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Pacific Railway and Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was an opportunity for people to obtain free land in the West if they met the requirements for it. The Pacific Railway Act was created to back up the Homestead Act by providing railroad tracks connecting the West and East Coast. Once both acts were created, several people began moving west for either gold, farming, or due to overpopulation in Eastern cities. As a result of this though, tensions began to rise between the U.S. and the Native Americans. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was released by Lincoln which officially changed the meaning of the Civil War. The Battle of Antietam was a loss for the Union but it allowed Lincoln to release this document. What was originally a war to unify the country was now changed from not only unification but also to freeing the slaves of the South. Lincoln had also begun to make the South look bad so they could trade or receive help from foreign countries, especially the British. -
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg would become the largest battle North America had ever seen. The battle was a huge loss for the South and put a hole in General Lee's army. Once the battle was over, Lincoln gave his infamous Gettysburg address. The battlefield was later turned into a cemetery for Union and Confederate soldiers. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The Battle of Vicksburg would show that Ulysses S. Grant was a proven General for Lincoln's army. The battle is considered an ending point of the Confederacy's seceding. The battle would complete Lincoln's goal of surrounding and strangling the Confederates in his Anaconda Plan. This battle also showed that the Union had a general who could defend his own against E. Lee. -
Reconstruction in the South
Once the Confederates and General E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox, the war was officially over. The South was in complete ruins as a result though and Lincoln had to fix it. Lincoln also had to deal with bitter Southerners as they lost their slaves, their way of life, and a major war. He had a way to prevent them from seceding again. -
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was elected president after the assassination of Lincoln. He was viewed as being biased towards the South and even wanted to bring slavery back. He forgave the South of their War debts and also fired his secretary of war. He vetoed a lot of bills that would've punished the South. He was eventually impeached and replaced by Ulysses S. Grant. -
Assassination of President Garfield.
President Garfield was assassinated by his follower, Charles Guiteau. Charles was a huge follower of Garfield and wanted to be a part of his Spoils system. Garfield rejected his part in the Spoils system which led to his death. Once he was assassinated, the system was ended and the protection of presidents was also increased. -
The Dawes Act
The Dawes Act was an act for Native Americans that gave them territory that was significantly smaller than what they originally had. They were moved from their own and were told where they could and couldn't go. Much of their territory was also taken from them as a result. This was a crucial blow to the Natives and their tribes. Their culture was attacked and damaged while many others thought this was beneficial for them. -
Plessy V. Ferguson
Homer Plessy was part African-American and was kicked off of a railcar that he was boarding. He thought that this was outrageous and took the act to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court initiated the Jim Crow Laws that they can be "separate but equal." -
The Spanish-American War
Cuba was attempting to gain independence from the Spanish and the U.S. decided to support them. Cuba believed that they were being treated very unfairly and cruelly which drove them to fight back. Spain declared this deal as an act of war and went to war with the U.S. Most of the war was fought with the navy and as a result of the war, Spain surrendered their Cuban and Philippines territories. -
JP Morgan creates US Steel
JP Morgan reorganized several major railroads and financed industrial consolidations that made US Steel. He merged with Carnegie Steel Company for $480 million, which was more than the entire US Federal budget. US Steel became the first billion-dollar company in America. It was the largest steel producer and largest corporation in the world when it was founded. It was also the largest business enterprise ever launched in America. -
The Pure Food and Drug Act
Upton Sinclair's novel "The Jungle" revealed poor sanitation practices in meat production, prompting Congress to establish federal responsibility for public health and welfare. The Act prohibited the sale of misbranded or adulterated food and drugs in interstate commerce, laying a foundation for the nation's first consumer protection agency. The law required that food be inspected by the government to ensure its safety and led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). -
Hepburn Act
United States federal law expanded the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission and gave it the power to set maximum railroad rates, which led to the discontinuation of free passes to loyal shippers. The Act effectively created the federal government's first true regulatory agency. The Act gave the government the power to set and limit shipping costs, which changed the government's role in industry. -
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The NAACP was created in 1909 by an interracial group of WEB Du Bois and others concerned with fighting for the rights of African Americans. It was created following a deadly race riot in Springfield. The NAACP went on to lobby for landmark legislation including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It is the nation's oldest civil rights organization and led the black civil rights struggle in fighting injustices throughout the 20s and 30s. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire killed 146 garment workers, with most of them being young immigrant woman. It was a critical event because of it's impact on the US labor movement, the New Deal, the development of occupational safety and health standards, and the New York Fire Department. The tragedy led to fire prevention legislation, factory inspection laws, and the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -
Federal Reserve Act
The severe panic in 1907 led Congress to write the Federal Reserve Act, which was implemented to establish economic stability in the US by creating a central bank to oversee monetary policy, which is one of the most influential laws shaping the US financial system. The system consisted of twelve regional Federal Reserve banks jointly responsible for managing the country's money supply, making loans and providing oversight to banks, and serving as a lender of the last resort. -
Sixteenth Amendment
The 16th Amendment allows Congress to levy a tax on income from any source without apportioning it among the states and without regard to the census. Essentially, the amendment established Congress's right to impose a federal income tax. This affects the US today as Congress can also put laws on taxes in order as well. The collected income taxes allow the government to keep an army, build roads and bridges, enforce laws, and carry out other important duties. -
Clayton Antitrust Act
The new law declared strikes, boycotts, and labor unions legal under federal law. The act continues to regulate US business practices today. It 1) prohibits anticompetitive price discrimination 2) prohibits against certain exclusive deal practices 3) expands power of private parties to sue and obtain damages 4) permits union organization 5) prohibits against anti-competitive mergers. -
National Park Service
President Woodrow Wilson signed the act to create a new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior which would be responsible for protecting the 35 national parks and monuments that were managed at the time and that were to be established. -
US enters WWI
On April 4, 1917, the US Senate voted in support of declaring war on Germany. The House concurred two days later and the US then declared war on German ally Hungary on December 7, 1917. US reasons for entry into the war included unrestricted submarine warfare, the German invasion of Belgium, American loans, and the Zimmerman Telegram. The entry of the US into WWI meant that the defeat of Germany would be possible. -
Espionage Act
The Act prohibited obtaining information, copying descriptions, or recording pictures of any information relating to the national defense with intent or reason to believe that the information may be used for the injury of the US or the advantage of a foreign nation. It made it a crime to intervene or attempt to undermine the efforts of the US armed forces during a war or to assist enemies' war efforts. -
Red Scare
During the Red Scare, fear over the spread of communism filled Americans as many feared recent immigrants and dissidents. They repealed communist, socialist, or anarchist ideologies. Palmer conducted a series of raids on individuals he believed were dangerous to American security, deporting 249 Russian immigrants without just cause. The Scare led to the deportation of many people and Americans greatly feared communism, assuming any immigrant or member of a labor union was one. -
Fourteen Points
The Fourteen Points was a statement of principles for peace that was used for peace negotiations in order to end WWI. It ensured open diplomacy without secret treaties, equal trade conditions, economic free trade on seas, decreased armaments among all nations, and an adjustment of colonial claims. The points were designed to undermine the Central Powers' will to continue and to inspire the Allies to victory. Woodrow Wilson wanted to outline the specific goals of the war for the US. -
Nineteenth Amendment
The Nineteenth Amendment granted women the right to vote. This milestone was the result of decades of protest and determination for women's' rights. It extended the vote to 26-30 million women, which made it the single largest expansion of voting rights in US history. The ratification of the 19th Amendment was a turning point in women's history in the US. Women could now be taken seriously and participate in political activities. -
Immigration Act of 1924
The act banned limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the United States through a national origins quota. It gave visas to two percent of the total number of people of each nationality in the US from the 1890 census. It completely excluded Japanese and other East Asian immigrants. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
American legal case in 1925 where a substitute teacher was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which made it unlawful to teach evolution in any state-funded school. He was found guilty and was fined, but the verdict was overturned on technicality. This trial set the stage for larger culture wars between fundamentalists and their theologically liberal counterparts on feminism, abortion, and the LGBTQ movements that shaped the 20th century. -
Bonus Army
The Bonus Army involved a gathering of between 10,000 to 25,000 WWI veterans who converged in Washington DC to demand immediate bonus payment for wartime services to alleviate the economic hardships of the Great Depression. The US Attorney General Mitchell ordered veterans to be removed from all government property, resulting in two dead veterans. Congress later passed the Adjusted Compensation Payment Act in 1936, paying over $2 billion to veterans of WWI. -
First New Deal
The First New Deal was designed to boost prices to a level that would restore profitability to American agriculture and alleviate rural poverty. President FDR wanted to provide immediate economic relief and bring about reforms to stabilize the economy. The three goals of the New Deal were relief, recovery, and reform. It provided support for the unemployed, youth, farmers, and the elderly. It had new constraints on the banking industry and efforts to re-inflate the economy after prices fell. -
Indian Reorganization Act
The Act was created to conserve and develop Indian lands and resources, extend to Native Americans the right to form businesses and other organizations, establish a credit system for them, and to grant certain rights of home rule and education to them. The Act was aimed at decreasing federal control of American Indian affairs and increasing their self-government and responsibility. The Act improved the political, social, and economic conditions of American Indians in many ways. -
Second New Deal
The Second New Deal included programs to redistribute wealth, income, and power in favor of the old, the poor, and labor unions. The most import programs included Social Security, the Banking Act of 1935, and the National Labor Relations Act. The second New Deal focused on social justice and the creation of economic security instead of a simple economic recovery. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration, giving millions of American jobs constructing stadiums, roads, and bridges. -
Social Security Act
The Social Security act was signed into law by President Roosevelt. It granted several provision for general welfare alongside creating a social insurance program designed to pay retired workers over 65 a continuing income after retirement. It established two types of provisions 1) a Federal aid to the States to enable them to cash pensions 2) a system of Federal age-old benefits for retired workers. Social Security remains ones of the nation's most successful, effective, and popular programs. -
Munich Conference
The Munich Conference was a European diplomatic conference in 1938 where Britain and France conceded to Hitler's demand for Czechoslovakia as long as he agreed to expand no further. It was a settlement between Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy that allowed Germany to annex Sudetenland. The agreement averted the outbreak of war but gave Czechoslovakia away to German conquest. -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese planes attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This surprise attack by 350 Japanese aircrafts caused 2,403 US personnel deaths with 19 US Navy ships being destroyed or damaged during the attack. The unprovoked attack brought the US into WWII as they immediately declared war on Japan. This attack forever ended the US's pre-1941 stance on isolationism and neutrality as it marked the entry of the world's mightiest military power into WWII. -
Double V Campaign
The Double V Campaign was a slogan that was championed by the largest black newspaper in the US and promoted efforts towards democracy for civilian defense workers and African Americans in the military. The two objectives were 1) victory in the war abroad 2) victory against discrimination on the home front. The campaign helped black Americans by relieving their plight faced in the army and at home but it did created a narrow appreciation for the complexity of AA wartime situations. -
Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
Nonviolent civil rights organization that was founded in 1942, committed to the "Double V Campaign". The organization worked to improve race relations and discriminatory policies through direct-action projects. In the late 50's, CORE challenged public segregation and launched voter registration drives for AAs. After WWII, CORE became a major force in the civil rights movement with the Freedom Rides of 1961 and the Freedom Summer Project of 1964 being major achievements. -
Executive Order 9066
The order authorized the evacuation of all people deemed a threat to national security from the West Coast to relocation centers further inland. Over 100,000 Japanese American men, women, and children were moved into internment camps, although over half the people evacuated were second-generation Japanese Americans). None of the internees were actually convicted of helping the Japanese government. In 1988, President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, giving each former internee $20,000. -
GI Bill
Congress wanted to reward almost all wartime veterans with a bill that provided WWII veterans with funds for college education, unemployment insurance, and housing. It put higher education into the reach of millions of WWII veterans. The program was regarded as a success and a major contributor to stabilizing the post-war economy and America's long-term economic growth. It also kept millions of veterans from flooding the job market all at once. -
D-Day
June 6 1944 was the day Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare, where Allies landed on the beaches of Normandy to liberate north-west Europe from Nazi occupation. D-Day was ultimately successful as, by the end of August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated which marked the beginning of the liberation of western Europe. D-Day also served to convince the high German command that their complete defeat was upon them. -
United Nations founded
The United Nations was founded in 1945 after WWII, wherein 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. The UN is one of the most powerful international organizations that is used to promote international cooperation. The UN has helped many countries and has also put in place a legal framework to combat terrorism. -
Atomic bombing of Japan
The US bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (first instances of atomic bombs being used against humans), killing tens of thousands of people and obliterating the cities. The aim of the bombing was to bring an end to the war by destroying the enemy's war industries, killing employees of those industries, and undermining civilian morale. President Truman knew that attempting to invade Japan would result in horrific American causalities, while the bombs would bring a speedy end. -
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference was a meeting of the three WWII allies of US, Britain, and the Soviet Union. President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, and Premier Stalin met in February in Yalta. It was agreed that the Soviet Union would enter war against Japan and that after Germany's surrender, it would be divided into four post-war occupation zones. The aim of the conference was to shape a postwar peace that represented a plan to give self-determination to the liberated people of Europe. -
Levittown
Levittown was created following the shortage of housing following WWII. The nation's first planned community was designed to provide a large amount of housing in a time when there was high demand for affordable family homes. This suburban development was the symbol of the "American Dream" because it allowed thousands of families to become home owners. These suburbs allowed people to escape the cramped conditions of the cities. Levitt also revolutionized the process of home building. -
Truman Doctrine
Truman established the doctrine to establish that the US would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from internal or external authoritarian forces. It was intended to prevent the spread of communism following WWII by providing support to targeted countries. The Truman Doctrine became the foundation of American foreign policy that led to the formation of NATO in 1949. It demonstrated that the US would not return to isolationism after WWII. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was a US program designed to rehabilitate the economies of 17 western and southern European countries in order to create stable conditions in which democratic institutions could survive the aftermath of WWI. It resulted in a resurgence of European industrialization and stimulation of the US economy. Rendered as one of the greatest economic and foreign policy successes of the US, the Marshall Plan ultimately transferred $13 billion dollars to Europe. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Trade Organization was created by the US, Canada, and some Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. The binding principle of the alliance is collective defense, a commitment to protect each other. NATO marked the US's departure from an isolationist foreign policy as it became the nation's first peacetime military alliance with states outside of the Americas. It also shaped the politics of the Cold War and is still an organization today.