Historical Highlights of the American Experience

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	The Gilded Age: 1865 - 1889 The title Twain gave to this period was appropriate for it was, indeed, a gilded age—an age at least symbolically, adorned with gold leaf. A materialistic outlook dominated not only the dealings of businessmen but also the workings of the government. The alleged right of individuals to acquire power and property seemed to threaten the morals standards of the day.
	The Progressive Era: 1890 - 1919 The Progressive Era, 1890-1920, can be described as the study of the era of progress, and the processes and ways, in which the American society attempted to adjust to change. During this period people were actively engaged in the molding and shaping of their society.
	The Jazz Age: 1920 - 1929 The period between the end of World War I and the beginning of the The Great Depression in 1929 evoked feelings of giddy excitement and turbulence among those who appeared on its brightly lit stage of twentieth century modernity. People were aware that the automobile and other technological advancements were changing their lives. . .
	The Great Depression, FDR, and the New Deal: 1930 - 1939 The Great Depression decade deeply influenced the ways in which succeeding generations defined their social attitudes , their economic ambitions and goals, and their whole concept of the good life. Similarly, the policies of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal and philosophic and ideological assumptions that underlay them have dominated American society and government since the 1930s. So have the political techniques and voter appeals that Roosevelt employed with such wizardry. . .
	The Second World War: 1940 -1949 Organizing to fight a two-front war required a massive mobilization of manpower and the economy, resulting in an unprecedented expansion of the federal government. The of labor provided new employment for women and Africans and other racial and ethnic groups in America. World War II began a process of change that would transform American society in the postwar era.
	Cold War Era America: 1950-1990 World War had made the United States the world's greatest power, but it was unable to dictate the shape of the postwar world.Even before the end of the war, tension with the Soviet Union began to mount and soon he United States and its wartime ally found themselves engaged in a new world conflict, the Cold War. As the Cold War intensified the United found itself compelled to assume greater world responsibilities than ever before. American isolationism was a thing of the past.
	The American Civil Rights Movement: 1950 - 1965 In May of 1954, the United States Supreme Court's decision in the case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka marked the beginning of the end of segregation in American public education. The Court rejected the "Separate but equal" doctrine in public schools. . , ,the legal foundation on which the modern Civil Rights Movement was built.
	The Making of a Counter Culture: 1960 - 1979 A struggle developed over the achievement of civil rights for Africans. President Kennedy was assassinated. Lyndon Johnson's to build the Great Society was met with obstacles as the United States sank deeper into the quagmire of Vietnam. A significant portion of the nation's youth rebelled against the attitudes and values of American society. . . .
	American Challenges: 1980 - 1999 Budget deficits, an immense national, the decline in the value of the dollar, the unfavorable trade balance, a nervous stock market, AIDS, persistent poverty and homelessness, the struggle of women and people of color to achieve equal rights and opportunities and preserving the solvency of the Social Security system, created a sense of uncertainty among the American people. But they were reminded that hey had the ability to face whatever they were confronted with.
	The New Beginning: 2000 -- What is the relationship between technology of the late 20th century he early 21st century? Has contemporary technology taken dimensions that means traditional ways of thinking and behaving are no longer valid? How has technology shaped our lives? What has been our attitude toward and its continuing development?
	Readings in American Popular Culture Reading assignments for American Studies 7 (Shadows of American Popular Culture) Click on image to retrive readings in pdf format.