Eras of American History

The blood and sweat of our Founding Fathers freed us from the rule of King George III, and allowed them to create a government by the people and for the people. Freedom would ring after much bloodshed and ravaged, inexperienced soldiers, allied by the French, defeated Great Britain. Thirteen Colonies soon became states, and the United States of America was born.

Battles were not over. They continued with the French and Indian war and the War of 1812. Fighting, bloodshed and negotiation was the only way to retain freedom.

The greatest and most costly loss due to war happened in the 1860's with the War Between the States, or the Civil War. It was more about state's rights until Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation. Most of the battles occurred in the southern states and they were ravaged beyond comprehension. Railroads were pulled up, entire towns were burned, and a noble, but erroneous civilization was virtually destroyed. States had to fight to be re admitted into the union, and shame was a razor sharp consequence.

Shortly after the War Between the States, an American icon; the Bison or Buffalo was slaughtered by the millions and brought to the brink of extinction. The west was wild but wide open. Settlers rode in by the thousands for land claims, gold and silver.

The American Indian was forced to give up its land by the thousands of acres, and signed treaties that were not honored by our government. They wound up on poor land and it was called reservations.

The 20th Century soon approached, and with it a terrible disease called the Spanish flu wiped out one third of the population of the world.

A peaceful President, Woodrow Wilson was forced into war in what was called at the time, The Great World War. Thousands of soldiers would die of pneumonia on the way to the fight. The soldiers that made it faced a war of fierce aggression, and a new tactic in attack called trench warfare. By 1920, the allies had defeated Germany.

The "roaring twenties" was a relatively short era; but prosperous and newly introduced an industry called moving pictures. The economy was stable and people were happy.