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End of Reconstruction; Jim Crow laws rise.
After the Civil War, Reconstruction was the attempt to rebuild the US and help with African American rights. This ended when the federal troops left the South, leading to the Jim Crow laws. This contributed to segregation and discrimination through literacy tests, violence, etc. -
Chinese Exclusion Act passed in the U.S.
This event was the first law passed which banned immigration based on the persons’ nationality. This law in particular, was directed towards the Chinese in order to protect US jobs from being taken over. -
Spanish-American War
This key event was the main aspect that made the US a global power. This was brought on by a war between the US and Spain. This resulted in the United States taking control of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico, thanks to the signing of the Treaty of Paris. -
Wright brothers’ first flight.
The Wright brothers were responsible for the first flight ever, after years of studying gliders and wind tunnels. This flight took place in North Carolina and was the start of many aircraft, which now help with Military, Space, common travel, etc. -
Titanic sinks.
At this time, the Titanic was the largest and newest ship, which was claimed to be unsinkable. During the night, it hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean, causing the start of the sinking. Over a few hours, over 1500 people died due to the lack of lifeboats, equipment, etc. The majority of the saved passengers were women and children, but a large number of the losses were lower-class citizens. -
Start of WW1
The start of this event can be pointed to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This started a chain of countries declaring wars on each other, but it was between the Allied and Central Powers. The US declared itself neutral soon after the start. This war presented new weapons such as machine guns and poison gas. -
WWI ends; Spanish Flu pandemic starts.
All of the mess the countries created was brought to an end with Germany surrendering. This was confirmed with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Germany was later blamed and was responsible for paying for the damages and was also demilitarized. Later events started when the Spanish Flu started catching; killing millions all over. -
The 18th Amendment was ratified.
On January 16th, this amendment made it so it was illegal to spread alcohol in any way. This includes manufacturing, selling, and transporting it. This was put in place because many had assumed alcohol was the main cause of crime and other issues. Speakeasies were created as a loophole, which proves the point that this law was hard to enforce, which eventually led to its abolishment. -
Women gain the right to vote in the U.S. (19th Amendment).
This amendment was marked by granting women the right to contribute more to government decisions, such as voting. This was an extremely long process and involved many protests, with the help of many important people such as Susan B. Anthony. Despite this progress being made, many women still struggled, especially those of color. -
Stock market crash; Great Depression begins.
This event was one of the most impactful days for the economy. The stock market had collapsed, causing many businesses and individuals to lose their money. Those who invested in stocks lost their credit, making them unable to pay back their loans. This crisis overall lasted around 10 years, and took many years to recover from. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt takes office; New Deal programs begin.
Franklin D Roosevelt was elected president with the intention that he would be able to pull the US out of the depression. He issued the New Deal, which provided people with jobs, opportunities, support, etc, to help improve their lives. He put money back into the hands of the Americans, which overall helped incomes and demand. -
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor; U.S. enters WWII.
December 7th, Japan surprised the US with an attack on our naval base in Hawaii, also known as Pearl Harbor. This was rooted in the fact that we had recently banned trade with them. There were 2 waves of attacks, which killed many, as well as destroyed many of our aircraft and ships. This was the occasion that influenced the US to declare war immediately. -
Cold War begins; Truman Doctrine announced.
The Cold War was the conflict between the US and the Soviet Union due to their economic and political differences. Later, the Truman Doctrine was created, which claimed we would support those who were trying to avoid the uprising of communism. This started a competition between the two countries, which lasted many years and started many global disputes. -
Brown v. Board of Education ruling ends segregation in U.S. schools.
This court case made a difference in what was allowed when it came to racial segregation in schools. This trial explores the saying, “Separate but equal,” and was a large milestone in the civil rights movement. Many children in black families were concerned with how they were being taught compared to white children. Although this lawsuit didn’t completely fix racism, it was a start towards the end of Jim Crow laws. -
Soviet Union launches Sputnik, starting the Space Race.
The Sputnik was the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth. Its release was the mark for the start of the Space race, which was an intense competition of who would take the lead in space exploration. During the Cold War, the achievement of Sputnik increased demand for the progression of space technology, which eventually led to NASA in future years. -
U.S. lands on the Moon.
NASA took the world by surprise when its Apollo 11 mission officially landed Neil Armstrong and others on the moon. This event demonstrated America’s accomplishments in the Space Race. His first steps were a fascination to thousands around the world, and were one of the world’s most iconic events. This connects to the quote, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall; communist regimes collapse in Eastern Europe.
The Berlin Wall was a representation of the division between the East and West, and their political views during the Cold War. During this time, there was an insane amount of protests and other issues, which connected to the large crowds that surrounded the wall when it was officially down. The collapse of the wall was the change in communist control in Europe, which was no longer wanted by the community as they voiced for freedom and unity. -
9/11 attacks; U.S. invades Afghanistan.
This tragic event was conducted by a terrorist group with the intention of harming America. There were 4 planned suicide hijackings targeted at the Pentagon, World Trade Center, etc. These crashes were marked as the most deadly terrorist acts in the US, as over 3k people died. This led to stricter safety measures, military protection policies, and much more. -
COVID-19 pandemic begins.
In early 2020, a new virus was spreading around the globe at high rates. This illness marked the first pandemic in over a century and changed how we lived our daily lives. Hospitals were overflooded, businesses and schools shut down, and we were told to stay isolated. Over 1 million Americans died over the years, and many more were infected. COVID-19 impacted the economy, which we are still trying to recover from. -
Russia invades Ukraine; global economic struggles.
The largest military attack since WW2 took place when Russia invaded Ukraine. This conflict resulted in thousands of deaths and refugees, not to mention the tons of destruction. Many allies, including the US, continue to do their best to support Ukraine, one example being the lending of weapons. As a result, a ripple effect was created, leaving many countries struggling with inflation. This war is still currently happening as there is no solution starting to take place to restore peace.