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Settlement of Jamestown
104 English men and boys arrives in Jamestown, attempting to start a settlement. It became the first successful English settlement in North America, thriving for nearly 100 years as the capital of Virginia. The English learned the lessons of how to keep a colony going, proving helpful for the settlement of the U.S. colonies. -
Slavery Begins in Virginia
Africans were first brought to the U.S. in 1619, with twenty Africans from present-day Angola arriving by boat. The English colonists began buying Africans to help grow tobacco, before the slave trade grew and enslaved Africans on large plantations for the benefit of their owners. but many slaves died within the first year in Virginia, and new slaves got "seasoned" to get their bodies used to the new climate and diseases in Virginia. -
House of Burgess
The Virginia company created the House of Burgess to be a system of representative government that would allow for making laws and levying taxes in the Jamestown colony of Virginia and the other settlements around it. The new incentives offered caused an influx of 4,500 new recruits to America. It played an important role in the Revolutionary War and the creation of an organized, democratic government for America. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was an armed rebellion held by Virginia settlers who were angered after being denied Native American lands. Jamestown was burned to the ground and had a huge impact on racial issues in the colonies. The rebellion was the first to unite both black and white indentured servants with black slaves against the colonial government. In response to the rebellion, the government established policies to make sure it would never happen again. -
Mayflower Compact
Mayflower Compact was a set of rules for self-governance established by the English settlers who traveled to the New Worlds on the Mayflower. It created laws for the mayflower Pilgrims and non-Pilgrims to aid in the success of their new colony. It stated that 1) the colonists would remain loyal subject to the King 2) colonists would make laws for the good of the colony 3) colonists would create one society 3) colonists would live in accordance with the Christian faith -
Salem Witchcraft Trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of those accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts. More than two hundred people were accused, with nineteen being executed by hangings. The trials became one of colonial America's most notorious cases of mass hysteria. It's significant because innocent people lost their lives due to something that was easily preventable. -
Stono Rebellion of 1739
The largest slave rebellion in the main colonies occurred in South Carolina and is known as the Stono Rebellion of 1739. At least 69 slaves escaped to St. Augustine. When war broke out seven months after the slaves escaped, 75 Africans rose in revolt and killed a number of whites near the Stono River. The Carolina militia killed 44 slaves and suppressed the rebellion. The rebellion changed the face of slavery in Carolina and solidified slavery in a way it hadn't been before. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris in 1763 brought the end to the French and Indian War. France gave up all territories in mainland North America, which ended any foreign military threat to the British colonies. The War gave Great Britain big territorial gains in North America, but ultimately led to the American Revolution because of discontent with paying war expenses and frontier policy. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a deadly riot that began from a street brawl between a British soldier and a colonist. Five colonist ended up dead in the massacre. Paul Revere etched the famous engraving of British soldiers maliciously murdering colonists in order to spread anti-British rhetoric. The conflict energized anti-British sentiment throughout the colonies, paving the way to the American Revolution. The massacre ultimately helped unite the colonies against Britain. -
First Continental Congress
First Continental Congress was called in response to growing tensions between the colonies following the Intolerable Acts. They 1) issued the Declaration of Independence during the U.S. as an independent country from Britain 2) passed the Flag Resolution 3) created a real government through the signing of the Articles of Confederation. They declared that Parliament acts violated their rights and planned to boycott British gods. -
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
The Coercive Act were measures enacted by British in retaliation for acts of colonial defiance. They 1) closed the Boston Harbor 2) placed the Massachusetts Government Act, replacing governments with an appointed British ones 3) allowed British soldiers to be tries in England 4) passed the Quartering Act, forcing unoccupied buildings to house British troops. The contributed to the start of the American Revolution as colonists felt the legislation violated their rights. -
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Common Sense is a 47-page "radical" pamphlet that established moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the U.S. Colonies to fight for their own government, causing colonists to rethink their political loyalties. He argued for 1) independence from England 2) the creation of a democratic republic. The pamphlet united average citizens and political leaders behind the idea of independence. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of independence was an official act taken by the 13 American colonies to declare independence from Britain. It stated 1) God made all men equal and gave them the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness 2) the government should protect these rights 3) if a government tries to withhold these rights, the people should revolt. The document is one of the most important documents in the history of the U.S. as it contains the goals and ideals of our nation. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga occurred during the second year of the American Revolution, becoming a decisive victory for the Continental Army and serving as a crucial turning point of the Revolutionary War. It gave a needed major morale boost and persuaded the French, Spanish, and Dutch to join the American cause. The support of France's naval army eventually helped the Continental Army win the final Battle of Yorkton, which lead to the end of the American Revolution. -
Valley Forge
Valley Forge involved the six-month encampment of Washington's Continental Army at Valley Forge. Washington strategically picked their winter camp site to be close enough to keep an eye on British troops while also being far enough away to prevent a surprise attack on his army, leading to their victory. It became a major turning point in the Revolutionary War because Washington was able to transform the Army into a unified fighting force that was capable of beating the British. -
Battle of Yorktown
British General Charles Cornwallis and his army surrendered to George Washington and marked Yorktown as the conclusion of the last major battle of the American Revolution. The Franco-American land and sea campaign sieged Yorktown by trapping a major British Army on the peninsula, forcing their surrender. It became the beginning of the new nation's independence and cemented Washington's reputation as a great leader. -
Invention of the Steam Engine
James Watt invented the steam engine, which patented a pump with hand-operated values that raised water form mines by suction produced by condensing steam. Steam power became the energy source for many machines and vehicles, which made it cheaper and easier to produce commodities in large amounts. This invention helped to power the Industrial Revolution as it provided reliable power that could power large machines. -
Shays' Rebellion
Rebellion led by Daniel Shays to protest the unjust economic policies and political corruption in Massachusetts. It exposed the weakness of the government under the Articles of Confederation and sparked debate over how much authority the government should have. It resulted in the creation of the U.S. Constitution and was a call for strengthening the federal government in order to put down future uprisings. -
First Bank of the United States
Alexander Hamilton designed the bank and was faced with opposition from agrarians led by Thomas Jefferson. The private bank issued paper money, completed commercial transactions, and collected government tax revenues. It helped fund the public debt left from the American Revolution and facilitated a stable national currency that could be exchanged by all people of the United States. -
Creation of the Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin, which revolutionized the production of cotton by speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber. Before the cotton gin was invented, separating cotton fiber from its seeds was unprofitable and labor-intensive. Due to the increased profitability due to the cotton gin, planters greatly increased their demand for slave labor and land. -
George Washington's Farewell Address
Washington's letter to the nation warning Americans of the political dangers they have to avoid if they want to stay true to their values. It is a classic statement of republicanism, warning against the rise of political parties and sectionalism coming as a threat to national unity. Washington, as the first president, significantly influenced presidencies for those following him, setting the standards for 1) political power 2) military practice 3) economic policy. -
Election of 1800
Thomas Jefferson (D-R) defeated against John Adams (Federalist), 73- 65 electoral votes. However, Jefferson and Aaron Burr received the same number of electoral votes, throwing the results to the House of Representatives, where each state would vote as a unit to determine to result. The votes were tallied over thirty times, finally leading to Jefferson winning the presidency. The election became a political alignment that ushered a generation of Democratic-Republican leadership. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a land deal between France and the U.S. in which the U.S. acquired 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi for $15 million. The purchase doubled the size of the U.S. and was important to westward expansion. It strengthened the country strategically as as well as materially and confirmed the implied powers of the Constitution. -
Marbury v. Madison
Supreme Court case that gave the Supreme Court the ability to strike down laws if they are deemed unconstitutional, a power known as judicial review. It established the power of lower federal courts with respect to the Constitution, alongside paralleling state courts rights compared to their own constitutions. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought between the U.S. and Great Britain over British violations of maritime rights. The war was caused by British attempts to restrict U.S. trade alongside the impressment of American seamen. The war 1) destroyed Natives ability to resisted American expansion east of the Mississippi 2) allowed the U.S. to solidify control over the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico 3) Federalist Party never recovered from its opposition to the war. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were a series of laws that made it harder for immigrants to vote alongside giving new powers to deport foreigners. The laws restricted foreign residents within the U.S. and limited freedom of speech and of the press, passed when there was widespread fear of a war with France on the horizon. The Sedition Act permitting the deportation, fine, or imprisonment of anyone deemed a threat of publishing "false" information against the government. -
Second Bank of the United States
The bank was chartered by President Madison in 1816, being the second federally authorized Hamiltonian National Bank. 4,000 private investors held 80% of the bank's capital and it regulated public credit issued by private banking. It became unpopular after being blamed for the panic of 1819 and suspicion of corruption and mismanagement. President Jackson believed it was unconstitutional and a corrupt tool for rich capitalists, fighting against it his who\le presidency. -
McCulloch v. Maryland
Supreme Court case in which Congress had implied powers to establish a national bank under the "necessary and proper" clause of the U.S. Constitution. This decision determined that the United States laws trump state laws, such as a state not being able to tax the national bank. It established implied powers and federal supremacy, the two important principles for constitutional law that continue today. -
Gibbons v. Ogdon
U.S. Supreme Court case that established the principle that states cannot interfere with the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce. The case was important as it freed all navigation of monopoly control. It was an important development in interpretation of the commerce clause of the Constitution. It decided that where state and federal laws on interstate commerce conflict federal laws are superior. -
Indian Removal Act
Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson, authorizing the president to grant lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders. Native Americans were forced to give up their lands and also expanded the growth of slavery as it expanded westward onto previously indigenous lands. The act resulted in the forced removal and migration of many eastern Indian nations, which many resisted violently. -
Creation of the Spoils System
Spoils system was instituted by the Democratic President Andrew Jackson, wherein every government job would belong to the part in power as the winning political party appointed its active supporters to government posts. The spoils system allowed those with political influence to ascend to powerful positions within the government, regardless of their skills. It dramatically increased the corruption and inefficiency of the government -
Worcester v. Georgia
Worcester v. Georgia was a Supreme Court decision that ruled that states did not have the right to impose regulations on Native American land. It stated that the Cherokee Indians were entitles to federal protection for the actions of state governments that would infringe on them, Jackson ignored it. Because Jackson proceeded with Indian removal, the decision did not aid indigenous rights and led to the forced migration of the Trail of Tears in 1838. -
Battle of the Alamo
The battle was fought between the Republic of Texas and Mexico, with the Mexicans winning the battle. It rallied the rest of Texas to fight the Mexican army and eventually lead to the victory over Santa Ana as it became a symbol of resistance and a rallying cry in the struggle for independence. Once the United States annexed Texas, the U.S. Army quartered troops and storied supplies at the Alamo as it remained a symbol of courage. -
Invention of the Sewing Machine
Elias Howe's refinements and patent in 1844 perfected the device. The sewing machine allowed for the mass production of clothing, which expanded the nation's textile industry. The sewing machine made sewing more efficient and brought better quality clothes that were more affordable, creating the new industry of ready-made clothes. It also made housework easier and allowed the growing middle class to invest in hobbies like fashion. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention organized by women and had 300 attendees. The convention discussed the 11 resolutions on women's rights encompassing social, civic, and religious conditions around the rights of women. The convention sparked decades of activism, which eventually led to the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The treaty ended the war between the U.S., causing Mexico to give 55% of its territory to the U.S. The treaty halved the size of Mexico and doubled the territory of the U.S. The exchange extended the U.S. to the Pacific Ocean and provided tons of minerals, ports, and natural resources for the growing country. It also displaces millions of Mexican citizens into new American territory but they were allowed to retain full protection of their property if they became citizens of the U.S. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 185- was five separate bills passed that set laws on slave and free state status of territories acquired in the Mexican-American War. As part of the Compromise, the Fugitive Slave act ended the slave trade in Washington D.C. and California entered the Union as a free state. The compromise also made it easier for Southern slaveowners to recover runaway slaves. -
Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 was one of the most pivotal presidential election in history, wherein Abraham Lincoln ran against Stephan Douglas, John Breckenridge, and John Bell. The election's main issues were slavery alongside state's rights. The election showed the divisions in the U.S. just before the Civil War, and Lincoln's election ultimately led to the Civil War. -
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was the deadliest one-day battle in American history, leaving 23,000 men dead. After this war, the war no longer became about preserving the nation, but rather it became a matter of ending slavery. It showed that the Union could stand against the Confederate army and gave President Lincoln the confidence needed to issue the Emancipation proclamation. -
Homestead Act
President Lincoln signed the Act in 1862, granting Americans 160-acre plots of public land for a small fee. It required five years of continuous residence on the land, building a home on it, as well as farming and making improvements. The Act was essential to Westward expansion. A limited number of farmers could even afford to buy a farm, and the unpredictable weather combined with other factors like remoteness caused many to abandon their claims before the one year mark. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The Battle of Vicksburg resulted in a total of 8,037 casualties and was a decisive Union victory that divided the confederacy. The Union victory also cemented the reputation of General Ulysses S. Grant. The victories at Vicksburg, and Gettysburg marked the turning point of the Civil War and also ensured Europe didn't recognizing the Confederacy as a sovereign nation. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The proclamation was issued by President Lincoln, changing the legal status of two million slaves to free. Once slaves escaped the control of the federal government, they would be free. The proclamation only applied to three-fourths of all slaves as it only freed slaves in the South. It confirmed the U.S. insistence that the war of the Union would be fought as a war to end slavery, strengthening the Union politically and militarily. -
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea was a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah led by General William Sherman leading 60,000 soldiers. The soldiers stole food and livestock, alongside burning the bands and homes of those who tried to fight back. This total war method was important because it frightened Georgia's population into abandoning the Confederate cause, breaking the back of the Confederacy and leading to their eventual surrender. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the U.S. and stated that slavery or involuntary servitude could exist in the U.S., except for as a punishment of crime. This amendment forever abolished slavery as an institution in the entire U.S., which had plagued the U.S. for 246 years. The abolition of slavery was the beginning of establishing equality for black Americans. -
Founding of the Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan was a white supremacist terrorist group that emerged during Reconstruction, taking violent steps to undermine the efforts of the Republican party in hopes of maintaining white racial and economic superiority. Due to the Klan violence, Republicans lost control within the South. The impact of the Klan has been felt across the United States as it cannot be washed away as their political influence was massive, with the fear put on their victims being unimaginable. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment granted equal civil and legal rights alongside citizenship to African Americans and enslaved people who had been emancipated in the Civil War. It is incredibly important because it gave freed slaves the rights protected in the Constitution and allowed anyone born in the United States to be a citizen. The amendment strengthened the federal government's power over states, somewhat protecting from racial discrimination within states. -
Transcontinental Railroad is Completed
The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad connected the east of the U.S. to the west of the U.S. The building of the transcontinental railroad opened up the American West to more rapid development as it cut the journey across the US from months to under a week. It made economic export of resources from Western to Eastern markets much easier and facilitated westward expansion, which escalated the tensions between settlers and Native American tribes. -
Dawes Severalty Act
The passing of the Dawes Severalty Act resulted in the gradual elimination of tribal ownership of land. The objective was to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream U.S. society by annihilating their social traditions and culture. As a result, over ninety million acres of tribal lands were stripped from Natives and sold to non-Natives. Natives has to accept individual plots of land to become U.S. citizens, leaving the remainder of the unclaimed land to be sold off to white settlers. -
Wounded Knee
The 7th Cavalry attempted to round a group of 350 Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Fighting broke out and 200-300 Native Americans ended up dying, being the last to die in the Indian Wars. This massacre was the climax of the U.S. army's efforts to suppress the Plains Indians. -
Plessy v Ferguson
A group of New Orleans residents sought to repeal the Separate car Act, which made separate railway cars for whites and blacks. The Supreme Court upheld the state law as constitutional as the 14th Amendment supposedly implied that separate treatment did not imply the inferiority of African Americans and that segregation did not constitute unlawful segregation. The decision upheld the principle of racial segregation over the next fifty years, under terms of "separate but equal". -
Spanish-American War
The U.S. declared war on Spain following the mysterious explosion of the U.S. Maine in the Havana Harbor. The war ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in the U.S. acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America. The war ended quickly in four months, becoming a great victory for America. The U.S. emerged as a world-power following the war, having a new state in international politics. -
JP Morgan creates US Steel
JP Morgan reorganized several major railroads and financed industrial consolidations that made US Steel. He merged with Carnegie Steel Company for $480 million, which was more than the entire US Federal budget. US Steel became the first billion-dollar company in America. It was the largest steel producer and largest corporation in the world when it was founded. It was also the largest business enterprise ever launched in America. -
Hepburn Act
United States federal law that expanded the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission and gave it the power to set maximum railroad rates, which led to the discontinuation of free passes to loyal shippers. The Act effectively created the federal government's first true regulatory agency. The Act gave the government the power to set and limit shipping costs, which changed the government's role in industry. -
The Pure Food and Drug Act
Upton Sinclair's novel "The Jungle" revealed poor sanitation practices in meat production, prompting Congress to establish federal responsibility for public health and welfare. The Act prohibited the sale of misbranded or adulterated food and drugs in interstate commerce, laying a foundation for the nation's first consumer protection agency. The law required that food be inspected by the government to ensure its safety and led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). -
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The NAACP was created in 1909 by an interracial group of WEB Du Bois and others concerned with fighting for the rights of African Americans. It was created following a deadly race riot in Springfield. The NAACP went on to lobby for landmark legislation including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It is the nation's oldest civil rights organization and led the black civil rights struggle in fighting injustices throughout the 20s and 30s. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire killed 146 garment workers, with most of them being young immigrant woman. It was a critical event because of it's impact on the US labor movement, the New Deal, the development of occupational safety and health standards, and the New York Fire Department. The tragedy led to fire prevention legislation, factory inspection laws, and the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. -
Federal Reserve Act
The severe panic in 1907 led Congress to write the Federal Reserve Act, which was implemented to establish economic stability in the US by creating a central bank to oversee monetary policy, which is one of the most influential laws shaping the US financial system. The system consisted of twelve regional Federal Reserve banks jointly responsible for managing the country's money supply, making loans and providing oversight to banks, and serving as a lender of the last resort. -
Sixteenth Amendment
The 16th Amendment allows Congress to levy a tax on income from any source without apportioning it among the states and without regard to the census. Essentially, the amendment established Congress's right to impose a federal income tax. This affects the US today as Congress can also put laws on taxes in order as well. The collected income taxes allow the government to keep an army, build roads and bridges, enforce laws, and carry out other important duties. -
Clayton Antitrust Act
The new law declared strikes, boycotts, and labor unions legal under federal law. The act continues to regulate US business practices today. It 1) prohibits anticompetitive price discrimination 2) prohibits against certain exclusive deal practices 3) expands power of private parties to sue and obtain damages 4) permits union organization 5) prohibits against anti-competitive mergers. -
National Park Service
President Woodrow Wilson signed the act to create a new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior which would be responsible for protecting the 35 national parks and monuments that were managed at the time and that were to be established. -
US enters WWI
On April 4, 1917, the US Senate voted in support of declaring war on Germany. The House concurred two fays later and the US then declared war on German ally Hungary on December 7, 1917. US reasons for entry into the war included unrestricted submarine warfare, the German invasion of Belgium, American loans, and the Zimmerman Telegram. The entry of the US into WWI meant that the defeat of Germany would be possible. -
Espionage Act
The Act prohibited obtaining information, copying descriptions, or recording pictures of any information relating to the national defense with intent or reason to believe that the information may be used for the injury of the US or the advantage of a foreign nation. It made it a crime to intervene or attempt to undermine the efforts of the US armed forces during a war or to assist enemies' war efforts. -
Red Scare
During the Red Scare, fear over the spread of communism filled Americans as many feared recent immigrants and dissidents. They repealed communist, socialist, or anarchist ideologies. Palmer conducted a series of raids on individuals he believed were dangerous to American security, deporting 249 Russian immigrants without just cause. The Scare led to the deportation of many people and Americans greatly feared communism, assuming any immigrant or member of a labor union was one. -
Fourteen Points
The Fourteen Points was a statement of principles for peace that was used for peace negotiations in order to end WWI. It ensured open diplomacy without secret treaties, equal trade conditions, economic free trade on seas, decreased armaments among all nations, and an adjustment of colonial claims. The points were designed to undermine the Central Powers' will to continue and to inspire the Allies to victory. Woodrow Wilson wanted to outline the specific goals of the war for the US. -
Nineteenth Amendment
The Nineteenth Amendment granted women the right to vote. This milestone was the result of decades of protest and determination for women's' rights. It extended the vote to 26-30 million women, which made it the single largest expansion of voting rights in US history. The ratification of the 19th Amendment was a turning point in women's history in the US. Women could now be taken seriously and participate in political activities. -
Immigration Act of 1924
The act banned limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the United States through a national origins quota. It gave visas to two percent of the total number of people of each nationality in the US from the 1890 census. It completely excluded Japanese and other East Asian immigrants. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
American legal case in 1925 where a substitute teacher was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which made it unlawful to teach evolution in any state-funded school. He was found guilty and was fined, but the verdict was overturned on technicality. This trial set the stage for larger culture wars between fundamentalists and their theologically liberal counterparts on feminism, abortion, and the LGBTQ movements that shaped the 20th century. -
Bonus Army
The Bonus Army involved a gathering of between 10,000 to 25,000 WWI veterans who converged in Washington DC to demand immediate bonus payment for wartime services to alleviate the economic hardships of the Great Depression. The US Attorney General Mitchell ordered veterans to be removed from all government property, resulting in two dead veterans. Congress later passed the Adjusted Compensation Payment Act in 1936, paying over $2 billion to veterans of WWI. -
First New Deal
The First New Deal was designed to boost prices to a level that would restore profitability to American agriculture and alleviate rural poverty. President FDR wanted to provide immediate economic relief and bring about reforms to stabilize the economy. The three goals of the New Deal were relief, recovery, and reform. It provided support for the unemployed, youth, farmers, and the elderly. It had new constraints on the banking industry and efforts to re-inflate the economy after prices fell. -
Indian Reorganization Act
The Act was created to conserve and develop Indian lands and resources, extend to Native Americans the right to form businesses and other organizations, establish a credit system for them, and to grant certain rights of home rule and education to them. The Act was aimed at decreasing federal control of American Indian affairs and increasing their self-government and responsibility. The Act improved the political, social, and economic conditions of American Indians in many ways. -
Second New Deal
The Second New Deal included programs to redistribute wealth, income, and power in favor of the old, the poor, and labor unions. The most import programs included Social Security, the Banking Act of 1935, and the National Labor Relations Act. The second New Deal focused on social justice and the creation of economic security instead of a simple economic recovery. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration, giving millions of American jobs constructing stadiums, roads, and bridges. -
Social Security Act
The Social Security act was signed into law by President Roosevelt. It granted several provision for general welfare alongside creating a social insurance program designed to pay retired workers over 65 a continuing income after retirement. It established two types of provisions 1) a Federal aid to the States to enable them to cash pensions 2) a system of Federal age-old benefits for retired workers. Social Security remains ones of the nation's most successful, effective, and popular programs. -
Munich Conference
The Munich Conference was a European diplomatic conference in 1938 where Britain and France conceded to Hitler's demand for Czechoslovakia as long as he agreed to expand no further. It was a settlement between Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy that allowed Germany to annex Sudetenland. The agreement adverted the outbreak of war but gave Czechoslovakia away to German conquest. -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese planes attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This surprise attack by 350 Japanese aircrafts caused 2,403 US personnel deaths with 19 US Navy ships being destroyed or damaged during the attack. The unprovoked attack brought the US into WWII as they immediately declared war on Japan. This attack forever ended the US's pre-1941 stance on isolationism and neutrality as it marked the entry of the world's mightiest military power into WWII. -
Double V Campaign
The Double V Campaign was a slogan that was championed by the largest black newspaper in the US and promoted efforts towards democracy for civilian defense workers and African Americans in the military. The two objectives were 1) victory in the war abroad 2) victory against discrimination on the home front. The campaign helped black Americans by relieving their plight faced in the army and at home but it did created a narrow appreciation for the complexity of AA wartime situations. -
Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
Nonviolent civil rights organization that was founded in 1942, committed to the "Double V Campaign". The organization worked to improve race relations and discriminatory policies through direct-action projects. In the late 50's, CORE challenged public segregation and launched voter registration drives for AAs. After WWII, CORE became a major force in the civil rights movement with the Freedom Rides of 1961 and the Freedom Summer Project of 1964 being major achievements. -
Executive Order 9066
The order authorized the evacuation of all people deemed a threat to national security from the West Coast to relocation centers further inland. Over 100,000 Japanese American men, women, and children were moved into internment camps, although over half the people evacuated were second-generation Japanese Americans). None of the internees were actually convicted of helping the Japanese government. In 1988, President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, giving each former internee $20,000. -
GI Bill
Congress wanted to reward almost all wartime veterans with a bill that provided WWII veterans with funds for college education, unemployment insurance, and housing. It put higher education in to the reach of millions of WWII veterans. The program was regarded as a success and a major contributor to stabilizing the post war economy and America's long term economic growth. It also kept millions of veterans from the flooding the job market all at once. -
D-Day
June 6 1944 was the day Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare, where Allies landed on the beaches of Normandy to liberate north-west Europe from Nazi occupation. D-Day was ultimately successful as by the end of August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated which marked the beginning of the liberation of western Europe. D-Day also serves to convince the high German command that their complete defeat was upon them. -
United Nations founded
The United Nations was founded in 1945 after WWII, wherein 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. The UN is one of the most powerful international organizations that is used to promote international cooperation. The UN has helped many countries and has also put in place a legal framework to combat terrorism. -
Atomic bombing of Japan
The US bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (first instances of atomic bombs being used against humans), killing tens of thousands of people and obliterating the cities. The aim of the bombing was to bring an end to the war by destroying the enemy's war industries, killing employees of those industries, and undermining civilian morale. President Truman knew that attempting to invade Japan would result in horrific American causalities, while the bombs would bring a speedy end. -
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference was a meeting of the three WWII allies of US, Britain, and the Soviet Union. President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, and Premier Stalin met in February in Yalta. It was agreed that the Soviet Union would enter war against Japan and that after Germany's surrender, it would be divided into four post-war occupation zones. The aim of the conference was to shape a postwar peace that represented a plan to give self-determination to the liberated people of Europe. -
Levittown
Levittown was created following the shortage of housing following WWII. The nation's first planned community was designed to provide a large amount of housing in a time when there was high demand for affordable family homes. This suburban development was the symbol of the "American Dream" because it allowed thousands of families to become home owners. These suburbs allowed people to escape the cramped conditions of the cities. Levitt also revolutionized the process of home building. -
Truman Doctrine
Truman established the doctrine to establish that the US would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from internal or external authoritarian forces. It was intended to prevent the spread of communism following WWII by providing support to targeted countries. The Truman Doctrine became the foundation of American foreign policy that led to the formation of NATO in 1949. It demonstrated that the US would not return to isolationism after WWII. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was a US program designed to rehabilitate the economies of 17 western and southern European countries in order to create stable conditions in which democratic institutions could survive the aftermath of WWI. It resulted in a resurgence of European industrialization and stimulation of the US economy. Rendered as one of the greatest economic and foreign policy successes of the US, the Marshall Plan ultimately transferred $13 billion dollars to Europe. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Trade Organization was created by the US, Canada, and some Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. The binding principle of the alliance is collective defense, a commitment to protect each other. NATO marked the US's departure from an isolationist foreign policy as it became the nation's first peacetime military alliance with states outside of the Americas. It also shaped the politics of the Cold War and is still an organization today. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court ruling that the racial segregation in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. It declared that separate educational facilities for white and African American students were inherently unequal. The decision marked a turning point in the history of race relations in the US, stripping away any constitutional sanctions for segregation by race and marked a victory in the NAACP's decades long campaign to combat school segregation. -
Emmett Till murder
On August 28,1955, a 14 year old African-American boy from Chicago was brutally murdered for allegedly flirting with a white woman four days prior. The real killers were ruled not guilty by an all-white jury and later confessed to having murdered him. The tragedy of his murder made an immense impact on American society because it drew attention to the brutality of racial violence, helping the civil rights movement. Many black people were also even more fearful of violence following his murder. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Lasting 381 days, the Montgomery Bus Boycott resulted in the Supreme Court ruling segregation on public buses unconstitutional. It helped eliminate early barriers to transportation access and played a big role in civil rights and transit equity. Almost the entire AA population of Montgomery refused to ride the buses, propelling the movement through the publicity and national press. It also made King well known in the US and inspired other direct nonviolent protests against racial discrimination. -
National Highway Act
The Act authorized the building of highways throughout the nations, which became the biggest public works project in the nation's history. It established a 41,000 mile interstate highway system in the United States. It also allocated $26 billion to pay for it, wherein the federal government would pay 90 percent of the cost for construction. The system had a profound effect upon the American economy and it contributed significantly to improved economic efficiency and productivity. -
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The SCLC was an organization formed by MLK, aiming to mobilize the vast power of black churched on behalf of human rights. The original goals of the SCLC included recruiting affiliate groups in the South, bringing an end to black disenfranchisement, and coordinating protest movements. Training and testing African Americans ability to remain calm so they could participate in nonviolent marches and sit-ins, the SCLC played a key role in the March on Washington and the Selma Voting Rights Campaign. -
National Defense Education Act
The act was passed to provide $300 million in loans to students, funds, and the development of new instruction material to ensure a higher level of national security. It became on of the most successful legislative initiatives in higher education, establishing the legitimacy of federal funding of higher education and making substantial funds available for low-cost student loans. It also spurred development of technology and was passed in response to Soviet acceleration of the space race. -
Bay of Pigs
A group of Cuban exiles organized and supported by the US Central Intelligence Agency landed at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. However, it ended in disaster and the failed invasion strengthened the position of Castro's administration. The disaster caused a lasting impact on the administration to initiate a plan to sabotage and destabilize the Cuban government. JFK had hoped that this invasion would halt the spread of communism to the Americas. -
Cuban missile crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a major confrontation that brought the US and Soviet Union close to war due to the presence of Soviet nuclear-armed ballistic missiles in Cuba. President Kennedy insisted that the leader of the USSR, Nikita Khrushchev, to remove the 42 missiles secretly inserted in Cuba. The Soviets eventually did but although the crisis ended peacefully, the situation came close to causing WWIII, a threat which forever changed Americans' perception of the Cold War. -
Assassination of John F Kennedy
Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK will riding the presidential motorcade in Dallas with his wife and Johnson. JFK's assassination was very helpful to the cause of civil rights because it made Lyndon B Johnson president, who was very supportive of civil rights and was good at pushing bills through Congress. Johnson pushed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through Congress because former President JFK wanted him to. His assassination also made the country fear what would happen next without their president. -
Civil Rights Act
As the most comprehensive civil rights legislation ever enacted by Congress, the Civil Rights Act hastened the end of legal Jim Crow by securing AAs equal access to transportation, restaurants, and other public facilities. It enabled black people, women, and other minorities to break down barriers in the workplace, while strengthening the enforcement of voting rights and the desegregation of schools. The Act created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to ensure fair hiring processes. -
Immigration Act of 1965
The Immigration and Naturalization act eliminated the long-standing national origins quota system that had set limits on the number of individuals from any given nation who could immigrate to the US. It doubled the number of immigrants allowed to enter annually and it allowed close family members to be excluded from the count. Immigration was largely from Asia and Latin America. It removed de facto discrimination against Sothern Eastern Europeans, Asians, and others. -
Voting Rights Act
President Johnson declared a new voting rights billed needed to be signed follow Bloody Sunday. The Act outlawed discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, including literacy tests. The impact was immediate as by the end of the 1965 a quarter million new black voters had been registered. It contained great measures to dismantle Jim Crow segregation and combat racial discrimination. The Act transformed patterns of political power in the South. -
Selma to Montgomery Marches
As a series of three marches, hundreds of people gathered in Selma, Alabama to march to the capital of Montgomery to fights for African Americans' constitutional right to vote. MLK led thousands of nonviolent demonstrators on a 5-day 54-mile march. The marches reduced the disparity between black and white voters through the Voting Rights Act legislation and allowed greater numbers of AAs to participate in politics. -
Environmental Protection Agency
A governmental organization that was signed into law by Nixon in order to regulate emissions, pollution, and other factors that negatively influence the natural environment. They are responsible for the protection of human health and the environment. Its creation marked a newfound commitment by the federal government to combat environmental risks, making it a big victory for the environmentalists. The EPA was largely responsible for the decline of air pollution emissions between 1970 and 1990. -
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was originally introduced in 1923 and passed by Congress in 1972. It was to provide the legal equality of the sexes and prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex. In the mid 19070s, a conservative backlash against feminism eroded support for the amendment, causing it to fall short of the necessary three-fourths support of state legislatures. Fewer women also wanted to enter the workforce by the 1970s and only seven states ratified the amendment. -
Harvey Milk assassination
Harvey milk was a visionary human and civil rights leader who became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the US. He emerged as a leading political activist for the gay community and spearheaded important anti-discrimination measures. During his tenure as a San Francisco supervisor, he helped pass a gay rights ordinance for the city that prohibited gay discrimination in housing and employment. He became a hero for the gay rights movement due to his persistence for equality. -
Martin Luther King Jr assassinated
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated by a white man who resented the increasing black influence in society. His murder set off a new round of riots across the country as the loss of this incredible leader was mourned. The assassinations triggered active unrest within black communities where strikes and movements took on a new level of urgency. The civil rights movement began to lose the unity and direction King had given it in terms of nonviolent protest.
