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Seward's Folly
Alaska is purchased for $7 million from Russia. Thought at the time foolish but served as a buffer, weakening of Russia, and a gold mine for natural resources. -
Richest Men
Vanderbilt, Rockefeller (Standard Oil). Carnegie (Steel), J.P. Morgan
All gave massive amounts to charity except Morgan who spent it on art. -
Granger Movement
A coalition of farmers to counteract big business and to allow farmers to get a fair price for crops. -
Coinage Act
was known by some as the 'crime of '73". Gold standard. -
Greenback Party
Opposed hard currency, supported Income Tax, 8 hour day, and women's sufferage. -
Custer's regiment decimated at Little BigHorn
by Sioux Indian under Sitting Bull -
Colorado becomes a state
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Telephone patented
Alexander Graham Bell -
Reconstruction era ends
-
Socialist Party formed.
Debs is head in 1897 and it is firmly entrenched. -
President Hayes elected
Resigned after one term. -
Bland-Allison Act
Resume buying of Silver -
1st electric street lights
Philadelphia -
Edison's commercial lightbulb
Produces electric generators for businesses and opens the largest lab for inventions and advancements. -
Knights of Labor go public
-
Standard Oil Trust is formed
Largest oil refinery and owned 90% of pipelines and refineries. -
1st Elevated Railroad/Chicago
-
Red Cross
Established by Clara Barton -
James Garfield inaugurated
20th President. -
President Garfield shot
Shot in July & died in September -
VP Chester Arthur assumes Presidency
-
Chinese Exclusion Act
Stopping Chinese immigration -
US adopts Standard Time
Time Zones are established for railroad schedules. -
Grover Cleveland is elected
Only Democrat elected between 1860-1913. Felt he was to be watchdog over congress and reduce public spending. -
1st Skyscraper
10 stories -
National Strike
Nationwide involving 300-500k strikers -
Haymarket Riots
Bombing killing 7 policemen/police opening fire killing 4/attitudes changed, union=radicalism -
AFL/Samuel Gompers
"pure and simple unionism" -
Railroad Strike
-
Interstate Commerce Act
Railroad to be regulated and submit an annual report to the US govt. Established Interstate Commerce Commission. -
Cleveland veto of Texas Seed Bill
against government intervention -
Harrison is elected
Was said to have bought electoral votes. Initiated Civil Service Reform -
North & South Dakota, Montana, Washington admitted
-
Otis Elevator invented
-
1890 The Rise of Inequality
1% of Americans own 25% of nations assets. Top 10% own over 70%. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act passed
-
Sherman Silver Purchase Act
Required the U.S. Government to purchase twice as much silver than with the Bland Allison Act but also add money to the circulation. -
Idaho, Wyoming admitted
-
Battle of Wounded Knee
massacre of 150-300 plains Indians. -
The Populist Party created
3rd political party created to aid Farmers -
Southern Horrors: Lynch laws
Documenting the South's lynching culture -
Ellis Island is Opened
Will be the gateway to over 12 million immigrants. -
Repeal of Sherman Silver Act
-
Panic/Depression
Reading Railroad goes bankrupt. Drought, over-production affects farms. -
William McKinley is elected
Ran against Bryan who was favored but the electoral votes split with Populist votes and a different VP. -
War with Spain
It started with the explosion in Havana ("remember the Maine") & independence in Cuba. It ended the Spanish colonial rule. -
Hawaii Annexed
-
Peace with Spain
U.S. receives Philippines, Samoa, Guam, & Puerto Rico -
Gold Standard created