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Philadelphia committee led by Benjamin Franklin attempts to regulate waste disposal and water pollution.
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America officially gains independence
The British are defeated in the Battle of Saratoga, effectively ending the war. The Treaty of Paris is signed the same day, American wins independence. -
The Constitution replaces the Articles of Confederation
The current document that sets the foundation of American government is finished and put into place, replacing the previous Articles of Confederation. -
Henry David Thoreau publishes Walden
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The American Civil War
The Civil War was the outbreak of ongoing tensions between North and South over slavery or states rights, depending on who you ask. As a result, African Americans were legally free and the union would be preserved. It would not be until the Civil Rights movement that African Americans were truly free from oppression, and some would argue that they still are not truly free. -
The term ecology is coined in German as Oekologie by Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel
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The term acid rain is coined by Robert Angus Smith in the book Air and Rain
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The term smog is coined by Henry Antoine Des Voeux in a London meeting to express concern over air pollution
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US Congress created the National Park Service
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American involvement in World War I
The first world war is important in America history because it brought in America as a world power capable of having influence over European and world politics. American rise to world power had been kicked off by the Spanish-American War, and finished after the Great War. -
1929 American stock market crash
This was the start of the Great Depression, which had a profound impact on American politics, economics, and society as well as affecting the entire world. The crisis was so bad that Franklin Roosevelt took drastic measures to help aid impoverished Americans, taking actions that would be considered very controversial today. -
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American involvement in World War II
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, America mobilized on a massive scale never seen before. After the Axis powers were defeated, America emerged a world power in charge of setting up a new world order, effectively placing Western Europe under an American sphere of influence. -
The invention of the nuclear bomb
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Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring
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The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was important because of its massive impact on not only American culture and politics, but internationally as well. It is because of the Vietnam War that we are skeptical of politicians and the media. However, a survey in 2016 claims that 91% of Vietnam War veterans are proud to have served in Vietnam. -
The Apollo 8 picture of Earthrise
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First Earth Day
Millions of people gather in the United States for the first Earth Day organized by Gaylord Nelson, former senator of Wisconsin, and Denis Hayes, Harvard graduate student. US Environmental Protection Agency established -
Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer entered into force
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The end of the Cold War
The Cold War officially ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union on Christmas of 1991, ending fears of nuclear war and ideological struggle. What a lovely Christmas present that must have been. -
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol was negotiated in Kyoto, Japan in December. Countries that ratify this protocol commit to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases -
U.S. rejects the Kyoto Protocol
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9/11 World Trade Center attacks
The September World Trade Center attacks was the most notable event in American history to occur in the 21st century. It served as a catalyst for modern America, including the infamous eternal conflicts in the Middle East as well as an increase in domestic security.
