AMERICAN HISTORY TIMELINE

This is an overview of U.S. history in chronological order. Each box has a date range, a picture,
and a brief explanation of the event.

The Revolutionary War (1776-1783)

This was when the 13 British colonies in North America fought to become their own
independent nation, mainly because they felt they were being taxed and treated unfairly.

Trail of Tears (1838-1839)

This is one of many examples of the U.S. Government’s mistreatment of American Indians. In
this case, tribes were forcibly removed from their lands so that U.S. settlers could farm the
fertile area for themselves. Others include broken treaties, unfair laws, and disrespectful
display of Native culture (i.e. the NFL team “Redskins”, which was recently renamed after
years of fighting for it).
 Mexican American War (1846-1848)

Several events (culminating in the disputed border of Texas) led to the U.S. declaring war on
Mexico. The U.S. won the war and was able to buy new territories from Mexico, ones they
had wanted all along. This includes areas that are now California, Arizona, Utah, and more.

Civil War (1861-1865)

This was a war fought between the Northern and Southern states of the U.S., mainly over the
issue of slavery. After the North won the war, slavery was offiically banned in the entire U.S.,
and African Americans were given increased rights with the passing of the 13th and 14th
Amendments.

World War I (1914-1918)

The U.S. had a policy of isolation and were strongly opposed to entering the war. That
changed when a ship with U.S. citizens on board was sunk by a German U-boat, and a
telegram from Germany to Mexico was intercepted. After the war, the U.S. became a lot more
involved in the global community and increased its global power and influence.
 The Great Depression (1929-1939)

This was an economic breakdown in the U.S. due to many events (i.e. stock market crash and
drought). President Franklin Roosevelt was president for most of this era, and he enacted the
“New Deal” which was a set of laws aimed at helping Americans through the hard times.

World War II (1939-1945)

The U.S. entered the war when conflict with Japanese expansion escalated in the surprise
attack on Pearl Harbor. Once again, entering such a large scale global conflict put the U.S. in
a position of great influence, and solidified it as a major global superpower.

The Cold War (1947-1991)

Russia also came out of World War II with a lot of power and desire to expand. This created a
“race” against the U.S. to build the strongest weapons, explore space, and prevent the spread
of one another’s influence and ideas. The Cold War sparked war between the U.S. and
Russia indirectly in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and created a complicated network of
treaties and deals with dozens of other countries that still impact our lives today.
 Civil Rights Movements (1954-Ongoing)

Typically this refers to the movements led by leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and that
sought for fair treatment of blacks in the U.S. It is also used to refer to movements going on
today for minorities seeking similar rights (i.e. women, LGBTQ, etc).

9/11 Terrorist Attacks (2001)

These were planned attacks on the U.S. by the terrorist group Al-Qaeda. Hijacked planes flew
into both Twin Towers in NYC, the Pentagon, and one (intended for the White House) crashed
into the countryside of Pennsylvania, as passengers fought for control of the plane. Through
the tragic events we were able to witness extreme examples of altruism and patriotism.