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Jamestown established
The establishment of Jamestown was the first time a settlement was created in the states that lasted. Before all the settlements had collapsed and died away after a couple years due to sickness, cold, or natives. The reason that Jamestown was different was if you weren't helping then you couldn't eat. With the success of Jamestown people started to slowly trickle into the New World over the coming years. -
Headright system
The Headright system was a system that tried to entice people to come to the states. It allowed for those people to come from Europe to America for a free plot of land. Land is everything in history and anytime you get a chance at it, that becomes an opportunity for you to thrive in life and that is what some of those people needed in Europe. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was the proclamation from the King of England saying that the colonist had to stay east of the App Mts. This was a ploy by the king to keep the colonist hemmed in and control them while they enforced their new taxes. The king was also worried about the issue with the Native Americans and their relationship with them.This annoyed the colonist since they felt like they deserved and earned their right to expand westward. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was a highly controversial act passed by the English Parliament that stated all colonist HAD to allow soldiers to stay at their homes for free. This was also a disguise for the British gov to survey the disgruntled, difficult colonist. If soldiers were now in the homes of these colonist they would stop spreading ideas of revolutionary and rebellious ideas for fear they would be disciplined. This act would go onto inspire the clause in the Constitution for the need of warrants. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was an act to gain the attention of the English Crown by the Sons of Liberty. Led by Samuel Adams, they dressed as Indians and dumped a million dollars worth of tea into the bay. This gained the crowns attention and soldiers were sent to Boston to enforce the new law and put Boston under the direct rule of the king since he revoked Boston's charter. -
First Continental Congress
This was a congress held by delegates from all 13 colonies in response to the Intolerable Acts. The colonies came up with the idea to maybe mend ties with the Crown with the Olive Branch Petition to have the Acts resended. This didn't work and the king rejected the offer. This led the Congress deciding to stand up to England and try to hold their ground and fight for the chance at their liberty and freedom from England. -
The Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary war between England and the US. It was signed in Paris and the Us gained their independence and all the land between the Atlantic and the Mississippi. Spain got the old French territory of Louisiana and New Orleans. But the people who suffered the most were definitely the Native Americans in that area as they lost their main trade partners in the English and replaced them with the less liked Americans -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was a fight that shined light on the flaws of the Articles of Confederation. The rebellion was caused due to a debt crisis that farmers couldn't pay their debts back. The rebellion was put out eventually by mercenaries hired by the Massachusetts elite. It showed that the US would not survive as a country for long with no central, federal government. This crisis would go on to start talks of a new constitution that would allow for more federal power. -
The Constitution Ratified
The Constitution of the United States was the new form of government that the US was rolling out in response to the failures of the AoC. This new constitution would give the federal government significantly more power, but the question was how much? The two sides were the Federalist led by Alexander Hamilton and the Anti Federalist led by Thomas Jefferson. The original document leaned towards a more powerful state government than federal power but the first 2 presidencies would expand that power -
The Whiskey Rebellion
This was the test of the new Constitution kinda like Shay's Rebellion to the AoC. It was caused by the implementation of the Whiskey tax part of Hamilton's American System to raise taxes for funds of the US. This feeling that big time producers of whiskey were getting a significantly better deal than those who had small time operations. However, the new Constitution had the power to go and take out the rebellion right then and there which Washington did as the new Constitution passed its test. -
The Treaty of Greenville
In 1795, Washington asked for General Wayne to take his men and defeat the Western Confederacy and take their lands for good. General Wayne defeated the Confederacy and pulled the Confederacy under the protection of the Sovereign USA in what became known as The Treaty of Greenville. This led to the mass migration of white settlers to the region looking for new land that they could take as the NA tribes land was now our land and they couldn’t force us out of it anymore. Ended hostilities with NA. -
The XYZ Affair
During the Adams presidency, French sailors were impressing US sailors. When the US tried to negotiate their release diplomatically, France required a 250,000 deposit just for an audience. This enraged the Americans since they felt they were being disrespected on the international level again and they were begging for war. However, Adams was able to negotiate their release with no war and this enraged the population as they turned on the light skinned Adams. -
The Revolution of 1800 (Election of 1800)
The Revolution of 1800 was the first time in World History of the instance that one regime changed powers to another with such different ideas. The election was won by Thomas Jefferson who was an avid Anti Federalist took control of the White House from the Federalist. -
Midnight Judges
The midnight judges was the last grasp for power by the outgoing federalist party as they tried to take control of the Supreme Court. John Adams signed off for a bunch of judges to be appointed to be on the court on his last night of being president. But when Jefferson and his cabinet showed up the next day they found the papers undelivered to the appointed judges. -
Marbury v Madison
Since the commissions never got to the individuals they were supposed to go to, they got a little impatient. John Marbury, who was one of the midnight judges, sued James Madison for not sending the commission for him to be judged. This would go onto be the most important court case of all time in which Marbury never got his commission to be a judge and the Supreme Court enacted their right to Judicial Review (review by the US Supreme Court of the constitutional validity of a legislative act.) -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase could be considered the most important moves in US History. It more than doubled the size of the United States and gave the US unprecedented access to the Mississippi River allowing for two massive trade routes for the country to use. This was a controversial move however on the behalf of the President who was pro strict interpretation of the constitution just bought up land that wasn't in his power to do. -
Embargo Act of 1807
The Embargo Act of 1807 was an embargo passed by Thomas Jefferson as a way of calling Neutrality in the Napoleonic Wars. It cut off trade with Britain and Europe and ended up tanking the US economy into close to a depression. However, the act had unforeseen benefits as in 15 years the US was forced to industrialize which led to a much more diversified economy for the country. -
The Treaty of Ghent
This Treaty ended the War of 1812 between the British and Americans. It was the 2nd time that America had held up against the perceived best army in the world. This led to the Americans feeling like they deserved to be on the world stage and be respected as a country and that feeling was felt throughout the entire world who now begun to respect the young nation. -
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was an old fashioned beat down of the British army. It was a massive victory for the American people specifically because of the morale boost it took on the people. They now could say they had beaten the British 2 times LEGITIMATELY and their independence could no longer be put on the fact that the French saved their butts and helped them in the Revolution. -
Treaty of Adams-Onis
The Treaty of Adams-Onis was a treaty that landed the US Florida, a very important state for it's vast abundance of sugar. The treaty also had the second purpose of the US trying to get rid of European powers off their land and to have that land for just American people. With the land of Florida also came the issues, the main one being the Native Americans. The US has had a long history of relatively poor relations with their Native American counterparts and this was no different with the Noles. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was the agreement between the North and South to keep the balance between the free and slave states. With Henry Clay writing up the Compromise, he got both sides to agree to the terms. The terms of the Compromise was that Missouri could be allowed into the Union as a slave state with Maine being introduced as a free state and there would be no more slave states above Missouri. -
The Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a document that was signed by President James Monroe that claimed that the US would stay out of foreign affairs as long as Europe stays out of American affairs. This was a doctrine that wasn't really enforced throughout US history. -
The Corrupt Bargain
The Corrupt Bargain was the term used for the so-called Bargain between JQA and Henry Clay. The bargain went something like this, since no one got the majority of the electoral college in the 1824 presidential election, the election went to Congress. Henry Clay, who was Speaker of the House, supposedly went to JQA and offered JQA his backing if he made him his SoS. JQA won and everyone was made, especially Andrew Jackson's campaign who dubbed it's name. The bargain would go onto make it hard JQA -
The Tariff of Abominations
John Quincy Adams was hoping to get more votes for the upcoming election so he implemented a tariff that would benefit the North and their manufacturers heavily. But as a consequence the South had to buy more expensive American made products vs the cheaper British textiles. Jackson and his party flipped this on Adams and called it the Tariff of Abominations linking it to JQA thus sealing the deal for the next presidential election to be in favor of Jackson. -
Indian Removal Act
This was the law that forced Native Americans off their Native lands and into a region that they had never been to before. Unsurprisingly the Native Americans didn’t want to leave their lands and decided to fight the law in any way they possibly could. But even though they won the case, Jackson didn't respect the SC result and forced them off the land anyway. -
Worchester v Georgia
The Cherokee nation went to court to fight the case on the legality of the law and actually won the case in Worcester v Georgia claiming that the Cherokees were a nation in the borders of the US but still a nation nonetheless therefore the treaties that the USA signs with them need to be respected. But Andrew Jackson decided to follow through with the original law that he implemented and said to John Marshall “you and what army.” -
The Veto of the 2nd National Bank
Andrew Jackson vetoed the 2nd Bank of the United States because he thought the bank was too restrictive. He thought the bank benefited only the Northern factories and businesses even going as far as calling the bank 'Unconstitutional'. Even though Congress was very much in favor of renewing the charter, Jackson just couldn't get past those ideas in his head. -
Nullification Crisis
John C Calhoun was the senator from South Carolina and was very opposed to the Tariff of Abominations, so was Jackson. But Jackson also realized how important raising federal money through taxes was so he reduced the tax on South Carolina. South Carolina however nullified the tax and threatened to succeed from the Union unless the tariff was completely gotten rid of. An angry Jackson threatened military action if their shenanigans weren't stopped. It culmulated in the Compromise of 1833. -
Gag Rule
The gag rule was a rule that was adopted by each congress from 1836-1844 that prohibited the talk of slavery in Congress. This was a massive issue because it was super unconstitutional and blocked 25% of the population's voice out. It was such a highly controversial and gross topic to touch that people were willing to go to those lengths to make sure that we didn't have any sort of controversial debate over it and lose states to succession. -
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a massive economic depression that was caused mostly by Jackson's veto of the bank's charter. With Jackson putting the money from the national bank into smaller state level banks (pet banks), it caused for a massive economic depression. Unfortunately for President Van Bureau even though this wasn't really his fault (it was Jackson's) he was the one who ended up with most of the blame tanking his chance at reelection. -
Texas annexed by the US
With Texas being highly American due to the Mexican government passing laws to get them to come to Texas, this led to conflict between the two sides. Since it was mostly American they connected more with America and their government than with the Mexican government, so they declared independence from Mexico. Mexico didn't allow this and tried to take Texas back and would've beat the new Texas nation if they hadn't called on the US. The US said they'd help only if they were annexed by the US. -
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush was a crazy phenomenon that really didn’t have a lot of backing as not a lot of prospects ended up getting much if any gold. This however did lead to California growing at an absurd rate very much helping the expansion westward and landing California statehood. However since the “early bird got the worm” and there were a lot of individuals with no fortune it left many to die due to disease, dying as penniless as before they left their home. -
Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo was the treaty between Mexico and the USA that landed more land out west and Texas' freedom. It gave the US the territories out west like Cali, Utah, and NM while giving a specific border between Mexico and Texas. This treaty was the beginning of what would become known as Manifest Destiny and the westward expansion. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was the first convention held to get women's suffrage. The movement had gained serious traction because of the women's sudden uptake in the matter because of the 2nd Great Awakening. Women everywhere were now in charge of their own destiny and they felt like they could do something about their future and held a voice on the matter. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a deal struck between the North and south (by Henry Clay) that hammered out a few fine details. The first issue was whether or not Cali would be free, which through this deal was determined to be a free state. But in return, the south got tighter restrictions and better enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act essentially forcing people to turn in suspected slaves. This compromise also introduced popular sovereignty for the other states when they wanted to become a state. -
Uncle Toms' Cabin is Published
Uncle Tom's Cabin was the most important piece of literature in America at the time of it's release. It exposed the cruelties and realities of the horrific treatment of the slaves in the south. The release of the book would go on to spur on even more abolition support in the north and was widely loved in the north. The south however obciously hated the book and had it banned throughout the south. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act was a law that essentially repealed the Missouri Compromise. It stated that any state that wants to enter the Union had to vote whether slavery was to be legal in their state called popular sovereignty. This led to many pro slavery and abolitionist to flood to these states to vote to sway the cote in favor of their ideals. This also sparked devastating disasters and extreme violence between the 2 sides. -
The Dred Scot Case
One of the most blackening scars on the American Supreme Courts legacy. They ruled that Dred Scot, a current slave, was to be kept in servitude with his master even though his master had moved to Minnesota, a free state. The justices on the court claimed that Dred Scot, a black man, held no right that the white man was to respect. This prompted pro abolishionist northerners to ask the question, "What state is truely free then." -
Presidential Election of 1860
The presidential election of 1860 was the final breaking point in the move towards a civil war. The pro abolitionist Abraham Lincoln won it and even though he said that he wouldn't ban slavery in the south they still had the fear that he would so South Carolina seceded and the rest of the south soon followed suit and created the Confederate States of America and they made Jefferson Davis their president and Richmond Virginia the capital putting it very close to the North. -
Morill Land Grant Act
The Morill Land Grant Act gave federal land to states for them to use for education. This land was used to build universities for those states like Purdue and Ohio State. This was a law meant to continue the pursuit of pushing the future forward after the Civil War. -
Homestead Act of 1862
The Homestead Act was part of Lincoln's plan for building for the US post Civil War. The government would allow for people to take up 160 acres of land on the plains for free but they had to farm the land for 5 years and improve the land. This led to a massive migration of people moving west in pursuit of the opportunity as many people living in the disgusting cities like immigrants moved to go for this oppritunity. -
Pacific Railway Act
The Pacific Railway Act was Lincoln's 2nd part at building for America's future. The plan was to have 2 companies, The Union Pacific and the Central Pacifc, compete against each other and they were paid by the mile of track. This led competition between the 2 groups to get more money which led to the project being done quicker. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was the official turning point in the Civil Wars purpose. It turned the war from being purely about the Union being preserved, which European nations could care less about, to it being a war about slavery which would be a bad look for European nations. This proclamation led to the south not gaining help from European nations to break the blockade because they weren't willing the sacrifice their morals for the cotton. -
Battle of Fort Sumnter
This was the first battle of the Civil War kicking off the bloodiest war in US history. The fort was taken since the south feared that it would be used as a staging ground for an invasion by the north even though they said they wouldn't do that. But the south didn't listen and opened fire on the fort reducing it to rubble in the matter of days -
Wade Davis Bill
The Wade Davis Bill was Congress' way of going through reconstruction. Their plan was to have 50% of the south pledge loyalty to the Union, no former Confederates in Congress, and acceptance of the 13th Amendment. Lincoln, who was in favor of a more conservative bill, thought the bill was too harsh and said that he wouldn't sign it (he was shot :|) This marked the beginning of Congress vs the president for power and influence over the reconstruction process. -
The 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was the amendment that ended slavery in America. It was the baseline for southern states to accept if they wanted re admittance into the Union. It was able to pass due the "radical republicans" holding a majority in Congress. This Amendment was obviously widely hates in the south since it got rid of their most valuable "asset," free labor and would push back on it throughout Reconstruction and onward til sharecropping took it's place as an economic slavery. -
The 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment was the right that gave all those who were born on US soil the status of citizen. This was a response to the recently freed slaves not having any rights since there were so many of them, they needed rights. This also dealt with the problem of black codes in the south being neutralized. There was still push back by southerners tho as they didn't like the fact that their once slaves were now on the same legal grounds as them. -
The 15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment was a highly controversial law throughout the US, even in the North. Since there was still no Southern Democrats to challenge the republicans in Congress, radical republicans were allowed to pass anything they wanted. And with the passage of the 15th Amendment giving black men the right to vote, that sent the nation into question. The north didn't like the idea of it because they thought it was WAY to radical for the time and the south hated it for obvious reasons. -
Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877 allowed for the republicans to hold onto the presidency while the south was demilitarized. This was a huge win for the south as this ended reconstruction and allowed for the old habits to creep back in. However it was a double whammy loss for the republicans/northerners as the bargain was considered the corrupt bargain 2.0 and no one considered the new president (Hayes) legitimate. This was the mark of the end of Reconstruction. -
The Pendleton Act
The Pendleton Act was passed by Andrew Garfield's vice president, Chester Arthur, to get rid of the spoils system in US politics. He saw that the spoils system had somewhat corrupted politics and hindered the countries progress moving forward. The Pendleton Act now made it so you had to pass many tests to make sure that you were qualified to hold a political office. It also made it illegal to fire a political official purely for political reasons. -
Haymarket Square Riot
The Haymarket Square riot was an attempt by the Knights of Labor to push for the demands they wanted. It escalated when a bomb was detonated and killed/injured many people. This incident would lead to the fall of the Knights of Labor and Union membership would be on the steady decline for a while after. This incident symbolized the struggle for Unions to gain the new rights they were advocating for. -
The Dawes Act
The Dawes Act was the NA version of the Homestead Act for US settlers. This was originally thought to be a massive win for the NA but it turned out to be disastrous. Because of the hardships of farming the land, the NA who took the gov up on their offer didn't have time for the tribe breaking that comroterty of the tribe. But for the plots of land not taken by NA it was given to white settlers proving once again that the US doesn't respect their treaties and driving wedge between groups. -
How the Other Half Lives
This was a powerful set of photographs of the slums of major American cities. It showed in depth the detail of tenement houses and the low, crappy levels of poverty in those cities. This was one of the most influential muckraker pieces as it changed building codes and laws for houses. Basic necessities were now provided like clean water, indoor plumbing, and fire escapes now existed improving the lives of those in poverty. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
This legislation was made to directly combat monopolistic companies and behaviors. The law made it legal for the government to go into private business in the name of free and fair competition for all which would inevitably help the economy long term. This is the first real time in history Congress was given the power to interfer with private business and meddle with the economy. The law was most widely used by Teddy, Taft, and Wilson. -
Atlanta Compromise
This was a speech given by Booker T Washington that aimed for a more integration of African Americans into the US economy. Their were many critiques to the idea due to high levels of segregation especially throughout the southern states. However the speech did lead to more education opportunities for the African American community and those educated individuals would lead the charge in the Civil Rights Movement in the 50's and 60's. -
Plessy v Ferguson
Plessy v Ferguson was the landmark case that justified the Jim Crow laws in the south. The ruling was that Homer Plessy was not allowed to sit in the white section of a train section because he was in fact 1/8 black. He argued that he was being violated claiming the 13th and 14th amendments protected him in this case. This upheld the equal but separate policy that claimed that because Plessy had the same chance at the train it could in fact be separate by the law. -
The De Lome Letter
The De Lome Letter was the letter sent by the ambassador of Spain to the US that essentially crapped on the US's power and influence in the region. They claimed they wouldn't honor the agreed to terms that Spain would leave Cuba alone. This led to the American public feeling insulted and demanded for the country to declare war on Spain to "help the Cubans" however it was clear they were just trying to once again prove on a international stage they could beat a traditional power. -
The Explosion of the USS Maine
The tension between the US and Spain was cuttable with a knife over Cuba. The US sent down their prized warship the USS Maine to Cuba as a show of force with direct instructions to not blow it up. One day after it arrives the ship blows up and everyone dies on board and the blame immediately shifts to Spain. This would begin a quick war with Spain leading to Cuba gaining it's independence as it was found out decades later that the ship had a malfunction and self imploded. -
The Meat Inspection Act
The Meat Inspection Act was Teddy Roosevelt's response to Muckrackers attacks on the Meat Packing Industry. He made it so the Meat Plants had to be regulated by the federal government if their meat was meeting the correct standards. This was the first time that government passed a law that protected consumer rights from private business. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
The Pure food and drug act made it so that companies had to disclose what was in their food and drug products. This was a direct response to Muckrakers opening the eyes of the public to disgusting tendencies of putting disgusting items into their food . This changed the food industry for the future as it began the trend fir the governemt in protecting the consumer. -
Federal Reserves Act
The Federal Reserve Act was a complete overhaul of the US's money system. The new act monitored banks and their transactions hoping that people would begin to trust the bank. The law passed also helped out small businesses on getting loans secured. This act was passed in hopes to deter another economic disaster (Panic of 1907). -
Keating-Owens Act
The Keating-Owens Act established perimeters on child labor. It prohibited the sale of interstate goods that were manufactured by children under the age of 14. It also put restrictions on how many hours children could work between 14 and 16 to 8 hour days. This really reshaped the work force's diversity and pay as children were often popular because they were small (fit in small spaces) and they were cheap. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was a message between Mexico and Germany to distract the US with a Mexican invasion. This was the final straw that pulled the US into WW1 and spiked animosity between the US and Mexican government. The US's entry into WW1 was a massive turning point in the war. It gave the allies new and fresh blood to the tired front of French and British soldiers. -
Sedition and Espionage Acts
The Sedition and Espionage Acts was a set of legislation passed by the Wilson administration to limit free speech. The law made talking ill of the US's involvement in WW1 was illegal. People were thrown into jail and blackmailed as unpatriotic if they were found guilty. It was the greatest attack on the first amendment in US history and stands as a reminder of what happens when that liberty is taken away from the people. -
18th Amendment Ratified
The 18th Amendment was ratified to ban alcohol's consumption and distribution. This time period was called prohibition and it had some serious unintended side effects. The major side effect was that alcohol consumption didn't go down at all and it led to a spike in organized crime. Because there was so much money to be made on the black market for the alcohol, gang violence rose as they competed heavily over turf. -
19th Amendment ratified
The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. This led to a spike in politics aimed toward women to vote for them politically. This became one of the biggest amendments leading to social reform in America. -
Teapot Dome Scandal
The Teapot Dome Scandal was a massive scandal where the government officials were found to be taking illegal bribes in exchange for oil leases to oil companies. This exposed that there was in fact political corruption in our government and how the trust had been lost somewhat with the people of the country. The scandal led to reforms within the government and an increased emphasis on ethics and morals. -
Immigration Act of 1924
The IA of 1924 was a direct response to the growing fear and paranoia of foreign ideas interfering with American Democracy. The law stated that there was a quota from each country of origin from eastern and southern Europe, only x amount of Romanians and y amount of Russians. The Act was overall heavily supported by Nativist supporters who were believers in breeding purity. The law was later overruled by the Pendleton Act of 1965. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
The Scopes Monkey Trial was a big Supreme Court case on what should be taught in public classrooms. For centuries the US had been teaching their children about God in science class until a sub came into a class one day to teach about evolution. It brought up the question on what should be taught at publicly funded schools. The Supreme Court ruled that the decision was up to the states from here on out on what can and cannot be taught in publicly funded schools. -
Kellogg-Briand Pact
The KBP was an agreement among nations to not use war as a national policy. This was a direct effect of WW1 as people across the globe (USA and Europe) didn't want to get involved in another war on a global scale. They saw this as the way to attack the MANIA policies that could take the world right back to another massive world wide conflict that would effect everybody -
The Stock Market Crash
The Stock market Crash was the major spark that led to the economic downturn that was the Great Depression. It led to millions going bankrupt and losing their jobs and homes. The US had finally caught up with the world in terms of economic collapse but this was coming from America's most prosperous period of economy. It took over a decade for the economy to recover as it wasn't stable till WW2. -
The Agricultural Adjustment Act
This was a set of legislation passed in FDR's new deal that limited the growth of crops to raise prices for crops. He did this because FDR was hoping that it would stimulate the agriculture economy so that it could be brought up from the disaster that was the Dust Bowl. FDR also believed that if the farming community was doing good then he felt as though it would help the entire country pull itself out of the Depression. -
The Emergency Bank Relief Act
The EBRA was a response to the economic crisis of the Depression that would hopefully restore trust in the bank and therefore the economy. This law allowed the FDIC to call a bank holiday to review their books and if it passed the test it was given the approval of the FDIC. The overall goal was to reduse bank failures which led to the Great Depression that would inevitably reinstate confidence in the banking system. -
Social Security Act
The Social Security Act was a part of FDR's second wave of the New Deal. The legislation gave Congress the power to use tax money to give senior citizens money after retirement. The law was intended so that older workers felt an incentive to retire opening new jobs for younger people to keep the economy going. Overall people just kept the check and their jobs which wasn't the real purpose of the idea leading to the depression staying course. -
The Court Packing Scandal
The Court Packing Scandal was a term used to describe the actions of FDRs policy to add judges to the Supreme Court. While the policy was constitutional it was widely scrutinized because it was a clear sign that FDR was trying to grab a hold of the Supreme Court to help pass his new deal. He did this because he was struggling to pass his new deal legislation because the Supreme Court ruled most of the New laws as unconstitutional. It never ended up happening because of fear of loss of popularity -
Atlantic Charter
The Atlantic Charter was the statement on the war goals of the US and Britain once the US had entered WW2. It gave the country a sense of comfort that their government had a plan with another European nation reassuring them and boosting morale. The goals outlined that the War wouldn't be over till Nazi Germany and Fascism was ended in Europe. The basis of the Atlantic Charter would go onto show up in as the foundation for the Untied Nations. -
Pearl Harbor
The surprise attack at Pearl Harbor was the attack that brought the US into WW2. The Japanese attacked the US Pacific fleet because they felt the US was the only optical in the way of their pacific domination. They were an oil dependent nation and their ambitions were going to need a lot of oil that the Pacific dominated US had. This attacked highly angered the American public because they attacked us in a time of peace when we said that we were staying out of the war. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was the turning point of the war in the Pacific between the US and Japan. The US surprise attacked the Japanese fleet where they would go onto loose 4 of their aircraft carriers in which they were never able to recover from. The US was able to recover from the Pearl Harbor disaster mainly because of the massive industrial might of the US at the time and they began pushing the Japanese back till the end of the war. -
Korematsu v US
This was the landmark case for the Japanese Internment camps. It ruled that the US government did in fact have the power to intern people because it was justified because it was a time of war. It set up a bad precedent for future presidents to gain more power. It was later overturned in the Reagan administration and the government gave out subsides to all affected by it. -
G.I. Bill of Rights
The G.I. Bill of Rights was our government's way of thanking the soldiers. It gave them free education through state-run colleges or trade schools. This was a great way for people to gain access to a higher lifestyle. Business and home loans were also low interest in building small businesses throughout the nation. This would onto stimulate the economy even more for post WW2 US economy -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was the foreign policy adopted by the US and their commitment to the containment strategy. Truman claimed that the US would be there to help any democratic government who was being threatened by a communist overtaking. This showed the level of paranoia that the US people and government had towards communism and it's consequences that came with it. The Truman Doctrine's first test was with Greece and Turkey in which the US responded how they said they would. -
The Creation of the Loyalty Review Board
The Loyalty Review Board was set up created under Executive Order 9835 to monitor communist activity in the US. This was a direct product of America's fear of the spread of Communism and what it would do to democracy. The board however would have a massive dent on the freedom of speech because people were afraid to associate themselves with the communist. If you were even accused of communist activity with no cause you were at extreme risk of being blackballed from your job and other things. -
The Creation of the Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the US's plan to help Europe recover from the reprocutions of WW2. The US would fund reconstruction projects in Europe purely by the country asking for the money. They were attempting to prevent the spread of communism as where there was poverty and inequality, communism spread there. With the spread of communism, the USSR would spread with it and with them their sphere of influence making them eventually a more global superpower over the US. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was Truman's response to the Soviets blocking off West Berlin. Since West Berlin was deep into Soviet controlled East Germany they controlled what came and went out of Berlin. The Soviets saw Berlin as an islands of democracy in a sea of communism and they didn't like that so their plan was to starve out the people of Berlin creating that desperation Communism relies on. Truman's response was to send in airplanes full of Cargo to fly into Berlin w/ cons. if any were shot down. -
The Kinsey Report
A report that brought sex to the forefront of the national conversation. It was highly controversial because it was something that was not talked about at all. It reflected that people were a lot more"freaky" than people thought. This began the sort of sex crazed generation that the baby boomers would become. -
Brown v Board
Brown v Board was a landmark supreme court ruling that overturned Plessy v Ferguson. It was between a black student, Linda Brown, and the Topeka school board. The case was specifically hand picked by the NAACP to make sure their one swing landed and overturned Plessy v Ferguson. It officially got rid of segregated schools across the nation allowing for mixed race schools. This was a massive win for the black community as before this they had schools but the opportunity wasn't equal. -
The Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine was the nine students who were the first individuals to integrate schools with the help of the Brown v Board decision. They were thrown insults and jeered at on their way to school just to be turned back by the Arkansas National Guard. So in response Eisenhower sent in the 101st Airborne division to help settle the matter and "get the kids to school." This was a massive turning point for the integration of schools as they began to wear away the south' resolve on segregation. -
Interstate Highway Act
The Interstate Highway Act was passed by WW2 hero Dwight D Eisenhower to connect the country. He saw the inefficiencies in how the US was connected and decided to use what he saw in Germany, the Autobahn. This was seen as the upgraded railroads, cities had to be connected to the interstate to economically survive. Businesses loved it because it led to a more efficient transportation of goods. It also doubled as airfields if the USSR decides to attacks and destroy our airfields. -
U-2 Incident
The U-2 Incident was a widely publicized event where the US was found to be spying on the Soviets. The man who was flying the plane was supposed to self destruct the plane and eat a cyanide pill to keep the -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest we ever got to a full blown nuclear war from the Cold War. There was fear that the Cubans would in fact fire the missiles at the US even though that would've been very unlikely because of MAD, perception trumps reality. It really didn't calm the minds of Americans either that there was a communist country that was set up in our own backyard with deep ties to the Soviet government -
March on Washington
The March on Washington was a momentous moment in the Civil Rights Movement. It was nationally televised that gained a lot of support for the Civil Rights Movement as over 250,000 people partook in the events. It also gave the people who were in fact in favor of Civil Rights but were to afraid to show their support now gained the confidence in seeing the 1/4 of a million people in front of the Lincoln Memorial. This was a massive momentum builder for the movement as the movement neared it's end -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a law under LBJ's Great Society that ave the African American community more civil rights. The law ended discrimination based off of race, ethnicity, or religion across the nation. This law in essence ended the reign of Jim Crow laws throughout the south scoring a massive win for the African American community. The law also began the snowball of change that was the beginning of taming the social unrest in the south -
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was the result of the Gulf of Tonkin Incident in Vietnam. Congress abdicated their role and responsibility to LBJ to spend as much money and send as many troops as he wanted to Vietnam without declaring a war. This marked the beginning of the Vietnam War which would obviously be a massive point of disagreement in American history. This is one of Congress's worst mistakes in history as they ruined one of the checks in that they are the ones who declare war. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Act of 1965 was a part of LBJ's Great Society that he was trying to build. It gave the African American population a chance at finally getting to vote without the fear of being harassed, bullied, or killed. It also got rid of the literacy test at the booths which was another way for white's who were trying to keep them "in their place". It was a massive win for the Black community in their pursuit for more civil rights and their long pursuit of trying to become equals to the whites. -
Moon Landing
The Moon landing put the US and NASA clearly ahead in the space race as we made it to the penultimate goal for both sides in the moon. It established America as the more technologically savy superpower on the global stage spreading our influence even more globally. It also showed what humans could accomplish giving us a new frontier that we could eventually explore. It remains one of the most important moments in American and scientific history. -
Watergate
The Watergate Scandal was the scandal that rocked the nation. It ended up with President Nixon getting impeached and he would eventually resign from office due to the cover up. This was another instance where the government lost trust with the American people after they were reeling from the Pentagon Papers and the disaster that was Vietnam. It is one of the most famous and widely publicized events in US history and tarnished the US's reputation on a global scale for a while. -
Roe v Wade
Roe v Wade was a controversial decision that shaped the public debate for the century. It legalized abortion and gave people the right to make their own private decisions on what to do with their bodies. However, it was another instance where the government went against the traditional religious fervor of the American public. It angered a lot of traditional Christians that felt that abortion was murder and immoral, demanding it be removed and overturned. -
Parris Accords
The Paris Accords where the cease fire agreement between the US and North Vietnam that allowed for the US to leave Vietnam. It was a massive win at the time as the US had finally got out of the war they had been hating ever since it started. However, with the Watergate Scandal tying down the nations attention, North Vietnam broke the agreement and invaded the south uniting Vietnam under Communism. This turned into an international embarrassment for the US as their foreign policy feel through. -
The Iranian Hostage Crisis
The Iranian Hostage crisis soured tensions for the US in the Middle East. The Crisis occurred because of the US's support of the Israeli forces against Muslim countries. Iran attacked and captured US delegates at the US embassy holding them hostage. It was a national embarrassment for the US because they were unable to help their citizens when they failed to save them on a botched rescue mission. -
9/11
9/11 caused a massive effort on America's part on a war against terror. Around 3,000 Americans laid dead because of the surprise attack and tore many family's apart. Out of this came the Patriots Act which allowed the government unrestricted access to listen in on American people's private conversations. This was also a time of great unity amongst the nation as the country now had shared trauma and that really pulled the nation closer together.