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Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was passed by Congress in 1860. It gave 160 acres of land to settlers if the lands that they settled on improved and people moved there. The land was given to the settlers for free. This Act benefited landless farmers, former slaves, and single women. These people now had a chance to improve their lifestyle. -
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Transforming the West
1860 - 1900 -
Morrill Land Grant College Act
The Morrill Land Grant College Act passed in 1862. This Act used money earned from federal land sales and funded the creation of new universities in sparsely populated areas in several states. The schools who received the funds were focused on educating people on agriculture and mechanic arts. This Act advanced education beyond grade school and helped it evolve from being classical based studies -
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Becoming an Industrial Power
1865 - 1900 -
Cattle Drives
The Cattle Drives were started in 1866 and lasted until 1886. Cattle Drives were created to bring Cattle to the North where they were in high demand. The Cattle needed to be driven to the North because there weren't railroads in the south to deliver the Cows to the markets. Eventually the creation of barbed wire and the construction of more railroads in the South led to the end of the Cattle Drives. -
Transcontinental Railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad was built by two different corporations. The corporations were the Union Pacific and Central Pacific.The Union Pacific company would build the tracks from the East and the Central Pacific company would build the tracks from the West. The two corporations would meet at Promontory Point, Utah in May 1869 and the railroad was completed. -
Impact of the Railroads
The Railroads had numerous tracks that spanned all across the country. This allowed there to be new transportation networks. Farmers were now able to sell their products across the country. Many towns began to pop up such as Denver, San Francisco, Portland, and Omaha. Time Zones were now created for arrivals and departures of the trains in different cities. -
Laissez-Faire
Laissez-Faire was an economic philosophy created by the philosopher John Smith. It meant that there would be no government involvement in the economy and the economy would regulate itself. That means that there are no rules or regulations that could intervene with the economy. During this time period in America the philosophy was used and helped the economy grow. -
Mail Order- Catalogs
Mail Order Catalogs were created because many people lived in the countryside and did not have access to big stores that sold all the products that they needed. The Catalogs would be sent to their homes and the people could purchase items and they would get sent to their homes. The Main companies to send out catalogs were Sears & Robuck and Montgomery Ward. -
Battle of Little Big Horn
George Custer and his army go on the offensive against the Sioux Indians to kick them off the plains. Custer wanted to be a hero so he attacked the Indians before reinforcements came. He underestimated the size of the Indians and they were slaughtered. He was portrayed as a hero for the Americans and this further led to moving the Natives to reservations. -
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Gilded Age
1877-1900 -
Exodusters
Exodusters were part of a movement that began in the late 19th century. Former slaves moved west in search of better lives. Many people lacked money and ended up settling on bad land. They would eventually migrate back to the South. However, some people were successful and created a lifestyle in the West. Others would continue to travel West in search of a better life. -
Philanthropy
Philanthropy is the act of donating money to charities and programs that assist humanity. The Robber Barrons including Carnegie, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Morgan donated to many foundations and they would be named after as well. The foundations include schools, libraries, sometimes hospitals as well. -
Robber Barron
Robber Barrons are people who used unethical methods to become rich. They would take control of there respective areas in the economy and create monopolies. They also used their money to manipulate politicians to help their monopolies stay alive. Some Robber Barrons of this time period includes Andrew Carnegie, J.P Morgan, John Rockefeller, and Cornelleus Vanderbilt. -
Tenements
Tenements were located in cities. Many immigrant families would live in these buildings. There are dozens of families in each tenement and they would literally be on top of each other. Not only was the place poorly lit and ventilated the were full of diseases and people could easily get sick. As the tenements filled up and overpopulation became a problem the land owners began to raise the price of rent and many became in debt. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in 1882 by Congress. The Act stopped Chinese people from immigrating to the U.S for 10 years. This Act was passed so that jobs were protected for White Men. When the Chinese immigrants came people saw ut as they were taking away jobs from the White men even thought they had the hardest jobs. -
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was an immigrant from Scottland. He came over with his family at a young age. They were poor, but through hard work and strategic investment Carnegie rose to greatness. Carnegie was one of the first to invest in the Bessemer Process. Soon he bought out many companies and Carnegie had total control of the steel market. Carnegie ends up successful after all his hard work. -
Modern Mass- Advertising
Advertising during the evolved. Name Brands were now more appealing to many people. Certain ads would start to target certain demographics such as kids, adults, or even races.Companies would also began to sponsor famous people to wear their clothing or use their products, so that it can boost sales. -
Political Machines
The Large cities in the many cities across America did not have an established political structure, so Political Machines worked in the cities and targeted the immigrants. In return for jobs and services such as housing, Immigrants had to vote for the democratic party. The Political Machines also bought the influence of many people ranging from police to buisinessmen. -
Pendleton Act
The Pendleton Act was passed in 1883 by Congress. The Act got rid of the Spoils System. The Act was passed after President Garfield was assassinated by Charles Guiteau. The Act also required that anyone who wanted to be elected to a government position must take the civil service exam. The exam was used to test if a candidate is qualified to serve in a governemnt position. -
Working Conditions during the Late Industrialization
The Working Conditions during this time period were not the best. Many of the Workers were immigrants from Europe or Asia who were unskilled. The Hours were longer than what it is today. The pay that the workers received was very low for how long they worked. There was a high amount of child labor in many urban factories. Injuries were a common occurrence as well due to the poor working conditions. -
Haymarket Riot
The Haymarket Riot occurred at Haymarket Square as a group of people protested the death of workers a few day ago. A group of 300 police came to break up the crowd. A bomb ended up exploding near the police and ended up killing 7 of them. Angry Policemen came in and started beating the protesters with batons and guns. The News blew this event out of proportion and this would damage the labor movement for years to come. -
Social Darwinism
Social Darwinism was based on Charles' Darwin's theory of evolution. Social Darwinism states that those who are higher on the Social ladder are more successful and are more deserving to live. This meant that the Rich are more superior than the Poor. Those who were Rich saw themselves above everyone else -
Sherman Anti Trust Act
The Sherman Anti Trust Act was passed by Congress in 1890 and it stopped the creation of trusts by making them illegal. The Trust soon became ineffective because the Corporations who were affected by this act paid politicians and the restrictions that the Act placed were weakened so Monopolies would continue to thrive and cause many to suffer. -
Great Migration
The Great Migration began in 1890 and lasted for several decades. African Americans fled the South due to Jim Crow and they migrated to the cities. They escaped war, persecution, starvation, and many other things. They were looking for jobs in the cities. By 1970, over 7 million African Americans had migrated to the cities. -
Reformation of cities during Gilded Age
Now that many people migrated to the cities it overcrowding started to become a problem. Reformations now needed to be placed for the safety of everyone. Sanitation systems were now put in place. Police Forces were also established to keep the peace. More public parks were created and public school became mandatory. -
Currency Reform
The government wanted to implement a standardized national currency, but there were issues. Republicans wanted gold to be the currency while the Democrats prefer paper money because they believed that the hard money could not support the economy in the future. A compromise was made and the Silver Act was established. More money would be put into circulation causing the price of silver to fall leading to Panic of 1893. In attempt to fix things they switched back to gold but things only got worse. -
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Imperial America
1890-1914 -
Populist Party
Also known as the People's Party, the Populist Party was a third political party that was created by farmers, workers, and reformers. They wanted to fight the corruption in the economy by eliminating monopolies, coining silver, and create an income tax. Industrial workers were also very supportive of this party. This party was successful on the state and local levels, but it was not significant in the national level. -
World Colombian Exposition 1893
The Convention was held in Chicago in 1893. The Exposition contained displays of technology, science, architecture, & urban design. The Exposition had over 1000 exhibits. The exhibits were the newest ideas and inventions in their areas and they were brought here to be displayed for the world to see. -
Nativism
Immigration was a problem once again in the eyes of the Americans. The many slums and strikes only further strengthen the fight to stop immigration completely. The Chinese Act was used to stop some immigrants. Immigration depots were also established to deport Immigrants that were criminals, diseased, or were radicals escaping their country. Some significant depots include Ellis Island in New York, and Angel Island in California. -
Pullman Strike
George Pullman built luxury railroad cars and he had a monopoly over it. He built a company town for his employees to live in. The Depression of 1893 hurt his company very much and he was forced to lay off workers and cut the salaries of those who still had a job. The Workers would go on strike and the ARU shuts down the railroads in America. President Clevland was forced to intervene because the economy was dependant on the operation of the railroads. -
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The Progressive Era
1895-1915 -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The Plessy v Ferguson was an important Supreme Court Case that sparked the civil rights movement later on in the 20th century. The court case challenged Jim Crow in the South and its unconstitutionality. The outcome of the court case stated that Blacks and Whites are Separate, but equal. This meant that they had to use separate buildings for bathrooms and public facilities. This courtcase would only increase racial segregation in the South -
The Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush began in August 1896 and lasted for 3 years. This Gold Rush was the last major gold rush that occurs in the U.S. The Klondike gold rush was located in Alaska. It was very dangerous for people to make it to the Gold Rush and people died on the journey, but those who made it would strike rich and become succesful. -
Yellow Journalism
The Yellow Journalism was started in the late 19th century by William Randolph Hearst. The Journalism would blow everything out of proportion. The stories would be highly exaggerated and sometimes would even be made up. The common people would overreact and cause them to have strong opinions about others. -
Territorial Acquisition by the U.S
The Spanish - American War was fought over a span of 4 months, but as the U.S defeated the Spaniards they would gain more territory. After the battle of Manila Bay, the U.S would take control of the Philippines and maintain it as a territory. Later on in the War, the U.S would also capture Guam from Spain and establish it as a U.S territory. The U.S would also take control of Hawaii because sugar production flourished there. -
Treaty of Paris 1898
The Treaty of Paris 1898 would end the Spanish American War. Spain would officially give up Cuba to the U.S and lose its last major piece of influence in the Western hemisphere. Cuba would now be a puppet state of the U.S. until it made concessions to the U.S and they were left alone. The U.S would also officially gain Puerto Rico, Guam, and Philippines for $20 million dollars. -
U.S.S Maine
The U.S sent their ship the U.S.S Maine to Havana in order to protect the American property that was located in Havana. The ship was also sent to impress the people of Havana and suppress the Spanish loyalists. On February 15, 1898, the ship explodes in the harbor. The U.S believed that Spain planted mines in the harbor and began blaming them. Once the media found out, newspapers like the Yellow Journalism blew it out of proportion and everyone in America blamed Spain. -
Open Door Policy
The U.S created the open door policy so that they could have access to China as a market and trade partner. This policy would be sponsored by the U.S and it was non-binding. The Chines Market would now be open to everyone and anyone can trade with China as much as they wish. Also, there would be no taxes when trading with China. This would stop Europeans from colonizing in China. The Open Door Policy was not happily accepted by the Chinese because they were being controlled by foreigners. -
White Man's Burden
The White Man's Burden was a poem written by Rudyard Kipling. The Phrase itself justified European and American Imperialism across the world. It meant that it was the duty of the Americans and Europeans to help colored people. They are obligated to help colored people to rise higher in society by educating them. -
Booker T Washington
Booker T Washington was an important Intellectual around the 1900s. He fought for civil rights for African Americans in the country. He believed that in order to be seen equally as Whites African Americans needed to improve economically. If Africans were to be seen equally as Whites then they would need to have similar jobs. Washington helped establish the Tuskegee Insitute which taught African American basic skills to work. -
Angel Island
Angel Island was the Ellis Island of the West Coast. It was used as an immigration depot to check immigrants and potentially deport them. After the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 thousands of Chinese migrated to the U.S. Since all the birth records were lost Chinese families would pay for their sons to be immigrants through a process called "paper sons". Angel Island would be opened up to check and limit this process. -
Roosevelt Corollary
President Theodore Roosevelt added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine in 1904. The Corollary would stop the colonization of Latin America by European countries. The only exceptions would be Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The corollary made Latin America an exclusive area that only the U.S has access to. The U.S would now become the international police power and collect debt from countries. -
Big Stick Policy
Theodore Roosevelt's Big Stick Policy was how he managed foreign policy. The exact quote was, "Speak softly and carry a big stick - you will go far." The quote meant that you don't have to be loud and strong to enforce something. The Big Stick referred to the Great White Fleet that Roosevelt was ready to use if someone were to disobey the policies that were enforced. -
Food Regulation Acts
The Pure Food and Drug Act & Meat Inspection Acts were passed in 1906. The Meat Inspection Act allowed the government to now be able to condemn meat. The Act made sure that all meat was now regulated and that it was safe to be eaten. The Pure Food and Drug Act fined companies for false advertisement and helped protect the consumers. This Act also stop the government from taking over companies as well. -
Standard Oil Trust
The Standard Oil Trust was created by John D. Rockefeller in 1870. Rockefeller created this trust assist with his monopoly on oil because he cornered the market and had total control. He would partake in secret deals with the railroad companies. Eventually, Teddy Roosevelt would use the Sherman Anti - Trust Act to break apart Trust. On May 5, 1911, the Standard Oil Trust was ruled unconstitutional by SCOTUS and it was disbanded -
Election of 1912
The Republicans were represented by William Howard Taft and the Democrats were represented by Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt would create the Bull Moose Party because he disagreed with Taft's ideas. This would lead to the Progressive Republicans to vote for Roosevelt causing the Republican Party to split. The result was Wilson winning the Presidenscy. -
17th Amendment
Due to a high amount of government corruption during the progressive era, the 17th Amendment was created and ratified by Congress. Scandals and corruption would often occur between companies and politicians. The 17th amendment would allow the voters, the common people to elect who they want to be their Senators. This would help prevent corruption from occurring between businesses and politicians. -
Henry Ford
Henry Ford created the assembly line for the production of his car the Model T. The creation of the assembly would revolutionize the auto industry forever. The parts would be standardized for every single car, so the that made the cost to produce each car cheaper. The savings would then be passed onto the consumers and they can purchase the cars for cheaper. The employees would also benefit because they can now purchase the products they are creating. -
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World War 1
1914-1918 -
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
While visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia Archduke Franz Ferdinand would be a target of an assassination. The Black Hand was the group that was responsible for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Gavrilo Princip was the member who was responsible for killing the Archduke himself. This assassination would spark the beginning of the War. -
Panama Canal
The Construction of the Panama Canal began in 1903 and lasted all the way until 1914. The Canal would create a shorter route for ships to travel from the Carribean to the Pacific. The French began the construction, but the U.S would eventually buy the rights to construct it for 40 million dollars. Colombia would resist, but construction would continue regardless. The Canal would use a system of locks and a artificial lake would be created. -
National Park System
During the Progressive Era, some of the reforms included the creation of National Parks, Monuments, and even Animal Sanctuaries. Roosevelt believed in conserving all these important places so he assisted in the creation of the National Park System. With public demand as well the NPS would be established in 1916 and it would be in charge or running all national parks and monuments. -
Sides of the War
World War I consisted of 3 different sides. The Central Power forces were made up of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. The Allied Powers included France, Russia, Great Britain, and Bosnia. The U.S would remain neutral for the beginning of the war. They would trade with both sides and grow their economy. Eventually the U.S would join the Allied Powers. -
Schlieffan Plan
The Schlieffen Plan was Germany's Plan to fight the war when they are surrounded. Germany was surrounded by France and Russia the two allies of Bosnia. The Plan was for Germany to defeat France on the Western Front first then head over to fight Russia. The Plan would eventually fail because Germany underestimated the speed of Russia to mobilize their troops. -
American Homefront in WWI
Back in America almost all of the factories stopped the manufacturing of products and switched over to manufacturing weapons for the War. Food prices would soar because most of the food was sent overseas. The Great Migration would continue in greater numbers. Women would be the majority of the workers in the factories while the men fought. They would also begin to fight for suffrage and go on strikes. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was intercepted by British Intelligence on March 1, 1917. The Telegraph was created by the secretary for Germany, Arthur Zimmerman. The Germans try to ally with Mexico by making promises of recovering Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. President Wilson would make the Telegram public and ask Congress to declare war. Congress would approve and American Soldiers would land in June 1917. The U.S would join the Associate powers. -
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Force was the army that the U.S brought to fight in WWI. The troops totaled up to at least 1 million men. They were led by General John Perishing and played an important role in the Western front of the War. The AEF helped France push the Germans back to their trenches and continue the trench warfare. -
Trench Warfare
The Western Front of the War was fought mainly in trenches. Both sides would be on opposing sides. The area in the middle is called No Man's Land which was filled with barbed wire and dead bodies. No one travels through the Land because there is a high chance of getting killed. Many soldiers would develop shellshock or PTSD. It was post-traumatic stress disorder. -
Diseases from WWI
The Two main diseases and infections that occurred during WWI was the Spanish Flu and Trenchfoot. The Spanish Flu was a new strain of virus that would cause a pandemic all around the world. Millions would die around the World. In America, 25 million people would get infected and 675 thousand people would die. Another infection was Trenchfoot. The soldiers who fought in the Trenches would get infected and sometimes they would need to amputate their foot. -
Argonne Forest
The Battle of Argonne Forest would be one of the last battles of WWI. It was fought in the Fall of 1918. The casualty rate was over 2,500 people a day. By November the Germans would call for an Armistice and it would lead to their eventual surrender. The War would end without Germany losing any major battles -
18th Amendment
The 18th Amendment was ratified in 1919. This Amendment would make the production and transportation of alcoholic beverages illegal. This Amendment angered many men because they drank alcohol when they come home every day and use it to relieve stress. The temperance movement by women led to the creation of this amendment. Once it was passed they would celebrate. -
Treaty of Versailles
Before the Treaty of Versailles was signed the U.S, France, Italy, and Britain held a Peace Conference to discuss the terms of the treaty. The problem was that Germany was left out. The Treaty would be signed on the Anniversary of the day Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. Germany's economy would suffer greatly. They also couldn't rebuild their armies, lose control of their colonies, and take full responsibility for the war. -
The Lost Generation
The 1920s was the time were people born in the Lost Generation thrived. These people were famously known for rebelling against the Victorian values of its previous era. They acted like they did due to the effects of WWI. Some famous authors came from this generation; the authors include F.Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemmingway, and T.S Elliot. The people believed in sexual liberation and against public conduct in order to escape confines of everyday society. -
First Red Scare
The First Red Scare began in 1919 and lasted a year until 1920. Immigration Restrictions would heighten once again due to a fear of Communism spreading. The U.S didn't want Communism to be in the U.S and feared the Germans. Many Anarchists and Communists would be deported. Sometimes innocent people would be deported as well. Some German families would change their Surname in fear of being deported. -
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The Roaring Twenties
1920-1929 -
19th Amendment
The 19th amendment was put into effect starting August 18, 1920. The 19th amendment gave women the right to vote. After countless fighting Women for the right, women now had the opportunity to vote in elections. This would change how women are seen. They are more empowered now and this will eventually lead to women joining the workforce and many other opportunities in the working world. -
Explosion in Car Ownership
There was now a new culture, the Car Culture. Everyone one would have a car to drive around. The most common car would be the Ford Model T. With the creation of the assembly line the cars were affordable. It would still cost between 20-45 percent of a person's income. The cars would often be bought using credit because people cannot pay the car in full immediatley. -
Working Life during the 1920s
The U.S now passed many laws and regulations to protect the workers and ensure that they come home safe. Worker Unions were now more prominent and common. All these regulations occured during WWI, but would not last afterwards. There were also many more benefits including sick leave, paid vacation, medical insurance, and many other things so that the workers can stay with the company. -
Prohibition
To escape the confines of Prohibition Mafias would begin to control the alcohol industry. They would partake in an activity called Bootlegging in which they finance breweries and distilleries. The mafias would also bribe cops to turn the other way. Speakeasies would be established. They were secret bars that required passwords to get into. Upper class women would be allowed to come for the first time. -
Ku Klux Klan
Following the Red Scare, the Ku Klux Klan rose out of government suppression. The KKK would gain millions of members during the 1920s. Thousands of people would be killed and lynched by the KKK members. Many Whites would be upset by the Great Migration because of the Blacks taking the jobs. Black communities would be attacked by white mobs. Jews, Catholics, immigrants, and feminists were also targets. -
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey was an immigrant of the U.S fro Jamaica. He was influenced by Booker T Washington and believed in the Economic betterment of African Americans. He found the Universal Negro Improvement Association or UNIA which helped the African Americans. He bought land in Africa and people should move there.Unlike other civil rights activists, Garvey supported Jim Crow. He also was convicted of mail fraud in 1923. -
American Indian Citizenship Act
Passed by Congress in 1924, the American Indian Citizenship Act gave Native Americans citizenship in America. They Natives were now citizens, but they were prohibited to vote. Not even the men could vote. They will not be allowed to vote until the late 1940s. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
Teacher John Scopes was caught teaching about evolution in schools. Since was made illegal by World Christian Fundamentals Assc he would be tried. In Court Scopes would be represented by the American Civil Liberties Union. William Jennings Bryan was a fundamentalist and was responsible for prosecuting Scopes throughout the trial. The Trial was held in Dayton, Tennesse and it attracted massive amounts of media and Dayton thrived. Scopes would eventually be found guilty. -
Charles Lindberg
Charles Lindberg was one of the first people to cross the Atlantic Ocean by airplane. The plane he flew was called the Spirit of St.Louis. Lindberg would fly from New York City to Paris in May 1927. The trip was 33.5 hours long and he survived. Lindberg would become a rock star and extremely popular for his trip. His son would get ransomed and killed. He would also later serve as a pilot in WWII -
Tea Pot Dome Scandal
Albert Fall was convicted of his scandal in 1929. While he served as secretary in the early 1920s for President Warring Harding he would leases for oil drilling without any bidding. This was an illegal act that would be investigated intensely by the Supreme Court. Fall would be the first cabinet member to be sent to jail in the History of the U.S. This Scandal would be one of the largest in the century until the Watergate Scandal that would occur later on. -
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The Great Depression
1929 - 1940 -
The Stock Market Crash of 1929
Due to the overproduction of products in agriculture, textiles, and transportation, and appliances the demand for the products failed and the purchasing power decreased dramatically. The stocks began to drop rapidly and all the investors were rushing to sell their stocks. Thousands of people would run to the banks to claim their money. Millions of people would lose their life savings because the banks wouldn't have the money because it was all invested. -
Election of 1932
The main candidates for the Election of 1932 were Herbert Hoover and Franklin D Roosevelt. Roosevelt represented the Democratic party and he would win by a landslide because of the results of the Bonus March ruined Hoover's reputation. Roosevelt was a conservative leader and he was very charismatic and liked by many people. He would go on to serving 12 years in office. -
Bonus March
In the summer of 1932, over 40 thousand WWI veterans marched with their families in D.C. The soldiers were demanding the payment bonuses that they were promised after WWI. The army would come in with tanks and bayonets to remove the veterans. President Hoover would not give the order for the removal of the soldier and in the end he would be blamed regardless. -
Relief with the New Deal
As part of the New Deal, the Federal Emergency Relief Association of FERA was created to help provide relief to people in need. FERA worked with the states to pass out supplies for people to use. FDR would change his opinions of FERA and states would have to provide their own relief. FERA would eventually disappear and the Social Security Administration Works Progress would replace it. -
Alphabet Soup
The Alphabet Soup was the numerous government agencies that were created as part of the New Deal. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation distributed federal loans. The Agricultural Adjustment Act will pay farmers to plant less food so that the prices of the crops would raise back up. The Public Works Administration would create public projects to help the poor. The Wagner Act would provide government protection to Unions. These are just a few of the many laws and agencies created. -
Work with the New Deal
In order to help restore jobs for the workforce the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) & Work Progress Administration (WPA) were created. The CCC would help young men gain work experience by allowing them to restore parks, plant trees, and releasing fish. The WPA helped the construction industry by asking them to build new buildings and roads which helped them have labor to do. -
The New Amendments
The Great Depression would lead to the creation of two new amendments, The twenty and twenty-first amendments. The twentieth amendment would determine who would succeed the president if they were to die and decided when government term dates began and ended. The Twenty-first Amendment would repeal the 18th Amendment which made alcohol illegal. Now, alcohol would be legal, but the legal age of consumption would be 21 years of age. -
Alliances of WWII
The two major Alliances that caused WWII were the Axis and Allied Powers. The Axis Powers included Germany, Italy, and Japan. The Allied Powers included Britain, British Commonwealth nations, France, Soviet Union, and the U.S. The Alliances were formed after multiple countries signed treaties with each other and promised to help each other in war. Once one country declared war everyone else would follow too. -
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was the Niece of Teddy Roosevelt and FDR's 5th cousin and later wife. Eleanor was FDR's right hand during his presidency people would call her the eyes, ears, and legs of FDR since she helped him out so much especially when he was found with Polio. Eleanor truly cared for the well being of the people and traveled all around the nation to help them. She would also open the door for women to get into politics. -
Dust Bowl
Drought and poor farming techniques led to the destruction of the soil all across the Southern Plains of the U.S. Major cities would be dust filled with all the dried up topsoil blowing everywhere. Agriculture in these areas was impossible now due to the poor soil and many cattle would die as well. The government would intervene and pay people to plant more trees to help hold down the soil and restore the nutrients to the ground. -
The New Deal
The New Deal was created by Roosevelt and it helped Americans to recover and fight against the Depression. The Deal lasted from 1933 to 1937. It was a series of federal programs that helped Americans recover. The Government would once again be involved in the economy and laissez-faire would end. The Brain Trust would help Roosevelt execute his new plan to fix the economy. -
Munich Conference
The Munich Conference was a meeting between Hitler and the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlin. Hitler wanted Sudetenland to be part of Germany once again because a majority of the people spoke German. Hitler would promise not take any more territory, so Germany was granted Sudetenland. The conference showed Hitler that the Allies were weak and he would continue to expand and conquer more of Eastern Europe. -
The beginnings of WWII
In September 1939, Hitler would invade Poland. The German army would use a tactic called Blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg was a tactic where the use of tanks, planes, and infantry would surround an enemy quickly and destroy them. After the invasion, France and Britain would declare war on Germany and WWII began. Hitler would continue using Blitzkrieg and march west eventually reaching Paris. -
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World War II
1939 - 1945 -
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain began in July 1940 and lasted about a year. Germans were trying to suppress Britain by bombing them repeatedly. The Germans would go on Night Raids where they would bomb the cities in an attempt to get Britain to negotiate peace. The Germans initially had superiority because the British didn't know how to fight back, but then the British began to bomb Germany. The battle would then move onto be an air battle between the two countries and Winston Churchill lead Britain. -
Operation Barbarossa
Hitler would turn away from the Western front of the War and begin moving East. Operation Barbosa would begin in the summer of 1941. 4 million German troops began marching east and attacking the thousand mile stretch of Russian control. The Germans needed more resources and Russia was filled with them, so they wanted to invade. The Russians used scorched earth to stop the Germans from using the land. The Germans would stop their advancement and be pushed back due to the winter and resistence. -
The American Homefront
War propaganda was a big thing in America. It was controlled by the media and developments of the war would be given. Thousands of Japanese Americans were sent to camps in fear of them being spies for the duration of the war. The Great Depression would end through the spending of money on production of goods. Factories would stop making refrigerators and home appliances and begin making guns, jeeps, tanks, and other weapons of war. -
Pearl Harbor
The Japanese and the U.S has growing tensions ever since WWI. Japan would finally decide during WWII to attack the U.S. The Japanese surprise attacked the American fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 8 battleships and a number of resources and planes were destroyed. An approximate 3.5 thousand people were casualties or killed in the attack. The fleet was not crippled though because many of the ships were not in the harbor. The U.S would declare war on Japan the next day. -
The Holocaust
The Soviet Union soldiers were some of the first people to liberate the concentration camps. Jews, Slavic people, and prisoners of war were set free. The Soldiers were horrified by what they saw in the camps. Some Americans would force the Germans to view all the dead bodies and bury them. They attempted to de-nazify the Germans. An estimated 6 million Jews were killed in the camps and millions of others were forced to resettle around the world. -
D-Day
President Dwight Eisenhower had a plan to regain control of France. The Americans, Britain, and Commonwealth troops would invade France by air and sea. They tricked the Germans by diverting the Germans attention to the North and West. The troops would invade France through Normandy. The Germans were stunned and would be pushed back. Hitler would continue fighting until the very end. -
Atomic Warfare
President Harry Truman was unaware of the Manhattan Project. The project has been developing for over four years. The U.S was in competition with the Germans to develop the first atomic bomb. The first test bomb went off in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The Trinity Bomb was tested. Japan was given an ultimatum to surrender and they refused. In August 6, 1945 the Little Boy would be dropped on Hiroshima.
