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Custer's Last Stand
Source Custer ordered his men to attack an Indian settlement without realizing it was the main Sioux encampment; there was a debate over gold-rich territory that white men wanted. They rode in & within hours were massacred. However, the Sioux were eventually pushed back, resulting in an overall military win despite their loss at the Battle of Little Big Horn. It caused a debate of Native American rights and how much force should be used. -
Period: to
1877-Present
Timeline covering key events and concepts from the end of the Reconstruction period to the present for VHS US History summer class. All images will be found through creative commons and be in the public domain. -
Strike in West Virginia
Source Following a 10% pay cut for railroad workers, people in Martinsburg, West Virginia decided to strike. They demanded that their pay remain the same. Other railway operators in other towns began to similarly go on strike. While the strike was eventually ended, it was the start of a movement for workers' rights and probably prevented further wage cuts from being made. Many other strikes in other industries would follow. -
Immigration
Source Immigration was a key part of America, but hit its peak between 1880 and 1920. They further diversified the culture of America, provided cheap labor opportunities for the increasingly large factories, and began a debate on how immigration should be regulated and to what extent it should be allowed as the United States continued to grow and develop. In many cases, America offered greater opportunities for immigrants and their children. -
Sinking of the U.S.S. Maine
Source A massive explosion occurred on the ship, killing 260 sailors. With tensions already high between the US and Spain, the American public automatically assumed that Spain was guilty and demanded a declaration of war. The US favored Cuba becoming independent, so declared they would not annex it. It then openly declared war. People still say "remember the Maine!" and it has been in many pop culture references. -
Model T Ford
Source The invention of the assembly line and the model T Ford caused a new industry in America. Not only were workers paid higher than average wages, but new infrastructure projects were started. Side industries like gas stations, resturants, & hotels began to boom as people could travel longer distances. New laws & regulations also had to be created for the first time, as enough people were driving to create traffic jams and cause accidents. -
Panama Canal
Source The US wanted a faster way to travel by sea from New York to San Francisco. Previously, it would have entailed sailing around South America, 12000 miles. There were many obstacles when considering the plans. There was an agreement with Britain to not build, which resulted in a treaty. Nicaruga was originally the site, but there was too much volcanic activity. Workers also caught diseases during construction. The canal opened in 1914. -
America Enters WWI
Source Following the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, America decided to remain neutral in WWI (trade embargos would have meant taking a position, so relations continued unchanged). However, Great Britain began blocking American ships from being able to trade with Germany. German frustration grew, and they eventually retaliated against the US. This act of aggression convinced the US to no longer be neutral and to instead join the Allies. -
Treaty of Versailles
Source This document, when signed into effect, signaled the end of WWI. President Wilson had outline "fourteen points" as a peace negotiation, but it was not approved as the League of Nations wished to put restrictions upon Germany. The treaty cast blame on Germany, and - unlike the points - demanded retribution. Some argue that the demands in the treaty led to the rise in Germany in WWII, due to their harsh nature cresting resentment. -
Prohibition
Source In the 20s the 18th ammendment banned alcohol in the United States. The idea was to increase productivity and decrease crime. This started a hige black market and the occasion known as a "speak-easy" (parties at which alcohol was illegally consumed). Though alcohol use did decrease, there was so little funding and so much organized crime stemming from the ban that it was repealed 14 years later. -
Black Thursday
Source Black Thursday was the start of a massive decline in the stock exchange that would put investors in severe financial strain. Shares were being sold at such rapid rates without new buyers that by the following Tuesday the entire value would be cut in half. Coupled with poor lending practices, the stock market crash would lead to the worst economic situation in American history. -
Isolationism
Source Isolationism in the 1930s was the mindset towards foreign policy. The stock market had recently crashed, creating a dire economic situation internally. Thinking, therefore, that the most pressing issues to be addressed were domestic, the US stopped focusing on relations within the international community. This in part actually hindered economic recovery as the lack of trade failed to revitalize the market as quickly as it could have. -
D-Day
Source D-Day was the day in which the Allies sent troops into the Normandy Peninsula in the hopes of surprising and pushing back German forces. Huges amounts of planning went into the attack and its preparations, including setting up false intelligence. The attack began 2 days later than planned due to bad weather, but was ultimately successful. It is seen as a turning point in WWII and the success of the Allies in pushing back German forces. -
Berlin Airlift
Source Berlin had been split into four zones of occupation, causing tension between the countries occupying it. Though 3 of them got along, the Soviets decided to close off their section. West Berliners were starving, & the US was unwilling to give up their position in Germany. Therefore, an initiative to drop in food by air began. Over 250000 supply missions were flown by May 1949 when the USSR withdrew. This led to the creation of NATO. -
Rosa Parks
Source Rosa Parks was sitting on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. As a woman of color, she was expected to give up her seat to any white person if there were no other seats in the white section. She was asked one night, and refused the request. She was jailed and fined. This started the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a larger civil rights movement. She is often seen as a symbol of African American rights, and an inspiration to many other activists. -
1960 Election
Source Kennedy ended up winning this election by one of the smallest margins in US history. Nixon actually ended up winning more individual states than Kennedy, but JFK won more electoral college votes. It is said that Kennedy won in part due to his appearence on TV (younger and in better health than Nixon, he seemed to the American people to be a better choice). The changing media of the time influenced voters' decisions. -
Roe v. Wade
Source Abortion has always been a difficult topic in the US. Prior to this Supreme Court decision, there was no federal law for abortion, and most states had banned it. However, women were illegally and unsafely getting them done anyways. "Jane Roe," a Texas woman, argued that it should be legal. The ruling banned restrictions an abortions before the first trimester was completed. The contraversy is still extremely high in the US today. -
Reaganomics
Source President Reagan introduced a new economic plan involving restructuring the tax system in America. It was nicknamed "Reaganomics," & theorized that by cutting taxes on the rich, more money would be put into the economy & job creation. This theory stated that this wealth would then "trickle down" the lower classes, benefitting everyone. This actually caused an initial economic decline, but it began to grow & stabilize in later years. -
Apple Macintosh and the Internet
Source The internet was government controlled until 1984. That same year, the DNS (domain name system, which created the easily recognizable names like .com and .gov) was introduced. The internet becoming increasingly available to Americans meant that the spread of information and ideas was easier and faster. The introduction of the World Wide Web in the 1990s the internet a more commercial environment, & today is available almost everywhere. -
Operation Desert Storm
Source Over 500000 troops were placed in Saudi Arabia in order to aid should Iraq attack following the fall of Kuwait. This was Desert Shield. Desert Storm began when Iraq failed to respond to an ultimatum: leave or prepare to go to war. Desert Storm was the beginning of the Gulf War. The war was highly publicized in the US. Iraq eventually agreed to a ceasefire, which increased national pride stateside & proved its post Cold War strength. -
Globalization
Source 2Source 1 Through an increasingly global economy and the introduction of the internet into the everyday lives of the American people, globalization has continued to happen. Ideas and information can be shared with almost anyone, anywhere in mere seconds. The process is nowhere near complete, but is in effect currently in American society.
