Important eras (dates) to remember

Critical Period

1781–1789; time under the Articles of Confederation after the Revolution with a weak federal government.

Colonial Era

~1607–1776; time of British colonies in America before independence.

Revolutionary Era

~1763–1789; from the end of the French & Indian War to the Constitution.

Antebellum Period

~1820–1860; pre–Civil War U.S. marked by slavery debates, reform movements, and industrial growth.

Civil War Era

1861–1865; conflict between the North and South over slavery and secession.

Reconstruction Era

1865–1877; post–Civil War effort to rebuild and integrate the South.

Gilded Age

~1877–1900; characterized by rapid industrialization, wealth inequality, and political corruption.

Progressive Era

~1890–1920; reform movements aimed at fixing problems caused by industrialization.

Roaring Twenties

1920–1929; marked by economic boom, cultural change, and consumerism.

Great Depression

1929–1941; period of economic collapse and New Deal reform.

World War II

1939–1945; U.S. involvement primarily from 1941 to 1945.

Cold War Era

1945–1991; characterized by U.S.–Soviet rivalry, nuclear arms race, and containment.

Civil Rights Movement

1950s–1970s; the fight for racial equality and justice.

Vietnam Era

~1964–1975; U.S. involvement in the controversial Vietnam War.

Reagan Era / Conservative Resurgence

1980s; rise of conservative politics and economic policy.