250 Things Every AP Student Should Know About US History

First PermanentEnglish Settlement, John Smith, tabacco

through crowded ships, indentured servants

the first governing document of Plymouth Colony, It was signed on November 11, 1620 (OS) by 41 of the ship's one hundred and two passengers, in what is now Provincetown Harbor near Cape Cod.

moved for religion reasons- largest in the 19th century

after being banned from Boston, Massachusetts for his expression against jurisdiction of the state, Later in creating a settlement ihe called Providence

Quaker; Proprietary colony; religious freedom; Good relations w/Indians

accussed women of witchcraft- some burened- religious hysteria

Buffer against Spanish Florida. Recruited debtors. Unsuccessful for awhile b/c he was strict

Started by publishing of many books that were revival. oversaw some of the first fires of revival in 1733-1735 at his church in Northampton, Massachusetts

a war between French and Indians against Americans

Banned settlement west of Appalachian Mts. Supported by many Indians

act that put taxes on all paper documents

reasserted Britains power over colonies, response to Boston Tea Party

Tax on tea, glass, and paper. Passed around the times of the other "Intolerable Acts"

Colonists (Sons of Liberty) upset about Tea Act disguised as Native Americans

Delegates from every colony except Georgia to decide how to react to the Intolerable Acts

site of first fighting of the American Revolution; Paul Revere and William Dawes warned

as a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met beginning on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. The second Congress managed the colonial war effort, and moved incrementally towards independence, adopting the United States Declaration of Independence

challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain.

signed by Thomas Jefferson

Pact between French and American Revolutionaries

was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces over a British Army. , it proved to be the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War in North America,

was the first written constitution of the United States of America and specified how the national government was to operate. It was drafted in 1776-77 and became the working constitution, although it was not formally ratified until 1781.

Ends American Revolution. Britain still holds land in North America: French Canada and Spanish Florida. Spain gets Russia

Set up plans for how new states would enter the union. One of few successes of Articles of Confederation (AOC).

Farmers in MA rebel. Reveal how weak the gov't was to put down rebellions under AOC

Adopted the Constitution of the U.S. Replaced the AOC (they were too weak)

are a series of 85 articles or essays advocating the ratification of the United States Constitution. It remains a primary source for interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, as the essays outline a lucid and compelling version of the philosophy and motivation of the proposed system of government.

Replacing the Articles of Confederation. Constitution was ratified.

President George Washington appointed Hamilton as the first Secretary of the Treasury when the first Congress passed an act establishing the Treasury Department. Hamilton served in that post from September 11, 1789, until January 31, 1795.

Cotton-spinning technology led to business boom during the embargo when America wasn't trading with Britain

1st 10 amendmentss of the Constitution

s a machine that quickly and easily separates the cotton fibers from the seeds, a job formerly performed by hand., Eli Whitney

Stated in his farewell address. U.S. should not get in "foreign entanglements." Guided U.S. at various times in history.

was a resistance movement in what was the western part of the U.S in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. The conflict was in western dissatisfaction with various policies of the eastern-based national government. The name from a 1791 excise tax on whiskey that was a grievance of the westerners.

was written to .."The People of the United States" near the end of his second term as President of the United States and before his retirement to his home at Mount Vernon.

Controversy when French ministers requested bribes to enter negotiations. Almost led to war between US and France

Authorized gov't to imprison or expel those writing against the gov't. Controversial b/c it violates Bill of Rights.

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison against Alien and Sedition Acts. Set up nullification doctrine.

Thoma Jefferson is elected President of the United States.

Controversy during Jefferson's presidency. He attempted to remove Federalist judges. Led to Marbury v. Madison

Judicial Review - Supreme Court can declare laws and presidential decisions unconstitutional.

the acquisition by the United States of America of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. What was purchased was France's claim only, not the actual territory, which belonged to the tribes which inhabited the area. Napoleon Bonaparte

Led by Sacagawea; commissioned by Jefferson after purchased Louisiana Territory

Shot and killed Alexander Hamilton. Tried for treason for trying to get Mexico and Louisiana for his own rule

Alternative to war with Britain following attacks on the American ship the Chesapeake; The stop in trade hurt America's economy, but wasn't effective against GB

was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire.The Americans declared war in 1812 for a number of reasons, including a desire for expansion into the Northwest Territory, trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant sailors into the Royal Navy, British support of American Indian tribes against American expansion, and the humiliation of American honour.

New England states almost seceded from the Union over the War of 1812. Federalists labeled as unpatriotic.

Ended the War of 1812. Did not address grievances that led to the war (stalemate for both sides).

Fought after the war of 1812 ended (signing of Treaty of Ghent). Also opened up new lands to settlers.

Henry Clay's economic plan for America. Government adopted tariffs and national bank, but rejected call for internal improvements (said it was unconstitutional)

was a period in United States political history in which partisan bitterness abated. It lasted approximately from 1816 to 1824, during the administration of U.S. President James Monroe, who deliberately downplayed partisanship.

The state of Maryland had attempted to impede operation of a branch of the Second Bank of the United States by imposing a tax on all notes of banks not chartered in Maryland. was a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States.

was a treaty between the United States and Spain in 1819 that gave Florida to the U.S. and set out a boundary between the U.S. and New Spain

was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in the western territories. It prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the parallel 36°30' north except within the boundaries of the proposed state of Missouri.

beginning of the factory system in America. Encouraged growth of financial businesses. First opportunity for some women to work

is a policy of the United States introduced on December 2, 1823. It stated that further efforts by European countries to colonize land or interfere with states in the Americas would be viewed as acts of aggression requiring U.S. intervention.

John Quincy Adams was elected President on February 9, 1825, after the election was decided by the House of Representatives

was strongly supported in the South, where states were eager to gain access to lands inhabited by the Five Civilized Tribes. was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 26, 1830

Jackson vetoed it because it would use federal funding for a state project (Congress can only fund interstate projects)

Led band of slaves. They killed some white people and were put down. Gave hope to AA.

was a sectional crisis during the presidency of Andrew Jackson created by South Carolina's 1832 Ordinance of Nullification. This ordinance declared, by the power of the State itself, that the federal Tariff of 1828 and 1832 were unconstitutional and therefore null and void within the sovereign boundaries of South Carolina.

Renewal of the 2nd Bank was vetoed on Nov 24, 1832 by Andrew Jackson & slowly declined until the expiration of its charter in 1836

- Jackson's decision not to recharter the National Bank caused a huge panic when bank after bank closed

It was not until he was appointed secretary (1837) of the newly created board of education of Massachusetts (the first such position in the United States) that he began the work which was to place him in the foremost rank of American educationists

Jackson's Indian Removal Act pushed Indians to settle in OK. Millions died.

William Harrison is elected president of the United States.

was the 19th century American belief that the United States notes, was destined to expand across the North American continent, from the Atlantic Seaboard to the Pacific Ocean. It was used by Democrats in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico; the concept was denounced by Whigs, and fell into disuse after the mid-19th century.

was the annexation of the Republic of Texas to the United States of America as the 28th state. This act quickly led to the Mexican-American War

was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico considered part of its territory despite the 1836 Texas Revolution

Proposal to ban slavery in the territories gained from Mexico (did not pass)

Branch of Christianity that was very persecuted. Moved from NY to Missouri to Utah b/c of violence.

Beginning of women's rights movement (suffrage). 19th Amendment 1920.

is a historical name in the United States for the region of the present day southwestern United States that Mexico ceded to the U.S. in 1848, excluding the areas east of the Rio Grande, which had been claimed by the Republic of Texas, though the Texas Annexation resolution two years earlier had not specified Texas' southern and western boundary.

when gold was found by James W. Marshall, The gold-seekers, called "Forty-niners

Compromise concerning slavery that allowed Calidornia to enter as free state and the slave trade to be banned in Washingston D.C, while enforcing the Fugitive Slave Law and leaving people in the Mexico and Utah territory todecide whether to allow slavery

Influentila book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that showed the cruelty of slavery

A law that allowed for the peope in the Kansas and Nebraska Territories to decide whether or not to allow slavery

to combat the threat of slavery's extension to the territories, and to promote more vigorous modernization of the economy. It had little presence in the South, but in the North it enlisted most former Whigs, Know-Nothings and former Free Soil Democrats to form majorities in nearly every state.

Dred Scott argued that his period of residence on free soil mad him a free citizen. The Supreme Court disagreed with him.

series of debates between Abrahan Lincoln and Stephen Douglas for the Senate seat of Illnois. Douglas won reelection for his Senate seat.

Led a band to raid Harper's Ferry which was a federal arsenal. He planned to arm Virginia's slaves. Made South think the North was determined to end slavery.

Abrahan Linoln is electef for President of the United States.

after lincolns win, South Carolina seceded for the Unioon. Within six weeks many other Southern states would secede thereby creating the Confederate States of America.

Def: a fort controlled by federalists but claimed by the South before Civil War and when Lincoln sent in provisions the South attcked and the Civil Was began. Sig: started the Civil War and united Northereners for patriotic reasons.

Def: promoted settlement to the Great Plains by offering parcels of 160 acres of public land for free as long as you farm the land for at 5 years. Sig: encouraged western settlement to stimulate economy

Def: encouraged states to use the sell of federal land grants to maintain agricultural and technical colleges. Sig: stimulate economy and maintain educated farming practices.

Def: Lincoln decreed slaves to be free to maintain foriegn alliances and increase domestic support for the was; did not free slaves. Sig: maintained British- Northern alliance and increased fighting moral.

Def: Vicksburg- to take back all of the Misssissippi River for the South the North fought a 7 week battle and won cutting the South in half. Gettysburg- a plan by Lee to capture a Union army or city to force peace which led to battle; the bloodiest battle in which the South retreated. Sig: North had control of trade and split the South in half cutting of supplies; destroyed the South's army and led to Lee's destruction at Appamattox.

Def: after the fall of Richmond Lee escaped with lass than 30 000 of his men to Appottmox where he was forced to surrender to Grant who let all the men go home. Sig: officially ended the Civil War.

Def: while attending Ford's theatre in DC John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln and a coconspirator wounded Secretary of Stated William Seward. Sig: upset North with South even more and left country with bad leadership.

Def: a new agency created by congress which helped misplace blacks and whites; provide food, shelter, land, and education. Sig: helped many blacks and increased blakc education drastically.

Def: abolished any kind of servitude officially and forever. Sig: actually freed slaves.

Def: claimed by Russia and England; Russia had settlement but became burden and wished to sell to Seward and Senate because of Russia's support during war voted to buy it at 7.2 million. Sig: would not have great signifcance until much later.

Def: through Reconstruction acts the congress put the South in military ocupation and required readmitted states to ratify the 14 amendment and give the right to vote for all. Sig: made readmission more difficult and upset the south even more.

Def: Radicals passed a law that banned the removal of officers unless ok'ed by the Senate; Johnson removed Secretary of State and was impeaced for "11 misdemeannors" and lost by one vote. Sig: first impeachment and ended Johnson's term.

Def: said everyone born in America is a citizen has "equal protection" and "due process"; banned confedrates from office took money and land from Confederates and voting. Sig: made states uphold new amendments and gave more rights to all.

Def: the Union PAcific and Central Pacific Railroad companies used Chinese Irish Utah. Sig: connected rugged West with industrial East

Def: buying out and controlling oil rockefellor took hold of the oil trade and formed board of trustees. Sig: had hold on oil prices and could raise or lower at his whim.

Def: began as secret society to avoid detection; led by Terence Powderly; advocated work cooperatives abollition of child labor and monopolies; didn't advocate violence. Sig: May Day labor movement; increased Union members.

Def: Wyoming was the first state to allow female suffrage Sig: other states soon followed.

Def: battle between Sioux and U.S. government in which Colonel George Custer and won. Sig: made many tribes comply with state terms.

Def: after a very close vote a bargain was made between Hayes (Republican) and the Democratic candidate which included taking Federal troops out of the South. Sig: ended Reconstruction.

Def: one of the worst strike outbreaks in which Baltimore and Ohio railroad workers striked and gained momentum with 500,000 people in 11 states. Sig: after the stirke was put down some employers increased wages and/or bettered working conditions to prevent another strike.

Def: an attempt by their leader to take the Nez Pierce to Canada away from the U.S. army; it was defeated. Sig: constant pressure made tribe after tribe comply with state and federal laws.

Def: Garfield allowed a lot of halfbreeds to gain Federal jobs; one day while going to a train a deranged halfbreed who was not allowed a job shot him. Sig: Garfield died and Chester Arthur became President.

Def: a fromer slave who proposed and made an industrial and agricultural college where blacks could learn new skills and how to survive economically in the world; made in Tuskegee, Alabama. Sig: educated many blacks in order for them to survive and support thier familied in the real world.

Def: placed a ban on Chinese immigrants. Sig: restricted Chinese immigrants and other nationalities.

Def: created a system, in which applicants for federal jobs would be chosen on scores from and exam; also excluded civil servants from being politicians.

Def: a strike at McCormick's Harvester had all the strikers go to a meeting at Haymarket Square where knights of labor were present as well as anasrchists who threw a bomb. Sig: made many people think all unions were bad and many dispersed.

Def: led by Samuel Gompers who only advocated practical economic changes by peaceful walkouts. Sig: was the biggest union but made no drastic impacts till the early 1900's.

Def: a way which the federal government could seperate and civilize native americans; it provided 160 acres to a family and U.S. citizenship. Sig: reservation land was sold and indians were devastated by disease.

Def: houses were built to teach english to immigrants taught childhood education industrial arts and established nieghborhood schools. Sig: the basis of future social workers and advocated many reforms.

Def: a religious belief which preached the wealthy are wealthy because they are in God's favor and everyone can become rich. Sig: oushed many billionaires to become philanthropic.

Def: composed of articles on tenement life; he was the first photojournalist. Sig: was a muckracker and informed people about the bad living conditions of the cities.

Def: meant to break up trusts by banning any form of trusts or conspiraciesto control trade or commerce. Sig: it was too vague and did not apply to manufacturers which had little effect.

Def: a battle between the U.S. army and the Sioux indians known as the ghost dance movement and 200 indians were gunned down in the Dakotas. Sig: ended the indian battles.

Def: opened on the east coast in order to process and examine new immigrants. Sig: restricted immigrants and made a barrier between the U.S. and the immigrants.

Def: the government gave 160 acres to anyone who farmed the land for at least 5 years. Sig: encourage western settlement.

Def: caused by the corrupt railroad companies who fixed rates. Sig: 7 men controlled all the railroad lines and made the railroads more efficient.

Def: Pillman cut wages and would not negotiate as a result Eugene Debs told workers to strike companies then forced the government to help and an injunction was given to stop the strikes but many strikers were arrested. Sig: showed how companies controlled the country.

Def: Plessy was forced to move to the back of a train because he was black; he then sued the city which turned to the Supreme Court who deemed the city did not violate the fourteenth amendment as long as they gave him a place to sit-"seperate but equal." Sig: legalized segregation and encouraged Jim Crow laws which stirpped blacks rights.

Def: Bryan Democrat/Populist vs McKinley Republican; the main debate topic was silver vs. gold; the election produced the "Cross of Gold" speech by Bryan; McKinley won. Sig: corruption and stalemate decreased

Def: caused by American nationalism Cuban revolt yellow press (Hearst-DeLome letter) "Maine" explosion; Teller amendement initiated war but denied U.S. rule over Cuba; fighting first broke out in Phillipines with Roosevelt and new navy then we fought in Cuba and suffered heavy losses in due to illness. Sig: U.S. became world power

McKinleys Secretary of State asked Russia, Japan, Great Britain, France and German to accept the concept that all nations would have equal trading privileges in China.

- Spanish American War. Spanish are beaten here first then in Cuba.

inside the Temple of Music located on the grounds of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York.William McKinley,was shot twice by Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist.

became involved and set up a fact-finding commission that suspended the strike. The strike never resumed, as the miners received more pay for fewer hours; the owners got a higher price for coal, and did not recognize the trade union as a bargaining agent.

n 1903 the brothers built the powered Wright Flyer I, using their preferred material for construction, spruce, a strong and lightweight wood, and Pride of the West muslin for surface coverings. the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17

One of the first anti-trust suits filed. Teddy Roosevelt finally made use of the Sherman Anti-trust act against a company rather than a labor union.

Added to the Monroe Doctrine; saying the US would protect business interest in Latin America. Led to poor U.S. - L.A. relations.

Granted the US long-term control of the Panama canal zone

muckraking book which described the horrifying detasils fo the Chicago stockyards and meatpacking industry

Ford motor developed the first mass-produced affordable car

Covil rights organizations that worked to end segregation and improve economic advancement

was a four-way contest, William Howard Taft, Woodraw Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, Eugene Debs Wilson was elected

Progressive Amendment and Populist idea to directly elect senators

allowed for the direct election of Senators.

is the central banking system of the United States. It was created in 1913 with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, largely in response to a series of financial panics, particularly a severe panic in 1907

Strengthened Sherman Anti-Trust Act to break up monopolies (trusts). Exempted unions from being broken up.

is a 1915 American silent film co-written co-produced, and directed by D. W. Griffith and based on the novel and play The Clansman,

Raids along US-Mexican border. President Wilson sent the army to search for him, but he wasn't captured.

Isolationist foreign policy was encouraged by Congress's apprehensions about giving other countries a political door into US policies and the cultural melting pot of the United States' population

presented to Congress concerning peace when the war ended.

was the result of decades of effort by temperance movements and at the time was generally considered a progressive amendment.

one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers.

fears of socialism fueled by Communist takeover of Russia. Attorney General Palmer ordered arrests of arrestsof anarchists and Socialists.

Guranteed womens right to bote in all elections at the local, state, and national level.

Aimed at limiting the immigration of southern and eastern Europeans

Controversy/scandal during Harding's presidency concerning government accepting bribes for granting oil prices.

Court case which challenged the constitutionality of laws which made it illegal to teach the theory of evolution.

Klan membership had peaked in 1925. After that, the American Unity League tried to diminish its power by publishing the names of klansmen.

emerged from virtual obscurity to almost instantaneous world fame as the result of his Orteig Prize-winning solo non-stop flight on May, New York to Paris

famous case involving two Italian immigrants who had been convicted of murder and robbery.

First feature-length film with running (synchronized) dialogue. End of the silent-film era.

s a sudden dramatic decline of stock prices across a significant cross-section of a stock market, resulting in a significant loss of paper wealth. Crashes are driven by panic as much as by underlying economic factors.

a tariff with rates the highest in history on foreign imports in order to protect their markets from foreign business.

Weak response to Japan's aggression in China before WWII

a thousand unemployed WWI veterans marched on Washington to demand immediate payment of the bonuses promised to them at a later date.

s a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as President of the United States,. The programs were responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call the "3 Rs": relief, recovery, and reform.

the foreign policy of the administration of United States President Franklin Roosevelt toward the countries of Latin America. Its main principle was that of non-intervention and non-interference in the domestic affairs of Latin America.

was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that invalidated regulations of the poultry industry according to the nondelegation doctrine and as an invalid use of Congress' power under the commerce clause.

poor farming practices, drought, and high winds blew away millions of tons fo dried topsoil ruining the crops of the Great Plains.

the term used by commentators at the time[1] and historians ever since to characterize the second stage of the New Deal programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In his address to Congress in January 1935, Roosevelt called for three major goals: improved use of national resources, security against old age, unemployment and illness, and slum clearance, as well as a national welfare program (the WPA) to replace state relief efforts

Law that replaced the labor provisions of the National Recovery Administration that was declared unconstitutional.

federal insurance program based upon the automatic collection of taxes from employees and employers throughout peoples working careers.

Senator from Louisiana who gained attentiion by promising minimum income of 5,000- was killed

proposed by John L. Lewis in 1932, was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955.

FDR tried to add a new Supreme Court Justice for every justice over the age of 70. He wanted to do this because the SC was ruling against many of his New Deal programs. The court-packing plan failed.

was a temporary reversal of the pre-war 1933 to 1941 economic recovery from the Great Depression in the United States

Arms and ships for cash or credit to Great Britain. Seemed to break neutrality stance.

as a pivotal policy statement first issued in August 1941 that early in World War II defined the Allied goals for the post-war world. It was drafted by the United Kingdom and the United States, and later agreed to by all the Allies

Japanese surprise attack on the naval fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941

as the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States

was the invasion and establishment of Allied forces in Normandy, France, during Operation Overlord in World War II. The invasion was the largest amphibious operation in history.

Bill which assisted in transitioning the 15 million returning veterans to a peacetime economy.

the site at which the Big Three (Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin) agreed on what to do after victory in Europe.

articipants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The three nations were represented by Communist Party General Secretary Joseph Stalin, Prime Ministers Winston Churchill

he United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities These two events are the only active deployments of nuclear weapons in war to date.[2]

a metaphor used throughout the Cold War to refer to the Soviet satellite states of Eastern Europe

the policy taken by the United States for decades to combat the growth of Communism in other countries.

The U.S. gave 12 million dollars European countries to help after the wars casualties. France accepted and the Soviet Union refused

a republican sponsered law to check the growing power of unions.

was the first black Major League Baseball (MLB) player of the modern era.

was signed by United States President Harry S. Truman on July 26, 1947, and realigned and reorganized the U.S. Armed Forces, foreign policy, and Intelligence Community apparatus in the aftermath of World War II

British and American planes that sent supplies to the people of West Berlin after being cut off by the Soviet Union

as the greatest election upset in American history. Virtually every prediction (with or without public opinion polls) indicated that incumbent President Harry S. Truman would be defeated by Republican Thomas E. Dewey. Truman won, overcoming a three-way split in his own party

An organization formed to unite the U.S. with Allies. The Soviet Union responded with the Warsaw Pact.

The Second Red Scare included the Senator accusing many government officials of Communist ties, especially those in the State department.

was a military conflict between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China (PRC), with military material aid from the Soviet Union. The war was a result of the physical division of Korea by an agreement of the victorious Allies at the conclusion of the Pacific War at the end of World War II.

were American communists who were executed in 1953 for conspiracy to commit espionage during a time of war. The charges related to passing information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. This was the first execution of civilians for espionage in United States history

The desegregation of all public schools. Thurgood Marsahll was the lawyer, which would become the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, the decision was ruled by Chief Justice Earl Warren. Overturning the case of Plessy v. Fergurson.

split Vietnam at the 17th parallel following the French-Indochina War between Ho Chi Minh's Vietminh and the French

McCarthy's bullying tactics and lack of evidence caused the public to turn against him, especially after his army hearings were televised.

Boycott against how Rosa Parks was arrested for not getting of her seat. Started the civil rights movement.

A highway had to be constructed to travel between states. when Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law. With an original authorization of 25 billion dollars for the construction of the Interstate Highway System supposedly over a 20-year period, it was the largest public works project in American history through that time

Nine students who would get to be part of of a desegregated high school.

A Russian satellite, which was the first to be launched succesfully into space. Started the Space Race.

during the Cold War on May 1, 1960, during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower and during the leadership of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, when a United States U-2 spy plane was shot down over Soviet Union airspace.

Civil Rights tactic of sitting in segregated restaurants until being served or removed. Kicks off in Greensboro, NC at Woolworth's lunch counter.

"a farewell speech to the nation that reflected his preoccupation with international relations and world peace. While calling attention to what he saw as the ongoing threat posed by Communism, he also warned Americans to be careful to limit the increasing power of what he called ""the military-industrial complex"

In April 1961, th CIA trained force Cubans landed at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba, but it failed to set off an uprising there.

civil rights activists that rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States to test the United States Supreme Court decision Boynton v. Virginia

is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government,.The mission of the Peace Corps includes: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping Americans to understand the cultures of other countries.

A U.S. aircraft spotted a Russian base filled with missles in Cuba.

book that encouraged middle class women to seek fulfillment in professional careers rather confining themselves to the roles of housewives.

"A march which represented MLK's ""I have a dream"" speech. Attended by some 250,000 people, it was the largest demonstration ever seen in the nation's capital, and one of the first to have extensive television coverage

thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was fatally shot while traveling with his wife Jacqueline, Texas governor John Connally, and the latter's wife, Nellie, in a Presidential motorcade

was a set of domestic programs proposed or enacted in the United States on the initiative of President Lyndon B. Johnson. Two main goals of the Great Society social reforms were the elimination of poverty and racial injustice

A movement led by MLK toward equal rights.

after the naval incident in the Gulf of Tonkin off Vietnams coast to secure congressional authorization for U.S. forces going into combat.

Malcolm X began to speak to a meeting of the Organization of Afro-American Unity when a disturbance broke out in the crowd of 400 when he was shot 16 times at Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom

U.S. casualties were attacked by vietnam therefore Johnson declared war with vietnam sending planes to attack and leading to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

abolished the practice of collecting a poll tac and literacy test, and provided federal registrars in areas in which blacks were kept from voting.

a large-scale riot which lasted 6 days in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in August 1965. Though the riots began in August, there had previously been a buildup of racial tension in the area.

had a significant impact on law enforcement in the United States, by making what became known as the Miranda rights part of routine police procedure to ensure that suspects were informed of their rights.

the Vietcong launched an all out,surprise attack almost every provincial capital and American base in South Vietnam

where he announced that the bobbing of vietnam will end. Were he said that he will not seek for office the following year.

A civils right leader, assassinated because of discrimination and hate of white supremacy. a prominent American leader of the African-American civil rights movement and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39.

took place shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California. After winning the California primary election for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, Kennedy was shot as he walked through the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel

The Democratic Convention in 1968 was chaotic after its front runner Robert F. Kennedy had been assassinated. War protesters had flooded the city to demonstrate against Johnson's war policies, and his vice president Hubert Humphrey.

is a Native American activist organization in the United States. In October 1973 the American Indian Movement gathered its forces from across the country onto the Trail of Broken Treaties, championing Indian unity. The national AIM agenda focused on spirituality, leadership, and sovereignty

was the 46th quadrennial United States presidential election. the Republican nominee, former Vice President Richard Nixon won the election over the Democratic nominee, Vice President Hubert Humphrey

One of America's greatest achievement because they beat China and Russia in the Space Race into launching a man into space.

Withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam and gave South Vietnam money, weapons, and training that they needed to take over the full of conduct of the war.

was the mass murder of 504 citizens in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968, conducted by a unit of the United States Army. All of the victims were civilians and most were women, children, and elderly people. Many of the victims were raped, beaten, tortured, and some of the bodies were found mutilated

protest an universtiy campuses, four students killed by national guard

is a top-secret United States Department of Defense history of the United States' political-military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. The papers were first brought to the attention of the public on the front page of the New York Times in 1971

Nixons diplomatic visit to China in 1972. Extremely important for a Western Country to recognize Mao and the Communist government of China rather than the government of Taiwan/Formosa as the rightful government.

break in of the Democratic Headquarters in Watergate Hotel by members of committee

Negotiation between US and USSR to reduce the number of nuclear missiles each side has. Followed Nixon's policy of detente, or easing of tensions.

A trial concerning privacy rights concerning abortion; the court ruled that after the first tri-mester the could not undergo the process of abortion.

OPEC is an oil organization and the embargo stop its supply of the oil of those who supported Israel.

About to be impeached, so he resingned. The Supreme Court and House of Representatives found out that he was abusing his powers.

Provided for transition of ownership of the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999. The US had owned it since 1903.

Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering a peace settlement between Egypt and Israel.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan reignited tension between the United States and Soviet Union.

During the Iranian Revolution in 1979, student protesters took over the US embassy taking hostage fifty-two Americans for 444 days. Ruined the presidency of Carter.

Reagan's policy of giving tax breaks to the rich with the idea that they spend more money so they will improve the economy. Also known as trickle-down economics. Failed to reduce the poverty levels.

Suicide bombing of a US embassy in Syria. Seen to be the beginning of the US-Muslim Terrorist tensions.

Fearing a Communist takeover of the tiny island country north of Venezuela, President Reagan sent in Marines to lead a coup against the government. Controversial action by the US during the Cold War.

Illegal sale of arms to Iran in order to release hostages and with the hope that the funds could then be funneled to support the Nicaraguan contras.

Treaty between the US and Russia to limit the number of intermediate range missiles each side owns. A positive sign that the Cold War was ending.

The long standing symbol of the Cold War fell when East Germany and West Germany demanded reunification. This was only made possible after successful attempts by other Soviet bloc countries attempted independence.

A war that took place in Kuwait, which Saddam Hussein had invaded, for oil. Also known as the operation Desert Storm.

The dissolve happens after the cold war due to the loss of its power and influence.

A bombing that had the most deaths and considered the worst domestic terrorist attack until 9/11.

A bipartisan agreement signed by Clinton in 1997 that agreed to balance the budget by 2002. It did so by slowing the growth of entitlement programs and tax breaks. The plan worked.

A trial accused Clinton of corruption for having affairs with his secretary.

The fall of the twin towers by a terrorist group named Al-Qaueda. As a result the patriot act was developed to strictly watch over the U.S.