The GIANT United States History Review Packet

The Colonies

The first English colony in the Americas was Jamestown, established in what would become the colony of Virginia. Virginia developed a tradition of representative overnment. Colonist voted to elect leaders who would pass laws for the colony. This law making body was known as the Ho!se o" #!r esses. The Plymouth Colony was created by Pil rims. The Pilgrims were religious separatist seeking a new place where they could practice their religion as they pleased. The $ay"lower Compact of !"# created a representative government in the colony at Plymouth, where the leaders were elected by the men of the colony, and their goal was to create $%ust and e&ual laws.' The P!ritans established the (assachusetts )ay colony. The Puritans came to the *ew +orld seeking religious freedom from the Church of England. ,n !-., *athaniel )acon organi/ed a group of over ,### frontier settles and attacked *ative Americans. The governor of 0amestown proclaimed )acon a rebel. )acon responded by attacking 0amestown. This is known as #acon%s Re&ellion.

1outhern colonies were established for the economic benefit of England. The southern climate allowed for the creation of plantations, or large farms. Crops like tobacco, cotton, sugar, and rice were all easily grown. ,n ! 2, the first slaves were brought to the colonies. They were used primary as labor on the southern plantations. The slaves were taken from Africa against their will. The $$iddle Passa e' was the boat trip the slaves had between Africa and the colonies. ,t was a brutal trip where many slaves died from poor conditions or committed suicide. People also came as indent!red servants working for between 3 and # years to pay off the cost of their passage to the *ew +orld.

The American Revol!tion

The (rench and Indian )ar, also known as the 1even 4ear +ar, was fought between England and 5rance on the *orth American continent.

The Al&any Con ress was a meeting of English colonial leaders at the beginning of the 5rench and ,ndian +ar. The meeting, and the war, helped build a sense of unity among the colonies. ,n -!6, the 5rench surrendered to the )ritish, however the war had great vast amounts of debt for each empire. The Proclamation o" *+,- forbid colonist moving west of the Appalachian (ountains. This was done to ease tensions with the *ative Americans The #ritish Parliament created a number of Acts 7ta8es9 to be placed on the colonist to raise money to pay off the war debt. The colonist had no representation, elected or otherwise, in the )ritish Parliament. The S! ar Act imposed a duty, or import ta8, on a number of imported products, like molasses. 7 -!39 The .!arterin Act demanded that colonist house and feed )ritish soldiers in their homes. The colonist protested and believed that the Parliament was violating their rights. 7 -!.9 The Stamp Act re&uired colonist to pay a special stamp ta8 on all sort of documentation, like newspapers, contracts, licenses, and wills. The colonies met in *ew 4ork to protest the 1tamp Act. This was known as the 1tamp Act Congress.

The Tea Act gave the )ritish East ,ndia Company a monopoly on the colonial tea market. +hile the Tea Act actually lowered the price of tea, the monopoly made the colonist angry. ,n a reaction to this act, some colonist in )oston staged the )oston Tea Party. :ressed as *ative Americans, a group of protesters dumped over three hundred cases of tea into )oston ;arbor. ,n --., the #attle o" /e0in ton and Concord took place between the minutemen, or citi/en soldiers of the colonies, and the )ritish soldiers. This was the first battle of the revolution. The Second Continental Con ress met in --.. At first divided on the idea of independence, they ultimately decided to write and support the :eclaration of ,ndependence. ,n --!, Thomas Paine distributed his .#<page pamphlet titled $Common Sense.' ;is argument was that the colonies should be independent. Common 1ense helped win support from the colonist for independence.

=n 0uly 3th --!, the 1econd Continental Congress approved the 1eclaration o" Independence. The :eclaration of ,ndependence, primarily written by Thomas 0efferson, officially stated the colonies independence from England, as well as list the colonies grievance against the >ing. ,n --?, 5rance officially became an ally of the American movement of independence. The Treaty o" Paris ended the war, and internationally recogni/ed the independence of the American colonies. Congress approved the treaty on April ., -?6.

The Articles o" Con"ederation was the first document that created the national government. ,t created only one branch of government, the legislature. The Articles of Confederation created a weak national government and allowed state governments to be more powerful. The Northwest 2rdinance o" *+3+ set up the process for territories to become states. ,t re&uired that a territory have a free population of !#,### in order to apply for statehood. An economic depression in the mid -?#@s greatly affected farmers. :aniel 1hays led a rebellion of angry farmers against the (assachusetts government. Shays% Re&ellion led the leaders of the nation to believe they needed a stronger national government to prevent further rebellion, and to balance the power of the states@ governments.

The New Nation

After winning the Aevolution, many states began the process of writing constitutions. A constitution is the contract between citi/ens addressing how the government will function. ,n ---, Congress adopted the Articles o" Con"ederation. This created one federal branch of government, the legislature. +ithin the Congress, each state had one vote. The Articles of Confederation was intended to create a limited government. (ost power remained in the hands of state governments and state leaders.

The /and 2rdinance o" *+34 divided public land up into townships. ,t was re&uired that part of each township was used for public education. Northwest 2rdinance o" *+3+ established the process for admitting new states to the Bnion in the land that was north of the =hio Aiver Valley. +hen new territory was being settled in this area, first Congress would appoint a governor, a secretary, and three %udges. +hen the territory had .,### residents, they could elect a legislature. =nce the territory had !#,### residents, it could apply for statehood. The states of =hio, ,ndiana, ,llinois, (ichigan, and +isconsin were created from the *orthwest Territory. There were many problems with the Articles of Confederation. Each state could determine its own trade policy, and placed heavy ta8es on goods bought or sold in other states. The Articles of Confederation also did not allow the 5ederal Covernment the right to ta8, therefore there was very limited money to run the government. ,n the mid -?#@s, the Bnited 1tates e8perienced its first economic depression. The economic depression cause the farmers to be unable to pay their ta8es. As a result, state governments began to sei/e farm land. 5rustrated and angry over losing their land, ,### farmers, led by :aniel 1hay, a (assachusetts farmer stole weapons and rebelled against the (assachusetts government. This became known as Shay%s Re&ellion. Although 1hay@s Aebellion was not successful, it led some leading Americans to believe that there was a need for a stronger central government. This led to calls for a Constit!tional Convention.

The Constit!tion

,n the summer of -?-, .. delegates from " states met in Philadelphia to create a stronger national government. This was known as the Constitutional Convention. The new Constitution was inspired by the 5nli htenment thinkers. /ocke%s beliefs in people@s right to pop!lar soverei nty, where the power of the government comes from the people. ;e also believed that citi/ens had the right to $life, liberty, and property' were fundamental to the creation of the Constitution. Another influence Enlightenment thinker was $ontes6!ie!, where the idea of $Separation o" Powers' comes from.

The framers of the Constitution wanted to create a 5ederal system. (ederalism is when power is divided between different levels of government, like the national, state, and local government9. The 7ir inia Plan recommended having three branches of governmentD the /e islat!re, the 50ec!tive, and the J!dicial. These three branches of government would provide checks and &alances to prevent one branch from developing e8cessive power. The Great Compromise appeased both the large and small states. The Eegislative body would have two houses. This was known as a bicameral legislature. The Ho!se o" Representatives would allot representation based on a state@s population. The Senate would allot two representatives from every state, regardless of population. The issue of slavery also divided the members of the Convention. The 1outhern states wanted to include slaves in the population count. This would increase their representation and power in the ;ouse of Aepresentative. The Three8(i"ths Compromise allowed each slave to count as three<fifths of a person. Therefore, for every five slaves, three would be counted for a state@s population. 1ome northern members also wanted to stop the slave trade from Africa. The convention agreed to allow the trade to continue for another "# years, until ?#?. *ot all were in favor of a stronger national government. Those who opposed the new Constitution were called Anti8(ederalist. They wanted states to remain stronger than the 5ederal government. (ederalists were supporters of the new Constitution and thought that a strong national government was essential. The (ederalist Papers were written arguments to win support for adoption of the new Constitution.

Speci"ics on the Constit!tion

The /e islative #ranch includes the 1enate 7two members from each state9 and the ;ouse of Aepresentatives 7based on a state@s population9

The 50ec!tive #ranch includes the President and Vice President. The President is in charge of the armed forces, and has the power to veto. The J!dicial #ranch includes the different levels of the 5ederal Court system with the 1upreme Court being the ultimate decider of Constitutional law. Amendments are changes made to the Constitution. ,n order to amend the Constitution, the Amendment needs to be passed by F of Congress and ratified by F of the .# states. Amending the Constitution allows it to fit the needs of the time. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are known as the #ill o" Ri hts, and they protect American@s freedom of speech, religion, the press, and the right to bear arms. The 5lastic Cla!se gives Congress the right to pass laws that allow the principles of the Constitution to be carried out. 7,mplied powers9 1ele ated Powers are powers given only to the 5ederal Covernment. An e8ample of a delegated power is Congress@ ability to declare war on another nation. Conc!rrent Powers are powers shared by both the federal and state governments. A good e8ample of this is the right to ta8. Reserved Powers are powers that belong to the states. An e8ample of this is divorce laws. 1enied Powers are powers specifically not given to either the federal or state governments. The 5lectoral Colle e prevents the direct election of the President. Each state is provided a specific number of electors, who place a vote for President based on how their state has voted during the Presidential election. /o&&yist are individuals and groups who petition the government in an attempt to get their representatives to vote in favor of their interest. The right to petition the government is a guarantee provided to the people in the Constitution, however, sometimes lobbyist have too

much power.

The )ashin ton and Adam%s Presidencies

. Ceorge +ashington was the first person to serve as President of the Bnited 1tates after the creation of the Constitution.

". Congress passed laws to set up the first three departments of the 50ec!tive &ranchD these were the :epartments of 1tate, Treasury, and +ar. +ashington appointed Thomas 0efferson as 1ecretary of 1tate, Ale8ander ;amilton as 1ecretary of Treasury, and ;enry >no8 as 1ecretary of +ar. This would become known as the President%s Ca&inet. 6. +hen +ashington took office, the new government had no army, no money and no courts. The Bnited 1tates also had a lot of debt from the Aevolutionary +ar. 3. 1ecretary ;amilton knew that is was important for the Bnited 1tates to pay off the debt it had accumulated during the Aevolutionary +ar so ;amilton came up with the idea of a national &ank and a national mint. A national bank was not written into the Constitution. .. Thomas 0efferson said there should be no bank because it wasn@t mentioned in the Constitution. The 1upreme Court agreed with ;amilton saying that the Constitution implied that a bank was necessary to carry out national business. !. This debate over the national bank also helped the development of the first political parties. Political parties were also not part of the Constitution. -. The (ederalist, like +ashington and ;amilton, believed in a strong national government, a loose interpretation of the Constitution, and supported the creation of the national bank. ?. The Anti8(ederalist 7later the :emocratic<Aepublicans9, believed in strong state governments, a

strict interpretation of the Constitution, and were opposed to the national bank. 2. (anufacturing started to develop in the *orth and the 1outh was growing different agricultural products. ,n order to protect these industries, Congress passed tari""s 7ta8es on imports9. Tariff of -?2 was designed to create balance in the new American economy and generate revenue for the new American government. #. After serving two, four<year terms, President +ashington set the precedent to voluntarily step down as President. . ,n )ashin ton%s "arewell address9 President +ashington stressed that our young follow a strict a policy of $neutrality' with the rest of the world. +ashington believed that if the B.1. involved itself in foreign problems it would %eopardi/e her independence. ". President Adams followed as the second President. 6. ,n -?2, revolution broke out in 5rance. The (rench Revol!tion made some Americans nervous that revolution would again break out in the Bnited 1tates.

3. 5ederalist in Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Alien Act increased the length of time from . years to 3 years for new immigrants to become B.1. citi/ens .. The Sedition Act made it a crime for anyone to write or speak anything negative about the American government. This angered citi/ens because it limited free speech.

The Je""ersonian :ears

. Thomas Je""erson became the third President of the Bnited 1tates in the election of ?##.

". 0efferson, a :emocratic<Aepublican, believed his 5ederalist predecessors, +ashington and Adams, were too involved in the American economy. This motivated 0efferson to adopt a laisse;8"aire stance. Eaisse/<faire is 5rench for $let do', and is understood as meaning hands off by government officials in relation to the economy. 0efferson believed the B.1. government should not be involved with the B.1. economy. 6. John $arshall was Chief 0ustice of the 1upreme Court from ?# < ?#.. ;e was a 5ederalist who believed in a strong central government. 3. (arshall was instrumental in the $ar&!ry vs< $adison ruling. ,n this case the principle of $=!dicial review' was established. 0udicial review gave the 1upreme Court the right to determine the constitutionality of laws created by Congress and individual states. .. ,n ?#6, 0efferson purchased the territory of /o!isiana from the 5rench, for . million dollars, or four cents an acre. !. The ac&uisition of Eouisiana doubled the si/e of the Bnited 1tates, and gave the B.1. access and control of the (ississippi Aiver and the Port of *ew =rleans. -. 0efferson argued that he had the right to purchase Eouisiana because the Constitution implied the President could enter into treaties with foreign nations. Congress agreed and voted to pay for the territory. ?. 0efferson ordered $eriwether /ewis and )illiam Clark to e8plore the newly ac&uired territory. 2. )y ?#6, 5rance and Creat )ritain were at war again. ,n order to obtain enough soldiers to fight their war, both countries were hi%acking American ships at sea, and forcing the sailors into their conflict. This policy by the )ritish was known as Impressment. #. 0efferson encouraged Congress to pass the 5m&ar o Act in ?#-. The embargo forbid Americans to trade with foreign nations. 0efferson hoped this would guarantee American neutrality in the conflict

between )ritain and 5rance. . The )ritish armed *ative Americans in the north in the hopes of flaming the conflict with the Americans. They also continued to their policy of impressment. This eventually led to the )ar o" *3*>. ". As a result of the +ar of ? " 7which was won by the B.1.9, England was no longer a force over the Bnited 1tates. Additionally, the border between the B.1. and Canada was formally set. 6. The most memorable event of the +ar of ? " was the burning of the +hite ;ouse in +ashington by )ritish troops.

The Period o" 50pansion

,n ? 2, the 1upreme Court made another formative court rulingD McCulloch vs. Maryland< This ruling created the concept of Gimplied powersG. ,mplied powers were powers not e8pressly given to the government by the Constitution, however, according to this 1upreme Court case, these powers are implied. The ruling of (cCulloch vs. (aryland e8panded the power of the federal government. ,n ?"6, President (onroe established the $onroe 1octrine. The (onroe :octrine stated that Europe could not create any new colonies in the +estern ;emisphere 7*orth, Central, or 1outh America9. President (onroe backed up his doctrine with military strength.

Andrew Jackson was elected as President in ?"?. ;e had been a war hero from Tennessee in the +ar of ? ". ;e was considered the common manHs president. 0ackson changed the laws so more and more free men would have the right to vote. 0ackson also became infamous for the Spoil System. The 1poil 1ystem is when 0ackson rewarded loyal supporters with government %obs and appointments. 0ackson supported his right to participate in this system. As Americans continued to move west, the demand for land became greater. *ative Americans had inhabited much of the land Americans desired for many generations. President 0ackson was not the first president to relocate *ative Americans from their land. ,ndian removal policies had happened since the time of Thomas 0efferson. 0ackson enacted the Indian Removal Act o" *3-? that offered *ative Americans land west of the (ississippi for their lands in the east. The 1upreme Court ruled in )orcester v< Geor ia that the 1tate of Ceorgia could not remove the Cherokee ,ndians from their land because the federal government had guaranteed the Cherokees that land by treaty. According to Chief 0ustice (arshall, treaties were the Gsupreme law of the land.G (any groups of *ative Americans were forced to new ,ndian Territory. The Cherokees resisted removal until ?6?. -,### American soldiers led them on their route, known as the Trail o" Tears< The Bnited 1tates government did not provide enough shelter, food, and clothing for the Cherokee trip. They faced the worst of winter weatherD snow, sleet, and free/ing temperatures. An estimated 3,### of the .,### Cherokees being relocated died on the march. The ,ndustrial Aevolution led to increasing technological improvements. These advancements

led to the growth of factories and !r&ani;ation that transformed the north.

The telegraph, the steamboat, and the cotton gin were inventions that helped revolutioni/e business and commerce and grow the American economy in the mid ?##Hs. *ew immigrants from Cermany and ,reland flooded American cities in the ?3#Hs looking for new opportunities and a better life. Nativists were American citi/ens who wanted to keep the Bnited 1tates a white, Protestant nation. *ativists felt real Americans should be white and protestant individuals born in the Bnited 1tates. The @now8Nothin s were a political party that was created by *ativists with the goal of stopping immigration and preserving the Bnited 1tates cultural heritage. ,n ?.!, their presidential candidate received " percent of the vote. :uring this time women were starting to demand more e&uality under the law and the right to vote. Eli/abeth Cady 1tanton and Eucretia (ott led this movement. The 1eclaration o" Sentiments from the Seneca (alls Convention o" *3A3 proclaimed that all men and women are created e&ual.

The Pro&lem with Slavery

5rom the period of ?## to ?!#, slavery was the biggest problem facing the country. ,t was an issue of stateHs rights. 1outhern states wanted to ensure their right to keep the institution of slavery. People who were against slavery were called A&olitionists< They wanted to abolish the institution of slavery. +illiam Eloyd Carrison and 5rederick :ouglass were famous Abolitionist.

1lavery was very important to the 1outh because of the invention of the cotton in. The gin made the growing of cotton profitable. Eli +hitney invented the cotton gin in the -2#Hs. The cotton gin removed the seeds from the cottonD increasing the speed at which cotton could be woven into fabric. Plantations were established with slaves being the main source of labor. The northern part of the country did manufacturing and the southern part grew cotton and tobacco. The west grew wheat and raised meat. As the nation continued to grow and e8pand, one of the biggest problems was to keep the number of free states and slave states even. The 1outh wanted to keep representation in the 1enate even so that the free states could not pass federal laws outlawing slavery. The south felt that slavery was %ustified because of history, social practices and economics. The $isso!ri Compromise o" *3>? stated that any new state that enters the union north the 6! parallel 7the southern border of (issouri9 would be a free state. This compromised allowed the entry of (issouri a slave state and (aine a free state into the Bnion. ,t also set the border for future free and slave states as the country e8panded westward. The Under ro!nd Railroad, ran by ;arriet Tubman, was the system of safe houses that moved slaves from the south into Canada where they would be free. ,n ?3! the B.1. went to war with (e8ico 7$e0ican8American )ar9 and con&uered a vast amount of land that once belonged to (e8ico. This territory in the west became si8 states, *ew (e8ico, Ari/ona, *evada, California, +yoming, and Btah. The addition of these territories complicated the slavery issue.

#. The problem of free versus slave states was accelerated with the admission of California into the Bnion as a free state. Part of California was south of the (issouri Compromise line. The admission of California was part of the Compromise o" *34?. This compromised prevented Civil +ar by giving both free and slave states more power. . The (! itive Slave /aw 7 ?.#9 was passed by Congress and said that any slave that fled to the *orth had to be returned to its southern owner. ". ,n ?.3, the @ansas and Ne&raska Act further fueled the conflict between the *orth and the 1outh. Congress decided that the people of >ansas and *ebraska could decide for themselves if they wanted to be either slave or free states. This is called popular sovereignty, or the rule of the people, where the citi/ens vote on issues. This caused a lot of bloody fighting within these states. (any southerners and northerners flooded these two states hoping to sway the vote in their favor. 6. The 1red Scott v< San"ord 1upreme Court decision stated that slaves taken to free states are still the GpropertyG of their southern owners. ,t also said Congress had no right to stop slavery in any state. This helped fuel hatred between the *orth and the 1outh helping start the Civil +ar.

The Civil )ar

,n ?.3, the Rep!&lican political party was born with the main purpose of preventing slavery from starting in the western states.

,n ?!#, A&raham /incoln was the first Aepublican elected to the Presidency of the Bnited 1tates. Abolitionist and anti<slavery supporters cheered the election of Eincoln, however many southerners did not feel the same way. ,n :ecember ?!#, 1outh Carolina was the first state to secede, or break away, from the Bnion. )y 5ebruary of ?! , seven states had seceded and created the Con"ederate States o" America. They elected (ississippi 1enator 0efferson :avis as their president. )y the time Eincoln was sworn into office in (arch of ?! , the Civil +ar had begun. A Civil )ar is a war between members, or citi/ens, of the same nation. The *orthern states had an advantage of a greater population of people, and many industries and factories. This helped supply soldiers and weapons. The 1outhern 1tates had the advantage fighting a defensive war, fighting on their home territory, and having a deep sense of pride about what they were fighting for. The first battle of the war was at (ort S!mner in 1outh Carolina. The Confederates attacked and con&uered in the fort in April of ?! . #. (ilitary drafts were issued in both the *orth and the 1outh. A draft is when young men are forced to serve in the military. ,n *ew 4ork City, the draft led to anger which started deadly New :ork 1ra"t riots where people where in%ured and factories were burned. . ,n 0anuary of ?!6, Eincoln issued the 5mancipation Proclamation to free the slaves in the southern states. ;owever, it was a meaningless decree because the southern states were not part of the Bnited 1tates at that time. ". The turning point of the war was with the Bnion victories at Vicksburg and Gettys&!r .

6. Ceneral 1herman@s $(arch to the 1ea' is a famous American military moment. ;e burned crops, destroyed railroads and the city of Atlanta breaking the fighting spirit of the south. 3. The war ended when Ceneral Eee surrendered to Ceneral Crant at Appomatto0.

Reconstr!ction
. After the Civil +ar, Eincoln wanted to forgive the 1outh and make the nation whole again as &uickly as possible. ;e created the *?B plan. ,n order for a southern state to re%oin the union, #I of the state@s voters had to swear an oath of loyalty to the Bnited 1tates. ". The radical Aepublicans wanted to punish the 1outh for causing the war. The )ade81avis #ill called on .#I of a southern state to swear loyalty in order to be re<admitted to the union. 6. +hen Eincoln was assassinated, the radical Aepublicans became even angrier and more determined to punish the 1outh.

3. President 0ohnson wanted to keep Eincoln@s easy policies of letting the 1outh back into the Bnion easily. They would only have to set up new state governments, abolish slavery and ratify the *-th amendment to the Constitution. .. To help all the free slaves ad%ust to their new life the $(reedmen%s #!rea!' was set up. !. ,n order to be sure that slaves where considered citi/ens the *Ath amendment was passed. -. Congress passed the Reconstr!ction Act o" *3,+. This divided the 1outh into . military districts. ?. ,n order to have union troops leave the south, each state had to set up a new government pledging

their allegiance to the Bnited 1tates, and ratifying the 3th amendment. 2. The *4th amendment passed in ?-# guaranteed African American men the right to vote.

#. The conflict between President 0ohnson and Congress over Aeconstruction grew so contentious the ;ouse of Aepresentatives voted to impeach the president. The vote failed by one vote in the 1enate. 1ome senators were worried impeachment would destroy the power of the presidency in the future. . *ortherners who came into the south to take advantage of the situation were called $Carpet&a ers'. Carpetbaggers were hated by the 1outherner@s who saw them as opportunist taking advantage of a damaged south. ". The 1outh turned to violence to keep freed African Americans from gaining power and any position in society. 6. +ithin a few years 1outhern :emocrats gained control of the 1outhern state legislatures and reversed much of the work done by the Aeconstructionist. 3. The 1outhern states passed $Jim Crow' laws that were designed to take away the new rights African Americans had received as a result of the Civil +ar. Poll ta0 and the literacy test laws were created that were designed to prevent African Americans from voting. .. Croups like the @! @l!0 @lan were formed to further oppress the liberty of African Americans. These groups terrori/ed and killed African Americans throughout the south. !. After the war, many African Americans began lives as sharecroppers. 1harecropping re&uired tenant farmers to accumulate debt in order to begin their work. These farmers were often unable to every pay off their debt. This system was little better than slavery. -. ,ndividuals like #ooker T< )ashin ton and )<5<#< 1! #ois began advocating for increased civil

rights for African Americans.

The )ild )est

The Homestead Act of ?!" was a Bnited 1tates federal law that gave !# acres of undeveloped land in the American +est to persons who were at least " years of ago, white, and free. They had to build a house on the land that was at least " feet by 3 feet and to have farmed on it for . years.

President Abraham Eincoln signed the Act into law on (ay "#th, ?!". Eventually, .! million homesteads were granted and "-# million arcs were privated between ?!" and 2!3. A total of #I of all lands in the Bnited 1tates.

,n ?!2, the railroad finally stretched from the east coast to the west coast. This is the transcontinental railroad. ,n an effort to have the railroad built, the B.1. government gave free land to the railroad companies through the Paci"ic Railway Act of ?!".

Also, riches like gold and silver, brought millions of people to the west during the mid to late ?##s.

$Cowboys' were the people who tended to the cattle on the farms created by the ;omestead Act. They became an American symbol. The life of the cowboy was a lonely one.

The American ,ndians lost much land during this time period. (any treaties were signed, giving the Bnited 1tates government the rights to American ,ndian land. (any of the American ,ndians were out on reservations, land set aside for the to live on. =ften

reservations lack productive earth, and made life difficult for the American ,ndians.

The 1awes Act o" *33+ tried to promote American ,ndian assimilation into the American +est. The conflict between the settlers and the American ,ndians is what develops the cultural myth of $Cowboys and ,ndians.'

An economic depression, because of server weather, brings the cattle boom to an end by the late ??#s. This creates a lot of poor homestead farmers. Gran ers, a group of unhappy farmers, begin meeting to demand change. They create the Pop!list Party that becomes powerful at the end of the 2th century. The Populist Party was a political party that advocated for the social reforms that were popular with many Americans at the time. 1pecific reforms they want to make were public ownership of the railroads, income ta8 instead of property ta8 and the eight<hour workday.

The Rise o" #i #!siness

After the Civil +ar, a new and improved industrial revolution took place. Abundant resources, new technological inventions, and the railroad all contributed to the new industrial revolution. 2il and steel were two of the resources that helped lead this new revolution.

A number of inventors created society changing inventions J Thomas 5dison developed the light bulb and electricity, Ale0ander Gram #ell developed the telephone, Henry (ord developed the first mass produced automobile, and the )ri ht #rothers developed the airplane.

A patent allows an inventor to have the sole right to produce and sell an invention. ;enry 5ord developed the assem&ly line< ,t allowed ob%ect to be built by having individuals put different pieces together as it moves along a belt. The assembly line revolutioni/ed consumer manufacturing and culture.

An entreprene!r is an individual who begins a new business with the goal of making a profit. A corporation is a business owned by many investors. They share in its profits 7or losses9. Corporations have a board of directors, and this board dictates the corporation@s direction. A monopoly is when one corporation owns all 7or most9 of a business in a particular industry. Andrew Carne ie was a business titan of the railroad industry. John 1< Rocke"eller created the Standard 2il Company and became the richest man in the world at the time. A tr!st is when a single board of directors runs a group of corporations. 1tandard =il was a trust. ,t was a composite of companies that all interacted with the core of Aockefeller@s business J oil refinery.

Eeaders, like Aockefeller, used Social 1arwinism to support their right to these business

practices. The fittest was surviving, and the weak were dying.

Ur&ani;ation J (any people moved from the country 7or from overseas9 to American cities during this new age of industrial revolution to work in factories and on assembly lines. (any of the poor lived in tenement ho!ses. Tenements were very tiny apartments that typically had no windows, heat, or indoor plumbing. People like Jaco& Riis and Jane Addams worked to help the conditions of the poor. 5actory conditions were terrible 7and sometimes deadly9 for workers. (en, women, and children work long hours in dangerous conditions. The @ni hts o" /a&or was one of the first unions organi/ed in the Bnited 1tates. A union is a group of workers who come together to collectively bargain with management. ,n (ay of ??!, a >nights of Eabor rally in Haymarket S6!are in Chicago turned deadly when a bomb e8ploded and the police fired shots into the crowd. (any Americans temporarily turned against the unions after this.

After the ;aymarket Aiot, Sam!el Gompers formed a new union, the American (ederation o" /a&or. The A5E is still one of the biggest unions in the country.

The Pro ressive 5ra :uring the ??#, many political leaders were corrupt. They practice a policy started by Andrew 0ackson known as the spoil system. The system gave political and government %obs to

supporters of elected leaders.

,n ??6, President Arthur signed the Pendleton Act that created the Civil Service Commission< The civil service awarded government %obs to those who scored highest on the civil service e8am.

Interstate Commerce Act was signed into law by President Cleveland, and was designed to stop railroad companies from influencing elected leaders ??-. Sherman Anti8Tr!st Act of ?2# was designed to stop businesses from limiting or destroying their competition. The 1herman Anti<Trust Act was hard for the government to enforce. +illiam Tweed, known as #oss Tweed, was a corrupt boss who cheated *ew 4ork City out of over K ## (illion dollars during the ?!#Hs and ?-#Hs. As Americans reacted against the corrupt political and business leaders, they began to pass a number of reforms, including four Constitutional Amendments, known as the Pro ressive Amendments

Amendment 16 < Grad!ated income ta0 8 This gave Congress the power to ta8 income. Therefore, the wealthy would be helping the poor. Amendment 17- 1irect election o" U<S< Senators 8 B.1. 1enators would be directly elected by the people instead of being appointed by political bosses. 0ournalist, fed up and disgusted by the behaviors of corrupt officials, and the conditions of urban living and factory working, began to dig up GdirtG or GmuckG in order to e8pose and bring attention to the conditions. ,da Tarbell, 0acob Aiis, and Bpton 1inclairHs The Jungle are e8amples of m!ckrakers.

Bpton 1inclairHs fictional book, the 0ungle, was a powerful form of media that led to the passage of the Pure 5ood and :rug Act The P!re (ood and 1r! Act was a law that provided federal inspection of meat products and forbid the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated food products and poisonous

medicines

Theodore Roosevelt was the first Progressive President. ;e was originally from *ew 4ork, created the Aough Aiders, and became President in 2# , after President (c>inley was assassinated in )uffalo, *4.

Aoosevelt was GTr!st #!sterG < a person working to destroy trust and monopolies. Aoosevelt believed all Americans deserved the same opportunity to be successful. ;e call the plan to achieve this the GS6!are 1ealG Aoosevelt loved nature, and was one of the first conservationist who worked to protect the natural spaces of America. )ecause of this love, he set up the national parks system. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution banned the manufacturing, sale, and consumption of alcohol. This was known as prohibition. The amendment was added because of the temperance movement9 which believed that alcohol was an evil.

The +omenHs Aights movement started in ?3? with the 1eneca 5all Convention and the :eclaration of Aights of +omen, written by Eli/abeth Cady 1tanton. ,n 2"#, after much work the suffragist 7women who wanted voting rights9 and individuals like 1usan ). Anthony, women received the right to vote. Amendment 19<1uffrage for +omen. +omen received the right to vote in 2"#. The GentlemenCs A reement was created in 2#- by Teddy Aoosevelt. ,t was an agreement with 0apan to stop sending immigrants to the Bnited 1tates. ,n return, wives of 0apanese immigrants already living in the B.1. could %oin their husbands.

Chinese 50cl!sion Act o" *33> stopped Chinese immigration to the Bnited 1tates. This was passed for both economic and racial reasons. The (ederal Reserve Act was passed in 2 6 and created the 5ederal Aeserve that set the interest rate and regulated paper money.

American Imperialism

$atthew Perry, a commander of the B.1. military convinced 0apan to open its ports to Americans to trade. The 0apanese were impressed by the technology of the American ships and weapons

The B.1. purchased Alaska in ?-! from the Aussians. +illiam 1eward was the 1ecretary of 1tate of closed the deal. (any Americans thought it was a bad idea, they called it SewardCs (olly9 but Alaska was rich with resources like gold and oilL

America wanted military and trading outpost in the Pacific ocean. Americans anne8ed, or took over ;awaii from their native monarchy in ?26. 2pen 1oor Policy < ,n ??2, the 1ecretary of 1tate 0ohn ;ay called on all western nations to guarantee China GopenG for trade with all nations. The Chinese, upset and angry over the B.1. and other nations interfering in their business led to the #o0er Re&ellion< )o8ers were a secret society in China supported by the government. They attacked and killed westerners, and the Chinese who supported them. They also burned their homes and churches.

,n response, the B.1. and other western nations sent troops to crush the rebellion. ,n the process, they killed thousands of Chinese. ,n ?2., Cuba was attempting to gain independence from 1pain. The Americans wanted to help with this cause. ,n ?2?, President (c>inley sent a battleship, the $aine9 to Cuba to protect Americans living there. 1omething blow up the ship killing "!# Americans. This is what led to the Spanish 8American )ar<

*ewspapers in America blamed 1pain for blowing up the (aine, even though there was no proof this was true. This was known as 4ellow 0ournalism.

4ellow %ournalism, also known as the G4ellow PressG, is a type of %ournalism that downplays legitimate news in favor of eye<catching headlines that sell more newspapers.

Americans wanted to create a short cut from the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific ocean. The best place to do this was in Panama. Panama was part of Columbia at the time. Columbia did not want the Americans to build a canal.

As a result, the Americans helped the Panamanians lead a revolution for their independence from Columbia. This allowed America to build the Panama Canal< President Aoosevelt created a D#i StickD policy with Eatin America < +alk softly and carry a big stick. This meant, first they would take a peaceful approach to getting what America wants. ,f that doesnHt work, they will use military forceL

President Taft took a different approach from Aoosevelt. ;e used dollar diplomacy< :ollar :iplomacy was a policy based on the idea that America would e8pand its influence and get what it wanted by economic ties, and not by military bullying

)orld )ar I

Causes of +orld +ar , J (.A.,.*. ( < $ilitarism < the glorification, or build up and praise, of a nationHs military. This is often in reaction to other nationHs build up of their military

A < Alliances < 1upport by one country for another. Problems between two nations &uickly

involve other nations.

, < Imperialism < As countries secured territories for resources and trade, it increased tension with other nations.

* < Nationalism < Pride in oneHs nation. This increased tensions between regions in Europe. Archduke (ran; (erdinand was assassinated by<1erbian nationalist. )ecause of alliances, more than "# nations were instantly drawn into warL ;eeding President +ashingtonHs advice, the Bnited 1tates remained neutral. President +ilson believed involving the Bnited 1tates would have a negative impact on American lives and the American economy.

,n (ay 2 ., a Cerman submarine, or Uboat, sank a )ritish cruise ship, the Eusitania. "? Americans were killed in the attack. This began to sway the American public into entering the war.

Cerman continued to attack American ships supplying Creat )ritain with supplies. These actions increased American hostility towards Cermany and the war.

Eimmerman Tele ram < ,n 5ebruary of 2 - Arthur Mimmermann, CermanyHs 5oreign (inister, sent a telegram to (e8ico that proposed (e8ico %oin Cermany in their fight. ,n return, Cermany would help (e8ico GHrecon&uerG *ew (e8ico, Te8as, and Ari/ona from the Bnited 1tates.

=n April ". 2 -. President +oodrow +ilson asked Congress to declare war on the Central Powers < Cermany. Austria<;ungary, and the =ttoman Empire.

Even though many American supported the war effort, many were also opposed to the war. Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress in 2 ., was strictly opposed to the war.

5! ene 1e&s, a labor leader of the progressive era, was also opposed to the war. )efore the war ended, President +ilson created G"o!rteen points,G or proposals designed to prevent future wars like ++,.

Point fourteen called for an international organi/ation to help keep international peace. This organi/ation would be known as the /ea !e o" Nations.

At the end of the war, +ilson, and the Allied leaders, met in Paris to sign the Treaty o" 7ersailles.

The treaty called for the Central Powers to pay reparations < money to pay for war damages. The treaty also formally recogni/ed the creation of the Eeague of *ations. (any Americans were opposed to the Eeague of *ations. (any Americans felt that the Eeague of *ations would only ensure that they would get caught up in future European disputes, and that these disputes had the potential to ruin the Bnited 1tates. ,n the end, the B.1. did not %oin the Eeague of *ations and it was very ineffective.

TH5 *F>?s and the Great 1epression

The 2"#@s were known as the Roarin >?%s< ,t was a time of great economic prosperity and social change.

The 2th amendment was ratified in 2"#. This constitutional amendment gave women the right to vote.

The Teapot 1ome scandal was a controversy over the government sale of oil fields to private companies. Covernment officials had taken bribes to allow the sales.

+hen President ;arding died, President Coolidge took over and let business run free. 5armers were already in trouble because of over production. These factors would help lead to the Creat :epression.

,n the 2"#@s, Americans were worried about the large number of immi rants. :ifferent groups tended to live together in cities and kept their ethnic beliefs.

Nativism is the belief that immigration should be kept to a minimum or stopped to keep non< Americans out of the country. *ativism was motivated by racism, and a fear of Americans losing their %obs to cheaper labor.

The Chinese 50cl!sion Act, the Gentlemen%s A reement and the National 2ri ins Act were laws that were passed to limit immigration. These series of anti<immigration laws were supported by nativist.

,mmigration came to a stop when the Creat :epression hit. :uring the 2"#@s the old conservative, religious right clashed with the modern, liberal left. An e8ample of this conflict between the left and the right was the Scopes Trial where a teacher was arrested for teaching Darwins theory of evolution instead of the )ible@s version of creation in a Tennessee biology class.

Amendment 18 < 5rom 2 2 to 266 Prohi&ition against drinking alcohol was tried. ,t didn@t work because gangsters were able to supply li&uor and everyone wanted to have it.

:uring this time, many African Americans moved from the south to the north for better opportunities. The Harlem Renaissance was a writing and artistic movement to show case )lack culture.

The Creat :epression started in 2"2. The stock market crashed G2cto&er *F>FH, banks went out of business and four out of every ten people were out of work. People stood in line for food and had no place to live.

The Creat :epression was caused by over production of manufactured consumer goods, and bad credit 7loans9 provided by banks.

5armers were also very hard hit besides having their usual problems. There was a drought that turned the (idwest into the 1!st #owl. A million farmers left their homes with many going to California where they were still unable to find %obs.

President ;oover was blamed for the :epression and not doing enough to end it. Hoovervilles and ;oover )lankets were terms used to show Americans displeasure with him.

President 5. :. Aoosevelt called his program to get business going The New 1eal. ;e passed many programs designed to give public work pro%ects a chance to pick up the economy. (ost of his programs did little good but made people feel better.

Aoosevelt declared a #ank Holiday to restore public trust in the banking system. An e8ample of 5:A@s programs was the Tennessee 7alley A!thority. This gave people %obs and helped meet the regional electrical needs.

The best program started by 5:A was Social Sec!rity. This would ensure that people who retired had some income for their older years.

)ecause Aoosevelt was having many of his programs declared unconstitutional by the 1upreme

Court, he decided to $Pack The Co!rt' with more %ustices of his choice. 7 2 to 39 This too was declared unconstitutional.

The National /a&or Relations Act G)a ner ActH of 26. gave labor unions the right to represent workers in collective bargaining.

The B.1. didn@t really get out of the Creat :epression until +orld +ar ,,. (anufacturing and %obs became important to support the war.

)orld )ar II
After +orld +ar ,, Europe saw the rise of a number of dictators, like 0oseph 1talin, )enito (ussolini, and Adolf ;itler. The world wide Creat :epression created conditions that allowed these leaders to come to power. These leaders promised prosperity and greatness to the countrymen.

The leaders created 5ascist states. (ascism is a political system that is founded on e8treme nationalism, a building of the military, and complete loyalty to the country@s leader.

,n 26 , without the approval of the 0apanese government, the 0apanese army invaded the

northern Chinese territory of (anchuria. 0apan saw militants take control of their government in 26!. These (ilitary leaders believed 0apan needed more land and resources to grow.

,n 26., Congress passed the Ne!trality Act, in an attempt to stay out of the escalating European tension.

At first, European nations adopted a policy of appeasement towards ;itler. Appeasement is a policy of giving into an aggressive nation to prevent war.

)y the end of 262, ;itler had invaded Poland, and by the end of 23#, he had control of 5rance.

The Holoca!st was the imprisonment and e8termination of 0ewish Europeans by ;itler and the *a/is. Concentration camps were where imprisoned 0ews were forced to work, and killed. (illions of 0ews were killed during the ;olocaust.

President Aoosevelt asked Congress to pass the /end8/ease Act, which allowed the B.1. to sell or lend supplies to )ritain, or other countries fight against the *a/is.

=n :ecember -th, 23 , 0apan bombed the military base at Pearl Har&or in ;awaii. They did so because the American refused to supply them with war materials, like oil, because they had invaded China.

The bombing of Pearl ;arbor led Congress to declare war on 0apan. =nce they did, 0apan@s allies, Cermany and ,taly, declared war on the Bnited 1tates.

The Bnited 1tates fought +orld +ar ,, on two frontsD one in Europe, and one in the Pacific.

The war demanded a lot of Americans at home. Rationin was started in order to set limits on the amount of scarce goods people could buy.

+omen started working in factories building the vehicles and weapons used in the war. Rosie the Riveter became the iconic image of these women.

0apanese Americans were put into internment camps at home. This was done out of fear of the 0apanese Americans were spies for 0apan. ,n the 1upreme Court case Korematsu v. United States, the court ruled that the internment was %ustified.

,n 233, the Bnited 1tates invaded the beaches in *ormandy, 5rance, and began the final defeat of the *a/is. This was known as 181ay.

The $anhattan Pro=ect was the secret military pro%ect that developed the atomic bomb.

,n 23., President Truman decided that the Bnited 1tates should use the atomic bomb. The B.1. dropped two atomic bombs on 0apanD one on the city of Hiroshima and the other on the city of Na asaki.

The Cold )ar

At the end of +orld +ar ,,, the 1oviet Bnion and the Bnited 1tates disagreed over who should control Europe. The 1oviet Bnion wanted to spread Communism to war torn countries, and the Bnited 1tates wanted to spread democracy and capitalism. This was known as the Cold )ar. ,t was called the $Cold +ar' because there was no actual fighting. Through a series of conferences and meetings at 4alta and Potsdam, the Bnited 1tates, 1oviet Bnion, England, and 5rance decided on the boundaries and territories to be established after ++,,. This would help cause the Cold +ar. The iron c!rtain was a metaphor that described the barrier between the west and the 1oviet Bnion.

)y 23?, many nations in Eastern Europe had become satellites of the 1oviet Bnion. 1atellites are countries ruled by another nation. The Tr!man 1octrine was the American policy of trying to prevent the spread of communism. ,n 23-, a communist rebellion broke out in Creece, and President Truman asked Congress to send aid to prevent Creece from having a communist government. The $arshall Plan, developed by 1ecretary of 1tate Ceorge (arshall, called for the Bnited 1tates to provide economic assistance to European nations in order to prevent the spread of Communism.

)oth the Truman :octrine and the (arshall Plan were American policies of containment< The capital of Cermany, )erlin, was divided into East and +est after ++,,. 1talin, the Communist Eeader of the 1oviet Bnion blocked +est )erlin from the Americans in 23?. ;e wanted the entire city to be communist. The Americans responded with the #erlin Airli"t, and dropped in food and supplies to the two million residents of +est )erlin for more than a year. The Bnited *ations was formed after +orld +ar ,, to ensure that genocide never happened again. *AT=, the North Atlantic Treaty 2r ani;ation was created in 232 to guard the Bnited 1tates and +estern Europe against 1oviet attack. ,n the Bnited 1tates, the post +orld +ar ,, period was a time of economic prosperity. The #a&y #oom during the 2.#@s saw a drastic increase in birthrates in America.

Rock and Roll became popular, and musicians, like Elvis Presley, became famous. (any American families were introduced to these new musically stars through the televisions, which were becoming more commonplace. Aggression by communist *orth >orea toward democratic 1outh >orea led the B1 got involved in the @orean )ar in 2.#. The actions by the Bnited 1tates approved by the newly formed Bnited *ations. After three years of fighting a truce was declared and to this day no peace treaty had been signed. Again, this was an attempt by the Americans to contain communism. As the Cold +ar escalated, it led to an increasing arms race. An arms race is a contest in which nations compete to build more and more powerful weapons. At home, Americans began to become very fearful of communist. This was known as the Red Scare. 1enator 0oseph (cCarthy from +isconsin tried to e8pose communist in America. =ver a number of years in the 2.# he destroyed careers, and held publically televised trials of suspected communist. The term $cCarthyism was being used when individuals, like 1enator (cCarthy,

accuse someone of being disloyal to America without any evidence.

,n 2!", the C!&an $issile Crisis was a 6 day stand off between President >ennedy and 1oviet Eeader *ikita >hrushchev over a missile base in Cuba. The two superpowers came dangerously close to nuclear war.

The Civil Ri hts $ovement

,n ?2!, the 1upreme Court ruled that $separate<but<e&ual' facilities for white and black Americans were constitutional in the case Plessy v !erguson. This led to decades of racial segregation in America. ,n the south, Jim Crow laws separated the races in schools, hospitals, public transportation, and restaurants. The NAACP 7the *ational Association for the Advancement of Colored People9 was founded during the progressive era to work towards racial inte ration. 0ackie Aobinson broke one of the first segregation barriers in 23-. The famed baseball player of the )rooklyn :odgers was the first African American to play on a professional sports team.

,n 23?, President Truman ended the policy of segregation in the Bnited 1tates military. ,n 2.3, Thurgood (arshall, the brilliant lawyer who worked for the *AACP, argued the historic 1upreme Court case "rown v the "oard o# $ducation o# To%e&a, 'ansas (arshall argued that a $separate<but<e&ual' education was impossible and that segregation hurt young African Americans by making them feel inferior.

The 1upreme Court ruled in (arshall@s favor, and ordered the desegregation of schools. The first school to integrate in the south was /ittle Rock Hi h School in Eittle Aock, Arkansas. ,n 2.., Rosa Parks started the $ont omery #!s #oycotts. Parks refused to give up her seat in the front of the bus to a white passenger. The *AACP organi/ed the bus boycott, and (artin Euther >ing 0r. became the voice of the boycott. ,t last for 6? days until the 1upreme Court ruled that segregation on buses had to end.

(artin Euther >ing 0r. preached a policy of civil diso&edience. ;e wanted to use peaceful means to protest un%ust laws. Sit8ins and (reedom Rides were two acts of civil disobedience that became common during the civil rights movement. ,n August of 2!6, (artin Euther >ing 0r. addressed over ".#,### peaceful protesters at the $arch on )ashin ton. ;ere, >ing delivered his famous $( )ave a Dream' speech. President 0ohnson signed the Civil Ri hts Act o" *F,A. The act outlawed discrimination in public facilities, as well as in employment. The 7otin Ri hts Act o" *F,4 banned literacy test and other barriers designed to prevent African Americans from voting. A""irmative Action is a policy or program designed to integrate businesses or schools with members from groups who has been historically discriminated against.

+omen were also seeking more rights during this time. The National 2r ani;ation o" )omen 7*=+9 lobbied for laws that would give women greater e&uality. ,n 2!6, President >ennedy signed the 56!al Pay Act into law. This act re&uired that women receive e&ual pay for e&ual work. Cesar Chave; helped form the United (arm )orkers Union 7B5+9 to protect the migrant famer workers with higher wages and safe working conditions.

,n 2-6, the 1upreme Court ruled in Roe v< )ade that a woman has the right to an abortion. This created two groups in reaction to this ruling. $Pro<Eife' supporters believed abortion should be illegal. $Pro<Choice' supporters believed women should have the right to choose for themselves.

Great Society and the Vietnam War

,n 2.6, Earl +arren became the chief %ustice of the 1upreme Court. ;is tenure at the court was called the )arren Co!rt. )y the 2!#@s, the +arren Court was e8panding individual rights. ,n the case *iranda v Ari+ona, police would be re&uired to advise arrested people that they had the right to remain silent, and the right to legal counsel. ,n Tin&er v Des *oines ,chool District, the court e8panded the definition of freedom of speech. 1tudents at :es (oines high school had sued after being suspended from school for wearing black arm bands in protest of the Vietnam +ar. ,mmediately following President >ennedy@s assassination, Eyndon ). 0ohnson was sworn in as President. 0ohnson@s presidency@s was known for the Great Society. The Creat 1ociety was a series of programs to improve life for Americans. )el"are for needy families and $edicare health insurance for older Americans were two signature programs in the Creat 1ociety reforms. =ne of President 0ohnson@s biggest problems was the 7ietnam )ar. The Bnited 1tates had been supporting the government of 1outh Vietnam in an attempt to prevent a Communist take over.

The B.1. feared additional countries falling to communism. The B.1. feared the domino theoryD if one country fell to the Communist, the neighboring countries would eventually fall too. ,n August of 2!3, there were reports that the *orth Vietnamese attacked American ships in the Culf of Tonkin. President 0ohnson asked Congress for permission to do whatever was necessary to resolve the situation. Congress passed the G!l" o" Tonkin Resol!tion. This

escalated the B.1. involvement in the Vietnam +ar.

The Vietnam +ar divided the nation. Hawks were supporters of the war in Vietnam. 1oves were Americans opposed to the war. The Bnited 1tates instituted a draft in order to fight the Vietnam +ar. A draft is when young men were mandated to participate in the war effort. Earge numbers of young men drafted into the war effort became conscientio!s o&=ectors, or people who refused to participate in the war because of a strong moral belief the war was wrong. )y 2!., antiwar protesters had spread across the nation. At first, the protests were peaceful, but as the war continued, some protest turned violent. Aichard *i8on became the President in 2!?. ,n 2!2 he announced his policy of 7ietnami;ation. This was a policy of gradually withdrawing B.1. troops from Vietnam. *i8on also started the policy of dNtente. 1Itente was an attempt to reach peaceful understandings with Communist nations. The B.1. lost .?,### Americans soldiers during the Vietnam +ar. The final price tag for the war was over "## billion dollars. The B.1. was the first country to make it to the moon in 2!2. ,n 2-6, President *i8on was forced to resign because of the )ater ate scandal. The +atergate ;otel was the :emocratic party head&uarters for the 2-" election. President *i8on had been involved in spying on the democrats.

The *F3?%s to the New $illenni!m

California governor, Ronald Rea an, won the 2?# Presidential election. This was the beginning of the conservative movement. Political conservatives wanted to shrink $big government' and reduce ta8es. Social conservatives wanted a return to traditional values like family, patriotism, and religion.

=ne of President Aeagan@s goals was a balanced budget. This is when the government spends only as much money as it collects. Aeagan did not succeed in balancing his budget. Bnder his presidency, the government ran a deficitD it spent more than it brought in.

1ere !lation of business took place during the Aeagan era. :eregulation is when federal rules on business are reduced, or scaled back. Aeagan was dramatically opposed to Communism. ;e wanted to see the collapse of the 1oviet Bnion and communist influence in the world. ;e also recoiled *i8on@s policy of dNtente. ,n 2?2, the people of East Cermany began to break down the #erlin )all. )y 22 , the 1oviet Bnion broke apart and Aussia started on a path towards democracy. Ceorge ;.+. )ush, President Aeagan@s Vice President, was elected the ne8t president in 2??. The Persian Culf +ar against ,ra& and a recession marked his four<year tenure. #ill Clinton followed President )ush. Bnder the Clinton presidency, the B.1. government had a balanced budget for the first time in "2 years. The >??? election was disputed between its two contestantsD Te8as governor, Ceorge +. )ush and Clinton@s Vice<President, Al Core. Core had won the popular vote, but after a disputed recount in the state of 5lorida, the 1upreme Court ruled 5lorida did not have to recount their ballots. )ecause of this, )ush won the state of 5lorida, and the Electoral College. =n Septem&er **th9 >??* four hi%acked commercial airplanes were flown into the +orld Trade Center in *ew 4ork City, and the Pentagon in +ashington :.C. ,t was the most violent act of terrorism ever committed on American soil. The terrorism of 1eptember th was mastermind by 2sama #in /aden, a wealthy 1audi Arabian who is the leader of the worldwide terrorist organi/ation al Oaeda. President )ush launched two counterterrorism warsD one in A" hanistan, and in "##6, one in Ira6. ,n "##?, the Bnited 1tates elected their first African American President. #arack 2&ama, the :emocratic %unior 1enator from ,llinois, beat Aepublican 0ohn (cCain to become the 33th President of the Bnited 1tates.