The USA 1871 CE

What is happening in The USA in 1871CE

The USA has continued to acquire vast new territories, by war and purchase, taking the nation right to the Pacific. The construction of the railroads plays a vital part in this expansion (the transcontinental line is opened in 1869). By 1850, most Native Americans have been relocated west of Mississippi, and as whites encroach across the great river into Indian lands, the conflicts continue, with the US army constantly on alert and in action.

The US Civil War and after

After the 1830s, tensions between the “slave” states in the south and “free” states in the north caused political compromise to break down, and led eventually to a bitter Civil War (1861-5) which convulsed the nation. The North’s greater wealth and manpower leads to victory and an end to slavery.

At the moment of victory president Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, depriving the country of his leadership in the difficult aftermath of the war. For the south, defeat in the Civil War has been followed by a period of reconstruction largely imposed by the North, which will leave lasting resentments. The southern states have little share in the dramatic economic expansion which the rest of the country is now experiencing.

Next map, the United States of America in 1914