| | On the SAT II, about 20% of the test concerns ''economic'' history. That's a big portion of the exam. This includes questions about unions, money standards (gold or silver or paper), inventions, trade, taxes, farming, court decisions about economic disputes, disputes over the size of pensions for Civil War veterans, government spending and anything else affecting the economy. Economic trends influence the course of human events more than students realize. | | On the SAT II, about 20% of the test concerns ''economic'' history. That's a big portion of the exam. This includes questions about unions, money standards (gold or silver or paper), inventions, trade, taxes, farming, court decisions about economic disputes, disputes over the size of pensions for Civil War veterans, government spending and anything else affecting the economy. Economic trends influence the course of human events more than students realize. |
| − | 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 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> |
| | The Supreme Court ruled in 1883, in the Civil Rights Cases, that the Fourteenth Amendment was limited to prohibiting racial discrimination by government. These decisions held that the Fourteenth Amendment does not apply to racism by private groups. This ended the civil rights movement until the 1950s. So there is nothing to learn about civil rights concerning the late 1800s. | | The Supreme Court ruled in 1883, in the Civil Rights Cases, that the Fourteenth Amendment was limited to prohibiting racial discrimination by government. These decisions held that the Fourteenth Amendment does not apply to racism by private groups. This ended the civil rights movement until the 1950s. So there is nothing to learn about civil rights concerning the late 1800s. |