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Great Railroad Strike of 1877
After having wages cut and working conditions worsened, railroad workers struck from Baltimore to St. Louis, shutting down railroad traffic across the country. Many strikers were killed across several cities, and it took the federal troops to finally defeat the strikes. -
Thomas Edison's Food Machine
In an era of new inventions, research, and development, Thomas Edison's Food Machine did not seem so out of the ordinary. Edison's Food Machine was featured on April Fools Day in the New York Daily Graphic. The machine was advertised to create 40 different kinds of food and drink from only water, air, and dirt. It was all a joke; however, Edison nonetheless received many inquiries wondering when his invention would be ready for purchase. -
Thomas Edison's Electrical Light
After much time spent in his "invention factory," Thomas Edison invented the first electrical power system. By the fall of 1879, he exhibited his system for reporters and investors. His system of power generation and electrical light gained popularity quickly, and by 1883, Edison had overseen the construction of 330 plants powering more than 60,000 lamps. In September 1882, New York's Pearl Street central station opened and powered a square mile of downtown Manhattan. -
The Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act made Chinese immigrants the first illegal immigrants and the first to be subject to admission restrictions on the basis of race. Chinese women had already been pushed out of the U.S. using the Page Act, but the Chinese Exclusion Act banned the entirety of the race. -
Buffalo Bill's Wild West
William Fredrick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was the first to recognize the broad national appeal of the stock "characters" of the American West. These characters included cowboys, Indians, rangers, sharpshooters, and calvarymen, each of which played a part in Buffalo Bill's Wild West traveling extravaganza. His first touring show began in 1883. -
National Strike for an Eight-Hour Day
On May 1,1886, American laborers gathered together for a national strike to fight for an eight-hour work day. Between three-hundred and five-hundred thousand workers struck throughout America. The following day, the Haymarket Riot led many Americans to associate unionism with radicalism. During this strike, many were killed, both laborers and police, and the movement collapsed quickly. -
Frederick Jackson Turner's Thesis
During the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Frederick Jackson Turner presented his frontier thesis. The essay, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" highlights the frontier line between savagery and civilization. He states that the line is continuing to move westward, and that once it reaches the Pacific Ocean, the American frontier will no longer exist. Although Turner's thesis had flaws, it has become one of the most influential theories in American history. -
1898 Treaty of Paris
The 1898 Treaty of Paris was formally signed on August 12, 1898, when both nations agreed to cease fire. This signified the end of the Spanish American War. Through this treaty, the United States gave Spain twenty-million dollars in exchange for the Philippine Islands.
