What's the most defining part of American history?

[Blue3]

We've come a long way since the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the war for independence won. We started out as an alliance of British colonies, mostly composed of farmers, led by wealthy white male landowners who were contradictorily liberal idealists. Now we have a much more centralized government, more equality among citizens, and we're the world's #1 superpower.

What's the most defining part of American history?

[Bismarck]

The early republic, Washington through Monroe made us who we are. Post WW2 era Truman through Kennedy might be the most "defining" part of American history.

[Blue3]

The early republic, Washington through Monroe made us who we are. Post WW2 era Truman through Kennedy might be the most "defining" part of American history.

Those aren't events.

For the first span of time you listed, the most notable events are the Louisiana Purchase (part of Westward Expansion), War of 1812 (attempted expansion which ended up not changing the status quo), and some Indian Wars.

The second span of time you mention is marked by the end of WWII, the Cold War, the Space Race, and the Civil Rights movement.

So which of these is the most defining part of American history to you?

[Frodo]

The Civil War era -it changed the way Americans perceived the Union from formerly an associated group of sovereign states voluntarily joined together, into now one cohesive nation.  We identify ourselves now primarily as Americans, rather than Virginians, Texans, or whatnot.

That, and we removed the institution of slavery as a legal entity, beginning the long, tortured process of healing and redeeming ourselves of our original sin.  

[Mehmentum]

Voted for the civil war.  

Many of our racial and political divisions can be traced directly back to slavery.  Slavery isn't the direct reason why African Americans vote 90% for the Democrats, but the issues resulting from slavery and the civil war have caused AAs and southern whites to be as politically polarized as they are today.

The confederate flag issue, the BLM movement and the backlash to it are all modern day echoes of that time in our history when we were never more divided.

#2 would be the Founder's era.  #3 would be the Great Depression-WWII.  Its no coincidence that these three eras are associated with some of our most well known and respected presidents.

[CapoteMonster]

Voted for the civil war.  

Many of our racial and political divisions can be traced directly back to slavery.  Slavery isn't the direct reason why African Americans vote 90% for the Democrats, but the issues resulting from slavery and the civil war have caused AAs and southern whites to be as politically polarized as they are today.

The confederate flag issue, the BLM movement and the backlash to it are all modern day echoes of that time in our history when we were never more divided.

#2 would be the Founder's era.  #3 would be the Great Depression-WWII.  Its no coincidence that these three eras are associated with some of our most well known and respected presidents.

[Mercenary]

Civil War.

Most other things just kind of built onto that.
The only way it'd really be surpassed would be if we had some new major revolution that fundamentally changed our nation and political system.

[ScottieF]

Tossup between the Civil War and WWII - the former because it was really a second revolution in many respects that fundamentally reshaped the nation, and the latter because our victory in it both propelled the United States to global hegemony and will probably be remembered in the annals of world history as our greatest achievement.

I'll add that the ~20 years after WWII can probably be pointed to as our peak, however.

[Orser67]

The early republic, Washington through Monroe made us who we are. Post WW2 era Truman through Kennedy might be the most "defining" part of American history.

Those aren't events.

And "the Gilded Age," the "Progressive Age," and "the pre-Constitution Confederation" are events?

Anyway I would choose the "early republic" era as the "most defining part of American history." This era established a strong, stable republic with a limited government that was destined to expand across the continent while also expanding voter rights. If I had to point to one event from this time period, I'd go with the election of 1800 (the first peaceful transfer of power, which also established the Democratic-Republicans in power). My second most important era would be the 1930s-1940s, when the US emerged as a world power with a strong central government and a social safety net.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Why is like the entire pre Civil War truncatedinto two options?

[Tetro Kornbluth]

The Colonial Period, obviously.

[Reaganfan]

World War II

[Blair]

1968

[Sol]

Questions like this are always flawed, because the further back you go the more influence an event has.

[DemPGH]

I really have to say WWII. At that point we were at the nuclear age and humanity could actually, for the first time, truly destroy itself. I think Hitler also posed a greater threat to the whole of the world than perhaps anyone ever. Everything prior was a problem/crisis that just rolled into another problem/crisis that sooner or later would have been resolved. "Life would have gone on," in other words. There's a way to look at WWII, and America's decisive entry into it, in which it is the climax of maybe all of western human history to that point.

[OSR stands with Israel]

American Revoultionary period defiantly.

But other then that the Constitutional convention and its ratification.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Anyone who doesn't say the Civil War needs to retake US History.  Not that there weren't other important defining moments, but in sheer impact, the only one that comes even close is the Revolution that started it all.  Until the Civil War happened, it was not inevitable we'd even remain one nation, let alone what character this nation would have.

[Lief 🗽]

Very early, very early... and I don't want to jinx anything... but I think in one hundred, maybe two hundred years, we might just look and say it was this:

[Angel of Death]

Very early, very early... and I don't want to jinx anything... but I think in one hundred, maybe two hundred years, we might just look and say it was this:

Sounds like the premise of a dystopian or post-apocalyptic work of fiction.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I can't vote in the poll because I think the revolutionary war was the most defining moment followed by the civil war.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Anyone who doesn't say the Civil War needs to retake US History.  Not that there weren't other important defining moments, but in sheer impact, the only one that comes even close is the Revolution that started it all.  Until the Civil War happened, it was not inevitable we'd even remain one nation, let alone what character this nation would have.

Without the American Revolution we wouldn't have a country in the first place, and without a Constitution there would be no reason to keep the union united

[Blue3]

If you were to ask what the most defining part of a Person's lifetime was, hardly anyone would say their day of birth. It's not birth/creation that DEFINES you. It's what comes afterward, what you do with your life, that counts. It's not really American History until after it's begun, not its creation.

But if you must vote for that, the Revolutionary War and the forming of the Constitution happened during the Confederation period.

And the Gilded Age was defined by the events of the Robber Barons creating and growing their companies, industrially developing the country, and getting their way with a laissez-faire government. The Progressive Age was defined by events like the rise of the early labor movements, its specific struggles and victories.

[Ban my account ffs!]

If you were to ask what the most defining part of a Person's lifetime was, hardly anyone would say their day of birth. It's not birth/creation that DEFINES you. It's what comes afterward, what you do with your life, that counts. It's not really American History until after it's begun, not its creation.

But if you must vote for that, the Revolutionary War and the forming of the Constitution happened during the Confederation period.

And the Gilded Age was defined by the events of the Robber Barons creating and growing their companies, industrially developing the country, and getting their way with a laissez-faire government. The Progressive Age was defined by events like the rise of the early labor movements, its specific struggles and victories.

The United States is a country, not a person.  And our founding as a country is/was unique in the world and still plays a role in who we are and who we see ourselves as.

That specific period should be included in the poll.  Especially since you put such non-eras like the roaring 20s in.

[DINGO Joe]

Very early, very early... and I don't want to jinx anything... but I think in one hundred, maybe two hundred years, we might just look and say it was this:

Sounds like the premise of a dystopian or post-apocalyptic work of fiction.

It's already been done.  Called "Idiocracy".  Trump's hair literally craves electrolytes.