Turning Points in American History

Discover why the North American continent was never the same after the Great Epidemic of 1617, which wiped out an estimated 90% of Native Americans and allowed British colonization to proceed virtually unchallenged. Then, take a step back and look at the defining characteristics of a historical "turning point."

One of history's most troubling questions: How and why did a democratic America become a slaveholding society? Explore this paradox from its origins in 1619—with the arrival of slaves at Jamestown—to the influence of Bacon's Rebellion in 1676 to the expansion of slavery throughout the South in the 1800s.

Here, Professor O'Donnell discusses Roger Williams's efforts to establish freedom of religion, a somewhat forgotten story from early colonial America. Focus on religious life in the early Massachusetts settlements (especially in the colony of Rhode Island), Williams's life and controversial ideas, his long-term influence on religious freedom in America, and more.

One of the most symbolic expressions of the idea that all are welcome in America took place in 1654, when the Dutch West India Company allowed Jews from Brazil to settle in New Amsterdam. Learn why this seemingly unlikely turning point is a gateway to understanding immigration as a central theme in American history.

In terms of per capita civilian losses, King Philip's War (1675–1676) was the deadliest war in American history. See how this unfamiliar war was critical in shattering the relationship between colonists and Native Americans and in uniting the British colonies in a shared American identity.

How did the idea of a free press become a central principle of American democracy? The answer lies in the 1735 arrest and trial of New York printer John Peter Zenger, which, you learn, radically changed the political culture of the colonies and went on to shape the language of the Bill of Rights.

Leap forward in time to the 1770s, in the first of three lectures on turning points in the American Revolution. In the first of these lectures, Professor O'Donnell makes the powerful case that the Boston Tea Party of 1773 was the real spark that ignited the American Revolution.

The creation of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 is one of the most important turning points in American history. Focus on why the colonies decided to separate from Great Britain, how the Declaration evolved from a work of little significance into a central American document, and much more.

Relive the 1777 Battle of Saratoga, a game-changing conflict between the American colonists and the British that became a turning point in the American Revolution for two reasons: It helped persuade France to join the colonial cause, and it convinced the colonists themselves that they could defeat the British Empire.

Who was Daniel Shays? What political and economic dilemmas led to this famous farmer's rebellion of 1786? Most important: How did this event pave the way for a reconsideration of the Articles of Confederation and the creation of the US Constitution? Find out here.

Few people remember Samuel Slater as an important figure in US history, but his introduction of cotton mill technology in 1789 unleashed the Industrial Revolution. Explore how this turning point came about and some of the many ways it reshaped virtually every aspect of American society.

One of the dirtiest presidential elections in US history was the election of 1800, which involved a struggle between Republicans and Federalists and a tie vote between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Investigate how this dramatic crisis led to the first peaceful transfer of power between rival political parties in modern history.

Marbury v. Madison, which established the principle of judicial review, is a landmark case in constitutional history. Explore the political dispute that led to this case, the Supreme Court's role in the early republic, how Chief Justice John Marshall crafted his famous decision, and how this principle has influenced the nation.

Robert Fulton's steamboat trip up the Hudson River in 1807 announced a revolution in American transportation. In this lecture, learn how three key innovations in transportation—steamboats, canals, and railroads—helped Americans overcome obstacles impeding the nation's economic development and led to changes in politics, society, and more.

Take a closer look at how early 19th-century Americans expanded the definition of democracy by dropping most restrictions on voting for white men. How did this important turning point lead to significant changes such as the rise of mass politics, the use of ballots, the potential for political corruption, and more?

This lecture focuses on the Second Great Awakening, the powerful evangelical revival movement started in 1821 by the preacher Charles Grandison Finney. Two of the important impacts of this turning point you consider are the democratization of religion and the rise of social reform movements (specifically, the temperance movement).

Both William Lloyd Garrison's entry into abolitionism and Nat Turner's violent slave rebellion made 1831 a pivotal year in the growing national conflict over the issue of slavery. Learn how the abolitionist crusade made slavery the central question in American politics from the 1830s until the Civil War.

An often overlooked turning point in American history is the communication revolution. Here, discover how widespread literacy and an expansive post office network aided advances in communication; explore three key technological breakthroughs at the heart of the revolution; examine its effects on politics, economics, and society; and more.

Go back to the year 1845 and the birth of the quintessential American sport: baseball. What are baseball's origins? How did it evolve from a gentlemen's sport into a professional enterprise? What about baseball makes it the nation's ultimate game? And how has it both reflected and shaped American culture?

What were the underlying roots of the Mexican-American War? Why was there so much controversy surrounding newly acquired territories? How did the discovery of gold in 1848 force Congress to confront once again the contentious issue of slavery? Learn the answers to these and other questions in this lecture.

Professor O'Donnell dispels myths about one of the federal government's most extraordinary programs: the Homestead Act of 1862. This landmark event sparked the largest wave of migration in US history and played a major role in the birth of the American West as a central aspect of America's identity.

Go into the heat of one of the Civil War's most important battles: the Battle of Antietam in 1862. Investigate how this Union victory underscored the need for capable military leadership, allowed Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, diminished chances of foreign support for the Confederacy, and announced the arrival of modern war.

Many legal scholars and historians have argued that the 14th Amendment, which promises equal protection under the laws, is the most important addition to the Constitution after the Bill of Rights. Here, Professor O'Donnell retells the fascinating story of how this amendment was ratified in 1868—and its turbulent history in the 20th and 21st centuries.

In the 1870s, amid the wave of American industrialization, a movement emerged to preserve for all time large sections of wilderness as national parks—the first time this had been done in history. Investigate the political struggle to protect the nation's natural wonders in places such as Yosemite Valley and Yellowstone.

Make sense of the complexities of Reconstruction with this lecture on the period's bloodiest incident, the Colfax Massacre of 1873. Why is this particular period the turning point of the "counter-revolutionary" period of Reconstruction? And how did it pave the way for the rise of the Jim Crow South?