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Period: 1491 to
Period 1/2: 1491-1763
Period 1/2 focuses on Native America, European Exploration, and Colonization. -
1492
Christopher Columbus's First Voyage to the Americas
Ferdinand and Isabella, the first monarchs to rule a united Spain, invested in Columbus and his doubtful theories about the Atlantic Ocean by financing a western voyage to Asia. After six weeks of exploring the Atlantic, Columbus disembarked on an island in the present-day Bahamas. Leaving forty men on the island of Hispaniola, he returned to Spain triumphantly to inform the king and queen that their ambitions to trade and expand their empire was attainable. -
1493
The Colombian Exchange
The Spanish conquest set in motion a global biological transformation through the exchange of goods and diseases. This movement of goods and diseases such as smallpox, influenza, etc. is a pattern historians call the Columbian Exchange. While food from the Western Hemisphere significantly increased agricultural yields and population growth in other countries, European livestock and germs killed most of the Native American population, only to gain mainly sugar and rice in return. -
Jamestown
Jamestown was the first successful English colony, settled in Virginia, that set the foundation for the future U.S. Early years in Jamestown were unsettling as most colonists died in shipwrecks, on expeditions and voyages, or from malnourishment and disease once ashore. -
The House of Burgesses
After the Virginia Company allowed individual settlers to own land, granting 100 acres to every freeman and even more to settlers that imported servants, the company created the House of Burgesses. This was a system of representative government that had the power to make and levy laws, with a check and balance of the governor and the company council in England to veto. -
Plymouth
Plymouth was the first settlement created in Massachusetts by Separatists. Separatists, also know as Pilgrims, were Puritans who left the Church of England and migrated south to create a religiously pure society. -
The Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were a series of legislation passed by the British Parliament that imposed restrictions on colonial trade. The Navigations Acts, including the Molasses, Iron, and Currency Acts, sparked hostility from American colonists as this legislation effectively prevented the colonies from trading with other European countries and imposed other unreasonable restrictions including prohibiting paper money and restricting merchants and artisans. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was the first armed insurrection by American colonists against Great Britain's colonial government. Nathaniel Bacon led his militia into the Virginia capital to threaten Governor William Berkeley's position. Compared to the rest of the colonies, poor Virginians were unable to build profitable tobacco plantations to be able to pay the high tobacco taxes and own land to be able to vote. The rebellion ended with both men dead and the increased use of race-based slavery. -
Salem Witchcraft Trials
Puritans were very hostile towards people who believed that they could manipulate supernatural forces. Hangings for people who supposedly practice witchcraft happened continuously between 1647 and 1662, but the most dramatic incident of witch-hunting occurred in Salem in 1692. Accusations from the judge at a trial for several girls that had seizures spun out of control, resulting in the Massachusetts Bay trying 175 people of witchcraft and executing 19 of them. -
The Enlightenment Period
The Enlightenment was an intellectual and cultural movement, expanding throughout the entirety of the eighteenth century, which emphasized reason over superstition and scientific evidence over faith. Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Isaac Newton, and Voltaire questioned accurate knowledge and introduced rationalism and progressivism. -
French and Indian War Begins
The French and Indian War (1756-1763) began in the colonies, after years of conflict between England and France, when French settlers encroached on land that was claimed by the British. After seven years of fighting, the Treaty of Paris was created between France, Spain, and Great Britain. This document separated North America by colonial lines. This treaty was largely in favor of the British and caused tensions with other leading global powers. -
Pontiac's Rebellion and the establishment of the Proclamation Line
After the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763, Native American tribes rejected Frace's authority to cede it's land to Britain. Pontiac was a leader of the Odawa tribe that led a rebellion against the British colonists after they expanded their military presence. To neutralize the conflict of European-American territorial expansion, the British government issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763, a boundary line forbidding colonists from settling the lands west of the Appalachian mountains. -
Period: to
Period 3: 1763-1800
Period 3 focuses on the American Revolution, the Confederal Era, and the Early Federal Period. -
The Sugar, Stamp, Quartering, and Townshend Acts
After the Treaty of Paris was signed, Britain's sacrifices, including practicing salutary neglect and the tremendous amount of debt that collected, needed to be addressed now that they had more land. The only way that Britain though to alleviate its financial difficulties was by taxing the North American colonies. The Sugar, Stamp, Quartering, and Townshend Acts were created to increase taxes on imported goods and force colonists to provide the British soldiers with housing and food. -
The Boston Massacre
In March 1770, British soldiers stationed in Boston opened fire on a crowd. Killing five townspeople, the Boston Massacre intensified anti-British sentiment and proved Boston to be the center of radical revolutionary actions. This event was the first casualty of the American Revolution. -
The Tea Act, East India Company, and The Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act was a tax on tea that was collected by the British and benefitted The East India Company substantially. This act was protested heavily by the colonists as tea became very expensive and a monopoly was forming. In 1773 Boston radicals led by the Sons of Liberty boarded British ships filled with thousands of pounds of East India Company tea. They dumped nearly 350 crates into the harbor dressed as Indians. -
The Coercive Acts and The First Continental Congress
After the Boston Tea Party, Britain wanted to isolate Boston, specifically the radicals that went against the British Parliament, to punish them for their actions. In 1774, Parliament passed the Coercive Acts. In an attempt to show support for the British from Boston, delegates from all of the colonies except Georgia gathered in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress in the autumn of 1774. The First Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Colonial Rights and Grievances. -
The Revolutionary War begins with fighting at Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, was the first military involvement of the American Revolutionary War. The newly formed Contenitial Army won the battle, driving the British military back to the confines of Boston. The Treaty of Paris ends the war in 1783. -
The Declaration of Independence
As the Second Continental Congress took the position of a traditional government in the colonies, Congress was still limited as it still didn't have the authority to raise taxes or regulate commerce. On July 4, 1776, Congress introduced the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, composed by Thomas Jefferson, edited by the other delegates, and produced the final version that is kept in the National Archives museum today. -
Ratification of The Articles of Confederation
As delegates directed the war effort, Congress also considered the type of government that would replace British rule after the war ended. Congress established itself as the central governing authority under the Articles of Confederation. -
The Northwest Ordinance of 1784, 1785, and 1787
In the Ordinance of 1784, Congress created the Southwest and Mississippi Territories know as the "Old Northwest" to preserve its authority in the west. It stated that if those territories population grew, they could become states. The Land Ordinance of 1785 lowered the cost of land in those territories to $1 an acre. Finally, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 created territories that prohibited slavery and provide funds for schools. -
Shays' Rebellion
In 1786, Daniel Shays led an armed rebellion in Springfield, Massachusetts to protest the economic policies and political corruption of the Massachusetts state legislature. Shays’s Rebellion exposed the weakness of the government and redirected the underlying goal of the American Revolution. -
Ratification of the Constitution
Not long after the Articles of Confederation were ratified, many Americans felt as if it was focused on one chamber of legislation, there was no executive or judicial branch, and this form of government would not succeed. In 1788, the US government created the Constitution which granted more power to the states, created a separation of power, and created a more powerful central government. -
George Washington inaugurated as President of the United States
George Washington, a well-respected Revolutionary War General, became the United States' first president in 1789. As states decided to ratify the Constitution, Washington, the head of the executive branch, was responsible for enforcing government legislation. Not only did Washington succeed, but divisions started to form that would later become the first two political parties: Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists. -
The Ratification of the Bill of Rights
During the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, not only were the Articles of Confederation replaced with the Constitution but the Bill of Rights was proposed. The Bill of Rights guarantees certain rights and protections to U.S. citizens by limiting the power of the federal government. This document conveyed the theory of natural rights and promoted democracy. The Bill of Rights was later ratified and added to the Constitution. -
The French Revolution and the Proclamation of Neutrality
The American Revolution sparked other revolutions including the French Revolution. The United States had just ratified its new Constitution and Bill of Rights when the French asked for assistance. Washington decided to issue a Proclamation of Neutrality which stated that the U.S. would not participate in war and would stay neutral. This practice of isolationism continued to impact foreign policy for decades to come. -
XYZ Affair and the Alien, Sedition, and Naturalization Acts
The XYZ Affair was an incident between Franch and the US. The Jay Treaty with Great Britain and the U.S. angered France and started an undeclared war known as the Quasi-War. After the "war" ended, Congress cut trade with France. Federalists disliked the French and created the Naturalization Act that made the residency requirement fourteen years, the Alien Act authorized the deportation of foreigners, and the Sedition Act prohibited attacks on the president or members of Congress. -
The Election of 1800
The election of 1800 was a competition between the conflicting visions of the Democratic-Republicans, represented by Thomas Jefferson, and Federalists, represented by John Adams. The Federalists envisioned a strong central government and a thriving manufacturing sector, while the Democratic-Republicans wanted an independent, agrarian republic. This election was very contentious and harsh but ultimately ended with Thomas Jefferson in office. -
Period: to
Period 4, Part 1: 1800-1824
Period 4, Part 1 focuses on Westward Expansion, Mercantilism, and Republicanism. -
Louisiana Purchase
In 1800, after Spain ceded the Louisiana territory to France, Napoleon became consumed by the war in Europe and began to view the territory as a burden. In 1803, Napoleon voluntarily sold all 828,000 square miles to the United States for the bargain price of $15 million. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States. This allowed the environmental and economic composition of the country to dramatically change. -
Lewis and Clark's Expedition
In order to begin the expansion of the U.S. into the new, unknown Louisiana territory, Jefferson authorized a westward expedition led by U.S. Army volunteers Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second, Lieutenant William Clark. Aided by the help of a Shoshone woman, Sacagawea, their expedition lasted from 1803 to 1806. Lewis and Clark brought back new flora and fauna they encountered during their journey, as well as a variety of animals. -
Embargo Act of 1807
During Jefferson's presidency, the British navy seized U.S. ships, captured U.S. sailors, and forced the soldiers to serve in the British navy. In 1807, a British warship fired on a U.S. ship off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia. After firing, the British boarded the ship and took four sailors. Jefferson responded to this episode by signing the Embargo Act of 1807. This law prohibited American ships from leaving their ports until Britain and France stopped seizing them. -
Abolition of the Slave Trade Act
On March 25, 1807, the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act was official. Although this act made it illegal to engage in the slave trade in the British colonies, trafficking between the Caribbean islands continued. -
Non-Intercourse Act of 1809
As a result of the Embargo of 1807, American business activity declined by 75% in only one year. The embargo was very hard to enforce as goods were being smuggled between the U.S. and British Canada. At the end of his presidency, Jefferson signed the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809, lifting the unpopular embargoes on trade with all countries except Britain and France. -
The War of 1812
The War of 1812, which lasted from June 18, 1812, to February 18, 1815, was fought over issues such as Great Britain capturing American sailors and trade restrictions on American shipping. Although the Treaty of Ghent ended the war, both lands from Native American tribes that supported Britain and their political autonomy were damaged. -
The Era of Good Feelings
James Monroe, a Democratic-Republican, won the 1816 election and aided in the push against the collapsing Federalist Party. After the War of 1812, Monroe felt as if political parties were unnecessary in a well-functioning government. Monroe supported this period where politics were peaceful and extended these "good feelings" into national policy by convincing Congress to abolish all of the federal government’s internal taxes in the U.S., including property taxes. -
Missouri Compromise
In 1820, Congress passed a law, now known as the Missouri Compromise, that admitted Missouri to the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state. It was prominent that there were growing tensions over the issue of slavery, on whether or not new states should be free or slave states, so the compromise also banned slavery from the remaining Louisiana Purchase lands located north of the 36º 30’ parallel. -
Monroe Doctrine
President James Monroe, in a speech given to Congress in 1823, warned European powers to not interfere with the Western-Hemisphere or attempt any further colonization. Monroe stated that any interference that resembled these claims would be considered hostile by the U.S. As the U.S. was still a new country with no military or naval power, this statement was ignored by most globally influential countries. -
The Election of 1824
During the election of 1824, the Federalists party had virtually disappeared and the Republican Party was split, causing there to be five different candidates in the election. There were many different campaign tactics, even going so far as accusing Clay and Adams of corrupt bargaining. During Adams's presidency, he endorsed the American System, advocating for strengthening the Second Band of the U.S. and focusing on internal improvements. -
Period: to
Period 4, Part 2: 1824-1848
Period 4, Part 2 focuses on Jacksonian Democracy, Abolitionism, Individualism, and the early Women's Rights Movement. -
The Tariff of Abominations
The Adam's administration dealt with a major battle over tariffs. The Tariff of 1816 and 1824 protected New England manufacturers to prevent British imports from dominating the market and controlling industrial development. The Tariff of 1828 raised duties on raw materials, textiles, and iron goods, but it also enraged the south. The south called it the "Tariff of Abominations" as they either have to pay for expensive American textiles or high studied British imported goods. -
Election of 1828 and the Beginning of Jacksonian Democracy
After John Q. Adams won the election of 1824, supporters of Jackson formed the basis for what soon became known as the Democratic Party. Older politicians were infuriated when Jackson became president as he believed in a new approach to politics. Using the spoils system and a campaign strategy of politics of a common man, Jackson was able to bring sovereignty to the people, create more states' rights, destroy the U.S. bank, and outlaw nullification. -
Indian Removal Act
Early on in Jackson's presidential campaign, he established himself as being a white man that was against the interests of Native Americans and proposed politics that correlated with the forced removal of Native Americans from their native lands. During his presidency, Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which authorized the forced relocation of most Indian tribes to lands west of the Mississippi River. -
Nat Turner's Rebellion
Nathanial “Nat” Turner, born on a Virginia plantation, was given the opportunity to learn how to read, write, and practice religion even though he was enslaved. Once he was older, Turner led the only effective slave rebellion in U.S. history. The purpose of this revolt was to pass legislation prohibiting the education and assembly of enslaved people. Turner, along with 16 of his followers, were hanged at Jerusalem, Virginia. -
The Trail of Tears and Abolitionism
Instead of the U.S. government guaranteeing the Cherokee and other Native American tribes territory on their ancestral land during expansion out west, the government forced them off, most signing treaties that exchange their land for money and designated reservations in an Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. It took over 1,200 miles to walk to the new territory and almost 3,000 Indians died due to starvation and exposure. This journey is now known and the Trail of Tears. -
Jackson vetoes renewal of the Second Bank of the United States
Throughout his entire campaign, Jackson opposed the Second Bank of the U.S. as he felt that it conflicted with the interests of the common man. Jackson became apart of a political battle with Nicholas Biddle, the president of the Second Bank of the United States. Although the U.S. Supreme Court had declared the bank constitutional and had renewed its charter until 1836, Jackson was determined to have it shut down and vetoed the renewal. -
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Transcendentalism
During the mid-nineteenth century, rapid economic growth and geographical expansion fostered the idea of individualism and individuals having to fend for themselves. This development in society, literature, and philosophy is known as the American Renaissance. Ralph Waldo Emerson was a transcendentalist that speed the message of individual self-realization and progressive views on gender roles and communal living. Transcendentalism led to the development of utopias. -
The Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1873 threw the American economy, and the labor movements, into a panic as the British economy stopped supplying funds to American workers. American planters, merchants, and smaller corporations had to withdraw gold from banks to pay foreign debts. To stimulate the economy, state governments increased their investments in canals and railroads. -
Whig Party wins Election of 1840 with "Log Cabin Campaign"
After the Whig Party was formed in 1834 by Clay, Calhoun, and Daniel Webster, the Whig Party wanted a president that would approve their program of protective tariffs and a national bank. In the election of 1840, the Whig Party used the "log cabin campaign," which portrayed Harrison as a common man that was self-made and drank hard cider like every other citizen of the U.S. Using this campaign gave the Whig party the popular vote and a majority in Congress. -
The Election of 1844 and Manifest Destiny
James Polk, the Democratic nominee who won the election of 1844, was an advocate for the ideology of Manifest Destiny. Polk led the United States to victory over Mexico in the Mexican-American War and gained new land in the west. Manifest Destiny is a phrase used to describe the expansion of the U.S. throughout the entire continent. The main goal was to expand colonial society and Protestant beliefs. Manifest Destiny also created tensions between Native Americans and slaveholders. -
Period: to
Period 5: 1844-1877
Period 5 focuses on Manifest Destiny, the Civil War, and Strengthening Slavery. -
The Annexation of Texas
Until 1836, Texas had been part of Mexico, but in that year, Texas declared independence and called the new country the Republic of Texas. In 1845, Texas became the 28th state in the U.S. as a slave state. The annexation of Texas contributed to the beginning of the Mexican-American War over the disagreement about which river was Mexico’s true northern border: the Nueces or the Rio Grande. -
Mexican War begins and the Oregon Treaty
The Mexican-American War was disagreement about which river was Mexico’s true northern border: the Nueces or the Rio Grande. The end of the war confirmed that the Rio Grande was the border of Texas. The United States also acquired California, New Mexico, and Arizona, as well as parts of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. The Oregon Treaty settled the dispute between the United States and Great Britain over the area in Oregon located between the Columbia River and the 49th parallel. -
The Free-Soils Party and the American Anti-Slavery Society
A group of ordinary northerners, that joined the free-soil movement, rejected the spread of slavery and it affects equal land distribution and formed the Free-Soil Party in 1848. Rejecting slavery and advocating for natural rights for African Americans, hundreds of men and women in the Great Lakes states joined organizations that were supported by the American Anit-Slavery Society. Some supports of this movement include Fredrick Douglass. -
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of people, African American and white, that offered shelter and aid to slaves that escaped from the South. This network was created, spanning all the way for the deep south to states in the north where slavery was outlawed, to protect runaway slaves from bounty hunters that followed the new, more strict Fugitive Slave Act. Harriet Tubman was the most famous member of the Underground Railroad and helped over 70 enslaved people escape to the north. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a temporary solution to the issue of slavery, primarily aimed towards the status of newly acquired territories that the U.S. gained after the Mexican-American War. Under the compromise, California was admitted to the Union as a free state, the slave trade was outlawed in Washington, D.C., and the new territories of Utah and New Mexico would be granted popular sovereignty. -
Provisions of the Compromise of 1850: Stricter Fugitive Slave Law
Included in the Compromise of 1850, Congress created a new, stricter Fugitive Slave Law. This law required officials in all states and territories to assist with the return of enslaved people. No matter if they escaped, paid a substantial fine, or gained freedom in the north, they must be retired. Ordinary citizens were also required to participate or they would be fined or fines or imprisoned. -
Californian Gold and the Forty-Niners
In 1839, gold was found in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California and was hidden until 1848 when Americans flooded into California during westward expansion. After the discovery over 80,000 people, known as the forty-niners, arrived to California. Living crowed and chaotic towns, filled with mining camps, the forty-niners exploited the land and caused conflict over land rights with Native Americans and Mexicans. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo guaranteed respect for their land. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act and Party Realignment
Senator Douglas of Illinois wanted to open the line created by the Missouri Compromise of 1820, allowing the transcontinental railroad to link Chicago and California. The Kansas-Nebraska Act organized two new territories in the land acquired through the Louisiana Purchase, Kansas and Nebraska. This act not only allowed these territories to have popular sovereignty, but it also brought the rise to the Republican Party. -
Pottawatomie Massacre: "Bleeding Kansas"
In 1855, the Pierce administration accepted the proslavery legislature in Kansas. This decision was made base on corrupted voting results from border-crossing Missourians. In 1856, both sides turned violent. This territory was later labeled "Bleeding Kansas" as John Brown murdered five proslavery settlers at Pottawatomie. Brown's attack on Lawrence and the killings started a civil war in Kansas that killed over two hundred people. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford Court Case
In the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford case, the Supreme Court ruled that all people of African descent, free or slave, were not United States citizens. This meant that no judge, court, or even Congress could stop the spread of slavery and that no African American had the right to sue a federal court. Although the court came to this unlawful decision, Dred Scott was granted freedom. -
The Secession Crisis, The Confederate States of America, and the Civil War begins at Fort Sumter
Following Lincoln's election in November of 1860, the concept of secession grew throughout the Deep South. In just four months of Lincoln's inauguration, the Union has collapsed, the lower South seceded, and the Confederate States of America was formed. The Civil War began with the first violent battle at Fort Sumter. The Confederate Army did not exist yet and the Union won. -
The Homestead and Transcontinental Railroad Act
The Homestead Act, enacted in 1862, stated that any citizen, or perspective citizen, who has never gone against the U.S. government, could claim 160 acres to cultivate and build a successful dwelling. The Transcontinental Railroad Act promoted the construction of the transcontinental Railroad through government bonds and grants of land to railroad companies. -
The Emancipation Proclamation, Union Institutes Draft, and The Battles at Gettysburg and Vicksburg
Lincoln presented the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet on July 22, 1862. It was approved in 1863, promising that African Americans in the South, under no circumstances, would they be returned to slavery if the United States won the war. After the proclamation was instituted as a way to entice the Confederacy, the Union instituted a draft in order to win the battles at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. -
The Election of 1864 and Sherman's March
Lincoln's reelection in 1864 depended on General Sherman's attempt to capture the heart of the Confederacy, the city of Atlanta. On September 2, 1864, Sherman's army was successful. Completely taking back Atlanta gave Lincoln a clear win and legal emancipation was already being carried out at the edges of the South. -
Reconstruction
After the Civil War ended, the U.S. entered Reconstruction. Reconstruction, lasting until 1877, was a time period of integration and enforcing laws that promoted civil and political rights for African Americans. Three Amendments were added to the US Constitution: the Thirteenth Amendment (1865) ended slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment (1868) guaranteed African Americans natural rights, and the Fifteenth Amendment (1870) guaranteed black men the right to vote. -
The Black Codes and the Freedom's Bureau
After the Thirteenth Amendment was signed, ending the Civil War and slavery in all Union states, state governments across the South instituted laws known as Black Codes. The Black Codes gave African Americans the right to marry, own property, and sue in court, but it also made it illegal to serve on juries, testify against whites, or serve in state militias. In response, Congress established the Freedom's Bureau that assisted Africa Americans and other war refugees. -
Robert E. Lee Surrenders and Lincoln's Assassination
On April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee surrendered the last Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. Lee's surrender and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment ended the Civil War, but that was definitely not the end of the debate over slavery. Just six days later, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in the Peterson House. The assassination was apart of a larger scheme, directed by Booth, to revive the Confederacy by killing the Union's top government officials. -
Period: to
Period 6: 1865-1898
Period 6 focuses on Reconstruction, Nationalism, and Nativism. -
The Comstock Act
On March 3, 1873, Congress passed a law, later known as the Comstock Act, which made it a federal offense to distribute birth control through the mail or across state lines. This also included resources such as television, education about birth control, or discussing information about contraceptives in person. Many women protected this act and viewed education about contraception as a right. -
The Battle of Little Big Horn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, fought on June 25, 1876, near the Little Bighorn River in the Montana Territory was fought against Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong troops and Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. Tensions grew as gold was discovered on Native American lands. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse's men defeated the troops as they were outnumbered and unprepared. -
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, the Emergence of Labor Movements, and the Rise of Monopolies
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 was the country's first large railroad strike, causing violence and a brief halt in the country's commerce that it couldn't afford. As northern railroads were still recovering from the Panic of 1873, workers were getting less pay and worse working conditions. This not only sparked the formation of monopolies, as smaller businesses couldn't survive economic sessions, but labor movements formed, advocating for better working conditions and more pay. -
The Tuskegee Institute
The Tuskegee Institute was officially founded on July 4th, 1881, by Booker T. Washington. The school began as a normal school for African American teachers, but a year later, it was bought by Washington, a former slave, and moved to the grounds of an empty plantation. Washington transformed the school to be based on industrial rather than purely liberal education, and he became internationally famous for advocating for emancipated slaves. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act, passed in 1882, was an immigration law that prevented Chinese laborers and other Chinese immigrants from immigrating to the United States. This was the first immigration law that excluded an entire ethnic group from becoming U.S. citizens. In 1924, the law was extended to other Asian countries, not just specifically China. This act made a huge impact as the population of Asian immigrants is significantly lower than other ethnic groups. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act, U.S. legislation passed in 1890, which outlawed trusts, monopolies, and cartels. This act increased economic competitiveness and regulated interstate commerce. Without monopolies controlling the economy, working conditions and salaries were able to improve. -
The Massacre at Wounded Knee
Wounded Knee, located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota, was a site of conflict between Native Americans and the U.S. government. A massacre at Wounded Knee, that killed around 150 Native Americans, sparked protests on the conditions of the reservation. -
The Atlantic Compromise
On September 18, 1895, Booker T. Washington, in a speech that he gave at the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, advocated for vocational education for African Americans. This would give the opportunity for economic security for African Americans as well as social advantages or the opportunity to serve in a political positions. -
U.S. Diplomacy and Yellow Journalism
Yellow journalism was a style of newspaper reporting that provoked public interest or emphasizes excitement over facts. Yellow journalism helped provoke many wars, including the war with the U.S. and Spain in Cuba. -
Williams v. Mississippi Court Case
Williams v. Mississippi was a United States Supreme Court case that reviewed provisions of the 1890 Mississippi Constitution. This court case looked at requirements for voter registration. The divisions concluded with the installment of poll taxes and literacy tests for voters. This prevented most African American and Native American voters from voting as these tests were very subjective to the test administrator. -
The Annexation of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines
After the Spanish-American War, the U.S. was victorious and gained the right to observe Cuban affairs, even though they promised that they would not attempt in any way to annex Cuba. America's attempts at annexing countries didn't stop there as the United States acquired Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines as territories. -
Period: to
Period 7, Part 1: 1898-1918
Period 7, Part 1 focuses on the Progressive Era, Imperialism, and the Postwar Economy. -
The Open Door Policy
The Open Door Policy was an agreement between the U.S., China, and Japan, along with other European countries. This policy stated that each country involved should have equal access to Chinese trade. This not only created trade opportunities with the U.S. and China, but it also allowed the U.S. to get involved with other American interests in the East. -
McKinley's Assassinated
William Mckinley, the 25th president of the U.S., was assassinated on September 14, 1901. Vice President Roosevelt took his place as a successor to Mckinley who promoted American industry, raising protective tariffs, and kept the nation of the gold standard. -
Construction of the Panama Canal
Following the fail attempts by the French in the 1880s, the United States build the canal that stretched across a 50-mile stretch of the Panama isthmus in 1904. This canal aided in the advancement of America's economical status and trading opportunities seeing that it cut the time transportation time of goods in half. -
Pure Food and Drug Act and "The Jungle"
The U.S. House of Representatives, in response to "The Jungle" being published, passed the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. The conditions that the meat industry, along with drug companies, were terrible. As many Americans read "The Jungle," they start to see how when consumers got their meat, it could be expired, not properly labeled, or even not the meat that they thought they were purchasing. The Pure Food and Drug Act prohibited the sale of misbranded or adulterated food and drugs. -
The Hepburn Act
The Hepburn Act of 1906 was passed by the U.S. government as a law that gave the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) the power to set maximum railroad rates and extended its jurisdiction. This law was successful in forbidding railroads from increasing rates without approval from the federal government. -
The Muller v. Oregon Court Case
The Muller v. Oregon Court Case was decided in 1908 by the United States Supreme Court. The decision was made that women would be provided fewer work-hours than allotted to men. While this decision allowed women to be home more with their children, it did pose some questions about how this support equality between men and women in the workplace. -
The NAACP
The NAACP was founded on February 12, 1909, by a group of African Americans including W. E. B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells. The NAACP was founded as a civil right organization that advocates for anti-lynching and African American rights. -
The Election of 1912
The Election of 1912 consisted of Wilson, Roosevelt, and Taft. If not already, all of these men served as President in their lifetime. Untilentally Wison came out on top but it was a very bitter campaign as "New Freedom" and "New Nationalism" were two very different programs that would have different impacts on American politics. -
The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments and the Federal Reserve System
The Sixteenth Amendment, which authorized an income tax, and the Seventeenth Amendment, which provided the direct elections of Senators, was ratified by Congress in 1913. The Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States of America, was also instituted in 1913. This strengthened America's economy as it now had more central control over the financial system. -
WWI (1914-1918) and The Treaty of Versailles
After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, WWI officially began and lasted until 1918. During the war, the Central and Allied Powers fought using trench warfare and new military technology to kill over 16 million people. The War ended with the Allied Powers taking the victory and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. At the Paris Peace Conference, the treaty was signed and used to punish Germany and meet the demands of the other Allied Powers. -
The Clayton Antitrust Act
The Clayton Antitrust Act was passed by Congress in 1914. This legislation defied any sort of unethical business practices. This included price-fixing and monopolies. -
The Jones Act
The Jones Act was passed by Congress in 1916 to replace the Philippine Organic Act of 1902. This legislation acted as a constitution for the Philipines that could be used at a later date as the U.S. committed to the future independence of the Philipines. -
The U.S. Enters World War II
Although WWII began in September 1939 with Nazi Germany's attack on Poland, the U.S remained neutral. This was until Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. After the bombing, the U.S. declared that they were entering the war and proceeded to drop two atomic bombs on Japan just three years later. -
Period: to
Period 7: Part 2: 1918-1945
Period 7, Part 2 focuses on the Great Depression, WWII, and the Holocaust. -
The Red Scare
Postwar Americans were terrified of communism spreading and the radicals American communists were hiding, but only in few numbers with little political influence. In April 1919, postal workers found and defused third-four bombs that had been addressed to multiple government officials. Incidents like these, now known as the Red Scare, were used to provoke public fear and prevent the spread of communism. -
The Eighteenth Amendment
The Eighteenth Amendment was ratified on January 16, 1919, and went into effect one year later, on January 17, 1920. The Eighteenth Amendment declared the production, sale, and transport of alcohol illegal. The amendment didn't specifically outlaw the consumption of alcohol so many U.S. citizens stockpiled personal reserves of beer, wine, and liquor before it took effect in 1920. -
Politics in the 1920s
Although the involvement in WWI strengthened the U.S. economically and diplomatically, the 1920s was a decade of cultural and societal prosperity. Hollywood emerged with flappers, jazz, and speakeasies. Prohibition swept the country, consumer culture exploded, the Harlem Renaissance flourished, and the KKK brought a nationwide resurgence against African Americans, immigrants, Catholics, Jews, etc. -
The League of Nations
At the end of WWI, the League of Nations was established as an international peacekeeping organization. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was very enthusiastic about the League as it effectively resolved some international conflicts. The United States did not officially join the League of Nations as there were some concerns with some members of Congress. This concern shows as the League was not able to prevent WWII. -
The Nineteenth Amendment and the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)
On August 18, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. The Nineteenth Amendment granted women the right to vote, stating that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote... Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” The decade-long struggle to gain suffrage was justified as this amendment represented the women’s suffrage movement, which was led by the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). -
The National Origins Act
The National Origins Act of 1924 limited the number of immigrants allowed into the United States through a national origins quota. Each country was given a certain number of people that were allowed to come to the U.S. and apply to gain citizenship. -
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression
By 1927, evidence of the economy falling was prominent as consumer lending was the tenth-largest business in the country and an increasing number of Americans were buying into the stock market. This system would work if the economy continued to grow and the stock market climbed, but in 1929, the economy became too inflated and the stock market crashed. This steep fall in the economy caused a great deal of money to be lost and the country to enter the Great Depression. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt'd Presidency and the New Deal
The New Deal, instituted by Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression, was a series of programs that aimed to bring America out of the depression and help American's prosper. The New Deal worked quickly to stabilize the economy and create jobs. The New deal produced programs such as the CCC, the WPA, the TVA, the SEC, and others. -
The Bank Holiday
On March 6, 1933, President Roosevelt issued Proclamation 2039. This proclamation ordered the suspension of all banking transactions for a week. Roosevelt made this decision in order to scope out existing banks and make sure that they were functioning at a standard that wouldn't be shut down if another depression happened. If a bank was unstable, it would be shut down, funds transferred to a high functioning bank, and those banks would receive aid from the government to recover. -
The National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act)
On July 5, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Wagner Act. The Wagner Act was established by the National Labor Relations Board that guaranteed the right of employees to organize into trade unions, engage in collective bargaining, and strike. -
WWII and Wartime Tensions
As the Great Depression disrupted the entire world's economic life, an antidemocratic movement known as fascism was developed in Germany, Spain, and Japan. On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland with his National Socialist (Nazi) Party; two days later, France and Britain declared war on Germany. -
Japan's Attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This surprise attack killed 2,403 men and left the nation stunned and angered. In response to the attack, the U.S. entered WWII and declared war on Japan on December 8, 1941. -
The Holocaust
The anti-Semitic Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, conducted the mass murder of millions of European Jews, as well as millions of other people who he saw inferior including Gypsies, the intellectually disabled, and homosexuals, in a short time period of just 1933 to 1945. This time period is known as the Holocaust and approximately six million Jews and some 5 million others died by the hands of the Nazi Party and their followers. -
FDR and the End of World War II
On May 8, 1945, the Axis Power surrendered and WWII came to an end. Even though the fighting was officially over with Nazi Germany, the wasn't the end of the conflict as both Germany and America had developed atomic bombs and communism threatened to spread throughout the world. Only 22 days later did Hilter commit suicide with cyanide. -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In August of 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The two bombs combined killed around 210,000 people. Consisting of men, women, and children, President Truman justifies his authorization of the use of the bombs as motivation for Japan to surrender. Only days after the bombings, Japan surrendered.
