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Bessemer Process
Invented by Andrew Carnegie, in 1813. It mass produced steel through burning the impurities of pig-iron with extreme heat. This was the stepping stone for America to become an industrial superpower, and made steel the "building block" of America. -
Philanthropy
Philanthropy is the idea of giving generously towards good causes. We see this in Andrew Carnegie when started Carnegie Institute and established pension fund for teachers. Many other wealthy people began to follow suit and it would end up being a popular act to the eyes of the public. -
Temperance
The idea that alcohol should be moderately distributed or outright banned. This idea was popular with women, since many men would drink; get drunk, and become violent or incapable of work. Later the 18th amendment was passed due to popular support, but was later removed with the 21st amendment. -
Nativism
The idea to protect the interests of the American born people. This ideal became popular, when many Asian and European immigrants came over to America looking for better opportunities. This reduced the availability of work in America, which enraged the people. To prevent further issues acts like the Chinese Exclusion act were passed to reduce immigration. -
Kodak Camera
The Kodak Camera was invented by George Eastman. With this invention is created the ability to capture moments in time anywhere. After this, many people created motion picture films, and would ultimately lead to colored photos, movies, and SELFIES. -
Laissez Faire
Laissez Faire is the idea that the government is not to interfere with the economy. They thought that the economy was able to fix itself in times of crisis. President Herbert Hoover had believed in this, and inevitably led to the Great Depression. -
The Theory of Evolution
The theory was first coined by Darwin. It tells us that humans were evolved through millions of years of development and natural selection. This went against Protestant and Catholic beliefs, and so was made illegal to teach in some schools. Through Scopes Monkey Trial, we see Scopes try to go against these laws, but fail in the end. -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act of 1862 opened up a lot of land for people who wanted it. These include white men AND women, as well as black people. This allowed many minorities to get their own farmland and sustain themselves, as well as expanded the American nation as a whole. -
Morill Land Grant College Act
The Morill Land Grant College Act opened up federal land for States and territories to open up colleges for Agriculture and Mechanical arts. Depending on the amount of congressmen each State had, they would acquire up to 30,000 acres of land each. Many colleges today are a result of this act such as Cornell University. -
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan was founded during the 1800s as a group who despised any non-white person. After black were freed, the KKK membership rose rapidly, due to the discrimination of black people. Throughout the years, the KKK kept growing, and became a major political power in the United States. -
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Transforming the West
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Period: to
The Gilded Age
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Imperialism
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Knights of Labor
Founded by Terrence Powderly, and Uriah Stephens, the KoL became one of the most important and largest labor organization in the 1800s. The organization's main focus was to provide protection for workers against employer retaliations. It was popular among many laborers and reached memberships of up to 700,000 people. -
Transcontinental Railroad
The transcontinental railroad opened up in 1869 when the two railroad companies met in Promontory point. It is a connection of tracks that stretched from East coast to West coast. With its creation, the United States had an inter-trade network that helped increase its trade and economy through the use of steam powered trains. -
Promontory Point Utah
The Promontory Point in Utah, is the point when both railroad companies that worked on the Transcontinental railroad met for the first time, working from East to West Coast. With its creation, the United States had an inter-trade network that helped increase its trade and economy through the use of steam powered trains. -
Tenements
In the 1800s urban cities grew to exponential levels. Overcrowding was a very serious problem, and there was many issues that came along with it such as disease. To help combat this problem tenements were created, buildings similar to apartments, but ended up being overcrowded as well. -
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Becoming an Industrial Power
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National Park System
The National Park system is a system that helps create and manage national parks, and perform other conservationist acts. President Theodore Roosevelt was a firm believer in sustaining natural life, and passed many acts similar to this. -
Battle of Little Bighorn
The Battle of Little Bighorn was fought in the Montana territory. It was a conflict between the 7th cavalry regiment and different tribes in Montana. Led by General George Custer, it was a major defeat, as the Indians rained volleys of arrows on the troops as they circled them. -
Light Bulb
The Light bulb was an invention created by Thomas Edison. With its creation it was it helped light up the United States and the world. Using a wire filament and electricity, the wire was heated up to the point where it shined a dim light. -
Five and Dime Stores
Five and Dime stores were convenient shops that offered a wide variety of inexpensive items such as: candy, small trinkets, common items, which were all sold for less than a dime back then. This would be similar to our dollar stores of today. -
Steel
It was called the "building block" of America and was able to be mass produced through the Bessemer process. Steel was used to strengthen existing tools, and create strong and new ones. Steel was also a major material used in the building of many skyscrapers in America. Without steel America would not be able to become the industrial superpower it had been. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act in its most basic form, is nativism put to practice. It was an act to stop the flow of Asian immigrants to come in, since they had been a major problem to the American people, as they would take their jobs. -
Pendleton Act
The Pendleton Act is the act where political positions could only be acquired through merit and accomplishments, rather than being given due to political affiliation. This act is the total opposite of Andrew Jackson's spoils system. -
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
Buffalo Bill's Wild West show was a way for the people in the East to experience the west. This show included many different acts such as bull riding, gun-shows and reenactments of "daily" western life. Although most of these were inaccurate, it helped the people in the East to get an idea and romanticize about the West. -
Cattle Drives
Cattle drives were long journeys that cowboys went through to be able to get cattle to the North, where it was popular. Beef prices were through the roof because of this. Unfortunately these cattle drives ended due to the creation of barbed wire, where farmers would use it to mark their territory. -
Haymarket Riot
The Haymarket riot occured in Chicago's Haymarket square. It began as a laborer strike, but escalated when someone in the crowd through a bomb at the defending police. A total of 8 people died that day, and it had set back the laborers' movements for better working conditions. -
Dawes Severalty Act
The Dawes Severalty Act mainly affected the Indians in the United States. The act caused many tribes to dissipate, and be removed from their territory. Once that happened Americans would begin to assimilate the Indians into their society. They would punish any of the Indians for showing their old culture in any way. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was passed by congress under president Benjamin Harrison. This act prohibited monopolies to form, and stopped companies from forming trusts with one another. This in turn helped a majority of the economy be distributed among the citizens rather then major companies. -
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Progressive Era
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Wounded Knee
The Wounded knee was a massacre that occurred at Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It all began when police tried to arrest Sitting Bull for being a "Ghost Dancer", but they had killed him in the process. The cavalry surrounded a group of these "Ghost dancers", and told them to surrender their weapons. The Indians believing that their ancestors would be called down to protect, were gunned down by the army. In the end 150 native Americans died with no resistance. -
City Beautiful Movement
The City Beautiful Movement was lead by architects, landscapers, and reformers. It helped develop cities to make them look nicer, by adding civic centers, parks, and boulevards. It was meant to help shape urban landscape, and tie it to European origin. You can see this through the use of Baroque architecture. -
Depression of 1893
Also known as the Panic of 1893, the collapse began when railroad companies had run out of funds to create more railroads, which ended in bankruptcy. This caused them to close many railroads down, which was needed for trade to occur, causing a decline in the market. -
Pullman Strike
The Pullman Strike was started by labor workers, as an answer to the financial reverses that were related to the depression of 1893. Many Pullman workers decided to strike against the railroad companies, and stopped the country's railroad system for a bit. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was one of the most important Supreme Court Cases in U.S. history. It questioned the constitutionality of racial segregation laws. And in the the doctrine became that "separate but equal" is okay. -
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan, the perpetual loser. He was an orator and politician who was a democratic nominee for 3 different elections, never being able to win one. He is most famous for his Cross of Gold speech, where he talks about using silver as a currency for the U.S. There have also been theories that in the "Wizard of Oz", William Jennings Bryan is represented by the cowardly lion. -
U.S.S. Maine Incident
The U.S.S. Maine incident was an accidental explosion of the U.S.S Maine near the Havana Harbor. It is also a victim of Yellow Propaganda where the accident was taken out of proportions and villainized Spain. This would cause the people of America to want war with Spain and cause the Spanish-American war. Spain was not actually the cause of the explosion, but an internal accident where gunpowder was heated up by the engine, which caused an explosion. -
Battle of San Juan/San Juan Heights
The Battle of San Juan heights was one of the battles in the Spanish-American war. It was fought on the southern coast of Cuba, and the U.S. force was led by Theodore Roosevelt. He led his force called the "Roughriders" on a charge up a hill where they took control and won the battle. This is the battle where Theodore made a name for himself and became a war hero. -
Open Door Policy
The Open Door policy was created by the United States by President McKinley to defend its rights to trade with China. It protected equal privileges among other countries to interact with China. This allowed the U.S. to enter the scramble to control China and exploit its resources. -
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an engineer who worked for Edison's company, where he created the first gasoline-powered horseless carriage, which would be known as a car. He used a process of an assembly to mass produce cars, making them cheaper and more available for the regular citizen to purchase. The most popular of them all is the model T, which only costed up to $300. -
W.E.B. Dubois
W.E.B. Dubois was a philosophical thinker and an abolitionist who strove to get African Americans the rights they deserved. His main idea for blacks to gain their rights, is through political actions. He believes that white people would never accept blacks as equals, unless they actually reach that point. -
Political Machine
Political machines were a system of groups similar to mafias that control the flow of votes. These machines would be controlled by ward bosses, and would force people to vote, voters would usually not have choice of what they were voting for. -
Teddy Roosevelt
Teddy Roosevelt or TDR, was the 26th president of the United States. Previously he was a war hero, and was very popular with the citizens of the United States. He was in a way an imperialist, and wanted to expand the U.S. power, using the Great White Fleet and Big Stick policy to show power. -
Big Stick Policy
The Big Stick Policy was created by Theodore Roosevelt. The quote "speak softly but carry a big stick" explains it. It means that the U.S. must always be ready to use force. He displays the U.S's naval power (The Great White Fleet) to show that the U.S. is not just a push over. -
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer rebellion was a uprising of Chinese people against foreign invaders. The government funded an organization called the The Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists. The members of this group would fight off foreigners using martial arts. This group would then siege Beijing's foreign legation district, but would end up being put down. The Chinese government was find and China was now fully under the power of other foreign nations. -
Platt Amendment
This amendment gave the US the right to take over the Island of Cuba if that country entered into a treaty or debt that might place its freedom in danger. This amendment also gave the U.S. the right to put a naval base in Cuba to protect it and the US holdings in the Caribbean. This amendment was resented very much by the Cubans. -
Muller v. Oregon
A landmark decision in United States Supreme Court history, as it relates to both sex discrimination and labor laws. The case upheld Oregon state restrictions on the working hours of women as justified by the special state interest in protecting women's health. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
The Pure food and Drug Act was passed due to many food manufacturers and producers distributing unsanitary products to the public. The act that prohibited the manufacture, sale, or shipment of impure of falsely labeled food and drugs. -
Great White Fleet
The Great White Fleet was a group of white ships that sailed around the world to display America's naval power. This played a part in Theodore Roosevelt's Big Stick Policy. -
Bull Moose Party
The Bull Moose Party was a 3rd party in the election of 1912. Created by Theodore Roosevelt it called for major reforms including women's suffrage, social welfare assistance for women and children, farm relief, revisions in banking, health insurance in industries, and worker's compensation. The party split the Republican party in half, which ultimately gave the victory to the democratic party in the election. -
17th Amendment
Passed in 1913, this amendment to the Constitution calls for the direct election of senators by the voters instead of their election by state legislatures. -
Federal Reserve Act
This act created the Federal Reserve system, and also gave the authority to issue federal reserve notes. This act helped create a more stable, flexible, and safer monetary system. -
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
He was the heir of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. He was assassinated by a serbian named princip Sarajevo in 1914. This event sparked a series of actions that led to the beginning of WWI. -
Trench Warfare
Trench warfare was developed to combat the new machine guns in World War 1. Since new weapons and technologies in war were devastating, these trenches would barely ever move. Tanks were developed to break the trenches and shift the tide of the war. -
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World War I
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Panama Canal
The Panama Canal was completed in 1914. It was created in Panama which was under control of Columbia at the time. T.D.R. helped Panama become independent so that they could create this Canal. This canal uses a system of locks to carry ships to different levels of water, and it would be the fastest way from the Atlantic to the Pacific. -
Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington was a prominent thinker, and abolitionist and believed that building a strong economic base was more critical at that time than planning an uprising or fighting for equal rights. Washington also stated in his famous "Atlanta Compromise" speech in 1895 that blacks had to accept segregation in the short term as they focused on economic gain to achieve political equality in the future. -
RMS Lusitania
The Lusitania was a British passenger ship that was sunk by a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915. 128 Americans died. The unrestricted submarine warfare caused the U.S. to enter World War I against the Germans. -
Great Migration
The great migration was the massive movement of African Americans to the northern urban areas of the United States during World War I. Some of these African Americans were looking for work opportunity, but most were looking to run away from Jim Crow. Eventually the KKK would end up following the masses of black people to North. -
Zimmerman Telegraph
A coded telegram dispatched by the Foreign Secretary of the German Empire, Arthur Zimmerman, on January 16, 1917, to the German ambassador in Mexico, Heinrich von Eckardt, at the height of World War I. The telegram instructed the ambassador to approach the Mexican government with a proposal to form a military alliance against the United States. It was intercepted and decoded by the British and its contents hastened the entry of the United States into World War I. -
First Red Scare
The First Red Scare was the fear the American people had of communism. When the United States heard news of the Russian Revolution and communism after the war, many were skeptical. America had a free enterprise sort of economy, and communism was the total opposite of that. Many would join the communist party, because of the Depression later on. -
Jazz
After the war in the 1920s, Jazz became a very popular genre of music. It helped convey the emotion and feelings of the person playing it, and would lead to many different type of Jazz. African Americans were the original inventors of this music, but since it was so popular white people start to adopt it as well. -
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Force was led by General John J. Pershing. It was dispatched in Europe that acted on its own accord to aid in WWI efforts. -
Russian Revolution
Also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia was currently under the rule of a Czarist government. It was led by farmers, workers, and women to overthrow the government. A civil war erupted and the royal family of Russia was murdered and the government was reformed. This also meant that Russia was out of the war. -
Wilson's 14 Points
Wilson's 14 Points was created after World War I. It was a set of plans to help maintain world peace between all nations alike. The most important of them all is the League of Nations where countries would talk about their issues rather than confront with military powers, this would end up becoming the United Nations today. -
Espionage Act
After the war, the United States government passed the Espionage and Sedition act. Fear of communist spies, anarchist and radicalist the government silenced people from talking about the war, so as to not cause panic among everyone. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles marked the end of the first World War. Signed in Versailles, France, the treaty blamed Germany for all of the causes and damages during the war. All countries except for the U.S. wanted revenge on Germany, which would end up leading up to World War II. -
Explosion in Car Owner Ship
With Henry Ford's success in the car industry, and the assembly line being implemented cars became the next big thing. Cars were cheap enough for everyone to use, and people would buy them for the joy of it. It allowed for better trade, transportation, and recreational activities. -
Radio
The radio was invented by Guglielmo Marconi. In America it was the television in the 1920s. Families would gather around to listen to sport broadcasts, daily news, and entertainment programs. -
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a black artistic movement in New York City in the 1920s, when writers, poets, painters, and musicians came together to express feelings and experiences, especially about the injustices of Jim Crow. It promoted jazz, and African American culture to the white people and popularized many things we have today. -
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1920s
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19th Amendment
Throughout American history women have always gotten the short end of the stick. Women had constantly fought for their rights, adn tried many times to become equal to men. The women's suffrage movement was one of them and this resulted in the 19th amendment which was passed in 1920, and provided women the right to vote. -
Tea Pot Dome Scandal
In 1921, a scandal during the Harding administration involved the granting of oil-drilling rights on government land in return for money. This was one of the biggest scandals during Harding's presidency. -
Henry Cabot Lodge
Henry Cabot Lodge was a chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He actively spoke to prevent the United States from join the League of Nations. “The United States is the world's best hope, but if you fetter her in the interests and quarrels of other nations, if you tangle her in the intrigues of Europe, you will destroy her power for good and endanger her very existence.” -
Mein Kampf
When Hitler was convicted for treason in Germany, he had time to write Mein Kampf. This literally translates to "My Struggle", in it he wrote about his major plan and schemes, as well as the idea for the Third Reich. Through this he gathered many followers and it would begin the road to the second world war. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
John scopes was a high school biology teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, he was accused of violating Tennessee law by teaching the theory of evolution to his students. Scopes was convicted and lost his job; laws against teaching evolution remained but were rarely enforced. -
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover was one of the worst president in history. There were many signs that showed a decline in the economy, but since Hoover was a firm believe in Laissez Faire he did nothing to stop it. As the depression began he was blamed for all of it, and was mocked by naming slums "Hoovervilles" and empty pockets "Hoover Flags". When he tried to run for a second term, he lost by over 90% of votes to Franklin Roosevelt. -
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The Great Depression
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Valentine's Day Massacre
On 1929 gang members from Al Capone, impersonated policemen and invaded a factory of workers. These workers were supposedly apart of an opposing gang, and were asked to line up against the wall for inspection. One of the Al Capone's goons pulled out a gun and murdered all 7 of the workers. -
The Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl was a great devastation in the Midwest of the United States. It was a series of dust storms that were caused through the use of poor agricultural techniques, deforestation, and natural drought. Dirt was picked up by 50 mph winds and would darken the skies. Many people were affected by the Dust Bowl, and it would be the worst of its name. -
Election of 1932
This election occurred during the Great Depression, a fresh and energetic Franklin Delano Roosevelt ran against the Herbert Hoover. FDR pushed his ambiguous "new deal", and the public followed him eagerly. Since Hoover's presidency was terrible he lost to over 90% of votes in the United States. -
The New Deal
The New Deal was created by Franklin Roosevelt, it was the main thesis for his campaign in the election of 1932. The New Deal was meant to reform government and the economy through federal programs. Most of these programs alleviated problems in the Great Depression, but not all of them were able to get through. -
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was the niece to Theodore Roosevelt, and married to Franklin Roosevelt. She was one of the greatest first ladies in American history. She secretly performed as the eyes, legs, and ears for Franklin Roosevelt, and helped nurse him when he had polio disease. She was a firm believer in civil rights, and supported African Americans in every way possible. She was effectively the only person in the world who was not racist. -
Third Reich
The Third Reich is Hitler's idea of the perfect empire. It was established in the 1930s, and the NAZI party was the leading group of the empire. The main symbol of the Third Reich is the Swastika a Hindu symbol for peace flipped. -
Bank Holiday
The Bank Holiday was a period in time where FDR closed all the banks in America for 4 days. It was created in order to prevent the economy to collapse even further during the depression, since many people were trying to withdraw money, and stock was declining. -
21st Amendment
The 21st Amendment was passed in 1933, and abolished the 18th amendment. The 18th amendment had banned alcohol from being distributed and produced throughout America, due to many prohibition/temperance movements. Now people can drink all they want, but only after the age of 21. -
Hitler
Adolf Hitler was a rising dictator after World War I. He was a good orator with a charismatic attitude. He despised what the other nations did to Germany and sought to make the German empire great again. Easily rising to the top, he became the chancellor, and led the German people to greatness, and formed the Third Reich. Following the ideas from his book "Mein Kampf" he began World War II so that he could bring glory to Germany. -
Huey Long "The Kingfish"
Huey long was a Louisiana governor that wanted to help underprivileged people by improving education, medical care, and public services. He developed the "Share-Our-Wealth" program, which helped spread the wealth among all people. Huey long stood as a major threat to FDR, but unfortunately was assassinated. -
Wagner Act
Throughout the 20th centuries, workers have been exploited by their employers. Many would be under payed or worked in terrible conditions, only to not have the power to do anything about it. The Wagner act fixes this issue and gives union workers the ability to collectively bargain with management. -
Social Security Act
The Social Security Act was part of the New Deal. This was a safety net for situations such as the great depression. Citizens would have the right to get some federal funds, so that the economy does not collapse to rock bottom. -
Munich Conference
The Munich conference was held in Munich Germany. Adolf Hitler met with Neville Chamberlain where they negotiatied to permit Germany to annex Czechoslovakia territory around Germany, which came to be known as the Sudetenland. -
Blitzkreig
The Blitzkreig was the main Nazi Germany Strategy used in World War II. Similar to the the Schlieffen plan, the idea was to swiftly defeat the enemies on the Western front, and then focus their attention on the other side. The Blitzkreig was an enhanced form of the plan, and used every military resource to run over the opposing side. -
Invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland was the first act by Germany that sparked the second world war. The invasion occurred after Hitler recently signed the non-aggression pact with the other nations. Since Germany was able to develop their military without any intervention, they easily invaded Poland and took its territory. -
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World War II
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Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was an attack by the Japanese empire during World War II. The United States was cutting off supplies to Japan slowly, because they did not want Japan to control different parts of Asia. So Japan decided to be aggressive and bombed Pearl Harbor, with the intention to destroy the U.S. aircraft carriers. -
D-Day
Led by Eisenhower, over a million troops (the largest invasion force in history) stormed the beaches at Normandy and began the process of re-taking France. The invasion was successful and the Allied forces successfully liberated France from the Germans, and this marked the turning point for the war. -
Atomic Warfare
In the beginning of the war, Germany had began the development of atomic weapons. However, the United States was the only nation that was able to successfully create an atomic bomb. These bombs were used on Japan in 1945, two bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This would mark the end of the second World War. -
Death of FDR
Franklin Roosevelt died of a stroke in 1945, 2 months into his fourth term as president, and a few weeks away from the end of the second World War. He was one of the greatest presidents, who strove to get America out of depression, and was always the ray of hope for the American people. After his death vice president Truman took his place.
