U.S. History For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
What Not to Read
Foolish Assumptions
Beyond the Book
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Getting Started with U.S. History
Chapter 1 America: A Short Biography
They Came, They Saw, They Stayed
Catching up to the Spanish
It’s revolutionary!
Putting America on the Map
Nationalizing a nation
Fighting with a neighbor
Fighting among ourselves
Making up is hard to do
Struggling with Greatness
Finding a place in the world
Roaring through the ’20s
What’s so great about a depression?
The big one
A Cold War and a Brave New World
From a Kennedy to a Ford
Good intentions, mixed results
Finishing out the century
America in the 21st Century
Bursting economic bubbles
Politics and healthcare are no tea party
Stormy times and a new kind of president
Changing technology, changing America
Chapter 2 Native Americans and Explorers: 14,000 BC (?)–1607
Coming to America
Exploring Early Civilizations
The Anasazi
The Mound Builders
Many Tribes, Not Many People
In the Northwest
In the Southwest
On the Great Plains
In the Northeast
In the Southeast
De-stereotyping the Native Americans
Visiting by the Vikings
Spicing Up Life — and Other Reasons for Exploring
Dropping Names of Others Who Dropped By
The Sword, the Cross, and the Measles
Native American slavery
The men in the brown robes
Destruction through disease
Arriving Late for the Party
France
England
Chapter 3 Pilgrims’ Progress: The English Colonies, 1607–1700
Seeing Potential in the New World
Settling in Jamestown
Early troubles
Making Native American friends
Finding a cash crop
Instituting Slavery
Colonizing: Pilgrims and Puritans
The Mayflower Compact: A Dutch pilgrimage
The Massachusetts Bay colony: A pure haven
Bringing Religious Freedom: Dissidents, Catholics, and Quakers
Sneaking off to Rhode Island
Collecting Catholics in Maryland
Promoting tolerance in Pennsylvania
Dealings of the Dutch
Coping with Native American Troubles
Chapter 4 You Say You Want a Revolution: 1700–1775
Looking at America in 1700
Colonizing New France
Fighting the First True World Wars
King William’s War
Queen Anne’s War
King George’s War
Awakening to Greater Religious Freedom
The French and Indian War
Unifying the colonies
Defeating British General Braddock
Outfighting the French
Growing like a Weed
Accounting for the population explosion
Living the good life
Heading Toward Divorce with Britain
The Proclamation of 1763
The Revenue Acts (1764)
The Stamp Act (1765)
The Townshend Act (1767)
The Boston Massacre (1770)
The Boston Tea Party (1773)
The “Intolerable” Acts (1774)
Congressing for the First Time
Mr. Revere, Your Horse Is Ready
Chapter 5 Yankee Doodlin’: 1775–1783
In This Corner, the Brits . . .
In This Corner, the Yanks . . .
Mr. Washington Goes to War
Finding faults in George
Commanding a country
Declaring Independence
Stirring up colonists’ emotions
Writing history
Cozying Up to the French
Undergoing Life Changes: The Loyalists and the Slaves
Remaining loyal to the crown
Confronting slavery issues
Winning a War
Felling a British fort
Battling over Bunker, uh, Breed’s Hill
Losing the campaign in Canada
Nixing plans to take New York
Winning at Trenton and Princeton
Making the Brits surrender at Saratoga
Sparring at sea
Losing big in Charleston
Minimizing a loss at Guilford Courthouse
Turning things around at Yorktown
Chapter 6 Blueprints and Birth Pains: 1783–1800
Making the Rules
Going back to Philly
Selling the Constitution to the states
Dishing Up Politics, American Style
Washington the politician
Family feuding: Jefferson versus Hamilton
Raising the Dough
Earning Respect
Shaking things up: Shays’s Rebellion
Taxing liquid corn: The Whiskey Rebellion
Going “mad” over the Native Americans
Attempting to censor the press
Finding Foreign Friction
Part 2 Growing Pains
Chapter 7 “Long Tom” and One Weird War: 1800–1815
Jefferson Gets a Job
Disorder in the Court
Growing by Leaps and Bounds
Capitalizing on Napoleon’s going-out-of-business sale
Lewis, Clark, and the woman on the coin
Fighting Pirates, and a “Dambargo”
“To the shores of Tripoli . . . ”
No one likes a bloodless war
“Little Jemmy” Takes the Helm
New kids on the block
Fighting the Native Americans — again
Why Not Invade Canada This Year?
Three Strikes and the Brits Are Out
Calling It Even
Working on a settlement
Squawking about things in New England
Chapter 8 Pulling Together to Keep from Falling Apart: 1815–1844
Embracing Nationalism . . . Sort Of
Taking it to the bank
A tariff-ic idea
This land is my land, but for how much?
Orders from the court
Increasing industry
The Slavery Cancer Grows
Cotton and sugar mean more slaves
Opposing slavery
Compromising over Missouri
Mind your own hemisphere: The Monroe Doctrine
Mud-Wrestling to the White House
Adams wins, but Jackson isn’t done
Old Hickory: The Jackson presidency
Nullify This
The nullification debate hits the Senate
A tarrible idea
Bringing down the Bank
Inventing a Better Life
Riding the train
Reaping what you sow
Communicating across America
Staking Out New Land
Pushing out the Native Americans
Claiming independence for Texas
Changing it up at president
Chapter 9 War, Gold, and a Gathering Storm: 1845–1860
Wrenching Land from Mexico
Provoking a war
Capturing California and the Southwest
Rushing for Gold
Risking life and limb to strike gold
Compromising on the slavery issue
Coming Over and Spreading Out
The Germans, the Irish, and the Know-Nothings who opposed them
Making waves: The Mormons
Wagons ho!
Becoming aware of women’s rights (or the lack thereof)
The Beginning of the End
Factoring a slave’s life
Battling in Kansas
Making a “dredful” decision
Squaring Off for a Showdown: The Lincoln–Douglas Debate
Spark number 1: John Brown
Spark number 2: Lincoln’s election
Chapter 10 A Most Uncivil War: 1861–1865
Introducing Abraham Lincoln
Presenting the 16th president
Understanding Lincoln’s views on slavery and the Union
Bending the Constitution to preserve the Union — and win reelection
North versus South: Comparing Advantages and Action Plans
Freeing the Slaves
Proclaiming emancipation
Surveying the consequences of emancipation
Reviewing the Troops, the Generals, and the Major Battles
The men at the top
The war at sea
The war on land
Two More Reasons Why the North Won
Losing a Leader
Chapter 11 Putting the Country Back Together: 1865–1876
A Southern-Fried Mess: Life in the South after the Civil War
Starting a new life
Becoming sharecroppers
Piecing the Union Back Together
Demanding loyalty, legislating equality
Using violence to keep blacks down
The Tailor-Made President: Andrew Johnson
Growing Corruption in Politics
Riding the railroads to economic ruin
Fixing a presidency (and not in a good way)
Part 3 Coming of Age
Chapter 12 Growing Up: 1876–1898
Heading West in a Quest for Wealth
Making money from minerals
Making money from animals
Making money from vegetables
Ousting “Undesirables”
Putting up a fight
Legalizing discrimination
Cramming into Cities
Inventing Big Business
Building the railroads
Manufacturing steel more efficiently
Refining (and controlling) oil
Getting wired for sound and light
Forming trusts and striking against them
Electing a String of Forgettable Presidents
The Rise of Populism
“A Splendid Little War”
Chapter 13 Growing into the 20th Century: 1899–1918
Here Today, Guam Tomorrow: Colonizing Spain’s Lands
Arguing about American imperialism
Keeping a high profile in international affairs
Making a Lot of Noise and Carrying a Big Stick: Roosevelt Takes Office
Progressing toward Political and Social Reform
The “muckrakers” expose evil and initiate change
Improving working conditions — and other people’s drinking habits
Contracting Labor Pains
Struggling in a changing workforce
Initiating improvements to working conditions
Transporting America
Suffering for Suffrage
Leaving the South: African Americans Migrate to Northern Cities
The War to End All Chapters
Chapter 14 Gin, Jazz, and Lucky Lindy: 1919–1929
Wilson Goes Out of His League for Peace
Restricting Immigration and Challenging the Natives
Closing the gate
Return of the Klan
Darwin versus God
Warren, Cal, and Herbert: Republicans in the White House
Good Times (or Were They?)
Helping the rich
Increasing American spending habits
Making it difficult on the poor
Ain’t We Got Fun?
Going to the movies
Listening to the radio
Listening to music and writing literature
Playing games
Drying Out America: Prohibition Begins
Changing Morals
An Age of Heroes
Chapter 15 Uncle Sam’s Depressed: 1930–1940
The Great Depression: Causes and Consequences
FDR: Making Alphabet Soup
Electing a reformer
Creating hope through a New Deal
Packing the Supreme Court
Assessing the New Deal
Shoving Aside Racial Minorities
Keeping Women at Home — or Work
Developing Organized Labor
Critics, Crooks, and Crime Fighters
Huey Long
Francis E. Townsend
Charles E. Coughlin
Bad guys and G-men
Chapter 16 The World at War: 1941–1945
Trying to Avoid War — Again
Playing the role of a good neighbor
Sensing the unavoidable
Gearing Up for War
Getting industry and the economy in shape for World War II
Working with labor unions during war times
Employing women for the war effort
Making strides — African Americans achieve greater equality
Returning for work after being kicked out — Latinos
Treating the Japanese Americans poorly
Dealing with the War in Europe
Meeting at Yalta
Winning one step at a time
Making the final push
Discovering the war’s greatest crime
Ending the war in Europe, and the end of FDR
Dealing with the War in the Pacific
Fighting back
Turning the tide
Dropping the Bomb
Part 4 America in Adulthood
Chapter 17 TV, Elvis, and Reds under the Bed: 1946–1960
A Cold War and a Hot “Police Action”
Joining the United Nations
The world as a chessboard
The Berlin airlift
The “miracle of ’48”
The Korean War
Uncle Sam’s big stick
Finding Commies under the Bed
Casting suspicion on Hiss
Leaking scientific secrets: The Rosenbergs
Checking the loyalty of federal workers
Telling tall tales: “Tail-Gunner Joe”
Having It All
A booming economy
Moving to the burbs
Tuning in to the tube
Rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’
An American king
Moving, Slowly, to the Front of the Bus
Brown against the board
Boycotting the bus
Chapter 18 Camelot to Watergate: 1961–1974
Electing an Icon
The Bay of Pigs
Facing the possibility of nuclear war
A dark day in Dallas
Sending Troops to Vietnam
Sinking deeper into a confusing war
Taking a look at the Tet Offensive
Increasing Pressure in ’Nam and Escalating Fears at Home
Continuing the Fight for Civil Rights
Enforcing their rights: African Americans
Challenging the system: Latin Americans
Maintaining their culture: Native Americans
Entering a Generation in Revolt
Draft dodging, drugs, and demonstrations
The rise of feminism
Coming out of the closet
Weirdness in the White House
Making strides: The Nixon administration
Watching it all fall apart: Watergate
Chapter 19 Hold the Malaise, or, Ayatollah So: 1975–1992
Wearing Nixon’s Shoes
Doing the best he could
Whipping inflation
Good Intentions, Bad Results
Measuring misery
Befriending the enemy
There’s a First Time for Everything
Buying into the “Reagan Revolution”
Paying for “Reaganomics”
Dealing with foreign affairs
Warming Up after the Cold War
Engaging in the Gulf War
Back on the home front
Chapter 20 No Sex, Please, I’m the President: 1993–1999
Bill, Newt, and Monica
Treading lightly abroad
Pushing harder on the home front
Pushing the “Contract with America”
Judging a president
Homegrown Terrorism
Rallying around Ruby Ridge
Taking down a cult: Waco
Bombings rock the nation
Don’t open that mail: The Unabomber
Making Ourselves Sick
Suffering from AIDS
Dealing with drugs
A World of Change
You’ve got mail!
Trading under a global economy
Part 5 Facing the New Millennium
Chapter 21 Terror Comes Home; America Goes to War(s)
Whew! A Squeaker: Bush and Gore, 2000
Hanging chads and butterfly ballots
Post-election scrutinizing
A Nation Stunned
Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden
Taking on the Taliban
Fighting terrorism on the home front
That Damn Saddam
Toughening the stance against Iraq
The U.S. invasion
Meanwhile, in the Rest of the World . . .
Winds and Losses
Big blow in the Big Easy
Ike hits Texas
Chapter 22 Recessions Can Be Really Depressing
Ouch! The Economy Stubs Its Toe
Dot-com dreams and investor nightmares
The houses that went upside down
Brother, Can You Spare a Job?
Looking for work. And looking . . .
Where the work went
“We’re from the Government; We’re Here to Help . . . ”
Brand new president, same old problems
Buying time by buying bonds
Did government intervention work?
Unspreading the Wealth
The rich get richer
The blame game
Chapter 23 Reforming Healthcare Is No Tea Party
The Great Presidential Race of 2008
Obama versus McCain
Obama’s historic victory
Calling the president a liar
Going to a Tea Party
Taking over the House
Cutting taxes by compromising
Lurching Toward Healthcare
Courting the Supreme Court
A stumbling start
Clinging to its legislative life
Reelecting Obama in 2012
The challenger
The race
The results
Meanwhile, Back at the Budget . . .
Hitting the debt ceiling
Driving off the fiscal cliff
Shutting down the government
Chapter 24 America Disagrees with Itself
Trumped
Getting to know a new kind of president
Cutting taxes and picking judges
Changing who’s in charge of the House
With Friends Like These . . .
Putting America first
Trading insults on trade
Sorting out friend from foe
Guns, Drugs, and #MeToo
Shooting each other at alarming rates
Black lives matter — and so do cops’
Dying from drugs
Confronting sexual harassment
Weathering the Weather
Chapter 25 This New America
The Techno Revolution
Getting the news — real and fake — from new news sources
Calling all cells
Socializing and shopping on the web
Entertaining ourselves, by ourselves
Using technology to spy, lie, and meddle
Surfing the “Silver Tsunami”
Dealing with tough times
Straining Social Security and Medicare
Stirring the Melting Pot
Trying to fix the system
The country’s changing face
Redefining the American Family
Changing with the times
Legalizing gay marriage
Part 6 The Part of Tens
Chapter 26 Ten Innovations That Made It Easier to Be Lazy
The Escalator (1896)
Sliced Bread (1928)
Pizza Delivery (~1945)
Drive-Through Restaurants (1948)
TV Remote Controls (1950)
Pop-Top Cans (1963)
Microwave Ovens (1967)
Microwave Popcorn (1983)
Global Positioning System (1989)
Amazon (1995)
Chapter 27 Ten U.S. Presidents Who Were, Well, Average
Bill Clinton
William McKinley
Grover Cleveland
John Quincy Adams
George H. W. Bush
William Howard Taft
Martin Van Buren
Rutherford B. Hayes
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Part 7 The Appendixes
Appendix A The Bill of Rights: Amendments 1–10 of the Constitution
Appendix B The Declaration of Independence
Index
EULA