When did the "modern" era begin?

[Beet]

In what era do you think the United States first reached the essential components of a "modern" society? Each era has its defining advances. I am genuinely torn between a few options, but in the end go with 1965-1990. Sorry, I cannot see how a country with openly racist laws can be considered as modern.

[A18]

1920-1945

What racist laws are you referring to?

[Beet]

1920-1945

What racist laws are you referring to?

Jim Crow laws.

[MaC]

We live in the common era, that started about 2000 years ago, and I've yet to understand why people are decidedly so secular they would ever bother calling it that.

That said, I think what's known as "modern" started about late 70s, early 80s. 

Internationally, the era of communism ends and the era of radical islam begins

Technologically, MTV and other cable channels get their start, internet and computers become more widely used, and video games begin

Politically, Ronald Reagan sets the stage for the re-alignment which we're currently in.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The definition of “modern” obviously changes over time and is dependent upon what considers to be the most important change that precipitated the modern era.  Depending on one's point of view, I think one could legitimately fix that point as being somewhere between 1970 (the zenith of economic liberalism in the US) and 2001 (9/11).  I myself would pick 1975 as the starting point of our current modern era.

[minionofmidas]

Why, with the onset of the transatlantic trade of course.

[Hitchabrut]

1870's

[Jake]

Culturally, 1980 which ended the Progressive Age that had been on going since the turn of the century. 1990 ended the Cold War and truly ushered in the Modern Age which we live in.

[phk]

1993

[The Dowager Mod]

1911

[J. J.]

Intertationally, "Modern History" traditionally began in 1453, with the fall of Constantinople and the end of the Hundred Years War.  Late modern history began in either 1789 (French Revolution, Washington as President) or 1815  (end of the Congress of Vienna).

US history generally makes the break at 1877 (end of Reconstruction).  I really think another break can be made in 1945, with the end of World War II (the "Post War" years).  That might have ended with 1980 as the "Superpower Years."

Some breaks might be "The Republic of Compromise" (1776-1865),  "The Growing Union" (1865-1933), "Big Government" (1932-1989), "World Domination" (1989-present.)

"The Republic of Compromise" (1776-1865):  Slavery and sectionalism are the big issues.  Globally, Europe is the Center of power (Britain in particular).

"The Growing Union" (1865-1933):  Industrial growth and western and colonial expansion.  The US became a "great power" during this period.  Globally, Europe is the Center of power (Britain v. Germany).

"Big Government" (1932-1989):  Both military and social programs expand, numerous wars.  US becomes a superpower (at best two others).  (Western Europe recedes, USSR v. US)

"World Domination" (1989-present):  US is the supreme military power and the only power that can project military power globally.  Culturally, US culture becomming dominant.
Economically, US dominates the planet.  (North America now dominant)

[J. J.]

If you want to look just at one factor, a stable "two-party system,"  it didn't exist prior to 1865.

[TomC]

In arts and literature, sort of with Whitman, but more clearly in the early 1900s: the death of Queen Victoria, the muckrackers, The Jungle, the Progressive Era. Post-1945 is considered Post-Modern: the nuclear age.

But if we mean Modern Presidents, the answer wouldn't go far back.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

If I were to divide US History onto four easy pieces for study, I would pick:
(1588 - 1763) The Colonial Era: From the Spanish Armada to the Treaty of Paris
(1754 -  1877) A New Nation: From the Albany Congress to the End of Reconstruction)
(1862 - 1935) The America of Business: From the Morrill Act to the Wagner Act
(1914 - present) Arsenal of Democracy: From World War I to the Present Day

These are similar to J.J.'s erae, except I included a colonial era, don't see the need to seperate the last two decades into a sperate era as of yet and I made them overlap.

[J. J.]

If I were to divide US History onto four easy pieces for study, I would pick:
(1588 - 1763) The Colonial Era: From the Spanish Armada to the Treaty of Paris
(1754 -  1877) A New Nation: From the Albany Congress to the End of Reconstruction)
(1862 - 1935) The America of Business: From the Morrill Act to the Wagner Act
(1914 - present) Arsenal of Democracy: From World War I to the Present Day

These are similar to J.J.'s erae, except I included a colonial era, don't see the need to seperate the last two decades into a sperate era as of yet and I made them overlap.

One problem I have is 1989.  The world changed when the USSR was no longer a superpower.

The US became the superpower by outlasting everybody else.   That both changed our way at looking as ourselves and the world and how the world looked at us.

[Beet]

The advent of modernity and the creation breaks in history in general for the purposes of study, and U.S. history in particular, are very different. History is largely focused around political and sometimes economic events, and subject to the conveniences of disciplinary study. However, the larger fundamental divisions between the substantive completion of the process that began in England in the mid-1700s, representing a break from the largely agrarian past of 10,000 years, to the very different civilization we see today, is a much more encompassing endeavor.

For U.S. history study I would generally go with J.J.'s breaks, although the period after 1989 is not really best fit in the discipline of history but rather that of contemporary affairs and public policy.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

If I were to divide US History onto four easy pieces for study, I would pick:
(1588 - 1763) The Colonial Era: From the Spanish Armada to the Treaty of Paris
(1754 -  1877) A New Nation: From the Albany Congress to the End of Reconstruction)
(1862 - 1935) The America of Business: From the Morrill Act to the Wagner Act
(1914 - present) Arsenal of Democracy: From World War I to the Present Day

These are similar to J.J.'s erae, except I included a colonial era, don't see the need to seperate the last two decades into a sperate era as of yet and I made them overlap.

One problem I have is 1989.  The world changed when the USSR was no longer a superpower.

The US became the superpower by outlasting everybody else.   That both changed our way at looking as ourselves and the world and how the world looked at us.

I disagree.  As far as the US in concerned, we merely traded Jihadists for Communists as our boogeymen of choice when the Cold War ended.  That change was not a fundamental one in how we perceive ourselves.  We are still the shining city on a hill that is best example and guardian of all that is good in Western Civilization.  Now while 1989 would certainly be a pivotal and defining event for Europe (and thus European history) it has been but of minor effect on the US  (and thus US history).  That divergence of the importance of 1989 is part the reason that Western Europe and the US have drifted apart since then.

[J. J.]

If I were to divide US History onto four easy pieces for study, I would pick:
(1588 - 1763) The Colonial Era: From the Spanish Armada to the Treaty of Paris
(1754 -  1877) A New Nation: From the Albany Congress to the End of Reconstruction)
(1862 - 1935) The America of Business: From the Morrill Act to the Wagner Act
(1914 - present) Arsenal of Democracy: From World War I to the Present Day

These are similar to J.J.'s erae, except I included a colonial era, don't see the need to seperate the last two decades into a sperate era as of yet and I made them overlap.

One problem I have is 1989.  The world changed when the USSR was no longer a superpower.

The US became the superpower by outlasting everybody else.   That both changed our way at looking as ourselves and the world and how the world looked at us.

I disagree.  As far as the US in concerned, we merely traded Jihadists for Communists as our boogeymen of choice when the Cold War ended.  That change was not a fundamental one in how we perceive ourselves.  We are still the shining city on a hill that is best example and guardian of all that is good in Western Civilization.  Now while 1989 would certainly be a pivotal and defining event for Europe (and thus European history) it has been but of minor effect on the US  (and thus US history).  That divergence of the importance of 1989 is part the reason that Western Europe and the US have drifted apart since then.

As of 1989, basically, our whole place in the world changed.  Even today, we are not looking at the enemy in the same way that we did then.  We are certainly not looking at Europe in the same way.

Conversely, Europe is looking at us differently and the emeny is looking at us in whole different way.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree.  Even if I accepted your viewpoint, I would put the starting point back in the 1970's, not 1989.