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1492
Columbian Exchange
The exchange of food, animals, diseases, plants, religion, and ideals from Europe to the Americas. Christopher Columbus, and many other explorers, brought diseases to the Americas that killed many of the indigenous people such as smallpox, but also brought animals like cows, horses and pigs. Particularly the introduction of the horse would change native life in the Americas. Once they'd returned to Europe, they brought with them corn, turkey, potatoes and other native flora and fauna. -
1517
The Middle Passage
The path of slaves from Africa across the Atlantic Ocean into the New World. This passage was one part of the Triangular Trade route, which was a larger slave trade passage. The Triangular Trade route had ships that would never leave a port without some type of goods to maximize the profit. The trip for slaves was excruciating. Disease would rip through the ship killing many of them, and all the while they were all shackled together. They'd experience physical and sexual abuse by the ship crew. -
Jamestown
The first permanent English settlement in North America in the Virginia Colony. This town was started under the Virginia Company. Life here would prove much harder than previously thought as the town soon entered the Starving Times where they experienced massive food shortages during the winter of 1609. Some people resorted to eating pets, clothes and then other people. This almost caused the project to be abandoned, but the colonists soon learned to plant tobacco, a soon to be cash crop. -
The Headright System
After hearing of the Starving Times in Jamestown and the tumultuous life people there led, many Europeans were hesitant to move to the colonies. To combat this, the Crown proposed the Headright System. The system would give 100 acres of land to people who already were in the colonies, 50 acres to people who paid their way there and 50 more for those who paid for others to enter the colonies. Many would go under indentured servitude. Slaves eventually replaced indentured servants. -
Salutary Neglect
The colonists had been left to their own devices long enough that the newer generations had gotten used to living by their own rules. The colonists had started their own governments and systems. Starting with the Navigation Acts, which was meant to help British maritime, the colonists saw these freedoms being taken away. After the French-Indian War, the British realized that they'd neglected the colonists too much. They issued acts like the Sugar, Stamp, Declaratory and Townshend acts. -
Boston Massacre
In opposition to the acts imposed on them, many colonists started to boycott the goods that taxes had been imposed on. Parliament sent troops to Boston to intimidate the colonists, but it only caused more tension between the already dividing groups. A group of patriots started to throw snowballs and stones at the British troops. The troops were ordered to open fire on the mob. Three were killed and many were injured by the attack. This event shocked colonists and pushed more into opposition. -
Lexington and Concord Battle
This battle was the first in the Revolutionary War. British authorities found out that the colonists had a store of weapons in Concord. British troops marched to Lexington to seize the weapons, but were intercepted by about seventy minutemen where the colonists only slightly inconvenienced the troops. They continued on their way and were ambushed by about 400 minutemen. They sat in a standoff when the 'shot heard around the world' was shot. Who shot it was unknown. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
On Breeds Hill, the British and colonists fought to try and take the hill. The importance of this battle is how it changed warfare from this point forward. The British marched in perfect formation. The patriots were told not to fire until they could 'see the whites of their eyes'. After this, British back home saw the patriots as animals. Though it was a defeat for the patriots, it gave confidence to them that they could hold their own against the British. -
Treaty of Paris
This was the treaty that officially ended the Revolutionary War. It made the US a free and independent nation and set the frame work for how Britain would pay back the Americans after the war. The US was given boundaries to the Mississippi River. The loyalists, colonists who stayed loyal to the Crown before and during the Revolutionary War, were given back their confiscated property. The treaty was signed in Paris as it was seen as a neutral ground. -
Virginia Plan
A plan made by James Madison, it described a national government that would have three branches. It said that the legislation would be divided in to the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state would have representation in Congress based on their population. The New Jersey plan was the other option that would give equal representation to one body legislation. In the Connecticut Compromise, both these plans would be combined. The House is population based and Senate is equal based. -
Plan of Assumption
All the states had debt after the Revolutionary War. This Plan was proposed by Alexander Hamilton. He said that the government should assume the national debt for all thirteen states. Each state would pay a percent of it in taxes. This plan is good on paper and would unite the nation, but for states like Virginia, it wasn't what it was chalked up to be. Virginia had done it's part already and paid off its debt in full. It would be unfair for them, but the plan was passed anyway. -
Whiskey Rebellion
Farmers fought the federal governments power. A whiskey tax was imposed by the federal government. This whiskey tax was ok for the larger distilleries, but for smaller farmers it took a large amount of their profit, they would make whiskey as a side job. People refused to pay the tax and violence ensued. In response, Washington himself went and threatened to open fire on the rebellion. This is seen as the first test of the new government after the Articles of Confederation. -
Proclamation of Neutrality
Another conflict had risen between Great Britain and France. Both Britain and France were calling to the US for aid during the war. France and some Americans expected the US government to provide help to the revolutionary France because France had helped the US during the Revolutionary war. Instead, Washington declared the Proclamation of Neutrality stating that in all future conflicts that don't involve the US, America would be staying out of it. This act angered many Americans. -
Cotton Gin Invention
The cotton gin is an invention by Eli Whitney. The cotton gin revolutionized the south's production of cotton, which was on the decline in those years. The cost of cotton, even though they didn't need to pay their workers, was not as profitable as it had once been because it took so long to get the seeds out. This invention made the crop even more profitable and revived the dying industry. It could separate the seeds and cotton fibers much easier. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
These acts were made in preparation for a war with France. The Alien acts raised the period for naturalization from five to fourteen years and allowed detention of people from enemy nations. The president could expel any alien they considered dangerous. The Sedition Acts banned people from publishing fake or malicious writings against the government , president, or Congress Acts. The Sedition Acts angered the people because it went against their right to free speech. -
Election of 1800
The election of 1800 saw Thomas Jefferson v John Adams. Jefferson won this won after losing the tie him and Adams faced in the last election. Though the competitors didn't like each other in the least, but it was the first time that the change of power didn't result in bloodshed. Adams peacefully passed to presidency off to Jefferson. Not only was it a peaceful switch from one person to another, it was a peaceful switch of opposite parties without bloodshed. -
Marbury v. Madison
John Adams, passed the Judiciary Act of 1801 to create new courts, add judges and allowed the president to have more control over the appointment of judges. The people he appointed were approved by the Senate, but their commissions had to be delivered by the Secretary of State before they had any power. William Marbury ha been appointed but his commission was not delivered. The case called for James Madison to deliver the commissions. This case gave power to the Supreme Courts. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the western half of the Mississippi River. It was bought by the US government from France. America's land was doubled by this purchase. Napoleon was trying to win the French Revolutionary War and was in need of money to do this, which is why he was so willing to give the land away for what is seen as the greatest land bargain in US history. Thomas Jefferson had to fight over whether or not this purchase was Constitutional. He was against it, but saw the benefits of it. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
An expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the newly purchased Louisiana purchase land and go to the Pacific Northwest. Thomas Jefferson had sent them to do this and to find any new flora and fauna. They were accompanied by Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman, to travel with Lewis and Clark as an interpreter. Their other goal from the president was to create good relations with the natives in the area. Many of the tribes welcome them for the trading opportunities. -
Embargo Act of 1807
This is the last notable act under Thomas Jefferson that put him under the scrutiny of the US people. It stopped all imports and exports to Britain. He did this out of anger for the British and French who had messed with neutral US ships. The act did little to the British economy, but rocked the US economy and led to more people participating in smuggling. Though he couldn't have wanted this, the act helped boost the domestic production in the US and ended up being a good thing long term. -
Lowell System
Started by Francis Cabot Lowell in Massachusetts, the system was meant to increase production. It gave worker payment and housing on the factory property. It cut down commute time as well as allowing workers to save money on housing since the housing was part of their paycheck. It was used in textile mills during the American Industrial Revolution and many mills opened up following this model. The Lowell System had the cotton spun and weaved under the same roof. -
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent was the resolution to the War of 1812. The war sparked because the British kept capturing and imprisoning US ships and soldiers. There was also tension over trade, Native American policy and westward expansion. The US was also having feeling of inferiority because the bigger countries didn't see the US as a strong independent country. There wasn't really a winner of this war, but the British had to give up claims to the Northwest Territories. The US benefited the most. -
Battle of New Orleans
This battle brought future president Andrew Jackson into fame. The War of 1812 had already ended, but word hadn't reached the rest of the country yet and it is consider the final major battle of the war. The British were planning to take New Orleans in order to try and take more land the US gained in the Louisiana Purchase. The British were obliterated with Jackson's plan of laying flat against the ground while the British would have to climb a hill to reach them. This gave Jackson a platform. -
Panic of 1819
Following the war of 1812, the growing trade in the US stopped. In response, unemployment rates increased, banks failed and agriculture prices dropped. The panic can be attributed to some of the things Jefferson did during his rule, such as The Louisiana Purchase and The Embargo Act. There was also some debt from the War of 1812 that didn't really help. It slowed westward expansion and people lost their land. States passed laws to regulate bank activity in response to this. -
Monroe Doctrine
Made by James Monroe, it is a policy that made four basic claims. First, the US will not involve itself with the affairs of European powers. Second, The US will recognize but not interfere with colonies and dependencies in the Western Hemisphere which takes us to the third. The Western hemisphere no longer participated in colonization and fourth, any European power that used any power in the western hemisphere would be fought by the US. This was made in response to fears of European powers. -
Election of 1824
John Quincy Adams, John Adam's son, won this election over Andrew Jackson. In this election, none of the candidates won the majority of the electoral vote, so the choice went to the House of Representatives. John C. Calhoun was the one who ultimately had the power to decide. A secret meeting took place between Adams and Calhoun that to this day no one knows what they said. All we know is Calhoun supported Adams for president, which he won. Calhoun then became the vice president. -
Gibbons v Ogden
This court case said that the Congress had power to regulate interstate commerce. Ogden and Gibbons formed a partnership. It ended when Gibbons used a steamboat belonging to Ogden on a New York Route. Ogden sued Gibbons because he claimed Gibbons violated the monopoly he was given. The result was that the power to conduct interstate commerce was held by the Congress because of the Commerce Clause. New York couldn't interfere with it. -
Tariff of Abominations
The tariff inflated the cost of imported goods to boost domestic industries. The intentions were good, but the tariff kicked off the nullification crisis. South Carolina and other southern states were against the tariff because it favored the north over the south. In the nullification crisis, South Carolina claimed null and void any federal tariffs. This is important because it is the first time that civil war was a threat. -
Indian Removal Act
Signed into law by Andrew Jackson, the Indian Removal Act allowed the president to take land from the natives in the east in exchange for land in the west. This resulted in the Trail of Tears. The Trail of Tears relocated the natives from their land into Indian Territory. Many died on this trek but those who lived were moved to land that they didn't know how to live in. It was different animals and plants, plus the natives who already lived there. -
Cherokee v Georgia
Cherokee Nation sued the state of Georgia because Georgia's legislation created laws to push their citizens to annihilate the Cherokee as a political party. The ruling was that the Cherokee Nation was an independent nation that still had to follow the laws as other citizens, but were independent from the US. It was a win for the natives and allowed them to keep their land within the state. Despite this ruling ending in the favor of the natives, it was swiftly ignored by Andrew Jackson. -
Radical Republicans
Within the Republican party were the Radical Republicans. The Radical Republicans were, as the name suggests, radicals who believed everything ten fold. They pushed through the biggest reform with the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendment as well as the Civil Rights Bill. With the fifteenth amendment, the radicals lost most of their power because the amendment was so controversial. Thaddeus Stevens was a big name who fought to push all these things. -
Transportation Revolution
The transportation revolution brought trains, canals, and steamboats in to the picture. The invention of railroads and trains connected low population areas to higher population areas. It also allowed for communication lines to link together the nation along side the railroad. Canals opened smaller bodies of water to larger bodies of water so it was no longer necessary to take long water routes. Steamboats brought quicker movement through water. -
Gold Rush
James W. Marshall found gold on his property in California. He tried to keep this hidden, but news spread of the wealthy gold on and near his property. People rushed to the area in search of gold, causing an influx in population. This event also put gold in to the money supply and helped the economy. Forty niners refer to those who joined the gold rush too late and never ended up finding much. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This treaty ended the conflict between the US and Mexico known as the Mexican American War. Mexico offered free land to Americans so that the land would become useful. The Americans just had to give up their citizenship and religion. Instead, the Americans, now Texans, seceded from Mexico and became the Republic of Texas. Texas and Mexico fought, but the US offered to help Texas in exchange for Texas becoming a US state. This treaty put Texas under American territory. -
Compromise of 1850
After the Mexican American War, there were arguments over whether Texas should free or not. Henry Clay's proposal had five parts. Slavery in Washington D.C was allowed, but not slave trade. California will join as a free state. Utah and New Mexico will decide on slavery with popular sovereignty. Define new boundaries of New Mexico and Texas. Last, citizens had to arrest runaway slaves. This plan gave abolitionists California, so more seats in The House, but also made it harder to help slaves. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, the daughter of an influential figure from the Second Great Awakening who influenced her greatly. The story is about Uncle Tom, who was a slave, being transported to New Orleans. He saves the life of Eva whose father buys Tom afterwards. The story humanized black people. White people believed that black people were intellectually inferior to whites. -
Bleeding Kansas
A conflict over whether Kansas should be free or slave because the decision would balance the Senate. Kansas would decide through vote on the issue because of the Kansas Nebraska Act. After a voting conflict were Kansas voters were kept from voting by Missouri pro-slavers, Kansas split in two. It had two constitutions and governments. Kansas was eventually admitted as a free state, but conflicts between the pro and anti slavers in the state continued. -
Dred Scott v Sandford
The question was brought of whether Dred Scott was free or a slave. His master had brought him from a slave state to a free state, where Scott proposed this question. The court decided that a person born into slavery could never be and American citizen. Taney claimed that the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was unconstitutional, and moving to a freed state did not make a slave free. He said slaves were property under the fifth amendment, so to take property from a person was unconstitutional. -
Harpers Ferry
John Brown, a famous abolitionist and martyr for the cause, was in hiding. He was being hunted by southerners for the murder of many pro-slave families. He had made a plan to steal weapons from a federal armory so he could give the weapons to slaves and incite a rebellion. A local militia caught wind and kept him holed up in the armory. Robert E. Lee went to the armory, killed many of the raiders and captured Brown. Brown was charged with murder, slave insurrection and treason. He was hung. -
Election of 1860
The election before, and that kick off, the Civil War. The major competitors being Abraham Lincoln for republicans and Stephen Douglas for democrat. At this point, the problem of slavery was at its whit's end. Though Lincoln made it very clear that he had no intentions of outlawing slavery if he won, as he saw it as outside a presidents jurisdiction, it feel on deaf ears. Once he won, South Carolina seceded under the fear of losing slavery. -
Black Codes
After the Civil War, the south had some troubles with how they would control the freed population. They didn't just see the freedmen as workers, they saw the freedmen as inherently subhuman to white people. They passed these codes to try and keep freedmen in their place, below whites. These codes were meant to restrict their ability to move freely, have a business, and have land through buying or renting. Also, if they had to pay black people now, they wanted to pay as low as possible. -
Homestead Act of 1862
The US had all the land in the west, but nothing was being done with it. Similar to what Mexico did with Texas, the federal government give 160 acres of land to those who could complete the requirements. Stay on the land for five years and make the land useful through agriculture. The act gave opportunities to many, especially immigrants who hoped to live similar as they did back home. After this, the Morrill Act gave some of the land to the state for colleges, to improve public education. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Just before the Civil War ended, Lincoln issued this proclamation. It said that any person held as a slave in the rebellious states (southern states) would be considered free from this point forward. Though it seems great, it only outlawed slavery in the southern states as the border states could still be pro slave. It also would only be important if the north won the war, otherwise it was pointless. It did, however, set the precedent for how the US would look post-war, given that the north won. -
William Randolph Hearst
American newspaper publisher and business man. He had the nations largest newspaper and media change, Hearst Communications. He released The de Lome Letter. He also sent workers to Cuba to take pictures of the war, to which the workers claimed there was none and wouldn't be one. Hearst then responds 'You furnish the pictures, I'll furnish the war.' He is saying that the media has the power to start a war. -
Freedmen's Bureau
The win of the Civil War and end of slavery didn't solve every problem. The now freedmen had never lived in proper society and couldn't just be left to fend for themselves. Congress passed an act to basically help settle the freedmen into their new lives. It provided food, shelter, clothing, medical service's, and gave land to freedmen and displaced southerners. It was only set up to provide help for that period of rebellion and a year after. The bureau also set up a system of education. -
Battle of Gettysburg
Robert E. Lee wanted to try and take on the north after playing defense for most of the war. It ended in a Union victory and made it obvious who the winner would be. This ended Lee's second try at taking the North. He fled to the Potomac with wounded soldiers, which union general Meade didn't take advantage of. Meade lost a major opportunity to capture Lee and force them to surrender. This angered Lincoln who would replace Meade in hopes of having better leadership on the battlefield. -
13th, 14th, 15th Amendments
Picking up where the Emancipation Proclamation left off, in 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery except as a punishment for a crime. The fourteenth amendment passed in 1868 said that any person born or naturalized in the United States were entitled to equal protection under the law. The fifteenth amendment, in 1870, which lost radical republicans their power because it was so controversial. It said that any citizen of the US had a right to vote. No country had done this for slaves before. -
Civil Rights Act
During Reconstruction, it was a bill meant to bring America closer to racial equality. It happened towards the end of Reconstruction and would be the last big things passed. It allowed African Americans equality in all public spaces such as transport, accommodations and service on jury. It didn't do much because it was declared unconstitutional in 1883. It was also hard to enforce after the military was removed from the south to enforce these rules. Black Codes also fought against it. -
Munn vs. Illinois
The case posed the question of whether state imposed rates didn't grant the equal rights under the fourteenth amendment. Illinois legislators put a cap on rates private companies could put on transport and storge of farming products. This case showed the Supreme Courts power to regulate private industries. The result was that the states may regulate when necessary like with railroads and grain elevators. If the property affects public interest, the states can step in. -
Dawes Severalty Act
Though the act was made with nothing but good intentions, it did more harm then good. It broke up the very structure of the natives culture, that being their tribal infrastructure. It treated the natives as individuals and not tribes. The act said that the government could take land from the natives reservations and that land could be allotted to natives. It was basically the Homestead Act, but for natives. -
Wounded Knee
A conflict between western Americans and natives who had been removed from their homes to these lands. The US army massacred around three hundred Lakota people in response to their new movement, the Ghost Dance Movement. The movement was meant to bring the natives closer to their native roots after becoming too American. After this mass-shooting, resistance from the reservations or assimilation into white American culture was halted. At least at an organized level. -
Plessy v Ferguson
Supreme Court ruling that claimed segregation was not in violation of the Constitution as long as each facility was equal. After Louisiana enacted the Separate Cars Act, Homer Plessy agreed to participate in a test to challenge the act. The group, a group named the Committee of Citizens wanted the act repealed. Plessy was told to leave the whites only cart but refused. He argued in court that the act violated the 13th and 14th amendment. Plessy is convicted in the end and segregation continues. -
The de Lome Letter
Señor Don Enrigue Dupuy de Lôme, who this letter is named after and the Spanish Ambassador at the time, wrote this letter to Don José Canelejas, the Foreign Minister of Spain. The letter insulted President McKinley and stated his opinion on the Spanish Involvement in Cuba. Cuban revolutionaries intercepted the letter and William Randolph Hearst released it to his newspaper. This allowed every American to find out about the letter and approve of pushing the conflict with the Spanish. -
Modern Warfare
With WWI, weapons get much more dangerous. They are also much closer to the weapons we have now then from wars before WWI. Machine guns are more defensive and allow fire rates up to 600 rounds a minute. Tanks are a way to overcome no mans land, though they after broke down and left soldiers stranded. Soldiers would use tanks as shields to cross no mans land. Chemical warfare was also revolutionized in this war. Mustard gas reacted to water and burned through that reaction. Makes drills started. -
MANIA
This is the term used to explain the start of WWI. Militarism, the build up of military power around the world. Alliances, many countries had created alliances, secret and public, with each other. Nationalism, extreme pride in ones country, people were increasingly patriotic and willing to fight for that patriotism. Imperialism, countries were continuing to extend political, economic, and military power through smaller countries. Assassination, of archduke Franz Ferdinand, starting the war. -
Trench Warfare
World War I was the first mechanized war. The weapons are bigger and more destructive. This includes machine guns and far range guns. To fight this, trenches would be made so that machine guns could not see the soldiers. Between each sides trench is 'no-man's land'. Anyone who enters this land is under the threat of machines guns, barbed wire, and land mines. They will likely die if they enter it. Trench foot plague many soldiers, where nerve endings die after constant contact with water. -
The Zimmermann Telegram
Secret diplomatic communications between Germany and Mexico. Germany wanted the US to stay out of WWI, and sent Mexico a letter to explain a plan in which Mexico would create enough problems for them on the domestic front that they wouldn't have the power to have another battle on another continent. In this, Mexico would get back Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. The letter is intercepted by British Intelligence. Americans support joining the war now and the US officially enters the war. -
Hoover's Depression Plan
President Hoover is primarily blamed for the Great Depression. Americans ask for financial aid from the federal government, but he believes it is unconstitutional. He feared that it would raise the taxes and would deepen the depression. He provided some help to strengthen banks. Americans saw this as a betrayal because he would help the banks, but not the American people. In reality, he planned to save the countries from the banks. He believed the US could ride this out. -
Hooverville
Named after the president who was blamed for the Great Depression, these were homeless communities because many people became homeless during this period. They were makeshift homes because people couldn't afford anything. The Great Depression caused unemployment rates to hit 25%, meaning 1 in 4 people didn't work. Many had extreme levels of debt. Among men, depression, suicide, and abandonment sky rocketed. They would abandon their family because the wives could receive charity. -
The Dust Bowl
This took place in Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas and parts of other state. When moving west, Americans removed sod, plants, and land to plant wheat. Nutrients are removed from the soil by the wheat. This, coupled with a sever drought lasting years led to the Dust Bowl. Soil exhaustion, soil erosion, droughts and wind. The strong winds carried the dust from the top of the ground and moved it along the states. Crops turn to dust, homes buried, fields blown away, farms abandoned. -
Immediate Responses Roosevelt
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The New Deal
A series of programs, public works projects, financial reforms, and regulations by Franklin D Roosevelt. This plan was made to combat the Great Depression. Before him was Hoover, so anything FDR did was seen as amazing. His first 100 days included ending prohibition, Tennessee Authority Act, National Industrial Recovery Act, and the Glass Steagall-Act. Then he created the WPA and Social Security. Despite this, he did use court packing which caused many to turn against him. -
Japanese Interment
The first camp is located in California. These Interment camps were made to lock up any Japanese American because, after Pearl Harbor, they were automatically assumed to be loyal to the emperor. Though the camps were for Japanese and Japanese Americans, many of those forced into these camps weren't Japanese and were Korean, Chinese, or any other ethnicity that was 'Asian looking'. It was easier to do this to Japanese people because they were easier to spot than German or Italian. -
Pearl Harbor
Prior to this, the Us had no plan to enter WWII. Same as with WWI where the US believed it was too far to be their problem. Despite this, a naval base in Hawaii had a surprise aerial attack by Japanese pilots. Japan Believed that this surprise attack would cripple the US enough to buy them time in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. In response to this, America declared war on Japan and subsequently Germany. -
D-Day
Also known as Operation Overload, this was America's introduction into WWII. The plan took about two years of preparation. The plan was to invade the beaches of Normandy after tricking the axis powers into believing the allies were attacking a different area. Paratroopers would be sent behind enemy lines to defend bridges and trap axis soldiers. This battle is a turning point in the war as it led to the liberation of France. It is known as the largest amphibious invasion in history. -
GI Bill of Rights
After World War II, FDR decided that the soldiers should be given some reward for all the years they spent in war. The GI Bill of Rights gave WWII veterans funds for higher education and training. This money could go towards college, unemployment insurance, and housing. They could use the money to go to college and get a white collar job or try training for a blue collar job. After this bill, it can be seen with later generations that they believe you need to go to college. -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Known as the Manhattan Project, the atomic bomb was made by Oppenheimer. The US dropped two atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The US did this to force the Japanese to surrender, but they also hoped this would keep the Soviets out of Japan because of the display of American military power. Hiroshima was chosen because it was a manufacturing city. Nagasaki was the second place bombed because Japan refused to surrender after the first atomic bomb dropped. -
Baby Boom
Following WWII, the Baby Boom took place. Many men left behind their families, and some of those families had just started before World War II and the Great Depression started. Once the war ended, people were ready to get back to developing a normal life and family. People were also confident that this would be a period of peace, a good time to raise a family. In the parents of this time, they value conformity and college. Conformity because of the years of military and work during WWII. -
Kinsey Report
The Kinsey Report are two scholarly articles that discuss female and male sexual behavior. This was crazy for that time period. Unlike today, things like sex were very taboo to discuss. Even on TV you wouldn't see the parents kiss or sleep in the same bed because it was seen as 'too sexual'. The Puritan attitude of the nation was challenged, especially considering how the nation was leaning towards conformity following WWII. The report is a signal of the US moving towards openness to sex. -
Operation Vittles
The operation was started with the intention of helping those west of the Berlin Wall. West Berlin Citizens had all their supplies cut off from them by East Berlin. The US started a cooperative effort to send airlifts to West Berlin to deliver food, water, clothes and other supplies. They dropped chocolate around West Berlin for the children. Air lifts and drops were going in and out of West Berlin constantly. -
Beatniks
A social movement in the 50's. They rejected conformity and wanted to be anti-materialistic. They were very into expressing themselves through art and poetry. They can easily be compared to the hippie movement in the 80's. They wore berets, stripped shirts, and turtle necks. Allen Ginsburg is easily the most famous poet who wrote Howl. Looking at history, this movement is in opposition to the conformity seen from the WWII generation. -
The Hollywood 10
They are 10 motion picture writers, directors, screenwriters, and actors who refused to answer the question of the House Un-American Activities Committee about their possible communist affiliations. They refused to answer because it was their right to not answer and to believe in communism if they wanted to. They were questioned on producing communist sympathizing media. They exercised their rights but for it they were blacklisted from Hollywood and had their careers ruined. -
Korean War
The Korean War was one of the proxy wars of the Cold War. North Korea had fallen to communism and wanted to keep Korea united. South Korea wanted to break away from North Korea and remain a democracy. North Korea was backed by a recently communist China. The US backed South Korea. The war pushed behind and in front of the 38th Parallel. The war ended with the split between North and South at the 38th Parallel. -
Bert the Turtle
Bert the Turtle is like Smokey the Bear for the Cold War. On the home front, the US government worked on preparing US citizens for an atomic bomb. Bert the Turtle specifically is seen in 'Duck and Cover', which was the motto for this time period. It is seen as propaganda, but it served solely to protect US citizens so they were educated enough to protect themselves in case of an attack. They were told to cover their heads and duck. Get covered by a wall or building if possible. -
Domino Theory
It was a Cold War policy that claimed that when one nation falls to communism, all around it are at risk of falling too. When Cuba fell to communism and missiles were being brought to Cuba by the Soviet Union, the fear of this can be seen in the US. People feared the spread of communism on the home front because that could mean the end of freedom and democracy to them. This belief is why the US was involved in the Korean and Vietnam War as well as the Cuban fight for Independence. -
Brown v Board of Education
This ruling combats the ruling in Plessy v Ferguson where segregation was ruled constitutional. This court case revolved around segregation in schools. Many schools from many states came together for this case, stating that black students were denied access to public school because of the segregation rule. They took the same route as Plessy and claimed that segregation violated the Equal Protections Clause in the 14th amendment. The schools won, causing segregation to end in schools. -
The Warsaw Pact
The Soviet Union created the Warsaw Pact as a countermeasure against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO was basically an alliance between all democratic nations. In any case where a nation in the Warsaw Pact is attacked, it extended to the rest of the alliance. This Pact comes into action in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the issues with Cuba. Cuba had fallen to communism and this pact is seen initiated in the Cuban Missile Crisis. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks is recruited to sit at the front of a public bus and refuse to move when a white person demands she sit in the back. She is recruited because of her small stature, making her a more sympathetic figure. She is subsequently arrested and this arrest sparks off the Bus Boycott movement. Black people took up most of the public buses population. Black people refused to use the buses, causing the companies to lose so much money it ended bus segregation. -
Sputnik 1
The first artificial Earth satellite to orbit the Earth successfully. Launched by the Soviet Union, the launching of Sputnik 1 was a turning point in the Space Race. Americans feared Sputnik 1 because they thought it meant that the US military improvements had fallen behind the Soviet Union, meaning the Soviet Union could invade the US and probably win because of their superior technology. This led to the creation of NASA meant to compete with the Soviet Union via space. -
Eisenhower Interstate Highway Act
This act was by president Eisenhower during the Cold War. It authorized the creation of highways through out the country. This act was meant to help in case of evacuations caused by nuclear threat. If the USSR decided to attack a part of the country, there would be roads leading out of every state. It also caused the US to become even more car-dependent than it was before. The automotive, hotel, gas station, and any other industry relating to the roads boomed because of this act. -
Civil Rights Organizations
There were four major Civil Rights organizations. The Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee was meant to allow students, mainly college and high school, into the movement. The Congress of Racial Equality put its attention towards the south with voting rights and public segregation. The National Association for the Advancement for Colored People fought for the betterment of black people. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference gave us MLK and fought against the south. -
Election of 1960
The main competitors are Richard Nixon (republican) and John F. Kennedy (democrat). An important land mark for this election was the first televised presidential debate. It can be argued that this debate changed the tides of who would win. Nixon was the logical vote because he had so much more experience compared to JFK. However, this debate made Nixon seem out of sorts because he debated for the people who came in person, not those through the tv. JFK looked better and won because of it. -
Berlin Wall
Similar to North Korea vs South Korea, this wall was put up to divide East Berlin and West Berlin. East Berlin had fallen to communism, but West Berlin refused and wanted to remain democratic. West Berlin started to make the USSR look bad because people from East Berlin fled to the west. West Berlin was free and offered a better life compared to the oppression in the East. The wall was put up to prevent this. The wall also stopped supplies from getting to the west and allowed poverty. -
Greensboro Sit-Ins
Starting in the Woolworth store, these sit ins were started by black college students. African Americans weren't allowed to sit at the counter in diners. Those seats were reserved for white people. To fight this, a group of college students, both white and black, sat at the counters and refused to move when threatened with the police being called. It was important to the sit-ins that the participants remain peaceful and do not fight back at all. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
A failed military landing operation under John F. Kennedy. The original plan was to attack Cuba, but the US would collect Cuban exiles and release them following the attack back into Cuba to convince their family and friends to rebel against the Cuban government and Fidel Castro. It was imperative that the US cover these exiles. JFK changed the plan last minute and removed military aid, but still sent in the exiles who where immediately killed or apprehended. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A confrontation between the US and Cuba. Cuba had fallen to communism. The US already feared this, but this fear was furthered when the USSR started sending missiles to Cuba. These missiles were so advanced that they could hit any part of the US, expanding the fear in the US. It is the first and last time the world came close to nuclear warfare. The US resolved the issue by blockading Cuba and using intimidation until Nikita called a withdrawal from Cuba. -
Children's Crusade
Children wished to show their support for the Civil Rights Movement. They decided on May 2nd to skip school and attend a march to Birmingham. The next day, the same thing happens. This time, Bull Connor told the police and fire department to stop the demonstration. Children are clubbed by police, attacked by police dogs, sprayed with fire hoses, all being televised and put in the newspaper. It triggers anger throughout the world. Children continue to march and JFK publicly supports. -
March on Washington
Hundreds of thousands of people, white, black, and any one else who felt strongly enough to participate, gather peacefully in Washington at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall. They demanded for equal justice for all people, no matter the race, under the law. There are musical performances, speeches, and tributes to honor those who built the movement up to this point including Rosa Parks and Diane Nash. MLK was the last speaker and there he delivered the 'I Have A Dream' speech. -
JFK Assassination
The end of JFK's first term is coming close, so JFK and his advisors are preparing for the next presidential election. He is campaigning in Dallas, Texas in a motorcade. He is shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, a Marxist and former US Marine. From the beginning, there are conspiracies about his assassination and the possible involvement of many people instead of just one person. Lydon B. Johnson, JFK's vice president, is sworn in as the next president to carry out JFK's term. -
NY Times v Sullivan
This takes place during the Civil Rights Movement and involves MLK. The New York Times Magazine posted an ad for donations to help defend MLK on perjury charges. The ad was inaccurate and L.B. Sullivan requested it be removed publicly. The Times was confused by this and refused to comply. Sullivan filed a libel lawsuit against the Times and a group of African Americans named in the article. This case guarantees the first amendment right to freedom of speech. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Lyndon B Johnson passed this act to enable African American's right to register and vote. Previously, tactics such as literacy test, American history tests, and other tests were enforced to try and stop Black voters. the tests were unevenly administered and even the most educated African Americans would find themselves with a question they could answer. This bill is passed after Bloody Sunday where civil rights marchers in Selma were shot. -
Election of 1968
The Election of Richard Nixon (republican) and Hubert Humphrey (democrat). Nixon wins this election. He is the only president to ever resign from office and is famous for the line 'I'm not a crook.' Other than that, he was a good president. He is credited with ending the war in Vietnam, though some say he prolonged the war. He is also responsible for the period of dentate. He worked towards fixing relations between the US and USSR. -
Tet Offensive
During the Lunar New Year, North Vietnamese and communist leader Viet Cong forces started an attack against a many southern Vietnamese targets. The US and Southern Vietnamese forces experience massive casualties. It ends in a defeat for the North Vietnamese because they failed to capture and keep any land on the attack. It caused many Americans on the home front to question whether the war was worth it or not. The attack was aired on all major networks. -
Title IX
Under president Nixon, Title IX and Sex Discrimination are covered. Title IX protects people from being discriminated based off sex. It specifically protects sex discrimination in education programs or any other activities that receive federal financial assistance. This applies to schools, local and state educational agencies, and other institutions receiving federal funding. This doesn't stop sex discrimination everywhere, for example IX doesn't stop it in jobs. -
Watergate
The scandal that led to the first presidential resignation, that being Nixon. It was the illegal wiretapping and burglary in the Watergate Complex by people involved in Nixon's reelection campaign. It is important to note that he didn't approve it happening, but he did try to cover it up. In the long term, Watergate caused a large increase in mistrust of the government and also made the republican party look bad. -
Vietnam War
Another proxy war of the Cold War between the USSR and US. The actual war is North Vietnam vs South Vietnam and follows the basis of the Korean War, but ends much differently. The war is widely televised and is very criticized as the war progressed by US citizens. Americans began to question whether or not the war was worth all the deaths. America was not prepared for the geography of Vietnam and this ultimately led to the US loss in Vietnam. The US is forced to withdrawl. -
California University vs Bakke
Allan Bakke had twice applied and twice been rejected from the University of California Medical School. The school had sixteen spots reserved in each class of 100 for qualified minorities. This was part of the school's affirmative action program to make up for years of racial exclusion. Bakke's gpa and test scores exceeded many of these students. He said he was excluded from that school based on race. The racial quotas in schools was deemed unconstitutional. -
Election of 1984
The election of Ronald Regan (republican) vs Walter Mondale (democrat). Ronald Regan wins in the biggest landslide in US history. He was a popular actor and had a great personality that won over many people. He increased military spending, decreased taxes, reduced non-military federal spending, and restricted federal regulations. All of his actions were very conservative and contributed to the era of conservatism. He is also known for 'Reganomics'. -
Iran Contra Affair
Another political scandal. The National Security Council became involved in secret weapon transactions, and other things, that was in violation for the US Congress and violated public policy of the US Government. US officials were funding the Contras in Nicaragua, but also violating an arms embargo on Iran. Basically, people in power in the US government were secretly sending money and weapons to the enemy. The Regan administration over saw this. -
Black Monday
A global stock market crash so sever, people began to fear that there would be another Great Depression out of fear of the financial instability. Starting in Hong Kong, it soon spread through the rest of Asia then to Europe and then the US. Some reasons for this happening include fear that stocks were overvalued and would experience a correction soon, US trade and budget deficits, and rising interest rates. Similar to the Great Depression, fear led to people pulling from the stock market. -
Persian Gulf War
An international conflict triggered by the Iranian invasion of Kuwait, the goal of Iran was to secure Kuwait's large oil reserves, canceling the debt they owed to Kuwait, and expanding Iranian power in general. This is the first international crisis after the Cold War. The UN banned all trade with Iran in response with Resolution 661. The US a air and ground war with Iran. This war helped the US gain confidence as a world superpower following the Vietnam War.