what do you believe to be the most significant 3 events in American History since 1865?

Question

why, how do they affect the U.S., who they affected

Answer 1

1. 9/11 - Event brought a nation together as never before and events since have polarized it as never before.

2. World War 2 - The whole nation was totally involved.

3. Vietnam - Again, a massively polarizing event, and on TV every day so even people who weren't involved felt like they were.

Each was the focal point of an entire generation.

The Great Depression would be a close 4th.

Answer 2

1. FDR's presidency, including the New Deal, completely changed the U.S. government and the extent of its involvement. It created a welfare government.

2. Pearl Harbor. It brought us into WW2, which at the time the American public didn't want to be involved with. Because of Pearl Harbor, that brought about our entrance into WW2, it brought the U.S. out of the depression and made us the leading world power.

3. and well I guess 9/11 is a biggie. It was more like a reality check. The U.S. strongly supports isolationism, which is a reason why so many people are unaware of what goes on in the rest of the world. 9/11 made people realized that people are willing to attack our mainland (which i think the war of 1812 was the last time that happened but im not sure) and stirred up an interest in World events.

Answer 3

Kevin gave you four good events, and I would agree but put them in a different order:

1. The Crash of 1929 with the Great Depression that followed. It changed the social order and caused people to acknowledge the temporary nature of security. As a result, Americans tend to be the most cheritable people on earth and believe it is their obligation to help others.

2. The attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent involvement of the United States in World War II. The vulnerability of the nation brought people together and renewed the patriotism that had suffered with the dissillusionment following the Civil War and the First World War.

3. The Vietnam era - both the war and the social upheval at home left scars on the American psyche.

4. The Women's Liberation Movement. American homes lost the benefit of "at home" mothers who made their families, homes and communities the center of their lives. Women lost their special status as wives and mothers and many men abandoned their traditional roles as husbands and fathers.

5. The attacks of 9/11 - The United States had been attacked before, but the attacks on embassies, the Cole, the baracks in Beruit, etc. seemed distant and somehow unreal to most Americans. Carnage in Manhattan could not be ignored. For the first time, it became apparent that there are forces in the world that deeply hate the United States and want to destroy our institutions, ruin our economy and kill our people. The message could not be clearer.

(Of these, I think #4 will have the greatest and longest affect on the people of the United States. It started as a movement for equality but had unintended consequences to the family.)

Answer 4

1) Watergate/ the Impeachment of Nixon. It polarized the country politically and set a precedent of disrespect for the president. It marked the end of the private life for celebrities and politicians. The biggest downer in America's history.

2) Waco. Not only did it bring on the age of terrorism in the reactions to it, but it meant that Americans could be attacked militarily.

3) Spanish American War. Brought us into Asia (through the Philippines) which eventually would be the reason Japan attacked us in World War II. Also, it brought on the Cuba problem, and America's first fight against Muslims (in the southern Philippines).

There are other important developments, such as the desegregation, but those are harder to pinpoint where they began. Is it when the National Guard brought the little girl in? When the US Army brought in war heros of every color? When Thurgood Marshal got into the Supreme Court? I think it already started in 1865, just some people were delaying it.

I would have added the Depression (it somewhat caused world war II), but there have been a few of those, and a few world wars...

Answer 5

1. The Spanish-American War
2. The Second World War
3. The Gulf Wars (1&2)

Answer 6

1) Atomic bomb - Ended WW2 and changed the outlook of life for every person on the planet to a fear of nuclear war.

2) The Great Depression - It changed the lives of several generations and the political effects are still seen in our business & banking regulations and the public's view of government in resolving economic issues such as FDR's New Deal.

3) WW2 ending - Not only did it end with my number 1 answer, It ended with the dividing up of german scientist in the nuclear research field and thus starting the cold war. Further returning service men and women produced the baby boom that has altered the american landscape in every area and continues to do so to this day. The returning military personnel brought international ideas to the American workplace and developed new industries like Plastics and Radar that changed the way we live.

Answer 7

1) The mass use of electricity. No electricity= no internet/computer, no refridgerators, light bulbs, or most of the other machinery we use today and since.
2) World War 1. Put the U.S. in 1st place of industrialized nations. We'd probably still be cutting wheat with hand tools on farms if not for this and #1.
3) End of the Cold War. This re-established U.S. dominace in the world. Also this brings up different enemies ethinically and theologically.

Answer 8

Spanish American War - Started the US as an imperialist power.

World War II - Left the US as one of 2 superpowers

9/11 - Started the war between the West and the Middle East.

Answer 9

world war II. it created America as a super power

Korean War- it established the credibility of the UN and halted communism

9/11- started the war on terror

Answer 10

Pearl Harbor.... took us into war/caused people to dis-trust Japanese for DECADES

JFK Assassination.... Absolutely shocking

911.... US was not prepared for this historical event.