US History concept chart major concepts & themes across US History

US History concept chart major concepts & themes across US History

Objectives:

• to help students to
  • associate timelines with events, persons, themes & concepts
  • associate presidents with timelines, themes & concepts
  • identify timelines with BIG IDEAS across periods of US history
  • find connections and common themes across US history
  • easily find relevant details for larger comprehension
• to help teachers to
  • quickly review US History content for lesson planning
  • provide students with easy and complete reference source for US history

Click EXPAND for a note for mobile phone users

• these timeline & concept charts use tables in order to connect ideas, timelines, and major concepts
• tables are not mobile-friendly (they do not wrap to a single column)
• when these charts are complete, we will in the future convert the charts to mobile-friendly format as an alternative file
• we encourage you to use a tablet or larger monitor in order to see the charts here

Index

• Major concepts & themes across US History
• Category:US History timelines & concept charts pages list

Page structure & format guide

• US History timeline & concept chart page structure format guide

U.S. History course pages:

• US History
• AP US History

Concept & themes chart objectives

Develop timeline & periods awareness

• timeline awareness develops ability to recall events and persons more readily
• periods awareness develops ability to draw connections across US history

Thematic overview of US history

• theme-based learning develops ability to connect and assess different periods
• theme-based learning develops conceptual skills and awareness

Understanding & connecting historical times, persons, places, and events in US history

• thematic and periodization helps US History students:
  • relevancy and connections across all periods of US history
  • content retention
  • causal and conceptual understanding
• AP US History (APUSH) test is based upon primary source documents
  • success on the test includes ability to:
  • identify time, theme, and issue based upon a date
  • connect, compare & contrast similar periods to primary source documents

• see also
  • Social Studies skills
  • Geography

Periods, timeline, and major concepts

PERIOD / TIMELINE	Major Events, Concepts & Themes	Notes & connections: details of issues, concepts, themes & events
1607 pre-Colonial in North America 1607-1765 Early colonial period 1730s-40s First Great Awakening 1754-1760 French Indian War (in America) 1754-1763 Seven Years War (Europe) 1765-1783 Revolutionary Era 1783-1789 Articles of Confederation period (post-Revolution) 1789-1815 Early Republic 1815-1827 Era of Good Feelings 1827-1833 Jacksonian period 1830s-40s Second Great Awakening 1833-1850s Antebellum period 1861-1865 Civil War 1865-1876 Reconstruction 1876-1898 Industrialization 1898-1917 Progressive Era 1917-1919 World War I 1914-1918 in Europe 1920s Roaring Twenties, Prohibition 1929-1941 Great Depression 1941-1945 World War II 1937-1945 in Asia 1939-1945 in Europe 1946-1989 Cold War 1950-1953 Korean War 1959-1974 Vietnam War 1966-68 U.S. escalation 1950s-60s Popular Culture, Youth Movements 1970s Stagflation 1980s Wall Street Culture 2000s War on Terror see U.S. History Primary Source Timeline (Library of Congress AP United States History units (collegeboard) Outline of United States History #named eras (wikipedia)	BIG IDEAS What does it MEAN? every issue, dispute, event, etc., represents someone’s perspective, interest, ideal or outlook identify distributions of power and their impact on events, groups, and individuals what motivates historical choices? Causality contingency = conditions & choices each set of conditions creates a set of choices each choice taken historically created a new set of conditions the new conditions thereby presented historical actors with a new set of choices how does one or a series of decisions lead to others, either by limiting or expanding on those choices? examples: if, how & why did the French-Indian War lead to the American Revolution? if, how & why did the need for compromise in the Constitution lead to the Civil War? if, how & why did the Compromise of 1850 lead to the Civil War? if, how & why did the New Deal program extend the Great Depression? if, how & why did white leftist radicals contribute to the Civil Rights movement? if, how & why did the Great Society welfare programs lead to entrenched poverty? Connections how are events related? what common themes occur across American history? including: civil liberties individualism local v. national rule political & economic equality political dissent sectionalism slavery and its impact & legacies Constitutionalism some questions to consider: why do Americans generally abide by the Constitution, or do they? and if so to what extent? how have different constitutional interpretations impact historical outlooks and events? how does constitutionalism lead to political stability? how does the difficulty to amend the Constitution (Article V) lead to political instabilty? how, why & to what extent does the judiciary amend the Constitution?	"The American Experience" "The American Promise” economic, including: freedom economic imperialism economic inequality economic opportunity immigration assimilation and "melting pot" origin cultural heritage & identity land ownership, pioneer culture “land of opportunity” "move west" political activism and issue advocacy race & racial relations religious freedom slavery & legacies: segregation discrimination self-governance & political participation European colonialism European countries competed for colonial possessions around the world, largely for economic, religious and political purposes ex. France largely sought economic exploitation in its North American possessions by contrast, British colonialism in North America, which started as commercial ventures, explicitly promoted population of the colonies types of British colonial enterprises in North America: Joint-stock company under Royal charter land-patent (allowance) from other joint-stock company Royal colony proprietary colony (privately owned) types of British colonial purposes in North America: commercial/entrepreneurial religious political / political refuge proprietary / personal ownership click EXPAND for chart of types/ purposes of colonial charters/ establishment Colony Established Charter type 'Purpose Notes ' Colony of Virginia (Jamestown) 1607 joint-stock company (Virginia Company which had Royal charter) entrepreneurial Plymouth Colony 1620 independent w/ land patent (allowance) from the Plymouth Company (a Royal joint-stock company) religious never had a royal charter; merged into Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1691 Massachusetts Bay Colony 1628 founded by Massachusetts Bay Company (joint-stock company) primarily religious 20,000 people, mostly puritans, migrated in the 1630s; merged into Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1691 Province of Massachusetts Bay 1691 Royal colony re-organized Massachusetts colonies and charters into a single political unit that would become the state of Massachusetts Connecticut Colony 1636 religious, political dissent informally established under self-government reformed as Royal colony in 1662 Providence Plantations (Roger Williams) 1636 religious, political dissent informally established under self-government reformed as Colony of Rhode Island by Royal charter 1663 Delaware Colony 1664 proprietary Province of Pennsylvania 1681 religious (Quaker) proprietary King Charles II paid a debt to William Penn with the colony Province of Maryland 1632 religious (Catholic) proprietary Others: Province of New York, proprietary 1664, Royal colony 1686 Province of Carolina, 1629-1729 by Royal charter Province of North Carolina, Royal colony 1729 Province of South Carolina, Royal colony 1729 Province of Georgia, proprietary colony 17932, Royal colony 1752 Push-pull factors Push factors from England poverty/ lack of land ownership (rents) religious persecution escape debt or criminality (generally via indentured servitude) lack of economic or social opportunity primogeniture 2nd sons didn't inherent titles or property limits imposed by British social and economic class system Push factors to American colonies economic opportunity (trade) adventurism religious freedom land ownership start new life political opportunity merit-based opportunity American colonial self-identity as British citizens American colonials perceived themselves as both British citizens and citizens of their local colonies the British perceived the colonists as subjects = a key source of dispute between the British and the colonialists as to their political relationship local rule under colonial charters gave colonials a sense of entitlement and tradition of self-government American colonists strongly objected to the reorganization of most northeastern colonies into the Dominion of New England in 1659 citizens or subjects? duty & responsibilities as British subjects self-governance or British-appointed governance direct v. indirect representation indirect representation was the British idea that the King and the Parliament ruled on behalf of the American colonials as a parent governs a child salutary neglect = the idea that the American colonies had better progressed without British interference see US History timeline & concept chart: 16th-18th centuries (to 1754) British-American colonies#Salutary neglect

Founding documents & political philosophies

PERIOD / TIMELINE	Major Events, Concepts & Themes	Notes & connections: details of issues, concepts, themes & events
Timeline 594 BC Athenian path towards democracy developed under Solon 508-411 effective democracy in Athens 375 BC Plato criticizes democracy in "The Republic" 509 BC Roman Republic established 27 BC official end of Roman Republic as Senate grants extraordinary powers to Caesar Augustus 1215 Magna Carta King John cedes power to local lords and recognizes civil and legal protections in law 1450s-1500s Italian Renaissance rise of humanism & political philosophy (Machiavelli) Declaration of Rights of Englishmen	BIG IDEAS Democracy demos = people -cracy = rule by ancient Athens employed a form of "direct democracy" male citizens voted directly on state policies approx. 60% of Athenian adult men participated historical meaning: dangers of "mob rule" & "tyranny of the majority" instability and susceptibility to populism & demagoguery populism = demagoguery = appeal to the fears of citizens American Founders distrusted pure democracy Republic from Latin res publica = of the people divided government Senate (represented "patricians," or elites) and Tribunes (popular representative body) historical meaning: anti-monarchical stability and flexibility susceptiblity to populism, demagoguery and factionalism adsf adsf	Enlightenment ideas Machiavelli Roman republic John Locke natural law "clean slate" theory of human equality Montesquieu theories on separation of powers Hobbes v. Hume Madison's Federalist no. 10 provides theoretical framework for overcoming the dangers of "faction" the Founders recognized that faction is a danger inherent to democracies if one faction seizes 51% control, it can ignore and thereby abuse the rights of the minority (49%) the situation is what is known as the tyranny of the majority Madison reasoned that: faction can be controlled by limiting its ability to control an entire government it is accomplished through separation of powers with checks and balances therefore, a large republic (like America) can avoid factions more readily be avoided since there is more power to be distributed/separated than in a small republic that is, a small republic would be easier for a single faction to take over and control the idea was novel, as it was assumed by all thinkers up to Madison that a republic would not function in a large country faction & disagreement sectionalism political parties compromise conflict radicalism dissent to consider: How do Americans resolve disputes? Why do some Americans feel isolated and start radical movements? How do the big political parties adapt to those movements? How does the Constitution both resolve factionalism and enhance it? Declaration of Independence affirmation of Locke anti-monarchy justifies revolution based on needs of citizens Constitution forms the structure of the federal government what does "to form a more perfect union" mean? Bill of Rights Constitutional principles judicial review change over time in Constitutional interpretations Bill of Rights = strong expression of what is important to Americans: 1st amendment as expression of American ideals: freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, petition of government Electoral College = combined representation of states and population 12th amendment changed from top-two winners = President and Vice president to "ticket" system where by electors vote for combined President and Vice President as a "ticket" = ensures the two-party system

Cultural, social & political intersections

PERIOD / TIMELINE	Major Events, Concepts & Themes	Notes & connections: details of issues, concepts, themes & events
	BIG IDEAS	self-governance/ self-government extents and limits of self-government to consider: what does it mean and how do different people & times interpret it? what is democracy? How can it work? What are its limits? How does it empower people? private v public lives of Americans slavery Cotton Gin (Eli Whitney invention) expansion of slavery experience of slaves consequences of slavery effect upon slaves and former slaves effect upon slave-owners effect upon southern white non-slave owners anti-slvaary Constitution ban on slave importation as of 1807 Northwest Ordinance, 178>> << banned slavery in NW Territory 1791 Vermont state constitution forbade slavery "frontier" western expansion >>details religious awakenings >>details politics & democracy Tocqueville cultural expression news and journalism, “pamphleteering” radio/ tv political participation reform movements public and private religious awakenings agitation for reform reform (public/ private) fear, crisis, opportunism

Economic concepts & themes

PERIOD / TIMELINE	Major Events, Concepts & Themes	Notes & connections: details of issues, concepts, themes & events
	BIG IDEAS 17th century colonial economies & trade New England and mid-Atlantic coastal trade with Caribbean & European traders commodities included timber, pine tar (for boats), fur, fish Virginia and South Carolina export of commodities, especially tobacco, rice & indigo British attempts to impose mercantilist policies fail 18th century colonial economies & trade up to 1763 colonial westward expansion creates internal markets deliberate British policy of "salutary neglect" leaves colonies largely unregulated colonial wars as result of westward expansion and competition with Native Americans and the French 17th century colonial economies & trade after French-Indian War (1763) British imposition of taxes, regulations, and direct-rule via Crown-appointed Governors British restriction on colonial expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains in response to French-Indian War	economics banks/ debt hard money v. soft money tariff business / commerce prosperity panics, recessions, depressions usually the result of over-production, speculation (in land or businesses), money supply, war >> to do: chart of panics causes & effects Panic of 1837 ><? Panic of 1893 Panic of 1907 Recession of 1920 to do/ sort push /pull distance and time railroad telegraph growth markets US idealism isolationism expansionism business/ trade/ power idealism land grants act 1850s overseas wars foreign involvement nicauragia wwi cold war women's rights in west b/c of fewer women in the population

Territorial & commercial expansion

PERIOD / TIMELINE	Major Events, Concepts & Themes	Notes & connections: details of issues, concepts, themes & events
1763 Treaty of Paris settled the French-Indian War, expanding British holdings in North America 1783 Treaty of Paris ended American Revolution 1791 Vermont Republic Vermont was an independent republic 1777-1791 1802 Louisiana Purchase from Mississippi River to the north & west, those borders undefined 1815 Treaty of Ghent settled War of 1812 1818 Treaty of 1818 created 49th parallel agreement 1819 Adams-Onis Treaty acquisition of Florida from Spain 1842 Webster–Ashburton Treaty 1845 Texas annexation Republic of Texas entered Union 1846 Oregon Treaty Britain recognized US ownership of "Oregon Lands" 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo settled Mexican-American War, "Mexican cession" of modern Southwest US, UT, NV & CA 1853 Gadsden Purchase US acquired additional lands south of NM and AZ from Mexico 1867 Alaska Purchase purchased from Russia 1898 Treaty of Paris settled Spanish-American War (Puerto Rico & Philippines) 1898 Annexation of Hawaii the Newlands Resolution annexed the Republic of Hawaii	BIG IDEAS What does it MEAN? Understanding American history and experience through territorial expansion motives, outcomes conflicts, impact land claims, economic opportunities Push & pull factors land ownership & use economic opportunity business expansion, especially railroads gold & silver rushes trade, especially in Pacific Ocean expansion Colonial expansion English settlers pushing westward from coastal settlements created conflict with Native Americans created conflict between Native Americans tribes and confederations created conflict with French and its fur trade with Native Americans led directly to French-Indian War Proclamation of 1763 forbade American colonists from settling west of the Appalachians = British attempt to control colonials westward push Spanish/French settlement in current US areas was limited their colonial impulse was for trade (French) and religious conversion of Native Americans (Spanish) English colonials sought settlement and populations grew rapidly Exploration, fur trade, land Daniel Boone (1734-1820) and trailblazers, frontiersmen frontier culture and folk heroes Northwest Ordinance of 1787 the new nation recognized need to organize territorial expansion drove further claims westward Manifest Destiny Republic of Texas declared after westward extension of railroads drove western settlement resulted in political disagreement/ sectionalism over expansion of free and slave territories and states Mexican-American War of 1846 California Gold Rush of 1849 Civil War impact Transcontinental railroad Homestead Act of 1862 Homesteaders and pioneers "land grants" of up to 160 acres Impact of technologies steam power first used on boats in late 17th century railroads (starting 1820s) telegraph (1830s) & telephone (1870s) electricity automobiles & airplanes (starting early 20th century) American commercial and technological dominance (transistor, space race, etc.) Overseas expansion & acquisitions transoceanic trade especially with introduction of steam boats = created need for coaling stations for refueling across Pacific Ocean Panama Canal as outgrowth of Spanish-American War industrialization Expansion via acquisition from European powers Eastern Louisiana Territory, Ohio Valley & Northwest Territory from Britain Louisiana Territory and Florida acquisitions Mexican-American War Spanish-American War Expansion via acquisition or war with Native Americans >>to do Twentieth Century US overseas interventions foreign loans and direct investment (1910s Gunboat diplomacy & later 20th century US business dominance) petroleum & mining investments WWII US bases around world following the War American commercial & cultural dominance IBM, GM, Ford Hollywood & music industry (popular culture) internet, Microsoft, Google	Map of the United States and territories after the Treaty of Paris === British colonial expansion === 1667 Treaty of Breda Netherlands ceded "New Netherland" which the British renamed "New York" Within New Netherland, the Dutch (Netherlands) had claimed coastal areas of modern RI, CT, NY, NJ and DE 1715 Peace of Utrecht settled European conflict Britain seized control of the Asiento de Negros Spanish grants of right to engage in the African slave trade France ceded Newfoundland (eastern coast of Canada) to the British 1763 Treaty of Paris settled the French-Indian War Britain took all French territories in modern Canada France also ceded the eastern portion of the Louisiana Territory, which included lands from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River Spain ceded "Eastern Florida" (the "Panhandle" region) US territorial expansion UnitedStatesExpansion 1777 Vermont Republic 1783 Treaty of Paris Britain ceded the original 13 colonies and corresponding territories west to the Mississippi River the cessation included the Northwestern Territory, including the Ohio Valley, and the upper-midwest below the Great Lakes 1791 Vermont Republic Vermont had declared itself an independent state in 1777 was admitted to the Union in 1791 the admission settled claims by New York on Vermont lands 1818 Treaty of 1818 Britain ceded land northwest of the Northwest Territory (western modern MN and north & east ND) US ceded lands north of the 49th parallel above modern MT established the 49th parallel as the border of US and Canada from MN to the Rocky Mountains (leaving Oregon Country in joint-control) called for "joint occupation" by British and Americans of Oregon Country (northwest corner of present US, including OR, WA, ID) 1819 Adams-Onis Treaty Spain ceded Florida to the US 1842 Webster–Ashburton Treaty settled border disputes along modern US-Canadian border, including in the modern states of ME, MN, MT, ID & WA (reaffirming the 49th parallel) 1846 Oregon Treaty Britain ceded claims to "Oregon Country," setting the 49th parallel across to the Pacific Ocean as the northern border Oregon Country included modern OR, WA, ID and parts of WY and MT 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo settled Mexican-American War "Mexican cession" of southwestern territory, called "Alta California included modern NM, AZ, UT, NV and CA and parts of modern CO and TX 1853 Gadsden Purchase negotiated after the Mexican-American war to purchase Mexican territory in the south of modern AZ and southwest area of NM includes modern AZ cities of Yuma & Tucson cost was $10 million and motive for Mexico to sell it was likely to get the money before the Americans fully populated and/or seized it US was motivated by railroad route through the region Census Bureau map depicting territorial acquisitions and dates of statehood, probably created in the 1970s 1867 Alaska Purchase from Russia for $7.2 million Russian motives: Russia had originally exploited the region for its fur trade and never populated it by 1850s sea otters were hunted to near extinction the Russians understood Alaska would be difficult to defend against US or British attack they preferred to sell it to the US as a buffer against the British US opponents called it "Seward's Folly" after Secretary of State Seward who negotiated the purchase US proponents thought it would help promote trade with Asia Alaska's extensive mineral deposits were not yet discovered (starting with Klondike Gold Rush in 1896) Alaska became a state in 1948 1898 Treaty of Paris settled Spanish-American War Spain recognized an independent Cuba and ceded Puerto Rico, Philippines and Guam to the US US compensated Spain for the cessations $20 million US set up Cuba as an independent country US kept Puerto Rico, Philippines and Guam (as part of the Marianas Islands) as territories Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917 Philippines: Philippine-American War, or "Tagalog Insurgency" ensued from 1986-1902 Philippine nationalists sought full independence pockets of resistance continued until 1913 Philippines remained an American territory until 1946 1898 Annexation of Hawaii throughout the 1800s, Americans settled in Hawaii for sugar planting and trade the Republic of Hawaii was created by white Americans in 1984 after overthrowing the indigenous Hawaiian Kingdom large plantation owners, led by Sanford Ballard Dole of the Dole fruit company, orchestrated the coup see Americans overthrow Hawaiian monarchy (History.com) or How white planters usurped Hawaii's last queen (NationalGeographic.com) the Newlands Resolution annexed the Republic of Hawaii the Territory of Hawaii was established in 1900 Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959 Acquisition or takeover of Native American lands Northwestern Territory Georgia Oklahoma Dakotas Pacific Island and other acquisitions 1856 Guano Islands Act Congress declared that US citizens could take possession of any unclaimed "guano" islands and would receive US government protection were islands that held "guano" deposits (used as fertilizer and saltpeter, an ingredient in gunpowder) about 100 claims were made in Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific waters 1867 Midway Atoll originally claimed under the Guano Islands Act, Midway islands were officially annexed by the US in 1867 Midway served as important US Naval base 1903 Panama Canal Zone US seized the "Canal Zone" from Columbia in 1903 by supporting Panamanian independence from Columbia with support of US warships the Canal Zone was receded to Panama in 1999