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West-ward expansion
A period in which promoters and land developers encouraged settlers to take advantage of the proclaimed economic opportunities of the West. Intensified by the belief in “manifest destiny” they began the push toward the west coast of North America, resulting in confrontations with the natives and the gold rush. -
Urbanization
A period in which Cities grew because industrial factories required large workforces and workers and their families needed places to live near their jobs. Factories and cities attracted millions of immigrants looking for work and a better life in the United States. -
Assault on natives Americans and Hispanics.
Following the westward expansion, more conflict erupted in America. This time not between settlers, but rather between the settlers and the natives. The federal government ultimately defeated the natives and diminished their cultures and ownership of lands. -
The Civil war
Following Abraham Lincoln's election, the already high tensions between the proslavery South and the anti-slavery North increased. Many deep south states had already succeeded from the union and were prepared for war. Calling themselves the Confederate states, they claimed to defend their values of maintaining racial slavery and white supremacy. When no compromise could be reached the confederates rained artillery fire upon Fort Sumter, igniting the beginning of the Civil war. -
The Union Victory
The confederates, standing alone against the union, faced a harsh war ahead of them without the equivalent resources that the North. That did not stop them from fighting fearfully for 4 years, determined to defend their beliefs. However, by early 1965 after many of its cities, ports, and industrial centers were seized and it became evident that the south would not last. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia and shortly after the Civil war ended. -
The 13thd Amendment
After two years since President Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation. Toward the end of the civil war on January 31, 1865, Congress passed the 13th amendment. After the defeat of the confederates in April, the 13th Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865. Officially abolishing slavery in the United States. -
The industrial revolution
New inventions and technological advancements shifted America's agrarian and handicraft economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacturing. -
Shift in consumerism
Greater choice, easier access, and improved goods at lower prices meant that even lower-income Americans had more options. These increased options led to a rise in advertising, as businesses compete for customers. The result was a population that had a better standard of living than ever before, even as they went into debt or worked long factory hours to pay for it. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Written by Senator John Sherman of Ohio, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act was the first Federal act that outlawed monopolistic business practices. Resulting in the elimination of blatant monopolization of American markets. -
The Spanish American war
An 8-month a long armed conflict between Spain and the United States. Hostilities began in the aftermath of the internal explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in Cuba, leading to the United States' intervention in the Cuban War of Independence. -
Progressivism
An era in which Progressives sought to advance the spread of democracy, improve efficiency in government and industry, and promote social justice. -
Dollar diplomacy
A term coined by William Howard Taft the 27th President of the United State. A form of American foreign policy to minimize the use or threat of military force by means of weaponizing America's flourishing economy. -
Change during and after WWI
The Americans' effort to remain neutral during the first World War failed. Their involvement enabled women and African Americans to take on jobs that had previously been reserved for White men. Even though it did not last long, feminism and the fight for civil rights remained. -
The Stock Market Crash
A major American stock market crash occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange collapsed. -
The great depression
Following the stock market crash of 1929 and the bursting of the inflated economic bubble a period of worldwide economic depression ensued. -
The new deals
A series of programs and projects instituted during the Great Depression by President Franklin D. Roosevelt aimed to restore prosperity to Americans. -
World War II
The second world war that lasted from 1939 to 19945 involved the majority of the world's countries including all of the great powers, forming two opposing military alliances the Allies and the Axis powers. -
The Cold War
A period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies. Mainly fueled by the nation's struggle for world dominance and the threats of nuclear war. -
Popular Culture and Mass Media
A period in which young, postwar Americans had more disposable income and enjoyed greater material comfort than their forebears. Resulting in the expansion of traditional entertainment through television. -
African American Struggle for Civil Rights
Following World War II, efforts to secure greater civil rights increased throughout America. Legal and peaceful protests brought about change to the Jim Crow system of segregation that had dominated the American South. White southerners made their opposition to these efforts known, often being demonstrated through violence and tragedies like murder.