-
Period: to
The Second Industrial Revolution
The Second Industrial Revolution revolved around mass production and electricity. Assembly lines became commonplace in factories and Thomas Edison's inventions revolutionized the workplace. -
The Great Railroad Strike
A strike of employees of B&O in response to the company cutting wages. They refused to let any trains pass. The strike was unsuccessful, but did encourage the formation of many labor unions. -
Thomas Edison Invents the Lightbulb
His first successful test was on October 22, 1879. The lightbulb would go on to change the world as factories could stay open later and more work could be done at night. -
The Last of the Native Tribes are subdued.
After the defeat of the Sioux and Crazy Horse, other tribes began following suit and laying down their weapons. Sitting Bull was one of the last chiefs to admit defeat. -
The Chinese Exclusion Act
Passed by Congress in May 1882, the act suspended the immigration of Chinese laborers. As a result, the Chinese became the first illegal immigrant group. -
Period: to
The Texas Farmers' Alliance
The Alliance sought to negotiate higher prices for crops and lower prices for the goods they purchased. It claimed over 1,000,000 members at its peak. -
Dawes General Allotment Act
This act divided Native reservations into homestead, giving each family 160 acres. While it seemingly helped Natives, it really upended their lifestyle and tore apart tribes. -
Period: to
The Populist Party
Also called the People's Party, this political denomination focused on the flaws they perceived were in the Gilded Age. They had presidential nominees in 1892 and 1896, but collapsed after 1896. -
Turner's "The Significance of the Frontier in American History"
In this thesis, Turner wrote about the uniqueness of the American Frontier. Few other countries had such a line divided civilization and "savagery." It was a distinguishing feature of America. Yet with the frontier officially closing in 1890, Turner wondered what would become of America. -
Period: to
The Spanish-American War
After the explosion of the battleship Maine, many blamed the Spanish. The finger-pointing was enough to start a war despite the fact many nowadays agree the explosion was from spontaneous combustion.
