Major Eras in U.S. History

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    The Gilded Age - Post Resconstruction

    A period of expansion, industrialization, immigration, and urbanization with significant effects on Native Americans, workers, immigrants, and the rise of big business in the late 19th century.
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    Age of Imperialism and Reform

    During the early 20th century the U.S. entered a new historical era: an Age of Expansionism beyond our natural borders as the country moved from isolationism. U.S. imperialism led to involvement in the Spanish- American War, changing policies in Latin America and Asia and eventually yo World War 1. At home, reformers made efforts to correct economic and social abuses of the Gilded Age.
  • World War I

    World War I, often abbreviated as WWI, was a global conflict fought between two coalitions, the Allied Powers and the Central Powers. Fighting took place throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and parts of Asia.
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    The Roaring 20's

    This was also an era of significant prosperity and social changes as Americans became more isolationist and responded to significant change in social norms, consumerism, technological advances and artistic achievement.
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    The Great Depression

    Beginning with the Stock Market Crash in 1929, this era is marked by severe depression and the increasing role of the Federal government to improve the economy.
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    Rise of Dictators

    The rise of totalitarian governments in Europe and East Asia led to World War 2 and involvement of the United States in that conflict.
  • World War II

    World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries, including all of the great powers, fought as part of two opposing military alliances.
  • The Cold War

    The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc
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    Civil Rights

    This era highlights the issues of emerging rights for minorities and the leaders and critical events of the modern 20th century civil rights movement.
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    Late 20th Contemporary Issues

    An era of change as the U.S. experienced the end of the Cold War, new conflicts in the Middle East, the impeachment of a President and a controversial election to begin a new century.
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    21st Century

    Early in this century America dealt with a new threat of terrorism at home with the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11 and a decade of the "War Against Terror". This era also marked the election of the first African- American President of the United States in 2008.
  • 9/11 Attacks

    The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001.