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Manifest Destiny was the belief in the 1800s that the United States was meant to expand west across North America. Many Americans thought it was their right and duty to settle new land, which led to westward expansion—but also pushed Native Americans off their land and caused conflicts.
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The Reconstruction Era was the time right after the Civil War (1865–1877) when the U.S. worked to rebuild the South and bring the former Confederate states back into the country. During this time, formerly enslaved people gained new rights, like citizenship and the right to vote, but the period also saw a lot of conflict and resistance in the South. -
The Gilded Age was a time in the late 1800s when the U.S. grew fast in business and industry. Some people became very rich, but many workers stayed poor and lived hard lives. It looked like a successful time on the surface, but there were lots of problems underneath, like unfair working conditions and corruption. -
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was the major workers’ protest that began when railroad companies (Baltimore and Ohio) cut wages for the third time in a year. Railroad workers walked off the job, and the strike quickly spread across many states. It led to large crowds, clashes with militia and federal troops, and major disruptions to rail service. It was one of the first big labor strikes in U.S. history and showed how angry workers were about low pay and poor working conditions. -
The Haymarket Riot happened in Chicago in 1886 during a workers’ rally for an eight-hour workday. Someone threw a bomb into the crowd, which caused panic and led to the deaths of police and civilians. The event caused fear around labor movements and led to several activists being arrested, even without solid proof. It became an important moment in labor history. -
Muckraking was when journalists in the early 1900s wrote stories that exposed problems like corruption, unsafe working conditions, and bad business practices. Their reports helped the public see what was really going on and pushed the government to make reforms.
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The Homestead Strike was a violent labor strike in 1892 at Andrew Carnegie’s steel mill in Homestead, Pennsylvania. Workers went on strike after their wages were cut, and the company brought in armed guards to stop the strike. A fight broke out, people were injured and killed, and the strike eventually failed. It showed how hard it was for workers to stand up to big companies. -
The Pullman Strike happened in 1894 when railroad workers stopped working after their wages were cut but their housing costs stayed the same. The strike spread across the country and disrupted rail service. The federal government sent troops to break the strike, leading to violence. In the end, the strike failed, but it showed how tense relations were between workers, big companies, and the government. -
The Spanish-American War took place in 1898 between the United States and Spain. It began after the explosion of the USS Maine and growing tension over Spain’s control of Cuba. The U.S. won the war quickly and gained territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, marking the start of America becoming a global power. -
The Pure Food and Drug Act was passed in 1906 to make sure that food and medicines were labeled correctly and safe for people to use. It stopped companies from selling harmful or falsely advertised products and helped protect public health.
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The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire happened in New York City in 1911 during the progressive movement. A fire broke out in a clothing factory, and many workers (mostly young immigrant women) couldn’t escape because doors were locked and safety was poor. 146 workers died. The tragedy led to major changes in workplace safety laws. -
World War I was a major global conflict that lasted from 1914 to 1918. It started in Europe after rising tensions and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Many countries joined the fighting, and new deadly weapons were used. The war caused millions of deaths and ended with major political changes around the world. -
The 19th Amendment, passed in 1920, gave women in the United States the right to vote. It was the result of decades of activism by women who fought for equal voting rights. -
The Sheppard-Towner Act, passed in 1921, was a U.S. law that provided federal funds to support maternal and infant health. It helped create clinics, education programs, and nurse visits to improve care for mothers and babies, aiming to reduce high rates of infant and maternal deaths. -
Establishment of child labor laws. This Act set limits on hours and hazardous work for minors.
The Fair Labor Standards Act is a U.S. law passed on June 25th, 1938 that sets rules for workers’ pay. It created a minimum wage, requires overtime pay after 40 hours a week, and sets child labor rules to protect kids. It was made to stop workers from being underpaid, overworked, and put in unsafe jobs, especially during the Great Depression. -
World War II was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It began when Germany invaded Poland, and soon many countries were involved. The war included major events like the Holocaust, battles across Europe and the Pacific, and the use of atomic bombs. It ended with the defeat of Germany and Japan and reshaped the world. -
The Cold War was a long period of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union from the late 1940s to 1991. There wasn’t direct fighting between the two superpowers, but they competed for power through threats, spying, arms buildup, and influencing other countries. It shaped world politics for decades.
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Malcolm X’s speech on police brutality explained how Black people were often treated unfairly and violently by the police. He spoke strongly about the need for Black communities to protect themselves and stand up for their rights. His message pushed people to pay attention to the injustice Black Americans faced. -
Fannie Lou Hamer’s testimony in 1964 was a deeply emotional speech where she described being beaten, threatened, and treated unfairly just because she wanted to register to vote. Her words shocked the country and helped show how badly Black people in the South were being treated. It became a turning point in the fight for voting rights. -
Danielle L. McGuire’s article “‘It Was Like All of Us Had Been Raped’” explains how Black women in the civil rights era faced sexual violence and how their communities organized to fight back. She shows that these stories were a major part of the freedom struggle, even though they were often ignored. The article highlights how sexual violence was used to control Black women and how speaking out became an act of resistance.