Turning Points in American History

Listed below are major turning points in American history. In each case, identify the implied event,
comment on its significance, and then list at least three contemporaneous movements, trends, or
activities in literature, science, art, or economics. This brainstorming activity will help you to
develop the skills to put your free-response essays in historical context. For purposes of this activity,
define “contemporaneous” as any event within a five-year period of the event.

1763 1803
Event: Treaty of Paris Event: Louisiana Purchase
Significance: End of 7 Years War Significance: Growth for the US
Related Events: Related Events:
a. Stamp Act a. Lewis and Clark
b. Proclamation of 1763 b. Westward Expansion
c. Boston Massacre c. Manifest Destiny

1776 1814
Event: Signing of Declaration of Independence Event: Battle of New Orleans
Significance: Independence from Britain Significance: New Orleans against British Invasion
Related Events: Related Events:
a. American Revolution a. Treaty of Ghent
b. 1st Constitutional Convention b. Hartford Convention
c. Articles of Confederation c. Native Americans impacted

1789 1848
Event: George Washington is 1st President Event: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Significance: Beginning of the US Significance: ended Mexican-American War
Related Events: Related Events:
a. Constitution a. California Gold Rush
b. Bill of Rights b. Compromise of 1850
c. Branches of Government c. Republican Party!!

1800 1861
Event: Election of 1800 Event: Battle of Fort Sumter
Significance: Transfer of power between political Significance: Began the Civil War
parties Related Events:
Related Events: a. Emancipation Proclamation
a. Louisiana Purchase b. Battle of Gettysburg
b. Marbury vs Madison c. Gettysburg Address
c. Jefferson
1865 1941
Event: Appomattox Court House Event: Attack on Pearl Harbor
Significance: Marked end of Civil War Significance: US joins WWII
Related Events: Related Events:
a. Lincoln assassination a. Manhattan Project
b. 13th amendment b. Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
c. Reconstruction Era c. Japanese internment camps

1877
1945
Event: Compromise of 1877
Event: end of WWII
Significance: troops withdrawn from south
Significance: US becomes a global superpower
Related Events:
Related Events:
a. End of Reconstruction
a. Yalta Conference
b. Southern Democratic Power
b. Nuremberg Trials
c. impact on civil rights
c. Manhattan Project

1914
1954
Event: World War I
Event: Brown vs Board
Significance: First worldwide war
Significance: No discrimination in schools
Related Events:
Related Events:
a. Triple Alliance
a. Civil Rights Act of 1964
b. Entente
b. Little Rock Nine
c. Central Powers
c. Montgomery Bus Boycott

1919 1960
Event: 18th amendment Event: 1960 election
Significance: Prohibition began Significance: televised elections
Related Events: Related Events:
st
a. 21 amendment a. Cold War tensions
b. underground industry b. domestic social programs
c. Volstead Act c. Civil Rights challenges

1929 1964
Event: Stock Market Crash Event: Civil Rights Act
Significance: Great Depression begins Significance: No discrimination at all
Related Events: Related Events:
a. New Deal a. Voting Rights Act of 1965
b. economic collapse b. Great Society Programs
c. unemployment c. Fair Housing Act
1968 1989
Event: Assassination of MLK Event: Fall of the Berlin Wall
Significance: Loss of the biggest leader in the Civil Significance: end of Cold War
Rights movement Related Events:
Related Events: a. Fall of Soviet Union
a. Civil Rights Act of 1968 b. Revolution of 1989
b. Election of Nixon c. Spread of democracy
c. Democratic National Convention

1973 1994
Event: War Powers Act Event: NAFTA established
Significance: Limit president’s ability to commit Significance: no trade barriers or tariffs between North
military support into other conflicts without American countries
approval of Congress. Related Events:
Related Events: a. economic integrations
a. Paris Peace Accords b. job displacement
b. Watergate Scandal c. more trade between North American countries
c. Oil embargos