The American History Timeline

1700s

The American Revolution: 1785-1783

• This is the war that shaped the founding of the United States
• George Washington served as a general during the war
• The Boston Tea Party took place during this time

1800s

Westward Expansion: 1800s

• Thousands of Americans headed west in search of new territory and gold
• Thomas Jefferson called for an expedition to discover new land out west
• This era began the colonist's taking over Native American lands

The War of 1812

• America declared war on Great Britain
• Colonists demanded the northern half of the continent as their own
• Some people think of this war as the second Revolution

The Civil War

• Divided the United States between North and South
• Controversy over slavery helped to spark the war
• Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were both famous military figures involved

Reconstruction

• Era defined because of the rebuilding of railroad and buildings
• Most took place in the South after the Civil War
• The Whigs political party came about during this time

Imperialism

• America began a sweeping takeover of new areas of the world
• Many believed that America had a destiny to become a super power
• The United States acquired a lot of land during this time period

1900s

Progressivism

• Prohibition came about during this era
• Liberalism and democratic thinking was formed
• Regulation of large companies was proposed

The Great War (World War I)

• Many claim the assassination of archduke Franz Ferdinand was the cause
• The Germans captured Warsaw
• War ended in 1919

The Great Depression

• Largest depression ever experienced by the western world
• Stock market crashed & thousands of people lost jobs
• The Depression reached far beyond the US, expanding worldwide

FDR's New Deal

• Implemented several new programs to help the poor
• Many feel the New Deal was a failure
• Social Security evolved from the New Deal

World War II

• Hitler's rise to power took place during the war, as did the Holocaust
• D-Day occurred, the day US troops stormed the beaches at Normandy
• Millions lost their lives

The Cold War

• Described the relationship primarily between the US and Russia
• No actual war takes place, only on a diplomatic level
• The Cold War lasted from 1945-1980

The Red Scare

• People feared anarchy would take over the governmental system
• The era of the McCarthy hearings
• The Sedition Act was passed by J Edgar Hoover

Cuban Missile Crisis

• Some claim this is the closest the world came to nuclear war
• Talks took place between Fidel Castro and John F. Kennedy
• Took place in October 1962

Civil Rights

• Martin Luther King, Jr. became a famous spokesperson for civil rights
• Blacks and whites were segregated at the time
• Rosa Parks took a stand on her famous bus ride

Vietnam

• United States instated the draft
• One of the longest wars in US History
• Napalm, a deadly chemical, was used in warfare

Watergate

• One of the most infamous US scandals in history
• Prompted the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon
• Story was broken by a news team, Woodward and Bernstein

1973 Oil Crisis

• An embargo was placed on oil, creating a lack of supply
• People lined up for miles in order to get a few gallons of gas
• Almost all spare oil was placed on hold, creating a crisis

The Reagan Years

• Ronald Reagan was known as "The Great Communicator"
• The US Economy was doing quite well during his presidency
• A "war on drugs" was declared during this time frame

Fall of the Berlin Wall

• The wall was destroyed in 1989
• Wall was originally created to separate East and West Germany
• Large portions of the wall have sold for thousand of dollars

The Internet Boom

• Many businesses started during this time, operating solely online
• Websites such as eBay an Amazon.com developed during the boom
• Thousands of companies did quite well, then collapsed after the boom died down

2000s

September 11, 2001

• The largest terrorist attack on US soil since Pearl Harbor
• Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City
• The Pentagon was attacked via an airplane crashing into it

Afghan War

• Declared as a "War on Terror" to defeat Al Qaeda
• Soldiers search for Osama Bin Laden
• Many people die due to IED, or Improvised Explosive Devices

Iraq War

• Involved the capture of Saddam Hussein
• Thousands of US soldiers have lost their lives
• Many feel it was an illegal war that should not have begun

Election of Barack Obama

• First African American President
• Promised "Hope" and "Change" for America before elected
• Considered to be a historic election

Written by Michael S. Atwood