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Period: Jan 1, 1400 to
Exploration and Colonization
This was the era where countries were spreading to new land. This was happening because land was just as valuable as money. European countries acquired land in order to bolster their legitimacy as a country and to show off to other nations. Most of these colonies were based in North and South America. -
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American Revolution
This was when the American colonies declared independence against Great Britain. Separation from GB was declared on July 4th, 1776 with the Declaration of Independence. This was when the nation of America was born. With the Treaty of Paris, the US officially became independent on September 3, 1783. -
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US Constitution
This document contained proposed basic laws and rights of American citizens at the time. The constitutional convention occurred from May 25 to September 17 of 1787. After the document was written, it took over a year for all of the states to ratify the constitution going into effect. A collective yes was required for the constitution to become the law of the land. -
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The Federalist Era
This time period was when major politicians were pushing to make a strong federal government. Federalists thought that a strong central government was necessary in order to have a strong nation. This era spurred the creation of anti-federalists because they believed that it would lead to tyranny. Alexander Hamilton was one of the biggest faces of federalism at this time. -
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Age of Jefferson
This was the span of Thomas Jefferson's presidency. During this time, Jefferson fought to reverse federalist policies. He wanted power to remain in the hands of the states with minimal federal involvement. Jefferson and Hamilton were practically polar opposites in regards to political opinions. -
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War of 1812
This was America's second fight for independence from Great Britain. The two countries battled for a little over a year. When the US won the war, their independence and legitimacy as a country was strengthened. This made nationalism skyrocket, and many people began to see themselves as Americans rather than their state's people. -
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Age of Nationalism
This was the honeymoon period after the US defeated Great Britain in the War of 1812. Nationalism was extremely high and politicians tried to promote unity rather than sectionalism. Henry Clay and James Madison were big names during this time period. The flag was also created during this time period. -
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Era of Jacksonian Democracy
This was the time period in which Andrew Jackson was president. Jackson encouraged the American people to actively participate in government by using their right to vote. Voting rights were now given to white men of most social classes. However, woman and other races were still unable to vote on political issues. -
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Manifest Destiny
This was the time period in which the American people believed that God wanted them to expand the nation. They used this excuse to ruin other colonies and kill hundreds. The believed that they were following God's will, so politicians also promoted this movement. This time also led to sectional differences between the North and South. -
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Age of Sectional Conflict
The US began adding more territory to their country after the Mexican war. As these states entered, it became a conflict to decide whether or not they would be slave states. These decisions are what started to divide the country and eventually led to the beginning of the Civil War. -
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Civil War
This was the war between the Northern states and the Confederate south. Motivation behind this war mainly came from the issue of slavery and wether or not it should be allowed. Another issue was also the idea of national unity, because the south had seceded from the union. This was one of the most memorable wars in American History. -
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Age of Industrialization, Immigration and Urbanization
Better known as the IIU age, this was when America really began to pick up steam as a country. Immigrants were flooding in from all over the world, but mostly Europe. Manufacturing grew exponentially, providing the US with more jobs and more money. Big business men such as Rockefeller and Carnegie rose during this time period. Cities grew and urbanization was taking over the northeast. -
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Reconstruction
This was the time period after the Civil War when America began to rebuild. The southern states became a part of the union again, so unity was achieved. The US began to pass laws that allowed freed slaves to have rights, such as voting. This was a big step towards freedom and unity for the whole country. -
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Progressive Era
This time period focused on growing the economy, bringing freedom and strengthening the democracy that defined the American government. More jobs were created and lawmakers worked to allow more people to have a political voice. Prohibition and child labor laws were hot topics during this era as well. -
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Age of Imperialism
The US wanted to become one of the major hitters in international trade and marketing. This became possible through the large growth of manufacturing in the US during the industrialization age. The US gained new territories such as Puerto Rico, and they acquired major influence over the nation of Cuba. The Spanish-American war occurred during 1898. -
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World War I
This was arguably one of the most important wars in history. Almost every major country was involved in some way, shape or form. Most of the fighting took place in Europe, and most of the countries involved were in Europe. This war shaped the world that we live in today. Two groups fought: the Allied powers and the Central Powers. Allied Powers: France, Russia, England, Italy, US (last to join)
Central Powers: Austria-Hungary, Germany, Ottoman Empire -
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Roaring 20s
This was the period between WWI and WWII. It was practically a 10 year long celebration over winning the war. Prohibition was challenged greatly. Women began pushing the boundaries of social constructs, such as how they dressed and acted in public. Loaning money became much easier, so everyone was carefree and acquired a lot of debt. -
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Great Depression
This was when the stock market crashed after the roaring 20s. The economic turmoil occurred worldwide, but the US president at the time did not push to make changes. There was mass unemployment, poverty and business closings. Even some of the richest people in the world were not safe during this awful time in American history. -
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World War II
This is the war that is attributed to pulling America out of the great depression. This war was fought between the Allied and Axis powers, with the Allied winning in the end. During the war, Hitler was rising to power in Germany. D-Day occurred near the end of the war, as did the bombing of Hiroshima.
Allied Powers: Great Britain, France, Soviet Union, US, China
Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan -
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Cold War
This was a lengthy time period when tensions between the US and USSR were extremely high. No direct conflict ever occurred between the countries, but they did fight on different sides for various other wars in different countries. These conflicts were resolved when the USSR was dismantled. During this "war", the Cuban missile crisis took place while John F Kennedy was president. -
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Civil Rights Movement
During this time period, social injustices were rallied against and challenged. Most of these issues dealt with racial inequality, such as segregation. Blacks were fighting for their full citizenship rights as well as to be socially equal. These issues got better as time went on, but some argue that they are not fully resolved today. -
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US as Sole Superpower
This period occurred after the Soviet Union dissolved, which allowed US to rise as the superpower of the world. This also was the end of the Cold War. To this day, the US is still considered the superpower. -
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War on Terror
After 9/11, the US fought to increase national security and remain the strongest country in the world. This has been done by fighting Al Qaeda and other terrorists groups, which has the US involved in a few different wars. We are trying to protect our country and appear as big and bad as possible.