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Harding becomes president
Warren G. Harding became the 29th President of the United States in 1921. One of his primary campaign promises was a 'return to normalcy.' In the aftereffects of WWI, American citizens greatly desired a return to what they considered regular life. Ironically, the 1920s were a period of great turmoil in society as women took more active roles, opinions on race continued to change, and innovation reshaped consumerism. -
The Emergency Immigration Act
The Emergency Immigration Act was used as a temporary buffer for lawmakers to create the National Origins Act in 1924. These acts established an immigration quota based on immigrants' country of origin. The act only allowed 2% of the number of immigrants from the same country living in America in 1890. By pushing back the date for the percentage, newer immigrants from Eastern Europe were excluded. The acts also completely excluded Asian immigrants. -
The Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was a treaty signed during 1922 among the major nations that had won World War I, which agreed to prevent an arms race by limiting naval construction. -
Scopes Trial
John T. Scopes was a biology teacher in Tennessee. He was placed on trial for violating the Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of anti-Biblical theories (such as Darwin's evolution theory) to students. The case soon became a national spectacle, as individual liberties were pitted against fundamentalist Biblical values. The case was later thrown-out on a technicality, but the conflict between these two spheres continued. -
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Black Tuesday
Known as Black Tuesday, the stock market began a long, traumatic fall. The week before, the market had undergone a similar crash before temporarily stabilizing. However, citizens were still afraid and began withdrawing all of their funds. The stock market crash led to credit vanishing, which in turn led to a run on the banks. Ultimately, Black Tuesday can be seen as the beginning step toward the Great Depression. -
Roosevelt’s New Deal
In his acceptance speech for the Democratic Presidential nomination, Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised a 'new deal' for the America public. Despite originally being a figure of speech, New Deal became the overarching name for the many programs which Roosevelt would enact to help end the Great Depression. This campaign promise helped Roosevelt win the election against Hoover in a landslide. -
Franklin Roosevelt’s Letter
On September 27, 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt writes to German Chancellor Adolf Hitler regarding the threat of war in Europe. Therefore, Hitler reasoned, German invasion of the Sudetenland was justified, as annexation by Germany would simply mean returning the area to its cultural and historical roots. -
Pearl Harbor
In one of the more infamous moments of WWII, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the American Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The Japanese saw American intervention in the war inevitable, so they hoped a sudden attack would cripple the navy. The attack succeeded in taking thousands of American lives and destroying several vessels. However, Pearl Harbor shattered any remains of isolationism and pushed America toward cooperation with the Allies in Europe.