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First Colony - Jamestown
Jamestown was the first colony successfully settled in the New Land aka America. Jamestown was set up to make profit - much unlike the next colonies in America who traveled because of religious beliefs - and they were pretty successful which showed the world that America could be settled. -
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Slavery
Slavery started in 1619 with the first ship carry slaves arrived into Jamestown. While this was the first time that slaves were used in North America, slavery didn't really become popular until the mid to late 17th century when big planation owners realized that slaves solved some of their problems that they had been having with their indentured servants. Slavery ended in 1863 with the end of the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. -
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Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War was the war between colonist and the British were the colonist eventually won and the land which the "won" became what is known today as the United States of America. The colonist won the war literally by wearing the British down by basically being the pesky little sibling until the British called it quits. There was many things that played effect to the start of the war, but it basically comes down to that the colonist and British ideals were different. -
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Moving West/ Gold Rush
The American people have been moving West since they practically got here but between 1820 and 1877 was when the most movement happened - for various reasons. The first reason was that America bought, won and/or agreed on a ton of new land, and to make sure no one else tried to take it from them, moving west was highly encouraged. The second reason was the Gold Rush that started in 1848. The last reason was because the people wanted to start life anew and have a chance for the American Dream. -
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Civil War
The Civil War was the war between the Union (North) and the Confederation (South). The South separated from the North in Jan. of 1865 due to the fact that they believed that they were not being treated the way they should be and that Lincoln was going to abolish slavery. The first fight was at Fort Sumter - where a lot of shells were shot off but no one was hurt. It was the real start of the Civil War. The war was hoped, by both sides, to be a quick one but dragged on untill April of 1865. -
U.S. Enters WWI
President Woodrow Wilson had sought to keep us out of the war, but he ended up declaring war anyway. War production began, with women working. This was a change from the traditional and expected Dream of being a wife and mother. -
Great Depression
The stock market crashed, beginning the Great Depression. During the Depression, material dreams were an impossibility and people could only hope to survive until better times. -
WWII Began
Triggered by the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. entered WWII. Americans were very patriotic and supportive. Participation in scrap metal drives, rationing, and Victory Gardens showed every American's dream of winning the war and righting the world. -
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WWII
WWII affecte the life of every American. As a whole, Americans were very patriotic. Participation in scrap metal dives, rationing, and Victory Gardens showed the shared Dream of winning the war and going back to normal life.
The Dream of women changed dramatically during this time, as they entered the workforce in large numbers. This gave them economic independence and made them feel that they were a crucial part in the war effort. -
Rationing Begins
Certain food were rationed during the war, so people began to grow thier own food in "Victory Gardens." They hoped that the soldiers would benefit from what they did without. -
WWII Ends
Now Americans hoped to return to normal life, and were thankful when husbands and sons came home. President Wilson worked with other leaders to restore peace and justice to the war-torn world. -
Korean War
By the end of this war in 1951, the people of the United States were not in favor of our involvement in it. It broadened our Dream, though, as efforts were made to not only help our troops, but the civilians of Korea. -
Civil Rights Act
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, which outlawed discrimination. For African Americans, this was a fulfillment of thier dream of equality. -
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Economic Recession
The recent economic recession in the U.S. challenged the materialistic aspect of the American Dream, as many were unemployed and struggled to make ends meet. -
Recession Dream
For some, the American Dream remained materialistic through the recession. Others found that this definition didn't portray what they were seeking through tough times. The Dream shifted more conceptual ideas of liberty, opportunity, equality, and the value of family and friends.
