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French Indian War aka the Seven Years War (1754-1763)
The French-Indian War (apart of the European Seven Years War) took place between the British and French colonists. The French colonists, with the aid of the Indians, fought for ownership of the land against the British Colonists. The British, having spent a large sum of money on the war, enforced more/higher taxes to recover the lost money. The colonists rebelled and thus began the American Revolution. -
(First) Industrial Revolution (1760-1840)
The First Industrial Revolution was the change to water powered factories in the North East along major rivers. It consisted mainly of cotton which was picked in the south on plantations by slaves and made easier by the newly invented cotton gin. The textiles made in the factory would then be sold to England whereas prior to the revolution, England took the raw goods (cotton) and sold them back to colonies as the goods they needed. (That was under the system of mercantilism.) -
Woman's Suffrage movement (1848-1919)
Woman's suffrage movement began in 1848 when the librerty party put women's suffrage on it's presidental election plank. It aimed to gain woman's right to vote. Forfrount women for the cause include: Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone and Julia Ward Howe. The movement ended in 1919 with the 19th amendment which stated: "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." -
(Second) Industrial Revolution (1860-19120)
The second Industrial revolution was dominated by industry in the railroads and factories. The first continental railroad was created and grew while more and more immagriants came to work in the factories. The wages became lower with the higher supply of workers and conditions were very unsafe. During this time, many things were invented and perfected, like the telephone and telegraph. -
Assassination of Lincoln (NOTE: shot the 14th, died the 15th)
While attending a play with wife and company, Lincoln was shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth and became the first president assassinated.
The country was united in their grief and mourning for the late president and came together, and less than a year later, the civil war officially ended. -
Prohibition (1920-1933)
Begining in 1920 when the 18th amendment banned the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors" and ended when the 21st amendment repelled it.
America was effected greatly by the rise of organized crime where "bootleggers" would make illegal alcohol and sell it at "speakeasies" which were nightclubs or alcohol stores. The mafia grew with the new black markets, most famously among them was Al Capone. -
Great Depression (1929-1938)
The great depression began when the stock markets crashed in 1929. The entire world was negitively affected and unemployment in the United States rose to 24.9% in 1933. (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) Hundreds of thousands of Americans lost their homes and moved into the "Hoovervilles" -
WWII (Sept 1st 1939-Sept 2nd1945)
World War Two was a result of unresolved issues from the first World War. Germany, lead by Hitler and the Nazi party, combined with other countries creating the Axis Powers, dominated the world. The Allies managed to over power them after the 6 years of war, resulting in 45-60 million dead.
The country was united through-out war time, and it set the floor ground for many social civil movements. -
McCarthyism (1950-1956)
McCarthyism is a term created during the second red scare named after the Wisconsin senator who accused people of being communists and communist sympathizers.
Instead of uniting the country against a foreign common enemy, McCarthyism and the Red Scare made the citizens distrust one another. The people lived under the fear that their neighbor was a communist or communist sympathizer, or that the other would turn them in for suspecting them of the same thing. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
The Berlin wall became a symbol of the boarder between communism and democracy. When it fell in November 9th 1989, it represented democracy over coming communism and the end of the Cold War. (Although the Cold War officially ended in 1991.)
America was about to start a nuclear war and so the fall of the wall was a great relief.
