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1847 - The first prohibition law is passed in Maine
Begin advocating for abstinence from alcohol. -
13 states have enacted prohibition legislation
13 other states join Maine -
The National Prohibition Party is founded.
National Prohibition Party opposes the sale or consumption of alcohol -
Kansas is the first state to have prohibition in its state constitution.
Kansas writes legislation for prohibition into its state constitution -
The National Prohibition Party elects its first member of the House of Representatives.
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The Anti-Saloon League is formed.
Founded in Oberlin, Ohio -
The US Senate passes the Volstead Act on December 18th which is one of the significant steps to the passage of the 18th amendment.
This act established prohibition in the US -
On January 29th, the 18th amendment is ratified by 36 states and goes into effect on the federal level.
Prohibition is now at the federal level -
1920's - The rise of bootleggers such as Al Capone in Chicago highlight the darker side of prohibition.
The roaring 20's was a surge in economy. Jazz music was blossoming, the flapper look was in style, and bootleggers like Al Capone were bringing alcohol onto the scene. -
Great Depression Starts, Roaring Twenties reached its peak
Federal Reserve raised the discount from 5 to 6 percent -
Black Thursday
Stock market crash. Prices fell 11 percent -
Dust Bowl
As crops failed, farmers could not produce enough to eat. At first, President Hoover asked the American Red Cross to help. As the crisis worsened, Congress appropriated $65 million for seed, feed, and food boxes. -
Drought
A major drought hits 23 states -
Drought Continues and People are Desperate
Food riots break out in Minneapolis, economy shrank 6.4 percent -
1932 - On August 11th, Herbert Hoover gave an acceptance speech for the Republican presidential nomination for president in which he discussed the ills of prohibition and the need for its end.
The fight to end prohibition starts -
Reconstruction Finance Corporation
Reconstruction Finance Corporation to lend $2 billion to financial institutions to prevent further failures. In July, Congress authorized it to lend money to states for relief. -
Economy Bottoms
Economy bottomed after shrinking 27 percent since its peak in August 1929. -
FDR
Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office. He launched the New Deal on March 9 with the Emergency Banking Act. -
Black Sunday
The worst dust storm ever. FDR passed the Soil Conservation Act to teach farmers sustainable methods. -
Economy Started to Grow
The economy started to grow again. The Great Depression was over.
For the year, the economy shrank 3.3 percent. Unemployment rose to 19 percent. Prices fell 2.8 percent. The debt remained steady at $37 billion. -
Sputnik Launches Space Race
The Soviet Union successfully launches Sputnik, an unmanned satellite, into space. Earlier American efforts to launch a similar satellite had failed. -
JFK Wins Presidency
Democratic candidate John F. Kennedy is elected President of the United States. His margin of victory over Republican candidate Richard M. Nixon is just over 100,000 votes. Kennedy wins 300 Electoral College votes to Nixon’s 219. -
Federal Protection for Freedom Riders
President John F. Kennedy orders U.S. Marshals to provide protection for “Freedom Riders” attempting to integrate interstate bus travel. -
Peace Corps
President John F. Kennedy issues an executive order establishing the Peace Corps. The Corps aims to disseminate good will and practical knowledge by enlisting volunteers, most under age 30, to two-year terms of service. -
JFK Appoints Segregationist Judge
President John F. Kennedy appoints Judge William Harold Cox to the federal court. The appointment of Cox, a segregationist, angers civil rights advocates. According to some accounts, Kennedy appoints Cox in order to gain Senate Judiciary Chairman James Eastland’s support for Thurgood Marshall, an African American who Kennedy wanted to name to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. -
National Guard Desegregates Ole Miss
Sep 29, 1962
National Guard Desegregates Ole Miss
President John F. Kennedy orders federal troops and the federalized National Guard to the campus of the University of Mississippi to enforce the court-ordered admission of James Meredith, an African American. Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett had blocked implementation of the court order citing the states rights doctrine of interposition. -
Kennedy Assassination
President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson is sworn in as president the same day. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act outlaws discrimination in public facilities, such as parks, and in public accommodations, such as hotels and restaurants, and it prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. -
Free Speech
Berkeley Administration Compromises with Free Speech Movement
The Administration of the University of California, Berkeley announces a new student speech policy that largely meets the demands of student protestors. An “open discussion area” is established on the steps of Sproul Hall, and student political organizations are permitted to staff tables at several locations on campus. -
Voting Rights Act
President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The act abolishes literacy tests and other tests used by local and state governments to inhibit African-American voting. -
Protests
Students at Columbia University seize several campus buildings to protest the university’s involvement with the Institute for Defense Analysis—a Defense Department think tank—and university plans to build a gym on a park in a neighboring Black community. The protestors will be removed from the buildings on April 30th after a violent battle with the police. -
Nixon Wins Presidency
Nov 5, 1968
Nixon Wins Presidency
Republican candidate Richard Nixon is elected President of the United States. I