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Timeline Part II

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|Major Event/Epoch in American History |Time Period/Date(s) |Description and Significance of the |

| | |People/Event(s) to American History |

|1) The evolution of the institution of slavery from |1492 - 1763 |Important historical political individuals |

|the Colonial Period to the 1860s. | |including George Washington owned slaves. |

| | |Theologian Jonathan Edwards was also a slave |

| | |owner. Slavery was so common that it was included|

| | |as a normal state of civilization in popular |

| | |fiction of the time such as “Robinson Crusoe”. |

| | |Slavery was not, as many believe, confined to the|

| | |Southern states of the United States. Prior |

| | |European history going back as far as 1502 |

| | |included slavery of many races from many |

| | |countries. |

| | | |

| | |However the most historically notorious and |

| | |significant slavery occurred in the agricultural |

| | |areas of the United States prior to 1860. Massive|

| | |numbers of people, called slaves, were needed to |

| | |support the cotton industry for world-wide |

| | |consumption. |

| | | |

| | |Most slaves started as prisoners captured in |

| | |African wars or raids and were sold to white |

| | |traders to be shipped to the Americas. (Slavery |

| | |in the Colonies, para. 4) |

| | | |

| | |Although the slaves endured harsh conditions |

| | |which essentially broke down all forms of |

| | |societal identity a new important “autonomous |

| | |culture and community” (Overview of Slavery, |

| | |para. 4) came from the years. |

| | | |

| | |Slavery was an economic resource and treated as |

| | |such. During good times, the “resource” was |

| | |protected and treated well, during bad times the |

| | |“resource” was not seen as valuable. While some |

| | |owners freed their slaves long before the |

| | |Emancipation Proclamation, others continued to |

| | |try to regain their financial status with poor |

| | |treatment and less than desirable living |

| | |conditions for the slaves. |

|2) The socio-cultural impact of the abolitionist |Uncle Tom’s Cabin – 1852 – author |Opposition to slavery and the abolitionist |

|movement including: |Harriet Beecher Stowe |movement began in the Middle Colonies. Quakers |

|a) The effect of Uncle Tom’s Cabin | |morally opposed slavery, and the |

|b) The Kansas-Nebraska Act |The Kansas Nebraska Act – 1854 |pre-industrialized North didn’t need it. |

|c) The Compromise of 1850 | |Abolition began as a small movement but became a |

|d) The Underground Railroad |The Compromise of 1850 – 1850 |contentious topic between the two types of |

| | |governments in the North and South. |

| |The Underground Railroad – 1817 – | |

| |1865 |The impact of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852 was to |

| | |initiate a debate for change centered on the |

| | |abolitionist movement. Sociologically, it raised |

| | |awareness for those who had not interacted with |

| | |slaves or seen slavery. Although the defender’s |

| | |of slavery challenged the authenticity of the |

| | |book, it served the purpose of stirring debate |

| | |and bringing the issue to the forefront of |

| | |popular society. It helped to move society from |

| | |simply disliking the idea of slavery to actively |

| | |seeking to end it. |

| | | |

| | |Political clashes continued through the 1800’s |

| | |and feelings ran from ignoring slavery to trying |

| | |to peacefully compromise the issue. |

| | | |

| | |The Kansas-Nebraska Act brought in the idea that |

| | |the people could decide whether to be a slave |

| | |state or not. This did not meet with total |

| | |approval, especially from the Southern states who|

| | |said that the new westerns states did not need |

| | |slavery. |

| | | |

| | |The Compromise of 1850 was put in place to try to|

| | |“even” out the number of slave and non-slave |

| | |states. Although this seemed to be a fair |

| | |compromise, the North gained the most and the |

| | |Senate now had more members from non |

| | |-slave states (The Compromise of 1850, n.d.). The|

| | |compromise was credited with delaying the Civil |

| | |war by 4 years. |

| | | |

| | |The underground railroad was a series of safe |

| | |houses for slaves being moved from their slave |

| | |conditions in the South to the North. Along the |

| | |way, this secret connection involved many |

| | |abolitionists in breaking the law. The response |

| | |to this were strengthened the laws concerning |

| | |fugitive slaves. The days of compromise were |

| | |ending and violence was a foreshadow of the |

| | |upcoming war. |

| | | |

| | | |

|3) The evolution of Sectionalism, including the |1800-1850 |Placing the needs of just one section over the |

|cultural divide that developed between the North and | |needs of the whole nation was known as |

|the South; Southern Secession and its connection to | |sectionalism. In the 1800’s the sections were the|

|the theme of “individualism.” | |North and the South who were fighting to “control|

| | |the destiny” (How was America divided in the mid |

| | |1800’s? para. 3) of another section, the west. |

| | |These two sections could not have been more |

| | |different and each wanted to be the dominant |

| | |culture and economic and political leader of the |

| | |United States. |

| | | |

| | |The cultural divide was based on the economic |

| | |basis of each … the North was industrial and the |

| | |South agricultural. The way of life was also an |

| | |element of dissention with the South existing on |

| | |plantations with large families to work the land.|

| | |Life went at a more leisurely pace. |

| | | |

| | |States rights, especially the right to secede, |

| | |was of great concern to the South. They believed |

| | |that the states were individuals which should |

| | |make their own decisions whether they be economic|

| | |or political. |

| | | |

|4) The causes and consequences of the Civil War. |1861-1865 |While many consider the idealism of freedom for |

| | |all men to be the main cause of the war between |

| | |the states, overall, the war was fought over |

| | |states rights. The issue of slavery was only one |

| | |of several major areas of discord between the |

| | |industrial North and the agricultural South. This|

| | |was a second, cause, discrepancy in economic |

| | |needs. |

| | | |

| | |A third area of disagreement was the nature of |

| | |the creation of the Federal Union with the South |

| | |claiming that states created the union |

| | |(piecewise), and the North claiming that the |

| | |people created the union as a whole. Lincoln |

| | |always stated that the war was about preserving |

| | |the union. Control of the central government was |

| | |a sub issue. Socially, disagreements clashed due |

| | |to the genteel South versus the rough and tumble |

| | |Northern societies. |

| | | |

| | |The consequences of the war were socially, |

| | |economically and politically. |

| | | |

| | |Socially, 4 million “enslaved African Americans” |

| | |(Overview of the Civil War, para. 1) were |

| | |emancipated. Settlers were given land grants in |

| | |the mid west, thus changing the demographics of |

| | |the U.S. and financing the transcontinental |

| | |railroad connecting east and west. |

| | | |

| | |Economically, the nation’s financial system was |

| | |altered with the creation of federally chartered |

| | |banks. |

| | | |

| | |Politically, the battle between the federal |

| | |government and the states (an area of contention |

| | |since the signing of the Constitution) finally |

| | |declared the federal government to be the winner |

| | |and most powerful. |

|5) The phases of the Reconstruction Era and its legacy|1865-1877 |The Johnson administration tried to bring the |

|to U.S. history. | |nation back together as well as deal with the |

| | |destruction brought by the war. First, states |

| | |needed to re-enter the Union. This was a bitter |

| | |process and resulted in the impeachment of |

| | |President Johnson because certain party members |

| | |felt that he was being too soft on the South. |

| | | |

| | |In 1970, the “15th Amendment gave voting rights |

| | |to black men” (Overview of Reconstruction, para. |

| | |3). These were not good times in the South as |

| | |individuals who learned to exploit the confusion |

| | |took gained power in the governments of most |

| | |Southern states. |

| | |Economically, the nation was inundated with |

| | |massive numbers of freed black men looking for |

| | |employment. The federal government had to |

| | |re-enter the South in order to force humane |

| | |treatment of blacks. This was not met with |

| | |cooperation and reconstruction ended with the |

| | |election of Rutherford Hayes to the Presidency |

| | |with his promise to end reconstruction. |

| | |Many left for the west resulting in the settling |

| | |of the West, a reformed nation, but with some |

| | |continuing (to this day as well) bitterness and |

| | |ill will between the South and the North. |

|6) The post-Civil War conquest of the West, including |1865-1895 |Not only did disgruntled, unemployed homeless |

|the “displacement” of the Native American tribes. | |Southerners move West, but many slaves looking |

| | |for a new beginning also headed west. This |

| | |immigration continued the disgraceful |

| | |displacement of Native Americans into |

| | |reservations on increasingly poor, unproductive |

| | |lands. The conquest of the West resulted in the |

| | |decimation of the bison by thrill seeking |

| | |tourists and the destruction of the Native |

| | |American culture by people who thought that the |

| | |West was open for anyone who wanted to move |

| | |there. |

|7) The socio-economic impact of the rise of industry |1865 and continuing to today. |As the nation became more industrialized, |

|in the U.S. during the post-Civil War years, including| |populations shifted to be near the cities and the|

|the rise of labor unions. | |factories where they would work. Working |

| | |conditions were not good and as a result, labor |

| | |unions were created. A type of equality between |

| | |the bosses and the workers resulted. |

| | | |

| | |Based in socialism, unions were not well received|

| | |since they tended to make situations into |

| | |volatile “Us versus Them”. Unions were open for |

| | |corruption as immigrants were influenced by |

| | |offers of assistance. |

|8) The socio-cultural and economic impact of the mass |1800-1900 |Immigrants came to the U.S. following the Civil |

|immigration to the U.S. in the late 1800s and early | |War from countries where they were persecuted or |

|1900s. | |where they could not earn a living such as |

| | |Ireland where a potato famine prevented families |

| | |from feeding themselves. Immigrants were not met |

| | |with open arms by U.S. residents. There was bias |

| | |against certain ethnicities as the U.S. was in |

| | |the throes of extreme nationalism. Immigrants |

| | |worked the most dangerous and least paying jobs, |

| | |but in such roles, boosted the industrial |

| | |economic growth of the nation. |

| | | |

| | |Bigotry was rampant and continues to present day.|

| | |Their influx, however, has enriched our culture |

| | |with ethnic foods and fascinating ancestries. |

|9) The socio-cultural impact of the Progressive |1900-1918 |The most well known results of the Progressive |

|Movement and its legacy to American history. | |Movement were the 18th and 19th Amendments to the|

| | |Constitution of the United States (prohibition |

| | |and women’s suffrage). However, more importantly,|

| | |the Progressive Movement was the change of the |

| | |“relationship between a democratic government and|

| | |its people” (The Progressive Movement, para. 1). |

| | |The problems associated with both political |

| | |corruption and industrialism were brought to |

| | |light by authors known as ‘muckrakers”. The |

| | |middle class demanded change. Results of the |

| | |movement was granting workers rights and |

| | |dissolving trusts and monopolies. |

|10) Imperialism and America’s rise to power, including|1890-1920 |The Spanish American War began as a result of |

|the causes and consequences of the Spanish-American | |American support of the people’s revolt in Cuba. |

|War of 1898. | |Cubans were seeking their independence from |

| | |Spain. The U.S. believed that not only would they|

| | |would annex Cuba, they would stop other powers |

| | |from invading the western hemisphere. The U.S. |

| | |did not annex Cuba. |

| | | |

| | |As the U.S. grew in world power, it also grew in |

| | |its belief in imperialism. The basis was |

| | |benevolence for the poorer people of the world. |

| | |Richer countries should care for the poorer ones.|

| | |The U.S. gained a great deal of territory during |

| | |this time, including Hawaii, Panama and the |

| | |Philippines. |

| | | |

| | |The U.S. grew as a world power as a result of the|

| | |Spanish American War allow it to exert its belief|

| | |in imperialism. |

|11) The Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. |1901-1909 |The 20th president of the United States was war |

| | |hero Theodore Roosevelt. He succeeded William |

| | |McKinley in 1900. One of his major |

| | |accomplishments was getting the Panama Canal |

| | |built. He was very interested in wilderness land |

| | |and created the first National Parks. He was a |

| | |very popular president. He believed in helping |

| | |the people through the power of the presidency. |

| | |He led the fight against big trusts. He “forced |

| | |coal operators to recognize the United Mine |

| | |Workers” (Theodore Roosevelt, para. 6). I also |

| | |improved America’s navy by building the U.S. |

| | |battle fleet (the Great White Fleet). He was also|

| | |the first American awarded the Nobel Peace Prize |

| | |(Theodore Roosevelt, para. 5). |

Resources

How was America divided in the mid 1800’s? (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013 from

Overview of Slavery, Digital History (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013 from

Overview of the Civil War, Digital History (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013 from

Overview of Reconstruction, Digital History (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013 from

Slavery in the Colonies, (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013 from

The Compromise of 1850, (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013 from

Theodore Roosevelt, Digital History, (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013 from

The Progressive Movement (1900-1918), (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2013 from

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