US History simple timeline: Difference between revisions

From A+ Club Lesson Planner & Study Guide
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** called the "Constitutional Convention
** called the "Constitutional Convention
** it is sent to the states for "adoption" (agreement of each state to join)
** it is sent to the states for "adoption" (agreement of each state to join)


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|1991-today
|1991-today
|post-Cold War "new world order"
|Modern globalism period
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* after the collapse of the Soviet Union, all nations were more free to trade and invest in each other
* China, especially, embraced the new conditions and opened itself as a manufacturing base
** other countries also experienced rapid economic growth
* however, wars, disease, famines, persist into the world of today, including
** US involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq wars
** civil wars in Africa, Myanmar, eastern Europe
** political instability across the Mideast
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Revision as of 21:15, 3 June 2022

Timeline of major events and periods

Major periods of US History[edit | edit source]

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 Modern globalism period
  • after the collapse of the Soviet Union, all nations were more free to trade and invest in each other
  • China, especially, embraced the new conditions and opened itself as a manufacturing base
    • other countries also experienced rapid economic growth
  • however, wars, disease, famines, persist into the world of today, including
    • US involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq wars
    • civil wars in Africa, Myanmar, eastern Europe
    • political instability across the Mideast

Major wars & events general timeline[edit | edit source]

Dates Major War Dates Major Events / Minor Wars
1754-1763 French-Indian War 1763-1783 American Revolution

1775-1781

Revolutionary War 1789 US Constitution adopted
1846-48 Mexican-American War 1812-15 War of 1812

1861-65

U.S. Civil War

1850 "Compromise of 1850"
1865-1877 Reconstruction period

1917-18

WWI 1898 Spanish-American War

1941-45

WWII 1930s Great Depression
1950s-60s Civil Rights Movement

1946-1989

Cold War 1950-1953 Korean War

1965-1972

Vietnam: U.S. ground & aeriel war 1959-65 Vietnam War: US intervention

2002-2021

Afghanistan War 2003-11 Iraq War/ "War on Terror"

Revolution Period: major wars & events timeline w/ details[edit | edit source]

1754-1763 French-Indian War BIG IDEAS:
  • caused by westward expansion of colonists into French territory west of the Appalachian Mts
  • Britain (England) defeated France and seized all of Canada and lands east of the Mississippi
1763-83 American Revolution BIG IDEAS:
  • after French-Indian War, England
    • imposed new taxes on the colonists
    • imposed rules and restrictions on trade
    • prohibited the colonists from settling in the new lands west of the Appalachian Mts ("Indian Territory)
  • the colonists begin to protest
  • key events of the American Revolution
    • 1765: Stamp Act, tax and regulations imposed by Britain
      • a series of other taxes were imposed, such as the "Tea Act"
      • as well as a law to force Americans to house ("Quartering Act") British soldiers
      • and appointments of colonial governors by the King and not from colonial vote
    • 1770: Boston Massacre, British soldiers shoot into crowd of protesters
    • 1773: Boston Tea Party, protest against trade restrictions
      • and British response with the "Intolerable Acts" and blockade of Boston harbor
    • 1775: "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine, argues against monarchy (king)
    • 1776: Declaration of Independence, colonies declare independence from England
1774-1789 Continental Congress & the Articles of Confederation BIG IDEAS:
  • a "congress" is a meeting of representatives from different places
  • the "Continental Congress" is the organization of the 13 Colonies that joined together for common cause to oppose British rule
  • the Continental Congress started after the British passed the "Intolerable Acts" and blockaded Boston harbor in response to the Boston Tea Party
  • there were three periods: First Continental Congress (1774), Second Continental Congress (1774-1781) and the First and Second Congresses of (1774–1781) and the Congress of the Confederation (1781–1789)
  • the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789) were a set of agreements between the 13 states to organize and guide their cooperation
    • the Articles were approved in 1777, but only approved by all states in 1781
    • the Articles did not create a strong national government
    • they proved incapable of resolving many difficulties and disagreements
1775-83 American Revolutionary War BIG IDEAS:
  • in 1775 fighting started between colonial "militia" (private soldiers) and British soldiers in Massachusetts
    • the f
  • on July 4, 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies signed the "Declaration of Independence" which "declared" (stated as fact) that the colonies were now independent from Britain
1787-1789 Constitutional Convention and adoption of the US Constitution BIG IDEAS
  • at the end of the Revolutionary War in 1781, the Continental Congress reorganized in order to form a new, independent nation
    • they called it the "United States of America"
      • it was a loose "confederation" of the states in order to make common decisions, such as the signing of the peace treaty with Great Britain in 1783 that officially ended the Revolutionary War
      • it was called the "Congress of the Confederation
1791 Adoption of the US Constition BIG IDEAS
  • as the new country developed from 1783-1789, many problems arose, such as
    • lack of common (or uniform), national currency (money)
    • lack of common laws
    • lack of ability for the national government to pay its debts due to inability to tax
    • lack of general organization and standardization (rules) for relations between the states
  • George Washington recognized these deficiencies and called for a convention (gathering) of states at Annapolis, Maryland in 1786
    • the assembly at Annapolis didn't achieve much, but decided upon calling for another convention the next year at Philadelphia
    • the 1787 Constitutional Convention met at Philadelphia and proposed a new form of government among the states
      • called the US Constitution
      • it was proposed to the states, which debated it and voted for or against
      • by 1788, enough states had agreed upon adopting the new Constitution, so the government was set to open in 1791