and Iraq. -
Signed by Iran and several world powers, including the United States (negotiated by Obama), the JCPOA placed significant restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. -
President Trump decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, citing the unfair economic burden it placed on American workers, businesses, and taxpayers due to the commitments made by the United States under the accord. -
President Trump, following the “America First” policies, withdrew the United States from the deal, claiming it failed to curtail Iran’s missile program and regional influence. Iran began ignoring limitations on its nuclear program a year later. -
Though Biden oversaw the withdrawal of U.S. troops, he was implementing an agreement signed by his predecessor, President Donald Trump. The Doha Agreement, signed in February 2020 by Trump and representatives of the Taliban, required U.S. troops to leave the country by May 2021. -
In one of his first acts in the Oval Office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to have the United States rejoin the Paris climate agreement. -
2022–2023 In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, prompting the Biden administration to lead international sanctions and military aid to Kyiv. The U.S. prioritized maintaining Western unity while avoiding direct NATO involvement.