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The Gilded Age and Industrialization (1877-1900)
Key Person: Andrew Carnegie
Key Place: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Key Event: The rise of steel production and monopolies
Quote: "He who dies rich, dies disgraced."-Andrew Carnegie
Significance: This era experienced rapid industrial growth, urbanization, and the rise of large business, which converted the U.S. into an economic powerhouse as well as forming huge income inequality. -
Progressive Era (1890s-1920s)
Key Person: Theodore Roosevelt
Key Place: Washington D.C.
Key Event: Passing the Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)
Quote: "The government is us; we are the government, you and I."-Theodore Roosevelt
Significance: Reform movements focused on addressing problems caused by industrialization, corruption, and urbanization, resulting in greater government regulation and social activism. -
World War I (1914-1918)
Key Person: Woodrow Wilson
Key Place: Western Front (France)
Key Event: U.S. entry into the war in 1917
Quote: "The world must be made safe for democracy."-Woodrow Wilson
Significance: Signified America's upcoming as a global power and organized for future foreign policy debates dealing with isolationism vs. interventionism. -
The Great Depression (1929-1939)
Key Person: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Key Place: Wall Street, New York City
Key Event: The Stock Market Crash of 1929
Quote: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."-Franklin D. Roosevelt
Significance: Economic collapse resulted in widespread unemployment and poverty, encouraging major government reforms through the New Deal. -
World War II (1939-1945)
Key Person: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Key Place: Normandy, France
Key Event: D-Day (June 6, 1944)
Quote: "We have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat."-Winston Churchill
Significance: The U.S. had a vital role in winning against fascism and came out as one of two global superpowers, assisting in the Cold War. -
The Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968)
Key Person: Martin Luther King Jr.
Key Place: Selma, Alabama
Key Event: March on Washington (1963)
Quote: "I have a dream..."-Martin Luther King Jr.
Significance: Reached landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965), converting American society by testing institutional racism. -
Vietnam War Era (1955-1975)
Key Person: Lyndon B. Johnson
Key Place: Saigon, Vietnam
Key Event: Tet Offensive (1968)
Quote: "Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?"-Protest chant
Significance: Intensified political and generational separation, started a dominant antiwar movement, and resulted in widespread government distrust. -
Reagan Era and the End of the Cold War (1981-1989)
Key Person: Ronald Reagan
Key Place: Berlin, Germany
Key Event: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" speech (1987)
Quote: "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."-Ronald Reagan
Significance: Signified a conservative political shift, economic deregulation, and a renewed military standing that many recognize with accelerating the collapse of the Soviet Union. -
September 11 and the War on Terror (2001-present)
Key Person: George W. Bush
Key Place: New York City
Key Event: Terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001
Quote: "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."-George W. Bush
Significance: Converted U.S. foreign and domestic policy, resulting in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and reforming national security and debates on civil liberties. -
COVID-19 Pandemic and 2020 Movements
Key Person: Dr. Anthony Fauci
Key Place: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Key Event: George Floyd's death and the global protests
Quote: "I can't breathe."-George Floyd
Significance: A global health crisis crossed with renewed civil rights activism, showcasing systematic inequality and converting political discourse and policy of public health.