Complex sentence: The following history passes through times of new ideas, times of oppression and times of hope, liberation and renewal; beginning in the 1600s and running through the Civil War period through the 20th Century and up to present days.
Split into simpler sentences: The following history passes through times of oppression and times of hope. Beginning in the 1600s and running through the Civil War period through the 20th Century and up to present days.