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End of Civil War
Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrended to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at the Virginia village of Appomattox Court House. With Lee's surrended, the Civil War was practically over (the last shot of the war would be fired in less than three months) and the Confederacy was defeated. The United States of America was reunited, and slavery would proceed to be abolished. -
President Lincoln assassinated
Only days after General Lee's surrender, Union president American Lincoln was shot by southerner John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater, Washington, D.C. Lincoln, who guided the Union through the American Civil War and held it together, would die the next day. Following his death, vice president Andrew Johnson would assume the role of president and lead the nation during Reconstruction. -
U.S. buys Alaska
The United States bought Alaska from Russia, making Alaska the first American territory not connected to the continental United States and beginning American expansion into the Pacific Ocean in the late 19th century. At the time, Russia was financially strained, and selling Alaska helped to strengthen their economy. The purchase was orchestrated by Secretary of State Howard Seward, and at the time had the nickname "Seward's Folly" because no one believed Alaska was worth anything. -
First transcontinental railroad completed
Following seven gruelling years of building, a railroad was completed that connected the east and west coasts. The Central Pacific RailRoad began on the west coast and hired mostly Chinese workers, while the Union Pacific RailRoad began in Omaha and hired mostly Irish workers. The two were joined in Ogden, Utah, and connected with a gold spike to commemorate the event. -
Black Friday
Millionaires Fisk and Gould together created a plan to gain near control of America's gold market in a single day. They bribed President Grant and his brother to do nothing as the they bought massive amounts of gold in order to create a monopoly. Grant, however, betrayed the two, and order the Treasury to sell government gold to the public, and saved the American economy as a result. -
Standard Oil Company formed
John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil in Ohio, and Rockefeller soon made a monopoly of the oil business in America. Using this company, Rockefeller invented the business method of the "trust," where lesser companies will give their stock to a larger company. -
Tweed Scandal
For years, William "Boss" Tweed controlled much of New York City through the political machine Tammany Hall. When an insider began to slip information on Tweed's corruption to The New York Times in 1871, the paper printed all of it and caused Tweed to be exposed for what he really was. Tweed was arrested, and Tammany Hall slowly declined in power from then on. -
Credit Mobilier scandal
In 1864 the Union Pacific Railroad company created the Credit Mobilier company with its own members, and the UPR hired Credit Mobilier for jobs. This was part of a plot to gain huge amounts of money by hiring themselves, and high-ranking government officials were bribed to let them do this. In 1872 the plot was exposed, and an investigation discovered that a number of congressmen and the vice president were in on it. -
Liberal Republican Party movement
Formed in 1870, the Liberal Republican Party was an attempt to reform the White House by those unsatisfied with the Grant presidency. The party chose The New York Times editor Horace Greeley as their candidate for the presidency, and the Democrats shocked the nation by also choosing him as the candidate and absorbing the Liberal Republicans. Greeley was enigmatic and controversial, however, and cost they from winning the election, and Grant stayed in office for a second term. -
Panic of 1873
This financial depression was caused by the business failures of overly ambitious businessmen who took huge loans from banks that they were subsequently unable to pay back. The debtors then conspired to have more paper money printed in order to easily pay off these debts. President Grant, however, had the Treasury stock as much gold as possible, though in hindsight this only worsened the depression. -
Telephone Invented
Alexander Graham Bell was a man who worked with deaf people, and eventually he became inspired to create a long-distance communication method. The telephone, which allows people to hear what they are saying from many miles away, exploded in popularity almost instantly. -
Compromise of 1877
The presidential election of 1876 was a hotly debated, close-call election, and both sides argued heavily over the results of the votes in desperate attempts to win. In the end, a compromise was reached: Republican Rutherford B. Hayes would take the presidency, and in return military Reconstruction would be brought to an end. This also brought an end to the Republican Party's pursuit of equal rights for African Americans. -
Lightbulb Invented
Thomas Edison created many innovative inventions during the late 19th century. His most well known, however, is the electric lightbulb, which created light without any fire. While today there is some controversy as to whether he really invented it himself, lightbulbs soon lit the streets of every big American city every night. -
Garfield Assassination
Republican president James A. Garfield was shot and (eventually) killed by a Stalwart. Vice president Chester Arthur became head of state, and, to the nation's shock, reformed and "cleaned up" the government and stopped giving out jobs and accepting bribes. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Following the American Civil War, many Chinese worker were hired for cheap wages to build railroads from the Pacific coast to the great plains. Around half of them stayed in America, however, and this created competition between the Chinese and other immigrants for jobs, leading to violent clashes. In response, Congress passed this act preventing any further Chinese Immigration into the United States. The law stayed in effect until 1943. -
Civil Rights Cases
In 1883, the Supreme Court ruled that is was only illegal for sectors of government to deny civil rights, but the businesses and individuals are not bound by this law. As a result, the so-called "Jim Crow" laws rose in the South to prevent blacks from certain rights. The Court also deemed thr Civil Rights Act of 1875 to be unconstitutional. -
Pendleton Act
Perhaps President Arthur's most important reform, the Pendleton Act created the Civil Service Commission. The commission authorized a series of tests for those who wanted a government job, and only those who did well could get a job. This prevented politicians from simply handing out jobs to their supporters as 'gifts.' -
Interstate Commerce Act
In one of the government's first attempt to limit the powers of business, this act was made in an attempt to limit the power of railroad industries before they reached monopoly levels. It set a number of restrictions that all railroad companies would have to meet, and created a commission to oversee that these were met. Some cunning railroad tycoons, however, managed to use the law to their advantage and hide some other corruption going on in their companies. -
Homestead Strike
Following cuts to their wages, the workers at the Pennsylvania steel mill Homestead striked against boss Andrew Carnegie. Eventually over 300 guards from the Pinkerton National Detective Agency were called in the help quiet down the strikers. This strike ended in defeat for the strikers. -
Depression of 1893
Caused by series of events similar to the Panic of 1873, this depression caused the government surplus to become a deficit. Shockingly, the government did nothing and believed that, with patience, things would prosper again. This depression was also notable for its several farmer revolts. -
Pullman Palace Car Strike
Following the Panic of 1893, many companies were very hard hit, including the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago. After they significantly cut worker wages, the company was faced with a strike where the workers caused major property damage to the company. The strike was eventually put down by federal troops on presidential orders. -
Cuban War of Independence begins
During the late 19th century, Cuba, then a Spanish colony, was under tough economic conditions and oppression from the Spanish. The island then revolted against Spain beginning in 1895. The next year, Spain sent General Weyler to restore order, and he lead an infamous campaIign to suppress the revolutionaries. -
Venezuelan Border Dispute
Venezuela and the British colony Guiana had a border dispute in 1895 when gold was discovered in the area claimed by both countries. Following pressure from the United States and a Boer rebellion in South Africa, Britain agreed to have a settlement with Venezuela. Most of the area went to Great Britain. -
Morgan saves government
The Panic of 1893 put the United States government in a dangerous economic situation, and the government couldn't do much about it. President Cleveland begged wealthy banked J.P. Morgan to donate $65million to the government in order to save the economy. This was a highly controversial move that brought much criticism towards the government and especially Cleveland. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
Plessy vs. Ferguson was a Supreme Court case involving a mostly-white man with some black blood in him who refused to move to the colored section of a train. The Court ruled that any segregation was legal as long as the different facilities were "separate but equal." Most African American facilities were almost always of lesser quality than their white equivalents, however. -
Library of Congress
The new Library of Congress building was finished and opened to the public in 1897. When it was founded, the Library had over 800,000 books in the collection. The original Library of Congress building was destroyed by the British in the War of 1812. -
The Maine Explosion
The Maine was an American battleship sent to Havana, Cuba, that mysteriously exploded not long into its voyage. This incident elevated tensions between Spain and the United States, with the latter blaiming Spain for causing the explosion. Today it is generally agreed upon that the boilers on the ship exploded accidentally. -
Spanish-American War
Following the Maine explosion, the United States declared war on Spain. The war lasted less than four months, and America swiftly and successfully attacked the Spanish overseas possessions of Cuba, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico before the Spanish surrended. Interestingly, most American deaths in the war were caused by diseases rather than battles. -
Battle of Manila Bay
Led by Commodore George Dewey, the American navy attacked Manila, Philippine Islands, and quickly defeated the Spanish fleet. America had no losses in the battle, and every Spanish ship was destroyed. To this day, this battle is considered on of the American navy's greatest victories. -
Hawaii Annexation
Hawaii, a group on islands almost in the center of the Pacific Ocean, had long been an interest of America, who looked at the islands as a valuable sea port. Americans began to colonize the island, and in 1893 they staged a successful coup over the existing monarchy of Hawaii. Though then-president Grover Cleveland initially refused to annex the islands, in 1898 the next president, William McKinley, was very glad to add them to American territory. -
Philippine-American War
A number of Filipinos were very unhappy with America's decision to annex the islands, and a revolt began in 1899. The rebellion was unusually strong, and managed to last until 1902. The primary leader was Emilio Aguinaldo. -
America takes the Philippines
After the Spanish-American War, the United States had little idea what to do with the Philippines Islands, with some arguing for (temporary) territorial status and others for Philippine self-rule. Eventually, President McKinley decided to take the island under America's wings, much to the dismay of some. The islands would remain under American rule until after World War II. -
Boxer Rebellion
A response to the growing foreign influence in China, a group nicknamed the "Boxers" led a rebellion in an attempt to remove all foreign powers from the nation. The rebellion was eventually stopped by an army consisting of the forces of eight nations, including America. After this the "Open Door" policiy proposed by the United States went into effect, preventing any country from having control of China. -
McKinley Assassination
William McKinley became the third president to be assassinated when he was shot while making a public appearance in Buffalo. He died eight days later, and Theodore Roosevelt became the new president. T. Roosevelt would, over the course of his presidency, fully establish the United States as a world power, and the United States had near-complete control over Latin America. -
Insular Cases
The Insular Cases were a series of Supreme Court cases that decided the extent of American rightsthat American territories had. The rulings effectively declared that, even though territories were under American rule, they did not have all of the rights that states had. For example, Puerto Rico is protected by the American military in case of invasion, but it does not have voting rights in Congress. -
Panama gains "independence"
At the turn of the century, present-day Panama was then part of Columbia, which refused to give the United States permission to build a canal across the isthmus. Following an incident that killed a Chinese citizen, the United States used a legal loophole to prevent the Columbians from sending troops, and after only a few days President Roosevelt recognized the new Republic of Panama. This new nation was mostly just a front by America in order to build the canal. -
Panama Canal begins construction
Construction on the hugely ambitious Panama Canal began in 1904, and ended in 1914. The costruction faced an outbreak of yellow fever and the difficult task of building the canal through many miles of land. The area around the canal, called the Canal Zone, remained in American possession until 1999. -
Roosevelt Corollary
The nations of Latin America were often at risk of getting taken over by European powers when they were in debt to the powers. To prevent European powers from gaining land in the western hemisphere, President Roosevelt added what became known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. This declared that America would assume payment of any future Latin American debts and, in effect, take temporary control of the countries. -
Treaty of Portsmouth
In 1904, Russia and Japan went to war over territories in China. Only fifty years after Matthew Perry forced them out of isolation, Japan had become strong enough to fight a European army and almost effortlerssly defeated the Russians multiple times. President Roosevelt arranged peace between the two nations, with the Japanese allowed to take part of the island Sakhalin and occupy Korea. -
Great White Fleet
To show off the new might of the United States Navy, President Roosevelt sent sixteen warships to sail around the world beginning in 1907. The voyage was both a success politically, because it showed other nations just how modernized America had actually become, and with the world public, who were amused by the demonstration. As an indirect result of the voyage, America and Japan agreed to not go to war over their ambitions in the Pacific. -
NAACP founded
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in 1909. The organization's goal was to promote equality for African Americans and discourage racism. One of the founding members was W.E.B. Du Bois. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire
A fire started on the eighth floor of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company building. Due to unreasonable conditions by the company, 146 workers died when they were unable to escape the fire. This shocking incident led to more workplace protection being placed in factories. -
Seventeenth Amendment
The Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution changed the process of electing Senators. Previously, the state legislature would decide who the state's Senators would be. After the ratification of the amendment, Senators were elected directly by the state's voters. -
Titanic sinks
The Titanic, then the largest ship in the world, struck an iceberg and sank during her maiden voyage. The ship was sailing from Southampton, England, to New York City. Almost half of the inhabitants died. -
Universal Studios founded
Motion picture studio Universal was founded by Carl Laemmle in New York. Universal would quickly became one of the most important studios in movie history. Laemmle himself would be removed as president following the financially strenuous production of 1936's "Show Boat." -
Election of 1912
In early 1912, former president Theodore Roosevelt lost the Republican Party nomination then-president William Howard Taft. Roosevelt responded by running as the candidate for another party, the Progressive Party (aka the "Bull Moose Party"). This split the Republican voters between the two, allowing Democrat Woodrow Wilson to win the election. -
New Mexico and Arizona added
In early 1912, Arizona and New Mexico were admitted to the union. New Mexico was the 47th state, and Arizona the 48th. They were the last two states to be admitted into the continental United States, the two later states being separated by the other forty-eight. -
Sixteenth Amendment
The 16th Amendment to the Constitution allowed the national government to collect an income tax from citizens and organizations. This means that each citizen would have to pay the tax based on their income, and it would be different for households or businesses with different incomes. -
Vera Cruz Occupation
Earlier in April 1914, a group of American sailors was arrested by Mexican police in the town of Tampico. Angered, President Wilson ordered American troops to occupy Vera Cruz. Mexico was then in the depths of a revolution, and this incident was one of the first times foreign powers had to interfere with the country. -
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand, the Archduke of Austria-Hungary, and his wife were shot and killed by Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, a city in what was then Austrian Bosnia. Princip was a Bosnian nationalist who wanted the region to become part of the bordering nation Serbia. The assassination would become the immediate cause of World War I one month later. -
The Birth of a Nation released
D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation was released in 1915, and was a landmark in movie history, establishing filming and storytelling techniques that were copied by subsequent generations of filmmakers. However, today, the movie's pro-KKK message has been attacked by modern viewers, and the racial implications of the movie are looked down upon. -
Lusitania sinking
The RMS Lusitania, a British ship carrying people from multiple nations (including America) was sunk by a German submarine off the coast of Ireland. Nearly 1,200 of the ship's passengers and crew were killed during the sinking. This incident began an anti-German movement within the United States and helped contribute to America eventually entering World War I. -
America goes to war
Following the Zimmermann Note scandal, the United States declared war on Germany. The subsequent wave of American resources and troops into Europe would be largely responsible for the defeat of the Central Powers. -
Germany surrenders
Following a gruelling four years of war, Germany, faced with inevitable defeat, surrendered to the Allied Powers, making it the last Central Power to surrender and thus ending the war. Years later, in 1940, Adolf Hitler forced the French to surrender in the same train carriage that the Germans previously surrendered in 22 years earlier. -
Eighteenth Amendment passed
The 18th amendment prohibited the sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic beverages with America and its territories. The amendment would later be repealed by the 21st amendment in 1933. The period when the 18th amendment was in effect in referred to as Prohibition. -
Paris Peace Conference begins
Following World War I, the Allied countries met in Paris to negotiate peace terms and the fate of the losing Central Powers. The conference led to the founding of several new nations, such as Poland and Czechoslovakia, and severely punished the Central Powers, particularly Germany. However, the conference failed to truly resolve any of the war's issues, and they would eventually show themselves again in World War II and other conflicts. -
League of Nations founded
The League of Nations was the first international government organization founded to prevent war. However, the United States did not join, largely because many politicians saw it as an alliance. This, along with the organization's lack of armed forces to enforce decisions, led to the League's failure and eventual replacement by the United Nations. -
Nineteenth Amendment passed
The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, and was the final amendment extending voting rights within the United States. The passing of the amendment made years of struggle of suffragists such as Alice Paul and Susan B. Anthony successful. Interestingly, the amendment was passed while President Wilson was incapacitated and his wife, Eleanor, controlled who did and did not see him, basically controlling him as a result. -
Time magazine begins publication
Time, a weekly news magainze founded in New York City, began publication. Today, the red-bordered is the world's most popular news magazine. -
President Harding died
President Warren Harding died due to health complications following a trip to Alaska. Vice President Calvin Coolige then became President, and would serve an additional term after completing Harding's. Harding died during controversy over the corruption of his staff. -
Disney Studios Founded
Two brothers, Walt and Roy Disney, founded an animation studio in Burbank, California, in 1923. The company eventually became a media empire, and revolutionized the animation and entertainment industries. -
Immigration Act of 1924
This act limited immigration into the United States to 2% of that nationality's American population in 1890 per year. This date was chosen to limit immigration from countries in Southern and Eastern Europe, which were low during 1890. Additionally, the act banned all immigration from Asian countries. -
Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
This act granted citizenship to all American-born Native Americans. The 14th Amendment only granted citizenship to all American-born people under the government's jurisdiction, excluding several Native American people as a result. -
The Great Gatsby is published
The most famous work of F. Scott Fitzgerald, even if it wasn't his most successful work when it first came out. The novel exposes the corruption of the upper class during the 20's and defends those of lower classes hurt by their success. -
Scopes Trial
John Scopes was a Dayton, Tennessee, school teacher was found guilty of teaching evolutionary theories to his students, which was then illegal in the state. Defending him was Clarence Darrow, and William Jennings Bryan argued on the side of the school board. Despite Scopes being found guilty, today the trial, popularized as the "Monkey Trial," is noted for bringing public attention to evolution and causing a decline in popularity in fundamentalism. -
KKK March on Washington
Approximately 40,000 members of the Ku Klux Klan held a march in Washington, D.C.. Following the war, the KKK had a revival in popularity, due largely to changing political and social environments in the country. This march is considered their most frighteningly powerful moment. -
Lindbergh's flight
American Charles Lindbergh flew the first solo, non-stop flight across the Atlantic when he landed in Paris. He took the flight in order to win $25,000. The flight took him over 33 hours to complete. -
Sacco & Vanzetti Execution
Sacco and Vanzetti were two Italian immigrants convicted of murder and executed. The two were anarchists, and their execution is considered one of the heights of the first Red Scare. Today, there is debate over whether the two were actually guilty and if the trial was biased because of their political beliefs. -
The Jazz Singer is released
The first feature-length movie to incorporte sound, The Jazz Singer also touched upon issues relevant to immigrants and urbanites. Despite initial skepticism from inside the industry, The Jazz Singer quickly became the then-highest-grossing movie yet released. By the end of the 1920's, silent cinema was seen as an outdated relic. -
St. Valentine's Day Massacre
Members of Al Capone's gang killed seven unarmed members of a rival gang on Valentine's Day. The most incident gang incident of the Prohibition, the public was outraged and Capone's power began to slowly decrease after this. -
Black Tuesday
The dangers of the 20's boom economy exploded on the scene on 29 October, 1929. Millions of shares were sold and billions of dollars were lost in one single day. This catapaulted the nation into the Great Depression for the next decade. -
Hawley-Smoot Tariff
The second-highest tariff in American history, with levels almost at 60%. The tariff was initially written to protect farmers, but the start of the Depression and rewrites by Congress changed this. Instead of helping anyone, it only decreased international trade and worsened the Depression. -
Bonus Army Incident
About 20,000 World War I veterans marched on Washington demanding that their war bonuses get payed in full. Many veterans were hit hard by the Depression and did not have the income that they felt they deserved. Hoover sent the army, led by General MacArthur, to force the veterans to leave, much to the public's anger. -
Twenty-first Amendment
The 21st amendment repealed the 18th amendment and put an end to the wdely-hated Prohibition. The reopening of the alcohol industry helped the economy during a much-needed time. This is the only time a previous amendment has been repealed in its entirety. -
Huey Long Assassination
Huey Long, Senator and former governor of Louisiana, was a major political force for a brief moment in the mid-1930's. His radical "Every Man a King" program was an attempt to bring money back to the people, but many claimed he was being fascist. While preparing for a presidential campaign, Long was killed in front of the State Capitol. -
Hoover Dam Completed
One of the greatest architectural marvels in America, the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River provides electricity for much of the Southwest, While President Coolidge passed the bill that began construction, President Hoover helped turn it into a project to help Depression-era workers get jobs. Construction wouldn't end until the days of President Roosevelt, however. -
Roosevelt's Supreme Court Mishaps
After a term of less-than-satisfactory relations with the Supreme Court, President Roosevelt proposed that six more judges be added. Immediately unpopular, many of Roosevelt's opponents claimed that he was trying to be a dictator and was attacking the government set up by the Founding Fathers; no new judges ended up getting added. In the end, though, the plan ended up forcing the Supreme Court judges to stop rejecting so many New Deal programs. -
Gone with the Wind
At the time the most expensive movie ever made, Gone with the Wind, an adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's tale of the death of the Old South, was the first colosally expensive Hollywood movie made after the worst of the Depression. A landmark in movie history for balancing spectacle and romance, it was a huge hit with audiences and became one of the most famous and influential movies ever made. Adjusted for inflation, it is still the highest-grossing movie ever made. -
Lend-Lease
Following the fall of France and attacks on Britain and China, President Roosevelt signed a plan to provide arms to countries fighting the Axis Powers in return for money. Known as the Lend-Lease program, this allowed the United States to help Allied nations without getting directly involved. These plans would eventually extend to the Soviet Union a few months later. -
Pearl Harbor attack
Japanese fighter planes attacked the US base of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, killing over 2,000 Americans. This was the bloodiest attack on American soil by another country since the War of 1812. President Roosevelt referred to the attack as "a date which will live in infamy," and Congress declared war on Japan the very next day. -
End of World War II
Following two atomic bomb droppings on Hiroshima and Nagaski, Japan surrended to the Allied Power. On the other side of the hemisphere, Germany and Italy had already surrended. All of the leading powers of the Axis had now surrended, and World War II ended with victory for democratic US, UK, and France and communist USSR. Not long after the surrender, tensions would rise between the victors.
