-
Wyoming Gives Women the Right to Vote
Wyoming gave women the right to vote prior to becoming a state. However, congress did not agree with this and told Wyoming they must repeal this right in order to enter the union, but stood their ground and said they would bring their women with them. -
NAWSA formed
The National American Women's Suffrage Organization was formed on this day by Susan B. Anthony, as well as other women. They believed in equality between men and women, and often supported other issues such as civil rights and the temperance movement. -
The Sherman Anti-Trust Act is passed
The Sherman Anti-Trust act was passed on this day, which prevents any company from doing things that restrict competition in the economy. This would force large monopolies to break up back into separate companies. -
The USS Maine falls, starting the Spanish-American War
The USS Maine exploded, which after rising tensions between the Spanish and America made the war begin. This was following the conflict between Spain and Cuba, where Cuba wanted their independence and Spain disrespected America in their letters. -
Plessy v. Ferguson rules the "separate but equal" clause
In the case Plessy v. Ferguson, the ruling was held that places could be segregated, as long as they are equal in every way. This would not be upheld, and would be used to justify segregation in the future. -
William McKinley is assassinated, Roosevelt becomes President
President William McKinley was assassinated, leading to Theodore Roosevelt being moved to president. This was previously avoided by the Republican party due to their fear of his spontaneity. -
The Antiquities Act was Passed
The Antiquities Act was passed in order to allow the preservation of National Parks. This was passed by Theodore Roosevelt in order to ensure that certain national treasures would be preserved. -
Theodore Roosevelt Passes Consumer Reforms
Theodore Roosevelt decided to pass consumer reforms after reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. This included the Meat Inspection Act, the Pure Food and Drug Act, and the Elkins and Hepburn Act which was to ensure equal transportation rights on railroads. -
The Federal Trade Commission is Created
The FTC was created by Woodrow Wilson, which would oversee the NYSE, and ensure that there would be no insider trading. -
Archduke Franz-Ferdinand was killed, beginning WWI
Archduke Franz-Ferdinand was killed during the riots in Serbia, where he was sent to calm them. Austria-Hungary was forced to respond, which resulted in the Great War. -
The Zimmermann Telegram is Discovered
Germany sent a telegram to Mexico on this day, attempting to make a treaty in order to allow Mexico to get their land back and invade the US. This was considered an act of war, and made the US join the war effort. -
Beginning of the Harlem Renaissance
The Great War caused a migration to the North, since many people left their jobs. This ushered in a new era of music, including jazz and blues, as well as art forms. -
The Treaty of Versailles was Implemented
After a lost war, Germany was placed to blame. This treaty was not signed by the US, since it was deemed too harsh, but still was implemented. This restricted the military and government of Germany greatly. -
The 18th Amendment (Prohibition)
The 18th amendment was passed on this date. This prevented the sale of alcohol, due to influence from the temperance movement. However, this would begin an underground ring that would sell alcohol to people who wanted it. -
19th Amendment Ratified
In 1919, the 19th amendment was passed, giving women voting rights. This was a large step towards social equality between men and women, and giving women a say in politics. -
The Palmer Raids Began Due to the Red Scare
Attorney General Mitchell Palmer began the "Palmer Raids", which were due to fear of communism during the time period. People had such an irrational fear of communism that resulted in many constitutional violations. -
The Advancements In Media
Both radios and sound movies were released during this time, changing how media was communicated. -
Immigration Act of 1924 Gets Passed
Using the population census of 1890, only 2% of that year's population would be allowed to immigrate into the US. This would prevent the immigration problems that NYC and other large cities were facing. -
The Scopes Monkey Trial
This trial was a "mock trial" by a group in order to prove that school was still religion based. Teaching evolution was not allowed by the school district, -
KKK March on Washington
Since the 1920s, KKK membership had been exponentially rising due to the civil rights protests. In 1926, the KKK had over 5 million members, and marched on Washington in order to prevent civil rights advancements. -
Black Tuesday
The stock market crashed overnight on October 29th, 1929. This was a result of bad spending habits, which made money short and eventually leads into the Great Depression. -
Hitler Becomes Chancellor of the Nazi Party
Adolf Hitler was appointed to Chancellor of the Nazi Party in 1933, which would eventually result in WWII. -
FDR's New Deal
The New Deal was an attempt at reform during the Great Depression. This included Social Security, Union protection programs, and more working-class protections in order to help the people. -
France Surrenders
After 6 weeks of fighting, France surrendered to Germany. They did this, claiming it was to preserve their history. This would leave the British fighting the war alone until the US became involved after Pearl Harbor. -
Germany and the USSR signed a non-aggression pact
During the night of August 24th, Germany and the USSR signed a non-aggression pact. This was to allow Germany to take Poland, and then they would split the land equally once the invasion had been completed. -
Operation Barbarrossa
Hitler ignored his pact, and decided to attack the USSR regardless. This resulted in their involvement, and gave support to the Allies. -
Executive Order 8802
FDR signed Executive Order 8802, which said that federally funded companies cannot discriminate based off race. This was among the first civil equality laws, and was passed to fill jobs during the war. -
Pearl Harbor
The bombing of Pearl Harbor was led by the Japanese. 2,335 American men were killed in the attacks, and several ships were sunk by the dive bombers. This attack was a reaction to the oil embargo the US placed on Japan due to their involvement in China, and forced the US to enter WWII. -
Executive Order 9066
This Executive Order was also signed by FDR, and was made to put Japanese Americans into internment camps. This was due to the fear of Japanese spying as a result of Pearl Harbor. -
D-Day
The largest sea-borne invasion in history, this day was the turning point of the war. Distractions were set to make the Germans think there was going to be an attack in one place, where it was really going to be in another. 156k troops, 5.4k ships, and 12k planes all attacked at once, resulting in the success of pushing the Germans back to Caen. -
G.I. Bill of Rights Passed
The G.I. Bill of Rights was the way of thanking the American soldiers that fought in WWII, which mainly paid for people's college tuition. This was a way that the economy was stimulated, helping recover from the Great Depression. -
The Yalta Conference
A meeting between the Allies, this would decide the future of Europe. After Germany's defeat, it was disassembled and Russia entered into the war against Japan and Italy. This would truly establish the US, Britain and the USSR as the big world powers now. -
The Baby Boom Begins after WWII
After the end of WWII, many American soldiers came back to their home and their wives. With the economy being more prosperous than ever, the baby boom occurred. Every 10 seconds, a baby was being born in the US. -
NATO's Formation
Dean Acheson, under Harriet Truman, formed NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), which was an attempt to prevent WWII from happening again, as well as preventing the expansion of the USSR. This would create a group of nations, where if one was attacked, the rest would stand alongside it. -
The Threat of MAD
Robert J. Oppenheimer had created the atomic bomb, and a few years later the USSR had also created their own. This threat of mutually-assured destruction loomed on the US, leading to a time period of very high tensions. -
The Korean War Begins
The Korean War was a conflict between North and South Korea, where North Korea wished to unite as one communist country, whereas South Korea did not want this. The USSR supported North Korea, where the US supported South Korea. SK nearly won, but was pushed back after China joined NK. -
Brown v. Board
This case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, where an NAACP lawyer, Thurgood Marshall, would argue that it was unjust that Linda Brown, a schoolgirl, had to walk past 4 white schools to reach her black school. This ruling forced everyone to integrate, but did not set a deadline for doing so. -
The US becomes involved with the Vietnamese War
The US became involved in training, and later in combat with the Vietnam War. The North Vietnamese were communists, and attempting to take over the South Vietnamese. Lyndon B. Johnson instated the draft in order to get people to fight in the war, since people were so reluctant. -
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat
In 1955, Rosa Parks politely refuses to give up her seat for a white person on a bus. She gets arrested, but this results in bus boycotts lasting 382 days, and gets to the point that the bus companies join their side. -
The Beginning of the Space Race
The Space Race began as a competition between the US and the USSR, to see who could get further in space. JFK increased the funding towards the US space program during his presidency, and eventually the US beat the USSR to the moon. This race began after Russia launched Sputnik into orbit. -
The Cuban Revolution
A revolt occurs, turning Cuba communist. This places Fidel Castro in charge as a dictator, which makes many Cubans unhappy. He began seizing American property, and many people fled to the US. -
The Lunch Counter Sit-Ins
4 college students sit down in a lunch counter, and simply ask for coffee. They are denied this request, due to their race, and they are eventually arrested. This repeats for several weeks, until eventually they are served. -
JFK Beats Nixon in the Election
JFK was seen as a model American man. He had a much more youthful and proud image than Nixon, which made him appealing. Him and his family were seen as the best of America, leading to his win. -
The Freedom Rides
Groups of college students volunteer to ride around on charter buses to buy food along the interstate, and test the new laws implemented, that regulate interstate commerce making it so all races must be served. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis Blockade
Cuba was discovered to have missile silos being set up. The US was not going to allow this imminent threat to be instated, so they blockade the ship that was carrying the ICBMs. -
The March on Washington
Planned by the SNCC, CORE and the NAACP, over 250,000 people ride to Washington, DC, and have a Civil Rights march. This is where MLK Jr. gives his famous, "I Have A Dream" speech. -
The Civil Rights Act is passed
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prevents any type of discrimination based off race, color, religion, or national origin. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is passed
Lyndon B. Johnson signs into law the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prevents literacy tests, as well as voter intimidation or violence. -
The Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union dissolved on this day due to a failing economy, as well as many of the US's containment policies being a success. This resulted in the Soviet Union becoming Russia, and the spread of communism was a much weaker threat. -
9/11
On this day, a terrorist threat attacked the American people, killing nearly 3,000. 4 planes were hijacked, 2 hitting the Twin Towers, 1 hitting the Pentagon, and 1 being stopped and landing in a cornfield. This was the first time the enemy was not a single country, but more of a terrorist threat.