Presentation Transcript

1. Critical Events in American History

2. 1763 – Treaty of Paris End of the French and Indian War Gave the British control of all land east of the Mississippi River King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763, which forbade settlers from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains This British, who needed money to pay for the war, imposed new taxes on the colonies, who refused to pay for protections they felt were not needed Led to the American Revolution
3. 1776 – Declaration of Independence Marked the first time in history that a colony boldly asserted & justified its independence from a mother country It asserted that “all men are created equal” & that King George III & Parliament had violated the colonists’ natural rights
4. 1789 – Ratification of the U.S. Constitution Gave the U.S. a “more perfect union” than had been possible under the Articles of Confederation Included principles of federalism, separation of powers, representation, & flexibility, which created a firm foundation for the growth & development of the U.S.
5. 1800 – Revolution of 1800 Democratic-Republicans won the presidency & control of Congress and instituted a peaceful change of power from the business-orientated Federalists to the agrarian-dominated Democratic-Republicans
6. 1803 – Louisiana Purchase Gave U.S. control of the Mississippi River & doubled the size of our country Suggested that the country would eventually spread from sea to sea Required Jefferson, who previously opposed the use of the elastic clause, to move toward a loose interpretation of the Constitution (Strict Constructionalism v. Loose Constructionalism)
7. 1803 – Marbury v. Madison Reinforced the precedent of judicial review on a national level Strengthened the principle of separation of powers by raising the judicial branch to an equal level with the executive & legislative branches
8. 1814 – Treaty of Ghent Did not represent a victory for the U.S. but did have important consequences for the future Ended the War of 1812 Resulted in an increase in nationalism, encouraged westward expansion, encouraged the development of American manufacturing, resulted in the disappearance of the Federalist Party, & strengthened the isolation that kept the country out of major foreign wars for a century
9. 1848 – The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Ended the Mexican War Gave the U.S. control of Mexican Cession lands Revived the slavery issue Created lasting resentment among Latin American countries toward a more powerful United States
10. 1861 – Civil War Ended any chance for a peaceful settlement of the slavery issue Divided the Union Threatened to destroy the credibility of the government under the Constitution
11. 1865 – End of the Civil War & Death of Lincoln Lincoln had promised a lenient peace when the war ended, but the Radical Republicans knew that the return of the Southern states to the Union would threaten their control of Congress They hoped to secure their own programs & African American political support before agreeing to readmit the Southern states Led to increasing tensions between the North & South during Reconstruction
12. 1877 – Compromise of 1877 Rutherford B. Hayes was the victor in the disputed election of 1876 & agreed to withdraw the last remaining Union troops from the former Confederacy, officially ending Reconstruction & leaving newly enfranchised former slaves at the mercy of vengeful Southerners
13. 1914 – Outbreak of WWI Brought an end to almost a century of peace in Europe Steps toward Progressive reform in the U.S. came to a halt as President Woodrow Wilson focused on foreign affairs, how to best influence the course of war, & eventual peace
14. 1919 – Treaty of Versailles Officially ended WWI Included plans for a League of Nations, which proved to be the point that prevented the Senate from ratifying the treaty U.S. never joined the League, which reduced its potential impact & influence U.S. returned to relative isolationism
15. 1929 – Stock Market Crash Ended a long period of American business prosperity Resulted in the worst depression in American History Americans didn’t approve of Hoover’s Rugged Individualism, & instead elected Roosevelt in 1932 Roosevelt’s New Deal introduced a welfare state resulting in the government taking increasing responsibility for the interests of the less fortunate groups in the U.S.
16. 1941 – Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor Brought the U.S. into WWII Increase American nationalism Led to distrust of Japanese Americans & their placement in internment camps
17. 1945 – End of WWII Ushered in the atomic age Creation of the United Nations Led to the start of the Cold War Beginning of the end of colonialism
18. 1954 – Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court overturned “separate but equal” decision in Plessy v. Ferguson Began to change how Americans treated African Americans Led to the start of the Civil Rights Movement
19. 1960 – Sit-ins in Greensboro, NC Marked the beginning of activism by the youth in the Civil Rights Movement in protest against segregation and discrimination SNCC Nonviolent resistance
20. 1964 – Civil Rights Act Outlawed segregation in public places Banned discrimination based on race, sex, & religion in hiring (EEOC) Did not address the need for Voting Rights
21. 1968 – Assassination of MLK Brought the Civil Rights Movement to an end
22. 1973 – Paris Peace Treaty Marked the end of the Vietnam War Forced Americans to realize they were not invincible & could not solve all the problems of the world Congress passed the War Powers Act to limit presidential military operations & try to avoid being drawn into another undeclared war War resumed between the Vietnamese, with the fall of Saigon in 1975
23. 1989 – Fall of the Berlin Wall Signaled the impending collapse of communism & the former Soviet Union Led to the fall of Eastern European economies Began a new era in U.S. diplomatic relations
24. 1993 – Signing of NAFTA Created a free trade zone covering all of North America Supported by key industry & manufacturers who were looking for new markets and cheap labor Agreement was condemned by most workers & labor unions because of the potential loss of jobs for American workers