-
Alexis de Tocqueville
• Published “Democracy in America”
• Equality, individualism, laissez-faire, liberty, populism -
Woodrow Wilson
• Proposed 14 Points as a base of post-war peace
• Supported U.S membership in League of Nations; U.S failed to join -
John J Pershing
• Insisted that U.S soldiers fight as a unit and not be spread throughout French forces
• Led forces at Battle of Argonne Forest -
Warren G Harding
• Called for a “return to normalcy”- leads foreign involvement emphasis on prosperity at home
• Teapot Dome scandal his reputation -
Period: to
The Gilded Age – Post Reconstruction [1877] - 1900
A period of expansion, industrialization, immigration and urbanization with significant effects on
Native Americans, workers, immigrants, and the rise of big business in the late 19th century. -
Douglas McArthur
• Disagreement with Truman over use of nuclear weapons in North Korea and China
• Commander of U.S army in the Pacific during WWII -
George Marshall
• Created Marshall Plan designed to rebuild the economics and spirits of Europe
• Churchill referred to him as the “organizer of victory” -
Franklin D Roosevelt
• Pushed country out of Great Depression with New Deal
• Declared war on Japan after bombing of Pearl Harbor -
Harry S Truman
• Used atomic weapons against Japan to bring WWII to an end
• Executed policy to contain communism (Truman Doctrine) -
Chester W Nimitz
• Successfully organized half of Japanese advances
• Commander at Battle of Midway victory -
George S Patton
• Thought U.S should turn on and fight Russians after Germany’s surrender
• Led Third Army across Europe -
Dwight Eisenhower
• Supreme commander of D-Day and allied invasion of Europe in WWII
• created the Interstate Highway System in 1956 -
Omar Bradly
• WWII General
• Pushed his troops for the final offensive into Germany -
Period: to
Age of Imperialism and Reform – 1898 - 1919
During the early 20th century the U.S. entered a new historical era: an Age of Expansionism
beyond our natural borders as the country moved from isolationism. U.S. imperialism led to
involvement in the Spanish-American War, changing policies in Latin America and Asia and
eventually to World War I. At home, reformers made efforts to correct economic and social
abuses of the Gilded Age. -
Joseph McCarthy
• Conducted hearings to identify Communists he claimed infiltrated U.S government
• Led to a “witch” hunt for Communists -
Ronald Reagan
• Reduced taxes and regulations to encourage business activity- Reaganomics
• Believed you achieved peace by being prepared for war- “Peace Through Strength” -
Richard M Nixon
• Resigned office to avoid impeachment after Watergate scandal
• Normalized (reopened) relations with Red China-1972 -
Rosa Parks
• Arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person
• Her actions led to Montgomery Bus Boycott -
Period: to
World War I – 1914 – 1918
This was an era in which the global conflict of World War I and its effects had an impact on all
Americans. -
Hector P Garcia
• Human rights advocate and founder of American G.I Forum
• 1st Mexican American to serve on the U.S Commission on Civil Rights -
John F Keneddy
• Avoided nuclear showdown- Cuban Missile Crisis
• Unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Castro – Bay of Pigs Invasion -
Period: to
The Roaring 20s
This was also an era of significant prosperity and social change as Americans became more
isolationist and responded to significant change in social norms, consumerism, technological
advances and artistic achievement. -
Betty Ftiedan
• Leader in Women’s Liberation Movement
• Helped form NOW (National Organization of Women) became central voice of Women’s Movement -
Phyllis Schlafly
• Campaigned against Equal Rights Amendment
• Founder of Eagle Forum- opposes modern feminism -
Cesar Chavez
• Leader of the Chicano Movement
• Improved the life of farm workers; the treatment, pay, and working conditions -
Martin Luther King Jr
• Advanced civil rights using non-violent civil disobedience
• Activist and civil leader in the Civil Rights Movement -
Period: to
Great Depression: 1930s
Beginning with the Stock Market Crash in 1929, this era is marked by severe depression and
the increasing role of the Federal government to improve the economy. -
Period: to
Rise of Dictators and World War II – 1930s and 1940s
The rise of totalitarian governments in Europe and East Asia led to World War II and
involvement of the United States in that conflict. -
Sandra Day O'Connor
• Appointed to Supreme Court
• Established her voice as a swing vote between conservatives and liberals -
Period: to
Cold War – Post WWII through the 1980s
This post-war era is marked by issues of communism vs. democracy in Europe and America
after World War II. It includes the United States and the Soviet Union as competing
superpowers in the balance of power. The escalation of the Cold War from containment to the
outbreak of the Korean War and foreign policies of the Kennedy / Johnson years including the
growing conflict in Vietnam as well as the ending of the Cold War in the 1980s. -
Bill Clinton
• Balanced federal budget- cut spending raised taxes on rich and closed military bases
• Avoided impeachment -
Period: to
Civil Rights – 1950s, 1960s and beyond
This era highlights the issues of emerging rights for minorities and the leaders and critical
events of the modern 20th century civil rights movement. -
Period: to
Late 20th Contemporary Issues 1980s – 2000
An era of change as the U.S. experienced the end of the Cold War, new conflicts in the Middle
East, the impeachment of a President and a controversial election to begin a new century. -
Period: to
21st Century
Early in this century America dealt with a new threat of terrorism at home with the attacks on the
World Trade Center on 9/11 and a decade of the “War Against Terror”. This era also marked the
election of the first African-American President of the United States in 2008. -
Barak Obama
• 1st African-American president
• Supported health care reforms and banking reforms
