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Abraham Lincoln 1861-1865
Civil war and its consequences
The war is the culmination of decades of friction between the North and the South over these issues:
Both sides had different economies:
-The North based its prosperity in the manufacturing sector and in small farms.
-The South lacked industries and lived on large plantations using slave labour.
The election of Lincoln as President provoked the outbreak of the war. -
American Civil War
1861-1865
Civil war and its consequences
The Republican party was against slavery when Lincoln was elected President. Southerners withdrew from the Union and organized themselves as the Confederate States of America under the presidency of Jefferson Davis.
The main consequence was the great amount of casualties in both sides and the disappearence of slavery. -
Andrew Johnson 1865-1869
Segregation and the “Black code”
“1st Reconstruction Act” = Ku Klux Klan
Johnson thought that slaves weren’t ready for equal civil and political rights.
After the proclamation of to most Confederates, they adopted a “Black code” limiting the rights of black to own lands and bear arms. Outright slavery had turned into segregation.
In 1866, Republicans produced the 14th Amendment to Constitution ("the Reconstruction Amendment") which guaranteed the civil rights to all the citizens. -
Ulysses S. Grant 1869-1877
↓republican strength - Passive president in a corrupt administration -
Rutherford B. Hayes 1877-1881
End - reconstruction period North & South respected each one
Soon after the elections reached an agreement with Southern Democrat congressmen stating the following statements:
-The federal troops would leave the South.
-Governments would be shared with Democrat forces.
-The North would never interfere with issues related to the black population.
-Investments with the rich North would flood the Southern states. -
The growth of the nation and World War I
1880s-1918
Immigration
Expansion of railroads
Indian Policy
Economy and society -
James A. Garfield 1881
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Chester A. Arthur 1881-1885
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Grover Cleveland 1885-1889 1893-1897
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Benjamin Harrison 1889-1893
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William McKinley 1897-1901
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Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909
Progressive Movement
It started in towns and spread to the state level. It was formed by trade unionists, intellectuals and agrarian leaders. There was a decline in the rural power in favour of the urban society and at the end of the century, 40% of American population lived in cities. -
William Howard Taft 1909-1913
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Woodrow Wilson 1913-1921
IWW
Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation of neutrality but he also provided the Allies (Fr. & Br) with supplies and loans. Meanwhile he tried to make peace between Germany and England.
German leaders declared an all-out submarine war against all ships. In February, Wilson broke diplomatic relationships with Germany. So, the Congress approved the war revolution in April 1917.
After the war, President Wilson tried to convince the countries involved in the conflict to maintain peace. -
The interwar period
1918-1941
The interwar period -
Warren G. Harding
1921-1923
Restoration of peace and prosperity
Isolation - anti-war activists radicals
USA ≠ League of Nations
Nat. issues – improve labour conditions
In 1921, President predged his return to normality or the restoration of peace and prosperity and the isolation of anti-war activists and radicals. -
Calvin Coolidge
1923-1929
Prosperity = productivity & technological advances
The wealthy got richer while middle class - worse
Prosperity in the 1920s was overwhelming (sobrecogedora):
- Productivity and technological advances were key elements in this development.
- This prosperity was uneven (Desigual). The wealthy got richer while farmers, miners and workers in textile industries got worse. -
Herbert Hoover
1929-1933
The Great Depression (Oct 29) started when the stock market crashed and lasted up to 1933. Its reasons are numerous:
-Banks had more loans than people could pay.
-Unemployment rose and production had declined.
-Stock prices were not real.
-Agriculture had collapsed.
Despite president's initiatives, in 1930, Germany stopped paying war reparations, bringing about another crisis. The devaluation of European currencies which could not pay for American banking system. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt
1933-1945
New Deal: restoration public confidence
IIWW
Thanks to Frank D. Roosevelt, the deposits exceeded withdrawals in the 1st reopened banks. “Capitalism was saved in 8 days.” This was the beginning of the New Deal, a programme which would bring immediate relief reforms in industry, agriculture, and other sectors and the increase of federal activities. Today most New Deal reforms are a permanent part of the national life.
The attack of Pearl Harbour provoked the USA's entrance in the WWII.
