Lessons About History is a book by Werner Poegel detailing the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the 1920 to 2020 period and beyond. Circumstances of history show people living vastly different lives from the dawn of our nation after the Revolutionary War, to the early 1800s, to the costly Civil War, Reconstruction, and the late nineteenth and twentieth century, to the many technological changes after 1920 and the challenges of the 2000’s. The lessons of history are often the same and mistakes are often repeated. Lessons About History puts all of it in perspective as a guide to move forward in a positive way for the future of our nation. Who were the people? What have we learned? When did we know it? Where did it happen? Why did we decide it? How do we change it? What does the future hold? – Much of the future is not subject to our control, but another portion of it certainly is. Get Lessons About History and use the lessons from history. pdf
Prior to 1880
The United States as a country became independent from Great Britain after the Revolutionary War,
fought again during the War of 1812, experienced national trauma during the Civil War and a difficult period during Reconstruction after the Civic War.
Due to the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, a trip from New York to California took less than a week instead of half a year.
1880 to 1920
Reconstruction ended in 1877.
Settlement of the Great Plains occurred.
Buffalo herds ceased to exist at about the same time violence with Native Americans ends by 1890
During this period tens of millions of Europeans immigrated to the United States. Many American industries began and agriculture expanded from 2 million in 1860 to 6 million in 1905.
The United States becomes a leading global industrial power.
There was the war with Spain in 1898 and World War I.
New technologies such as the telegraph and telephone affected society.
By 1890 there were growing feelings that a power shift had occurred giving corporations a huge amount of the power base in the United States.
States began to pass labor laws protecting workers. Child labor reached a peak in 1900 and then declined with laws requiring children to attend school.
Racial segregation was effectively upheld by “the separate but equal doctrine” of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1896.
1920 to 2000
This period saw great changes in American society. From Horses and carriages to cars and trucks
From ice boxes to refrigerators.
From male dominance to an increasing role for women starting with women’s right to vote.
Communication changed dramatically with the advent of radio and later television which brought immediate news to the American public and further connected even the farthest corners of the nation.
The United States participated in a number of wars. World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and various conflicts throughout the world.
2000 to 2030
If time travelers were to describe this period, they would mention the new habit of humans walking around with Smart Phones almost attached to the ear.
High speed internet fuels the growth of new communication services. The United States transitioned to Digital Television. Newspaper readership fell to the lowest levels in history.
A major terror attack against the U.S. in 2001 led to the longest wars in U.S. history in Afghanistan and Iraq with the U.S. War Against Terror.
