The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was proposed in 1923 to grant women equal rights to men in the workplace and society. It was reintroduced in the 1970s but failed to gain enough support for full ratification. Changing the Constitution is a difficult process, requiring support from a majority of Congress and 38 states. The ERA […]
The Federalist Era (1789-1801) oversaw the adoption of the US Constitution, the growth of a stronger federal government, and the development of political parties. Federalists supported a strong federal government, while anti-Federalists feared it would violate states’ rights. The Federalist Party, led by Alexander Hamilton, passed tax laws and established a national bank, but their […]
The railroad era in the US, from the 1840s to early 1900s, saw rapid economic and geographic expansion facilitated by railroads. They transported goods and people quickly, enabling economic growth and development. However, there were issues such as bankruptcy, takeovers, and monopolies, which were criticized by society. The railroad era ended with the rise of […]
The Roaring Twenties saw the rise of the Flapper era, characterized by young Americans indulging in a hedonistic lifestyle and dancing to jazz music in illicit nightclubs. This generation rejected the rigid social norms of their predecessors and lived in the present, coping with the uncertainty of a future after the devastation of World War […]
The Neolithic Period marked the transition from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture, allowing for permanent settlements and the development of crafts and artistic expression. Private property, money, and slavery emerged, as did complex religion and politics. The period also had consequences such as a decline in diet diversity and the evolution of diseases. The […]
The Jacobean era, from 1603-1625, was a time of literary and philosophical advances, imperialism, and dramatic changes in England. King James I presided over an unstable period, including the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Literature and drama flourished, including works by Shakespeare, Jon Donne, and Ben Jonson. The Authorized King James Bible was also created during […]
The Feelings Era in US history was a period of reduced political division and increased nationalism, beginning in 1815 and ending around 1825. It followed a time of bitter partisan politics between the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties. The War of 1812 and the defeat of the Federalist Party helped usher in the era of good […]
In 19th century London, mail was delivered up to 19 times a day. Postage in England was based on sheets and distance before the use of stamps. Recipients could reject mail if they didn’t want to pay. Long before the advent of telephones and e-mail, postal delivery was the primary way people stayed in touch, […]
The Revolutionary Era began in the late 1700s after the French and Indian War. The period was characterized by independent thinking and self-determination, with scientific and cultural advances focused on reason. The American Enlightenment led to the American Revolution, while Europe saw attempts to overthrow aristocracy. The French Revolution was the most radical upheaval, with […]
The antebellum period in the US was before the Civil War and is often used to refer to the Southern US. The government was state-centralized, and the US had its first military tests. Westward expansion, the economy, slavery, and women’s rights were also important during this time. Antebellum is a Latin term meaning “before the […]
The Mesolithic era followed the last ice age and preceded the development of agriculture. Mesolithic cultures were in a transitional state towards agriculture. The era was short and artifacts are hard to find. Mesolithic cultures hunted and gathered, and may have begun intentionally planting edible plants. The Mesolithic era refers to a short period of […]
The Paleogene period, from 65.5 to 23 million years ago, marked the beginning of the Age of Mammals. Earth’s continents moved to their current configuration, forests expanded, and sea levels dropped. Mammals thrived and evolved, filling the ecological niche left by dinosaurs. Large flightless birds and aquatic mammals also evolved. The Paleogene period is the […]
The Atomic Age began after the first atomic bomb detonation in 1945 and was characterized by enthusiasm for atomic energy. However, the threat of nuclear war and the challenges and costs of nuclear power caused its decline. Nuclear power is making a comeback due to its emission-free energy, but there is still work to be […]
The Jurassic Period was dominated by dinosaurs on land and marine reptiles in the sea. Sauropods were the largest land animals ever, while pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to evolve flight. The world got hotter and wetter, allowing for more forests on Pangea. The Jurassic Period was a geological period in the middle of the […]
The Devonian Period, part of the Paleozoic Era, saw the evolution of fish with legs, the emergence of insects and spiders on land, and the first true forests. Calcareous algae and coral-like stromatoporoids built large coral reefs, but a mass extinction wiped them out. The cause of the extinction is unknown. The Devonian Period is […]
The Triassic period was the first period of the Mesozoic era, following the Permian-Triassic extinction which wiped out 96% of marine genera and 70% of terrestrial genera. Pangea and Panthalassa dominated the world, with a hot and dry climate. Reptiles thrived on land, while modern corals and ammonites flourished in the oceans. Gymnosperms dominated the […]
The Silurian Period lasted 28 million years and began after the Ordovician period. It saw the emergence of fish, vascular plants, and the first true terrestrial biota. There were extinction events, but recovery was rapid, especially among invertebrate faunas. The Silurian Period is the third of six major periods that make up the Paleozoic Era, […]
The Meiji period was Emperor Meiji’s reign in Japan from 1868 to 1912, which marked the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and a major shift in Japanese culture. The period saw major reforms in law, society, government, and economy, including the establishment of a representative assembly, a new system of ranks, private land ownership, and […]
