trimmed timeline

Manifest Destiny

The 19th-century belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Treaty of Paris (1815)

The peace treaty that officially ended the Napoleonic Wars and restored Europe's political structure before Napoleon’s rule.

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

A U.S. policy warning European nations against further colonization or interference in the Americas.

Homestead Act (1862)

A law granting 160 acres of land to settlers willing to farm it for at least five years, encouraging westward migration.

Taiping Rebellion

A massive civil war in China (1850-1864) led by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, challenging the Qing dynasty’s rule.

Treaty of Nanjing (1842)

A treaty that ended the First Opium War, with China ceding Hong Kong to Britain and opening multiple ports to British trade.

Meiji Restoration (1868)

The political revolution in Japan that restored imperial rule and led to rapid industrialization and modernization.

Suez Canal (1869)

A man-made waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, facilitating trade between Europe and Asia.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)

The treaty that ended the U.S.-Mexico War, ceding vast territories in the southwest U.S. to the United States.

Battle of Waterloo (1815)

The battle where Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by Allied forces, marking the end of his rule in France.

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

The acquisition of 828,000 square miles of land from France, doubling the size of the U.S.

Treaty of London (1839)

A treaty that guaranteed Belgium's neutrality, a provision later violated during World War I.

Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

A rebel state established during the Taiping Rebellion, led by Hong Xiuquan, claiming to be the younger brother of Jesus Christ.

Dual Alliance (1879)

A military alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary, aimed at countering Russian aggression.

Congress of Berlin (1878)

An international meeting that revised the Treaty of San Stefano and redistributed Ottoman territories in Europe.

Berlin Conference (1884-1885)

A meeting of European powers to establish rules for the colonization of Africa, leading to the "Scramble for Africa."

Weltpolitik

Germany's foreign policy under Kaiser Wilhelm II, focused on global imperial expansion and military buildup.

Spanish-American War (1898)

A conflict between the U.S. and Spain that led to the U.S. acquiring territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

Treaty of Paris (1898)

The treaty that ended the Spanish-American War, with Spain ceding Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the U.S.

Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)

A war between France and Prussia, leading to the unification of Germany and the downfall of Napoleon III.

Triple Alliance (1882)

A military alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, aimed at countering the threat of France and Russia.

Treaty of San Stefano (1878)

A treaty signed between Russia and the Ottoman Empire after the Russo-Turkish War, giving Russia influence in the Balkans.

First Boer War (1880-1881)

A conflict between the British Empire and Boer republics, which resulted in Boer victory and the restoration of limited independence.

The Long Depression (1873-1879)

A worldwide economic downturn that led to increased industrialization and the push for new colonies.

Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895)

A peace agreement between China and Japan, ending the First Sino-Japanese War and resulting in Chinese territorial concessions.

Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901)

A Chinese anti-imperialist uprising aimed at expelling foreign influence, crushed by an eight-nation alliance.

The Balfour Declaration (1917)

A statement by the British government supporting the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Triple Entente (1907)

A military alliance between Britain, France, and Russia, formed as a counterbalance to the Triple Alliance.

First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)

A conflict between China and Japan over control of Korea, which resulted in Japan's victory and its emergence as a regional power.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

The peace treaty that ended World War I, imposing heavy reparations on Germany and redrawing Europe's borders.

The Scramble for Africa

The period during the late 19th century when European powers colonized nearly the entire African continent.

Dreyfus Affair (1894)

A political scandal in France involving the wrongful conviction of Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus, highlighting issues of anti-Semitism and military justice.

Great Depression (1929)

A severe worldwide economic downturn that started with the U.S. stock market crash and led to widespread unemployment and poverty.

Opium Wars

Conflicts between China and Britain (1839-1842, 1856-1860) over trade imbalances and the opium trade.

Reparations

Payments or compensation imposed on a defeated country after war, such as those imposed on Germany after World War I.

Social Darwinism

A social theory that applies Darwin’s ideas of natural selection to human society, often used to justify imperialism and racism.

Zionism

A movement for the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, which gained momentum in the late 19th century.

Industrial Revolution

A period of significant technological and industrial advancements in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that transformed economies and societies.

Spheres of Influence

Areas where foreign powers have exclusive rights to trade, influence, or investment, often used in reference to China in the 19th century.

Scramble for Africa

The period in the late 19th century during which European powers rapidly colonized almost all of Africa.

Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964)

A confrontation between the U.S. and North Vietnam that led to U.S. escalation in the Vietnam War.

Panama Canal

A man-made waterway through Central America, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, completed in 1914.

Cold War

The ideological, political, and military rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from the late 1940s to the early 1990s.

Black Hand

A secret Serbian nationalist organization responsible for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, which triggered World War I.

Bismarckian System

The network of alliances and diplomacy established by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck to maintain Germany's security in Europe.