American Revolutions

American Revolutions:  The extent of change 










WHAT: The war between the American colonies and Great Britain leading to the formation of independence and the United States.

CAUSE: King George III having complete tyranny over the 13 colonies of America. As well as laws such as the Sugar Act, Tea Act, Navigation Laws, Stamp Act, Intolerable Acts, and Townshend Acts which the colonists were fed up with. The colonists wanted Independence because they had no representation in the British parliament. “No taxation without representation”.

EFFECT: The Declaration of Independence was established by Thomas Jefferson indicating the independence America received from Great Britain.



WHAT: A war within a single country. This specific war was determining whether the United States was to be a dissolvable confederation of sovereign states or an indivisible nation with a sovereign national government.

CAUSE: The Civil War started because of differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states.

EFFECT: Reconstruction and Jim Crow laws took place after this event. The reconstruction era was when the southerners were gradually admitted back into the Union and areas that were destroyed during the war were restored. The Jim Crows Laws were meant to punish black people in a legal manner.

WHAT: A series of economic policies introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were intended to provide relief to millions of Americans. It covered a range of items including labor, bank, and relief reforms.


CAUSE: Took place to rebuild the economy from the Great Depression.

EFFECT: With the start of World War II, the programs created by the New Deal became unnecessary as GNP and unemployment rates improved as men became soldiers and women took over jobs.








WHAT: Reform movement intellectually and socially in the United States. This answered cultural questions and addressed the change from the past society to the modern world.

CAUSE: Government at every level needed to be on the same page. This meaning that with the reforms that were taking place, the government needed to be involved.

EFFECT: Marks the transformation of American politics. Things such as the purpose of government, limits of government, domestic policies, and foreign policies were addressed. The 18th and 19th amendments were passed during this time period which affected prohibition and women’s suffrage which ultimately transformed America during this time period and into the future.

WHAT: A new era of mass production arose in the United States. The labor force came from millions of immigrants from around the world seeking a better way of life.

CAUSE: Technology was improving as well as means of manufacturing. America wanted to improve and become powerful therefore underwent an industrial revolution which used advanced technology and communication in order to expand economic growth and power.

EFFECT: The effect of industrialization in America caused citizens to move into big cities and suburbs. Through this, socially, the distinction between wealthy and poor grew larger. Frontier life was ending in the west, the south was falling behind, and industrialization was focused chiefly on the north. There was a rise in big business, improved production methods, development of new products, and most importantly: economic growth. The changes brought about by industrialization and immigration gave rise to the labor movement and the emergence of women's organizations advocating industrial reforms.