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T.S Elliot, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 26, 1888. Eliot published a number of his works in magazines, most notably “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” in Poetry in 1915. His first book of poems, Prufrock and Other Observations, was published in 1917, and immediately established him as a leading poet of the avant-garde. This poem, the earliest of Eliot’s major works is an examination of the tortured psyche of the prototypical modern man. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
In 1915 a German U-boat sunk a British Luxury liner called the Lusitania. 1,198 people including 128 americans were killed. Both Britain and the United States were furious with the Germans, leading to the US declaration of war on Germany. The Lusitania was one of many victims of Germany’s aggressive submarine warfare. -
United States enter WWI
On April 6, 1917 the US entered WWI. In the war the US was allies with Britain, France, and Russia. Many Americans were against entrance into the war and wanted America to stay neutral, however the US eventually began fighting. More than 2 million american soldiers fought in battles throughout the war. -
Revolution and Civil War in Russia
Between 1914 and 1920 there were two major revolutions in Russia resulting in the overthrow of the government by the communists or Bolsheviks. After World War one, Russia also went through a civil war which led to a communist victory. -
Worldwide influenza epidemic
This happened between the years of 1918- 1919 somewhere between 20 - 40 million people died and was one of the most dangerous and devastating. epidemics of the time. It is also known as the spanish flu. -
The Versailles Treaty-
an agreement made between Germany and the Allied Powers at the end of WW1 ending the war. (1919) It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.He was the duke/royal prince of hungary. -
Harlem Renaissacne
The Harlem Renaissance brought many black authors, artists, musicians and scholars to Harlem in a huge social and cultural movement. The event allowed African Americans to freely express themselves in a burst of creativity. Many famous authors such as Langston Hughes were a part of this historical time period after the end of World War I. During this time African Americans fought for civil and political rights and celebrated racial pride. -
Women's Suffrage
Susan B. Anthony and other women’s rights activists spent several decades fighting for equality and rights between the two genders. The 19th amendment officially gave women the right to vote. Lucy Stone, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony were all important women’s rights activists. -
E.E. Cummings, "The Enormous Room"
Edward Estlin Cummings was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 14, 1894. In 1922, Cummings released his poem, The Enormous Room. At the time, he was best known for his brilliant and innovative verse and its distinctive lack of uppercase letters and conventional grammar. At the age of 23, he became and ambulance driver in France. His military career culminated in a comedy of errors leading to his arrest and imprisonment for treason, as he memorably recounts in The "Enormous Room." -
William Carlos Williams, "The Red Wheelbarrow"
On September 17, 1883, William Carlos Williams was born in New Jersey. Despite sustaining a medical practice, he also embarked on a prolific career as a poet, novelist, essayist, and playwright. "The Red Wheelbarrow" is a poem in Williams' 1923 book Spring and All, a hybrid collection which incorporated alternating selections of free verse poetry and prose. It is one of Williams' most frequently anthologized poems, and is considered a prime example of early twentieth-century Imagism. -
Countee Cullen, "The Shroud of Color"
Countee Cullen was one of the most influential figures of the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural explosion for black artists, writers, and musicians during the 1920s, and a rejuvenation of racial pride. The Shroud of Color was a poem published in 1925. The text was created as a deep exploration of the racial segregation between African American and white citizens during the time. -
Ernest Hemingway "The Sun Also Rises"
Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in Illinois. His economical and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. "The Sun Also Rises" is about a group of American and British expatriates who travel from Paris to the Festival of San Fermín to watch the running of the Bulls. -
The Great Depression
The great depression was the biggest economic crisis in the United States. It took place between the years of 1929 and 1939. The stock market crashed and many Americans lost their jobs, income, savings and economical bonds and shares. Almost 13 to 15 million people were unemployed and over half of the banks within the United States failed. -
Langston Hughes, "Not without Laughter"
Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 In Joplin Missouri. Hughes wrote poetry, short stories and novels which all had huge influences in the Harlem Renaissance. Not without Laughter was the first novel written by Langston Hughes. The novel tells the story of a young black boy living in the Midwest. Throughout the novel Hughes describes the life of black americans in the midwest revealing the racism and poverty present during this time period. -
First Female United States Senator elected
Ophelia Wyatt Caraway became the first female US senator in 1932. Caraway was a democrat from Arkansas, elected after her husband a previous US senator died, leaving an empty seat in the senate. In 1938 she was reelected. While Caraway was the first female senator elected into the senate, she was not the first female to become a senator. Rebecca Felton was appointed into the senate 10 years before, but she was never elected in. -
Amelia Earhart First solo flight
Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She flew from the United States and into Ireland in Europe. She became a role model for women and pilots around the world. Prior to this event, in 1928, she was a passenger in a flight across the Atlantic. This did not feed her need to continue her career and in 1932 she set off to fly on her own. -
Holocaust
In 1933 the Holocaust began in Germany. During this time Jewish people in Germany were forced into concentration camps by the Nazi Regime and Hitler. Over six million jews were killed or forced into camps. During this time the Nazis believed the Germans were superior to many minority groups and religions in Germany. -
Inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt, born in January 30, 1882 in Hyde Park New York, was elected in 1932. Roosevelt, a democrat, won the election by a wide margin against the Republican Candidate, Herbert C. Hoover. In his inaugural address, Roosevelt introduced his “New Deal” which he hoped would help the country’s economy during the Great Depression. -
FDR Launches the New Deal
The new deal was started by president FDR in 1933. This was a series of programs created to help the american economy during the great depression. This created many new federal agencies like the NRA and the AAA and involved the Federal government in American life more than ever before. The programs also included radio talks to build confidence in the country and the creation of new jobs for young workers. -
Prohibition Ends in the United States
In 1933 the twenty first amendment was passed ending prohibition in the United States. This repealed the earlier eighteenth amendment which was not successful and cost the country millions. However, states like Mississippi continued to uphold state temperance laws until 1966. -
Thomas Wolfe, "Of Time and the River"
Thomas Wolfe was born on October 3, 1900, in Asheville, North Carolina. Of Time and the River is a 1935 novel by American novelist Thomas Wolfe. It is a fictionalized autobiography, using the name Eugene Gant for Wolfe's, detailing the protagonist's early and mid-twenties, during which time the character attends Harvard University, moves to New York City and teaches English at a university there, and travels overseas with the character Francis Starwick. -
Spanish Civil War
In 1936 the Nationalists rebelled against the Republican government in Spain, starting the Spanish Civil War. Within days, the rebels took over many cities and territories in spain, however the Government succeeded in controlling the revolution in Madrid, Spain’s capital. In 1938 the government finally surrendered and the war ended. Franco, a general in the war then became the dictator of spain until his death in 1975. -
Wallace Stevens, "The Man with the Blue Guitar"
Wallace Stevens was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on October 2, 1879. In 1915, following both his mother and father’s death, he began writing some of his first poetry. More than any other poet, Stevens was concerned with the transformative power of the imagination. Wallace Stevens wrote the poem “The Man with the Blue Guitar” in 1937. The Poem was partially influenced by Picasso's painting “The Old Guitarist”. Stevens believed that reality was simply one perspective that could be taken on life. -
Einstein Writes a Letter to FDR About Building an Atomic Bomb
In 1939, Einstein signed a letter to FDR supporting the research of atomic bombs. This letter influenced the Manhattan Project in 1941 which was a huge research program on atomic research. This project led to the creation of Atomic bombs and the use of these bombs by the US military. Later in life Einstein expressed his regret of signing the letter. And his opposition to the use of these bombs. -
World War II
World War a global war that revolved around Unstable Germany and Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. however, it involved several countries like the United States and Japan. The pearl harbor bombing and internment of Japanese citizens in America also happened during WW2. Almost six million Jews passed away from concentration camps and holocaust. -
Richard Wright ,"Native Son"
Richard Nathaniel Wright was born on September 4, 1908, near Natchez, Mississippi. He was the grandson of slaves and the son of a sharecropper. Native Son was a novel published in 1940. Native Son tells the story of this young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. Richard Wright’s powerful novel is a reflection on the poverty and feelings of hopelessness experienced by people in inner cities across the country. -
Marianne Moore, "What are Years?"
Marianne Moore was born near St. Louis, Missouri on November 16, 1887. Throughout her literary career, Moore was widely recognized for her work, and was honored with the Bollingen Prize, the National Book Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for outstanding performance. Her poem, What Are Years? was published in 1941. In the text, Moore states that no one can truly understand the nature of their guilt or innocence. She defines courage as having the spirit to accept death and continue to live. -
Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941 the Japanese Attacked American Naval Bases in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu Hawaii. The attack resulted in more than 2000 american deaths and extreme damage to military ships and planes. In response to the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the US Congress declared war against Japan. This event led to The American involvement in WW2. -
Establishment of the UN
The United Nations was created as an intergovernmental organization to promote international cooperation. Some big power house nations in the United Nations were the United States, France, Republic of China, Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom. Those nations secured the five permanent spots. -
Baby boom (1946-1964)
The postwar baby boom dramatically increases birth rates in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. This increases world population and especially within the United States. The economy begins to rise with the baby boom. Business revolving around babies and toddlers began to increase and job opportunities became available.
