A Look at America's History from 1866-1980 - Essay Sample

Introduction

The United States of America has a rich history that can be punctuated by the number of years that some major events happened. Some of these historical periods are so significant that they are still reflected in American society today. The history of America from 1866-1980 covers the reconstruction era, the Gilded Age, and the progressive era. This period includes the abolition of slavery, modernization of society and government and demand for various personal liberties. This paper shall examine some of these historical periods, chose the most important and examine it in-depth and reveal how it still impacts on modern America today.

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From 1866-1890 this period can be summarized as one of reconstruction after the devastation of the Civil War and the assassination of President Lincoln. The first political task was the reunification of states that had seceded back to the Union. This political task went on until 1877. However, going on at the same time was a much harder and longer task of the social aspect. This was a period when the freed slaves were being integrated into the American social setting. Both the political and social and economic reconstruction of America was not easy because the war had created a nation where the economic and social conditions of the South and the North were different.

During this time, the Republican Party gained a lot of power especially by the election of a Union war hero, Grant into the presidency. This period is further defined by the numerous reforms that were done in American politics such as the Sherman Antitrust Act, the McKinley Tariff, the Homestead Strike and the Pullman Strike among others. Most of these reforms came about due to the push by the poor and immigrants for better working conditions as the new industrial era defined by the new capitalism took hold. This era is particularly defined by people like John D Rockefeller, Henry Ford (father of mass production and the assembly line), JP Morgan and Andrew Carnegie.

From 1890-1920 the period was generally characterized by political reforms. Through farm alliances and organization, the inhabitants of rural America attempted to better their lives. Reforms took the form of women's suffrage, state reform, municipal reform, social reforms, and immigration reforms. These reforms were particularly successful because they were supported by a very popular president, President Theodore Roosevelt. He pursued various domestic reforms. Even the Supreme Court soon caught up with the progressive liberalism.

Also, the time saw a lot of America's involvement in international affairs including its presence in Samoa, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Cuba, something that led the country into the Spanish American War in 1898. In line with an activist foreign policy, Roosevelt went on to engineer the independence of Panama, sending soldiers to Nicaragua in 1912 and almost coming close to war with neighboring Mexico. America also got involved in the First World War and subsequent involvement in the Bolshevik Revolution and the League of Nations.

From 1920-1945, This was a period where very little happened inside America itself apart from an ailing economy that saw the stock market crash in 1929. As a result, if the economic woes, America had little involvement in international affairs initially. However, the end of the period coincided with a lot of involvement abroad. As problems started emerging in Asia and Europe, there was a strong sense of Isolationism at home. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor saw the country enter the Second World War. At the end of this period, America dropped the atomic bomb in Japan.

From 1945- 1980 the period of the Cold War, characterized by tensions between the US and the Soviet Union. This saw an anti-communist campaign take place in America and the civil rights movement make tremendous strides in advocacy for personal liberties including the famous speech "I have a dream" by Martin Luther King Jr. (Rare Facts 1)However, to a large extent, this period was characterized by America's involvement in global affairs including the Suez Crisis, the incident of the U-2 spy plane, the launch of the Sputnik and the Vietnam War among others.

For a person interested in understanding America, a person should study the history of America extending from 1945-1980. This period is important because it defines America particularly its roles as a superpower. After the Second World War, the US emerged as a global superpower and its foreign policies are defined by this role. In this role, America has found itself involved in conflicts in far off regions the same way it was involved in Korea and Vietnam.

The picture above was taken on September 1950 shows soldiers from the US fighting to take a strategic hill during the Korean War (The New York Times). This picture is emblematic of the time because, to influence global affairs, the US found herself sucked into various conflicts and war. Most of the wars were fought against groups or countries supported by the communist Soviet Union. In the Korean War depicted in eth picture, the US was fighting to contain the spread of communism in Europe and Asia.

Most of these involvements have been geared towards maintaining world peace as well as containing the spread of dangerous ideas. This period is characterized by various maneuvers by the nation to assert itself and influence global affairs. Unlike after the First World War when the US had decided to stay away from world affairs by refusing to join the League of Nations, the US joined the United Nations (UN) after the Second World War and became a member of the Security Council. The realization that the US could no longer go back and mind its affairs at home and hope for a peaceful world is one of the greatest lessons for American presidents to date, lessons that were learned during this period.

The picture above shows American B-29 Superfortress bombers dropping bombs in Korea. This picture is important in understanding the postwar period because the US has maintained its dominance as a superpower primarily due to the strength of its military. Air superiority is one area that has ensured the country has won many wars and conflicts and bombers have been at the forefront of aerial dominance during the war.

The period extending from 1845-1980 or postwar America is deeply reflected in American society today. American citizens and politicians hold strong global opinions simply because they recognize that their society determines a lot what happens in other parts of the world. For example, in 1991, the US-led other nations in the forceful withdrawal of Iraq from Kuwait. Every US president that comes to power has to have an elaborate foreign policy. As a global superpower, the US today is involved in various affairs across all over the world and especially the Far East and the Middle East. Today, President Donald Trump is engaged in a campaign to urge European allies to confront Iran due to Iran's acts in the Strait of Hormuz that is not only hampering world trade but also flattering with war (Sanger and Crowley 1).

Works Cited

Rare Facts. "I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King. Jr." 1 Nov 2017. YouTube. 1 Aug 2019. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP4iY1TtS3s>.

Sanger, David E, and Michael Crowley. "Trump Administration Imposes Sanctions on Iran's Top Diplomat." The New York Times 31 Jul 2019. <https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/world/middleeast/trump-iran-sanctions-zarif.html>.

The New York Times. "The Korean War in Pictures." The New York Times 25 Apr 2018. <https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/25/world/asia/korean-war-.html>.