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Oct 12, 1492
Columbus Lands in the Caribbean
The Spanish monarchy commissioned Columbus early and laid claim to most of Central America and the Caribbean because they wanted gold. They settled in permanent towns and conquered natives. France settled between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains and in New Orleans. They were respectful and traded with Natives. The English was on the east coat. Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in 1607. They struggled because the crops they knew how to grow were not growing. -
1515
Triangular Trade
This was a system of trade set up by England. Manufactured trade from Europe went to the colonies. Wheat and livestock went to the Caribbean. Sugar and molasses was sent to the colonies and England. Rum was sent to Africa. Slaves were sent to the Caribbean (middle passage). This began the Atlantic Slave trade. Due to the Caribbean having limited space, they mainly grew and traded sugar. -
First Great Awakening
This was a new religious movement. People had fallen away and lost connection with the church. New ministers used emotions and personal stories. New light ministers bring in new people and emphasize a personal relationship with God. This led to an encouraged equality and challenging of authority. It supported literacy to read the Bible, and universities, like Harvard, began to pop up. Charities helped fund orphanages in Georgia. More decision between denominations, and questioning who can rule. -
French Indian War
Washington led troops in Pennsylvania. They attacked French soldiers and started the war. Ben Franklin was worried about the individual lives and the toll the war would take. Calls the Albany Congress with delegates from all 13 states. This created a more united network of colonies and important men (future Founding Fathers). The war was 9 years long and proved that the colonies could in fact fight a war and win. -
Britain Starts Enforcing Acts
Due to the debt from the French and Indian War, Britain started enforcing taxation acts and added soldiers in the colonies. The Sugar Act lowered taxes on molasses but raised on sugar. Sugar was smuggled a lot. The Quartering Act forced colonists to take in soldiers. The Stamp Act taxed most documents and affect wealthy colonists the most. The Townsend Act taxed everything else including paper and lumber. They were mad there was no representation in parliament. -
End of Benign Neglect
During Benign Neglect, the British Empire did not enforce all of the rules or add new ones. The colonies were a cash cow and not their top priority. They allowed the colonists to govern themselves and create farms, businesses, and houses. They dealt with problems on their own for about 100 years. After the war, the colonists got attention. They started to enforce old laws and added new strict laws. This caused tensions in the colonies. -
Boston Tea Party
Colonists painted themselves up like Natives and threw tea overboard. Britain lost about 1.5 million dollars in tea taxes. Britain was furious. Due to this, they passed the Intolerable Acts. It outlawed assemblies and took control of the government. Higher taxes and stricter punishments took place. Colonists banded together to send aid to Boston and help them out. -
First Continental Congress
All colonies except Georgia send delegates to deal with Great Britain. Conservatives didn't believe that we could win a war. Liberals wanted freedom. Adams and Hancock decided to compromise with John Dickinson. They agreed to reconcile and try war as a second option. They all sign the Olive Branch Petition that says they will reconcile as long as they get representation and limited tax authority. Britain didn't answer them. -
Lexington and Concord (Revolution Begins)
Spies told Britain that Colonists were housing stuff for war in Concord and that Adams and Hancock were meeting and Lexington. Paul Revere and two other men rode waking up people. 77-minute men are waiting for the British. Someone takes a shot. That's known as the "shot heard all around the world". It started the revolution. Concord stuff is cleared out and 1500 men harass the British back to Boston and injure 250 soldiers. -
Thomas Paine Publishes Common Sense
Thoms Paine wrote common sense in the common vernacular so that more people could read it. It outsold the Bible. It was passed around and made a lot of emotional and logical arguments. He donated all of the books' proceeds to the Continental Congress. He then joined the Congress and served under Washington. His writings continued to remind people why they were fighting and were read to Washington's troops. It gave people fire and hope. -
Second Continental Congress
It was held in Independence Hall and had all 13 colonies. King George declared the colonies to be in open rebellion. Thomas Jefferson and other delegates were tasked to write the Declaration of Independence. Every delegate signed it. They also established an army, a general, currency, diplomats, court systems, and a new government. Abigail Adams wrote a letter to her husband to "Remember the Ladies". -
Battle of Saratoga
This was a turning point in the war. So far, the British death numbers have been higher than ours. Bunker Hill was a good representation of how the fighting was. We pushed them off, but they still stood pretty well. One army went south to meet the British troops while the other stayed. Two British armies weren't at the battle, so the general was forced to surrender. This boosts morale and evens out the playing field a bit. -
Articles of Confederation
After the Revolutionary War was over, the Continental Congress joined together to create a government for their new country. The base was mostly based on the colonist's fear of strong government with laws including no standing government and no ability of the federal government to impose taxes. This proved to be not helpful when Shay's Rebellion occurred, and the government had no standing army to fight them off. This caused them to go back to the drawing board with their new Constitution -
Battle of Yorktown
General Cornwallis retreated expecting his navy to be at his back, but it was the French army. He surrendered in October 1781 and that ended major fighting in the war. This led to the Treaty of Paris which officially ended the war. The U.S. got the land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi River, and France got eternal friendship, although we did not help them during the French Revolution due to the unstable baby government that the U.S. had. -
Shay's Rebellion
The Revolutionary War veterans didn't have much cash. Banks forced a lot of them into foreclosure. They lost land and voting rights, so they attacked the Massachusetts court houses. Because of the PTSD and fear from the British, America didn't have a strong federal government and couldn't help out. This showed the need for a stronger central governmental and the failures and shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation. It led to the Constitutional Convention to come up with better. -
Constitutional Convention
Federalists wanted a stronger federal government, while Anti-federalists didn't. They argued over how to represent states fairly. The Jew Jersey Plan was based on equal votes while the Virginia Plan was based on population. They settled on the Connecticut Compromise which used both in two government houses. The Constitution was made up of a 3 party system. Another compromise was the Bill of Rights. It settled the Anti-federalists and gave individuals necessary rights. This helped pass it. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance laid out a path to statehood. It defined boundaries. States had to have a territorial government and 60,000 people. They banned slavery in the new states as slavery was already funneling out slowly. This changed after states wanted the choice to be admitted as free states or slave states. -
Washington Inaugurated
He ran unopposed and established many presidential precedents. He created the Supreme Court and the presidential cabinet. He had two conflicting views on his cabinet. People started debating how strictly the Constitution should be followed. He used the neutrality act to reason for not helping the French. He established the two-term precedent. His farewell address warns against parties or foreign interference and endorses Adam as the next president. -
Cotton Gin and Other Inventions
As trade was slowing due to tensions with Britain, American industry was booming and new inventions were thriving. The Cotton Gin brought back slavery and bolstered the Southern economy. Interchangeable parts let things be mass-produced quickly. Steam engines allow for production and eventually locomotion. Steamboats, canals, and railroads link the U.S. and help the economy. The Reaper helps wheat and agriculture to become quicker and more lucrative. -
Jefferson As President
The world held its breath for this election. This was a successful trade-off of power between parties. It's considered the Revolution of 1880 but was nonviolent. Adams stepped down peacefully and the Constitution process worked. He instates the Louisiana Purchase and wonders if they lay under his rights under the Constitution. He commissioned Lewis & Clark to explore, map, trade, and report back to him on the new lands. -
War of 1812
British Navy was attacking the U.S. ships and capturing our sailors. They weren't treating us as an empire. We were well outmatched but fighting a defensive war. The British even paired up with the Natives. The British invaded D.C. and burned the White House. Americans rallied after this. Francis Key wrote The Star Spangled Banner after seeing the flag over Fort McHenry. The war ended in the status quo. Nothing really changed or went one way or the other. -
First Textile Factory
Textile factories sprang around the northeast. There was a growth of cotton that needed to be processed. This was the first time that women were invited into the workforce, although they were paid half. There became social classes, sensitivity to time, and labor unions. Most landed on the fall line to capture rapid and waterfall motions. Children could also work and get paid 1/4. This was just one example of industry in the U.S. -
Miracle Plow Invented
John Deere created this plow to be able to get through the thick grass in the Great Plains. It could cut through the deep root and get to the richer soil down below. THe blocks were called sod blocks and were able to make strong insulated houses. This helped more with westward expansion. With the Great Plain's production of wheat, they began to be called the Breadbasket of the world. The northern economy continued to diversify while South relied on cotton. -
Second Great Awakening
Church was used as a vehicle for change and women-led movements such as abolition, women's suffrage, and temperance. It preached free will and anti-alcohol. Newspapers and organizations like the Liberator were published and gained followers. During the Schism, women were angered they didn't get a voice, so they left the abolitionist movement. Seneca Falls was the first women's suffrage convention. Some Utopian communities popped up around the nation. -
Election of 1824
Nobody got a majority, so for the first time, the vote went to the House of Reps. Henry Clay drops out and Crawford dies, so that leaves Adams and Jackson. Adams and Clay meet privately, and Clay supports Adams as president in the House. When Adams gets elected, he appoints Clay as Sec. of State. Jackson and his supporters call this a "corrupt bargain". This was why many Americans didn't support him. He passed the Tariff of Abominations and used the spoils system. -
Election of 1828
This created the first modern political campaign with local politics and meetings. He also used the spoils system. He preferred ordinary Americans over elites. Because of Adam's tariffs, S.C. states that the law was null and void in their state because it didn't value them. He told Congress to use the army to enforce laws. Clay proposed the Compromise Tariff and S.C. repealed the Nullification Ordinance. -
Texas Declares Independence From Mexico
Mexico wanted Texas to be safer and productive, so they gave away land. Many Americans moved there. Once it was full, they closed borders and started enforcing religion and outlawing slavery. Texans got angry, and Americans, who had family and friends there wanted to help. An Independence war broke out, and people helped but the government didn't. America helps after Texas annexes. They got large territories around Texas due to the Treaty. -
Compromise of 1850
New states argued over being free or slave states and the Missouri Compromise broke down. Henry Clay came up with the compromise that California would enter as a free state, slave trade was ended in D.C., and stricter fugitive slave laws would be enacted. Later states would be governed by Popular Sovereignty where each state's voters would vote on wether they wanted to be a slave or free state. -
Bleeding Kansas
Kansas was choosing between free or slave state. Beecher used donations to buy up land in Kansas and vote free. Border Ruffians came in during votes burned towns and blocked abolitionists from voting. John Brown hacked up pro-slavery families in reaction. Kansas entered as a slave state with pro-slavery laws. Two governments were created and they both ended up fighting. People were encouraging violence on both sides after a Senator was beaten. Slavery was a volatile issue. -
Dred Scott Case
He was a slave who moved to the north with his owner. He sued for his freedom due to being in a free state. The Supreme Court voted against him and set the precedent that blacks had no rights, the bounds of slavery didn't dissolve in free states, and that there was really no fully free state. That took abolitionists back from power and added to the tension and violence that was already there over the issue of slavery. -
Battle of Manassass (Bull Run)
This was the first major battle of the Civil War. The north assumed they would absolutely destroy the south, and people came and watched like it was a show. The north loses the battle due to underestimating the south. They realized that this would not be a super quick battle like they had previously assumed it would be. The Anaconda Plan was in full effect, cutting off naval ports in the south and starving them out. Major inflation was taking place. -
Pacific Railway Act of 1862
This was enacted by Lincoln to connect East and West. This would expand global trade. They funded it half in the beginning and the rest by mile. They hired two companies to meet in the middle. This made it become more of a race. It had to be completed by 1872. It was done by 1869, three years earlier. This sped up settlement west, but also rose Native American tensions. -
Homestead Movement of 1862
Another act by Lincoln. This encouraged settlement and development of the west. They offered land gratns for 160 acres for free as long as you lived there for 5 years, grew agriculture, and improved the land with homes, fences, or barns. This sped up the settlement and tensions with Natives. There were many massacres and eventually, they were forced onto smaller and smaller reservations. There were many massacres. -
Battle of Antietam
The North hasn't won in a while at this point. This ended up being the bloodiest day in American history (the most Americans to die in a day). Although it ended up being basically a draw, the South did retreat, so Lincoln considered this a North victory. He dedicated it as hallowed grounds and used it to establish the Emancipation Proclamation. It freed slaves in the South and gave them a path to come back. He sent copies worldwide, which said that they would support the south and slaves. -
Massachusetts 54th Established
This was the first colored regiment in Massachusetts. Colonel Robert Shaw asked to lead them. Whenever he realized that they weren't getting supplies, he went all the way to the president to get them the necessary supplies. He also gave up his pay until the pay was equal. He argued for them and looked out for them. When they were reluctantly let to fight, they did well and earned respect. These troops became important and freed slaves in the southern states they traveled through. -
Battle of Vixburg
This was the last Southern fort on the Mississippi. It took 4 days to fight, but General Ulysses S. Grant had laid siege on it for months. Eventually, they surrendered and captured 20,000 soldiers. The North now had complete control of the Mississippi River. This split Texas, Louisiana, and other states off from the south. This is the moment that promotes Grant to General and makes him famous. That move swiftly ends the war due to his ferocity. -
Battle of Gettysburg
This was one of the turning points in the war. It was the bloodiest battle. General Lee marched North which caused fear and hadn't happened yet in this war. He gets defeated and most of his army is dead or injured. They lose major troop strength and don't win any battles after. Lincoln took this moment and delivered the Gettysburg Address. -
Lincoln's 10% Plan
He wanted the US reunited without animosity. His plan pardons confederate leaders who swore an oath to the Union and agreed to emancipation. States could be readmitted once 10% of their voters swore an oath of loyalty. They had to rewrite their constitutions that outlawed slavery. Congress thought that his plan was too lenient on the South. -
Final Virginia Campaign
General Grant went up against General Lee. At this point Grant has always won and Lee has no supplies left. Grant knows this and also knows that there are supplies in Appomattox. Grant has an army there that traps them and they surrender. On April 9, 1865, they surrender and that ends the civil war. -
Wade-Davis Bill
Because Congress believed that Lincoln's plan was too lenient, they made their own. 50% of voters had to swear an oath for states to be admitted. Confederates could not vote or hold offices. Lincoln refused to sign this because he just wanted reconciliation and thought that it was too harsh on the South. He was then assassinated, so his opinion didn't hold out. -
Freedmen's Bureau
This was established by Congress to help freedpeople transition into normal lives. They started schools, provided legal aid, helped to negotiate labor contracts, help secure loans, and finding and purchasing land. When Johnson got into office, he vetoed bills that helped freedpeople along with the Freedmen's Bureau. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Grant gave his second in command, Sherman, permission to "make them [South] howl". He destroys everything he passes in a 14-mile-wide path. Many armies ran away because of Fear. He burns down Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. They captured a warehouse with cotton and sailed the cotton to D.C. with a note to President Lincoln. They burned fields, farms, food, horses, towns, and buildings. This destroyed the last of the resolve that Southerners had. -
13th Amendment
Because the radical Republicans had a supermajority, they could pass things through more easily. They used their persuasion with the South to get these passed. This one banned slavery for good. To get readmitted as a state, they had to add this into their new constitution. It was a condition for their readmittance. This was their permanent solution that Democrats couldn't easily change. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
This was passed to retaliate against Johnson who was racist. This gave citizenship and protection against the black codes that were spreading in the South. They feared that Democrats would overthrow them and wanted a better and more permanent situation. This is when they started to enforce amendments. -
14th Amendment
This extended citizenship, and along with that protection, to all people born on US soil. This was true for all freedpeople and immigrants, so it had widespread immigrant support. This gave all citizens legal equality. They all had equal legal protection under the constitution. -
Reconstruction Act of 1876
Due to black codes and other racist moves in the South, this act was passed. It stripped the South of any and all political power. It split the South into 5 distinct sectors. Union armies were sent in to oversee the sectors and make sure that laws were followed. The South was obviously not a huge fan of this. -
Johnson's Impeachment
This was the first impeachment. Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act after Johnson fired a lot of radical Republicans in Congress and other offices. He ignored this and removed the Secretary of War, Edward Stanto. They House impeached him, but the Senate fell short by one vote. That left him basically powerless. -
Common School Movement
These were boarding schools that children were forced to go to when they were 6 years old. They were Americanized and punished for following any of their traditions. They were also killed during the Ghost Dance Movement. They thought that their traditional dance was a battle dance and outlawed it. They were shot and killed for it. -
15th Amendment
This gave voting rotes to all male citizens regardless of ethnicity or race. This was a very radical idea as some people called into question the education that people may have. It was so unpopular that they had to shove it through. This meant that they got voted out in the next Congressional election. Although these Amendments were passed, they got widely ignored in the South. -
Election of 1876
This was the end of Reconstruction. Southern states were all readmitted and back to voting in this election. It was Ruthorford B. Hayse vs. Samuel Tilden. Tilden won the popular vote, but there was suspected fraud in four states. There was more fraud in the recount. Congress stepped in and gave Hayes the presidency if military oversight stopped. This led to greater congressional balance but a weak president. -
Triple Alliance and Triple Entente
In Europe, many secret alliances were created. The got crazy and very confusing. Everyone declared war on someone and that caused other countries to have to enact alliances. The Triple Alliance contained Italy, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Ottoman, and Bulgaria. The Triple Entente included France, Britain, Russia, and Serbia. They each had extreme pride in their countries and wanted to explain their borders and compete for resources. -
Alaska and Midway Expansion
Alaska and Midway were expanded due to the Spanish-American War. Cuba gained independence and the US gained the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. They annexed Hawaii and the US Navy modernized and enlarged. More international markets were open and trade became important. US became a serious world power and Spain was not as much. -
Battle of Kettle Hill and Battle of San Juan Hill
Teddy Roosevelt became a legend during this war. He formed a cavalry troop of western riders called the Rough Riders. Teddy led the Battle of Kettle Hill on a horse which was dangerous at the time. He won overwhelmingly. The Battle of San Juan HIll was the decisive battle in the war. The story of that battle made him a national hero. He led and 1,500 men were killed. -
Spanish American War
This was gearing up to WW1. Cuba is a Spanish territory and doesn't want to be. Some Americans lived there and controlled the sugar trade. A series of revolts take place and the US mediates a compromise. The De Lome letter is a Spanish minister saying that they lied during the compromise. This was a show of strength as US sends battleships and Mchkinely asks Congress to approve a Bill to get into the war. An explosion was caused by a mechanical error but was blamed on the Spanish. Gaine Alaska. -
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
His father had to respond even though he didn't like his son much. He was murdered in Bosnia. Austria-Hungary is in alliance with Germany, so Germany also has to help. Serbia has an alliance with Russia. All the alliances are triggered and this creates World Wor 1. The Triple Alliance becomes the Axis powers and Italy drops out. The Triple Entente becomes the Allied powers. -
U-Boat Sank Lusiania and US Enters WWI
Germans employed the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare and sank ships without warning. The US was angry when they sank the Lusitania and 4 other ships. Germany sets up an alliance with Mexico because they feared that the US would join WWI with an alliance with Mexico. -
War Industries Board
They were made to regulate and control US businesses and the economy. It manipulated productions, set quotas for industries, determined what could be minimum and maximum pricing, and oversaw raw material distribution. American's freedom during the war was limited by this act and by the Espionage Act of 1917. This act limited speech against the government or against the war. -
Harlem Renaissance
The newly established black communities, especially in New York, saw a rise in black artistic expression. Journalists, poets, musicians, and artists created pride and being black and works about the black experience. We saw the Jazz age that started with blues as a style in black communities and became popular in the white community. -
Flu Outbreak
Because of Trench Warfare, soldiers were in very close very dirty quarters for days, weeks, or even months at a time. They protected them against modern weapons but spread diseases quickly. Machine guns, tanks, chemical warfare, planes, and submarines modernized warfare. The real killer ended up being a widespread flu around 1918. It was due to the unsanitary conditions of trenches and 200 million people died. -
Wilson's 14 Points
After the armistice, they needed a treaty to be signed. His 14 points focused on the prevention of future wars, readjusting borders, and the League of Nations. He wanted no secret treaties, ocean freedom, free trade, restoration of Belgium, France, Italy, Austria- Hungary, Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro. It created Poland as a border between countries. The League of Nations would be an intentional organization with representation from all countries to act as a buffer. -
The Red Scare
WWI created a sense of patriotism. The knowledge of the Russian Revolution brought a rise of hatred for communism. This led to anti-immigrant feelings. Anyone who was seen as different or unpatriotic was ostracized. That led over onto anyone who was seen as socialist or anarchist. -
Treaty of Versailles
European powers didn't like the 14 points. They wanted to punish Germany more. They limited the German army, limited the Navy, banned planes and submarines, banned uniting with other Germanic peoples, and must pay $33 billion in war reparations. This ended up being the number one cause of WWII as Germany was weak and in massive debts. Their country had also been destroyed from the war and they didn't have the money to rebuild. The US didn't sign and made their own treaty with Germany. -
18th Amendment
This outlawed the distribution, manufacturing, selling, and importation of alcohol. Prohibition started and bolstered organized crime as people traded alcohol illegally. Bootleggers crated nascar by making fast light cars that worked and looked like normal streetcars. Speakeasies would hide alcohol and have ingenious ways of hiding the bars from cops. Lots of places were raided while many others were not. -
Palmer Raids
The Red Scare caused people to call other Communists. Attorney General Mithcell Palmer encouraged raids with mass arrests and deportations of anyone suspected of being anarchist, communist, or radical. He accused a lot of people but didn't find an actual Communist. His house was eventually bombed. -
Act of 1924
This act limited the number of immigrants to 2 to 3% of the number of people from that country already in the United States. They took data from the 1890 census and used that. This was before a major wave of immigration. Although those limits were small, only some countries had to adhere to these strict immigration rules. Some countries that were more "like" the US were let in. Anyone from a communist area was not. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
This captured the nation and was such a big case that it had to be held outside. The Butler Act banned the teaching of evolution in a small town in Tennessee. A local science teacher had taught it anyways. It was charped and brought to trial. The teacher was found guilty. This heightened tensions between church and state and different religions. It sparked other debates over the concept of public education. -
Model T
Henry Ford wanted to make the automobile affordable for the average person. he created the moving assembly line to lower costs and reduce time. He offered workers better pay, shorter hours, weekends off, and 8-hour work days. Most Ford employees could afford to buy a Model T. Ford created a new definition of company and had company outings and softball cames. He created loyalty and less people began to quit their jobs. Many workers even moved over to work for Ford. -
Herbert Hoover
Hoover was elected in 1929. He opposed direct federal aid and feared raising taxes would deepen the depression. He provided some help to strengthen banks. Most Americans saw him as helpless and unwilling to aid. He thought the US could "ride it out" and push people to seek help from charitable organizations. Unemployment hit 25% and Hoovervilles popped up. Many people moved back into houses with their parents and other family members. -
Stock Market Crash
While the Roaring 20s supported consumerism, people started to use installment payments. They bought stuff with credit. Farm income began to decrease and a lot of people began buying into the stock market. A lot of people bought on margin. Banks lost money and people lost their savings because the stock market crashed. Consumer confidence was low and people began to save instead of spend. The Great Depression was coming. -
Radio and Hollywood
The radio began as a new communication tool. It spanned to sports, news, programs, music, politics, and sermons. This was also the beginning of Hollywood. This changed how Americans got their news and even their religion. People started to do movies. Silent fims became very popular. The first movie with sound was titled The Jazz Singer. -
Bonus Army March
WWI veterans were promised a bonus fro their services. They weren't due to receive the money until 1945, but due to the depression, many wanted and needed it now. In 1932, thousands marched on DC and were denied by the Senate. Some stayed and created a camp around the Whitehouse. Hoover called the army to disperse them. They burned the camp. Many veterans were injured. This spurred hate for Hoover and created a deeper divide with veterans. -
FDR Elected
He promised programs to address the depression that were called "The New Deal". He wanted to consume our way out of the depression. He changed how we view our government. Americans now assume that the government is going to fix their financial struggles. The FDIC was created to scan over every national bank. They only opened healthy banksand began to insure bank deposits. The SEC regulated trade practices in stocks and bonds. -
Hitler Becomes Chancellor
His popularity had risen due to his criticism and refusal to adhere to the Treaty. He blamed their depression on the Jews and called them the internal enemy. He called the Treaty and external enemy and everyone that signed it. He ordered a program of rearming Germany, expanding the military, and creating jobs. The German people sided with him and continued to give him more and more power. -
Civilian Conservation Corps
This group hired hundreds of thousands of men. This heigtened federal debt. They housed them and put them to work on public spaces. They were paid with taxpayer dollars. The Tennesse Valley Authority created dams for flood control, electricity, irrigation, and jobs. The area was in a flood zone and didn't have electricity yet. The Soil Conservation Service focused on preventing another Dust Bowl and worked with soil erosion, planting trees, irrigation, and national parks. -
Federal Emergency Relief Act and National Industrial Recovery Act
The FERA was federal funding for states to operate relief programs on their own. THe NIRA guaranteed labor's right to organize. They set work hours, minimum wage, and price controls. This was very plainly unconstitutional and was one of the first of the alphabet programs that the Supreme Court smacked down. This angered FDR. -
Social Securities Act
This was a safety net for all Americans that was taken out of all paychecks. It was based on the shorter life span and intended to be a supplement not a replacement for income. People had been less inclined to retire because of the loss of income. As people at the top retired, others got promotion and new people got hired into companies and factories. The SSA gave people incentives to retire. This was the start of the "Second New Deal". -
Works Progress Administration
This was the biggest employment agency. They employed over 8 billion people. They made bridges, reservoirs, irrigation systems, sewage, schools, playgrounds, and did other training. They were paid minimum wage, but pulled people out of unemployment, charities and soup lines. "We work again" was their tagline. -
March Into Rhineland
When Hitler showed how willing he was to break the Treaty and build troops, his popularity rose even more. Other countries had since realized that the Treaty was too hard on them, so when they marched into the place they were specifically forbidden to, they gave them a free pass and didn't enforce the Treaty. In 1939, they also marched into Czechoslovakia. Many thought this was the last Nazi conquest. This was the 1st aggressive step in the war. -
Pack the Court Scandal
Some in the Supreme Court challenged the constitutionality of the New Deals. FDR threatened to expand the Court to 15 members meaning that he would nominate 6 new justices and "pack the courts" with yes men. Even the people who loved him saw this as too far. The people became wary of anyone tampering with the Supreme Court and shot down the precedent that would have made if he succeeded. -
Appeasement
People start fearing a war at this point. The British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, attends the Munich Conference with Hitler. He believes peace is possible and creates a deal with Hitler that Hitler ignores completely. Churchill was then elected due to Chamberlain's lack of balls. Hitler invades Poland in September. This begins war with Britain and France. Churchill declares war immediately. -
The Dust Bowl
Parts of southern states experience environmental and economic disasters. Because of overproduction, grasses with long roots being plowed up, soil exhaustion, erosion, years of droughts, and strong winds, the ground was very easy to shake and created dust storms. Crops turned to dust and no food was being created. This was the #1 economic disaster in the 20th century and a lot of people began to leave their farms and move to California. -
London Blitz
In 1940, France surrendered because they didn't want to be bombed. Then in September, the Nazis launched daily and nightly bomb raids. It was an attempt to bomb Britain into submission, but they didn't surrender. They sent children out to the countryside to live with volunteers and keep them out of the fire and harms way. -
Executive Order 8802
This order banned discriminatory hiring in the federal government or in businesses that accepted federal dollars. Due to the Great Depression and WWII needs, most businesses at this time had some deal or another with the government. This order included military contracts that many many factories had created. This basically banned discriminatory practices in most businesses throughout the US. -
Pearl Harbor
US demanded that Japan withdraw from China and Indonesia as they locked the US out of those markets. Japan thought attacking the US would be an easy war. The US began and oil embargo against Japan, and they saw that as an act of war. Japan began their quest for a Pacific Empire and surprised attacked the US over and over. The US finally joined WWII, and US and Britain declared war on Japan. Germany and Italy declared war on the US and the Great Depression was now ended. -
Executive Order 9066
Due to the war with Japan, fear led the president to sign this order. This order made all Japanese Americans go to internment camps. Even if they were US citizens, they had to leave all of their belongings. They were made to sell their stuff for insanely low prices due to the short notice of being stolen from their homes. This led to the incarceration of 120,00 Japanese Americans. Eisenhower was worried that they were all secretly spies for the Japanese Emporer. -
The Great Migration
A large number of white working men had joined in the military. Factories needed to support the war effort, so they bolstered what they were making. African Americans moved up North to escape sharecropping practices in the south and get new urban opportunities. This led new African American communities in upper states such as New York. This also paved the way for the Harlem Renaissance. -
D-Day
Stalin wanted to create an operation that would be carried out in order to reduce German attacks on the USSR. They spent 18 months planning and Eisenhower was a leader. They crossed the English Channel and landed in Normandy. There was no evacuation plan, so they had to win. Within 7 days, Allies controlled 80 miles of the French Coastline. This was the turning point in the war. From then on, Hitler lost territory. -
GI Bill of Rights
This was a way of saying thank you to soldiers from the wars. This paid for education, gave low interest home loans, and provided low interest business loans. That meant that these generations of fathers would spread on the importance of education to their children. College would be their way of getting higher paying jobs, and they would input this belief into their children. This created a higher middle class. -
Yalta Conference
FDR, Churchill, and Stalin meet to discuss Europe after the war. They create the United Nations and split Germany into East and West. Russians enter the war against Japan. They also discuss what is going to happen Poland. In Postdam, in July 1945, they discuss how to deal with Germany and Japan as countries. This is the first acknowledgment of the Cold War. Two major powers were now fighting for power and against each other's way of government. -
Baby Boom
US population increased over 30 million. That meant one birth every 10 seconds. That meant that industries had to speed up production in order to cater to the needs of this generation. Schools were built, hospitals were made, toy manufacturers were speeding up production. Then when they were older, they needed more clothes and more doctors for themselves. -
Levitt and Sons
They created a type of neighborhood. They used Ford's production technique to create easily made houses outside of cities. This created the Suburbs. It allowed families to move out of apartments or rundown old buildings in the inner cities. The new homes were $8000. It also fulfills part of the American Dream which is to own a home. -
Truman Doctrine
Turkey and Greece were facing communist revolts. Truman asked Congress for $400 million to aid and send US troops to help them. They wanted to fight off the Communists. This sets the US policy of the US continuously aiding and pushing against communism. This has happened time and time and was another Cold War policy. -
Kinsey Report
This controversial report bring sexuality to the forefront of conversation and social focus. It exposes the higher degree of premarital sex, infidelity, homosexuality, and other "deviant' activities than was previously thought. It created a more public discussion about sex. It was debunked because Kinsey himself was involved in such activities and people believed that he had skewed results. -
The Korean War
Kore was cut in half. The North was supported by the USSR and was communist. The South had asked America for help to fight against them. They were finally pushed all the way to Pusan in the south and finally stopped by US powers. UN troops advanced rapidly and entered North Korea. Eisenhower was elected with the promise to end the Korean War. The armistice was signed in 1953. This continued American's cold war tendencies to continuously fight against Communists. -
Brown Vs Topeka Board of Education
Plessy decided that schools could be segregated but equal. Black schools had fewer services, out of date books, and less qualified services. Linda Brown walked passed 4 white elementary schools before she got to her school. Thurgood Marshall represents Linda in the Supreme Court. This wins the case and overturns Plessy v Ferguson. Marshall becomes a Supreme Court Justice. There was no date and southern schools kept dragging their feet. -
Rosa Parks (Montgomery Bus Boycott)
She challenged Jim Crow laws by not giving up her seat on the bus. She was arrested and black leaders organized a boycott. She was a member of the NAACP. 40,00 black participated for 382 days. The bus companies eventually joined the fight in order to get back their customers as blacks made up 75% of their customers. Parks was well known in the black community and was seen as an unthreatening person to do this task. -
MLK Jr.
He was a civil rights leader with the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Preachers had a lot of hold at the time as churches were a place of gathering. he helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King and the SCLC employ tactics of civil disobedience that they took from Ghandi. They wanted to get nonviolent law breaking. They got televised coverage and public sympathy with their peaceful protests. -
Eisenhower Interstate Act
This was the largest public works project in history. It updated and modernized American roads. It connected the country. Due to the massive amounts of money being foiled out, they place don cold war fears and said they made evacuation easy. They were also built to be used as landing strips in case of emergency. This led to car culture. Cars became more of a necessity and became a symbol of freedom and status. It made it easier for families to live farther from work and to travel. -
Election of 1960
Due to TV becoming more widespread, this started Americans voting based on how their presidents look. Kenedy was younger, but he looked more "presidential". His administration was considered Camelot because they were young and bright. Kennedy answers to the Russian Space Race by giving more funding to the space programs and increasing STEM in education. He begins sending soldiers to Vietnam and is able to stop the Cuban Missile Crisis but not able to keep It from being Communist. -
C.O.R.E and SNCC
This was established in 1942 and focused on racial equality. They had 53 chapters in the US. They organizes court cases, protests, and marches. The SNCC was a student organization as many young people were not allowed to participate in other organizations. This gives young black students a chance to get involved. They were frustrated with the slow change and became more radical. -
Children's Crusade
Hundred of school kids stage a walk-out in downtown Birmingham. Many were arrested and released and did it the next day. Bull Connor gave them about a foot to talk for their protest and people walked out of it. He sprayed the crowd with fire houses and released dogs on them. This march and the brutality was televiesed. JFK saw it. He publically supported the civil rights movement and asked Congress for a new civil rights legislation.