notesadasda

- 1492 = Columbus lands in the Americas, initiating the Columbian Exchange: This transformative event led to the exchange of plants, animals, culture, human populations, and diseases between the Americas, West Africa, and the Old World. - 1607 = Jamestown is established: The first permanent English settlement in North America, marking the beginning of sustained English colonization. - 1763 = End of the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War): Great Britain's victory led to increased control over North America, but also rising tensions with the colonies due to new taxes and regulations. - 1776 = Declaration of Independence: The formal declaration by the American colonies of their separation from Great Britain, based on principles of self-governance and natural rights. - 1800 = Jefferson elected, the first peaceful transfer of power: This election marked a significant transition in American politics, demonstrating the viability of a democratic transfer of power between opposing parties. - 1848 = End of the Mexican-American War, the start of Sectionalism: The United States gained vast new territories, but the question of whether these territories would be free or slave states intensified divisions between the North and South. - 1861 = Civil War Starts: Triggered by the secession of Southern states over slavery and states' rights, leading to a prolonged and bloody conflict over the future of the Union. - 1877 = End of Reconstruction Era & Jim Crow mobilizes: The withdrawal of federal troops from the South marked the end of Reconstruction, leading to the rise of Jim Crow laws and the disenfranchisement of African Americans. - 1898 = Spanish-American War, the start of US imperialism: The United States acquired territories such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, signaling its emergence as a global imperial power. - 1901 = Progressive Era starts under Theodore Roosevelt: A period of social and political reform aimed at addressing issues such as industrialization, urbanization, and corruption. - 1941 = Pearl Harbor & US enters WWII: The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor led the United States to enter World War II, transforming it into a global military power. - 1945 = End of WW2, the start of the Cold War: The conclusion of World War II led to the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as rival superpowers, initiating a period of geopolitical tension and ideological conflict. - 1989 = Fall of the Berlin Wall: The symbolic end of the Cold War, as the barrier dividing East and West Berlin was dismantled, signaling the collapse of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe. - 1991 = Formal end of the Cold War, Soviet Union disassembled: The dissolution of the Soviet Union marked the end of the Cold War and the emergence of a unipolar world dominated by the United States.