Changes

   

   

In the time period after the end of Reconstruction (1877) until the key presidential election of 1896, economic issues were particularly important.  Very little else was happening: the presidents were unremarkable and, frankly, entirely forgettable.  Social disputes like slavery were resolved.  And for the longest time in American history, there were no wars.  America had no wars between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the beginning of the Spanish-American War in 1898, a period of 33 years.  Ask yourself: when was the second longest time of peace in American history?<ref>The second longest time period of peace in American history was between the end of the War of 1812 (in 1815) and the beginning of the Mexican War (in 1846), a period of 31 years.  See http://americanhistory.about.com/library/timelines/bltimelineuswars.htm</ref>

In the time period after the end of Reconstruction (1877) until the key presidential election of 1896, economic issues were particularly important.  Very little else was happening: the presidents were unremarkable and, frankly, entirely forgettable.  Social disputes like slavery were resolved.  And for the longest time in American history, there were no wars.  America had no wars between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the beginning of the Spanish-American War in 1898, a period of 33 years.  Ask yourself: when was the second longest time of peace in American history?<ref>The second longest time period of peace in American history was between the end of the War of 1812 (in 1815) and the beginning of the Mexican War (in 1846), a period of 31 years.  See http://americanhistory.about.com/library/timelines/bltimelineuswars.htm</ref>

[[File:Eads Bridge.jpg|right|300px|thumb|the Eads Bridge from St. Louis to Illinois across the Mississippi River, a marvel of engineering success]]

[[File:Eads Bridge.jpg|right|300px|thumb|the Eads Bridge from St. Louis to Illinois across the wide and 103-foot deep Mississippi River, a marvel of engineering achievement, still standing]]

This period, 1877 to 1896, saw the greatest advances in technology in the history of world.  Our prosperity today is largely a result of the tremendous innovations of the second half of the 1800s.  Free enterprise was booming, and the biggest political issues were economic ones.  Many of the economics questions on the CLEP exam come from 1877-1896.

This period, 1877 to 1896, saw the greatest advances in technology in the history of world.  Our prosperity today is largely a result of the tremendous innovations of the second half of the 1800s.  Free enterprise was booming, and the biggest political issues were economic ones.  Many of the economics questions on the CLEP exam come from 1877-1896.