A Short, Easy Guide to American History
Christine Johnson
language
(A. J. Cornell Publications, May 13, 2011)
In March 2007 the U.S. Department of State released the first title in its “In Brief” series, “USA History in Brief,” which summarizes, in less than 9,000 words, the complete history of the United States—how it was founded and the forces and events that shape it today. This Kindle edition, re-titled “A Short, Easy Guide to American History” and equivalent in size to a physical book of approximately 40 pages, includes the complete text of the State Department’s “USA History in Brief.”Note: The original State Department release includes photos and illustrations; they are not included in this Kindle edition.CONTENTSI. Early AmericaII. Colonial PeriodIII. Road to IndependenceIV. RevolutionV. Formation of a National GovernmentVI. Early Years, Westward Expansion, and Regional DifferencesVII. Sectional ConflictVIII. Civil War and Post-War ReconstructionIX. Growth and TransformationX. Discontent and ReformXI. World War I, 1920s Prosperity, the Great DepressionXII. The New Deal and World War IIXIII. The Cold War, Korean Conflict, and VietnamXIV. Cultural Change: 1950-1980XV. End of the 20th CenturySample passage:Normal differences in politics turned especially bitter after the presidential election of 2000. The popular vote and the Electoral College vote were nearly evenly divided between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush. Thousands of ballots cast in the state of Florida were contested. After a series of court challenges over laws and procedures governing recounts, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a narrow decision that effectively gave the election to Bush.Bush expected to focus on domestic issues such as education, the economy, and Social Security. But his presidency changed irrevocably on September 11, 2001. On that day, foreign terrorists hijacked four passenger airplanes and crashed them into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Defense Department’s Pentagon headquarters near Washington, D.C., and a rural area of Pennsylvania. Bush declared war on global terrorism. Americans were generally united in the early phases, but many grew increasingly uncomfortable as the operation expanded.