The sweet ol’ USA has officially been around for over two hundred years. Once the rightful property of the British Crown, Americans went their own way and seem to have done alright for themselves.
This list includes fifty of the most important dates in American history. It’s by no means an exhaustive list, but it includes things that changed politics and society, both for better or for worse.
What day do you think is most important?
4th July 1776
On a summer’s day in 1776, fifty-six delegates joined together and unanimously agreed on a document. This document was the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence justified the USA leaving Great Britain by explaining the grievances against its former rulers. Famous signatories include John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
The 4th July remains America’s Independence Day, as well as the date most cited as the beginning of the country as an official nation.
1st March 1781
On this date, the Articles of Confederation officially came into being. They established the United States as a sovereign nation made up of different states. It gave Congress the power to declare war, regulate Indian affairs and conduct foreign affairs among other things. The state’ powers included taxation, enforcing laws and regulating commerce. No one in Congress could serve more than three years.
Whilst the Articles were later replaced by the Constitution, they were the initial rules in which the government had to abide by. For eight years, it was the supreme law of the land.
3rd September 1783
On this day, the American Revolutionary War officially ended. The Treaty of Paris, signed by both Britain and the United States, also saw the latter be recognised by the former. Boundaries were also formed between the United States and Canada.
With the United States finally recognised, relations between it and its former motherland were somewhat improved. Whilst Britain and the USA would clash again, the latter was at least recognised as a nation.
4th March 1789
From this date, the new US Constitution came into effect. The Constitution sets out the role of the three branches of the government as well as the responsibilities of the state.
All laws must be constitutional, and the entirety of the US government remains based upon it. Twenty-seven additional amendments have been added since, but the original document still looms large.
30th April 1789
On the afternoon of the 30th April 1789, George Washington stood on the balcony of the Federal Building. He was sworn in by Robert Livingston as the first president of the United States.
George Washington remains a revered figure in United States history, but the day isn’t just about him. It was a literal new day for the nation, in which it had a leader elected by (some) of the people. No longer were they ruled by a man across the seas.
15th December 1791
On this date, the Bill of Rights was ratified. The Bill of Rights contains the first ten amendments of the constitution. This includes the First Amendment which specifies freedoms, the Second Amendment regarding the right to bear arms, and the Fifth Amendment, which allows protection from self-incrimination.
Whilst all other amendments are equally as valid, the Bill of Rights came first and has thus had the most impact on American politics. The Second Amendment is particularly vulnerable to interpretation.
4th March 1797
At Constitution Hall in Philadelphia, John Adams stood in front of Oliver Ellsworth and recited the oath of office. He thus became the second president of the United States.
The transfer of power was peaceful. Unlike the monarchy, the next president was to take over power when his predecessor was alive. Compared to how the French Revolution turned out, it seemed ok.
24th February 1803
On this day, the Supreme Court decided on the case Marbury v. Madison. The result was the establishment of judicial review in the United States, in that the Supreme Court could strike down any law they considered unconstitutional.
Marbury v. Madison made the role of the judicial branch clear. It also addresses the checks and balances/separation of powers that has become so intrinsic to the United States.
1st October 1804
On this day, the Louisiana Purchase became official after the territory was officially absorbed into the continental United States. The Americans had paid France $15M (nearly $400M in today’s money), and had doubled the continental landmass with this purchase.
Considering that the land purchased remains part of the United States today, it seems like it was a pretty good deal. America expanded both literally and figuratively.
2nd December 1823
On this day, James Monroe first spoke of the Monroe Doctrine (despite the name, it was created by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams). Monroe stated that the US would not accept European interference in the Western hemisphere. In response, they would not interfere in European affairs.
The Monroe Doctrine has affected US foreign policy since its inception. Presidents have cited it when discussing their own views, with some agreeing and some disagreeing with it. Both Barack Obama and Donald Trump have mentioned it, though with opposite viewpoints.
4th March 1829
Andrew Jackson was sworn in as president on this day. His presidency brought about a restructuring of American politics, including Jacksonian democracy. He was the first president not from a wealthy family in Massachusetts and Virginia. Jackson encouraged voting for all white men of age and was seen as a populist.
Jackson’s rise to power preceded others who came from nothing. He’s one of the most discussed presidents, remaining controversial but no doubt important.
6th April 1841
When William Henry Harrison was sworn in on the 4th March 1841, no one had imagined that he’d be dead a month later. He was the first president to die in office, thus bringing in a constitutional crisis. Two days later, John Tyler was sworn in as president, not just acting president.
The Constitution didn’t really go into detail about what would happen should a president die, quite a strange thing considering the death rates at the time. Whatever the case, Tyler made sure the VP became president, not just acting president, something seven others did later on.
29th December 1845
The Republic of Texas became the newest US state on this day. The annexation of Texas had become a controversial subject, but John Tyler eventually bit the bullet and decided to move it forward. It became a state under his successor James K. Polk.
The addition of Texas brought territorial gains to the continental United States. It also brought about the Mexican-American War, one which brought plenty more land to the US.
2nd February 1848
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on this day. The Mexican-American War had been waged for some time, but negotiations were enacted after Mexico City was occupied. As a result of the treaty, the USA received over 50% of Mexico’s land.
With even more gains from Mexico, the USA enjoyed an increase in its landmass and power. Territory gained includes several current US states.
12th April 1861
In the early morning of the 12th April 1861, Confederate forces fired upon Fort Sumter in South Carolina. With one man killed and another badly wounded, it was agreed that an evacuation could take place. Lincoln responded with a call for soldiers, encouraging four additional US states to leave the union.
The firing on Fort Sumter is widely considered the official start to the US Civil War, at least in terms of military action. Few might have predicted that the war would last another four years and see hundreds of thousands killed.
16th April 1865
On the night of the 15th April 1865, Abraham Lincoln was enjoying a play at Ford’s Theatre. Actor and Confederate sympathiser John Wilkes Booth entered and shot Lincoln. The president was taken across the street where doctors knew nothing could be done for him. He died peacefully early the next morning. America was shocked. Despite the war and Lincoln’s unpopularity in certain quarters, nobody believed that the president would be assassinated. The man who had overseen the war was now dead, and his successor was an unpopular Southerner.
Lincoln was the first of four presidents to be assassinated. The death of James A. Garfield was also a shock, but it wasn’t until William McKinley’s 1901 assassination that the Secret Service was given the role of presidential protectors. As is said, now Lincoln belongs to the ages.
18th December 1865
Slavery had dominated American society and politics for years, but it was not until the Civil War that its end really came into sight. On the 6th December 1865, the requisite number of states had ratified it. The Thirteenth Amendment became valid on the 18th December. Slavery was now abolished.
Millions were freed from bondage. Whilst the debate itself had ended, the fate of these millions of men, women and children was yet to be decided. It was nevertheless a huge victory in itself.
3rd February 1870
The Fifteenth Amendment was ratified. The third and final in the ‘Reconstruction Amendments,’ its aim was to allow all men to vote without discrimination regarding their race or ethnicity. With slavery abolished and citizenship secured, it seemed a step in the right direction.
Unfortunately, minority voters were prevented from voting by a variety of measures including literacy tests, poll taxes and plain old intimidation. It did, however, open some doors until the 1965 Voting Rights Act cleared the way.
2nd March 1877
After months of negotiations and speculations, two days before the inauguration, Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes won over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden in the presidential election. The Democrats had eventually agreed not to contest, so long as the Republicans agreed to certain terms. One of those terms was basically that Reconstruction was to end.
With Reconstruction ended, the rights of African-Americans were set back by a large margin. Despite the Reconstruction Amendments, most blacks would find themselves losing the powers they had gained following the Civil War.
18th May 1896
By a 7-1 decision, the Supreme Court decided to rule against a mixed race train passenger named Homer Plessy. Plessy had boarded a whites only car in New Orleans but had been forcibly rejected. The Supreme Court ruled that so long as there was a car for non-whites, then it was legal. They justified this with the ‘separate but equal’ argument. Plessy v. Ferguson was decided.
The idea of ‘separate but equal’ was pervasive within societal frameworks before, during and after the trial. This included schools and transportation. Not until the Brown v. Board decision over fifty years later did the idea begin to be dismantled.
14th September 1901
President William McKinley had been shot a week earlier, and finally died on this day. His vice president, a man who had grumbled at the lack of power, was the famous Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt had been on his way back upon hearing that McKinley had taken a turn for the worse. Roosevelt was sworn into office twelve hours after McKinley’s death.
The consequences of McKinley’s were twofold. Firstly, Roosevelt ushered America into the so-called ‘Progressive era.’ Secondly, the Secret Service would officially become the protector of the president. Since then, only one president has died from assassination, with the Secret Service preventing many others.
6th April 1917
Following the devastating sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 and the incriminating Zimmerman Telegram, it seemed America’s entry into WW2 was inevitable. On this date, Congress voted on declaring war, producing majorities in both houses.
Whilst the effect of WW1 on America was not quite as great as its effect on Europe, it was nevertheless a turning point in the nation. The post-war climate laid the groundwork for the Roaring 20s and new isolationism within the country.
18th August 1920
After years of fighting, the Nineteenth Amendment came into effect on this date. Women were finally permitted to vote, as they could no longer be discriminated against on the basis of sex. Over twenty million women were now enfranchised in time for the election later that year.
This was not all women of course, as minorities were still prevented from voting. Like the Thirteenth Amendment, this would later be remedied in 1965. Progress was still made, and more women like Margaret Chase Smith and Shirley Chisholm would enter politics.
29th October 1929
It seemed that the good times would never end in the Roaring 20s, but they soon would. On Black Tuesday, the stock market crashed badly. This not only sent shockwaves across the financial sector, but around the nation too. Billions in stock were lost.
People were left destitute. Lack of employment and poverty led to suicides. Men walked the streets with signs begging for employment and thousands queued for soup kitchens. The Great Depression was here.
4th March 1933
Despite his best efforts, it was clear that Herbert Hoover was not going to win reelection. Enter Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. He won the election handily and was thus inaugurated on this date.
Roosevelt’s election led to a transformative period in the US. The New Deal brought jobs and an enlarged government, bringing both praise and criticism. Years of conservative government were swept away by liberal reforms. He would serve over three terms, win four elections, lead for over a decade and steer America through WW2 before his 1945 death.
20th January 1941
Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in for a record third term this January afternoon. Such a thing had never been seen in American politics before and has not been seen since. Whilst there were no term limits at this point, presidents generally honoured Washington’s two terms before retirement.
Following Roosevelt’s death, the argument for term limits was strengthened. The Twenty-Second Amendment would be passed on the 27th February 1951
7th December 1941
It was a December morning in Hawaii when an army of Japanese planes descended upon Pearl Harbour in. The navy was caught by surprise and over two thousand Americans were killed.
America was completely shocked by what had happened. Whilst many had wished to stay out of the war, there was an immediate appetite for payback. Congress declared war on Japan on the 8th, and Germany on the 11th.
12th April 1945
Whilst posing for a portrait, Franklin D. Roosevelt complained of a ‘terrific headache.’ He collapsed, and never gained consciousness before dying a few hours later. Word filtered back to D.C, and a shocked Harry S. Truman was sworn in immediately.
Roosevelt had been President for over a decade and many did not remember a time before him. His death only just preceded the end of the Second World War
6th August 1945
When an atomic bomb dropped over the city of Hiroshima that morning, it was the first time the weapon had ever been used. The Japanese were blindsided by the bomb, which killed around 100,000 people and hurt many more. Three days later, a second bomb dropped over Nagasaki.
The use of the atomic bomb revolutionised modern warfare. It has not been used since, despite more nations building nuclear weaponry. It ensured America’s role as a superpower.
17th May 1954
The Supreme Court decided on the landmark Brown v. Board that day. It ruled that segregation in public schooling was unconstitutional, even if the schools were ‘equal.’ This overturned the idea of ‘separate but equal’ that came from Plessy v. Ferguson.
Whilst integration of schools did not happen immediately, and indeed took decades, Brown paved the way.
21st August 1959
Aloha! Hawaii became the fiftieth US state on this day. It had been annexed in 1898 after the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. In June 1959, 94.3% of voters in a referendum voted in favour of statehood. Two months later and Hawaii officially became a state.
No states have been added to the US since, despite some efforts with Puerto Rico. With fifty states, it seems America is whole.
20th January 1961
John F. Kennedy was the youngest man to be elected to office when he was inaugurated in January 1961 (though not the youngest to be president- that was Theodore Roosevelt). Not only was he young, but he was Catholic. Considering large swathes of the country still distrusted Catholics, this was no means a small thing.
Kennedy’s ascension brought America into a new era. He was twenty-seven years younger than President Eisenhower- and twelve years older than his wife Jacqueline. Kennedy was the first President born in the 20th century.
24th October 1962
If America went to DEFCON 1, then they’d really be screwed. The closest they came to it was in October 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The readiness was increased to DEFCON 2 on the 24th. America was the closest to nuclear that it has ever been.
At the time, it wasn’t known that Cuba had tactical weapons. Secretary of State Robert McNamara found out at a conference three decades later and nearly collapsed. Had this been known, then maybe things would have got hotter.
22nd November 1963
What was meant to be a tour to shore up support in Texas ended in tragedy when John F. Kennedy was gunned down. In the space of just over two hours, Kennedy was assassinated, pronounced dead, and Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in.
Some say America lost its innocence upon the assassination of JFK. It was one of many in a series of crucial events in the 1960s that defined it as the decade that really changed the nation.
2nd July 1964
The battle for Civil Rights in the United States was a long one. After the assassination of JFK, Lyndon B. Johnson used the goodwill towards his administration and his skills as a legislator to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The landmark legislation banned discrimination on account of race, colour and other factors.
Whilst the Act did not completely solve the issues that it had sought to, it was a gigantic step. Other legislation followed, but there was also a change in the partisan makeup of the country.
20th January 1969
When Richard Nixon was sworn in on this day, it seemed as though a lot was about to change. After nearly a decade of Democratic rule, assassination and change, more than a few people were yearning for the security that Nixon was promising.
Nobody would have predicted how Nixon’s presidency was to end, or even his landslide in 1972. They all knew he was promising to help the ‘silent majority,’ made up of the non-political suburbanites and families.
21st July 1969
‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ Those were the words of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. After years of fighting between the Soviets and the Americans to be the first, the latter won with the crew of Apollo 11.
The Space Race was not just about exploring the stars. It was also about both sides proving they could win both the technological and the propaganda war. Despite Sputnik and Yuri Gagarin, it seemed Apollo 11 had won it for the Americans.
22nd January 1973
The Supreme Court made another momentous ruling with Roe v. Wade. It ruled that abortion bans were against the right to privacy of the Fourteenth Amendment. Abortion in the first trimester was completely protected, regulated in the second trimester and could be banned in the third except for the life of the mother.
Abortion remains a heavily contentious issue in US politics. The debate has raged ever since, and has only been emboldened by the Dobbs decision of 2022, which overturned Roe.
The news of Roe, however, was overshadowed by the death of former president Lyndon B. Johnson the same day.
29th March 1973
After nearly twenty years of fighting, the last American troops left Vietnam. By that time, over fifty thousand American soldiers had died, along with over a million other casualties. It had become a cause célèbre among Americans as millions protested against the war. Whilst the war would not officially end for another two years, American troop involvement was done.
Vietnam remains a deeply controversial part of America’s legacy. It impacted Johnson’s administration so much that it pushed him not to run for another term. It inspired music, literature, television and film.
8th August 1974
‘Therefore, I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow. Vice President Ford will be sworn in as President at that hour in this office.’ These were the words of Richard Nixon when he resigned the office of presidency. Never before had a president resigned, but it was inevitable for Nixon. A recording of Nixon being told of the break-in, as well as Republican leaders telling him that they would not support him, hastened his decision.
As a president has not resigned since, this was a big moment in American history. Those who do not cite JFK’s death as the end of America’s innocence may cite Nixon’s resignation. He went from popular president who won in a landslide to one of the least regarded.
20th January 1981
Ronald Reagan was sworn in as America’s 40th president on this day. His election would usher in a new era of US politics. Reagan pushed for conservatism and small government, and created a new conservative renaissance. It would also see a huge thaw in relations with the Soviet Union.
Reagan matched with Margaret Thatcher’s rejection of the post-war consensus in Britain. This created somewhat of a unity of ideology within the West, though not with everyone’s support.
26th December 1991
The Soviet Union, America’s great rival, was dissolved on Boxing Day 1991. Mikhail Gorbachev had resigned the previous day, and the Soviet government voted to end itself. Nations who had not freed themselves from the Soviets were now declared independent. Boris Yeltsin became the first president of the new Russia.
Whilst the event did not happen in America, it hugely affected the country. The Cold War was not all but over after years of proxy wars and fights. Russia remains an outsider in the world and America’s rival, but not as the Soviet Union.
17th August 1998
‘Indeed, I did have a relationship with Ms. Lewinsky that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong. It constituted a critical lapse in judgement and a personal failure on my part for which I am solely and completely responsible.’ This is what Bill Clinton told the nation that day. After months of denial, Clinton admitted that he’d had an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
The Lewinsky affair would lead to his impeachment by the House, but his acquittal by the Senate. Some believe that impeachment hearings were political, whilst others believed it to be proof of his dirty dealings. Whilst Clinton remained popular upon leaving office, he’s seen a negative shift in his reputation in recent years.
12th December 2000
With a tight lead and recounts requested, the issue of the ballot in Florida went all the way up the Supreme Court. The ruling would likely ultimately lead to the victor in the 2000 election. On the 12th December, by a 5-4 margin, the Supreme Court ruled that the recount needed to be stopped. George W. Bush received Florida’s crucial electoral votes and thus won.
Had a recount been ordered, then perhaps we would have had President Al Gore. It was not, and we got President George W. Bush. Considering the events of the world, many wonder what would have happened had there been a different outcome. It’s a popular what if scenario.
11th September 2001
It was a beautiful morning on this September Tuesday. When it got to the evening, nearly three thousand innocents were dead. The World Trade Center was gone and the Pentagon was badly damaged. President Bush returned from a trip to Florida and spoke to a damaged nation.
9/11 had not only an impact on America, but the rest of the world too. In the States, legislation such as the PATRIOT Act was signed and the Department of Homeland Security created. America entered Afghanistan and Iraq. Crucially, many lost loved ones.
20th March 2003
Whilst Afghanistan was seemingly an obvious target for America post-9/11, the choice of Iraq was a more questionable one. Congress nevertheless voted to allow America to declare war on Iraq. On the 20th March 2003, America hit.
Whilst the Afghan War seems to have more noticeable repercussions because of the Taliban’s resurgence, the Iraq War remains more controversial. Those who voted for it now regret it, and it’s also a big part of Bush’s legacy. Thousands of service personnel and civilians died too.
20th January 2009
When Barack Obama was born, the Civil Rights Act had not yet been passed. Now, forty-eight years later, an African-American man was sworn in as president. Like Kennedy and Clinton, he was young and had literally promised change.
Obama’s election and subsequent inauguration was a huge step in a country that had battled with civil rights for years. Whatever his views and his popularity, he will be forever remembered for breaking that barrier.
2nd May 2011
Whilst Barack Obama laughed along at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the plot to kill Osama Bin Laden was at its apex. Elite Navy SEALs were in Pakistan, heading to a compound where the notorious terrorist leader was. In the early morning of the 2nd May 2011, the mastermind of 9/11 was shot dead.
America had never quite healed from 9/11, but this didn’t hurt. He had been on the run for a decade, seemingly managing to slip away at every turn. Upon hearing the news, crowds across the country celebrated.
8th November 2016
The polls were unanimous. Hillary Clinton was going to win. News polls either had a slight Clinton win or a large one. As the night of the 8th November wore on, it didn’t go the way anyone predicted. Instead of shattering that glass ceiling, Hillary Clinton lost to political newcomer Donald Trump.
Donald Trump’s election led to a new dominance of populism and anti-globalism within the Republican Party. His administration was covered like no other. It seemed the news was constantly reporting on him. As of right now, he is the Republican nominee for 2024.
31st January 2020
On the 31st January 2020, the new COVID-19 virus was declared a public health emergency. Soon, America would see major lockdowns of public and private venues. Kids were educated at home. Adults didn’t step foot in their workplaces. Masks were introduced and everyone was told to stand far apart. It’s believed over one million died from the disease.
The early years of COVID-19 seemed like a fever dream. It impacted the 2020 election. Politicians and voters argued over the disease. Even today, we see those who deny it and those who continue to live as though it is everywhere.