Overview
This lecture gives a fast-paced overview of major events, themes, and figures in U.S. history, from pre-Columbian America through the early 21st century.
Pre-Columbian and Colonial America
- Native Americans lived in diverse tribes and adapted to their environments.
- The Columbian Exchange transferred crops, animals, and diseases between Europe and the Americas.
- Spanish encomienda system forced Native American labor and spread Christianity.
- Jamestown was settled by English indentured servants, not initially by slaves.
- African slaves arrived via the Middle Passage; faced harsh conditions and rebellion (Stono Rebellion).
- Bacon's Rebellion highlighted class struggles among colonists.
Colonial Society and Early Democracy
- Puritans in New England sought to purify the Church; Anne Hutchinson challenged church authority.
- Religious toleration emerged in colonies like Pennsylvania (Quakers), Maryland, and Rhode Island.
- The Great Awakening revived religious emotion and diversity.
- Early democratic institutions included the Mayflower Compact and House of Burgesses.
- British mercantilism led to colonies’ economic exploitation under salutary neglect.
Road to Revolution and Independence
- The French and Indian War ended salutary neglect and led to British taxes: Sugar, Stamp, Townshend Acts.
- Events like the Boston Massacre and Tea Party escalated tensions.
- The Revolutionary War began after Lexington and Concord; won with French help after Saratoga.
- The Articles of Confederation created a weak government; Shay's Rebellion showed the need for a stronger system.
Creation of the Constitution
- The Great Compromise and Three-Fifths Compromise addressed representation and slavery.
- The Constitution established checks and balances and was ratified with the Bill of Rights.
Early Republic and Expansion
- Washington advocated neutrality; Hamilton's financial plan included a National Bank.
- The Whiskey Rebellion was crushed by the new government.
- Key issues: Alien and Sedition Acts, Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, Marbury v. Madison (judicial review).
- The Louisiana Purchase and the War of 1812 expanded territory and established the U.S. on the world stage.
Antebellum Period and Sectionalism
- Market Revolution included factories, railroads, and inventions like interchangeable parts.
- Reform movements: Second Great Awakening, abolition, temperance, women’s rights (Seneca Falls).
- Slavery issues prompted the Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and Kansas-Nebraska Act.
- Tensions rose with Dred Scott decision, Lincoln-Douglas debates, and secession after Lincoln's election.
Civil War and Reconstruction
- Emancipation Proclamation changed Civil War aims; Union won at Gettysburg.
- Reconstruction passed the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments but ended with Southern "home rule" and Jim Crow laws.
Gilded Age and Progressive Era
- Rise of monopolies (robber barons), labor unions, and strikes.
- Progressive reforms: breaking trusts, direct primaries, prohibition, 19th Amendment (women's suffrage).
- Investigative journalists ("muckrakers") exposed corruption and unsafe conditions.
Imperialism and World Wars
- U.S. expanded overseas after the Spanish-American War and built the Panama Canal.
- World War I entry due to unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmerman Telegram.
- Treaty of Versailles not ratified; isolationism followed.
The Roaring Twenties and Great Depression
- Cultural changes: flappers, Harlem Renaissance, consumerism.
- Stock market crash led to the Great Depression; FDR's New Deal created Social Security, FDIC, and job programs.
World War II and the Cold War
- Pearl Harbor led to U.S. entry; victory in Europe and the Pacific (atomic bombs).
- Japanese Americans interned (Korematsu v. U.S.).
- Cold War: containment policy, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Berlin Airlift, and space race.
Civil Rights and Postwar America
- Brown v. Board ended school segregation; civil rights leaders included MLK Jr. and Malcolm X.
- Warren Court expanded rights for the accused.
- Stonewall riots ignited LGBT rights movement.
Modern America (1960s–2000s)
- Environmentalism began with Rachel Carson.
- Great Society programs helped the poor; Vietnam War caused protests.
- Nixon resigned after Watergate; energy crisis under Carter.
- Reaganomics and the end of the Cold War.
- NAFTA and economic growth with Clinton; Bush faced 9/11 and invaded Afghanistan/Iraq.
- Obama elected as first African-American president; passed healthcare reform.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Encomienda — Spanish system of forced Native American labor.
- Mercantilism — Economic policy where colonies provide raw materials for their mother country.
- Salutary Neglect — British policy of lax enforcement of colonial laws before the French and Indian War.
- Judicial Review — Supreme Court power to declare laws unconstitutional (Marbury v. Madison).
- Manifest Destiny — Belief in U.S. expansion across the continent.
- Jim Crow Laws — State laws enforcing racial segregation in the South.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the timeline of key events and amendments for each era.
- Study the definitions of critical terms and landmark Supreme Court cases mentioned.
- Prepare for questions about changes in civil rights, economic policy, and U.S. foreign relations.