U.S. History II
From the Industrial Revolution to modern America. These pages are aligned to the Utah Core Standards for United States History II (Course 6450), covering the making of modern America from the late Industrial Revolution to contemporary times.
Course Standards
United States History II addresses the making of modern America, highlighting events and issues from the late Industrial Revolution to modern times. Each strand below contains specific standards that guide classroom instruction. Click any lesson plan card to explore ready-to-use resources.
Industrial Revolution & Innovation
Late 19th — Early 20th Century
Innovation Transforms America
Assess how innovations in transportation, science, agriculture, manufacturing, technology, communication, and marketing transformed America in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Growth & Migration
Explain the connections between the growth of industry, mining, and agriculture and the movement of people into and within the United States.
Rise of Organized Labor
Evaluate the rise of organized labor and its effects on American society — including the role of unions, strikes, and labor laws.
Industrial Capitalist Leaders
Use historical evidence to compare how industrial capitalist leaders used entrepreneurship, free markets, and strategies to build their businesses and influence society.
Progressive Era Reform
1890s — 1920s
Progressive Reform Origins
Explain the origins and goals of Progressive reform — including the role of muckrakers, social reformers, and the push for government accountability.
Progressive Accomplishments
Assess the accomplishments of the Progressive movement at the local, state, and federal levels — including antitrust laws, food safety, and direct democracy measures.
Women's Suffrage Movement
Analyze how the women's suffrage movement changed American society — from Seneca Falls to the 19th Amendment — and its connections to other reform efforts.
Effectiveness of Reform
Evaluate the short- and long-term accomplishments and effectiveness of social, economic, and political reform movements of the Progressive Era.
Foreign Policy & Imperialism
1890s — 1910s
Changing World Role
Describe how the role of the U.S. in world affairs changed at the turn of the 20th century, and evaluate the arguments for and against imperialism.
Spanish-American War
Analyze the causes and consequences of the Spanish-American War — including yellow journalism, the sinking of the Maine, and the acquisition of overseas territories.
Latin America & Asia Policy
Evaluate U.S. foreign policy in Latin America and Asia — including the Roosevelt Corollary, Dollar Diplomacy, and the Open Door Policy with China.
World War I
Explain the causes for U.S. involvement in World War I and the effects of the war on the home front — including migration, civil liberties, and economic mobilization.
Prosperity, Depression & World War II
1920s — 1945
The Roaring Twenties
Analyze the social, cultural, and economic changes of the 1920s — including the Harlem Renaissance, mass consumption, and tensions between traditional and modern values.
Great Depression Causes
Identify the causes of the Great Depression — including the stock market crash, bank failures, the Dust Bowl, and weaknesses in the global economy.
New Deal Responses
Evaluate the effectiveness of New Deal programs in responding to the Great Depression — and debate the changing role of the federal government.
WWII Home Front
Use primary sources to describe the impact of World War II on the home front — including Japanese internment, women in the workforce, and the long-term social changes that resulted.
U.S. Role in WWII
Explain the role of the U.S. in World War II — including the strategy in Europe and the Pacific, the decision to drop the atomic bomb, and the war's immediate aftermath.
Postwar America, Cold War & Civil Rights
1945 — 1970s
Postwar Prosperity
Analyze post-World War II prosperity — including the Baby Boom, suburbanization, the GI Bill, and the growth of the middle class, as well as those left behind.
Cold War Impact
Assess the impact of the Cold War on American society — including the Red Scare, the nuclear arms race, the space race, and the expansion of the military-industrial complex.
Korea & Vietnam
Evaluate U.S. involvement in Korea and Vietnam — including the domino theory, the Gulf of Tonkin, the Tet Offensive, and the war's impact on American politics and society.
Civil Rights Movement
Identify the civil rights objectives held by various groups, assess the strategies used (legal challenges, nonviolent protest, Black Power), and evaluate the success of the various civil rights movements.
Modern America
1970s — Present
Shift to Conservatism
Assess the causes and consequences of America's shift to conservatism in the late 20th century — including the rise of the New Right, the Reagan Revolution, and the end of the Cold War.
Technological Advances
Describe the impact of technological advances on American society — including the internet revolution, the digital divide, and the transformation of work and communication.
Contemporary Issues
Analyze contemporary issues in the United States — including the rise of terrorism, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, immigration debates, economic inequality, and challenges to democratic institutions.
Lesson plans coming soon — being developed now
Related Resources on This Site
Controversial History Directory
Explore complex figures and events in depth — from the Iraq War to Jim Crow, from the Cold War coups to the War on Terror.
Browse DirectoryCritiques of Textbooks
Research analyzing how textbooks portray controversial historical events — and what gets left out of the standard narrative.
Read the ResearchEssential Documentaries
Curated documentary films for classroom use — Citizenfour, The Fog of War, Dark Money, Merchants of Doubt, and more.
View DocumentariesThese standards are from the Utah Core Standards — United States History II (Course 6450). Full standards document available from the Utah Education Network.
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