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Oct 12, 1492
Discovery
In 1492, Christopher Columbus and a group of Spaniards got permission and funds from Ferdinand II and Isabella I, the Catholic Monarchs of Aragon, Castile, and Leon in Spain, and traveled the seas. They had planned to end up in Asia, but they actually ended up in the current-day Bahamas. From here on, the development and discovery of the Americas began. -
1562
Slave Trading
In the West Indies, the Caribbean, slavery began. In the West Indies, tribes would kidnap and capture enemy tribes. They would then sell their captured enemies to European Colonies. In the Chesapeake Bay slaves were treated more as people. However, in Southern colonies, big groups of slaves were owned at a time. They were treated less like people and more like workers. This set in a trend in treating slaves this way in other parts of the country. -
Establishment of Jamestown/Head right system
Jamestown was the first colony set up in the United States. Many people in this settlement had died of starvation and disease. Great Britain figured the only way they could get people to come to the settlement, was to bribe them with land. They were offering 100 acres of land to people who had settled in Virginia, 50 acres to new settlers, and 50 more for anyone who paid for someone to come here. Jamestown was a doomed settlement, and they needed more people in their little colony. -
The Mayflower
Puritans and Separatists were two groups who wanted to come to America for religious reasons. Separatists wanted to break away from the Anglican church. Puritans wanted to purify the Anglican church but created their own church in America. They landed in the Plymouth Colony, current-day Boston, on the Mayflower. Puritans developed a form of government called theocracy, which stated the minister of the church was the leader. Over time the Puritans overpowered and took over the Separatists. -
The Great Awakening
This was a time in which many people began to think deeply about religion. Others were becoming more literate in reading and writing. This caused them to question authority and develop the idea of natural rights. Since many people were turning to religion, many churches were being built. Overall, this was just a start into more civil living because people questioned and determined what they thought was right and wrong. -
The 7-years War
This was a war between the French and the British over land. This was also a very big time for people who were and are still famous to this day. George Washington was a soldier in the war before he was president. Benjamin Franklin was also a big figure because he came up with The Albany Plan of Union, to bring the colonies together. He created the "Join or Die" group. This war caused many later effects that eventually led to the uniting of our country. -
The British Crisis
After the 7-years War, colonists felt very confident in themselves. They had successfully fought alongside Britain and won the war. They believed they deserved more respect, but Britain felt the opposite. They thought the colonists looked very unorganized. This led to Benign Neglect with the Emancipation Proclamation of 1763. They felt as if they had set up pretty good lives and didn't want things to change. The next few acts are what I believe led to the Revolutionary War. -
The Sugar Act of 1764
This was an attempt to get the colonists back on Britain's side. The Molasis Act was what put a tax on sugar. This upset the colonists, so they stopped buying sugar from Britain and resorted to smuggling it. Because of this, Britain wasn't making money off the taxes and decided to pass the Sugar Act to lower the taxes on sugar. However, the colonists kept smuggling the sugar so Britain wouldn't make any profit to pass more acts. -
The Quartering Act
After the 7-years War, Britain sent many British Soldiers to the colonies. They told colonists that it was for protection against Native Americans and the French, but it was to keep them from moving west and to keep them in line. The Quartering Act was enforced to make colonists house and feed the British soldiers. This felt like an invasion of privacy to many colonists, and they also thought they were there to spy on the colonists. It was a very uncomfortable position to be put in. -
The Stamp Act of 1765
To legalize any form of document, colonists had to have a Crown Stamp. These documents include marriage certificates, death certificates, cargo, buying property, etc. The Stamp Act put a tax on the use of the stamp. This upset colonists because these were frequently used stamps, and they were becoming expensive. All of these acts proved just how little to no representation the colonists had against Parliament. -
The Boston Massacre
During this time, British soldiers were being placed around Boston. The colonists were upset over this, so they resulted to tormenting the soldiers. They started by throwing mean comments at the soldiers. Then, they started throwing snowballs at them. The soldiers didn't react until one snowball had a rock in it. This led to a fight between the colonists and the soldiers. Five people were killed. These killings led people to believe they were the first deaths of the American Revolution. -
The Boston Tea Party
There was a group known as the Sons of Liberty. They were upset about the taxes that were being put on tea. The group decided to throw over 340 chests of tea. This caused Britain to lose 1.5 million dollars worth of tea. This event took place in the middle of the day, and the group was very smart about it. With it being in the middle of the day, there were many crowds around them. This allowed the Sons of Liberty to escape quickly and not be caught. -
The Coercive Act
This act was often referred to as the Intolerable Act because of the effect it had on people. This started by closing the port of Boston. This prevented trade and many people had to receive Humanitary Aid. The act also outlawed assembles and took control of the colonial government. Also, many royal officials that were accused of crimes were tried in England. A following even was the Quartering Act was forced even harder. Many colonists were upset with how much power England was taking. -
The Beginning of The Revolutionary War
As mentioned earlier, many people believe the Boston Massacre was the beginning of The Revolutionary War. However, the night when it started began with the British heading to Concord. They stopped at Lexington on the way there, so Paul Revere and two others warned the colonists. When they arrived, the men were waiting. Then, "The shot heard round the world" was fired. 17 colonists were wounded or killed. The Revolutionary War began when the British arrived to Concord and 250 men were killed. -
The Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence. He and others knew that the Americas needed to be their own nation and disconnected from the British. After he wrote it, the small group of delegates looked over it and came to a point to show it to the rest of the delegates to be approved. The delegates knew that there could be imperfections, but they needed to get their message out to make things fair and equal in their country. -
The Battle of Saratoga
This war is known as one of the turning points in the American Revolutionary War. General John Burgoyne was leading an army of British soldiers and they were going to meet two other armies. However, when they showed up, the other armies weren't there. The colonists were though. This led the British army to be surrounded and forced to surrender. The colonists collected supplies and confidence by winning this. The colonists had now gained an advantage over the British. -
Shay's Rebellion
At the time, the Articles of Confederation had been written. Many farmers were losing their jobs because of the war. They would have to give up their land just to survive. These people lost the right to vote as well. This led them to attack courthouses. The wealthier people decided to hire private armies to take down Shay's Rebellion. This group and all the problems that came with it reflected the problems in the Articles of Confederation. -
The End of The Revolutionary War
Benjamin Franklin successfully convinced the French to aid and side with the colonists. With this, they gained a strong advantage over the British. This allowed the colonists to make the British feel outnumbered and forced into a corner. The British surrendered on October 20, 1781. The Treaty of Paris 1783 officially ended The Revolutionary War. Everyone recognized the colonies as states now. -
Adaptation of The Constitution
The Articles of Confederation was the first document that was written to format our country's form of government. This didn't work, so the delegates came up with The Constitution. After lots of edits, they finally finished The Constitution. It described the three branches of government, how much power the president has, how he/she is elected, and the Bill of Rights to protect us from certain scenarios. The COnstitution is still valued today and is a big part of our government. -
The Inauguration of George Washington
George Washington gained fame as a General at first. He led several armies to victory during The Revolutionary War. He was selected as the first president because of how liked he was. When coming into office, he established the court system, the Presidential Cabinet, the idea of only serving two terms, and giving a farewell speech. George Washington was a very well-liked man, and he was perfect for the job to many people. -
The French Revolution
When the French sided with us, we created a friendship between the two countries. When France went into their own revolution, they asked for our help. The people of France wanted to test and go against their government, but according to the friendship, we would technically have to help the government. For this event, we decided to not do anything because of our own war expenses and it would be too much. This showed a big reflection on our country's values and responsiveness to other countries. -
The New York Stock Exchange
Selling stocks was a huge advantage in business. Partial ownerships could be sold to people to raise large amounts of investment capital in a faster manner. The NYSE, New York Stock Exchange, was created to handle the purchase and sale of stocks. This was a very delicate business and had to be handled correctly, so this business was created to monitor and handle it. -
Invention of The Cotton Gin
This was a monumental invention from Eli Whitney. Whitney was known for interchangeable parts. It was a remarkable innovation in manufacturing because it made mass production possible. The Cotton Gin was so popular because it removes seeds from cotton fiber. It changed the South because it made cotton profitable. This invention was about to change the economy in the South for many years. -
The Whisky Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was big because it was a good way to prove The Constitution works. Pittsburgh farmers were refusing to pay taxes that were being put on whiskey. They weren't going to pay the taxes until the American Army enforced it. This then proved how the government could use its new federal power. I also believe it showed how people felt like they could use their right to protest. -
Pinckney's Treaty
This treaty was revolutionary because Spain gave Americans access to the Mississippi River. This also gave them access to the Port of New Orleans. This new form of transportation was going to increase trade amounts extremely. People like Jefferson did doubt it because the states have proven that treaties don't always work. However, in the end, this changes many things for the new states in their development! -
Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
As laws were being created, many states weren't happy with them and were nullifying them. These Resolutions were made so the states could have some say in the creation of acts. The Resolutions made it so that they could nullify some laws they didn't agree with because the states and federal government were a "pact." They could nullify the laws if they thought the pact was broken. However, this wasn't a good idea and didn't work out in the end because many states weren't following federal laws. -
The Louisiana Purchase
When Jefferson was president, he sent James Monroe to negotiate to purchase New Orleans for 3 million dollars. Napoleon said she wasn't interested unless they wanted to buy all of the Louisiana Territory for 15 million dollars. Jefferson recognized that The Constitution didn't say anything about buying land, but he did it because he believed it was best for the country. This purchase doubled the size of the country and opened up many opportunities. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
With the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, Jefferson knew the land needed to be explored. He sent the explorers Lewis and Clark to explore all the new land out west. Jefferson also wanted them to set up trading relationships with the Native Americans in the area. He also wanted them to find a water route to the Pacific Ocean for trade. This new land was going to create many new opportunities and Jefferson wanted Lewis and Clark to find as many as possible. -
The Embargo Act of 1807
In 1807, France and Britain went to war again. The states had finally built up good trading relationships with both countries. Because of this, Jefferson didn't want to side with one country and cause problems with the other. He decided to stay neutral. Jefferson then decided to create a ban (embargo) on all foreign trade. This upset many merchants, traders, and the entire business community. In the end, this took a big toll on the American Economy. -
War of 1812
While out in the water, the British Navy was taking American Sailors from their ships. They were then forced to serve on the British ships. The British were also supporting the Native Americans in their American resistance. The war was basically the Americans wanting to prove to the British that they didn't win because of luck. In the end, the British burned down the capital, but "The Star Spangled Banner" came out of it. -
The Battle of New Orleans
This battle was a simple one, but it was important. It reflected on the people fighting in it. The Americans were a group of multicultural warriors. The British were a trained army and were pretty much mauled by the American forces. Andrew Jackson led the American army, and he even asked for help from slaves. In the end, the Monroe Doctrine has to be set up to end all the problems. -
The Monroe Doctrine
After The War of 1812 and all the others that followed, the Americans decided they needed to set some boundaries. The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 was set up to set boundaries with Britain. However, with this, they pretty much told the rest of the world to stay out of their business. The states also said they would protect any nation that was in the Americas. This was a way to set boundaries with the whole world too. -
The Election of 1824
I believe this was one of the biggest shows of abusing power when it comes to politics. In 1824, the candidates were Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, and William H. Crawford. The 12th Amendment says if there isn't a majority electoral vote, then the vote goes to the House, and that's what happened. As speaker of the house, Clay dropped out. Adams and Clay had a secret meeting. 3 days later Adams was elected president and Clay as his secretary. There was foul play in the election. -
The Election of 1828
Jackson looked up to Jefferson. He wanted to recreate Jefferson's collation of northern farmers and artisans, southern slaveholders, and farmers with small amounts of land. He also created the first national committee, and political party, the Democrats. This was when political campaigns became a popular event for elections. Adams was not a liked president, so Jackson won this election pretty simply. -
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
Jackson was trying to set in a Native American Policy. His goal was to pass the Indian Removal Act. The Cherokee Nation wanted to label themselves as their own nation. This way the group would be left alone. The court did decide to side with the Native Americans. When the courts were siding with the Natives, Jackson was upset. This led him to speak out publically and say, "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it." -
Force Bill
Jackson wanted to have Congress pass the Force Bills. He wanted to gain the ability to use military force to make South Carolina follow the laws that were being put into place. This want for a Bill shows how much power Jacson felt like he didn't have. South Carolina wasn't following authority and Jackson knew this. He needed some way to try and take back as much power as he could. -
Texas Declares Independence
Texas was land that was owned by Mexico. Mexico was scared of the U.S. taking their land, so they offered it to all different people, including Americans. However, it got to a point where there were too many Americans in Mexico. Because of this, they tried to force laws and religion on the people in Texas, but many of them were Americans, so they were not happy. This led the Texas territory to declare independence in 1836. -
Creation of Telegraph
With the improvement of transportation, technology was advancing too. Samuel Morse created the telegraph to allow communication between people. Messages could be sent through a wire, and this invention was spread throughout the country. The U.S. Postal System linked every area in the nation to allow commercial communication. This became a big envy of the world because communication was available everywhere. -
Mexican American War
With the Texas' declaration of independence, war was coming. Many Americans wanted to side with Texas, but the U.S. government wasn't completely on board. In the end, the U.S. decided to fight against Mexico so they could claim Texas as a state. The war lasted from 1845 until 1848. Texas was going to become the next state in the U.S.! This also created many opportunities for the U.S. -
The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo marked the end of the Mexican-American War. It also declared Texas to belong to the U.S. The Rio Grande was the border between our countries. The Mexican Session said Mexico had to give up Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The U.S. thought about taking more land, but that meant more people too and they decided it was too much in the end. -
Bleeding Kansas
This all started when Kansas wanted to become a state. The people of the state had to vote on whether they wanted to be a free state or a slave state. The South felt like it should be a slave state to be fair and the North didn't want to allow it so they could completely abolish slavery. On voting day, groups of pro-slavery people attacked many abolitionist towns to stop them from taking over votes. Senator Preston Brooks beat Senator Charles Sumner for calling him out while talking about votes. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott was a slave whose owner had moved to Minnesota. He wanted to take Dred with him as a slave, but Minnesota was a free state. Dred decided to take his owner to court and sue for his freedom. The court decided to rule in favor of Dred's owner. This left Dred as a slave in a free state. This seemed to reflect the idea that no state, even a "free" state, is ever truly free. No one was ruling in favor of and protecting the slaves. -
The Bessemer Process
Steel is one of our country's most beloved materials. It allows for our construction people to build tall skyscrapers. When steel was discovered in the U.S., the country became the world's largest producer of steel. We started producing 90% of the world's steel. However, it was difficult to make when it was first discovered. Henry Bessemer created his "Bessemer Process" to allow for faster mass production of steel. -
The Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln was the winner of this election, but he was from the new Republican Party. He was left at the end of the Whigs Party, and he became very popular. He was someone who told people about how much he valued keeping the country together. The South believed Lincoln was going to end slavery, so they weren't too fond of him. Lincoln knew he couldn't end slavery, he just wanted to put fear into the South. Lincoln barely won the election. South Carolina decides to secede first when he wins. -
The Attack on Fort Sumter
The southern states had succeeded. They then decided to create a fort to starve out the U.S. military men in the South. Lincoln decided he needed to send his men food and military supplies. The president in the South decided to override it and take the supplies Lincoln had sent. They also took over Fort Sumter. After the attack to take Fort Sumter, Lincoln declared a Civil War between the two countries. -
Morrill Land Grant Act
Lincoln wanted to create a better education system for the people around the country. The government decided to give out land for this. The states were supposed to develop colleges with this land. The states built up many colleges that are still famous and used to this day. This Act was very useful and was a huge help to the country to increase academic ability among the students. -
The Pacific Railway Act of 1862
Lincoln wanted to connect the east and west coasts with railroads for trade. The Union Pacific Railway Company started in Nebraska and was working west. The Central Pacific Railway Company started in Sacramento and was moving east. Lincoln was bribing the workers with land to keep them working. However, if the job wasn't completed by 1872 he would take back all the land. In the end, the job was finished 3 years ahead of schedule. We had successfully moved west. -
The Civil War
The United States was officially divided, and Abraham Lincoln wanted to fight to bring the divisions together. The North had a better upper hand in this war because they had more people to fight, better equipment, and better resources. The North had many manufacturing businesses, but all the South had was cotton. In the end, the North dominated the South, and the South was brought back into the union. General Grant was the one who brought the North to victory. -
The Civil Right Act of 1866
With the win of The Civil War, the North wanted to grant as many freedoms to slaves as they could. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 gave citizenship to African Americans. It also was used to give as much protection as possible against black codes. This led to the 14th Amendment because they were scared the Democrats would overturn the Act. The 14th Amendment extended citizenship to all people born on U.S. soil. With these two, African Americans were given their citizenship! -
The National Labor Union Forms
The National Labor Union was one of the earliest unions formed in the U.S. It was formed by all men, and they were fighting for a cause. They wanted more rules and protection within factories. They pushed for an 8-hour work day. They were tired of working such long hours and not being treated well in their community. The Union wanted the security and respect that they believed they deserved. -
The Reconstruction Act of 1867
After the Revolutionary War, the Northern states wanted to take back some control. They decided to strip the Southern states of any political power they used to have. The South was divided into 5 military districts. They were placed under the watch of the Union Army. The act also said the only way the Southern States could rejoin as a state was if they ratified the 14th Amendment. They also had to create a state constitution that gave all men the right to vote. -
Women Christian Temperance Union
This was a group created by Francis Willard. It was a political campaign about ending the abuse of alcohol. Many women during this time saw alcohol as a serious problem in their home lives. It caused many problems for their husbands, which then caused home problems. The whole point of this group was to prevent their husbands from overusing alcohol so they could fix the problems in their home lives. -
The Klu Klux Klan
One of the largest hate groups in the world was The KKK. They were known to attack African Americans because of the color of their skin. They would often hold ceremonies to plan for attacks they would hold. Their attacks often consisted of bombing schools and churches, hate crimes, murder, and riots. This group has had periods of time where they surface and then decrease in size and activity. They were very known for being aggressive during the 1920's. -
The Haymarket Strike
Scabs were people that were replacements for workers on strike. Because of the anger the workers had, a fight broke out. This was causing mass chaos and the police were called to handle the situation. After, a meeting was held because people were mad at the police and mass chaos broke out again. There were many problems that were surfacing within the work force, and they needed to be attended to. -
Anti-Saloon League
Many women weren't treated correctly in prisons and asylums. They deserved to be treated better by the people running these institutions. Dorthea Dixs saw this problem. She knew how much of a problem it was and decided to campaign about it. She formed the Anti-Saloon League to create the Asylum movement. She wanted to advocate for and protect the women who were treated wrong in all of these sorts of institutions. -
Discovery of Oil
In 1894, oil was discovered in Texas. Massive oil reserves were used to produce large amounts of oil in the country. The U.S. became the world's largest producer of oil. It got to a point where the U.S. was producing 75% of our world's oil. The discovery of these reserves also provided many Americans with jobs in our country. Oil became a big hopeful help in our country. -
The Pullman Strike
Workers on railroads were becoming upset with their bosses. They decided to hold a strike because they wanted higher wages. They walked off their jobs in 1893 and ended up destorying the railroads. They destoryed 80 million dollars worth of product. The President sent troops to try and end the strike. In the end, 34 strikers were killed. Panic was starting in the U.S. -
The De Lome Letter
Government officials in the US accidentally recovered a file from Spain that changed their relationship. The Spanish Minister wrote a letter calling the current president, McKinley, a "would-be-politician." He also said he wasn't going to honor the new deal the countries had. Newspapers in the US caught word of this and printed copies of the letter in their daily news. William Randolf Hearst was the first news reporter to publish this information to the public. -
The Spanish-American War
Spain and the US weren't getting along very well and there was a lot of tension between the two countries. The Teller Amendment was passed so the US could try and help Cuba declare their independence from Spain. In the end, the US Armies destroyed the Spanish military. The war ended when Spanish forces were captured in the Philippines and surrendered. The US gained Alaska, The Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Midway. Cuba gained independence and Hawaii was annexed to become part of the US. -
The USS Maine Explosion
The USS Maine was a battleship the U.S. was holding on to for protection in the country. It was anchored, so many Americans were moving on and off of it to watch over how it was doing. On the morning of February 15, 1898, the ship was blown up. This ended up killing 260 Americans. Spain was blamed for this explosion. However, it was later found out that it was a chemical explosion, and there was no foul play that caused this event. -
The Election of 1904
The two biggest runners were Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. Teddy won by a large amount, and became a very respected and loved president of the United States. He worked to make some consumer reforms in the country with the Meat Inspection Act, Pure Food and Drug Act, and Elkins and Heoburn Act. He also worked to have environmental preservation in the country. He had National Parks made to preserve and protect these beautiful sections of the country. -
The Automobile and Henry Ford
For a while, cars were very expensive and hard to come by. This was a norm for a while until Henry Ford introduced his Model T car for 850 dollars. The introduction of cheaper automobiles allowed for people own cars. This change caused people to move out of the city. They had quicker and personal forms of transportation, so people could move out to the suburbs and be farther away from home. The expansion of homes allowed for the country to grow everywhere. -
The Beginning of The Great War
Germany was becoming an all-around problem for many countries. Then, the country decided to employ a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. This meant that they would often sink ships without any sort of warning. The US became upset when they sunk the Lusitania. Germany feared the US was going to join the war and have an alliance with Britain, so they created an alliance with Mexico. This set off the US even more, so two months later the US joined the war on the side of the Allies. -
The Red Scare
After the war, the US was very worried about the possibility of communism coming into the US. This panic caused many unnecessary issues in the country, and many people were wrongly convicted of being communists. Many Americans would target their neighbors to get them in trouble. This moment in time was built off the fear everyone had, but it was a very sad and unacceptable response. It can be understood, but the extents it took never should have happened. -
World War I
World War I was originally known as The Great War. The US joined in 1917. One of the biggest known missions was the Trench Warfare. There was also a breakout of Influenza and 20 million people died. The US didn't officially join the war until they had one million trained and ready soldiers. While the soldiers were away, people back at home were working to try and collect funds or support to help the fighting them. The war ended when Germany surrendered and the Treaty of Versailles was passed. -
The 18th Amendment
The Prohibition Era started when the 18th Amendment passed. Women strongly believed that alcohol was the biggest cause of issues in their homes. This sent them on a mission to try and eliminate alcohol as a whole. They got the 18th Amendment to be passed. This outlawed the production, transport, and selling of alcohol. This didn't last long, but it showed how much more power women were acquiring in their community. -
The 19th Amendment
All this time, women were not allowed to vote. Men would say they weren't literate enough or didn't receive enough schooling to be able to vote. Women decided to change this and get the right to vote. They wanted to be able to make decisions about the future of the country. Women were done sitting on the sidelines and going with whatever their husbands said. This was a long and hard fight, but by 1919, the 19th Amendment was passed and voting wasn't allowed to be controlled by gender anymore. -
The New Woman
Women were ready for a change to their look and ways they were viewed. Women created a new style called "flappers." Flappers were women who broke the norms for dress code and wore shorter dresses and showed more skin. They would also openly drink and smoke. This did bring up many conflicts for women who followed traditional values. However, this change truly did create a constant form of changes for the women in the country. -
The Harlem Renaissance
In the 1920's, many African Americans were working on equality in the country. This period of time is known for being a turning point in black cultural history. Many POC were able to create new representations of black culture in the country. This was an attempt to create equality as well. Many black people in the US were given the ability to have more pride in themselves and the person they were on the inside and the outside. -
Consumer Culture
This is a culturally significant period of time that is still very strong today. However, urban areas were doing well and rural areas were often struggling. Advertisements became very important because of customer competitions. Companies would lead a selling point for being a "proper" person in society. They would use this argument to try and convince someone that they needed their product so they would fit this standard. Consumerism was and still is very popular to this day. -
Radio and Hollywood
For years newspapers were Americans' only way of receiving news. However, the invention of the radio allowed many Americans to be able to hear their news as they started their day. Many would listen to hear about sports, the news, radio programs, music, and even sermons at churches. Hollywood became one of the capitals of the film industry. Silent films are what were mainly watched, until "The Jazz Singer" was released. It was the first movie with audio in the industry. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
During this time period, most people in the country followed some form of religion. Because of this, science was somewhat frowned upon and wasn't trusted or believed very much. John Scopes was a science teacher who was convicted and fined one hundred dollars for teaching evolution in his class. This shows how the country was divided on whether or not to keep these same values or to let change happen. -
The Dust Bowl
This period of time was an economic and environmental disaster for the states of Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, and parts of other states. These states had focused too much on the overproduction of one product. This led to soil erosion and the drought made it worse. The crops all turned to dust and there wasn't any food to be sold for money. Food was becoming very scarce for many parts of the country. -
The FDIC
There were many issues going on within the banks of the US. The FDIC declared a national bank holiday to close and inspect all the banks. Once they were inspected, only the healthy banks were allowed to reopen and start-up businesses again. This was a way to insure individual bank deposits were kept up with. This also led to the SEC to regulate practices in stocks and bonds. -
The New Deal
Franklin D. Roosevelt, FDR, was elected as the president in 1932. He promised to create programs that would help with the depression. He wanted to focus on "Relief, Recovery, and Reform." The New Deal was created to make new agencies and programs to protect people from economic disasters. He set up the standard of the first "Hundred Days." FDR's New Deal made the people grow to love him because they believed he truly was working to help the people of the US. -
The Beginning of World War II
Germany was starting to form alliances with many European countries. Adolf Hitler had taken the position as chancellor for Germany. He believed that all the Jewish people were the internal problems for the country. He decided to strengthen the country's military. He would visit many factories and was happily greeted. He was the real start for the war. -
The Social Security Act
This act came to be a safety net for all Americans. A percentage of their paychecks would go to help with this withdraw for the future. It's used to supplement incomes for Americans who retire from work. Many people didn't want to retire because they didn't know if they could handle it financially. However, the SSA allowed many Americans to feel safe about their choice to retire. -
Hitler's Big Events
In March of 1936, he went to Rhineland to strengthen the military. In March of 1938, he annexed Austria. In March of 1939, he invaded Czechoslovakia and took it over as well. In August of 1939 Germany and Russia signed a Non-aggression Pact. In September of 1939, Germany invaded Poland. In May of 1940, Germany invaded France and the Netherlands and by June Frace surrendered. All of these events led to the star of World War II. -
Executive Order 9066
Pearl Harbor was a traumatic event for many people. Japan had attacked the US and killed many people. This Executive Order took all Japenese Americans out of their homes. The people kicked out were then sent to relocation camps. This order was made to go towards any race in the US. However, because of the recent events, Japenese Americans were targeted and sent away from their homes. This was a very unfair time period because not all Japenese Americans were threats. -
Executive Order 8802
This was enforced to prevent any kind of discriminatory
practices in the federal government. Anyone who followed those practices were eliminated. This way of running business was also carried on to any small businesses. This was because they collected federal tax dollars on their businesses. This was very good to help prevent any discriminatory behavior. -
Pearl Harbor
The US was demanding that Japan needed to withdraw from China and Indochina. Because of this, Japan decided to attack the US and get an easy win. However, this event is what made the US decided to join WWII. The US was left scared from what happened, and unfortunately, the Japanese Americans in the US were treated terribly. Pearl Harbor altered the country and the people of the US were sad, depressed, and angry. -
The C.O.R.E.
The Congress of Racial Equality was created in 1942. They were a group that wanted to practice advocating for equality in safe manners. They had 53 chapters throughout the US. They would organize a number of court cases, protests, and marches to shed light on the inequality and discrimination in the US. This group became very known and did a very good job at advocating for the change they wanted to see in their country. -
D-Day
Joseph Stalin had come up with an idea to reduce Germany. D-Day became known as one of the largest seaborne invasions of WWII. There wasn't an evacuation plan for the Allies, so they had to win. By day 7, the Allies controlled 80 miles of the coast. This was one of the most known wars during the battle. This upper hand did help with the winning of WWII for the allies. Without this day, the Allies would have struggled more in order to win. -
The G.I. Bill of Rights
After the war, many soldiers wanted to be recompenstated for their participation in the war. This bill allowed for our government to say thank you. They did this by paying for any education paths. They also gave lower interest rates on homes loans. They also gave low interest rates on business loans. These were very beneficial to the soldiers and many were very appreciative of what they received for their services. -
The Yalta Conference
FDR, Churchill, and Stalin all met for a meeting. They met to discuss the future of Europe after WWII. They ended up making the United Nations. This world organization allowed for countries to come together and create an alliance. This also led to the dismemberment of Germany. Russia also had its entry into war against Japan. However, this meeting allowed for the creation of one of the biggest and most important world organizations we've had. -
The Cold War
There was a lot of distrust building between the US and the USSR. The USSR was expanding and the US didn't like that because it meant that communism was spreading. The USSR decided to test their own nuclear weapons. These events put a lot of fear into Americans. They came up with many backup plans because the USSR could attack at any time. These fears were embedded into most people in the US, everyone was ready for a potential attack from the USSR. -
The Baby Boom
War was finally over and men returned home. Many women missed their husbands when they were gone, and one thing led to another and the Baby Boom happened. This was a period of time when many families were having kids. This was during the years of 1946-1963. This generation is known as the Baby Boomers. The US population increased to over 30 million people. There was an estimated one birth for every ten seconds. Overall, families were growing and the US wasn't exactly ready for it. -
The Truman Doctrine
The US was scared of communism spreading in other parts of the world because of the Domino Theory. Because of this, the US came up with the Truman Doctrine. They wanted to offer any kind of military help to any country that was experiencing threats from external forces. This was an attempt to help any country that the USSR was trying to push communism on. The US was targeting the USSR and trying not to let them take other countries. -
Germany's Split
The USSR was trying to push communism onto Germany. Part of Germany didn't want to follow those ideal, so Germany split into East and West Germany. East Germany was controlled by the USSR and West Germany was an independent nation. In June of 1948 Stlain cut off all forms of traffic in Berlin so they couldn't receive any kinds of supplies. He ended up starving them into submission so he could control all of Berlin and have allies in London. Germany was officially two separate countries. -
The Korean War
From June of 1950 until July of 1953, Korea was split into two and was at war with each other. North Korea was supported by Russia and China and wanted to be a communist country. South Korea was supported by the US. In 1952 Eisenhower was elected into office and he pledged to end the war. On July 27, 1953, an armistice was signed and the Korean War ended. Korea ended up staying split and is still split in present-day times. -
The Vietnam War
Vietnam started all because the U.S.S. Maddox was bombed. This upset the US, and President Johnson called for war. Nixon was the president who picked up the back end of the war. He secretly bombed Cambodia to try and destroy Vietnamese Communist bases. Finally, negotiations were being made and Nixon thought it was taking too long so he ordered a massive bombing of North Vietnam. -
Little Rock Arkansas
In 1957, integration was still being blocked by the government. When the law was changed, many black Americans were scared to go to school because they feared they would be attacked. However, nine students in Little Rock Arkansas decided to try and go to an integrated school. When this happened, Govenor Orval Faubus ordered the Arkansas National Guard to not let them in. Eisenhower resonded to this and sent the 101st Airborne Division to make sure they got into the school. -
The Eisenhower Interstate Highway Act
The US was very divided because there weren't direct connections to specific places. This public project was the largest ever done, and it was very beneficial. It connected many small towns to modern cities. Smaller cities benefitted from this because they received more attention because people could actually get to them. Evacuation also became easier because there were emergency runways to go down. Overall, the creation of these roads allowed for our country to be better connected. -
The SNCC
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was established in 1957. They worked to plan and coordinate Civil Rights protests throughout the south. This gave young black students the opportunity to get involved in their community and the causes they wanted to change. They also brought to light how the changes that were being made weren't happening very fast. They wanted to see these changes sooner because they needed to happen in the country. -
The Election of 1960
Nixon and Kennedy were the two main running candidates for this election. Nixon was a politician with a proven track record. He had good plans for the country and was a decently liked man. Kennedy was a young and unproven politician. This election televised a debate for the first time ever. Kennedy focused a lot of his election on his image and the way he looked. He would wear makeup to make himself look young and presentable. In the end, this must have worked because he won the 1960 election. -
The Children's Crusade
This was an event where hundreds of school kids staged a walk-out in Birmingham. Many of these kids were arrested for this. When they were released they would just go out and do it all over again the next day. Bill Conner was someone who tried to stop the marches by spraying the crowds with fire hoses and releasing dogs. This was simply a group of kids who wanted to see change happen, and adults felt the need to respond in such negative ways. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Lyndon B Johnson was the current president at the time. He signed in the law saying that discrimination in local, state, and national elections polling places is banned. This was a step towards bringing the black community into the normal life of every white person. It seemed like change that was needed was finally going to happen in the country. Black people were now given the opportunity to vote on manners that had to do with the future of our country. -
Richard Nixon and Watergate
Richard NIxon was elected president in 1968. He started off as a good president. He created the EPA and he helped try and give women more say in matters for the country. However, the scandal at Watergate messed up his career. It was discovered that the Democratic Headquarters had all their technology bugged. Nixon made the mistake of trying to cover it up, and this drew lots of suspicion. In the end, this ruined his presidency and he resigned halfway through his second term. -
Roe v. Wade
Women were doing all they could to try and make calls on the future of the country. Roe v. Wade was a case brought to the Supreme Court about the rights and legal stance of abortion. The court ended up deciding to allow abortion. The court stated that the 14th Amendment protected the rights of abortion. This was restricted and regulated by the state depending on how far along the pregnancy is. Either way, women were being voted in favor of. -
The Reagan Doctrine
The Reagan Doctrine was the US offering any help to get rid of any communist forces. They were offering help to anti-communist guerrillas to try and stop the spread of communism. Reagan wanted to help anyone in whatever way he could so that way the US could stop the spread of communism in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Communism was very prominent in these areas of the world, and the government wanted to help the people who were against it, so that way they could stop the spread.