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The Industrial Revolution was a time of economic, technological, social, and cultural change, that started in the UK and spread to America. It improved the speed and quality of production, and provided new and improved machines and transport.
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Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone. Businesses benefited from the additional means of communication that made completing transactions and connecting to customers easier and more efficient.
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The invention of the light bulb allowed people to work longer, and businesses to stay open later, even when it was dark.
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The invention of the assembly line increased the speed of production and reduced the cost of an automobile, making it more accessible to the average American.
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Also known as the Great War, the first World War increased U.S. industrial production and the economy, however the government was weak.
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When the Panama Canal opened, it connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, providing a new route for international trade and military transport.
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The Stock Market crash led to the loss of jobs, increase of homelessness, failure of banks, and ultimately to the Great Depression.
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The bombing of Pearl Harbor pulled America into World War II. Production of war necessities increased the economy and pulled the United States out of the Great Depression.
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The Cold War, primarily between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, was based on a fear of the power each country possessed. The American economy grew because of the people's belief that they should buy consumer goods to help the economy.
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NATO was formed to help protect against the Soviet Union, and to encourage European political integration.
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The Vietnam War was the longest, most debilitating war, and the only one the U.S. ever lost. It damaged the economy, lowered the voting age to 18, and ended the draft.
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The Cuban Missile Crisis was 13 days of tension on the "brink of nuclear war" between the U.S. and the USSR, who had set up missiles in Cuba. Because of the close proximity of Cuba to America, the American people felt true vulnerability for the first time.
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The Internet expands with the World Wide Web. It gave the average person access to an infinite amount of information.
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NAFTA is a trade agreement between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It reshaped North American economic relations and improved the American economy.
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The goal of the 9/11 terrorist attacks was to cripple the U.S. by destroying its centers of power: the World Trade Center/Wall Street, the Pentagon, and the White House. They only succeeded in the first two attacks, however the economy was still hurt and further entered a recession.
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The recession of 2008 was a major economic downturn worldwide. It was caused by the Financial Crisis of 2008.
