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1492
Christopher Columbus lands in the New World
Spain wants to find out if there is an easier way to get to India to trade spices. King Ferdinand of Spain has Christopher Columbus take the voyage over the sea. Columbus lands and thinks he is in India, but he actually lands in what is now known as Central/South America. -
1510
Spain builds permanent settlements in Central/South America
The Spanish decide it is a good idea to settle in Central/South America for the resources and land. Many vegetables and animals will be used in trading Conquistadors hear legends of a location called El Dorado, a city purely made of gold. The Spanish want gold so they look for it but they will never find it. -
1534
French settle in the New World
The French decide they want to go to the New World. They would settle where New Orleans is and parts of the Appalachian Mountains. They would mainly trade for pelts with the natives at depots along rivers and main travelling paths. -
British settle in the New World
The British try to settle in the New World. The British didn't have a specific thing they wanted, but if it made money they would use it. Their first attempt was the colony of Roanoke, but that failed after all of the colonists mysteriously disappeared. The U.K. was also not allowed to cross over the Appalachians because of the French. -
Establishment of Jamestown
Jamestown was established as the first permanent colony for the British in North America. Jamestown would be located on the Chesapeake Bay. The first couple of years for Jamestown were rough because of the harsh winters. Jamestown will also become a major contributor to growing tobacco. -
The monarchy establishes the Headright System
The Headright System was developed as a way to get more people to settle in the new colonies. The people that were already in North America would gain 100 acres of land, but people paying to North America would gain 50 acres. They could also gain 50 more acres for each person they would bring along or sponsor. -
The Separatists land in North America
The Separatists would leave Britain to follow their religion their own way. While the settlers were on the Mayflower they would sign the Mayflower Compact which established the form of government the colony would have. They would have a hard time settling in North America because of the winter but the Native Americans would show them how to properly grow their crops. -
Puritans arrive in North America
A little bit after the Separatists left to go to the New World, the Puritans decided to leave as well. Puritans were a group of people that believed that the Church of England wasn't fully reformed so they left to practice their religion differently. John Winthrop would be their main leader and he wanted to make the New World a "City on the Hill". -
The Enlightenment Era begins
Many people started to think more scientifically instead of religiously. This era would be known as the enlightenment, because people would become more enlightened to the world around them. Many important figures in this event were Benjamin Franklin, John Locke, Montesquieu, Voltaire, and many others. -
The First Great Awakening begins
Many people began to get back into religion or were discovering it for the first time, so the First Great Awakening was created. The main ministers that led the event were George Whitefield and Johnathan Edwards. Whitefield preached about a joyful god, while Edwards preached about a spiteful god. A split would happen in the awakening and it would form groups known as Old Lights and New Lights. -
The Molasses Act
The British wanted to compete with the French West Indies when it came to molasses, sugar, and rum. So the British decided they would put a tax on all of those items that weren't sold by them. Colonists didn't like this tax because they had believed that the British shouldn't be able to take over that market all on their own. -
The French and Indian War begins
The British and French had been fighting over land in the Ohio River valley region. The French had claimed the region because they wanted to trade with the natives, but the British wanted it just to have more land. The natives mainly sided with the French because they had a more peaceful relationship, but the Iroquois nation sided with Britain. -
The Albany Congress
The Albany Congress was an event that was brought together by representatives all around the colonies, including Benjamin Franklin. This convention happened because the British wanted to ally with the Iroquois to fight against the French. The Iroquois would ally with the British and would help in the fight against the French. -
The Treaty of Paris
The British were able to defeat the French, which meant that the French would have to give something to the British. The Treaty of Paris would put an end to the war. The British would also receive all of the French territory east of the Mississippi, and all the French territory west of the Mississippi would be given to the Spanish. -
The Stamp Act
The British were in debt because of the French and Indian War, so they decided to tax the colonies. The Stamp Act was put into place to help make more money for Britain. The Stamp Act would place a tax on things such as newspapers, pamphlets, legal documents, and even playing cards. The colonists were upset with this tax because they believed that they at least deserved representation in Parliament if they were being taxed. -
The Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party
Britain decided that they should also place taxes on tea which allowed for the British East India Company to create a monopoly in the colonies. The colonists were already not a big fan of taxation, so they decided to do something extreme to get Britain's attention. The Boston Tea Party would be the result, an event that was put together by the Sons of Liberty. The Boston Tea Party would consist of throwing boxes of British tea into the sea, destroying millions of dollars of tea. -
The Intolerable Acts
The British were angry at the Boston Tea Party, so they set into motion the Intolerable Acts. The Intolerable Acts would close the ports of Boston, outlawed assemblies, and took control of the colonial governments. The Quartering Act would also be enforced way more. -
The First Continental Congress
The colonists were frustrated with the heavy enforcement from the British. This would cause delegates from each colony except Georgia would come together to figure out what they need to do. They decided that they needed to figure out the terms of a boycott so the British might be convinced to raise the constrictions of the taxes. -
The Second Continental Congress
The fighting between the British and the colonists continued to escalate. In response, many important leaders in the colonies decided to get together to decide what to do about the situation. They decided to create a continental army and would appoint generals. The main general appointed was George Washington. -
The Revolutionary War begins
The colonists decided to get ready for a possible revolution. The British hear that there is an uprising being planned in Concord, so they march there to seize the weapons. The British also marched on Lexington after hearing that John Hancock and Samuel Adams were there. This would lead to the shot heard around the world, an event in which either British or Colonist forces fired on each other first. This would be the start of the American Revolution. -
The Declaration of Independence
The colonies needed a document to show Britain that they were claiming independence. Thomas Jefferson and a few others were assigned to write a document known as the Declaration of Independence. This document will claim that the colonies should separate from Britain because they deserve the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine was an important author during the Revolution era. He would write the novel known as Common Sense, which would show reasons why the colonists should be free from the control of Britain. He would write this novel in the tongue of the common people so they could understand it better. -
The Articles of Confederation
The new nation needed a written form of government. John Dickinson would write the Articles of Confederation. This document would basically allow the colonies to wage war with Britain. It also wasn't able to allow the federal government to become to strong because people were scared the government would become like Britain's. -
The Treaty of Paris (1783)
The colonies would end up defeating the British. To officially end the war, the British and colonies signed the Treaty of Paris. The Treaty of Paris would recognize America as its own separate country and it would also grant America land west of the Appalachian mountains. -
Shays Rebellion
The Townshend Acts were created to help the American government gain money after the war. People were upset with this, so Daniel Shay led an uprising against the government. The army came to stop the uprising by firing warning shots. The rebellion would be stopped. -
The Northwest Ordinance
America had some new land to work with, so people would begin to settle in it and the government had to figure out what should happen there. The Northwest Ordinance would be created. It would charter a government for the new territories, it would provide a new way for new states to be added to the Union, and it would ban slavery in the new territories. -
The First President of the United States
The country needed a leader, so people started to look for one. Many thought that George Washington should be the president because of his work during the Revolutionary War. He would become president in 1789 and would have his Vice-President be John Adams. He would also appoint Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State), Henry Knox (Secretary of War), and Alexander Hamilton (Secretary of Treasury) to his presidential cabinet. -
Hamilton's Financial Plan
Alexander Hamilton decided that he needed to create a plan to help the United States with financial decisions. His plan consisted of having the government pay off federal and state debts. He would also have certain states help pay off other states debts. His plan would also create more tariffs to help revenue for the United States. -
Eli Whitney's invention of the Cotton Gin
Slavery was on the way out. It was getting increasingly harder for slaves to process cotton because it took a long time. Eli Whitney would create an invention known as a cotton gin, a contraption that would separate the seeds from the cotton. This invention would unintentionally bring back slavery because slaves could run the machine. -
The XYZ Affair
The Americans wanted to create a deal with France, but the French demanded a bribe to be able to talk to the American representatives. The French needed money because they were in the middle of a war. The Americans want war with France for this event, but Adams is able to avoid war by speaking with Napoleon. -
The Alien and Sedition Acts
Adams would create the Alien and Sedition Acts just in case a war with France would happen. The Alien part of the acts would allow Adams to deport any non-citizens of the United States. The Sedition Acts made it a crime to publish material that was negative towards the government and Adams administration. -
The Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson wanted to purchase New Orleans so he can have access to the ports at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Napoleon needed money for his war so he offered a large chunk of land including New Orleans. Jefferson thought about it for a while because he felt it might be unconstitutional for a president to make a decision like that. He would go ahead and buy the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon for 15 million dollars. -
The War of 1812
The British were seizing American ships and sailors and were forcing them to work. The Americans were angry that Britain was undermining their freedom, so they decided to go to war. The Americans were mainly fighting on the defensive. The British would invade D.C., but the Americans would end the war in a draw. The Treaty of Ghent was signed and it would end the war and not do much else. -
The Missouri Compromise
People began to fight over the issue of slavery once again. Missouri wanted to enter the Union as a slave state, but that would create imbalance between free and slave states. So Congress decided that Missouri could enter as a slave state but Maine would be admitted as a free state. The compromise would also create a line that would make southern states have slavery and northern states not have slavery. -
The Monroe Doctrine
When James Monroe was voted into the presidency, he would create something called the Monroe Doctrine. This document states that all European nations need to leave everything in the Western Hemisphere alone. This basically meant that America was in the big leagues now and that foreign countries shouldn't treat them as a lesser country. -
The "corrupt bargain" of 1824
During the election of 1824 it seemed obvious that Andrew Jackson would win the presidency. To many people's surprise, John Quincy Adams would win. Many thought he won due to a "corrupt bargain" between him and Henry Clay. Henry Clay would support Adams in the election and then Adams went to appoint Clay as his Secretary of State. -
The invention of the Reaper
It was getting hard for people to plow their fields out west where the ground was tough. Cyrus McCormick would invent the Reaper. The Reaper is a plow dragged by a horse that would help cut through the tough weeds and ground in the plains region. -
The Trail of Tears
As many people were settling in new territories, they had to deal with the Native American problem. Obviously the natives didn't want to leave their lands, but the white settlers wanted the land. The government decided that they would forcefully remove the natives from their lands and send them to an area known as Indian Territory or modern day Oklahoma. -
The Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a lot like the first, but some ideas were different. Many of the people would preach about free will instead of predestination and people would also try to have the church be a main force for societal change. Some important figures in the Second Great Awakening were Charles Finney, Lyman Beecher, and Joseph Smith. -
Texas claims its independence
Mexico had finally gained its independence from Spain and decided to give land to people in America if they traded their citizenship and became catholic. Texans would eventually become mad at the Mexican government for enforcing rules they didn't like, so they claimed to be an independent country. The United States would offer Texas help if they chose to become an American state. Texas would agree this. -
Transcendentalists and the Utopian movements
Many people sought to free themselves from the binds of society and act freely for themselves. This would start the transcendentalist era, an era in which people would create art and literature about the humans connection to each other and nature. The ideas of utopias also became big, which places such as Brook Farm and the Oneida community took to heart. Utopias would be all about living communally. -
The Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American war would begin after the Mexican forces under the leadership of General Santa Anna killed everyone that was held up inside the Alamo. The Unites States would send their armies down to Mexico and would defeat the Mexican armies. Some of the main generals on the American side were General Zachary Taylor and General Winfield Scott. -
The Seneca Falls Convention
Women's rights would start to become one of the main drives of social change in the early nineteenth century. The first main convention to talk about women's rights was the Seneca Falls Convention. The event was organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her husband Henry Stanton. -
The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo would be signed to end the Mexican-American war. Since Mexico lost they would have to give up some territory. They gave up pretty much all of the territory they had left in the upper part of North America. The treaty would also allow for Mexicans to gain federal citizenship in America. -
The Compromise of 1850
California was getting ready to become a state and the debate on if it was going to be a slave or free state started to begin. Henry Clay decided that he would create the Compromise of 1850 to answer this problem. The Compromise would allow for California to become a free state, the slave trade would end in D.C., new states that were being created would be put under Popular Sovereignty to figure out the slave problem, and the Fugitive Slave Act would be put into place. -
The Dred Scott Decision
A slave by the name of Dred Scott sued for freedom because he was being kept in a free state. The case would end in Dred Scott losing and going back into slavery. Unfortunately this case also led to the decision that would state that all African-Americans wouldn't be citizens anymore. -
The Civil War Begins
Abraham Lincoln would be elected in 1860 and become president in 1861. The southern states hated Lincoln and feared he would end slavery, so they seceded from the nation. Lincoln was upset that the south had seceded but he wouldn't fire any shots at them until they did. Confederate troops would fire at Union troops at Fort Sumter, so the Civil War would officially begin. -
The Transcontinental Railroad began construction
While people were settling west, it was getting hard to get in contact with them to send materials. In response the government decided to create the Transcontinental Railroad. This railroad would start Iowa and end in California. Many Chinese and Irish immigrants would work on this railroad. -
The Civil War ends
On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee would surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House. This would put an end to the Civil War and the South would have to rejoin the Union and slavery would be ended. Unfortunately, a couple weeks after the Civil War ended Lincoln would be assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. -
The Reconstruction Era
The Reconstruction Era would begin. The South would have to free their slaves as well as be put under strict watch to make sure they didn't start any other rebellions. Many things were put in place to help the newly freed black people, but the south would always try to undermine those laws and segregate black people. The Reconstruction was seen by many as a failure. -
Political Machine Bosses
As immigrants were flowing into the United States people saw the chance to take advantage of them. People called "machine bosses" would go up to immigrants and give them jobs and housing, but they would have to support them in things like elections. These bosses would also put their own people in power so they could control other parts of local governments. The most famous of these bosses would be William "Boss" Tweed. -
The Steel Revolution
As the steel demand grew in America, it became much more important to find efficient ways to create it. Andrew Carnegie would start his own steel business and it would be the most impactful steel company of the time. He would use a method of making steel that would be more efficient and use less materials. When he sold his company it would be worth $480 million, which would skyrocket Andrew Carnegie to become one of the richest men in the world. -
Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone
Alexander Graham Bell was an American inventor who created the telephone. The telephone he created as much different than the phones of today. His telephone included a stand that you would speak into and then a part on a wire that you speak into. -
Thomas Edison invents the lightbulb
Thomas Edison was an important inventor who mainly worked with electrical items. His most famous invention would be the first incandescent lightbulb. This lightbulb would be much more resistant than the ones that already existed. -
The Rise of Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller established Standard Oil which would cause him to become the richest man in the world. Many people criticized him for his business practices and how he treated his employees. He would work with railroad companies to try and eliminate the competition. -
Haymarket Strike
Many workers would begin to yearn for more labor rights. The bosses wouldn't give them more rights so the workers would strike. A major strike in Chicago would become known as the Haymarket Affair. This would be an event where workers and police would be violent with each other. -
Nikola Tesla invents the Tesla Coil
Nikola Tesla was a famous inventor who created many things we use today. His biggest invention was the Tesla Coil, a high-frequency transformer that could create high voltages but keep it at a low current. He would also invent things such as Accelerating Current and even the radio. -
Pullman Strike
More strikes would happen throughout the years. This specific strike would involve railroad workers. George M. Pullman would refuse to meet the worker's request for higher pay. The workers would walk off the job and the American Railway Union would help the workers. -
J.P. Morgan becomes the most important banker
J.P. Morgan joined a New York banking company in 1871. He would rise to the top and the company would take his name in 1895. His role in banking would cause the government to create the Federal Reserve System. -
Plessy v Ferguson
The Supreme Court case of Plessy v Ferguson would come about when Homer Plessy would be discriminated against because he was one-eighth black. He would take the judge of his case to the Supreme Court because the judge's ruling was unconstitutional. The 14th Amendment states that states couldn't discriminate based on race. Unfortunately, Plessy lost this case, and the Supreme Court stated that as long as each accommodation was of the same quality, it was fine to segregate people. -
The Spanish-American War
This war started when Cuba wanted to be free from Spanish reign. America had a good relationship with Cuba so they decided to help gain their independence. The U.S. would send battleships to protect Cuba and one of them unexpectedly blew up. This would cause America to go to war with Spain. America would win this war fairly easily and Cuba would gain their independence. -
The Creation of Tenement Housing
As the population rose in the big cities they required more housing. Buildings known as tenements would be built to help accommodate that. Tenements were cramped buildings that could barely handle the families that would be put in them. These buildings would also not be built very well and would become very dirty. -
Theodore Roosevelt as President
Theodore Roosevelt would be voted in 1901. He would become a major force of change during the Progressive Era. He would "trust bust" which helped break up the wealth of people like Rockefeller. He would also put the National Park System into place. He would also help create what would now be known as the Food and Drug Administration. -
Big Stick Dipolmacy
Theodore Roosevelt would have a very important foreign policy. He would start construction on the Panama Canal. He would also expand the Navy and Army. He created a saying that states, "Speak softly and carry a big stick". This means that deal with other countries with care but if they act with force then you can retaliate with greater force. -
Media about the terrible parts of society
Many journalists known as muckrakers would bring to light the issues that were happening in society. Jacob Riis would bring to light the awful conditions of tenements. Lewis Hine would write about the horrors of child labor. Upton Sinclair would write a book called The Jungle which explained the terrible conditions of the meat packing industry. -
Social Darwinism
Social Darwinism would become a major ideal in the U.S. Social Darwinism is the idea that certain people aren't fit enough to survive and that advanced people are the only people that deserve the right to live. People would use this ideal to justify that people of other ethnicities or races were worse than them because they didn't have the same technology or education as them. -
The Bull Moose Party
As Taft was running for reelection, Roosevelt would side with him. Unfortunately, Taft disagreed with some of Roosevelt's policies so Roosevelt created the Bull Moose Party so Taft would get fewer votes. The creation of this party would allow Woodrow Wilson to achieve victory in the election. -
Wilson's Presidency
Woodrow Wilson would be elected in 1912. During his presidency, he achieved great things such as the 19th Amendment. Unfortunately, many bad things would happen throughout his presidency. WW1 would be the biggest problem he had to face during his term. He claimed that he wouldn't get involved with the war but then he did when the Zimmerman telegram was found. He would also endorse the return of the KKK. -
World War 1
World War 1 would begin with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This would cause all of Europe to create alliances and fight against each other. America wouldn't join the war but it would help support the Allied nations. Eventually, Americans would join the war and the entrance of America would turn the tide. The Allied powers would win the war. -
The 19th Ammendment
As women's suffrage advanced further it became more and more clear that women would gain the right to vote. During Woodrow Wilson's presidency, the 19th Amendment would be passed. This would make it so that women would be allowed to vote in elections. This would be one of the biggest advancements in women's rights. -
Treaty of Versailles
When the war ended the Germans would have to comply with the Allied Nations desires. The Treaty of Versailles was a document that stated that Germany would have to pay a bunch of money for war reparations. They would also lose a tons of land and wouldn't be allowed to gather a military together. -
The Roaring 20's
As World War 1 ended America would be at an economic peak. People had lots of money and they would celebrate a lot. The flapper aesthetic became popular as women would wear less conservative clothing. Music and literature would also be influenced by this era. -
The Harlem Renaissance
As the Roaring 20s was in full swing the neighborhood in Harlem would experience an upswing in black artistic expression. People like Louis Armstrong would bring jazz to the forefront of the music scene. Writers like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston would become big in this time. -
Advancements of the 1920's
New inventions and advancements would happen during this era. The literary movement of Modernism was going on where people wrote about the reality of the world. Cars would also be invented by Henry Ford and would revolutionize the transport game. Radios would also become more important in relaying information to people. -
Immigrant Act of 1924
As the amount of immigrants going into America increased it seemed that there needed to be some checks put in place to limit the amount of people coming in. The Immigrant Act of 1924 would be passed to limit the amount of immigrants based on where they came from. This act would make it so immigrants from Asia couldn't come to America. -
The Scopes Monkey trial
John Thomas Scopes would teach about how humans came from evolution. This angered residents of this area as they did not believe that humans would evolve from monkeys. This was taken to court and Scopes would lose the trial. -
The Great Depression
As credit would become used more often it would inflate the stock market. This would cause it to crash. Banks would run out of people's money and people would be out of jobs. This would cause one of the biggest unemployment rates in American history. -
The New Deal
As the Great Depression kept going the president needed to figure out what to do. Franklin D. Roosevelt created the New Deal which would help create jobs and give money to people. Everyone loved FDR because he seemed to be working tirelessly to help the American people. This would temporarily bring America out of the rut it was in. -
World War 2
A man known as Adolf Hitler would come to power in Germany and take over as the Chancellor. He was the head of the Nazi party which would be an extremist group of German nationalists. Hitler would take over many countries in Europe and would cause France to surrender. He would also create a peace agreement with Stalin. -
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
On December 7th, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan. Many people would die that day and warships would be destroyed. The U.S. and Britain would declare war on Japan. This would be the entry of America into WW2. -
Americans treatment of the Japanese
After Pearl Harbor was bombed, Americans gained an irrational fear of Japanese people. They believed they were still loyal to Japan even if they were born in America. They would be taken to internment camps and would have to live there till the war ended. Many Japanese people would join the U.S. military to show that they were still loyal to America. -
American Industry in WW2
As America would join the war they needed to prepare more military equipment and vehicles. Since the men were off fighting the war women would take the spots in the factories. Americans would also ration food so they could help support the soldiers out on the field. -
D-Day
There was a major fear that the Nazis would be able to cross over from France to Britain. To counteract this plan the Americans and British would create a plan that would try to gain back France. This attack would be known as D-day. American and British soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy and eventually won the battle. -
The G.I. Bill of Rights
The G.I Bill of Rights was created as a way to reward those who fought in WW2. This bill would allow those who fought in the war to get into college much easier than before. It would also give those people jobs and help with housing. -
Hitler loses the war
As the war kept going Hitler would make many mistakes that would cost him the war. His biggest mistake was attacking Russia while they had a peace agreement. As it got more obvious that he would lose he would kill himself. That would and the war in Europe. -
The atomic bomb gets dropped
During the war, America would be working on the Manhattan Project. This project would bring together some of the greatest minds in science, mainly J. Robert Oppenheimer, to create a nuclear bomb. As the war ended in Europe the war was still going on with Japan. To stop the war in the Pacific America would drop the nuclear bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This would cause Japan to surrender which effectively ended WW2. -
The Baby Boom
As soldiers would return from the war they would be able to link up with their wives or former lovers. This would lead to an insane amount of babies being born. This would lead to much more schools being built. It would also lead to hospitals being expanded and improved. -
The Berlin Airlift
The Soviets would take over parts of Germany and mad sure to try and gain control of Berlin. They would gain control of Berlin but told Americans that if any of their soldiers touched the land then they would start fighting. Americans would come to help the people of Berlin by airdropping supplies and food that they would need. This operation would be successful as no one was fired on. -
Suburban Life
As people would become more comfortable financially they would be able to afford houses. The suburbs were created as a way to make easy housing and allow for more people to get houses. Television would be created and it would depict families that lived "suburban" lifestyles. Women would also take a bit of a step back compared to during the 40s and would begin to work in the home as mothers more than working in factories. -
The Korean War
North and South Korea would begin fighting over whether the whole country would be communist or capitalist. With help from China, the North Korean government would overpower South Korea. America would jump into the war to help try and keep Korea from falling into communist rule. America and South Korea would technically lose but North and South Korea would officially separate. -
Conformity vs. Non-Conformity
People in the older generation would begin to see conformity as an important part of life and that no one should deviate from the mold. Teenagers in the 50s would hate this and begin to rebel against their parents. They would begin to listen to Rock and Roll which their parents hated. The Beat Movement would also become big through their ideals of anti-materialism. -
The Space Race
Technology would become better and better over the years. The Russians would be able to send a rocket up into space successfully. This would cause America to follow and send their own rockets to space. Russia would be the first country to get people into space. America would be the first country to get people on the moon, effectively winning the race in the minds of the people. -
The murder of Emmett Till
One day in Mississippi a young Black American by the name of Emmett Till was lynched and killed by a mob of racist white folk. His death would spark outrage in the black community. This would be a major point in the civil rights movement as people should not be killed just for the color of their skin. -
The Vietnam War
The rise of communism in Vietnam began to scare America. In response, America would help the capitalist South Vietnam in defeating the communist North Vietnam. This war was very unpopular with people in America because it was the first war depicted on television and people were sick of war. America and South Vietnam would eventually lose to North Vietnam. -
The Eisenhower Interstate Highway Act
As cars would become more vital in everyday life the roads needed to be improved. This act would make sure that better highways and interstates were built so that people could make it to places better. This act would also improve the drivability of roads within the cities. -
Presidential Debate of 1960
As the election was drawing near they presidential debate would be held. This would be the first debate on television. Nixon was thought to be the clear winner but after the debate, Kennedy gained way more supporters. This is because Kennedy looked more healthy and used the medium of television to his advantage. -
Cold War and MAD
When WW2 ended America and Russia went back to being on unfriendly terms. The rise of communism would make Americans fear the idea that capitalism would fall. As tensions rose people started to believe in the idea of mutually assured destruction. This idea was that if one country tried to destroy the other then all the countries would be destroyed. -
The Civil Rights Movement
More and more people during the 50s and 60s would fight for civil rights in the South. Events like sit-ins and the Freedom Rides would become instrumental in changing the laws in the South. Important people like Rose Parks, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. would be influential figures throughout this movement. The Civil Rights Act was signed in 1964. -
The Watergate Scandal
in 1972 people were found breaking into the Watergate building. It was found out that members of Nixon's board broke in to try and find anything that would make his political opponents look bad. Nixon was not entirely involved with this situation but when he found out he would lie to the public to try and save his presidency. He would eventually be set to be impeached but Nixon would resign before that would officially happen. -
The end of the Cold War
During Ronald Reagan's presidency, he would try to gain good relations with Russia. He was able to become friendly with Mikhail Gorbachev and this would cause Regan to be able to convince him to tear down the wall dividing Germany. This would help in ending tensions but it wouldn't officially end the war. George H.W. Bush would be president when the war was officially ended.