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Homestead Act
The Homestead Act opened up settlement in the western United States. Any American, including freed slaves, could receive 160 acres if land was improved for 5 years. The grants gave impoverished farmers new opportunities, however much of the land granted under the Homestead Act fell quickly into the hands of speculators. Also American agriculture led to the replacement of individual homesteads with a smaller number of much larger farms, -
Promontory Point, Utah
Promontory Point was the site of the dramatic completion of the first transcontinental railroad. A giant crowd gathered to witness the ceremony. Following prayers and speeches Leland Stanford, using a silver sledgehammer, drove the last spike into a polished California laurel tie. Promontory Point contributed to the integration of the western territories into the rest of the Union and the development of the Great Plains. -
Red River War
During the summer of 1874, the U. S. Army launched a campaign to remove Native Americans from the Southern Plains and enforce their relocation to reservations in Indian Territory.The Kiowa Indians and the Comanche Indians often cooperated to keep other Indian tribes off the land. They also attacked white settlements.The Red River War officially ended in June 1875 when Quanah Parker entered Fort Sill and surrendered. -
Battle of Little Bighorn
Federal troops were led by George Custer against a band of Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. When tribes missed a federal deadline to move reservation, the U.S Army was sent to confront them. Custer was unaware of the number of Indians fighting under the command of Sitting Bull. Custer's forces were outnumbered and quickly overwhelmed. This battle would also be known as Custer's Last Stand. -
Exodusters
Thousands of African-Americans made their way to Kansas and other western states after the Reconstruction Era. Liberal land laws and the Homestead Act offered black people the opportunity to become owners of private farmland. Many families were willing to leave. The large-scale black migration from the South to Kansas was known as the "Great Exodus," and those in it were called "exodusters". -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first major law restricting immigration to the United States. Signed by President Chester A. Arthur, the law effectively stopped Chinese immigration for 10 years and prohibited Chinese from becoming US citizens. After the Gold Rush of 1849 the Chinese went to the West Coast as for economic opportunity and helped build the 1st transcontinental railroad. The law was repealed by the Magnuson Act in 1943 during World War II. -
Pendleton Act
The Pendleton Act was a law that reformed the federal government's civil service system. It created a Civil Service Commission and stated that federal employees could not be required to contribute to campaign funds. In future presidential elections, voters tended to elect the candidate who had not risen up through the spoils systems. -
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
Former scout and buffalo hunter started his own western show in the eastern U.S. Many Americans were convinced that William F. Cody's spectacle was an authentic depiction of the Wild West. People loved Cody’s reenactments of frontier events such as an attack on a Deadwood stage and a Pony Express relay race. Cody even brought the audiences real Native Americans performers from several tribes. When the show finally collapsed in 1913, Cody continued to perform in until his death. -
Ghost Dances
The Ghost Dance Movement was a resistance to white rule. Bureau of Indian Affairs saw this as a threat because they saw so many Indians coming together and participating in anew and unknown event. The dances were to make dead spirits protect them from bullets and it was very popular among Natives. -
Dawes Severalty Act
The Dawes Severalty Act dismantled American Indian tribes. It also set up individuals as family heads with 160 acres. In reality, the Dawes Severalty Act proved a very effective tool for taking lands from Indians and giving it t white people, but the promised benefits to the Indians never materialized. The Wheeler-Howard Act ended further transfer of Indian lands to white people -
Sears & Roebuck Company
R.W. Sears got into the retail business almost by accident, when he purchased a shipment of watches from a disgruntled wholesaler., Sears quickly turned a profit on his investment and within a year had founded his own company, initially selling only watches. It was on the back of the mail-order business that Sears built his empire in fact, he didn’t get around to opening an actual store until more than 30 years later. It was the Sears catalog that became an American icon. -
Hull House
Jane Adams was a social reformer who worked to improve the lives of the working class. In 1889 she founded Hull House, the first private social welfare agency in the U.S. The Hull House assisted the poor, combated juvenile delinquency and helped immigrants earn to speak English. There were classes in literature, history, art, domestic activities such as sewing and other subjects. Jane Addams worked there until she died. -
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish immigrant. He amassed a fortune in the steel industry then became a major philanthropist. Growing up poor with no money he got to where he is by hard work and investment. Carnegie was 1st to invest in the Bessemer Process. Over the next decades he became a dominant force in the industry. -
Bessemer Process
Andrew Carnegie was the first to invest. The Bessemer process was the first method discovered for mass-producing steel. Though named after Sir Henry Bessemer of England, the process evolved from the contributions of many. The Bessemer process lowered the cost of production steel, leading to steel being widely substituted for cast iron -
Vertical Integration
Vertical Integration is a strategy where a company expands its business operations into different steps on the same production. Vertical integration can help companies reduce costs and decrease transportation expenses and reduce turnaround time, among other advantages. Andrew Carnegie became a tycoon because of business tactics. He bought railroad companies and iron mines. -
John D. Rockefeller
John D.Rockefeller was the Carnegie of oil production. He did the same things as Carnegie and controlled 90% of domestic oil. He went from vertical integration to horizontal. Critics accused Rockefeller of engaging in unethical practices such as colluding with railroads to eliminate his competitors, in order to gain a monopoly in the industry. Despite this he became one of the world's wealthiest men and a major philanthropist. -
Social Darwinism
Social Darwinism is based on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The theory held that the weak were diminished as the strong grew in power. It applied to the struggle between workers and employers. Social Darwinism in America was supported by many wealthy American Industrialists, Robber Barons, who advocated a "dog-eat-dog" philosophy -
Light Bulb
Thomas Edison is usually credited with the invention of the light bulb, although he wasn't the only one who contributed to the development of the light bulb. He improve his designs and after 1,000 attempts, he found the perfect filament. The filament was made from a piece of carbonized thread. The light bulb is one of the everyday conveniences that most affects our lives. -
Phonograph
While working on improvements to the telegraph and the telephone, Thomas Edison figured out a way to record sound on tinfoil-coated cylinders. "Mary had a little lamb" were the first words Edison recorded on the phonograph. Edison then established the Edison Speaking Phonograph Company to sell the new machine. This basic machine sold for $60. -
American Federation of Labor (AFL)
Samuel Gompers was the first president of the American Federation of Labor, the first enduring national labor union. The American Federation of Labor didn't allow unskilled labor. It also didn't allow blacks, immigrants or women. In 1892, the AFL's affiliate in the steel industry struck in protest against wage cut, their effort collapsed in the Pullman boycott of 1894. AFL's purpose was not political, and aimed simply at shorter hours, higher wages, and better working conditions. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 was the first measure passed by the U.S Congress to prohibit trusts. In the eyes of many Congress men, the measure would look good to the public but be difficult to enforce.The act was a hamper on worker unions, but it showed that the government was slowly moving away from Laissez Faire ideals. -
Sherman Silver Act
The Sherman Silver Purchase Act was part of a boarder compromise. The measure did not authorize the free and unlimited coinage of silver that the Free Silver supporters wanted. It required the secretary of the treasury to purchase each month 4,500,000 ounces of silver at the market price. This act superseded the Bland Allison Act of 1878. -
Wounded Knee Massacre
Wounded Knee was the site of battles between North American Indians and US representatives. The massacre started when Sioux left the reservation in protest because of the death of Sitting Bull. A gun accidently went off although it's unclear from which side. The brutal massacre followed and resulted in an estimate of almost 300 Indians killed, nearly half of them women and children. -
Slums
Slums are immensely crowded, unsanitary, dumbbell tenement that provided minimal ventilation. They were not very spacious. Really they were tightly packed (334k per sq. mi. NY). Families didn't make enough to live and even when people managed to leave the slums they had a tendency to remain in areas with people of their own ethnicity and religion. -
Depression of 1893
The Depression of 1893 provided a financial crisis contributed to the economic recession. It started when Philadelphia and Reading Railroad went bankrupt. The depression lasted for 4 years leading to economic hardships, civil unrest, demonstrations and labor action such as the Pullman Strike. The discovery of gold in the Klondike in 1896 finally ended the recession. -
World Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a fair held in Chicago 1893.It was held to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus in the New World. The fair gave the opportunity for people to claim a part in the countries most civilized societies. The fair honored art, architecture, and science. For many this was the high point of the "City Beautiful" Movement. -
City Beautiful Movement
The City Beautiful movement intended to utilize the current political and economic structure to create beautiful, spacious, and orderly cities. It involved things such as public squares, large open parks, boulevards and classical architecture.The movement was led by architects, landscape architects, and reformers. Its influence was most prominent in cities such as Cleveland, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. -
Pullman Strike
The Pullman Strike was a widespread railroad strike and boycott that severely disrupted rail traffic in the Midwest. It took place against the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago because of the poor wages of the Pullman workers. It was ended by President Grover Cleveland and Congress. As a conciliatory gesture toward the American labor movement, Congress also created the national holiday know as Labor Day. -
Election of 1896
The Democratic nominees were William Jennings Bryan and Arthur Sewall. The Republican nominees were William McKinley and Garret A. Hobart. The major issue was whether or not silver should be allowed to back American currency. McKinley supported dree silver while in Congress but as a candidate supported the gold standard. In the end McKinley won as he was backed by business leaders. -
U.S.S Maine
Commanded by Captain Charles Sigsbee, the Maine entered Havana harbor on January 25, 1898. The U.S.S Maine had a calming effect on Spain when it first arrived. The goals of the ship was to deter Spanish loyalists and defend American property. On February 15,1898 the U.S.S Maine exploded. The media immediately blamed the Spaniards when it in reality it was likely a faulty ship design. The explosion was the kick off of the Spanish-American War. -
Yellow Journalism
Yellow Journalism is journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers. William Hearst moved into New York City in 1895 and bought Journal. He intended to out do his competitors in sensationalism, crusades, and Sunday features. The coverage of world events, particularly developments in Cuba were sensationalized. -
Battle of Manilla Bay
At Manila Bay in the Philippines, he U.S. Asiatic Squadron destroys the Spanish Pacific fleet in the first battle of the Spanish-American War. The American Asiatic Squadron led by Commodore George Dewey engaged and destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron under Admiral Patricio Montojo.Nearly 400 Spanish sailors were killed and 10 Spanish warships wrecked/captured at the cost of only six Americans wounded. This battle was the first major engagement of the Spanish-American War. -
Battle of San Juan Hill
The Battle of San Juan Hill was one of the most important battles of the Spanish-American War. The charge up Cuban hill was a pivotal point in Theodore Roosevelt's political career. The Rough Riders led by Roosevelt defeated Spain. The battle was the high point of the war as it placed America at an advantage. Two days later, American ships destroyed the Spanish fleet in Cuba. -
Open Door Policy
In 1899, John Hay, the Secretary of State under President McKinley, proposed an Open Door Policy towards China for all countries. The Open Door Policy was an American solution to the maneuvering among all countries to secure China. It basically said the best way to avoid a conflict over China was to keep it an open market for all. It was in support of Chinese territorial and administrative integrity. -
The Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written by L. Frank Balm. It turns out the book and movie may be an economic fairy tale about America in the late 1800's. The Farmers in the west( Scarecrow)had mortgages. The gold standard (the yellow brick road) many believe the end of the gold standards would fix everything. Industrial workers(Tin Man) couldn't work. Will Jennings Bryan (Cowardly Lion) was the face of the Free Silver movement. In the end Dorothy shoes save her, her silver shoes. -
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, supported peasant uprising that attempted to drive all foreigners from China. The "boxers" were the Righteous and Harmonious Fists a secret Chinese society. The group practiced certain boxing in the belief that this made them invulnerable. They would attack people of different ethnicities and Catholics. -
Election of 1900
The election of 1900 was a rematch of the 1896 race between President William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan. The recent victory of the Spanish-American War and economic prosperity helped McKinley win. McKinley choose Theodore Roosevelt as his running mate in the election. Roosevelt toke over as President when McKinley was assassinated in 1901. -
Platt Amendment.
The Platt Amendment was an attachment to military appropriations bill in 1901. It reflected growing U.S. concern over the stability of Cuba following its independence form Spain after the Spanish-American War. It stated that US would end its military occupation of Cuba and "leave the government and control of the island of Cuba to its people. It granted naval bases to the United States -
Big Stick Policy
"Speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far." This African proverb summarized Theodore Roosevelt's style of foreign policy as Big Stick Diplomacy. If falls under the theory to try to negotiate carefully and if not wave a big stick(the military) at the county of contention. It was a way of intimidating countries without actually harming them. Roosevelt first used the phrase in a conversation at the Minnesota State Fair on September 2, 1901. -
Northern Securities Trust
The Northern Securities Case established Teddy Roosevelt's title as "trust buster". Roosevelt attacked the Northern Securities Company, a railroad holding company organized by J. P. Morgan and James J. Hill. Morgan and Hill sought to achieve a virtual monopoly of the railroads in the Northwest. In the end Roosevelt won and court ordered the company to be dissolved. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Pure Food and Drug Act into law on June 23, 1906. The Pure Food and Drug Act was the 1st of a series of consumer protection laws. The law prohibited dangerous additives and inaccurate labeling. This coincided with The Meat Inspection Ac that helped eliminate many diseases transmitted through meat. -
Meat Inspection Act
The Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906 came due to the conditions in the meat packing industry. The act authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to inspect and condemn any meat product found unfit for human consumption. The act was also widely accredited to the revelations made in a book called "The Jungle" written by Upton Sinclair. The packing industry had become a sprawling economic business with the sharp increase in population in the United States. -
Great White Fleet
The Great White Fleet , consisting of 14,000 sailors on 16 battleships and accompanying vessels sent around the world for 14 months by President Roosevelt.. Roosevelt was concerned about Japan's territorial expansion in Asia. He had Congress upgrade Americas navy and sent the fleet to demonstrate American naval power. The fleet was from December 16,1097 to February 22, 1909. -
Muller vs State of Oregon
The issue was an Oregon law passed that prohibited women from working more than 10 hours in one day. Curt Muller, a laundry owner, was charged with permitting Mrs. E. Gotcher to work more than 10 hours and was fined $10. The case established a precedent in 1908 to expand the reach of state. -
Election of 1912
Theodore Roosevelt decision to challenge William Taft for the Republican nomination in 1912 was most difficult. Rather than destroying every trust, Roosevelt supported the creation of a Federal Trade Commission to keep a watchful eye on unfair business practices. Taft and his people disagreed and he left for the delegates to decide. Woodrow Wilson eventually beat both candidates. -
17th Amendment
The 17th Amendment was ratified in 1913. The amendment allows regular voters to elect their Senators. The problem with letting representatives is corruption. Many of the Senators that were "elected" by state legislatures had struck corrupt bargains with legislature and many people were angry with the lack of choice they had. The 17th amendment popularity helped it survive all the way to today. -
Federal Reserve Act
The Federal Reserve Act was established in 1913 when signed by President Woodrow Wilson. The act created the Federal Reserve System as the central bank of the United States. The system provided the nation with a safer and more flexible financial system. It created 12 district banks that would lend money at discount rates. It was the first central banking system since 1836 -
Ludlow Massacre
The Ludlow Massacre was one of the deadliest attacks on striking workers in history. The attack was on a tent colony of 1,200 striking coal miners and their families at Ludlow, Colorado. It included the deaths of 20 people, 11 of them children. As news of the massacre spread, workers from around the country went on strike to express sympathy for those who had lost loved ones in Ludlow. Some Nation Guard units even laid down their arms and refused to fight. -
Assasinatin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
This event is widely acknowledged to have sparked the outbreak of World War I. On the morning of June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip shot and killed Sophie and Franz Ferdinand. The plan to initially kill Ferdinand by a bomb was planned by the Black Panther. Princip saw Ferdinand's car make a wrong turn and proceeded to open fire on the car not knowing it would set off a chain of events to a World War. -
Schlieffen Plan
The Schlieffen Plan was a battle plan drawn up to be used by Germany if they faced a two front war. The plan was first introduced by General Count Alfred Graf von Schlieffen. The execution of the Schlieffen Plan led to Britain declaring war on Germany on August 4th, 1914. After declaring war on Russia due to Austria-Hungary, the adoption of the plan caused Germany to also declare war on France. The Schlieffen Plan end up not working because and France & British mobilization. -
RMS Lusitania Sinking
The RMS Lusitania was a British cruise liner. In 1915 a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the RMS Lusitania while en route from New York to Liverpool, England. More than 1,100 people died including 120 Americans. Despite the sinking nearly 2 years would pass before the US formally entered WWI. However, the sinking of the Lusitania played a significant role in turning public opinion against Germany, both in the United States and abroad. -
Sussex Pledge
The Sussex Pledge was made in response to US demands to atler the German policy of unrestricted submarine warfare during WWI. The Sussex Pledge was a promise given by the German Government to the US to not sink any more passenger ships. Merchant ships would not be sunk until the presence of weapons was established and provisions made for the safety of passengers. Germany eventually went back on this pledge. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was sent by Germany to Mexico instructing an ambassador to convince Mexico to go to war with the U.S. British code breakers intercepted the message. In the message Germany was proposing a military alliance with Mexico against the US. The obvious threats to the United States contained in the telegram inflamed American public opinion against Germany. -
No Man's Land
No Man's Land is a term used by soldiers to describe the ground between the two opposing trenches. In "No-Man's Land barbed wire was particularly hazardous. During WWI barbed wire was used to ward off infantry attacks and cavalry charged against men in the trenches. Soldiers could not get passed No Men's Land because on the opposing side there was snipers positioned on the other side. The average distance from trench to trench was about 250 yards -
Espionage Act
On June 15,1917 shortly after the US entry into World War I, Congress passed the Espionage Act. The Espionage Act made it a crime for any person to give information intended to interfere with the U.S armed forces. The act also prohibited promotion of the success of the country's enemies. Anyone found guilty of doing this would be subject to a fine of $10,000 and imprisonment of up to 20 years. -
18th Amendment
The 18th Amendment came from the organized efforts of the temperance movement. It was ratified by Congress on January 16, 1919. The amendment established the probation of alcoholic beverages in the U.S by declaring the production, transport, and sale of alcohol illegal. Prohibition proved to fail to eliminate crime, instead it led to a rise in crime as people were bootlegging alcohol. -
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920. It granted American women the right to vote known as woman suffrage. In 1848 the movement for women’s rights launched on a national level with the Seneca Falls Convention organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Following the convention, the demand for the vote became the center of the women’s rights movement. In the end women emerged victorious. -
14 Points
The Fourteen Points was a statement given to Congress on January 8,1918 by President Woodrow Wilson. The Fourteen Points was a basis for a peace program suggesting that a League of Nations should be established to guarantee the political and territorial independence of countries. The 14 Points essentially established the conditions for the WWI Armistice that had brought an end to WWI. -
Argonne Forest
The battle was a series of final confrontations on the Western Front in World War I. The Americans faced the most difficult natural obstacle, the dense Argonne Forest. General John Pershing’s open a surprise attack against the Germans. Attack after attack edged deeper into the Germans’ defensive position eventually the Germans recognized that they were outflanked and retreated to avoid capture. -
The Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl is an environmental disaster that hit the Midwest in the 1930s. A combination of severe water shortage and harsh farming techniques created it. Huge clouds of dusts suffocated livestock, caused pneumonia in children, and deposited mounds of dirt on houses. Families were forced to move out their homes and moved towards California. The Dust Bowl made the Great Depression worst. -
20th amendment
The 20th amendment is a simple amendment that set the dates at which federal government elected offices end. It also defines who succeeds the president if the dies. The nickname of the 20th amendment is the lame duck amendment. -
The Bonus March
Unemployed veterans from World War I marched to DC demanding to the payments promised to them at a later date. It was led by Walter Waters. Although President Hoover refused to address them, the veterans did find an audience with a congressional delegation. Hoover then orders the US army to break up their encampment. Tanks and tear gas was used to destroy the camps -
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth, was an organization set up by Adolf Hitler in 1933. It's purpose was to educate and train male youth in Nazi principles. Baldur von Schirach was the head of all German youth programs. Under his leadership the Hitler youth by 1933 was almost 60 percent of German boys.On July 1, 1936, it became a state agency that all young “Aryan” Germans were expected to join. -
Austria Annexation
On March 12,1938 German troops march into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich. German annexation Of Austria violated the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. There was popular vote in Austria to be unified with Germany. However, the allied powers lacked the will or courage to prevent it. -
Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941 Japan launched a surprise attack on U.S naval base Pearl Harbor. Early that Sunday morning hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base and managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack. The day Franklin Roosevelt delivered the Infamy Speech and asked Congress to declare war on Japan. -
Manhattan Project
Early in 1939, the world's scientific community discovered that German physicists had learned the secrets of splitting a uranium atom. After this came the development of the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan project was a secret research and development project of the U.S to develop the atomic bomb. Its success granted the U.S the bombs that ended the war with Japan as well as ushering the country into the atomic era. -
Rosie the Riveter
Rosie the Riveter was a fictional character featured in a propaganda campaign. She was created by the U.S. government to encourage white middle-class women to work outside the home during World War II. More than 310,000 women worked in the U.S. aircraft industry in 1943, making up 65 percent of the industry’s total workforce. Rosie soon became the most iconic image of working women in the WWII era. -
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps. They flew with distinction during World War II. While doing this they faced racial discrimination. The group originally started with four fighter squadrons and were initially called the "Red Tails". The Tuskegee Airmen fought in World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces -
The Holocaust
After coming to power in 1933 Germany's Nazi Party implemented the "Final Solution". The Holocaust was the systematic persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime. The Jews were sent to camps. There were several different types of camps. There were concentration, extermination, labor, prisoner-of-war, and transit camps. The Holocaust altered history forever. -
Treaty of Versallies
World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919. It was composed of only four of the original points made by President Woodrow Wilson. The treaty punished Germany and did nothing to stop the threat of future wars. It maintained the pre-war power structure. -
Tea Pot Dome Scandal
The Teapot Dome scandal of the 1920s involved national security, big oil companies, bribery and corruption at the highest levels of the government of the United States. It was the most serious scandal in US history prior to the Watergate scandal. Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall leased Navy petroleum reserves at Teapot Dome to private oil companies, without competitive bidding. -
Volstead Act
The Volstead Act was written to provide for the enforcement of the recently ratified 18th Amendment. It outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages It is named from Andrew Volstead who had championed the bill and prohibition. The act was vetoed by President Woodrow Wilson, but it became law after Congress voted to override the veto. -
Harlem Renaissance
As African Americans moved to Northern cities in the 1920's they created a new social and cultural landscape. The Harlem Renaissance was a blossoming of African American literature, music, entertainment, and arts. It was an era in which social and political organizations were formed in Harlem to improve black lives. Famous figures of this era include Langston Hughes, Ella Fitzgerald, and Josephine Baker. -
St.Valentine's Day Massacre
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre was the culmination of a gang war was the culmination of a gang war between arch rivals Al Capone and Bugs Moran. Four men dressed as police officers enter Moran's headquarters on North Clark Street in Chicago.They lined seven of Moran's henchmen against a wall and shot them to death. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre actually proved to be the last confrontation for both Capone and Moran. -
Charles Lindberg St. Louis Flight
On May 21,1927 aviator Charles A. Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis near Paris. This was the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Lindbergh was just 25 years old when he completed the trip. He received a $25,000 prize from Raymond Orteig. Lindbergh also received multiple celebrations when he returned to the United States. -
Immigration of 1924 Act
The Immigration Act of 1924 limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the United States. It was passed in response to political and public opinion calling for restrictions on immigration from South-Eastern Europe.The Immigration Act of 1924 was signed by Calvin Coolidge and the law was on the important events during his presidency. -
The Lost Generation
The Lost Generation was a group of American writers who came of age during World War I. They established their literary reputations in the 1920s. The generation was "lost" in the sense that its values were no longer relevant in the postwar world. Its members seemed to be hopelessly provincial, materialistic, and emotionally barren. The term embraces Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and many more -
Margaret Sanger Birth Control 1920s
In 1921, Margaret Sanger founded the American Birth Control League now known as Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She is known as the founder of modern day term birth control. Sanger also lead several roles in the 1920's Birth Control and Reproductive Rights Movements. Her movement led to progressive reform in the world. -
Lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith
Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith were two African American men who were lynched on August 7, 1930, in Marion Indiana, after being taken from jail and beaten by a mob. They had been arrested as suspects in a robbery, murder and rape case. Another suspect 16 year old James Cameron had also been arrested but escaped execution by the intervention of an unidentified source.The photo of the lynching inspired the poem “Strange Fruit” which was later put to song and popularized by Billy Holiday. -
Huey Long
Huey Long was a powerful Louisiana governor and U.S senator. He was Franklins Roosevelt's biggest threat. Long increased the share of start taxes paid by corporations and also embarked on public works projects including new schools, highways, bridges, and hospitals. The Share the Wealth was a program advocated by Log that appealed middle class Americans during the Great Depression, it was unsuccessful. Huey Long was assassinated by the relative of a political enemy. -
21st amendment
The 21st amendment ended Prohibition in the United States, it made after seeing the terrible failure of prohibition. Prohibition had been instituted through the 18th Amendment with the backing of the Temperance movement. However the 21st amendment didn't completely make alcohol completely legal through the entire country. States decided to keep anti-alcohol law for a long time after the law, these are known as "dry laws". -
Social Security Act
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act on August 14, 1935. Roosevelt considered this to be a "patriotic" act. Social Security initially was created to combat unemployment. The act now functions primarily as a safety net for retirees and the disabled, and provides death benefits to taxpayer dependents. The Social system had remained unchanged since 1935. -
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was Franklin D. Roosevelt's wife and a New Deal supporter. Lady Roosevelt initially did not want to be First Lady as she though it was take away some of independence. She eventually became a spokeswoman. She was a great supporter of civil rights and opposed the Jim Crow Laws. She also supported birth control and better conditions for working women and the lower class.Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most active first ladies in history. -
Glass-Stegall Act
The Glass-Steagall was passed by the House of Representatives on May 23,1933. The Glass-Steagall Act is a law that separated commercial banking from investment banking and created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. It was one of the most widely debated legislative initiatives before being signed into law . -
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line was named after the French Minister of War Andre Andre. The Maginot Line dominated French military thinking in the inter-war years. The line was a series of fortifications on the Franco-German border designed to defense France in case of another German attack. This showed that France was reluctant to go to war and was relying on defense and not offense. -
VE Day
Great Britain and United States celebrated Victory in Europe Day on May 8,1945. German troops throughout Europe had finally laid down their arms. Great celebrations took place across Europe and North America, crowds massed in Trafalgar Square and up to the Mall to Buckingham Palace. After six years of war, misery, suffering, courage, and endurance across the world it finally came to an end. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945 during World War II an American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The bomb known as "Little Boy" falttened the city, killing at least 70,000 people that day and tens of thousands more from radiation poisoning. Because of this on August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered ending World War II. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
In Dayton, Tennessee John Scopes, a high school science teacher, is accused of teaching evolution in violation of a Tennessee state law. Representing Scopes was the famed trial lawyer Clarence Darrow. The prosecution was by William Jennings Bryan who was a Christian who lobbied for an amendment banning the teaching of evolution throughout the nation. The trial turned into a media circus. Entrepreneurs sold everything from food to Bibles to stuffed monkeys. In the end Scopes was fined $100. -
Black Tuesday
Black Tuesday hits Wall Street as investors trade sixteen million shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange in a single day. Billions of dollars were lost, wiping out thousands of investors. Stock tickers ran hours behind because the machinery could not handle the volume of trading. In the aftermath of Black Tuesday, America and the rest of the world went into the Great Depression -
Emergency Banking Act
The Emergency Banking At of 1933 was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 9, 1933. The law was aimed at restoring public confidence in the nation's financial system after a weeklong bank holiday. It provided for the reopening of the banks as soon as examiners found them to financially secure. The law was a success, when banks reopened it was common to see long lines of customers making deposits. -
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Transforming the West
Homestead Act, Promontory Point, Red River War, Battle of Little Big Horn, Exodusters, Chinese Exclusion Act, Buffalo Bill, Ghost Dances, Dawes Severalty, Wounded Knee. -
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Gilded Age
Pendleton Act, Hull House, Sherman Silver Act, Slums, Depression of 1893, World Columbian Exposition, City Beautiful Movement, Pullman Strike, Election of 1896, The Wizard of Oz. -
Period: to
Imperialism
US Maine, Yellow Journalism, Battle of Manilla Bay, Battle of San Juan Hill, Open Door Policy, Boxer Rebellion, Election of 1900, Platt Amendment, Big Stick Policy, Great White Fleet -
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Becoming an Industrial Power
Sherman Anti-Trust Act., Light Bulb, Phonograph, Andrew Carnegie, Bessemer Process, Vertical Integration, John D. Rockefeller, Social Darwinism, American Federation of Labor, Sears & Roebuck Company -
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Progressive Era
Northern Securities Trust, Pure Food and Drug Act, Meat Inspection Act, Muller vs State of Oregon, Election of 1912, 17th Amendment, Federal Reserve Act, Ludlow Massacre, 18th Amendment,19th Amendment -
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WWI
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Schlieffen Plan, RMS Lusitania, Sussex Pledge, Zimmerman Telegram, No Man's Land, Espionage Act, 14 Points, Argonne Forest, Treaty of Versallies -
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1920s
Volstead Act, Harlem Renaissance, The Lost Generation, Margaret Sanger, Tea Pot Dome Scandal, Immigration of 1924 Act, Scopes Monkey Trial, Charles Lindbergh, St. Valentines Day Massacre, The Lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith -
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The Great Depression
Black Tuesday, The Bonus March, 20th Amendment, Emergency Banking Act, Glass-Stegall Act, Eleanor Roosevelt, 21st Amendment, The Dust Bowl, Social Security Act, Huey Long.
