Outline of United States history

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the history of the United States.

By period

Named eras and periods

These multi-year periods are commonly identified in American history. The existence and dating of some of these periods is debated by historians.

Plantation era (c. 1700–c. 1860)
First Great Awakening (1730s–1740s)
American Revolution (1775–1783)
Second Great Awakening (c. 1800–c. 1840)
First-wave feminism (19th century–early 20th century)
Manifest Destiny (c. 1812–c. 1860)
Era of Good Feelings (c. 1817–c. 1825)
the Slave Power (c. 1840–c. 1875)
California Gold Rush (1848–1855)
American Civil War (1861-1865)
Reconstruction era (c. 1865–1877)
Gilded Age (1869–c. 1896)
Jim Crow era (1876–1965)
Gay Nineties (1890s)
Nadir of American race relations (c. 1890–1940)
Progressive Era (1890s–1920s)
Lochner era (c. 1897–c. 1937)
American Century (20th century)
Great Migration (c. 1910–c. 1940)
First Red Scare (1917–1920)
Prohibition in the United States (1919–1933)
Roaring Twenties (1920s)
Jazz Age (1920s)
Great Depression (1929–1939)
Dust Bowl (1930–1936)
New Deal era (1933–1938)
Second Great Migration (c. 1941–c. 1970)
Cold War (1947–1991)
Second Red Scare (1947–1957)
Space Race (1957–1975)
Second-wave feminism (1960s–1970s)
New Great Migration (1965–present)
Détente (c. 1969–1979)
1970s energy crisis (1973–1980)
Reagan Era (1980–2008?)
Neoconservatism (1980s and 90s)
Dot-com bubble (c. 1995–2000)
United States housing bubble (c. 2001–c. 2005)
War on Terror (2001–present?)

Political parties

First Party System (c. 1792–c. 1824)
Second Party System (c. 1828–c. 1854)
Third Party System (c. 1854–c. 1896)
Fourth Party System (c. 1896–c. 1932)
Fifth Party System (c. 1933–present)

Wars

See List of wars involving the United States.

Timelines and lists

15th century

1490s

On October 12, 1492, three Spanish ships under the command of Cristoforo Colombo (Christopher Columbus) landed on the Lucayan island of Guanahani which he names San Salvador (The Savior).
On November 14, 1493, a Spanish fleet under the command of Columbus lands on a large inhabited island which he names Santa Cruz (Holy Cross, now Saint Croix). Columbus then visits and names San Tomas (Saint Thomas) and San Juan (Saint John). Columbus names the archipelago Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes (Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgins, now the Virgin Islands).
On November 19, 1493, Columbus lands on the large Taíno island of Borikén which he names San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist, now Puerto Rico).

16th century

1500s

On August 8, 1508, Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León establishes Capárra, the first European settlement on the island of San Juan Bautista.

1510s

On Easter Sunday, April 2, 1513, a Spanish expedition led by Juan Ponce de León lands on a huge inhabited island (later determined to be a continental peninsula) which he names La Pascua Florida (the Feast of Flowers, now Florida).

1520s

On March 6, 1521, three Spanish ships under the command of Fernão de Magalhães (Ferdinand Magellan) land on the Island of Guam after a seemingly endless eleven week voyage across the Pacific Ocean. Magellan names the archipelago Las Isles de las Velas Latinas (The Islands of the Latine Sails). When the Spaniards refuse to pay for supplies, natives take iron from the ships. Magellan renames the archipelago Las Islas de los Ladrones (The Islands of the Thieves).

1540s

A Spanish expedition led by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo lands at a bay of the Pacific Ocean which he names San Miguel (Saint Michael, now San Diego, California) on September 28, 1542.

1550s

A Spanish expedition led by Tristán de Luna y Arellano establishes a colony at Santa Maria de Ochuse (Pensacola, Florida) on August 15, 1559.
- A hurricane destroys most of the Ochuse colony five weeks later on September 19, 1559.

1560s

Jean Ribault explores the Atlantic coast of Florida for France in 1562.
French Huguenots led by René Goulaine de Laudonnière establish Fort de la Caroline on June 22, 1564
Spanish Governor Pedro Menéndez de Avilés establishes a colony about 10 leagues (56 kilometers or 35 miles) farther south at San Agustín (Saint Augustine) on September 8, 1565
Spanish Governor Pedro Menéndez de Avilés captures Fort de la Caroline on September 20, 1565
- Governor Menéndez orders the execution of 140 Huguenots from Fort de la Caroline and orders fort rebuilt as Fuerte San Mateo on September 29, 1565
- Governor Menéndez orders the execution of Jean Ribault and 350 shipwrecked Huguenots on October 12, 1565
French raiders led by Dominique de Gourgues destroy Fuerte San Mateo and murder all its defenders on April 27–28, 1567

1570s

Spanish Jesuit priests establish Mission Santa Maria on Ajacán (the Virginia Peninsula) on September 10, 1570 – 1572

1580s

Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth adopt the new Gregorian calendar on October 15, 1582 (New Style)
English establish Roanoke Colony on Roanoke Island in Virginia (now North Carolina) in July 1585

1590s

A resupply party finds the Roanoke Colony dismantled and deserted on August 18, 1590
Spanish Governor Juan de Oñate Salazar founds the colony of Santa Fé de Nuevo Méjico (New Mexico) at San Juan de los Caballeros on July 11, 1598

17th century

1600s

French establish the colony of l'Acadie (Acadia) on Île Sainte-Croix (Saint Croix Island, Maine), June 1604 – 1605
English establish the Virginia Colony on Jamestown Island on May 14, 1607
English establish the Popham Colony along the Kennebec River (Maine) on August 13, 1607 – August 1607
First Anglo-Powhatan War, 1609–1613

1610s

Spanish Governor Pedro de Peralta moves the capital of Santa Fé de Nuevo Méjico (New Mexico) from San Juan de los Caballeros to La Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís (Santa Fe) in 1610

1620s

English Puritans establish the Newe-Plymouth Colony on November 11, 1620
Netherlanders establish the province of Nieuw-Nederland (New Netherland) along the Hudson River in May 1624
English Puritans establish the Newe-England Colony on September 6, 1628
King Charles I of England grants the Newe-England Colony a royal charter as the Governour and Company of the Mattachusetts Bay in Newe-England on March 4, 1629

1630s

The Town of Boston is chartered and named capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, September 7, 1630
English Puritans establish the Saybrook Colony along the Connecticut River, 1635
English Puritans establish the River Colony along the Connecticut River, March 3, 1636
Roger Williams establishes the Colony of Providence, June 1636
Pequot War, July 20, 1636 – May 26, 1637
Swedish establish the colony of Nya Sverige (New Sweden) along the Delaware River, March 29, 1638
English establish the Newe-Haven Colony, April 14, 1638
Anne Hutchinson establishes the first of the colonies of Rhode Island, 1638

1640s

The Long Parliament grants a charter for the Colony of Providence Plantations including the Colony of Providence and the colonies of Rhode Island, March 1644
Second Anglo-Powhatan War, 1644–1646
The Connecticut Colony annexes the Saybrook Colony, 1644

1660s

King Charles II of England grants the River Colony a royal charter as the Colony of Connecticut, May 1662
King Charles II of England grants a royal charter for the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, 1663
England seizes New Netherland from the Netherlands, August 27, 1664. England splits New Netherland into the Province of New-York and the Province of New-Jersey.
The Colony of Connecticut annexes the New-Haven Colony, January 5, 1665
Second Anglo-Dutch War, March 4, 1665 – July 31, 1667

1670s

Third Anglo-Dutch War, April 7, 1672 – March 5, 1674
- A Netherlands fleet under the command of Cornelis Evertsen de Jongste captures the Province of New-York, August 1673.
- Netherlands military government of New Netherland, August 1673 – March 5, 1674
- Treaty of Westminster, February 19, 1674
- England regains control of the Province of New-York, March 5, 1674
The Province of New-Jersey is split into the Province of East Jersey and the Province of West Jersey, March 18, 1673
King Philip's War, June 8, 1675 – August 12, 1676

1680s

Pueblo Revolt in Santa Fé de Nuevo Méjico, August 10, 1680 – September 14, 1692
- Popé leads revolt of Puebloan peoples against Spanish rule, European culture, and Christian religion, August 10, 1680
- Spanish settlers flee Santa Fé for El Paso del Norte, August 21, 1680
- New Spanish Governor Diego de Vargas Zapata y Luján Ponce de León y Contreras reconquers Santa Fé de Nuevo Méjico, September 14, 1692
King Charles II of England grants William Penn a charter for the Province of Pennsylvania, March 4, 1681
William Penn leases the three lower counties on the Delaware River (Delaware) from James, Duke of York, March 1682
William Penn writes the first Frame of Government of Pennsylvania (including the three lower counties on the Delaware River), April 2, 1682
Dominion of New-England in America, June 3, 1686 – May 18, 1689
- England creates the Dominion of New-England in America to rule the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, the Colony of New-Plymouth, the Province of New-Hampshire, the Province of Main, and the Narraganset Country or King's Province, June 3, 1686
- England adds the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and the Connecticut Colony to the Dominion of New England in America, September 9, 1686
- England adds the Province of New-York, the Province of East Jersey, and the Province of West Jersey to the Dominion of New-England in America, May 7, 1688
- The government of the Dominion of New-England in America collapses, May 18, 1689. The Colony of Massachusetts Bay, the Colony of New-Plymouth, the Province of New-Hampshire, the Province of Main, the Narraganset Country or King's Province as the Dominion of New-England in America, the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, the Connecticut Colony the Province of New-York, the Province of East Jersey, and the Province of West Jersey resume their previous self-governance.
King William's War, 1689 – September 20, 1697
- Treaty of Ryswick, September 20, 1697

1690s

English diarchs William and Mary organize the Province of Massachusetts Bay as a crown colony including the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the New-Plymouth Colony, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket Island, the Province of Maine, and the English claims in Nova Scotia, October 7, 1691
Governor Francis Nicholson moves the capital of the Province of Maryland from Saint Mary's City to Anne Arundel's Towne which he renames Annapolis, 1694

18th century

1700s

England reunites the Province of East Jersey and the Province of West Jersey as the Province of New-Jersey
Queen Anne's War, 1702 – April 11, 1713
- Treaty of Utrecht, April 11, 1713
William Penn grants the three lower counties on the Delaware River their own General Assembly, making Delaware a semi-autonomous region of the Province of Pennsylvania, November 1704 – July 4, 1776
The Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland unite to become the Kingdom of Great Britain on May 1, 1707. England's colonies become British colonies.

1710s

Tuscarora War, 1711 – February 11, 1715
France cedes l'Acadie to England with the Treaty of Utrecht, April 11, 1713
Yamasee War, 1715–1717

1720s

Dummer's War, 1721–1725

1730s

King George II of Great Britain grants James Oglethorpe a charter for the Province of Georgia, April 21, 1732
War of Jenkins' Ear, 1739–1748

1740s

King George's War, 1740 – October 18, 1748
- Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, October 18, 1748

1750s

Spain establishes El Presidio Reál San Ignacio de Tubac in Sonora y Sinaloa (now Arizona), June 2, 1752
The Kingdom of Great Britain and the British Empire adopt the Gregorian calendar, September 14, 1752
French and Indian War, May 28, 1754 – February 10, 1763
- Britain orders all French Acadians to leave Nova Scotia in Le Grand Dérangement, August 11, 1755
- Treaty of Paris, February 10, 1763

1760s

Pontiac's Rebellion, 1763–1767
Royal Proclamation of 1763, October 7, 1763
- British Indian Reserve, October 7, 1763 – September 3, 1783
War of the Regulation, 1764–1771
Spain establishes El Presidio Reál de San Diego in California, May 14, 1769

1770s

British troops kill five civilians in Boston on March 5, 1770
Spain establishes colony of Las Californias, June 3, 1770 – March 26, 1804
- Spain establishes El Presidio Reál de San Carlos de Monterey on June 3, 1770
Dunmore's War, 1773–1774
The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Massachusetts Government Act on May 20, 1774
- The Massachusetts Provincial Congress is organized on October 7, 1774, in response to the Massachusetts Government Act
American Revolutionary War, April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783
- Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775
- The Province of New Hampshire adopts a constitution for an independent State of New Hampshire, January 5, 1776
- The Province of South Carolina adopts a constitution for an independent State of South Carolina on March 15, 1776
- The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations declares its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain on May 4, 1776
- The Colony of Connecticut declares its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain on June 18, 1776
- The Colony of Virginia adopts a constitution for an independent Commonwealth of Virginia on June 29, 1776
- The Province of New Jersey adopts a constitution for an independent State of New Jersey on July 2, 1776
- The 13 British North American provinces of Virginia, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Delaware, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia united as the United States of America declare their independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain on July 4, 1776
- The Republic of New Connecticut declares its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain on January 15, 1777
- The Republic of New Connecticut changes its name to Vermont on June 2, 1777
- Battles of Saratoga on September 19 and October 7, 1777
- Battle of the Chesapeake on September 5, 1781
- Siege of Yorktown, September 28 – October 19, 1781
- Treaty of Paris signed on September 3, 1783
Spain establishes El Presidio Reál de San Francisco de Asis in Las Californias, September 17, 1776
English explorer James Cook becomes the first European to visit the Hawaiian Islands which he names the Sandwich Islands, January 18, 1778

1780s

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts takes effect on October 25, 1780, changing the name of the State of Massachusetts Bay.
Spain establishes El Presidio Reál de Santa Barbara in Las Californias, April 21, 1782
Northwest Indian War, 1785 – August 3, 1795
- Treaty of Greenville, August 3, 1795
Shays' Rebellion, August 29, 1786 – May 25, 1787
The Philadelphia Convention writes a new Constitution of the United States, May 25, 1787 – September 17, 1787
The Congress of the Confederation organizes the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, July 13, 1787
The State of Delaware becomes the 1st state to ratify the US Constitution on December 7, 1787^[1]
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania becomes the 2nd state to ratify the US Constitution on December 12, 1787^[1]
The State of New Jersey becomes the 3rd state to ratify the US Constitution on December 18, 1787^[1]
The State of Georgia becomes the 4th state to ratify the US Constitution on January 2, 1788^[1]
The State of Connecticut becomes the 5th state to ratify the US Constitution on January 9, 1788^[1]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts becomes the 6th state to ratify the US Constitution on February 6, 1788^[1]
The State of Maryland becomes the 7th state to ratify the US Constitution on April 28, 1788^[1]
The State of South Carolina becomes the 8th state to ratify the US Constitution on May 23, 1788^[1]
The US Constitution takes effect when the State of New Hampshire becomes the 9th state to ratify the document on June 21, 1788^[1]
The Commonwealth of Virginia becomes the 10th state to ratify the US Constitution on June 25, 1788^[1]
The State of New York becomes the 11th state to ratify the US Constitution on July 26, 1788^[1]
A new government under the US Constitution comes into being on March 4, 1789
George Washington becomes the 1st President of the United States on April 30, 1789^[1]
The State of North Carolina becomes the 12th state to ratify the US Constitution on November 21, 1789^[1]

1790s

The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations becomes the 13th state to ratify the US Constitution on May 29, 1790^[1]
The Vermont Republic is admitted to the Union as the State of Vermont (the 14th state) on March 4, 1791
Whiskey Rebellion, 1791–1794
The United States Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, takes effect on December 15, 1791
The United States sells the Erie Triangle to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, March 3, 1792
The District of Kentucky of the Commonwealth of Virginia is admitted to the Union as the Commonwealth of Kentucky (the 15th state) on June 1, 1792
The Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, February 7, 1795
The Territory South of the River Ohio is admitted to the Union as the State of Tennessee (the 16th state) on June 1, 1796
John Adams becomes the 2nd President of the United States on March 4, 1797
The Territory of Mississippi is organized, April 7, 1798
Quasi-War, 1798–1800

19th century

1800s

The Territory of Indiana is organized, May 7, 1800
Thomas Jefferson becomes the 3rd President of the United States on March 4, 1801
First Barbary War, 1801–1805
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio is admitted to the Union as the State of Ohio (the 17th state) on March 1, 1803
The United States takes possession of the Louisiana Purchase, December 20, 1803
Spanish creates the colony of Alta California from northern portion of Las Californias, March 26, 1804 – August 24, 1821
Lewis and Clark Expedition, May 14, 1804 – September 23, 1806
- Lewis and Clark Expedition reaches the Pacific Ocean, November 18, 1805
The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, June 15, 1804
Battle of Sitka, October 1804
The Territory of Orleans is organized and the District of Louisiana is created, October 1, 1804
The Territory of Michigan is organized, June 30, 1805
The Territory of Louisiana is organized, July 4, 1805
Pike Expedition, July 15, 1806 – July 1, 1807
- Spanish cavalry arrests Pike Expedition, February 26, 1807
The Territory of Illinois is organized, March 1, 1809
James Madison becomes the 4th President of the United States on March 4, 1809

1810s

Mexican War of Independence, September 16, 1810 – August 24, 1821
- Grito de Dolores on September 16, 1810
- Treaty of Córdoba signed on August 24, 1821
The Republic of West Florida declares its independence from Spain, September 23, 1810
The United States unilaterally annexes the Florida Parishes of Spanish Florida Occidental, October 27, 1810
Tecumseh's War, 1811
A tremendous earthquake strikes the region around New Madrid in the Territory of Louisiana (Missouri), February 7, 1812
The Territory of Orleans is admitted to the Union as the State of Louisiana (the 18th state) on April 30, 1812
The Territory of Louisiana is renamed the Territory of Missouri on June 4, 1812
War of 1812, June 18, 1812 – March 23, 1815
- The United States declares war on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on June 18, 1812
- Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813
- Battle of Bladensburg on August 24, 1814
- Burning of Washington on August 24, 1814
- Battle of Plattsburgh, September 6, 1814 – September 11, 1814
- Battle of Baltimore, September 12, 1814 – September 15, 1814
- Treaty of Ghent signed on December 24, 1814
- Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815
Creek War, 1813–1814
First Seminole War, 1814–1819
Second Barbary War, March 3, 1815 – December 23, 1816
- The United States declares war on Algiers, March 3, 1815
The Territory of Indiana is admitted to the Union as the State of Indiana (the 19th state) on December 11, 1816
The Territory of Alabama is organized, March 3, 1817
James Monroe becomes the 5th President of the United States on March 4, 1817
The Territory of Mississippi is admitted to the Union as the State of Mississippi (the 20th state) on December 10, 1817
The Territory of Illinois is admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois (the 21st state) on December 3, 1818.
The Territory of Arkansaw is organized, July 4, 1819
The Territory of Alabama is admitted to the Union as the State of Alabama (the 22nd state) on December 14, 1819

1820s

The District of Maine of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is admitted to the Union as the State of Maine (the 23rd state) on March 15, 1820
The Adams-Onis Treaty establishes the boundary between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain, February 22, 1821
The southeastern portion of the Territory of Missouri is admitted to the Union as the State of Missouri (the 24th state) on August 10, 1821. The remainder of the Missouri Territory becomes unorganized.
The Territory of Florida is organized, March 30, 1822
The Russo-American Treaty establishes the boundary between Russian Alaska and the Oregon Country at the parallel 54°40′ north, January 12, 1825
John Quincy Adams becomes the 6th President of the United States on March 4, 1825
Winnebago War, 1827
Andrew Jackson becomes the 7th President of the United States on March 4, 1829

1830s

Nat Turner's slave rebellion, August 21, 1831 – August 22, 1831
Black Hawk War, 1832
Second Seminole War, 1835–1842
Toledo War, 1835–1836
Texas Revolution, October 2, 1835 – October 2, 1836
- Battle of the Alamo, February 23, 1836 – March 6, 1836
- Texas Declaration of Independence, March 2, 1836
- Battle of San Jacinto, April 21, 1836
Texas-Indian Wars, May 19, 1836 – June 2, 1875
- Fort Parker massacre, May 19, 1836
- Council House massacre, March 19, 1840
The Territory of Arkansaw is admitted to the Union as the State of Arkansas (the 25th state) on June 15, 1836
The Territory of Wisconsin is organized, July 3, 1836
The United States buys the Platte Purchase from the recently relocated Iowa, Sac, and Fox nations, September 17, 1836. The purchase includes the region east of the Missouri River, south of Sullivan Line, and west of the mouth of the Kaw (Kansas) River.
The Territory of Michigan is admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan (the 26th state) on January 26, 1837
Martin Van Buren becomes the 8th President of the United States on March 4, 1837
The Platte Purchase is annexed to the State of Missouri, March 28, 1837
Missouri Mormon War, August 6, 1838 – November 1, 1838
The Territory of Iowa is organized, July 4, 1838
Aroostook War, 1838–1839
Honey War, 1839

1840s

William Henry Harrison becomes the 9th President of the United States on March 4, 1841
John Tyler becomes the 10th President of the United States upon the death of President William Henry Harrison on April 4, 1841
The extralegal Provisional Government of Oregon governs the Oregon Country, May 2, 1843 – August 14, 1848
Illinois Mormon War, June 7, 1844 – September 17, 1846
- Assassination of Joseph Smith, Jr. on June 27, 1844
- Battle of Nauvoo, September 12, 1846 – September 17, 1846
Treaty of Wanghia, July 3, 1844
The Territory of Florida is admitted to the Union as the State of Florida (the 27th state) on March 3, 1845
James K. Polk becomes the 11th President of the United States on March 4, 1845
The Republic of Texas is admitted to the Union as the State of Texas (the 28th state) on December 29, 1845
Mexican–American War, April 23, 1846 – February 2, 1848
- The United States declares war on Mexico, May 11, 1846
- Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed on February 2, 1848
Biddle Expedition arrives at Uraga Harbor in Japan, July 20, 1846
The southeastern portion of the Territory of Iowa is admitted to the Union as the State of Iowa (the 29th state) on December 28, 1846. The remainder of the Iowa Territory becomes unorganized.
Cayuse War, November 29, 1847 – June 11, 1855
- Walla Walla Treaty, June 11, 1855
The southeastern portion of the Territory of Wisconsin is admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin (the 30th state) on May 29, 1848. The remainder of the Wisconsin Territory becomes unorganized.
The Territory of Oregon is organized, August 14, 1848
The Territory of Minnesota is organized, March 3, 1849
The extralegal State of Deseret governs the Great Basin region, May 3, 1849 – September 9, 1850
Zachary Taylor becomes the 12th President of the United States on March 4, 1849

1850s

Millard Fillmore becomes the 13th President of the United States upon the death of President Zachary Taylor on July 9, 1850
The State of California is admitted to the Union as the 31st state on September 9, 1850
The Territory of New Mexico and the Territory of Utah are organized, September 9, 1850
The Territory of Washington is organized, February 8, 1853
Franklin Pierce becomes the 14th President of the United States on March 4, 1853
Perry Expedition arrives at Uraga Harbor in Japan, July 14, 1853
- Convention of Kanagawa, March 31, 1854
The Territory of Kansas and the Territory of Nebraska are organized, May 20, 1854
Sioux Wars, August 19, 1854 – December 29, 1890
- Grattan massacre, August 19, 1854
- Wounded Knee Massacre, December 29, 1890
James Buchanan becomes the 15th President of the United States on March 4, 1857
Utah Mormon War, May 28, 1857 – July 8, 1858
- Mountain Meadows massacre, September 11, 1857
The eastern portion of the Territory of Minnesota is admitted to the Union as the State of Minnesota (the 32nd state) on May 11, 1858. The remainder of the Minnesota Territory becomes unorganized.
The extralegal Territory of Jefferson governs the Southern Rocky Mountains region, October 24, 1859 – February 28, 1861
The western portion of the Oregon Territory is admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon (the 33rd state) on February 14, 1859. The remainder of the Oregon Territory is annexed to the Washington Territory.

1860s

The State of South Carolina becomes the 1st state to secede from the Union on December 20, 1860
The State of Mississippi becomes the 2nd state to secede from the Union on January 9, 1861
The State of Florida becomes the 3rd state to secede from the Union on January 10, 1861
The State of Alabama becomes the 4th state to secede from the Union on January 11, 1861
The State of Georgia becomes the 5th state to secede from the Union on January 19, 1861
The State of Louisiana becomes the 6th state to secede from the Union on January 26, 1861
The eastern portion of the Territory of Kansas is admitted to the Union as the State of Kansas (the 34th state) on January 29, 1861. The remainder of the Kansas territory becomes unorganized.
The State of Texas becomes the 7th state to secede from the Union on February 1, 1861
The 7 rebellious slave states of South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas create the rival Confederate States of America on February 4, 1861
The Territory of Colorado is organized, February 28, 1861
The Territory of Nevada is organized, March 2, 1861
The Territory of Dakota is organized, March 2, 1861
Abraham Lincoln becomes the 16th President of the United States on March 4, 1861
A rump government declares itself the Confederate Territory of Arizona on March 16, 1861
American Civil War, April 12, 1861 – May 13, 1865
- Battle of Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861 – April 13, 1861
- The Commonwealth of Virginia becomes the 8th state to secede from the Union on April 17, 1861
- Union naval blockade of the Confederacy, April 19, 1861 – April 9, 1865
- The State of Arkansas becomes the 9th state to secede from the Union on May 6, 1861
- The Commonwealth of Virginia becomes the 8th state admitted to the Confederacy on May 7, 1861
- The State of North Carolina becomes the 10th state to secede from the Union on May 20, 1861
- The State of Arkansas becomes the 9th state admitted to the Confederacy on May 18, 1861
- The State of North Carolina becomes the 10th state admitted to the Confederacy on May 21, 1861
- The State of Tennessee becomes the 11th state to secede from the Union on June 8, 1861
- The State of Tennessee becomes the 11th state admitted to the Confederacy on July 2, 1861
- First Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861
- A rump government claiming to represent the State of Missouri declares its secession from the Union on October 31, 1861
- A rump government claiming to represent the Commonwealth of Kentucky declares its secession from the Union on November 20, 1861
- The rump government of the State of Missouri becomes the 12th state admitted to the Confederacy on November 28, 1861
- The rump government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky becomes the 13th state admitted to the Confederacy on December 10, 1861
- The rump government of the Confederate Territory of Arizona becomes the only Confederate Territory on February 14, 1862
- Battle of Shiloh, April 6, 1862 – April 7, 1862
- Battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862
- The Territory of Arizona is organized, February 24, 1863
- The Territory of Idaho is organized, March 4, 1863
- Siege of Vicksburg, May 18, 1863 – July 4, 1863
- The northwestern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia is admitted to the Union as the State of West Virginia (the 35th state) on June 20, 1863
- Battle of Gettysburg, July 1, 1863 – July 3, 1863
- President Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1863
- Siege of Atlanta, May 7, 1864 – September 2, 1864
- The Territory of Montana is organized, May 28, 1864
- The State of Nevada is admitted to the Union as the 36th state on October 31, 1864
- Battle of Appomattox Courthouse, April 9, 1865
- Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865
  - President Abraham Lincoln dies on April 15, 1865
  - Andrew Johnson becomes 17th President of the United States on April 15, 1865
The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, December 18, 1865
The State of Tennessee becomes the 1st Confederate State readmitted to the Union on July 24, 1866
The Territory of Nebraska is admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska (the 37th state) on March 1, 1867
President Andrew Johnson is impeached by the United States House of Representatives, February 24, 1868
- President Andrew Johnson is acquitted by the United States Senate, May 16, 1868
The State of Arkansas becomes the 2nd Confederate State readmitted to the Union on June 22, 1868
The State of Florida becomes the 3rd Confederate State readmitted to the Union on June 25, 1868
The State of North Carolina becomes the 4th Confederate State readmitted to the Union on July 4, 1868
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, July 9, 1868
The State of Louisiana becomes the 5th Confederate State readmitted to the Union on July 9, 1868
The State of South Carolina becomes the 6th Confederate State readmitted to the Union on July 9, 1868
The State of Alabama becomes the 7th Confederate State readmitted to the Union on July 13, 1868
The Territory of Wyoming is organized, July 25, 1868
Ulysses S. Grant becomes the 18th President of the United States on March 4, 1869
The Transcontinental railroad is completed on May 10, 1869

1870s

The Commonwealth of Virginia becomes the 8th Confederate State readmitted to the Union on January 26, 1870
The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, February 3, 1870
The State of Mississippi becomes the 9th Confederate State readmitted to the Union on February 23, 1870
The State of Texas becomes the 10th Confederate State readmitted to the Union on March 30, 1870
The State of Georgia becomes the 11th and last Confederate State readmitted to the Union on July 15, 1870
The United States attacks Korea, June 10, 1871 – July 3, 1871
Black Hills War, March 17, 1876 – 1877
- Battle of the Little Bighorn, June 25, 1876 – June 26, 1876
The nation celebrates the Centennial of the United States of America despite news from the Little Bighorn, July 4, 1876
The Territory of Colorado is admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado (the 38th state) on August 1, 1876
Rutherford B. Hayes becomes the 19th President of the United States on March 4, 1877

1880s

James A. Garfield becomes the 20th President of the United States on March 4, 1881
Chester A. Arthur becomes the 21st President of the United States upon the assassination of President James Garfield on September 19, 1881
The portion of the Dakota Territory south of the 42nd parallel north and west of the Missouri River is annexed to the State of Nebraska, March 28, 1882
Grover Cleveland becomes the 22nd President of the United States on March 4, 1885
Benjamin Harrison becomes the 23rd President of the United States on March 4, 1889
The Territory of Dakota is admitted to the Union as the State of North Dakota and the State of South Dakota (the 39th state and the 40th state) on November 2, 1889^[2]
The Territory of Montana is admitted to the Union as the State of Montana (the 41st state) on November 8, 1889
The Territory of Washington is admitted to the Union as the State of Washington (the 42nd state) on November 11, 1889

1890s

The Territory of Oklahoma is organized, May 2, 1890
The Territory of Idaho is admitted to the Union as the State of Idaho (the 43rd state) on July 3, 1890
The Territory of Wyoming is admitted to the Union as the State of Wyoming (the 44th state) on July 10, 1890
Grover Cleveland becomes the 24th (as well as the 22nd) President of the United States on March 4, 1893
The Territory of Utah is admitted to the Union as the State of Utah (the 45th state) on January 4, 1896
William McKinley becomes the 25th President of the United States on March 4, 1897
Spanish–American War, April 23 – August 12, 1898
- Teller Amendment blocks United States annexation of Cuba, April 20, 1898
- The Spanish Empire declares war on the United States, April 23, 1898
- Invasion of Guantánamo Bay, June 6, 1898 – June 10, 1898
- Capture of Guam, June 20, 1898 – June 21, 1898
- Battle of Santiago de Cuba, July 3, 1898
- Invasion of Puerto Rico, July 25, 1898 – August 13, 1898
- Protocol of Peace signed on August 12, 1898
- Treaty of Paris, December 10, 1898
  - The United States annexes the Philippines, Porto Rico (sic), and Guam, December 10, 1898
  - The United States formally occupies Cuba, January 1, 1899 – May 20, 1902
- Platt Amendment promotes United States hegemony of Cuba, March 2, 1901
The Territory of Hawaii is organized, July 7, 1898
Second Samoan Civil War, August 22, 1898 – November 14, 1899
- Anglo-German Samoa Convention, November 14, 1899
  - The United States annexes Eastern Samoa, December 2, 1899
Philippine–American War, June 2, 1899 – June 15, 1913
- Philippine Declaration of Independence, June 12, 1898
- The Philippines declares war on the United States, June 2, 1899
- Moro Rebellion, May 2, 1902 – June 15, 1913
- Organic Act for the Philippine Islands, July 1, 1902
- President Theodore Roosevelt declares the end of Philippine–American War, July 4, 1902
Boxer Rebellion, November 2, 1899 – September 7, 1901
- The Society of Right and Harmonious Fists attacks Beijing, June 20, 1900
- The Eight-Nation Alliance relieves Beijing, August 14, 1900
- The Boxer Protocol is imposed on China, September 7, 1901

20th century

1900s

A hurricane strikes Galveston, Texas, killing approximately 8,000 people, September 8, 1900
Theodore Roosevelt becomes the 26th President of the United States upon the assassination of President William McKinley on September 14, 1901
The United States recognizes the independence of the Republic of Cuba, May 20, 1902
- The United States formally ends its occupation of Cuba, May 20, 1902
The United States seizes opportunity to build a ship canal across the Isthmus of Panama, January 22, 1903 – August 15, 1914
- The United States and the Republic of Colombia sign the Hay–Herrán Treaty, January 22, 1903
- The Congress of Colombia rejects the Hay–Herrán Treaty, August 12, 1903
- The United States Navy patrol gunboat USS Nashville blocks Colombian attempts to suppress a Panamanian separatist movement, October 26, 1903 – March 4, 1904
- The Republic of Panama declares its independence from the Republic of Colombia, November 3, 1903
- United States Marines occupy region around proposed canal, November 4, 1903 – January 21, 1914
- The United States and the Republic of Panama sign the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty, November 18, 1903
  - The United States annexes the Panama Canal Zone, November 18, 1903
A tremendous earthquake strikes the San Francisco region, April 18, 1906
The United States reoccupies Cuba, September 29, 1906 – January 28, 1909
The Territory of Oklahoma is admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma (the 46th state) on November 16, 1907
William Howard Taft becomes the 27th President of the United States on March 4, 1909

1910s

The Territory of New Mexico is admitted to the Union as the State of New Mexico (the 47th state) on January 6, 1912
The Territory of Arizona is admitted to the Union as the State of Arizona (the 48th state) on February 14, 1912
The District of Alaska is reorganized as the Territory of Alaska, August 24, 1912
The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, February 3, 1913
Woodrow Wilson becomes the 28th President of the United States on March 4, 1913
The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, April 8, 1913
The United States occupation of Veracruz, April 21, 1914 – November 23, 1914
The Panama Canal opens to shipping, August 15, 1914
The United States occupation of Haiti, July 28, 1915 – August 11, 1934
Doroteo Arango Arámbula (Pancho Villa) orders raid on Columbus, New Mexico, March 9, 1916
General John Pershing leads Mexican Expedition, March 14, 1916 – February 7, 1917
The United States occupation of the Dominican Republic, May 16, 1916 – July 13, 1924
The United States purchases the Danish West Indies from Denmark, January 17, 1917
World War I, June 28, 1914 – November 11, 1918
- The United States declares war on the German Reich, April 6, 1917
- Armistice with Germany, November 11, 1918
- The Treaty of Versailles and the Covenant of the League of Nations are signed, June 28, 1919
- The United States Senate rejects the Treaty of Versailles primarily because of Article X of the Covenant of the League of Nations, March 20, 1920
- The United States Congress declares end of war, July 2, 1921
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War, May 26, 1918 – April 1, 1920
- The American Expeditionary Force Siberia, August 15, 1918 – April 1, 1920
- The American Expeditionary Force North Russia, September 4, 1918 – August 5, 1919
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, January 29, 1919

1920s

The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, August 18, 1920
Warren G. Harding becomes the 29th President of the United States on March 4, 1921
Calvin Coolidge becomes the 30th President of the United States upon the death of President Warren Harding on August 2, 1923
Hurricane San Felipe Segundo strikes the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Florida killing more than 4,000 people, September 6, 1928 – September 20, 1928
Herbert Hoover becomes the 31st President of the United States on March 4, 1929
Great Depression, September 3, 1929 – September 1, 1939
- Wall Street Crash, September 3, 1929 – July 8, 1932
  - Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929

1930s

The Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, January 23, 1933
Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the 32nd President of the United States on March 4, 1933
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution, December 5, 1933

1940s

The United States assumes the defense of Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat), April 9, 1941 – 1946
The United States assumes the defense of Iceland, July 27, 1941 – 1946
The United States and Brazil assume the defense of Surinam, November 24, 1941 – 1946
World War II, September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945
- The Empire of Japan invades Manchuria, September 19, 1931
- The Italian Empire invades Ethiopia, October 3, 1935
- The German Reich invades Poland, September 1, 1939
- The Empire of Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941
- The United States declares war on the Empire of Japan, December 8, 1941
- The German Reich declares war on the United States, December 11, 1941
- The United States declares war on the German Reich and the Italian Empire, December 11, 1941
- Aleutian Islands Campaign, June 3, 1942 – August 15, 1943
- The United States declares war on Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania, June 5, 1942
- Allied Forces invade Sicily, July 9, 1943
- Allied Forces invade Italy, September 3, 1943
- Italy secretly signs an armistice with Allied Forces, September 3, 1943
- Allied Forces invade Normandy, June 6, 1944
- Japan launches fire balloons into the northwestern United States, November 3, 1944 – April 15, 1945
- Allied Forces invade Okinawa, March 18, 1945
- German Instrument of Surrender signed May 7, 1945 and May 8, 1945
- The United States tests the first atomic bomb at the Trinity Site in New Mexico, July 16, 1945
- The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, August 6, 1945
- The United States drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, August 9, 1945
- Japanese Instrument of Surrender signed September 2, 1945
Harry S. Truman becomes the 33rd President of the United States upon the death of President Franklin Roosevelt on April 12, 1945
The United States and 50 other nations form the United Nations, October 24, 1945
The League of Nations ceases operation, April 20, 1946
Cold War, March 5, 1946 – December 25, 1991
- Berlin Blockade, June 24, 1948 – May 11, 1949
  - Berlin Airlift, June 25, 1948 – September 30, 1949

1950s

Korean War, June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953
- North Korea invades South Korea, June 25, 1950
- The United Nations invade North Korea, September 15, 1950
- China invades North Korea, November 1, 1950
- China invades South Korea, January 1, 1951
- Korean Armistice Agreement signed July 27, 1953
The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, February 27, 1951
Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the 34th President of the United States on January 20, 1953
The Territory of Alaska is admitted to the Union as the State of Alaska (the 49th state) on January 3, 1959
Vietnam War, September 26, 1959 – April 30, 1975
- The United States sends military advisors to the Republic of Vietnam, February 12, 1955
- The United States and the Vietnam People's Army wage covert war in Laos, October 1962 – 1975
- The United States begins bombing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, August 2, 1964
- The United States sends regular ground troops to the Republic of Vietnam, March 8, 1965
- Battle of Khe Sanh, January 21, 1968 – April 8, 1968
- Tet Offensive, January 30, 1968 – September 23, 1968
  - Battle of Hue, January 30, 1968 – March 3, 1968
- The United States covertly bombs Vietnam People's Army military targets in Cambodia, 1968–1970
- Battle of Hamburger Hill, May 10, 1969 – May 20, 1969
- The United States and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam invade Cambodia, April 29, 1970 – July 22, 1970
- Paris Peace Accords, January 27, 1973
- The United States removes regular ground troops from the Republic of Vietnam, March 27, 1973
- Fall of Saigon, April 30, 1975
The Territory of Hawaii is admitted to the Union as the State of Hawaiʻi (the 50th state) on August 21, 1959

1960s

Cuba confiscates property of United States companies and citizens, July 5, 1960
John F. Kennedy becomes the 35th President of the United States on January 20, 1961
The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, March 29, 1961
Cuban exiles supported by the United States invade Cuba, April 17, 1961 – April 19, 1961
United States embargo against Cuba, since February 7, 1962
Cuban Missile Crisis, October 15, 1962 – October 28, 1962
- United States naval quarantine of Cuba, October 24, 1962 – December 31, 1962
Lyndon B. Johnson becomes the 36th President of the United States upon the assassination of President John Kennedy on November 22, 1963
The Twenty-fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, January 23, 1964
A tremendous earthquake strikes the region around Anchorage, Alaska, on Good Friday, March 27, 1964
The United States and allies invade the Dominican Republic, April 28, 1965 – September 1966
The Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, February 10, 1967
Richard Nixon becomes the 37th President of the United States on January 20, 1969
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are first people to walk on the Moon, July 20, 1969 – July 21, 1969

1970s

The Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, July 1, 1971
Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt are the last Apollo astronauts to walk on the Moon, December 11, 1972 – December 14, 1972
The United States airlifts military supplies to Israel during the Yom Kippur War, October 12, 1973 – November 14, 1973
Gerald Ford becomes the 38th President of the United States upon the resignation of President Richard Nixon on August 9, 1974
The nation celebrates the Bicentennial of the United States of America, July 4, 1976
Jimmy Carter becomes the 39th President of the United States on January 20, 1977
Iran hostage crisis, November 4, 1979 – January 20, 1981
The United States transfers sovereignty of the Panama Canal Zone back to the Republic of Panama, October 1, 1979

1980s

Mount Saint Helens erupts, May 18, 1980
Ronald Reagan becomes the 40th President of the United States on January 20, 1981
The United States joins Multinational Force in Lebanon, August 29, 1982 – February 26, 1984
- Truck bombings kill 307 in Beirut, October 23, 1983
The United States invades Grenada, October 25, 1983 – December 15, 1983
The United States pursues the Strategic Defense Initiative, March 27, 1984 – May 13, 1993
- President Ronald Reagan presents Star Wars speech, March 23, 1983
Black Monday, October 19, 1987
Somali Civil War, since 1988
- The United Nations intervenes in the Somali Civil War, July 27, 1992 – March 3, 1995
  - The United States leads the Unified Task Force, December 9, 1992 – May 4, 1993
  - The United States deploys independent Task Force Ranger, August 8, 1993 – March 31, 1994
    - Battle of Mogadishu, October 3, 1993 – October 4, 1993
George H.W. Bush becomes the 41st President of the United States on January 20, 1989
The United States invades Panama, December 20, 1989 – February 13, 1990

1990s

Persian Gulf War, August 2, 1990 – February 28, 1991
- The Republic of Iraq invades the State of Kuwait, August 2, 1990
- The United States and allies invade Kuwait and Iraq, February 24, 1991
The United States and allies enforce a no-fly zone over Iraq north of the 36th parallel north, April 7, 1991 – December 31, 1996
War in Bosnia and Herzegovina, April 1, 1992 – December 14, 1995
- The United Nations airlifts humanitarian aid to Bosnia and Hercegovina, July 2, 1992 – January 9, 1996
- NATO enforces ban on unauthorized military flights over Bosnia and Hercegovina, April 13, 1993 – August 30, 1995
- NATO bombs Bosnian Serb Army in Bosnia and Herzegovina, August 30, 1995 – September 20, 1995
The Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution takes effect, May 5, 1992
The United States and allies enforce a no-fly zone over Iraq south of the 32nd parallel north, August 27, 1992 – September 4, 1996
Bill Clinton becomes the 42nd President of the United States on January 20, 1993
The United States contributes troops for United Nations peacekeeping in Macedonia, July 9, 1993 –
The United States and allies invade Haiti, September 19, 1994 – March 31, 1995
Dot-com bubble, January 4, 1995 – March 10, 2000
Kosovo War, April 22, 1996 – June 11, 1999
- NATO bombs the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, March 24, 1999 – June 10, 1999
The United States and allies enforce an expanded no-fly zone over Iraq south of the 33rd parallel north, September 4, 1996 – April 30, 2003
Al-Qaeda simultaneously bombs United States embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya, August 7, 1998. The car bombs kill 223 people and injure more than 4000.
The United States and the United Kingdom bomb Iraq, December 16, 1998 – December 19, 1998
The United States House of Representatives impeaches President Bill Clinton, December 19, 1998
- The United States Senate acquits President Bill Clinton, February 12, 1999
The United States transfers ownership of the Panama Canal to the Republic of Panama, December 31, 1999

21st century

2000s

Dot-com collapse on March 10, 2000 – October 10, 2002.
United States housing bubble, 2000–2006.
Al-Qaeda attack on the USS Cole at Aden in Yemen on October 12, 2000.
George W. Bush becomes the 43rd President of the United States on January 20, 2001.
Al-Qaeda attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.
Afghanistan War since October 7, 2001.
- The United States and allies invade Afghanistan on October 7, 2001.
President George W. Bush declares Iran, Iraq, and North Korea to be the "Axis of Evil" on January 29, 2002.
Iraq War since March 20, 2003.
- The United States and allies invade Iraq on March 20, 2003.
Hurricane Katrina strikes Florida on August 25 and Louisiana and Mississippi on August 29, 2005. Subsequent failure of drainage canals floods 80% of New Orleans.
United States housing collapse since 2006.
Financial crisis of 2007–08.
Barack Obama becomes the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009.
Tea Party movement begins in 2009.

2010s

Libyan Rebellion since February 17, 2011.
The United States and allies enforce no-fly zone over Libya beginning March 19, 2011.
Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda and the mastermind of the September 11 attacks is killed in Pakistan by Navy Seals.
The Iraq War is declared formally over in December 2011.

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History books

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References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 It has been customary to rank the original 13 states not by date of colonial founding, or date of declaration of independence, but by date of ratification of the US Constitution. Subsequent states are ranked by the date of their admission to the Union.
↑ The states of North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted to the Union at precisely the same time. Since the names of the new states were officially published in alphabetical order, it has been customary to consider North Dakota to be the 39th state and South Dakota to be the 40th state.