US History Milestones: Colonization to Civil Rights Era

Discovery and Colonization of America

Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492. Following this, colonists came to the New World for various reasons, creating colonies with distinct social, religious, political, and economic structures in different locations.

The Thirteen Colonies

  • New Hampshire
  • Massachusetts
  • Rhode Island
  • New York
  • Connecticut
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Delaware
  • Virginia
  • Maryland
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina
  • Georgia

17th Century: The New World and American Values

In the 17th century, America

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Late 19th Century European Powers: Germany, Russia, Ottomans

Chancellor Bismarck’s Germany (1871-1890)

Otto von Bismarck served as Chancellor from 1871 until 1890. The core of his policy was ensuring security through preventive strategies, both domestically and internationally. He confronted the Catholic Church in the Kulturkampf, aiming for state control over education and clergy, but later eased these policies.

The Russian Empire in the Late 19th Century

The Russian Empire possessed enormous ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity, including:

  • Russians
  • Poles
  • Belarusians
  • Finns
  • Lithuanians
  • Latvians
  • Estonians
  • Ukrainians
  • Georgians
  • Armenians
  • Turkic
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World War I in 1917: Russian Revolution and US Entry

World War I Context: Alliances and Early Phases

World War I, which broke out in 1914, originated from a complex web of conflicts, particularly economic rivalries stemming from the Second Industrial Revolution. This era led to increased competition for global resources and fueled rising militarism and violence.

Contributing Factors to WWI

  • Formation and expansion of colonial empires.
  • An arms race, driven by the desire for new and better weapons (e.g., battleships, submarines, machine guns, airplanes,
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Key Terms: Decolonization, Cold War & Francoist Spain

Post-War Global Concepts (Item 11)

Decolonization

The process by which colonies in Asia and Africa, previously held by European powers, gained independence.

Neo-colonialism

The phenomenon where control over the wealth and resources of former colonies remains indirectly in the hands of companies based in the former colonial powers.

Non-alignment

A stance taken by countries during the Cold War, indicating they were not formally part of either the Eastern (Soviet-led) or Western (US-led) blocs.

Bandung Conference

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Tirant lo Blanch: A Knight’s Epic Journey Summary

Tirant in England

The novel begins with the story of Count William of Varoic, who has retired from worldly life to commend himself to God in a chapel. Tirant, travelling through England to attend the King’s wedding festivities, falls asleep on his horse, which strays from the group and leads him to the Count’s hermitage. There, Tirant receives advice from the hermit (the Count) and a treatise on chivalry. Starting on his way, Tirant promises the hermit he will return to tell him how events unfolded.

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Key Events and Turning Points of World War II

Pre-War Europe and Rising Tensions

The Great Depression and Rise of Fascism

The Great Depression, starting around 1929 (though the text mentions 1921), contributed to instability and the rise of support for fascism, an authoritarian form of government.

  • Benito Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy in 1922.
  • Adolf Hitler became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi Party) in Germany, promoting nationalism.

Axis Alliance and Aggression

The Axis Alliance formed between Germany

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