From the Frontier
of Scholarship
to the Classroom
—
An Encyclopedia of American Political Thought & Practice
America Guided by Wisdom
A primary site for primary sources, comprising thousands of historical documents.
A documented history of American political thought & practice.
Modern Era
1989-Today
Chapter 24
End of History
1989-2001
From the beginning of George H. W. Bush’s presidency to the end of Bill Clinton’s, this chapter explores the immediate post–Cold War era. The collapse of the Soviet Union gives way to new international conflicts, including the Gulf War, the Oslo Accords, and the Kosovo War. At home, the Los Angeles riots expose persistent racial tensions, while terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City, along with the Columbine school shooting, raise growing concerns over domestic security and political violence.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 25
War on Terror
2001-2017
From the September 11 attacks to Donald Trump’s election, this chapter explores the War on Terror and the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. The United States invades Afghanistan, launches Operation Iraqi Freedom, and eventually kills Osama bin Laden. At home, the wars contribute to mounting federal deficits, while the Great Recession prompts major economic intervention and sweeping healthcare reform under the Affordable Care Act. The chapter examines the expansion of American military and executive power, domestic political divisions, and the changing role of the United States in the world.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 26
Crisis of Populism
1977-1989
From Donald Trump’s first inauguration to the present, this chapter explores the most recent developments in American history. Trade disputes, immigration, the COVID-19 pandemic, continued conflicts in the Middle East, renewed space exploration, the January 6 Capitol attack, and AI shape an era of political division, social changes, and international uncertainty. As the United States confronts changing economic, technological, and geopolitical challenges, the nation continues to grapple with events whose consequences are still unfolding.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Cold War Era
1945-1989
Chapter 21
Containment
1945-1961
From the end of World War II to Dwight Eisenhower’s farewell, this chapter explores the opening decades of the Cold War. The Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan seek to contain the spread of communism through military assistance and economic reconstruction, while both administrations confront growing international tensions. Eisenhower authorizes covert interventions to overthrow leftist governments in Iran and Guatemala. At home, Truman desegregates the armed forces, while Eisenhower enforces federal authority to advance school desegregation.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 22
Detente
1961-1977
From JFK to Ford, this chapter explores the Vietnam War, Civil Rights movement, and the era of detente between the United States and the Soviet Union. The civil rights movement drives major legislative advances, while LBJ launches the War on Poverty and expands American involvement in Vietnam. Richard Nixon campaigns on restoring national unity and ending the war, but instead expands military operations into Cambodia and Laos. His law-and-order policies, growing political unrest, and involvement in the Watergate scandal culminate in his resignation, leaving Ford to assume the presidency.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 23
Rearmament
1977-1989
From Carter’s presidency to the end of Reagan's administration, this chapter explores the final decade of the Cold War. Detente gives way to renewed tensions, an escalating arms race, and American intervention in the Middle East, Caribbean, and South America. Ronald Reagan pursues economic reform through Reaganomics and advances the Strategic Defense Initiative, while the Iran-Contra Affair exposes the controversies surrounding American foreign policy.
Key Documents, Events, and People
World War Era
1913-1945
Chapter 17
World War I
1913-1921
From Woodrow Wilson’s New Freedom platform to the end of his presidency, this chapter explores an era of domestic reform and global conflict. The United States enters World War I, mobilizing its military and industry before emerging as a major world power. At home, the nation confronts the Red Scare, racial violence, the women’s suffrage movement, and the temperance movement, while debates over civil liberties and America’s role in international affairs reshape national politics.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 18
Roaring Twenties
1921-1929
From Warren G. Harding to Calvin Coolidge, this chapter explores the Roaring Twenties, an era of economic growth, cultural change, and political scandal. The Ku Klux Klan reaches the height of its influence, while the Great Mississippi Flood devastates communities across the South. The United States pursues postwar diplomacy through international conferences, even as the Teapot Dome scandal exposes corruption within the federal government. Abroad, the Soviet Union consolidates power, Fascist Italy emerges, and the Nazi Party gains prominence in Germany.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 19
Great Depression
1929-1941
From Herbert Hoover’s presidency to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s third inauguration, this chapter explores the Great Depression and the outbreak of World War II. Hoover’s administration responds to economic collapse with tariffs, infrastructure projects, financial relief, and housing assistance, while its handling of the Bonus Army march draws widespread criticism. Roosevelt launches the New Deal through his famous First Hundred Days, creating federal agencies and programs to promote economic recovery and provide relief, though many initiatives fall short of their goals. Meanwhile, the rise of fascist powers and the outbreak of war in Europe and Asia increasingly challenge American neutrality.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 20
World War II
1941-1945
From FDR's third inauguration to Japan’s surrender, this chapter explores American involvement in World War II. Through the Lend-Lease Act and wartime conferences with Britain, FDR supports the Allied war effort before the attack on Pearl Harbor brings the United States directly into the conflict. American forces halt Japan’s Pacific advance at Midway and begin an island-hopping campaign, while in Europe they support the Allied campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. The D-Day invasion opens the liberation of Western Europe, as Allied forces advance into Germany alongside the Soviet offensive from the east, culminating in Germany’s surrender. Japan continues fighting until the Soviet Union enters the war against it and the United States drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, bringing the war to an end.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Progressive Era
1885-1913
Chapter 15
Gilded Age
1885-1897
From the inauguration of Grover Cleveland to the beginning of William McKinley’s presidency, this chapter explores the height of the Gilded Age, as labor unrest, corporate monopolies, and debates over the gold standard and currency reform dominate national politics. Industrial expansion and economic inequality intensify conflicts over the balance of power between workers, corporations, and the federal government.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 16
New Nationalism
1897-1913
From the beginning of McKinley’s presidency to the end of Taft’s administration, this chapter explores the Progressive presidents and their visions of national reform. McKinley brings the United States onto the global stage through the Spanish-American War, American intervention in the Boxer Rebellion in China, and the suppression of the Moro Rebellion in the Philippines. Theodore Roosevelt expands federal action against monopolies and establishes new agencies through his Square Deal, while Taft continues antitrust enforcement. Meanwhile, racial conflict reemerges as a growing national issue.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Emancipation Era
1849-1885
Chapter 12
Sectional Crisis
1849-1860
From the inauguration of Zachary Taylor until the election of Abraham Lincoln, this chapter hones in on the Sectional Crisis between free-states and slave-states. We see the failures of compromise – the expansion of slavery via the Fugitive Slave act, the Dred Scott Decision, and calls to repeal the prohibition on the slave trade. Slavery was always a talked about issue in the nation but it is during this chapter where it drove politics. Many debates in Congress were about the issue of slavery and the North's failure to enforce the Fugitive Slave act.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 13
Civil War
1860-1865
From the election of Abraham Lincoln to his assassination, this chapter explores the Secession Crisis and Civil War. Eleven Southern states secede to preserve slavery. As the war unfolds, Lincoln and Republican leaders pursue emancipation through confiscation laws, compensated emancipation in Washington, D.C., restrictions on slavery in federal territories, and the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln’s support for the 13th Amendment places the abolition of slavery nationwide within reach, though he is assassinated before its ratification.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 14
Reconstruction
1865-1885
From the death of Abraham Lincoln to the end of Chester A. Arthur’s presidency, this chapter explores Reconstruction and the early Gilded Age. Competing plans under Andrew Johnson and congressional Republicans, followed by Ulysses S. Grant’s enforcement policies, shape the struggle over the rights of freedmen and the future of the South. As federal commitment to Reconstruction wanes and Supreme Court decisions restrict federal protections, freedmen face growing racial terrorism and political repression from white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, White League, and Red Shirts.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Antebellum Era
1817-1849
Chapter 9
Good Feelings
1817-1829
From the aftermath of the War of 1812 to the end of John Quincy Adams’s presidency, this chapter explores an era of national spirit, economic development, and an emerging sectional conflict. The Monroe Doctrine asserts American interests in the Western Hemisphere. The Missouri Compromise exposes deep divisions over slavery and westward expansion. The Erie Canal accelerates commerce and connects the Atlantic coast to the interior. Meanwhile, disputes over the Tariff of Abominations intensify tensions between North and South and fuel debates over federal authority.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 10
Common Man
1829-1841
From Andrew Jackson to Martin Van Buren’s presidency, this chapter explores growing tensions over federal authority and westward expansion. Jackson’s war on the national bank limited federal financing while the Nullification Crisis tested how the Union reacts to state resistance. Indian removal led to the forced displacement of thousands of Native Americans. Nat Turner’s rebellion deepened Southern fears of slave revolts and prompts harsher restrictions on slaves. The Panic of 1837 triggers a severe economic depression, challenging Van Buren’s administration and exposing the instability Jacksonian "pet-banks."
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 11
Manifest Destiny
1841-1849
From the brief presidency of William H. Harrison to the end of James K. Polk’s administration, this chapter includes a constitutional crisis over presidential succession and the Mexican-American War. Disputes over the national bank, tariffs, and executive power divide the Whig and Democratic parties, while the annexation of Texas intensifies tensions over slavery. The Mexican-American War brings vast new territories under American control, reigniting the national debate over slavery’s expansion and deepening the divisions between North and South.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Founding Era
1784-1817
Chapter 6
More Perfect Union
1784-1789
From peace with Britain to the inauguration of George Washington as president, this chapter explores the creation and ratification of the United States Constitution. Economic depression, interstate disputes, foreign threats, and domestic unrest expose the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Delegates gather in Philadelphia to draft a new framework of government for the fledgling republic. The proposed Constitution sparks a fierce public debate, as supporters and opponents dispute the proper balance of national and state power.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 7
Federalist Regime
1789-1801
From the inauguration of George Washington to the end of John Adams’s presidency, this chapter explores the formative years of the new federal government. The French Revolution and the ensuing European wars challenge American neutrality while the Whiskey Rebellion tests the government's ability to enforce federal law. As Federalists and Republicans clash over the Constitution's meaning, the peaceful transfer of power in the election of 1800 tests the stability of the American political system.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 8
Republican Liberty
1801-1817
From Thomas Jefferson’s election in 1800 to the end of the War of 1812, this chapter explores an era of territorial expansion, commercial conflict, and national consolidation. The Louisiana Purchase doubles the nation’s territory, while conflicts with the Barbary States challenge American interests overseas. British interference with American shipping, impressment of sailors, and disputes over neutral trade lead to the War of 1812. As the young republic confronts the military power of Britain and struggles to defend its sovereignty, the war’s conclusion strengthens American national identity and sets the stage for further westward expansion.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Revolutionary Era
1763-1784
Chapter 4
Join or Die
1763-1775
From Grenville’s ministry to the Olive Branch Petition, this chapter explores the escalating imperial crisis between Britain and its American colonies. Parliament imposes new tariffs, restricts colonial trade, abolishes colonial currency, expands the quartering of British troops, and curtails the rights of defendants in trials. Colonial representatives and merchants, respond with protests, boycotts, and petitions seeking the repeal of these measures, only to face further punitive acts. Disputes over taxation, representation, and constitutional authority erode relations between Britain and the colonies leading to open rebellion.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 5
Independence
1775-1784
From George III’s Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion to the ratification of the Treaty of Paris, this chapter explores the American War for Independence. Despite early British victories, the American triumph at Saratoga persuades France to enter the war, followed by Spain and the Netherlands, transforming the conflict into a global struggle against the British Empire. Meanwhile, the Continental Congress and the states confront the challenges of wartime governance and establish the Articles of Confederation for the new republic. The battle of Yorktown draws the war to a close and the British recognize American independence.
Key Documents, Events, and People
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Colonial Era
1492-1763
Chapter 1
La Conquista
1492-1603
From the voyages of Christopher Columbus to the death of Queen Elizabeth I, this chapter explores an era of exploration, conquest, and religious upheaval that transformed the Atlantic world. Spain conquers major Native societies in Central and South America and introduce the African slave trade to the New World. Meanwhile, the Protestant Reformation divides Christendom, religious wars ravage Europe, and privateers prey on Spanish treasure fleets. As Spain builds a vast colonial empire, England and France challenge its supremacy and begin their own attempts to establish colonies in the Americas.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 2
Nova Britannia
1603-1675
From the founding of Jamestown to the eve of King Philip’s War, this chapter explores the expansion of European colonies in North America and the struggles that shaped their early development. English colonies grow rapidly in population and number, due to the Great Migration and the English Civil War. France explores much of the Great Lakes and interior. Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands compete for Atlantic dominance all the while colonial rebellions, religious disputes, and Indigenous resistance challenge imperial authority.
Key Documents, Events, and People
Chapter 3
Intercolonial Wars
1675-1763
From King Philip’s War to the Treaty of Paris, this chapter explores an era of intercolonial warfare across the Atlantic world. England, Spain, France, and the Netherlands wage successive wars for control of America. The Golden Age of Piracy threatens the flow of American riches. Meanwhile, colonial rebellions challenge imperial rule, and dynastic struggles and political revolutions shake Europe. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 establishes British hegemony in North America, but that dominance proves short-lived as tensions between Britain and its colonies set the stage for revolution.
Key Documents, Events, and People
The Curriculum is our online courses covering American political history.
FYI all of the courses are still under development.
History gives context to civics and civics gives purpose to history.
President Obama's Final Rally in Iowa | Nov. 5, 2012
President Obama's Final Rally in Iowa | Nov. 5, 2012
Obama Addresses the Nation about the Volcker Rule for Financial Institutions | January 21, 2010
MLK Jr.'s Nobel Prize Speech | Dec. 10, 1964
George H. W. Bush's "Chicken-Kiev" Speech | Aug 1st, 1991
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