US History simple timeline: Difference between revisions

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'''Timeline of major events and periods'''
'''Timeline of major events and periods'''
== Major periods of US History ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Dates
!Period
!BIG IDEAS
|-
|1609-1763
|Early colonial period
|
* earliest colonization =
** Jamestown, Virginia
** Plymouth, Massachusetts
* 13 colonies are established under British rule
|-
|1763-1775
|colonial revolutionary period
|
* British government cracks down on colonies with
** taxes & regulations
** British army & British-appointed judges and governors
* American colonists protest and agitate for rights and self-government
|-
|1775-1783
|Revolutionary War period
|
* in the 1776 Declaration of Independence, the 13 colonies declare themselves independent of British rule
* 13 colonies organize loose "confederation" to fight British
* Americans win the war and become fully independent of Britain
* each colony now becomes an independent state
|-
|1783-1789
|Articles of Confederation period
|
* the 13 states form the United States of America under the "Articles of Confederation"
** "confederation = a loose union of independent states
* start to organize the new territories & lands taken from the British
** between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River
* each state largely governs itself and as a consequence, there are
** conflicting laws
** conflicting currencies
** no organization or war debts
** generally ineffective national government
* in 1787 representatives of the 13 states gather in Philadelphia to create a new government
** called the "Constitutional Convention
** it is sent to the states for "adoption" (agreement of each state to join)
|-
|1789-1820
|Early Republic period
|
* 1789 the new government is established under the U.S. Constitution
* the Constitution establishes many powers for the new "federal" government
* George Washington becomes the 1st President
** he establishes its legitimacy (accepted by the people) and authority (power)
* political parties (political affiliations) arise as different states and "factions" (like-minded people) arise
* there is great animosity (hatred) and division between the parties
* 1800 election is contentious (disputed) and divisive
** still, the outcome is accepted and Thomas Jefferson becomes President
** the election is called the "Revolution of 1800" because
*** despite bitterness and division, power was peacefully transferred from presidents Adams to Jefferson
* subsequently. the American people develop a sense of national unity and pride
|-
|1820s-1861
|mid-century "Antebellum" period
("before the war")
|
* the early- to mid- 1800s mark periods of economic, population & territorial growth
* it is also a period of extensive expansion of slavery across the South ("cotton economy")
* the U.S. expands its territory across the entire continent following the 1846 Mexican-American War
** the U.S. seizes from Mexico western territories (modern New Mexico, Arizona, California and parts of other states)
* the expansion of the U.S. leads to division and political conflict over the spread of slavery
* deals in Congress to manage the issues of slavery and other economic and tax issues
** leads to "sectional" division between "the North" and "the South"
|-
|1861-1877
|Civil War & Reconstruction period
|
* with election of the northerner, Abe Lincoln, southern states "secede" (separate themselves from) the Union of states
** "Union" = the joining of states under the United States Constitution
** southern states create a new government, "The Confederate States of America"
* 1861-65, "Civil War" between "the Union" (North) and "the Confederacy" (South)
* the Union wins and commences a program of "Reconstruction" of the Union =
** re-uniting the southern states with the Union
** abolishing slavery and protecting the rights of the freed slaves
* "Reconstruction" in the South required occupation of southern states by northern "Union" armies
** the disputed presidential election of 1876 leads to a deal to decide the election in favor of a Republican
** in exchange for removal of U.S. troops from the South
** with removal of those troops, Reconstruction ends
|-
|1877-1917
|Industrialization, Segregation,
Immigration, Imperialism
& Progressive periods
|
* following the Civil War, northern states "industrialize"
** railroads are built across the country, connecting trade and markets across the continent
** steel and other factories grow in size and create huge demand for labor (workers)
* after 1877, southern states enact "segregation" laws to limit the rights of blacks (former slaves)
* millions of immigrants come to the US from Europe and Asia (Japan and China)
** looking for jobs in the factories, railroads and for cheap land
** with the immigration populations of major cities explode
** which causes problems with sanitation, living & working conditions, health care, etc.
* in 1898, the U.S. engages in its first truly "imperialistic" war
** by attacking Spanish colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico and Philippines
** the U.S. for the first time goes to war outside of the continental United States
** thus, it is called "imperialism" for trying to impose rule of one country on another country that is somewhere else
* from the 1890s-1917, many "reform" (looking for change) movements arise, especially
** to "clean" the cities and provide better living and working conditions for the poor
** to "clean" politics from corruption and entrenched (deeply situated) powers
** to regulate and control big companies and their economic power
|-
|1917-1945
|WWI, Great Depression & WWII periods
|
* in 1917, the US enters a major war in Europe, which is now calle "World War I"
** it is the first American military involvement in Europe
* into the 1920s, the US economy grew tremendously
** called the "Roaring Twenties"
** new consumer products (autos, telephones, radios) and business investments
** in Oct, 1929, the New York stock exchange collapsed ("Crash of '29")
** an economic depression followed
* Great Depression, 1929-1941
** period of economic decline and disruption (bank failures, job loss, etc.)
** the 1933-35 "New Deal" attempted to fix the Depression
*** it provided "relief" (help) to people with jobs and pay
*** but it did not resolve the economic decline
* during the 1930s Japan and Germany invaded other countries
* Dec 7, 1941, Japan bombed a U.S. Naval base, Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii (middle of Pacific Ocean)
** subsequently the U.S. went to war against Japan in Asia and Germany in North Africa and Europe
* the U.S. "mobilized" (put to common effort) the entire population, including
** millions of soldiers sent to the War
** women working in factories and other jobs in place of the men
** Americans of all races joined the war effort
* the U.S. and its allies defeated German and Japan in 1945
|-
|1945-1991
|"American Century" & Cold War period
|
* following WWII, the United States dominated the world economically and politically
** thus the 20th Century is called the "American Century"
* however, the Soviet Union (communist Russia), which fought the Germans in conjunction with the Americans
** occupied eastern Europe and placed those countries under communist rule
* the US and its "Western" (non-communist) allies opposed Soviet expansion
** politically, by helping non-communist countries and opposing communist ideas ("ideology")
** militarily by supplying countries with arms, direct American military presence, and direct military wars
*** 1950-1954: Korean War
*** 1959-1975: Vietnam War
*** the U.S. did not directly fight against the Soviets in these wars
*** instead the U.S. fought the Soviet communist allies in those countries
* the US and Soviets both built extensive nuclear weapons
** so each side had the power to blow up the other
** this kept peace between them because if one attacked the other it would get blown up by nuclear reprisal (fighting back)
* in 1989, the Soviet Union broke apart due to its poor economy, political corruption
** which were the result of the communist system
|-
|1991-today
|post-Cold War "new world order"
|
|}


== Major wars & events general timeline ==
== Major wars & events general timeline ==
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