17th & 18th Centuries
the first permanent English settlement founded in 1609
Jamestown
the 1803 acquisition of French territory, doubling U.S. land under President Jefferson
Louisiana Purchase
the late 19th-century era of industrialization, wealth inequality, and political corruption
Gilded Age
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people
9/11
only president to win unanimous election
English settlers seeking religious freedom who founded a colony
Pilgrims
conflict with Britain, reinforcing U.S. sovereignty and nationalism.
War of 1812
the early 20th-century period of social, political, and economic reforms.
Progressive Era
a global health crisis that disrupted societies and economies on an unprecedented scale
COVID-19 Pandemic
early 20th-century investigative journalists, like Upton Sinclair, exposing corruption and social issues
muckrakers
the settlement established by the Pilgrims
Plymouth
the 19th-century belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America
manifest destiny
the 1898 conflict resulting in U.S. control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines
Spanish-American War
the terrorist group, led by Osama bin Laden, responsible for the 9/11 attacks
Al-Qaeda
the "father of the Constitution"
James Madison
A British tax on colonial paper goods, sparking protests and cries of “no taxation without representation.”
Stamp Act
conflict between the Union and Confederate states over states’ rights & slavery
Civil War (War Between the States)
the 1930s economic crisis following the 1929 stock market crash
Great Depression
2001–2021 war to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power
Afghanistan War
the president of the Confederate States of America
Jefferson Davis
the 1754–1763 conflict between Britain and France over North American territory
French & Indian War
the 1865–1877 period to rebuild the South and integrate freed slaves into society
Reconstruction
period of global geopolitical rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union
Cold War
the 2001 law expanding government surveillance powers to prevent terrorism.
Patriot Act
the infamous senator who uncovered and alleged vast communist conspiracy in US government
Joseph McCarthy
the description colonial trade network between Europe, Africa, and the Americas
triangular trade
the 1823 policy opposing European intervention in the Americas
Monroe Doctrine
the 1950s–1960s struggle for racial equality, led by figures like Martin Luther King Jr
Civil Rights Movement
2003–2011 war to oust Saddam Hussein, based on claims of weapons of mass destruction
Iraq War
the "King of Rock & Roll"
Elvis
a religious revival in the 1730s–1740s that influenced colonial culture and identity
Great Awakening
the 1857 Supreme Court ruling denying citizenship and rights to African Americans
Dred Scott decision
the June 6, 1944, Allied invasion of Normandy, France, a turning point in the European theate
D-Day
the U.S. military detention facility established in 2002 to hold suspected terrorists
Guantanamo Bay
n FBI program (1956–1971) targeting political groups, including civil rights leaders, through surveillance and disruption
COINTELRPO
British policy prohibiting colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains
Proclamation of 1763
conflict resulting in U.S. acquisition of the Southwest and California
Mexican War
FDR’s 1930s programs to address the Great Depression through relief, recovery, and reform
New Deal
a conservative political movement starting in 2009, advocating for lower taxes and limited government
Tea Party Movement
the only two presidents to win 49/50 states in an election
Nixon & Reagan
the economic system in colonial America where colonies served the mother country’s trade interests
mercantilism
a series of laws balancing free and slave state interests, delaying Civil War tensions
Compromise of 1850
a series of 1930s U.S. laws aimed at preventing American involvement in foreign wars
Neutrality Acts
the 2011 protest movement against economic inequality and corporate influence
Occupy Wall Street Movement
outspoken US senator from Louisiana who criticized FDR during Great Depression, assassinated
Huey Long
the division of power between national and state governments under the Constitution.
federalism
an 1850 law requiring the return of escaped enslaved people
Fugitive Slave Act
the U.S. policy of stopping the spread of communism
containment
the 2010 Supreme Court ruling allowing unlimited corporate and union spending in elections
Citizens United vs. FCC
a 1920s Harding administration scandal involving secret leasing of federal oil reserves, exposing government corruption
Teapot Dome Scandal