PART 2: wars & eras (WRITTEN active recall)

Q: What caused the Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and what was its outcome?
A: Conflict over colonial independence from Britain; ended with Treaty of Paris, U.S. gained independence.

Q: What was the War of 1812 (1812–1815) about, and why was it significant?
A: U.S. vs Britain over trade and impressment; boosted nationalism and ended Native resistance.

Q: What did the U.S. gain from the Mexican-American War (1846–1848)?
A: Mexican Cession (CA, NM, AZ, etc.); intensified slavery debates and sectionalism.

Q: What were the causes and outcomes of the Civil War (1861–1865)?
A: Slavery and states' rights; ended slavery (13th Amendment), preserved the Union.

Q: Why did the U.S. fight the Spanish-American War (1898), and what came of it?
A: To support Cuban independence; gained Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico — start of imperialism.

Q: What role did the U.S. play in WWI (1917–1918), and what was the result?
A: Entered late, helped Allies win; rejected League of Nations, led to 1920s isolationism.

Q: Why did the U.S. enter WWII (1941–1945), and what were the consequences?
A: After Pearl Harbor; U.S. emerged as global power, began Cold War, expanded economy.

Q: What was the Korean War (1950–1953), and why is it important?
A: U.S. fought to contain communism; Korea remained divided, showed Cold War commitment.

Q: Why did the Vietnam War escalate, and what was its impact (1955–1975)?
A: U.S. tried to stop communist takeover of South Vietnam; led to protests, distrust in gov’t.

Q: What was the outcome of the Gulf War (1990–1991)?
A: U.S. pushed Iraq out of Kuwait; quick success reasserted U.S. military dominance.

Q: Why did the U.S. invade Afghanistan (2001), and what happened?
A: Response to 9/11; longest U.S. war, ended with Taliban back in control.

Q: What was the Iraq War (2003–2011) about, and what did it lead to?
A: Alleged WMDs (none found); destabilized region, rise of ISIS, controversy at home.

Q: What characterized the Colonial Era (1607–1754)?
A: Regional differences, early self-rule, mercantilism, beginnings of American identity.

Q: What defined the Revolutionary Era (1754–1789)?
A: Independence from Britain, Enlightenment ideas, creation of U.S. Constitution.

Q: What was the Early Republic (1789–1824) known for?
A: Political party formation, War of 1812, territorial expansion, federal authority solidifying.

Q: What happened during the Antebellum Era (1824–1860)?
A: Reform movements, industrialization, slavery debates, sectionalism growing.

Q: What was Reconstruction (1865–1877), and what ended it?
A: Rebuilding South, integrating freedmen; ended with Compromise of 1877 and rise of Jim Crow.

Q: What defined the Gilded Age (1877–1900)?
A: Big business, corruption, immigration, labor strife, major economic inequality.

Q: What were the goals of the Progressive Era (1900–1920)?
A: Regulate industry, expand democracy, address inequality and corruption.

Q: What marked the 1920s & Great Depression (1920–1939)?
A: Consumer boom, then crash and New Deal reforms to recover from economic collapse.

Q: What characterized WWII & the Early Cold War (1940–1960)?
A: U.S. global leadership post-WWII, containment, Cold War tensions, Korean War.

Q: What made the 1960s–1970s unique?
A: Civil Rights, Vietnam protests, liberal reforms, distrust of government after Watergate.

Q: What were the major features of the Reagan Era & end of Cold War (1980–1991)?
A: Conservative shift, military buildup, fall of USSR, global U.S. dominance.

Q: What are key themes of the Post-Cold War era (1991–present)?
A: Globalization, 9/11 and War on Terror, political polarization, tech boom.