Colonial America (1492-1763)

The Pilgrims landing on Plymouth

oc!" #ecem$er 162%
&uro'ean nations came to the Americas to increase their (ealth and $roaden
their in)luence o*er (orld a))airs+ The ,'anish (ere among the )irst &uro'eans to
e-'lore the .e( /orld and the )irst to settle in (hat is no( the 0nited ,tates+
1y 162%" ho(e*er" &ngland had esta$lished a dominant 'resence on the Atlantic
coast+ The )irst colony (as )ounded at 3amesto(n" 4irginia" in 16%7+ 5any o) the
'eo'le (ho settled in the .e( /orld came to esca'e religious 'ersecution+ The
Pilgrims" )ounders o) Plymouth" 5assachusetts" arri*ed in 162%+ 6n $oth 4irginia
and 5assachusetts" the colonists )lourished (ith some assistance )rom .ati*e
Americans+ .e( /orld grains such as corn !e't the colonists )rom star*ing
(hile" in 4irginia" to$acco 'ro*ided a *alua$le cash cro'+ 1y the early 17%%s
ensla*ed A)ricans made u' a gro(ing 'ercentage o) the colonial 'o'ulation+ 1y
177%" more than 2 million 'eo'le li*ed and (or!ed in 7reat 1ritain8s 13 .orth
American colonies+
e*olutionary Period (1764-1799)
1ritish general 1urgoyne8s
surrender at ,aratoga in the
American e*olution

#e)ending the Colonies against attac! $y the :rench and others had cost the
1ritish a great deal o) money+ As a result" the 1ritish had *ery high ta-es in their
country+ They thus decided to shi)t some o) their )inancial $urden to the colonists+
The ,tam' Act o) 1762" (hich ta-ed all legal documents" ne(s'a'ers and other
documents" (as met (ith a great u'roar in the Colonies+ 6n 1766" this ta- (as
re'ealed" $ut it (as ;ust the $eginning o) the 'ro$lems $et(een the colonists and
the 1ritish+ The 1oston Tea Party in 1773 (as an act o) re*olt against the 1ritish
and their ta- on tea in the Colonies+
Tensions such as these e*entually led to the (riting o) the #eclaration o)
6nde'endence in 1776+ A year earlier" the /ar o) 6nde'endence" also !no(n as
the American e*olution" $egan+ /hen the 1ritish )inally surrendered on <cto$er
19" 1791" Americans (ere o))icially inde'endent o) 1ritain and set a$out
esta$lishing their o(n go*ernment+
The .e( .ation (179%-1929)
:rancis ,cott =ey reaches out
to(ards the )lag in >The ,tar
,'angled 1anner> $y Percy 5oran
#uring this time" Americans esta$lished their go*ernment and t(o 'arties
emerged--the :ederalists and the e'u$licans+ Americans had a lot to deal (ith
during this 'eriod+ They had to struggle (ith the need to increase ta-es to 'ay )or
the American e*olution as (ell as deal (ith the :rench e*olution (hich
di*ided American su''ort $et(een :rance and 1ritain+ 0nder President
3e))erson" the country e-'anded (est(ard (ith the 'urchase o) the ?ouisiana
territory and the ?e(is and Clar! e-'edition+ The /ar o) 1912 against 1ritain"
sometimes called the ,econd /ar o) American 6nde'endence" lasted three
years+ A)ter the (ar" a mood o) nationalism e-isted as 'eo'le )ocused on e*ents
and issues at home+ @o(e*er" trou$les (ere $re(ing" 'articularly on the to'ic o)
sla*ery+
/estern &-'ansion A e)orm (1929-1929)
A miner stri!es gold in Cali)ornia
Presidents Andre( 3ac!son" 3ames Pol!" and 3ohn Tyler" li!e many Americans o)
this time" em$raced the notion o) enlarging the >em'ire )or li$erty+> 6n other (ords
they (anted to e-'and the $orders o) America (est(ard+ /hile some 'ioneers
headed (est to Cali)ornia" others attem'ted to e-'and the idea o) (hat >li$erty>
in America meant+ A$olitionists o''osed la(s that !e't A)rican Americans
ensla*ed" and ad*ocates o) (omen8s su))rage argued that (i*es" mothers and
daughters should 'lay a more signi)icant role in society $y *oting" holding o))ice"
and (or!ing outside the home+
Ci*il /ar (196%-1962)
?incoln8s &manci'ation Proclamation
(as issued on 3anuary 1" 1963
Con)lict o*er issues o) ho( much control the )ederal go*ernment should ha*e
o*er the states" industrialiBation" trade" and es'ecially sla*ery had increased
tension $et(een .orthern and ,outhern states+ A)ter A$raham ?incoln (as
elected 'resident in 196%" 11 ,outhern states seceded (or (ithdre() )rom the
0nion and set u' an inde'endent go*ernment--the Con)ederate ,tates o)
America+ These e*ents led to the out$rea! o) the Ci*il /ar--a $rutal" $loody" )our-
year con)lict that le)t the ,outh de)eated and ended sla*ery at the cost o) more
than hal) a million li*es+
econstruction (1966-1977)
The 0+,+ 'urchased Alas!a
)rom ussia in 1967
A)ter the .orth de)eated the ,outh in the Ci*il /ar" 'oliticians )aced the tas! o)
'utting the di*ided country $ac! together+ There (as great de$ate a$out ho(
se*erely the )ormer Con)ederate states should $e 'unished )or lea*ing the 0nion+
/ith the assassination o) President ?incoln in 1962" it (as u' to President
Andre( 3ohnson to try to reunite )ormer enemies+ The econstruction Acts o)
1967 laid out the 'rocess )or readmitting ,outhern states into the 0nion+ The
:ourteenth Amendment (1969) 'ro*ided )ormer sla*es (ith national citiBenshi'"
and the :i)teenth Amendment (197%) granted $lac! men the right to *ote+ These
(ere only the )irst ste's" ho(e*er" to(ard reconstructing the )ragmented nation+
7ilded Age (1979-1999)
/riter and humorist" 5ar! T(ain"
(rote the no*el The Gilded Age
ridiculing /ashington #+C+ and
many o) the leading )igures o) the day
The gro(th o) industry and a (a*e o) immigrants mar!ed this 'eriod in American
history+ The 'roduction o) iron and steel rose dramatically and (estern resources
li!e lum$er" gold" and sil*er increased the demand )or im'ro*ed trans'ortation+
ailroad de*elo'ment $oomed as trains mo*ed goods )rom the resource-rich
/est to the &ast+ ,teel and oil (ere in great demand+ All this industry 'roduced a
lot o) (ealth )or a num$er o) $usinessmen li!e 3ohn #+ oc!e)eller (in oil) and
Andre( Carnegie (in steel)" !no(n as ro$$er $arons ('eo'le (ho got rich
through ruthless $usiness deals)+ The 7ilded Age gets its name )rom the many
great )ortunes created during this 'eriod and the (ay o) li)e this (ealth
su''orted+
Progressi*e &ra (199%-1913)
A de'iction o) the storming o)
,an 3uan @ill )rom the
,'anish-American /ar
6n the 199%s" the $elie) that Americans should a*oid getting in*ol*ed (ith other
countries (as slo(ly )ading+ 1ecause o) its ra'id economic and social gro(th"
the 0+,+ had $ecome a ma;or (orld 'o(er+ ,o (hen Cu$an re$els $egan a
*iolent re*olution against ,'anish rule in 1992" and a mysterious e-'losion sun!
the U.S.S. Maine in the @a*ana har$or" the 0+,+ entered into (hat di'lomat 3ohn
@ay called >a s'lendid little (ar> (ith ,'ain+ Although the ,'anish-American /ar
ended relati*ely soon" issues o*er o(nershi' o) the Phili''ines" Puerto ico" and
the @a(aiian islands also had to $e resol*ed+
7reat /ar A 3aBB Age (1914-1929)
7eorge 5+ Cohan8s song
><*er There> ca'tured the
'atriotic mood o) the time
:oreign a))airs (relationshi's (ith other countries) too! u' a great deal o)
President /oodro( /ilson8s attention+ 6n &uro'e" there (as the out$rea! o)
/orld /ar 6" also !no(n as the 7reat /ar" in 1914" and in 5e-ico" there (as the
5e-ican e*olution+ Although at )irst Americans did not (ant to get in*ol*ed" they
su''orted the Allies in their )ight against the Central Po(ers+ :inally" the 0+,+
entered the (ar in 1917+ The (ar concluded in 1919 and the Treaty o) 4ersailles
(as signed in 1919+ The Allied Po(ers o) the 0+,+" 7reat 1ritain" 3a'an" 6taly"
ussia" :rance" 1elgium" ,er$ia and 5ontenegro had $een *ictorious+
1ac! at home" young 'eo'le (ere tired o) the (ar+ /omen e-ercised their ne(ly
)ound )reedom (ha*ing (on the right to *ote in 192%) and many (hites too! u' an
interest in A)rican American culture+ @arlem nightclu$s thri*ed" s'otlighting
numerous artists such as ;aBB musicians ?ouis Armstrong and #u!e &llington+
#e'ression A //66 (1929-1942)
President oose*elt signs the
#eclaration o) /ar against
3a'an" #ecem$er 1941
<cto$er 29" 1929" (as a dar! day in history+ >1lac! Tuesday> is the day that the
stoc! mar!et crashed" o))icially setting o)) the 7reat #e'ression+ 0nem'loyment
s!yroc!eted--a Cuarter o) the (or!)orce (as (ithout ;o$s $y 1933 and many
'eo'le $ecame homeless+ President @er$ert @oo*er attem'ted to handle the
crisis $ut he (as una$le to im'ro*e the situation+ 6n 1932" :ran!lin #elano
oose*elt (as elected 'resident and he 'romised a >.e( #eal> )or the American
'eo'le+ Congress created The /or!s Progress Administration (/PA) (hich
o))ered (or! relie) )or thousands o) 'eo'le+
The end to the 7reat #e'ression came a$out in 1941 (ith America8s entry into
/orld /ar 66+ America sided (ith 1ritain" :rance and the ,o*iet 0nion against
7ermany" 6taly" and 3a'an+ The loss o) li*es in this (ar (as staggering+ The
&uro'ean 'art o) the (ar ended (ith 7ermany8s surrender in 5ay 1942+ 3a'an
surrendered in ,e'tem$er 1942" a)ter the 0+,+ dro''ed atomic $om$s on
@iroshima and .agasa!i+
5odern &ra (1946 - 'resent)
>That8s one small ste' )or
man+++ and one giant lea' )or
man!ind"> said .eil Armstrong
as he (al!ed on the moon"
3uly 2%" 1969
The de*elo'ment and gro(th o) the 0nited ,tates during this era (as in)luenced
$y hel'ing &uro'e reco*er )rom /orld /ar 66 and 0+,+ in*ol*ement in other
(ars--mainly the Cold /ar (ith the ,o*iet 0nion and the 4ietnam and =orean
/ars+ (The Cold /ar (as not a real (ar (ith the ,o*iet 0nionD this term re)ers to
the chilly relations the 0+,+ had (ith the )ormerly communist nation" (hich" since
its $rea!u'" is called ussia+) 6n the ,tates" the >ed ,care> o) communism o)
192% resulted in the 5cCarthy hearings+ ,enator 3ose'h 5cCarthy accused
many Americans o) $eing communists" (hich led to loss o) em'loyment )or many
artists" teachers" and go*ernment em'loyees+
,e*eral 'rominent )igures" including &leanor oose*elt" 5artin ?uther =ing 3r+"
3ohn =ennedy" and ichard .i-on" hel'ed sha'e America8s modern era+ #uring
this time" Americans (ent to the moon" ushered in the ci*il rights mo*ement and
the )ight )or eCual rights )or (omen" esta$lished relations (ith China" and
(itnessed the )all o) communism in ussia and &astern &uro'e+