Every 80 Years, America Goes Through Some Things

The year 2025 is eerily similar to the year 1945, at least in some crucial ways. In fact, in his latest essay for the Big Think, Peter Leyden points out that, "like today," World War II-era America "faced a rare epic juncture in the nation's history and even in world history. The technological and economic forces driving through the era were just as transformative as today's, and the political stakes around the outcome were just as high." Leyden points out the 80-year gap between the two eras, and then notes something stranger: America has faced other similar times of great upheaval, or what he calls a "fundamental reinvention," two others times in its history, around the Revolutionary War and Civil War—with all of the eras in this cycle being, again, about eight decades apart.

Leyden compares the state of things in the US at all four junctures: 2025, 1945, 1865, and 1785. In each of these moments, "the old systems that had long served [Americans] well had been breaking down over the previous 25 years and needed to be superseded," Leyden writes. "At the same time, they were facing a period of explosive growth." He also notes the psychological state of Americans during these times, and the technologies during each era that helped drive innovation. What makes our current situation stand out, according to Leyden, is that, thanks to AI, we may not just be reinventing America—we may be reinventing civilization altogether. Comparing today with sister eras of the past can help shepherd us into the future, per Leyden. "The more you understand this pattern of the past, the more you will understand what's really going on today," he writes. Read his piece in full here. (More United States stories.)