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US Hist Key Events
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| 13 Colonies | The original British colonies in North America that later formed the United States: Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. |
| 13th Amendment | Abolished slavery in the United States (1865). |
| 14th Amendment | Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and guaranteed equal protection under the law (1868). |
| 15th Amendment | Gave African American men the right to vote (1870). |
| Abraham Lincoln | The 16th President of the U.S. who led the country during the Civil War and issued the Emancipation Proclamation. |
| Abolitionism | The movement to end slavery in the United States. |
| Affordable Care Act | A 2010 healthcare reform law aimed at expanding access to health insurance and reducing healthcare costs. |
| Articles of Confederation | The first constitution of the United States, adopted in 1781. It created a weak central government and was later replaced by the U.S. Constitution. |
| Barack Obama | The 44th President of the U.S. (2009-2017) and the first African American president. |
| Bill of Rights | The first ten amendments to the Constitution, added in 1791, guaranteeing individual liberties and rights. |
| Civil Rights Act of 1964 | A law that banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. |
| Civil Rights Movement | A struggle in the 1950s and 1960s to end racial segregation and gain equal rights for African Americans. |
| Civil War | The war between the northern (Union) and southern (Confederate) states from 1861 to 1865 over slavery and states' rights. |
| Cold War | A period of political tension and military rivalry (1945-1991) between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, without direct warfare. |
| Colonization | The process by which European countries established settlements and control over territories in the Americas, beginning in the late 15th century. |
| D-Day | June 6, 1944; the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France, a major turning point in World War II. |
| Declaration of Independence | A document adopted on July 4, 1776, in which the 13 colonies declared their independence from Britain. Written mainly by Thomas Jefferson. |
| Emancipation Proclamation | A 1863 order by President Lincoln freeing slaves in Confederate-held territory. |
| End of the Cold War | Marked by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, ending decades of U.S.-Soviet tensions. |
| Federalism | A system of government in which power is shared between a central (federal) government and individual states. |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) | President during the Great Depression and most of World War II; created the New Deal programs. |
| George Washington | Commander of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and the first President of the United States. |
| Gettysburg Address | A brief but powerful speech by Lincoln in 1863, honoring fallen soldiers and emphasizing national unity and equality. |
| Gilded Age | A period of economic growth and extreme wealth (late 1800s), but also marked by political corruption and inequality. |
| Globalization | The increasing connection of economies, cultures, and populations across the world through trade, technology, and communication. |
| Great Depression | A severe worldwide economic downturn during the 1930s, starting with the U.S. stock market crash in 1929. |
| Great Recession (2008) | A severe economic crisis triggered by the housing market crash and banking failures in 2008. |
| Immigration Reform | Efforts to change immigration laws to address issues such as undocumented immigrants, border security, and visa programs. |
| Industrialization | The transformation from an agricultural to an industrial society, marked by growth in factories and mass production. |
| Jim Crow Laws | State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the South after Reconstruction. |
| Louisiana Purchase | The 1803 purchase of French territory west of the Mississippi River that doubled the size of the U.S. |
| Manifest Destiny | The belief that it was the U.S.'s destiny to expand across North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, often used to justify territorial acquisition. |
| Martin Luther King Jr. | A civil rights leader who advocated for nonviolent resistance and delivered the famous 'I Have a Dream' speech. |
| Monroe Doctrine | A U.S. policy, declared in 1823, stating that European interference in the Americas would be seen as a hostile act. |
| New Deal | A series of programs and reforms created by FDR to provide economic relief, recovery, and reform during the Great Depression. |
| Nixon and Watergate | A political scandal in the 1970s involving President Nixon's abuse of power and cover-up of a break-in; led to his resignation. |
| Pearl Harbor | A surprise attack by Japan on a U.S. naval base in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, prompting U.S. entry into WWII. |
| Progressive Era | A time of social and political reform (1890s-1920s) aimed at fixing problems caused by industrialization. |
| Reaganomics | President Ronald Reagan's economic policy, which emphasized tax cuts, deregulation, and reduced government spending. |
| Reconstruction | The period after the Civil War (1865-1877) when the southern states were reorganized and reintegrated into the Union. |
| Revolutionary War | The war between the American colonies and Great Britain (1775-1783) in which the colonies fought for and won independence. |
| Thomas Jefferson | Author of the Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and responsible for the Louisiana Purchase. |
| Theodore Roosevelt | A Progressive president known for trust-busting, conservation efforts, and the 'Square Deal' reforms. |
| U.S. Constitution | The supreme law of the United States, adopted in 1787, establishing the framework for the federal government. |
| Vietnam War | A conflict (1955-1975) in which the U.S. supported South Vietnam against communist North Vietnam; highly controversial at home. |
| War of 1812 | A conflict between the U.S. and Britain (1812-1815) over issues like trade restrictions and British support of Native Americans. |
| War on Terror | A global campaign launched by the U.S. after 9/11 to eliminate terrorist groups and their supporters. |
| World War I | A global war (1914-1918); the U.S. joined in 1917 on the side of the Allies, helping to end the conflict. |
| World War II | A global conflict from 1939 to 1945 involving the Allies and Axis powers; the U.S. joined after the attack on Pearl Harbor. |
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