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J.P. Morgan's U.S. Steel
In 1901, eight steel companies were brought together by J.P. Morgan to form United States Steel, the world's first billion dollar company. This company controlled the market because steel was so essential to industrialization. It became the first monopoly. -
Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle"
In 1906, Upton Sinclair published his novel, The Jungle, which portrays a Lithuanian family who moves to Chicago to work in the stockyards. He wrote this novel to reveal the brutality of the labor in the meatpacking industry; however, it's biggest impact was exposing the processes of industrialized food production. Sinclair's novel eventually led to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Manhattan caught on fire. To prevent workers from taking breaks, the doors had been chained shut, locking more than 200 women inside the burning building. These women lined the rooftop on the ten-story building, either jumping to their deaths or staying to be burned alive. This tragedy resulted in the deaths of 146 women and an additional 71 injured and brought attention to the unsafe working conditions of many factories. -
America Declares War on Germany
After Germany continued to make unrestricted submarine attacks and sent the Zimmermann Telegram to Mexico, America declared war on Germany. Despite having a small and unprepared military, President Wilson believed that a German victory would dangerously alter the balance of power in Europe. Therefore, America began building a strong army and navy to be trained, equipped, and deployed. -
The Selective Service Act
On May 18, 1917, the Selective Service Act was approved by Congress, and signed one week later by President Wilson. Because the Act avoided bonuses and substitutes, it was received without major objections from the public. This Act required all men between the ages 21-30 to register for compulsory military service. Physical fitness was a primary requirement for service; however, roughly 34% of the men examined were rejected or later discharged due to mental deficiencies. -
The Spanish Influenza
In the spring of 1918, influenza broke out in Haskell County, Kansas and spread like wildfire across 14 of the largest military training camps in the country. By September, all of the U.S. camps had been infected and it had been spread to France. The virus then mutated into a deadlier strain than before. The Spanish Influenza resulted in the deaths of 50 million people worldwide. More soldiers died of influenza than in combat during World War 1. -
Treaty of Versailles
In 1919, Wilson and the other Allied leaders met in France at Versailles for the Paris Peace Convention. After months of deliberation, the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, officially ending World War 1. -
Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment
In January of 1918, President Wilson declared his support for the women's suffrage amendment. Two years later, he ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave all women the right to vote. After years of fighting, activism, campaigns, unions, associations, and movements, women could finally voice their opinions.
