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U.S. History Timeline

Section 1 - European Settlement

1607-1733

1607 – Jamestown, Virginia became first successful English Colony

Founded by Virginia Company, a British investment company with a charter to start a colony in Virginia. – joint-

stock company (group of investors)

Tobacco was significant in Jamestown in that John Rolfe’s cultivation method for tobacco saved the colony by

providing income

Indentured servants initially main source of labor

Virginia instituted the headright system to attract settlers

Hostility broke out between settlers and Native Americans led by Chief Powhatan – beginning of many

colonial/Indian conflicts

1608 – The French settlement of Quebec is established as a lucrative North American fur trading post.

1619 – First African slaves arrive in Virginia

Slaves became main source of labor in Virginia

Helped establish the plantation system throughout the southern colonies

1619 – Virginians established House of Burgesses - HOUSE OF BURGESSES

First elected legislative body

White male property owners could vote

Part of English policy of salutary neglect – English government let colonies basically govern themselves with

limited interference

1620 – Puritans known as the “Pilgrims” establish colony at Plymouth, Massachusetts

Separatists that fled England to escape persecution from the king (who was head of the Church) were called Pilgrims.

Mayflower Compact – first efforts at self-government, established an elected legislature

1621 – “Pilgrims” celebrated first Thanksgiving

Squanto helped the settlers at Plymouth learn to fish and farm the land enabling them to survive

1625 – Dutch found colony of “New Netherlands”

Explorer Henry Hudson was looking for a route through North America to the Pacific and ended up settling the

colony of New Amsterdam.

New Amsterdam – key trading post at mouth of Hudson river

Eventually taken over by the British and became New York City

1628 – Massachusetts Bay Colony Founded

People who believed there was corruption in the Anglican Church of England and desired to see the Church purified

were called Puritans.

Puritans who left the Anglican Church to form their own congregation were called Separatists.

John Winthrop’s vision for Massachusetts was for it to be both profitable and a religious refuge for Puritans.

Winthrop called Massachusetts a “city on a hill” which meant it should be an example of Godly living for the entire

world to see.

A heretic is someone who believes differently about religion than the majority and was banished from their colony.

Town meetings – local, tax-paying citizens met to discuss and vote on issues

1636/37 – Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson banned from Massachusetts Bay Colony because of religious beliefs – help found

colony of Rhode Island; Thomas Hooker also disagreed with Puritan church, left Massachusetts and founded Connecticut

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut – written by Hooker and others, stated that government’s power came from

“free consent of the people”

1660 – England passes the Navigation Acts

Based on economic theory of mercantilism - economic theory that states that countries grow wealthy and maintain

power by exporting goods more than they import them; Colonies provided the raw materials and new markets Great

Britain needed

Restricted colonial trade – could only trade with Great Britain

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1660 – England passes the Navigation Acts continued.

Placed a duty (tax) on goods colonies could sell to other countries

Colonies did not like policies and often traded illegally to avoid tax

1662 – Puritan church adopted the Half-Way Covenant

The Half-Way Covenant perpetuated the role of religion in the colonies by continuing to encourage people to join

the church (even though the church founders had passed away).

Established partial membership for children and grandchildren of full members

Tried to preserve puritan ideals in New England society

1664 – King Charles II gives Dutch Colony of New Netherland to his brother, the Duke of York

Dutch unable to resist British strength, surrender New Amsterdam

Immediately renamed New York

1675 – Native American leader King Phillip (also known as Metacom) united Native Americans in New England in an unsuccessful

attempt to drive out English settlers

King Phillip’s War resulted in English colonists gaining firmer control over New England

Colonists trying to enforce British law on Native Americans were what started King Phillip’s War.

The significance of the battles of King Phillip’s War was that few Native Americans remained in New England;

many moved to get away from the settlers.

1676 – Bacon’s Rebellion – Nathaniel Bacon rallied forces to fight Native Americans on the western frontier of Virginia, class

conflict

The main cause of Bacon’s Rebellion was when Virginia farmers wanted Native American land for larger farms

and the government said no.

The major long-term effects of Bacon’s Rebellion were that it expanded the Southern need for slavery and began a

policy of pushing Native Americans west.

1682 – Pennsylvania colony founded by William Penn

Became a homeland for Quakers – promoted equality of sexes, pacifism, and fairness with Native Americans

Place of religious tolerance

Quakers were a religious group that believed in religious equality as well as pacifism (no war).

William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, regarded the colony as a “holy experiment” where complete political

& religious freedom existed.

1684 – Massachusetts lost its charter and became a royal colony under leadership of king’s appointed governor

1692 – Salem Witch Trials

people in the village claimed that other people had been possessed by the devil and accused them of being witches

No actual proof – colonial authorities condemned 25 people to death

1700’s – Slavery in the Colonies - TRIANGULAR TRADE

Transatlantic trade – existed between Europe, the colonies, Africa, and the Caribbean - process of Europeans

bringing African slaves to the Americas,. They traded items that could not be produced in the other place

Triangular Trade – trade of slaves, sugar, and rum between Europe, Africa, and the Americas

Middle Passage – middle leg of triangular trade in which slaves were carried from West Africa to the Americas,

often in horrifying conditions

1700’s – Great Awakening Begins in Colonies

The Enlightenment and Great Awakening were the first of many colonial events that lead to the American

Revolution.

The ideas of the Great Awakening promoted individualism and undermined allegiance to traditional authority.

Social mobility is the ability to lead and improve society through new ideas.

Individualism shows a commitment to education and skill development to make society better.

1733 – Georgia last colony (13th

) established by British in North America

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U.S. History Timeline

Section 2 - American Revolution

1754-1783

1754 – French & Indian War

As British colonists moved west, fighting erupted between French settlers and Native Americans

Colonists saw the benefits of coming together for the good of all the colonies during the French and Indian War.

1754 – Albany Conference, the idea of joining together as colonies to form a central government was promoted for the first time.

1763 – Treaty of Paris

Ended French & Indian War

France gave up claims to land east of Mississippi River and in Canada

Britain began taxing the colonies unfairly to pay their war debt. This outraged colonists because it was

“taxation without representation”.

1763 – Proclamation of 1763

Forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian mountains to ensure peace with Native Americans

Colonists resented king’s restrictions

1765 – British Parliament passed Stamp Act

British government taxed nearly all printed material

In protest, colonies imposed a boycott of British goods

Groups known as Sons of Liberty (using violence) and Daughters of Liberty (making products usually bought

from Britain) rose up to support the boycott

Committees of correspondence were formed to spread news from colony to colony about the various boycotts

1773 – Boston Tea Party

British law gave British traders a monopoly on the trade of tea

In response, Massachusetts committee of correspondence led a group of radicals dressed as Indians to Boston

Harbor and threw British tea overboard

Parliament passed Coercive Acts in response to Boston Tea Party

- known as Intolerable Acts in the colonies

- closed Boston Harbor

- placed military governor over Massachusetts

- The colonists’ rights to trial by jury, right to not quarter troops, and the ability to appoint their own

governors were taken away by the Intolerable Acts

1774 – First Continental Congress

representatives from every colony (except Georgia) met to deal with the crisis with Great Britain

In statement to king, Congress wrote down that colonists had a right to be represented in their government, and

thus were entitled to govern themselves

Appointed George Washington as Commander of the Continental Army

General George Washington had the ability to raise troop morale and devise brilliant military

strategies – this would end up making him one of the best military generals in our history.

Washington’s ability to raise troop morale was extremely important to the Revolution because

conditions for soldiers were so bad due to harsh weather and lack of resources.

1775 – Lexington & Concord

Hope of peaceful resolution between colonies and Great Britain lost

Shots fired between colonists and British troops on their way to seize arms and ammunition stored by colonists

at Concord, Massachusetts

“Shot Heard Round the World” – shot that started the American Revolution

1775 – Frenchman known as the Marquis de Lafayette comes to America to fight for the Revolution and quickly won the confidence

of General Washington

The Marquis de Lafayette helped George Washington train troops and officers about professional warfare,

most importantly at Valley Forge when morale was at its lowest.

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January 1776 – Thomas Paine published Common Sense - COMMON SENSE

Thomas Paine played an important role in the American fight for independence by publishing Common Sense

which exposed the British government’s wrong-doings and encouraged colonists to join together for

independence.

July 4, 1776 – Second Continental Congress formally signed the Declaration of Independence - THE DECLARATION OF

INDEPENDENCE

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence based on government philosophy and input from

other colonial leaders.

The ideas of John Locke that are found in the Declaration are natural rights (life, liberty, property) that all are

entitled to and the government cannot take away.

Baron Montesquieu asserted that a government exists to preserve and protect individual liberties, and this

was included in the Declaration of Independence.

The Preamble of the Declaration of Independence states the purpose for the document.

In this case, the preamble states that when a government infringes upon the “natural rights” of people,

the people need to separate from that government.

August 1776 – Continental Congress sent Benjamin Franklin to Paris to try and form an alliance with France

December 1776 – George Washington surprises British by crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night

Washington’s army surprised the Hessian forces (Britain’s ally) at the Battle of Trenton in what became one of

the biggest victories of the war because it inspired troops to continue fighting and prompted citizens to support

the war.

Washington’s victories in New Jersey greatly lifted American morale

Made colonists believe revolution could actually succeed

September 1777 – American general Horatio Gates won Battle of Saratoga

Turning point of American Revolution

Convinced French that the U.S. could possibly win the war and forged an alliance crucial in defeating Great

Britain

France provided needed resources, training, and troops to the Continental Army

December 1777 – U.S. forces endure a harsh winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Washington’s troops use the winter to become better trained by Washington and a Prussian general named

Friedrich Von Steuben

Become much better prepared to fight British

1778 – British focus war effort on South

General Lord Cornwallis sought to invade North Carolina, but was defeated by the Patriots at Kings Mountain

and Cowpens

1781 – Lord Cornwallis surrendered to Washington at Yorktown

Yorktown, the final battle of the war, forced the British to surrender because American troops had them

surrounded on land and the French navy blocked any sea escape.

1783 – Treaty of Paris signed between Great Britain and the United States

Great Britain officially recognized the independence of the United States

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U.S. History Timeline

Section 3 - Forming of a Nation

1781 -1832

1781 – The United States adopted The Articles of Confederation and Confederation Congress as the first government of the nation.

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

It was a “loose union of states”.

The Confederation Congress was purposefully weak because Americans did not want to institute a strong,

tyrannical government like Britain.

The Articles did not allow Congress to impose taxes or regulate trade.

Under the Articles, Congress was allowed to declare war and raise an army.

1786 – Shays’ Rebellion – SHAY’S REBELLION

Led by farmer Daniel Shays in response to higher taxes on farmers.

Rebellion showed Americans that a stronger central government was needed to protect individual rights as

well as the rights of the states.

1787 – Northwest Ordinance

Increased westward migration by encouraging settlement of the territories and guaranteeing the protection of

civil liberties.

Created a mandate for the addition of states (60,000 people/Constitution)

Slavery was specifically excluded from the territory

Required that the profit from selling one portion of a township’s land went to fund the schools (set a precedent!!)

1787 – Constitutional Convention met and drafted the United States Constitution - THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

The Philadelphia Convention, later called the Constitutional Convention, was meant to revise the Articles.

Factors leading to the decision to hold the Constitutional Convention were problems with trade, diplomacy, and

the economy.

However, what ended up happening was the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

The Constitution was created from compromises between representatives of different American ideas about the

federal government:

Large States & Small states: Subject of compromise = representation in Congress (large states

wanted representation based on population; small states wanted equal number of reps) SOLUTION =

The Great Compromise: bicameral legislature (Senate w/ equal representation.; House of

Representatives, representation based on population)

Southern states & Northern states: Subject of compromise = slaves and population (solution was the

“Three-Fifths Compromise” – slaves counted as 3/5 of a person for purposes of representation)

Federalist & Anti-federalists: Subject of compromise = Bill of Rights (Federalists did not support

Bill of Rights; Anti-federalists would not ratify the Constitution without it).

Alexander Hamilton and James Madison were influential Federalists who wrote papers about how

the Bill of Rights would limit the rights of the people, not protect them (The Federalist Papers).

The Bill of Rights (1st 10 Amendments) serves to protect the rights of citizens and of states.

Established a new national government with three branches of government

Granted power to both the national and state governments

Checks and balances keep any branch of the government from becoming too powerful.

Separation of powers is what defines our government as federalism: it means that we have two

governments (state and national).

1789 – George Washington elected first president

Proclamation of Neutrality – Washington stated the U.S. would not take sides in European conflicts

Alexander Hamilton, Washington’s secretary of treasure, proposed an economic plan in which the federal

government took on state debts from the American Revolution

wanted a tax on whiskey

supported tariffs to protest American business

proposed establishing a national bank that would coin money

Important information:

The first cabinet (group of advisers)

First use of federal power to ensure “peace and tranquility” (Whiskey Rebellion)

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First political parties: Federalist s (Madison) and Democratic-Republicans (Jefferson)

1793 – Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin

made the South a “cotton kingdom” in the 1800’s

made the South very dependent on slave labor

Whitney also introduced interchangeable parts – key principle behind industrial development

Eli Whitney’s inventions had a direct impact on the industrial revolution in both north and south – which created

economic growth for both regions AND the nation as a whole.

1794 – Industrial Revolution begins in America

The North emphasized industry and production of manufactured goods while the South focused on agriculture

and exporting raw materials.

The Industrial Revolution caused exports to rise, Americans to have more money to spend and invest, and

continued encouraging Americans to spread west.

1794 – Whiskey Rebellion

Pennsylvania farmers refused to pay whiskey tax and resorted to violence

President Washington organized a military force and marched into Pennsylvania

Helped lead to the creation of political parties

those who favored strong central government (Federalist Party)

those who favored stronger state government (Jeffersonian-Republican Party)

1796 – Washington’s Farewell Address

U.S. should stay neutral and avoid permanent alliances

Good government is based on religion and morality

Warned people against the creation of political parties

1796 – John Adams (Federalist) elected second president

Had to handle various conflicts with France

XYZ Affair – unofficial French delegation refused a meeting with American diplomats unless they received a

bribe; caused U.S. to break relations with France and almost led to full-scale war

1798 – Federalists in Congress passed several laws that alarmed Jeffersonian Republicans

Naturalization Act – required foreign immigrants to live in the United States for fourteen years before they

could be U.S. citizens

Alien Act – allowed government to arrest, detain, or remove foreigners deemed untrustworthy

Sedition Act – severely limited free speech as a way to silence critics of federalist policies

1798 – Jefferson & Madison produce the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Response to Alien & Sedition Acts

Stated that if a state believed a federal law to be unconstitutional, then it did not have to obey or enforce it –

became known as the doctrine of nullification

1800 – Thomas Jefferson (Republican) elected third president of the United States – THOMAS JEFFERSON

1803 – Thomas Jefferson makes the Louisiana Purchase

Doubled the size of the U.S.

Purchased from French emperor Napoleon

1804 – Lewis & Clark Expedition

Lewis and Clark explored, mapped, and studied the territory while finding a route to the Pacific (which opened

trade with the East – China…)

Exploration led to the rapid migration of settlers to the Pacific Northwest

Sacajawea was the Native American who joined the expedition of Lewis and Clark and served as a guide,

communicator, translator, and teacher.

Pathway the settlers followed from Missouri became known as the Oregon Trail

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1812 – The War of 1812

Westward U.S. settlement caused conflicts with Native Americans

Settlers blamed British for encouraging Native American resistance

U.S. upset with British policy Impressments (forced to serve in British Army) of US sailors, and the

Chesapeake incident

Battle of Tippecanoe fought between Americans and Indians, British supplied Indians with weapons.

U.S. needed to win to prove it wasn’t a fluke during the Revolution

U.S. hoped to win land from Britain in Canada and the Spanish in Florida

British invaded and burned Washington D.C.

U.S. won inspiring victory at the battle of Fort McHenry – inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star

Spangled Banner (U.S. national anthem)

General Andrew Jackson had decisive victories at Horseshoe Bend and New Orleans, becomes Hero of the war

1814 – Treaty of Ghent

Officially ended the War of 1812

Showed the U.S. could defend itself in North America against foreign powers

Federalist Party lost its credibility and faded from importance in national politics due to its opposition of the

war

War of 1812 helped produce a national identity/nationalism – strong sense of national pride

1820 – James Monroe (Jeffersonian Republican) signed Missouri Compromise

Missouri entered the union as a slave state

Maine entered the union as a free state

All states north of 36*30’N line would be free states, those to the south slave states

Designed to maintain balance of power between North and South in Congress

Beginning of argument of the expansion of slavery that would last for the next 65 years

1823 – President Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine

During a period known as the Era of Good Feelings – period of national pride and political unity

Stated the United States would not tolerate European intervention in the affairs of any independent nation in the

Americas, including colonization

The U.S. would view future attempts by Europeans to colonize as acts of aggression

1825 – Erie Canal Finished

Erie Canal opened settlement in the west.

New York City becomes America’s busiest port and the commercial center of the nation.

1828 – Andrew Jackson (Democrat) became the “common man” president – ANDREW JACKSON VIDEO

Andrew Jackson (7th

president) was committed to expanding voting rights and getting more people involved in

the political process.

Jackson was elected as a “common man” appealing to many Americans who identified with him through

common experiences.

His brand of politics became known as Jacksonian Democracy

Jacksonian Democracy describes a time when the government expanded and became more democratic.

Favored universal white male suffrage – made the nation more democratic

Instituted spoils system – rewarding faithful supporters with government positions

1830 – Indian Removal Act

U.S. government (supported by Jackson) forced Native Americans off land it wanted for white settlement

1832 – The American System

Developed by KY Senator Henry Clay

The Americans System was meant to strengthen the economy and unify the nation through Tariffs, the

National Bank, and internal improvements

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1832 – Return of the Two-Party System

Sharp differences between Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster led to a

break in the Jeffersonian Republican Party

Jackson’s supporters called themselves “Democrats”

Opponents adopted the name “Whigs” – named after the British party who opposed King George III during the

Revolutionary War

Early 1800’s – Reform movements - The early 1800’s was a time of growth and also a time of great reform.

Abolitionist Movement Abolitionism was a reform movement to end slavery immediately.

William Lloyd Garrison – white northerner who published an anti-slavery newspaper called The

Liberator urging people to join abolition.

Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth: examples of former slaves involved in making speeches and

educating people about the evils of slavery.

Temperance Movement

The Temperance Movement was a reform movement with the goal of reducing American

consumption of alcohol and the evils associated with it.

Many states and counties passed laws banning alcohol because of the work of the movement and the

American Temperance Union.

Education Reform

The movement to get Public Education (government funding education accessible by all) was made

popular by Horace Mann.

Many states, and eventually the nation, came to support the idea of government supported schools and

mandatory attendance for children.

Seneca Falls Convention - 1848

The early Women’s Movement existed to pressure society and the government for equal rights for

women – namely suffrage, or the right to vote.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a famous “suffragette” who organized the Seneca Falls Conference

where men and women gathered to support women’s efforts for suffrage.

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U.S. History Timeline

Section 4 - Civil War & Reconstruction

Early 1800’s -1868

Early 1800’s – Slavery becomes a significant issue in American politics.

Political attention to slavery was in part due to growing north-south divisions and arguments over expansion

and slavery.

The idea of “abolition”, or immediate end of slavery, gained popularity in the North as abolitionists traveled

around giving speeches and printing newspapers about the evils of slavery

William Lloyd Garrison was a white northern abolitionist who printed an anti-slavery newspaper called The

Liberator. It was read by the educated elite of the North and persuaded many to join the anti-slavery cause.

Frederick Douglass was a former slave who lived in the north and worked as an abolitionist. He too printed

an anti-slavery newspaper (The North Star) and traveled around giving speeches.

The Grimke Sisters were two of the most involved abolitionist women. They were bold enough to speak in

public against slavery.

“Sectionalism” is the term we give to the differences between north and south that made it hard for the two

sides to agree on what was best for the nation.

The sectionalism arguments were all centered on the differing economies of the north and south – northern

manufacturing and southern agriculture.

1820 – The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was the beginning of the nation’s north and south divisions regarding westward expansion.

The compromise drew a line across the country at the 36’30 parallel with the northern half being free and the

southern half having slaves.

The goal of the Missouri Compromise was to keep the nation temporarily at peace.

1831 – Nat Turner’s slave rebellion was one among many slave uprisings that scared Southerners and made them believe that

northern abolitionists were plotting against southern slave owners.

Nat Turner and his followers successfully executed dozens of white families before being stopped by the military.

1832 – South Carolina Nullification Crisis

Southerners opposed high tariffs – mainly consumers

John C. Calhoun argued for states’ rights and asserted that any state could refuse to enforce a law it saw as

unconstitutional – threatened to secede (leave the union)

Henry Clay proposed a compromise tariff that ended the crisis

1836 – Texas won independence from Mexico

Wanted to be annexed but couldn’t initially overcome northern opposition – North didn’t want it to become a

slave state

Annexation means to become part of a larger whole – as in Texas being annexed by the United States

1838 – Trail of Tears

Forced removal of the Cherokee Indians from Georgia to reservations in the Oklahoma territory

Many Indians suffered and died along the way

1844 – James K. Polk (Democrat) wins presidential election by calling for the annexation of Texas and Oregon

Americans overwhelmingly believed in Manifest Destiny – it was God’s sovereign will for the US to expand

and possess territory from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean

Manifest Destiny is the term used to describe the westward growth of the United States during the early and

mid 1800’s. - MANIFEST DESTINY

1846 – Oregon became a U.S. territory

U.S. and Great Britain argued over territory between United States and Canada in the Pacific Northwest

Slogan “54-40, or fight!” became popular

U.S. accepted a treaty declaring the 49th

parallel as the official boundary between the United States and Canada

still the border today!!!

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1846 – War with Mexico

Disputes arose over the US-Mexico border

The War with Mexico was fought amidst all the arguments about slavery and the economy – we fought Mexico

for the territories of California, Texas, and Oregon.

General Winfield Scott marched troops into Mexico City and forced Mexico to surrender

In order to achieve Manifest Destiny, Americans fought a war with Mexico and gained all the land they desired

(California, Oregon, Texas) and fulfilled the dream of existing coast to coast.

The United States won the War with Mexico which brought about more division between north and south

regarding what to do with the new territories and slavery expansion into the west.

Most northerners did not want slavery to spread west and most southerners believed it would help the economy

if farms and slavery were allowed to spread west (north-south division over westward expansion).

Wilmot Proviso – proposed by PA Congressman David Wilmot

Congressman Wilmot proposed that there shall be “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude” in the

western territory gained during the War with Mexico

Southerners denounced it and Congress voted it down

exposed the serious regional differences that existed over slavery

One of many proposals for settling the dispute – but like many, it did not pass.

1848 – Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the Mexican War

Mexico gave up New Mexico and California territories in exchange for financial compensation

1849 – California Gold Rush

Gold seekers from all over the world came seeking riches when gold was discovers

New arrivals became known as “49ers” and rapidly increased California’s population

1850 – The Compromise of 1850 was proposed by Henry Clay (the American System) and it incorporated gains and concessions

from both north and south

Admitted California to Union as a free state

Declared unorganized western territories free as well

New states could decide issue of slavery by popular sovereignty (the will of the people)

Fugitive Slave Law – required northern states to forcibly return escaped slaves to their owners and was very

unpopular in the North

This compromise served to hold the Civil War off for 11 years.

1853 – Gadsden Purchase

Boundary disputes with Mexico continued

Gave the U.S. parts of present-day New Mexico and Arizona in exchange for $10 million

Completed continental expansion of those who believed in Manifest Destiny

1854 – Congress passed Kansas-Nebraska Act

Allowed previously free and unorganized territory to choose whether or not to permit slavery by popular

sovereignty

“Bleeding Kansas” – armed conflict between “free-soilers” and slave owners

1854 – Coalition of northern Democrats who opposed slavery, Whigs, and Free Soilers form the Republican Party

1857 – The Dred Scott Decision

Supreme Court ruled that slaves were not citizens

Struck down the Missouri Compromise because it declared it was a violation of the 5th

amendment to declare

slaves free of their owners without due process of law

1859 – John Brown’s Raid

Abolitionist John Brown attacked the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry

Raid failed but his actions intensified southern resentment of the abolitionist movement and widened the gap

between North and South

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1860 – Abraham Lincoln (Republican) elected president

South Carolina responded by succeeding from the Union

Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas soon followed

1861 – Southern delegates elected Jefferson Davis to serve as president of the new Confederate States of America

Civil War began a few months later when Confederate forces fired on Union troops at Fort Sumter, South

Carolina

Ft. Sumter: First battle; began the Civil War; North surrenders fort

1861 – President Lincoln’s goal for the Civil War was to PRESERVE THE UNION. He was not interested in freeing slaves until

he knew the North would win the war.

Lincoln’s goal was evident in his words and actions:

Suspension of habeas corpus: Americans did not have the right to harm the war effort in any way (aid

South, avoid draft, discourage Army enlistment, etc.)

1862 – Robert E. Lee assumed command of Confederate army

Defeated Union army at Second Battle of Bull Run

Devised a plan to invade the North

Robert E. Lee was an incredible Confederate Army General who had brilliant military strategies and follow-

through. He is given credit for almost all meaningful Southern victories during the war.

Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was a Confederate Army General that was said to be Lee’s “right arm.”

Without his leadership and military knowledge, the South would not have been able to fight as long as it did.

1862 – Battle of Antietam

Bloodiest single day of war in U.S. History

Union general George McClellan received Lee’s battle plans in advance from a spy

Halted Lee’s advance northward, but Lee’s army was able to escape to fight another day

Antietam: Decisive victory for North; Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation to further limit the South’s

ability to wage war.

1863 – President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation

Freed slaves in the Confederate States, while maintaining slavery in the few slave states that had remained loyal

to the union

Lincoln wanted to give the war a moral justification beyond just preserving the Union

1863 – Battle of Gettysburg

Turning point of the war

Gettysburg: 3-day battle – bloodiest battle; Northern victory; Battle ended Lee’s efforts to invade the North,

South never recovers from heavy losses.

Bloodiest battle of the entire Civil War

Gettysburg Address: Lincoln reminds the people that he is committed to proving that a democratic nation will

“not perish from the Earth.” Lincoln encourages Americans and enhances troop morale

1863 – Battle of Vicksburg

Union general Ulysses S. Grant cut off supplies to city and starved the Confederates into surrendering

Union gained control of Mississippi River with victory which cuts the South in two disabling them from

transporting supplies, troops, and correspondence.

Ulysses S. Grant was the most successful commander of the U.S. Armed Forces during the Civil War. His

military advancements crushed the South’s ability to wage war.

1864 – Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign & March to the Sea

Union general William T. Sherman successfully captured Atlanta and ordered much of the city burned

Reignited support for president Lincoln in the North and helped him get re-elected

Sherman marched from Atlanta to Savannah, burning buildings, bridges, factories, and destroying rail lines

William T. Sherman handed the final blows to the Confederacy when he marched a large army from Atlanta to

Savannah and back up the coast burning and destroying any military installment along the way.

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1865 – Second Inaugural Address: Lincoln’s speech showed that he accepted the War because he rejected the Nation splitting apart.

1865 – Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, effectively ending the Civil War

North won the Civil War for various reasons:

North had a much larger population

North possessed more railroads

Northern economy had much more industry

The South had the advantage of most of the fighting taking place on their soil (they knew their way around),

and they also had very experienced military personnel.

The North’s major advantages were a larger fighting population, more resources, and a more organized gov’t.

1865 – John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln

Vice President Andrew Johnson assumed presidency

1865 – President Johnson began Presidential Reconstruction:

Lincoln’s plan for Reconstruction was more lenient than what Congress wanted.

When Lincoln was assassinated, President Johnson tried to go ahead with Lincoln’s plan (Presidential

Reconstruction), but the Radical Republicans in Congress wanted to punish the South (Congressional

Reconstruction).

Presidential Reconstruction – A state could be readmitted into the Union if 10% of the state would take an

oath of allegiance; Confederate office holders would not be allowed to return to Congress

Southerners who swore allegiance to the Union were pardoned (forgiven of crimes)

Former Confederate States could hold constitutional conventions to set up state governments

States had to void (cancel) secession and ratify the 13th

Amendment to the Constitution, which ended slavery

throughout the nation

Under Presidential Reconstruction, Southern States enacted the black codes – laws that limited the rights of

freed blacks so that they were still basically living like slaves and allowed white southerners to hold onto

power.

Ku Klux Klan – group of southern whites who advocated tactics of fear and violence to intimidate blacks and

keep them from getting equal rights. They also terrorized Catholics, Jews, and poor whites in order to promote

white supremacy.

1865 – Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau

The Freedman’s Bureau was a group of northerners that organized and moved south to build schools,

hospitals, and other types of assistance for free blacks (and poor whites).

Provided clothes, medical attention, food, education, and land to African Americans coming out of slavery

Their goal was to teach them how to read, register to vote, and get a job.

In order to survive after slavery, many African Americans turned to sharecropping – a family farmed a portion

of a white landowner’s land in return for housing and a share of the crop

Tenant farming – farmers paid rent to farm the land and owned the crops they grew

1865 – 13th

Amendment: abolished slavery in all states

1867 – Congress passed Radical Reconstruction in response to President Johnson’s plan:

Radical Republican (Congressional) Reconstruction – Divide the south in to 5 military districts and appoint

a Republican governor to oversee Reconstruction; punish all Confederate government and military officials;

state re-admittance could only occur when Congress said it was okay.

Southern states put under military rule

Southern states had to hold new constitutional conventions

African Americans were allowed to vote

Southerners who had supported the Confederacy were temporarily not allowed to vote

Southern states had to guarantee equal rights to African Americans

Southern States had to ratify the 14th

Amendment which made African American citizens of their respective

states as well as the nation

15th

Amendment – guaranteed African Americans the right to vote in elections

13

1868 – 14th

Amendment: citizenship for all naturalized people (born in U.S.)

15th

Amendment: voting rights for men of all races

1868 – Congress voted to impeach (charge with wrongdoing in order to remove from office) President Andrew Johnson

Radical Republicans charged he violated the Tenure of Office Act which limited the president’s right to hire

and fire government officials

Johnson violated this act, so Congress impeached him. He was acquitted of all charges and remained in office

to oversee Reconstruction.

Senate voted to keep Johnson in office by just one vote!!!

1876 – The end of Reconstruction came as a result of the election of 1876:

o Democrats ran Samuel Tilden

o Republicans ran Rutherford Hayes

o Neither candidate won a majority, so the decision was left to Congress. The result was

o Compromise of 1877:

Democrats agreed to vote Hayes (R) president if all troops were remove from the South and the Democrats

were allowed to take back control of the state and local governments.

14

U.S. History Timeline

Section 5 - American Expansion - The Progressive Era

1867-1913

1867 – Secretary of State William Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia

1869 – Union Pacific (eastern rail company) and Central Pacific (western rail company) join tracks at Promontory Point, Utah,

completing the first transcontinental railroad

Built mainly by Chinese and Irish immigrants

Railroad companies wanted cheap labor, so they hired the Chinese to work on their railroads.

Railroads contributed to the rise of big business and the steel industry

Natural Resources were the reason that Industry grew so much in the 1800’s.

Railroads provided access to these resources and transported the people and goods back and forth throughout

the United States.

Railroads are what made the industrialization of the U.S. possible.

The Railroads were moving people and goods out to the west

Because of railroads more and more people moved out west. The transcontinental railroad was built so that

people and goods could be moved from the east coast to the west coast.

Andrew Carnegie was the Steel Man.

Bessemer process – Henry Bessemer developed a new method for making steel (made steel cheap)

John D. Rockefeller was the first to use the trust system for his Standard Oil Company.

Trust – business arrangement under which a number of companies unite into one system; serve to destroy

competition and create monopolies

A monopoly is where one company gains control over an entire market. A trust is a way of merging

companies to avoid having a monopoly.

Rockefeller and Carnegie were both part of Big Business and considered to be Robber Barons. People felt that

they used unfair business practices to make their money.

1869 –Boss Tweed arrested

A political Machine was an informal political group designed to gain and keep power.

The most famous political machine was Tammany Hall. Boss Tweed was the leader of this political machine

in New York City. Most people would say that political machines worked because they helped immigrants find

work and a place to live, but they were very corrupt.

1877 – Reconstruction Ends

Southern states passed Jim Crow laws that required blacks and whites to use separate public facilities

literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses were all implemented in southern states to

keep blacks from exercising 15th

amendment right (to vote)

1877 – Thomas Edison and his inventions

Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb, motion picture camera, and the phonograph.

The light bulb was a long lasting source of light. Factory workers could now work at night because of this

The motion picture camera allowed for more entertainment purposes. The phonograph allowed people to

listen to music from home. It also was influential to the blind because now they could listen to books through

the phonograph.

1886 – Samuel Gompers served as president of AFL (American Federation of Labor).

The AFL was the first successful labor union

focused on improving wages, working hours, and working conditions

used collective bargaining – employees negotiate as a united group rather than as individuals

1889 – Jane Addams was a progressive reformer who opened Hull House in Chicago

settlement houses – established in poor neighborhoods to give poor immigrants and underprivileged citizens a

place to live and get assistance

She helped Immigrant women learn necessary skills in order to survive in America.

15

1889 – Only 1,000 buffalo left in the United States

Settlers and fur trappers moved west and killed great numbers of buffalo

Native Americans on the plains could no longer continue their way of life and forced to relocate to reservations

– parcels of land set aside by the federal government for Native Americans

1890 – Battle of Wounded Knee

Because more people were moving out West, the Native Americans were being pushed off of their land.

Violent confrontation between the Sioux Indians and the U.S. army

Sioux holy man had developed a ritual known as the Ghost Dance which the Sioux people believed would

bring back the buffalo, return Native tribes to their land, and banish the white man from the earth

Sitting Bull, the chief of the Sioux, wanted the Americans to leave them alone, so he went out and tried to fight

them – he was killed.

Government sent in army and massacred 150 Sioux and effectively ended Native American resistance in the West

The battle of Wounded Knee was the Last Battle that the Native Americans fought against the White Men

(signified the end of Native American resistance).

1892 – Federal Government opened Ellis Island

tiny island near the Statue of Liberty in New York

opened to handle the large number of immigrants arriving in the country because of America’s rapid

industrialization (created many new jobs)

After the Civil War, most immigrants came from Eastern and Southern Europe. (“New Immigrants”)

When immigrants arrived in America, they were sent to Ellis Island (New York) where they were processed

Many immigrants were moving to America, so the cities in the U.S. began to flourish this is called urbanization.

Most Immigrants worked in factories because they would work for low wages and lived in poor, over-

crowded apartment buildings called tenements. Nativism – opposing immigration

many Americans turned to violence and discrimination against immigrants

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 – prohibited Chinese immigrants from coming to the U.S.

1894 – The Pullman Strike encouraged workers to join unions and made business owners despise unions.

1896 – Supreme Court decided Plessy v. Ferguson

In the south, Jim Crow Laws were laws set up for African Americans to ensure that they could not achieve

equal rights

Supreme Court ruled that segregation was lawful

Upheld the standard of “separate but equal”

1898 – U.S. annexed Hawaii

1898 – Spanish-American War

Imperialism occurs when a larger country expands its influence into a smaller country for economic or

military gain.

The Spanish-American War was the result of American Imperialism – the U.S. wanted to have influence in

Latin American affairs (economic gain) in exchange for military protection.

Began because of a mysterious explosion on the U.S.S. Maine in a Cuban harbor

US Admiral George Dewey destroyed the Spanish naval fleet in the Philippines

Former Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt won praise for leading the Rough Riders in bold charges

up Kettle and San Juan Hills

U.S. wins in 4 months, called a “Splendid Little War” by some Americans

During the Spanish-American War, the U.S fought for influence in Cuba, the Philippines and Puerto Rico.

We maintain influence in Cuba and Puerto Rico, but the Philippines wished to be completely independent.

16

1898 – Treaty of Paris ended the Spanish-American War

Puerto Rico and Guam became U.S. territories

Platt Amendment – gave Cuba nominal (partial) independence and allowed the U.S. to keep naval bases in

Cuba

Controversy over annexation of Philippines

Emilio Aguinaldo leads a resistance movement against U.S. occupation

1903 – The U.S. helped fund and build the Panama Canal through the nation of Panama in Latin America in order to increase trade

and cut trade costs.

1904 – Theodore Roosevelt issued the Roosevelt Corollary

Expanded upon the Monroe Doctrine

Said the U.S. had the right to intervene in Latin America if a nation had trouble paying its debts

Doctrine became known as Roosevelt’s “big stick diplomacy”

1906 – Upton Sinclair published The Jungle

Exposed the horrifying truth about the meat packing industry

He was a “muckraker” – investigative journalists who uncovered corruption in American society

Ida Tarbell – revealed the abuses of the Standard Oil Trust

Jacob Riis – exposed horrible conditions under which immigrant workers lived in his famous book

How the Other Half Lives

1907 – Henry Ford produced the Model-T, first successful mass-produced car

Ford relied on the assembly line to make cars affordable

1909 – W.E.B. Dubois along with others from the Niagara Movement found NAACP

Outlined agenda for African American progress in the United States

Used the lawsuit to affect change

1913 – Congress passed the Seventeenth Amendment

Established that U.S. senators would be elected directly by the people

Other Progressive Reforms

Initiative allowed a group of citizens to introduce legislation and Required legislators to vote on it.

Recall allowed voters to demand a special election to remove an elected official from office.

Referendum allowed proposed legislation to be submitted to the voter for approval

17

U.S. History Timeline

Section 6 - World War I & The Great Depression

1914-1939

1914 – World War I began in Europe

President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the U.S. neutral

Isolationism – philosophy that the U.S. should stay out of foreign conflict

The United States issued Neutrality Acts when Europe went to war in 1914 because we wished to remain

neutral in the European war.

1916 – African Americans in the South began the Great Migration

On the home front, thousands of African Americans moved to northern cities for work in factories that was

available because of the war. This is called the Great Migration.

1917 – U.S. entered World War I

Germany did not honor U.S. neutrality and used unrestricted submarine warfare to capture and sink

American merchant ships.

The British ocean liner the Lusitania was sunk by German U-Boats (submarines) and over 100 American

civilians were killed.

Germany also released the Zimmerman telegram to Mexico (intercepted by British) making the promise to

help the Mexican government reclaim American territory if they (Mexico) would invade the U.S.

The U.S declared war on Germany in 1917 in response to unrestricted submarine warfare

1917 – Russia pulled out of World War I due to Bolshevik Revolution in Russia

Bolsheviks advocated communism – system in which people in society cooperate and own property mutually

Led to a period in U.S. known as the “Red Scare” – people became fearful of immigrants, communists, or

anyone who might be a threat to U.S. business and freedom

Because of the Red Scare, innocent people were jailed for expressing their views; civil liberties were

ignored, and many Americans feared that a Bolshevik-style revolution was at hand.

Immigration was restricted with quotas during this time

The American government was suspicious of spies, so it issued the Espionage and Sedition Acts to silence

war protestors and detain people suspected of associating with enemy nations.

Many immigrant workers who joined labor unions were viewed suspiciously as socialists, including Eugene

Debs who was arrested for making anti-war speeches.

Palmer Raids – Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer arrested, jailed, and deported more than 500 immigrants

suspected of being communists

1918 – Germany signed armistice to end World War I; Treaty of Versailles ended the war

Woodrow Wilson’s peace proposal known as “Fourteen Points”

called for reduction of weapons in Europe

right of self-determination (power of country to govern itself)

foundation of the League of Nations

Senate refuses to ratify the Treaty of Versailles b/c it opposed League of Nations

U.S. does not join the League of Nations

1919 – Congress Passed the Eighteenth Amendment

“Prohibition” – nation-wide ban on sale, consumption, and distribution of alcohol

Passed thanks to the Temperance movement – movement to ban alcohol in the U.S.

It was repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933. The 18th Amendment remains the only Amendment to ever

have been repealed.

1919 – Congress Passed the Nineteenth Amendment

Women’s Suffrage – gave women the right to vote

Passed due to the work of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)

lead by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony

The 19th

Amendment granted suffrage (right to vote) to all American women. It was passed over a long,

laborious battle fought by women’s activists “suffragettes”.

18

1920’s – Jazz Age & Harlem Renaissance

A result of the Great Migration, African American art, music and literature began flourishing in American

cities – we call this time period the Harlem Renaissance.

Jazz was created by African American musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Irving Berlin, and made

popular by groups like Tin Pan Alley.

Langston Hughes wrote memorable poetry that reminded black Americans of their African heritage

Zora Neal Hurston gained fame for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God

1920’s –Henry Ford was largely responsible for the industrial boom of the 1920s that resulted from his use of the assembly line to

mass produced automobiles.

Mass production spread to every industry and America entered a time of prosperity.

The radio was mass produced into most of the homes in America and this connected the nation like never

before, making information readily available from coast to coast.

Americans enjoyed going to see movies in their leisure time – Hollywood became popular and Americans

began enjoying entertainment

Leisure time, the new found American enjoyment of entertainment, Jazz and new morals created a new culture

in America. People were spending money like never before, working 8-hour workdays, going dancing and to

the movies, and listening to the radio at home.

1929 – Causes of the Great Depression:

Overproduction and under consumption led to falling prices

Americans were not buying enough goods to support business is called under consumption.

Farmers and factories were producing too much; this led to overproduction and farm exhaustion.

Consumerism – people spent more than they saved

Under consumption and overproduction together caused businesses to lay-off workers and go bankrupt. This

caused people to start selling stock which drove prices lower and made it impossible for those who had invested

using credit or margin to pay back their debts.

Buying risky stocks on speculation and “buying on the margin”

Credit was a way Americans bought things, but they could not pay it back after the Stock Market crashed and

banks closed.

The Stock Market Crash on October 29, 1929 pushed the United States into the Great Depression

1929 – Stock Market Crashed

known as Black Tuesday

marked the beginning of the Great Depression

1929 – Herbert Hoover became president

Opposed government interference in business, did nothing to aid people who lost everything on Black Tuesday

1 in 4 people unemployed

Many people relied on soup kitchens and breadlines that provided food for poor

Many people lost their home and moved into “Hoovervilles” – villages of homemade shacks

1932 – Franklin Delano Roosevelt, FDR, (Democrat) elected president

In 1932, Americans were fed up with the way Republicans were running the country, so they elected Franklin

Delano Roosevelt to office.

Instilled confidence in the nation with his “fireside chats”

Believed the country needed direct relief from the government

Implemented many government programs in his first hundred days

Programs collectively knows as The New Deal

FDR’s wife, Eleanor, was an activist for the poor and for women.

1933 – First New Deal - FDR’s plan to get America out of the Depression was called the New Deal.

Included Civilian Conservation Corps, Agricultural Adjustment Act, The Federal Deposit Insurance

Corporation, and the National Industrial Recovery Act

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) – built hydroelectric dams to create jobs and bring cheap electricity to

parts of the South previously without power; helped southeast prosper

The FDIC was a New Deal program that insured people’s money in the bank up to $5000.

19

1935 – Huey P. Long of Louisiana assassinated

Huey Long was a Democrat who felt that FDR did not help the poor enough.

Advocated taking money from rich and giving it to poor (redistribution of wealth)

Wanted a guaranteed income of $2000 for every family in America

1935 – Second New Deal

National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) – also known as the Wagner Act, which allowed workers to unionize

legally.

created a board to monitor unfair management practices

protected right of workers in private sector to organize unions, engage in collective bargaining, and go

on strike

union membership greatly increased

Social Security Act (SSA) – established retirement income for all workers once they reach the age of 65

Congress passed the Wagner Act

1937 – Roosevelt proposed his “court-packing scheme”

Supreme Court resisted some of Roosevelt’s programs

FDR proposed enlarging court to as many as 15 justices

Fierce opposition to proposal – FDR compared to dictators in Europe – withdrew proposal

20

U.S. History Timeline

Section 7 - World War II & The Cold War

1922 - 1989

1922 – Benito Mussolini seized power in Italy and established totalitarian state

1931 – Japan invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria

League of Nations demanded they leave China

Japan responded by leaving League of Nations

1933 – Adolf Hitler ascended to power in Germany

Won support of the Nazi party – blamed Jews for the nation’s problems

Disposed of any opposition and became known as the “Fuhrer” (leader)

Hitler labeled his new government the “Third Reich” – envisioned it was an empire that would last a thousand

years

1935 – Congress passed the Neutrality Act in response to European conflicts

Prohibited the sale of weapons to warring nations

Meant to keep U.S. from forming alliances

1936 – Hitler moved troops into area known as Rhineland

Directly violated Treaty of Versailles that ended WWI

1938 – Hitler annexed Austria and the Sudetenland, the western region of Czechoslovakia in which 3.5 million ethnic Germans lived

Great Britain and France follow a policy of appeasement – giving aggressors what they want, hoping they will

be satisfied and stop their aggressive behavior

1939 – Hitler invaded Poland and World War II began

Hitler signed a “non-aggression pact” with Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union) to avoid fighting a two-front war

1940 – Germany, Italy, and Japan formed an alliance known as the Axis Powers

1940 – Germany conquered Belgium, the Netherlands, and France

1940 – Battle of Britain

German planes bombed British airfields and cities almost nightly for 3 months

Royal Air Force fought off Germans and Hitler gave up his plans for invading Great Britain

1940 – FDR elected to third term as president

1941 – A. Phillip Randolph was the Head of the Brotherhood of sleeping Car Porters. A major union for African American

railroad workers

A. Phillip Randolph proposed a march on Washington, D.C. to protest racial discrimination in the military

He protested securing jobs in national defense and integration of the military with his march on Washington.

FDR responded by supporting the Fair Employment Act – prohibited discrimination in the national defense

industry

1941 – Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act

The Lend-Lease Act was a way for the United States to get around the Neutrality Act. President could send aid

to any nation whose defense was considered vital to the United States’ personal security

If country couldn’t pay for aid, U.S. could defer payment until later

FDR won public support for his policy by offering the analogy of a neighbor’s house on fire

1941 – Japan bombed Pearl Harbor (December 7th

)

FDR described December 7th

as “a day which will live in infamy!”

Congress approved a declaration of war against Japan and later against Germany and Italy as well – U.S.

entered WWII

21

1941 – Bataan Death March

75,000 US & Filipino soldiers forced to walk 60 miles to P.O.W. camps by Japanese soldiers

1942 – U.S. Home Front Internment Camps were places where the United States put Japanese Americans to keep an eye on them.

Every American had a part in the war effort. They took part in rationing, as well as growing Victory Gardens

and buying War Bonds.

Women once again replaced men in the workforce.

Rosie the Riveter was the poster child for women during WWII.

While at home, Rationing was a way Americans could conserve things and send more overseas.

1942 – Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway was considered the turning point in the war against Japan. American was able to

destroy Japan’s naval fleet in one day

1944 – D-Day (June 6, 1944)

Nicknamed Operation Overlord

Allied invasion of Europe, specifically the beaches of Normandy, France

Established a foothold in Europe and allowed an allied advance towards Germany

1945 – Hitler committes suicide (April 30, 1945)

Germany surrendered shortly afterward

The Fall of Berlin is significant because it signified the end of the war in Europe

May 8, 1945 – V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day)

1945 – Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan (August 6, 1945)

Los Alamos is where the United States “practiced” using the atomic bomb.

The atomic bomb was developed by J. Robert Oppenheimer

The code name for the development of the atomic bomb was called The Manhattan Project

August 14, 1945 – V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day)

Bombing helped avoid a land invasion of Japan, saving the lives of Allied soldiers

1945 – The Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union begins

European continent divided between western democracies and Soviet satellite nations – nations answering to

and representing the views of the USSR

“iron curtain” – dividing line between Eastern and Western Europe

1946 – U.S. began containment policy

U.S. and west began focusing on containing communism to those countries in which it already existed and tried

to not let it spread any further

The containment policies were a result of the “Domino Theory” that once nations start to fall, neighboring

nations would fall as well (to communism).

The Truman Doctrine was a United States containment policy after WWII – containing communism by

sending assistance to weak nations vulnerable to communist takeover.

Marshall Plan – provided nations in war-torn Europe with financial support from the United States - prevented

communist revolutions in Europe and helping rebuild Europe

Late 1940’s – 1950’s – U.S. entered period known as the Second Red Scare

Government investigated, arrested, and sometimes harassed many people due to their connections to the

Communist Party

1947 – House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) created to root out Communists in the United States

Investigated State Department official Alger Hiss, who was accused of giving secrets to the Soviet Union ->

Hiss denied the charges but was convicted of perjury (lying under oath) and sent to prison

Hollywood actors known as the “Hollywood Ten” went to jail for refusing to appear before the HUAC -> in

response movie executives developed a Hollywood blacklist of suspect communists

22

1948 – Germany divided

US, Great Britain, and France combined their sectors into one nation, West Germany

USSR established East Germany under communist rule

1948 – President Truman integrated the United States military and eliminates racial discrimination in federal employment practices.

1949 – China fell under communist control of Mao Zedong

A Chinese Revolution that resulted in communism that threatened Asia was the cause of U.S. involvement in

the Korean War.

1950 – Korean War began when North Korean forces crossed the 38th

parallel

In the Korean War, North Korea was communist and supported by China while South Korea resisted

communism and was supported by the U.S.

1953 – Korean War ended in a stalemate

1954 – McCarthy Hearings

Senator Joseph McCarthy rose to power by feeding American fears that communism was infiltrating our

government.

Most U.S. citizens viewed McCarthy as paranoid and crazy

McCarthyism – was the name given to the effects of the second Red Scare that resulted from Senator

McCarthy’s witch hunt for communists in the U.S. government in the 1950s

1957 – Soviets launched Sputnik, the first official satellite to orbit the earth

U.S. entered the space race – competition with the Soviet Union to gain the upper-hand in space travel and

technology

In response to Sputnik, the United States (Pres. Eisenhower) launched our own satellite, the Explorer I,

created NASA, and passed the National Defense Education Act which began the United States’ emphasis on

Math and Science education.

1959 – Cuban Revolution

The Cuban Revolution is when Fidel Castro became the communist dictator of Cuba.

1961 – Bay of Pigs Invasion

The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful attempt by a U.S. trained force of Cuban exiles to invade Cuba

with support from U.S. government armed forces to overthrow Castro.

1961 – Cuban Missile Crisis

Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between the United States, the Soviet Union, and Cuba in 1961 and

is generally regarded as the moment in which the Cold War came closest to a nuclear war. The USSR had

missiles in Cuba capable of reaching the U.S.

1964 – U.S. gets involved in Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was fought in the 60s and 70s as part of the Cold War and in line with the U.S. policies of

containment (like the Korean War).

North Vietnam was communist and aided by China and South Vietnam resisted communism and was aided by

the United States. The U.S. eventually withdrew forces and left the South Vietnamese to defend themselves.

The Tet Offensive was a surprise attack by the North Vietnamese (Viet Cong) that was the beginning of the

end of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Tet Offensive – Public opinion changes from majority supporting Vietnam war to majority opposing Vietnam War

Protests of the war in Vietnam were common on college campuses and amongst members of the hippie

subculture. Growing opposition to the war was fueled by the news media.

The Anti-Vietnam movement was where students and those who were against the war protested the U.S. being

in Vietnam

1975 – Vietnam War over – America’s lost cause

1989 – Berlin Wall falls – America wins Cold War over USSR

23

U.S. History Timeline

Section 8 - The U.S. since 1950

1950-2002

1950’s – Post WWII America

The baby boom was the result of soldiers came home from WWII and of people feeling financially ready to

start families, and refers to the late 40s and early 50s when a large number of babies were born.

The growth spurred by the baby boom deepened the need for living outside of cities and the result of this need

was the Interstate Highway Act and the development of suburban neighborhoods such as Levittown.

The Interstate Highway Act provided federal funding for thousands of miles of interstate highways making

communication, travel and trade more efficient.

Levittown was a suburban neighborhood of single-family homes built outside of New York City and housed

hundreds of baby boom families who commuted to the city for work.

Television had a major impact on American culture in the second half of the 20th

century. The first televised

presidential debates (1960) swung American votes in favor of the younger Kennedy and away from the older

Nixon.

Television also brought international attention to the United States’ struggle to guarantee equal rights for

African Americans by broadcasting the Civil Rights Movement into living rooms around the world.

Use of technology such as the personal computer and the cellular telephone began increasing business

efficiency and making communication easier. Each development of these items brought more efficiency and

more profits into the U.S. economy.

1954 – Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

The experiences in WWII and the postwar pressures of the civil rights movement compelled the federal

government to reexamine traditional practices of segregation.

Jackie Robinson was the first African American baseball player to play Major League Baseball following

the integration of the league.

Supreme Court reversed the Plessy v. Ferguson decision and ruled that racial segregation in public schools is

unconstitutional

Brown v. Board of Education was the landmark court case that called for the integration of America’s public

schools.

Southern state governments resisted the Brown decision by ignoring the ruling for years until forced by the

military to integrate.

Late 1950’s – Atlanta wins national praise for its handling of school desegregation

Under the leadership of Mayor William Hartsfield

“Atlanta is the city too busy to hate.”

1955 – African American woman Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama

NAACP leaders selected Dr. Martin Luther King to lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott until Montgomery

public transportation was desegregated

Montgomery Bus Boycott led to the creation of the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference)

which sought to unite leaders from the black community in the cause of civil rights - Dr. King its first president

1957 – Arkansas governor refused to integrate Little Rock Central High School

President Eishenhower called in the National Guard to make sure that the “Little Rock Nine” safely gained

admittance to the school

1958 – Congress passed the National Defense Education Act

Provided for education geared toward the study of science, math, and foreign languages

Intended to boost the U.S. in the space and nuclear arms races

1960 – African American college students found the SNCC (Students Nonviolence Coordinating Committee)

Engaged in nonviolent protests and sit-ins to demand their civil rights

1962 – Caesar Chavez started the first Latino Workers Union called United Farm Workers.

Chavez formed the union to get Latino workers better wages

24

1962 – Rachel Carson published the book Silent Spring

She argued that humankind’s use of certain chemicals were poisoning the environment

Led to the banning of DDT (a common pesticide)

Helped launch the modern environmentalist movement

Because of Carson, the U.S. now has the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1963 – Alabama governor George Wallace attempted to prevent the integration of the University of Alabama by physically blocking

the entrance in protest

1963 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

Letter was a response to several white ministers who argued civil rights should be fought in the courts rather

than by protest

King expressed the reasons he disagreed and proclaimed that civil disobedience (peaceful refusal to follow

unjust laws) was a necessary and acceptable method for achieving equality

When MLK wrote his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, he confirmed the purpose and validity of the nonviolent

protest movement as the best way to achieve equality.

1963 – March on Washington

200,000 civil rights activists demanded equality for all citizens

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream Speech, delivered in Washington, D.C. put pressure on the

Kennedy administration to place higher importance on passing and enforcing civil rights laws.

1963 – President John F. Kennedy assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, TX

President Kennedy was assassinated after only two years in office. This made Vice President Lyndon Johnson

president without being elected as such.

Before Kennedy was killed, he has proposed the Civil Rights Act, but it was held up in the legislative process

until after he was killed.

Johnson’s plan for America was called the Great Society – it was a plan to end poverty.

One of the main Great Society programs is Medicare, which provides medical care to the poor, disabled and

elderly.

1963 – Betty Friedan wrote a book called The Feminine Mystique

Suggested that the idea of women being happy and fulfilled as wives and homemakers was a myth

Her views helped launch the women’s movement, often referred to as “Women’s Liberation”

Advocates of such positions were labeled “feminists”

Friedan founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) – was an organization for women. These

women fought for equal rights in the 1960’s and are still around today.

1963 – President Lyndon B. Johnson wins presidential election over conservative Barry Goldwater

Goldwater represents beginning of Conservative Movement

1964 – President Lyndon B. Johnson helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Prohibited segregation in public accommodations and discrimination in education and employment

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was introduced by JFK and passed during LBJ’s presidency in response to

Southern resistance to integration and to worldwide disdain for the treatment of African Americans. It

prohibited discrimination in public places.

1964 – Twenty-fourth amendment passed, making the poll tax illegal

1965 – “Bloody Sunday”

Civil Rights march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama

200 Alabama state troopers beat marchers with clubs and whips, released dogs, and showered them with tear gas

In response, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – authorized the president to suspend

literacy tests for voter registration and to send federal officials to register voters in the event that county

officials failed to do so; led to huge increase in African American voter registration

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed to ensure African American rights to vote were not violated by Jim

Crow laws, violence, or anything else.

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1966 – Miranda Decision

The Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren is called “The Warren Court.”

The Warren Court left a legacy of expanding individual liberties (rights and freedoms) through decisions

such as the Miranda decision.

The Miranda decision guarantees people arrested for a crime be read their rights before being held in jail.

Late 1960’s – Members of SNCC use non-violent protest in the segregated south

Philosophy that held blacks should take great pride in their African heritage and be willing to use violence, if

necessary, to attain and protect their civil rights

Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) is a group of student activities in the south during the

Civil Right Movement. They wanted to stop discrimination.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) is an alliance of African American church

organizations dedicated to the Civil Right Movement.

Both SNCC and SCLC used tactics such as Sit-ins and Freedom Rides. The Sit-ins took place mostly in

restaurants across the south to show that African Americans and whites could go to the same restaurant and eat.

Freedom Rides took place on buses throughout the south; both African Americans and whites would get on

buses and show that it was okay to ride on the same bus together.

1968 – 1968 was a year of political and social turmoil plagued by assassinations and protests

Martin Luther King Assassinated – Race Riots ensue in over 100 cities across America

Robert F. Kennedy Assassinated

Democratic National Convention – Chicago police violently suppress protestors outside of convention hall,

televised

1969 – Neil Armstrong became first person to walk on the moon

1970 – United States celebrated its first Earth Day

President Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a federal agency for the

purpose of enforcing laws aimed at maintaining a safe and clean environment

1972 – Nixon visits China

Nixon wanted to go to China and begin communications between the two countries. Because of his trip, China

and the U.S. began to trade with each other. Tensions were eased because of Nixon’s trip to China.

President Nixon opened up a new program called Detente. This program was set up to ease tension with

countries who were Communist.

1972 – Watergate investigations begins

The Watergate Scandal was where Nixon and his Administration wanted to find out as much as they could

about the Democratic Party plans for the next Election. Five men from his party, Broke into a hotel room and

tried to steal the plans of the Democratic Party. They were caught!

Nixon was going to be impeached, but before he could be brought up on charges, he resigned from office

1973 – Roe vs. Wade

The court case Roe vs. Wade (1973) legalized Abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. Many women

activist groups were excited about the decision, but many conservatives were upset by the decision

1974 – Richard Nixon Resigns due to Watergate Scandals

Vice President Gerald Ford becomes president

President Ford pardons Nixon – action highly unpopular

He also passed the 25th

Amendment: outlined the process of what happens when the President resigns

1976 – President Jimmy Carter – first Georgian elected President

1978 – Camp David Accords – peace between Israel and Egypt – Carter’s greatest Achievement

During the presidency of Jimmy Carter, many things that happened were things overseas. One of his most

famous things that accomplished was the Camp David Accords. This marked the first step in achieving peace

in the Middle East.

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1978 – The Bakke Decision was based on Affirmative Action.

Allan Bakke applied to medical school in California and was not accepted because he was not a minority.

1979 – Iranian Hostage Crisis - one cause for Carter’s unpopularity – greatest failure

The Iranian Hostage Crisis was Jimmy Carter’s downfall. Iranian rebels took 52 American hostages because

of America’s refusal to turn in the Iranian Shah. President Carter could not get the hostages back to America.

Because of this Carter did not win the next election.

1980 – Ronald Reagan elected president – most conservative president in history

President Regan was responsible for bringing the U.S. out of a recession. His economic policy was called

Reganomics.

Reaganomics – supply side economic policies credited for economic boom in America

He wanted to give Tax cuts to everyone, but mostly to the wealthy

Confronts USSR with greatest peacetime military buildup in US History

1986 – Iran-Contra Scandal – Reagan’s Greatest Failure

Regan was also responsible for the Iran-Contra Scandal. The U.S. wanted to fight communism, in order to do

that, the U.S. sold weapons to Afghan Rebels to fight off the Soviets. This upset the American people, but

Regan was never to blame for it.

1989 – Berlin Wall falls – America wins Cold War over USSR

During Reagan’s presidency, Peace talks began with the Soviet Union. They were a success and the Berlin Wall

was finally brought down and the Cold War ended.

1991 – Desert Shield and Desert Storm – Persian Gulf War victory for US over Iraq

1992 – Democrat Bill Clinton wins Presidency

Bill Clinton was the first Baby Boom president. Clinton did not have a good relationship with Congress was

mostly made up of Republicans and Clinton was a Democrat.

1996 – NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement between USA, Mexico, Canada

Leads to economic boom during Clinton presidency

One of Clinton’s greatest achievements

This would eliminate all tariffs between these three countries (U.S., Mexico, and Canada).

1998 – Monica Lewinsky Scandal

President Clinton impeached becomes second president ever impeached

Clinton was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice. He was acquitted by the Senate in 1999.

2000 – Bush /Gore Presidential Election

Closet election in US History – over 500 votes in Florida

Controversy over ballots

US Supreme Court rules to end recount giving George W. Bush victory

2001 – September 11, 2001 – World Trade Center and other sites attacked – War on Terrorism begins

On September 11, 2001, the U.S. was attacked by the terrorist group, Al Queda. The terrorist hijacked four

U.S. planes and ran them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon; one was taken down in a Pennsylvania

field.

2002 – Bush responds to 9/11

President Bush responded by launching an attack on Afghanistan, where the terrorist organization was from.

The U.S. took over Afghanistan for a few months, but the Taliban, another terrorist group, resurfaced again and

took it over President Bush wanted to fight the War on Terror, so in 2003, the U.S. invaded Iraq. The U.S felt that Iraq had

Weapons of Mass Destruction. The U.S. went to war, but we did not find any weapons. The U.S. is still in Iraq

today and is still trying to fight the war on terrorism War on Terror; highly controversial war