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Appomattox
Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant in this Courthouse. This ended the Civil War. -
Period: to
1865-2003
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The Reconstruction
This was the process of rebuilding the South after the CIvil War. African Americans began to take part in the government and in U.S. Congress. Many people disagreed with this, and forces such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) were born. -
The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition from an agrarian society to an urban society. Factories began to be built. Jobs also opened up and the unemployed got jobs. New mechanics were also built. -
Creation of the Panama Canal
The main reson for the Panama Canal was trade. It shortened the distance for goods to be transported around the country. This made trade easier. The canal was completedin 1913 and opened in 1914 -
The Spanish-American War
This war was fought over Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. There were already battles occuring in Cuba between the two countries before the war. President William McKinley demanded that the fighting stop and that Spain hand over Cuba. Spain declined and the U.S. was forced to seize Cuba and the other regions by force. -
Acquisition of Hawaii
Hawaii had many advantages for the U.S. It had fertile soil for farming. It also gave America a Pacific Power. -
World War One
The war started when Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by a Serbian citizen. The assassination resulted in a war that put Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers) against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy and Japan (the Allied Powers). America tried to stay out of the war until 1917 when they joined the Allies because Germany attcked ships that contained U.S. citizens. The Allies eventually won with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. -
Prohibition/The Roaring 20's
The Roaring 20's was an era of political growth for America where the nations wealth grew tremendously. More and more people began to live in cities and people began to buy the same goods. Despite all these positive things in the 20's, there was also a negative event. On Jan. 16, 1920, the Eighteenth Amendment began a prohibition on alcohol that led to an increase in crime and smuggling. -
The Great Depresion and the New Deal
The Great Depresion was an era of bad events for America. People pulled out there stocks and banks crashed. A dust bowl swept across the country. In 1933, during Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency, Roosevelt made a series of promises to America that would help rebuild after the depression; this became known as the New Deal. -
World War II
World War II began when Hitler led the Nazi Party in an invasion of Poland. This led Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany and its allies Italy and Japan. Like WW1, America tried to remain nuetral until 1941 when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The war ended in 1945, when Japan was the final country to surrender. -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was a suprise attack on the U.S. by Japan. It caused the United States to decalre war on Japan. This resulted in Italy and Germany declaring war on the U.S. -
The Cold War
The United States and the Soviet Union were allies in World War II, but there was tension between them. After the war, the Soviet Union began to expand. This frightned the United States. Despite this tension and America's fear, neither attacked because both had nuclear weapons. -
The Korean War
The Korean War was between North and South Korea. America joined South Korea when it was invaded. North Korea had already been attacking other places and that gave America a sense of insecurity. So when North Korea invaded South Korea, America seized the opportunity to defeat the threat. -
The Vietnam War
This war was North Vietnam against South Vietnam and America. Over 58,000 Americans were killed in the war and it was taking 500,000 U.S military personnel. This angered American citizens and led to the withdrawl of troops in 1973. The war ended in 1975 when Saigon was captured. -
The Gulf War
Saddam Hussein, leader of Iraqi, invaded Kuwait and began the Gulf War. United States joined when they were asked for help from other Arab powers. The war ended when President Bush ordered a cease-fire on February 28, 1991 -
September 11, 2001
On 9/11, four terrorist attacks were launched by al-Qaeda. Two planes were targeted for the World Trade Center, one at the Pentagon, and one crashed in Pennsylvania. The casualties totaled at 2,996 people. -
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom is the official name of the War of Afghanistan used by the U.S.government. The goal of the operation is to capture al-Qaeda leaders and to destroy their camps. -
Invasion of Iraq
This invasion began the fight that become known as the Iraq War. The goal of this invasion was to remove Saddam Hussein from power. -
Operation Iraqi Freedom
The goal of this operation was to capture the dictator of Iraq Saddam Hussein and stop the devolopment of his weapons of mass destruction. This showed that America was willing to get involved if they believed they were at risk.
