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South Carolina Secedes
After the election of Abraham Lincoln, South Carolinians were upset with the fact that a Republician was elected. Because South Carolina was a slave state, they feared that Lincoln would abolish slavery. Even though Lincoln assured them that he was only intending to stop the spread of slavery, the South Carolinians did not want to take a chance and seceded from the Union in attempts to preserve their own interests. -
The Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was passed by the United States Congress in 1862. It gave 160 acres of unoccupied land to the head of a family that was moving out west if they pay a small registration fee and occupy the land for the minimun amount of five years. The goal of the Homestead At was to get immigrants and americans into the unused land of America to expand the country. -
Reconstruction Era (1865-77)
The Reconstruction Era was a point in history that was surrounded by trying to make the south work its way back ino the Union. In order to do this, the South was to meet a series of requirements to get back representation in congress. Reconstruction also helped the slaves get aquired to the new life of freedom. -
Rockefeller's Standard Oil
John D. Rockefeller incorperated Standard Oil in Ohio in 1870. Standard Oil was a producing, marketing, transporting and refining company. At this time, it was also the largest oil refiner in the world. Rockefeller's Standard Oil was very stratigic, but also forced many smaller businesses under, making standard oil very criticized. -
Census of 1870
the census of 1870 was the ninth census, and the first to provide detailed information on the black population of the United States. Because of the Census of 1870, the population of the United States doubbled to about 80 million by 1900 -
The Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 started with the collapse of a Phillidelphia Investment Bank called Jay Cooke and Company. The downfall of this bank caused a nationwife financial terror that lasted until 1879. Another component of the depression was the fall in demand for silver. -
The Invention of the Telephone
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell, an inventor and engineer, invented the first practical telephone. For the first time, a voice could be transmitted over a wire. This discovery was a huge advancement in the urbanization of the United States. In 1877, Alexander Graham Bell formed the Bell Telephone Company -
The Gilded Age (1877-1893)
The Gilded Age came about in the United States after the Reconstruction era for a brief amount of time. During the Gilded Age, America experienced a period of economic growth and population expansion, which led to the creation of an upper class. During this period, railroads were a main demand as well as mining and improved technology. -
Standard Time Lines are formed
William F Allen, a civil engineer and railroad magnate devoloped the standardized system of time and time zones. This system was eventually adopted throughout the world. The four time zones that are still used today are: Eastern, Central, Pacific, and Mountain. -
Haymarket Riots
The Haymarket Riots were started by the demands for an eight hour workday. 1500 people gathered at Haymarket Square in Chicago and the demonstration ended in violence when a bomb exploded, killing seven policemen and four other people. This incident created a setback in the labor movenent that took years to overcome. -
Benjamin Harrison is elected president
Harrison's presidency is most remembered for economic legislation such as the Mckinley Tariff, which was designed to protect domestic industry by increasing the taxing on foregin industry, and the Sherman Antitrust Act, which was made to keep companies from forming monopolies. President Harrison was also known because he is the only grandson of a former president. -
Pullman Strike
The Pullman Strike a wildcat strike that was unauthorized by the union. Three thousand workers were treated unfairly because Pullman was forcing them to live in Pullman City, also they were expected to accept cuts in their pay. The Pullman Strike was important because it was the first time a federal injunction had ever been used to break up a strike. -
The Rough Riders
The Rough Riders were the first United Stated Voulenteer Calvalry led by Theodore Roosevelt who eventually became out youngest president. The Rough Riders helped the United States win the Spanish- American War in the late 1800's. As a result of this war, the Americans won the territories of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philliphines. The acquisition of such a large land mass immediately brought the United States up the ladder of world powers.
