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Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877 was an informal, unwritten deal that settled the dispute of the 1876 presidential election. It gave Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency in exchange for the end of the Reconstruction of the south. Additionally, this compromise brought an end to the Reconstruction Era through President Hayes' withdrawal of federal troops in Louisiana and South Carolina. -
Gilded Age
The Gilded Age (1870-1900) was a time period of industrialization and wealth in America, and this era is usually marked by technological innovation and laissez-faire economics. However, this also created poor working conditions and low wages for the employees that had to work to maintain the success of the country. -
Progressive Era
The Progressive Era, following the Gilded Age, was a time of social reform aiming to tackle issues like poverty, unsafe working conditions, and big business corruption. In the end, there were significants impacts on society in reforms to do with sanitation, worker protection, women's rights, etc. -
Spanish-American War
After the USS Maine sank, the United States declared war on Spain. In the span of only six weeks, the U.S. won over the Spanish and gained territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. -
World War I
World War I was a conflict from 1914 to 1918 between the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, etc.) and the Allied Powers (France, Britain, Russia, etc.) as the result of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The war resulted in millions of deaths and significant geological and political shifts. The United States remained neutral until unrestricted submarine warfare came into play, sinking the USS Lusitania. -
Great Depression
Following the stock market crash of October 1929, the Great Depression became the mark of the worst economic downfall in U.S. history. Unemployment was at 25% and over 5,000 banks had gone out of business. This issue wasn't resolved until Franklin Roosevelt assigned the New Deal in 1933. -
Holocaust
During World War II, a group of Europeans, more specifically the Nazis, set out to kill people based on race, political affiliation, disability, religion, or sexual orientation, mainly focusing on Jews. The Holocaust was a time period characterized by persecution, violence, concentration camps, genocide, etc. This resulted in the murder of millions, an era in time we will never forget. -
World War II
The second world war was a conflict between the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allied powers (United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union) beginning with an invasion of Poland in 1939. The United States entered the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the results of the war were characterized by millions of deaths and widespread devestation. -
Cold War
The aftermath of World War Two shifted the global balance of power and created a bi-polar world led by two competing superpowers: The United States and the USSR. We call this global competition the Cold War. Although there was no real violence, there was a high tension regarding who would gain more world power. -
Korean War
The Korean War was a battle between North and South Korea that began in June of 1950. As the war continued, the United states helped aid the South while China assisted the North. The war ended in a stalemate on the border, and the United States continued to demonstrate its commitment to containment. -
Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement is an umbrella term for actions taken to secure political, social, and economic rights for African Americans in the period from 1946 to 1968. Key aspects of this movement include Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr. Although equality hasn't been truly reached in the society of today, it's come a long way. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a prolonged military conflict that started as an anticolonial war against the French and evolved into a Cold War confrontation between communism and democracy. In terms of the United States, this was the war that enmeshed the United States in a battle against communism in Southeast Asia for more than twenty years. -
Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
The presidency of John F. Kennedy was tragically cut short by an assassin’s bullet on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy from the window of a book depository while the president was riding in a convertible limousine as part of a motorcade. Following his death, Lyndon B. Johnson took over as president. -
Apollo 11 Moon Landing
Apollo 11 was the first successful manned mission to land on the Moon, launched by NASA on July 16, 1969. Neil Armstrong, one of the astronauts aboard, became the first person to walk on the moon, famously saying, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." This demonstrates the United States' technological superiority during the Space Race. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall was a significant event for the official end of the Cold War. The wall coming down between East and West Berlin drove home in a very dramatic and convincing way to Americans that the communist world was coming undone. -
Fall of the Soviet Union
The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the end of the Cold War and the collapse of a superpower. Economic struggles, Gorbachev's reforms, ethnic nationalism, and political instability led to its dissolution. The event resulted in the emergence of 15 independent republics, a shift to a world dominated by the U.S., and the spread of democracy in Eastern Europe. -
9/11 Terrorist Attack
On September 11, 2001, terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked and flew airplanes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed in the attacks. Following this attack, concerns for the safety of the United States emerged. -
Election of 2009
The Election of 2008 was the presidential election that resulted in Barack Obama taking office. Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States and the first African American president in US history. Obama entered presidency during an economic crisis and deferred the biggest issues. -
COVID-19 Pandemic
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which began in late 2019, caused a global health crisis, leading to millions of infections and deaths. It disrupted economies, healthcare systems, and daily life. Governments required quarantine and social distancing with the hope of slowing the spread. The pandemic highlighted the importance of public health readiness, global cooperation, and the rapid development of vaccines, reshaping how societies address health emergencies. -
Russia invades Ukraine
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 marked a major escalation in conflict. It resulted in widespread destruction and displacement. The war has affected international relations, with the West supporting Ukraine through military and economic aid. The conflict has reshaped global security, challenged the post-Cold War normal, and highlighted tensions between Russia and NATO.