Initial focus by the Americans in World War II was containing Germany. Read about the Allied war stategy to "close the ring" and deprive Germany of men and materiel.

A brief description of the course of World War II in both Europe and the Pacific. Read about the new technologies developed for the military by both the Allies and Axis powers, and find out about the millions who died as a result of the...

Although Americans remained isolationist in their thinking, President Roosevelt understood that the European allies needed help against the Germans. Read about the incremental ways America became involved in World War II in Europe...

A brief look at the expansionist moves of Japan in China, including a description of the Rape of Nanking. Also read about the military expansionism in Europe and Africa by both Germany and Italy, finally resulting in a declaration of war...

Read about the ways the American government and people looked inward during the 1930s, isolating themselves from actions taking place in Europe and Asia.

A brief overview of the decade prior to the American entrance into World War II. Read about the rise in militarism in both Europe and Japan.

Ironically, Henry Hudson, English explorer, was in the employ of the Dutch West India Company when he explored what is now the New York area. Read about the colony the Dutch established at the mouth of the Hudson River and see how the...

No discussion about the Great Depression can be complete without a look at the legacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal programs. Read about the changes and effects on the economy brought about by the programs, but see what...

Franklin Roosevelt had many critics, many of whom criticized him for not going far enough with his New Deal legislation. Read about three such critics and their plans.

Amazing number of agencies formed as a result of New Deal legislation. Read about the agencies and legislation whose acronyms have become part of governmental history.

Actions taken by Franklin D. Roosevelt upon becoming president in 1933. Read about how he took immediate steps to restore confidence in the banking segment of the American economy.

The Great Depression was not the fault of Herbert Hoover, but see how he was unable or unwilling to take the steps to address it. Find out how the election of 1932 was the result of his misunderstanding of the economics of the time.

Read how anger about the increasing hardships affecting people in the Great Depression resulted in a march on Washington, D.C., by veterans of World War I. See what the demands were of the so-called Bonus Army, and how the demands were met.

Read about the politics, both domestic and international, of the three presidents in the 1920s. Domestic scandals and attempts to patch international problems stood out in this decade.

A look at the literature and movies written and produced in the Jazz Age. See how the writers of the age reflected the consumer society and the emptiness of middle class. Movies appealed to mass culture and millions went to the movies...

The 1920s was a time of intolerance and a return to nativism, a claim to return to American values, defined as those held by white, western European descendents. Read about the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, restriction on immigration,...

A dark side to the Jazz Age was the increase in the fear of Communism. Read about the federal government's actions to stem anything that was thought to threaten American security.

An overview of the clash between the old way of life of the Victorian Age and the new, the Jazz Age.

The booming economy of the 1920s introduced new products and ways of paying for those products. Read about the increase in the kinds of household appliances, places to buy the appliances, and the financing of all those new consumer goods.

The liberation of women as expressed by the flappers of the 1920s was in stark contrast to the actions of women in the Victorian Age. Read about how flappers expressed their freedom in fashion, employment, and leisure activities.

The Eighteenth Amendment showed how difficult it is to legislate morality. Read about the advantages of Prohibition, especially in terms of public health. The disadvantages far outweighed the advantages. See how lawlessness increased...

Henry Ford's use of the assembly line to manufacture his automobiles led to many ramifications. Read about the spin-off industries created by the growth of the automobile industry, and see what impact the auto had on culture.

World War I was not fought by Americans just in Europe. Read about the many ways people at home helped the war effort. See how badly German-Americans were treated as anti-German passions were fueled.

William Howard Taft was a disappointment to the progressive-minded Theodore Roosevelt. Read about how he tried to be the Republican Party candidate in 1912, and when that failed, he started a third party, the platform of which was filled...