Events and years to memorize

• 1619 Jamestown


  First documented enslaved African arrives in Jamestown Virginia.

  
• Mayflower Compact of 1620


  Pilgrims signed as a form of self government

  
• Proclamation of 1763


  At end of French & Indian War British forbid settlers west of the Appalachian Mountains

  
• Declaration of Independence 1776


  America tells Great Britain we don't want to be their colony.

  
• Constitutional Convention 1783


  Federalists and Anti-Federalists compromise to make a new stronger government to replace the failed Articles of Confederation. Still our government today (3 branches)

  
• Louisiana Purchase 1803


  U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, doubling the size of the U.S. and giving the U.S. full control of the Mississippi River

  
• Indian Removal Act of 1830


  Ordered the removal of Indian Tribes to West of the Mississippi River. Andrew Jackson is told by Supreme Court this is illegal, but does it anyway. (Trail of Tears)

  
• Texas Annexation 1845


  Texas was originally part of Mexico, U.S. Annexes it which starts the Mexican American War

  
• Mexican-American War 1846-1848


  President Polk occupies Mexico until they agree to sell the U.S. all land North of the Rio Grande (Now California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado)

  
• Dredd Scott v. Sanford 1857

  The case that said slaves were property and had no rights. Pushes America to Civil War.

  
• Lincoln's Election of 1860


  Lincoln wins, southern states begin to secede

  
• Civil War 1860 - 1865


  North wins, slavery ends with 13th Amendment.

  
• Homestead Act of 1862


  this allowed a settler to acquire 160 acres by living on it for five years, improving it and paying about $30

  
• Pacific Railway Act 1862


  A series of laws that promoted the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. RXR companies got RICH

  
• 15th Amendment 1870


  Black men can vote (all male citizens can vote)

  
• Chinese Exlusion Act of 1882


  cut off immigration from China

  
• Plessy v. Ferguson 1896

  The Supreme Court case that upheld segregation law on claim that "separate but equal" satisfies the 14th Amendment

  
• 18th Amendment 1919


  Prohibition of liquor

  
• U.S in WWI 1917-1918

  U.S. Enters WWI w/ Woodrow Wilsons 14 points. They fail.

  
• Schenck v. US 1919

  Allows limits to speech based on the "clear and present danger" principle

  
• 19th Amendment 1920


  Gave women the right to vote

  
• National Origins Act of 1924


  Only allowed 150,000 people into the U.S per year. Specifically white, NorthWest European.

  
• Stockmarket Crash of 1929


  Created 10 year "Great Depression"

  New Deal implemented by FDR

  
• 21st Amendment 1933


  Repeal of Prohibition

  
• Pearl Harbor and WWII 1941

  Japan attacks the U.S. Navy in Hawaii and the U.S. enters WWII.

  
• Korematsu v. US 1944

  Upheld as constitutional the internment of Americans with Japanese descent during WWII.

  
• Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 1945


  Two major cities that US decided to drop atomic bombs upon. Resulted in the surrender of Japan and end of World War II.

  
• Cold War 1945 - 1991


  - a conflict that was between the US and the Soviet Union where both sides tried to recruit countries to their side (USSR = Communism, US = Capitalism)

  
• Brown v. Board of Education 1954


  Overrules Plessy v. Ferguson. Racial segregation violates 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause ("separate is inherently unequal")

  
• Vietnam War 1955 - 1975


  War between Communist Vietnamese (based in the North) and US/South Vietnam.

  
• 1964 Civil Rights Act


  outlawed segregation in public places; banned discrimination in employment

  
• 1965 Voting Rights Act


  ended literacy tests and poll taxes; allowed officers to register voters

  
• Berlin Wall falls 1989


  Represents the beginning of the end of communism in eastern Europe.