LibGuides: United States History: About

About United States History

United States history offers a thorough perspective on the nation's development, examining historical events through the lens of its people, politics, and cultural evolution. Studying United States history provides valuable insight into the nation's past, highlighting key events, movements, and figures that have influenced its growth and identity.

This United States History Subject Guide provides access to UCNJ of Union County, NJ library resources, sources on the web and more.

You can view the UCNJ World History Subject Guide here.

United States History

Image Source: United States War Department. Office Of The Chief Of Engineers, Humphreys, A. A. & Freyhold, E. (1877) Map of the United States. [Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Engineers, War Dept] [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3701r.cws00197

Study History at UCNJ

UCNJ of Union County, NJ offers several History courses and has a History, A.A Program. Some courses include:

HIS-105 - Afro-American History I (3 Credits)
HIS-106 - Afro-American History II (3 Credits)
HIS-201 - US History to 1865 (3 Credits)
HIS-202 - US History Since 1865 (3 Credits)
HIS-215 - American Experience 20th Century (3 Credits)
HIS-225 - Women in American History (3 Credits)
HIS-279 - History of New Jersey (3 Credits)
HIS-281 - Era of the American Revolution (3 Credits)

Check the UCNJ Course Catalog for more information!

Important Dates

July 4, 1776 – Declaration of Independence - The Thirteen Colonies declare independence from Britain.
September 17, 1787 – Constitution signed - The U.S. Constitution is signed in Philadelphia.
April 30, 1803 – Louisiana purchased - The U.S. doubled in size after purchasing land from France.
June 18, 1812 – War of 1812 began - The U.S. declared war on Britain, asserting its sovereignty.
March 3, 1820 – Missouri Compromise - An early attempt to balance free and slave states.
May 28, 1830 – Indian Removal Act - the forced relocation of Native American tribes.
April 12, 1861 – Civil War Began - Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina.
January 1, 1863 – Emancipation Proclamation - President Lincoln declared enslaved people in rebel states free.
April 9, 1865 – Civil War Ended - General Lee surrenders at Appomattox Court House.
April 14, 1865 – Lincoln Assassinated - President Abraham Lincoln fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth.
December 6, 1865 – 13th Amendment Ratified - slavery abolished throughout the United States.
October 29, 1929 – Stock Market Crash ("Black Tuesday") - Triggered the Great Depression.
December 7, 1941 – Attack on Pearl Harbor
June 6, 1944 – D-Day - U.S. and Allied forces land in Normandy, turning the tide of WWII.
August 6 & 9, 1945 – Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Led to Japan's surrender and end of WWII.
May 17, 1954 – Brown v. Board of Education - Supreme Court ruled school segregation unconstitutional.
November 22, 1963 – Assassination of JFK - President John F. Kennedy shot in Dallas, Texas.
July 20, 1969 – Moon Landing - Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon.
September 11, 2001 – Terrorist Attacks - Al-Qaeda attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
November 4, 2008 – Barack Obama Elected - First African American elected President of the United States.