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1492
Columbus Arrives
On October 12, 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus made landfall in the Bahamas. Columbus and his ships landed on an island that the native Lucayan people called Guanahani. Later on, Columbus then named it San Salvador. Trade was soon established between Europe and the Americas. Plants that were native to the Americas like potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco were all imported to Europe. This paved the way for the slave trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. -
The start of Jamestown
In 1607, 104 English men arrived in North America to start a settlement. They picked Jamestown, Virginia for their settlement on May 12, which was named after King, James I. This settlement became the first permanent English settlement in North America. The settlers of the new colony were immediately surrounded by attacks from multiple things like Algonquian natives, rampant disease, and internal political strife. Many people didn't make it through winter because of famine and illness. -
House of Burgesses
The Virginia House of Burgesses formed was the first legislative and democratic government body in colonial America. It was made up of two representatives from each town voted on by men who owned property. Soon after colonies would then adopt the House of Burgesses concept that created self-governing bodies in the colonies. The House of Burgesses played a large role in the American Revolutionary War, along with the creation of an organized, democratic government for the newly created America. -
Mass.Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was settled by about eleven thousand Puritans under the guidance of Governor John Winthrop. He declared that "we shall be as a city upon a hill", this lead the Puritans of the Bay Colony to build a model religious community based on Puritan beliefs and values. This independence helped the settlers to maintain their Puritan religious practices without any interference from the king. This Colony also became the first English colony for governors not to be from Egland. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was the last major uprising of enslaved blacks and white indentured servants in Colonial Virginia. It began when governor William Berkeley refused to allow English Settlers to take away Native American land. This rebellion impacted Virginia's wealthy planters, who were shaken up over the fact that a rebel militia that united white and black servants and slaves had destroyed the colonial capital. The planters no longer were able to control the rowdy labor force of servants. -
Salem Witch Trials
These trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of p[eopel accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts. The trials resulted in the executions of 20 people, 14 were women and all but one was hung, and five others including two infant children who died in prison. The Salem witch trials contributed to changes in court procedures, which included instituting the right to legal representation, cross-examination of accusers, and the presumption that one is innocent until proven guilty. -
Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a religious revival that impacted the English colonies in America. This movement began at a time when the idea of secular rationalism was emphasized, and passion for religion had grown old. This awakening altered the religious climate in the American colonies and reduced the higher authority of church doctrine. Ordinary people were encouraged to make a one-on-one connection with god, instead of relying on ministers. Methodists and Baptists grew quickly during this time. -
Albany Plan
The Albany Plan was a plan to place the British North American colonies under a more centralized government. This plan was adopted by representatives from seven of the British North American colonies. It gave the Grand Council greater relative authority and allowed the new government to levy takes for its own support. The main purpose of the Albany Congres was, to try and secure the support and cooperation of the Iroquois in fighting the French. They also had hoped to form a colonial alliance. -
Proclamation of 1763
This was a British- produced boundary marked in the Appalachian Mountains at the Eastern Continental Divide. Anglo-American colonists were prohibited from settling on lands acquired from the French following the French and Indian War due to the Proclamation. However, it provided all lands west of the heads of all rivers which flowed into the Alantic Ocean from both the northwest and west were off-limits to the colonists. This excluded all territory from Ohio to the Mississippi rivers. -
Sugar Act
The new Sugar Act cut the duty on foreign molasses and taxed numerous foreign products, including wine, and kept a high duty on foreign refined sugar. coffee, and banned the direct shipment of several important commodities like lumber to Europe. American colonists responded to the Sugar Act and the Currency Act with protest. In their minds, taxation without representation and also because the colonies were already experiencing financial hardships. -
Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress passed a "declaration of Rights and Grievances," which claimed that American colonists were equal to all other British citizens. Also protested taxation without representation, and without colonial representation in Parliament, Parliament could not tax colonists. They passed this act that required the use of specialty stamped paper for legal documents, playing cards, calendars, newspapers, and virtually all businesses in the colonies were affected. -
The Townshend Act
The Townshend Act helped pay the expenses involved in governing the American colonies. Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, which put in place taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. These acts used the revenues raided by the duties to pay the salaries of colonial governors and judges, ensuring the loyalty of America's government officials to the British Crown. These policies prompted colonists to take action by boycotting British goods. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a street fight between a "patriot" mob, throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks, and a squad of British soldiers. Multiple colonists were killed and this led to a campaign by speech-writers to rouse the irritation of the citizenry. Tensions had grown for quite a bit of time between the two opposing sides engaged in a deadly confrontation, only escalating to the point of British troops firing colonial mob. This event in Boston helped to unite the colonies against Britain. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest at Griffin's Wharf in Boston,Massachusetts. American colonists were very upset at Britain for imposing "taxation without representation". They dumped hundreds of chests of tea into the harbor. The Boston Tea Party was organized and carried out by a group of Patriots led by Samuel Adams known as the Sons of Liberty. This event showed Great Britain that Americans wouldn't take taxation and ultimately that led to the sparking of the American Revolution. -
First Continental congress
The First Continental Congress convened in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, where delegates from twelve of Britain's thirteen American colonies met to discuss America's future under growing British aggression. It established an army, a navy, and a post office, and issued currency. One of the main accomplishments of the First Continental Congress was a compact among the colonies to boycott British goods unless parliament should rescind the intolerable acts. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the start of the American War of Independence. Neither side expected to actually fight and was not in the proper mindset at the time. Some of the colonists were killed and the rest fled. That gunshot marked the first shot of the American Revolution and the start of the war. This battle caused political distress for the British and persuaded many Americans to take up arms and support the cause of independence. -
Declaration of Independence signed
The Declaration of Independence was a formal document that tied the 13 rebel colonies together as a unit, fighting for their independence from the English monarchy. The colonist fought the British because they wanted to be free from Britain. They also fought the British because of unfair taxes. They did all of this because they didn't have self-government. The Declaration's most important political effect was to allow recognition of the United States by friendly foreign governments. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation created a loose confederation of sovereign states and then a weak central government. That left most of the power with the state governments. There soon after was a need for a stronger Federal government which eventually lead to the Constitutional Convention. The Articles of Confederation served as the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain. -
The battle of Yorktown
The battle of Yorktown proved to be the decisive engagement of the American Revolution. The British surrender forecast the end of British rule in the colonies and the birth of a new nation. The significance of this conflict was that Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington as French and American forces both trapped the Britsh at Yorktown. The defeat at Yorktown caused an overall change in the British government. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty, between the American colonies and Great Britain, ended the American Revolution and formally recognized the United States as an independent nation. The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War between Great Britain and the United States, recognized American independence that established borders for the new nation. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where fifty-five delegates met. The point of the event was to decide how America was going to be governed. They didn't only reject the Articles of Confederation altogether, but they produced the first written constitution altogether. Although the Convention had been officially called to revise the existing Articles of Confederation, many delegates had much bigger plans. -
National Bank Established
The First National Bank of the United States was first chartered by the U.S congress in 1791 after being proposed by Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary of the Treasury, in 1790. The purpose of the Bank was to help with the financial need of the new central government of the newly formed United States. Thomas Jefferson with some congressmen, particularly from the south, voiced concerns over elitism, the state's rights, and also unconstitutionality. -
Election of Washington
George Washington was unanimously elected president of the United States. With 69 electoral votes, Washington won the support of each participating elector. No other president since has come into office with a universal mandate to lead. Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789, which formally established the federal judiciary. Since there were no sitting justices at the beginning of his term, George Washington had the unique opportunity to fill all the empty seats in the Supreme Court. -
Pinckney's Treaty
Pinckney's Treaty was an agreement between Spain and the United States, fixing the southern boundary of the United States along with establishing commercial arrangements favorable to the United States. This treaty was an important diplomatic success for the United States. It helped resolve territorial disputes between the two countries and granted American ships the right to free navigation. This navigation was of the Mississippi River as well as free transport through the port of New Orleans. -
XYZ Affair
The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic crisis between French and United States diplomats that resulted in a limited, undeclared war known as the Quasi-War. President John Adams wanted to avoid a war, but the XYZ Affair created more tension between the two nations, and even within the United States itself. The XYZ Affair led to cries for war, like the Alien and Sedition Acts, and peace settlements between the two nations. -
Alien & Sedition Acts
Acts passed by federalists gave the government power to imprison or deport foreign citizens and prosecute critics of the government. Later on, ruled unconstitutional, Andrew Jackson issued blanket pardon in 1801. The Sedition acts made it a crime to speak or write critically about the President, or the government. The Alien act gave the president power to deport any foreigner he felt was dangerous. The main purpose was to silence criticism. -
Louisiana Purchase
The U.S. under Jefferson, bought the Louisiana territory from France, under the rule of Napoleon, in 1803. The U.S. paid $15 million for the Louisiana Purchase. Napoleon gave up his empire in North America and the U.S. gained control of the Mississippi trade route and doubled its size. The Purchase made the United States a continental power in North America. However, the Constitution did not give the federal government the power to buy land. It dramatically expanded the size of the country -
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that established for the first time that federal courts had the power to overturn an act of Congress on the ground that it violated the U.S. Constitution. It strengthened the federal judiciary by establishing for it the power of judicial review, by which the federal courts could declare legislation, along with executive and administrative actions. Overall this decision created the doctrine of judicial review. -
The Embargo Act
The Embargo Act of 1807 was a law passed by Congress forbidding all exportation of goods from the United States. Britain and France had been continuously harassing the United States and seizing U.S. ships and men. The United States was not prepared to fight in a war, so President Jefferson hoped to weaken Britain and France by stopping trade. The Embargo Act ended up hurting our economy more than theirs. It was repealed in 1809. It eventually led to the War of 1812. -
The Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was a meeting of New England Federalists held in Hartford Connecticut. These Federalists opposed the War of 1812 and held the convention to discuss and seek redress by Washington for their complaints and wrongs that they felt had been done. Many of these complaints were fears of being overpowered by states in the south and west. This was an example of the growing issue of Sectionalism and was another event in the approaching end of the Federalist Party. -
Battle of New Orleans (War of 1812)
The United States achieved its greatest land victory of the War of 1812 at New Orleans. The battle prevented the British effort to gain control of a critical American port and elevated Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson to national fame. New Orleans, the largest city in the South at the time of the war, provided thousands of troops and supplies to the Confederate cause. The city's location at the mouth of the Mississippi River made it a strategic port for both the Union and Confederate militaries. -
McCulloch v. Maryland
Maryland issued a bill taxing currency that had been distributed by the Second Bank of the United States. A cashier who was working for the Baltimore branch named James W. McCulloch wouldn't pay the tax and was sued for a lot by Maryland. The Supreme Court agreed that the states have no right to tax the bank as it was impeding something necessary which was protected by the Necessary and Proper Clause. This verdict allowed other financial acts and laws to be passed in the future. -
2nd Great Awakening
The 2nd Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals, based on Methodism and Baptism. Stressed a religious philosophy of salvation through good deeds and tolerance for all Protestant sects. The revivals attracted women, Blacks, and Native Americans. It also had an effect on moral movements such as prison reform, the temperance movement, and moral reasoning against slavery. The revivals helped make the United States a much more deeply Protestant nation than it had been before. -
The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was made to keep the balance of slave and free states equal. It was passed by congress in 1820 to the large increase in U.S. territory as the result of the Louisiana Purchase. It provided that for every new free state added to the union, a slave state should be added. This meant Missouri could enter the union as a slave state and Maine could enter the union as a free state. This also prohibited slavery north of latitude 36˚ 30' within the Louisiana Territory. -
Jackson Presidency Begins
Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States,was the nation's first frontier president, and his election marked a turning point in American politics, as the center of political power shifted from East to West. Jackson early on established himself as a conquerer of the white settler against the interests of Native Americans. As president, Jackson instituted his pro-white view in a series of policies that culminated with the forced removal of Native Americans from their native lands. -
Indian Removal Act
Law passed by Congress that was supported by President Jackson allowed the U.S. government to remove the Natives from their eastern lands and force them to move west of the Mississippi River. Many tribes signed treaties and agreed to voluntary removal. Losing the lands resulted in a loss of cultural identity, as tribes relied on their lands as the place of ancestral burial locations and sites where religious ceremonies were performed. Nations felt they lost their identities and their purpose. -
Nullification Crisis of 1832
The Nullification crisis, in U.S. history, confrontation between the state of South Carolina and the federal government in 1832 over the former's attempt to declare null and void within the state the federal Tariffs of 1828 and 1832. The resolution of the nullification crisis in favor of the federal government helped to undermine the nullification doctrine, the constitutional theory that upheld the right of states to nullify federal acts within their boundaries. -
Whig Party Emerges
The Whig Party was an American political party formed in the 1830s to oppose President Andrew Jackson and the Democrats. The Whigs also promoted federal funding for internal improvements and other measures that strengthened the central government. This party supported the idea of government-funded expansion, reform, and modernization. However, they became very divided over slavery and couldn't keep it together so the party collapsed, forming the new Republican Party. -
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was an economic depression, one of the most severe financial crises in the history of the United States, The Panic was followed by a five-year depression, with the failure of banks and some of the highest unemployment rates. Profits, prices, and wages went down, westward expansion was stalled, unemployment went up, and pessimism abounded. This came to an end in the mid-1840s, banks closed and the credit system collapses, resulting in many bankruptcies. -
Texas Annexed
The United States annexed Texas in 1845 and became the 28th state. This was until 1836, Texas had been part of Mexico because Mexico wanted to keep Texas. Van Buren feared it would cause war and he didn't want to add a new state to the Union that would allow slavery. People who wanted to annex Texas said it was the manifest destiny of the United States to spread from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. This resulted in the United States going to war with Mexico in 1846. -
Mexican- American War
War with Mexico when the U.S. annexed Texas and Mexico challenged the Border. Battles were fought in Texas, and Mexico was invaded from the Atlantic Ocean by General Winfield Scott. The war and treaty extended the United States to the Pacific Ocean and provided a bounty of ports, minerals, and natural resources for a growing country. The abundance of lands also produced debates about extending slavery into the West, a dispute that would help spark a nation-defining civil war. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The treaty allowed the United States to purchase California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado for 50 dollars, doubling the size of the United States. The Treaty protected property rights for New Mexican American Citizens, gave political, social, and economic rights, and extended the opportunity for U.S. citizenship to landowners. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is extremely significant because it was the first treaty in U.S History to promise protection to non-white people. -
Compromise of 1850
This Compromise was an agreement proposed by Henry Clay, that allowed California into the union as a free state, divided the rest of the Mexican cession into two territories, settled land claims between Texas and New Mexico, abolished the slave trade in Washington, strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act. The compromise admitted California to the United States as a "free" state but allowed some newly acquired territories to decide on slavery for themselves. It also included the Fugitive Slave Act. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
Uncle Tom's Cabin is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1853 highly influenced England's view on the American Deep South and slavery. Uncle Tom's Cabin had a huge impact on both the north and the south. In the north, it helped widen the circle of abolitionists from just the extremists, as they were thought of then. This novel helped open peoples' eyes to the problems and inhumanities of slavery. -
Kansas- Nebraska Act
The Kansas- Nebraska Act allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves if they would allow slavery within their borders. This Act also served to repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which prohibited slavery in the North. Many abolitionists were upset about this because this act stated that slavery could be legal where it had been outlawed, this intensified the long g debate over slavery in the United States, which would later turn into the Civil War. -
Bleeding Kansas
Bleeding Kansas was a mini-Civil War fought in the Kansas territory between pro-slavery settlers & anti-slavery settlers. The significance of "Bleeding Kansas" is that this crisis really pushed the North and South apart and had a great deal to do with causing the Civil War. It started in Lawerence, KS when anti-slavery settlers wounded a pro-slavery sheriff. A handful of pro-slavery settlers were killed in front of their families by anti-slavery settlers at Pottawatomie Creek. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment was a law that banned any form of slavery in any place under the influence of the United States. This Amendment freed all slaves without compensation to the slave owners. It also legally forbade slavery in the U.S African Americans got to enjoy a period when they were able to vote, acquire the land of former owners, seek their own employment, and use public accommodations. However, they still faced extreme discrimination. They had issues establishing their own households also. -
Freedman's Bureau Established
Freedman's Bureau was an agency created by the government that helped and protected newly freed African Americans to find jobs, homes, education, and a better life. It provided assistance to tens of thousands of formerly enslaved people in the Southern States and the District of Columbia in the years following, it was established under the Freedmen's Bureau Bill. President Abraham Lincoln, moderate Republicans in Congress, and members of the Abolitionist Movement all supported this bureau. -
Reconstruction Begins
The United States began to rebuild the South after the Civil War. During this time, the federal government proposed many plans to readmit the defeated Confederate states to the Union. Reconstruction failed to alter the South's social structure of wealth and power, which disadvantaged African-Americans. It also left many significant legacies. Some of these would include the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, which would be used nearly 100 years later to protect minority rights. -
14th and 15th Amendments
The Fourteenth Amendment, adopted in 1866, defines all people born in the United States as citizens, requires due process of law, and requires equal protection for all people. The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, prevents the denial of a citizen's vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Almost immediately after ratification, African Americans began to take part in running for office and voting. -
U.S.S Maine
On February 15, 1898, an explosion of unknown origin sank the battleship U.S.S. Maine in the Havana, Cuba harbor, killing 266 of the 354 crew members. The sinking of Maine incited United States' passion against Spain, eventually leading to a naval blockade of Cuba and a declaration of war. The impact of the U.S.S Maine was it shattered U.S. relations with Spain and led to a declaration of war. War with Spain caused the U.S. to rethink its long-held principle of anti-colonialism. -
Teller Amendment
On April 11, 1898, McKinley sent a war message to Congress urging armed intervention to free the oppressed Cubans. This was favorably received by Congress which responded with a declaration of war. The Teller Amendment was an amendment to this declaration that declared that when the U.S. had overthrown the Spanish rule of Cuba it would give the Cubans their freedom. It placed a condition on the U.S. military's presence in Cuba. The U.S. could not annex Cuba but only leave control to its people. -
Spanish American War
Taking place on April 25, 1898, a conflict between Spain and America over territory in Latin America and the Far East. The war was caused by a mixture of exaggerated reporting known as Yellow Journalism. The war's impact and aspirations spread American political and economic institutions. The war produced a peace treaty that compelled the Spanish to relinquish claims on Cuba and to cede sovereignty over Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States. -
Panama Canal
The United States built the Panama Canal with the idea it would be a quicker passage to the Pacific from the Atlantic and vice versa. It cost $400,000,000 to build. Columbians would not let Americans build the canal, but then with the assistance of the United States a Panamanian Revolution occurred. The new ruling people allowed the United States to build the canal. The impact this build had was it reduced shipping costs by cutting more than 7,000 miles and helped extend U.S. naval power. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
The Lusitania was a British passenger ship that was sunk by a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915. 1,200 were killed, and 128 were American Citizens. The unrestricted submarine warfare caused the U.S. to enter World War I against the Germans. The impact of the sinking of the Lusitania caused international outrage and assisted in a public turn in opinion against Germany, particularly in the then-neutral United States. -
Zimmerman telegram
Supposedly sent from Germany's foreign secretary, Arthur Zimmerman, to the German minister in Mexico City; Zimerman urged Mexico to join the Central powers and in return, they would help Mexico get back the territory that the United States had obtained. Because of this telegram, it is believed the United States was sent into World War 1. -
War declared on Germany
On 6 April 1917, American President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany. Up until that day, the United States had remained neutral. The declaration of war was a response to the submarine war that Germany had been waging on its enemies. Wilson cited Germany's violation of its pledge to suspend unrestricted submarine warfare in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, as well as its attempts to entice Mexico into an alliance against the United States, as his reasons for declaring war. -
Selective Services Act
On May 18, 1917, Congress passed this act, requiring all men between the ages of 21 and 30 to register for military service. In June nearly 10 million young men signed up. The draft eventually extended to all men between 18 and 45 and resulted in the induction of over 2 million men into the armed forces. Another 2 million men and women volunteered for military service. Overall the impact of this act is providing personnel to the Department of Defense while providing alternative Service Programs. -
Puerto Ricans granted U.S. citizenship
President Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones-Shafroth Act on March 2, 1917, granting Puerto Ricans United States statutory citizenship. This act also separated Puerto Rico's government into Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches, and provided Puerto Ricans with a bill of rights. This citizenship that was granted provided civil rights to the individual, and created a locally elected bicameral legislature. -
Espionage and Sedition Act
The espionage act made it a crime for a person to convey information with the intent to interfere with the operation or success of the armed forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies. The Sedition Act passed during World War I also had a similar idea making it illegal for Americans to speak disloyally about the U.S. government. The impact of these acts is they cut back the free speech rights of United States citizens during times of war. -
Fourteen Points
The Fourteen Points were a proposal made by United States President Woodrow Wilson in a speech before Congress on January 8, 1918, touching on his vision for ending World War I in a way that would prevent such conflagration from occurring again. The impact Fourteen Points had during the time period, even though the Treaty did not fully realize Wilson's unselfish vision, the Fourteen Points still stand as the most powerful expression of the idealist strain in United States diplomacy. -
Treaty of Versailes
League of Notions, Wilson League, The treaty imposed on Germany by France, Great Britain, the United States, and other Allied Powers after World War I. It demanded that Germany dismantle its military and give up some lands to Poland. It was resented by many Germans. This required that Germany pay financial reparations, disarm, lose territory, and give up all of its overseas colonies. -
Palmer Raids
The Palmers Raids were a series of government actions against suspected radicals, anarchists, and communists starting off in 1919 by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. The raids didn't follow the constitutional safeguards assured to citizens by the Constitution and jailed many people innocent of any crime or intent. But it did gain valuable experience in terrorism investigations and learn important lessons about the need to protect civil liberties and constitutional rights. -
19th Amendment is Ratified
Approved by the Senate on June 4, 1919, and ratified in August 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment marked one stage in women's long fight for political equality. This timeline features key moments on the Senate's long road to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution. This Amendment legally guarantees American women the right to vote. This empowered women more than ever to pursue a broad range of political interests as voters. -
The Red Scare
The Red Scare was caused by fears of subversion by communists in the United States. after the Russian Revolution. It rounded up the deportation of several immigrants with radical political views. People in America feared that communism was going to take over the world. The red scare got worse because prominent politicians were receiving bombs in their mail. -
Prohibition Begins
Prohibition is the period in American history that started in 1920 when the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibited the manufacture of certain services and items. Overall, the initial economic effects of Prohibition were largely negative. The closing of breweries, distilleries, and saloons led to the elimination of thousands of jobs, and in turn thousands, more jobs were eliminated for barrel makers, truckers, waiters, and other related trades. -
Immigration Act 1924
The Immigration Act limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the United States through a national origins quota. The system restricted the new immigrants from southern and eastern Europe and Asia. It also reduced the annual total of immigrants. The ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States. This act impacted and made quotas stricter and permanent. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
Formally known as The of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, was an American legal case in July of 1925, where a substitute teacher. John T. Scopes was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which had made it unlawful to teach human evolution in any state-funded school. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100; however, the verdict was overturned on a technicality. -
KKK March in Washington DC
The KKK claiming 5 million members let a march of over 50,000 people in Washington DC demanding laws against immigration the clan opposed Catholics blacks and Jews. This march proved KKK's power. -
Stock Market crash
The steep fall in the prices of stocks was due to widespread financial panic. It was caused by stock brokers who called in the loans they had made to stock investors. This caused stock prices to fall, and many people lost their entire life savings as many financial institutions went bankrupt. Business houses closed their doors, factories shut down and banks failed. Farm income fell some 50 percent. This had a very large impact on the people because they were left with nothing. -
Great Depression Begins
The Great Depression began in August 1929, when the economic expansion of the Roaring Twenties came to an end. A series of financial crises punctuated the contraction. he economic crisis and period of low business activity in the U.S. and other countries, roughly beginning with the stock-market crash in October, 1929, and continuing through most of the 1930s. The Great Depression had a very negative impact on history; it is one of the darkest moments in World History. -
Revenue Act of 1932
The Revenue Act of 1932 was a seccessful act, increasing American tax rates greatly in an attempt to balance the federal budget, and by doing so it dealt another opposed blow to the economy by further discouraging spending. It increased all individual income tax rates with the top rate rising from 25 percent to 63 percent. The act expanded the income tax base, raised the corporate tax rate from 12 percent to 13.75 percent, and increased the top estate tax rate from 20 percent to 45 percent. -
FDR defeats Hoover
The American presidential election was held on Nov. 8, 1932, in which Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Republican Pres. Herbert Hoover. The 1932 election was the first held during the Great Depression, and it represented a large shift in the political alignment of the country. Republicans had dominated the presidency for most of the period so this was a change. Roosevelt had a plan for dealing with the depression which showed he was willing to tackle the problems facing the U.S. head-on. -
First New Deal
The First New Deal began in a whirlwind of legislative action called “The First Hundred Days.” Congress passed legislation aimed at addressing the banking crisis, unemployment, and weak industrial performance, among other problems, through a number of new laws and agencies. Among these, some of the most important were: (AAA),(CCC),(FERA),(NRA),(FDIC), and (SEC). His new deal, it expanded the size of the federal government and reshaped American political culture. -
Neutrality Acts of 1930s
On August 31, 1935, Congress passed the first Neutrality Act prohibiting the export of “arms, ammunition, and implements of war” from the United States to foreign nations at war and requiring arms manufacturers in the United States to apply for an export license. The impact this act had was it gave the President the authority to bar all belligerent ships from the United States. Finally, civil wars would also fall under the terms of the Act. -
Second New Deal
The Second New Deal addressed the problems of the elderly, the poor, and the unemployed; created new public-works projects; helped farmers; and enacted measures to protect workers' rights. It was during this period that the first serious challenges to the New Deal emerged. The Social Security Act was one of the most important acts because for the first time, it established an economic “safety net” for all Americans, providing unemployment and disability insurance and old-age pensions. -
Hitler invades Poland and WWII begins
German troops invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, triggering World War II. In response to German aggression, Great Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany. Nazi Germany possessed overwhelming military superiority over Poland. It lasted one month and 5 days, Britain and France did not help Poland, and during the bombing infrastructure, farmland, towns, radio and telephone lines, planes, roads, and railways were destroyed. This will be the final spark that starts WWII. -
Pearl Harbor attacked
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Japan had launched a surprise attack by some 350 Japanese aircraft that sunk and badly damaged eighteen United States naval vessels, including eight battleships, destroyed or damaged 300 US aircraft, and killed 2,403 men.
The United States remained neutral for most of the war, however, pearl harbor caused them to declare war on Japan and join the allied forces. -
D-Day
D-day was the Allied attempt to win back France from Nazi Germany by landing troops on the French beaches of Normandy. It was officially called "operation overload", and the D in D day represents "D"designated for the operation that was taking place. There were over 10,000 planes, and 7,000 ships being used, and they landed on five different beaches. The objective of this day was for Allied air power bombs dropped on German military installations guarding the beaches before the naval assault. -
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference was a meeting of the Big Three in February 1945, to decide what would happen to Europe and Germany after WW2 however Germany wasn't defeated yet. The Yalta Conference contributed to the start of the Cold War by creating tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. The negotiations were in Stalin's favor as Roosevelt wanted the USSR's help in the Pacific and for Stalin to agree to go to war with Japan. This was the leading factor for the Start of the Cold War. -
Truman is elected
Truman was the 33rd United States president, who succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt upon Roosevelt's death in April 1945. Truman, who led the country through the last few months of World War II, is best known for making the controversial decision to use two atomic bombs against Japan in August 1945. After the war, Truman was crucial in the implementation of the Marshall Plan, which greatly accelerated Western Europe's economic recovery. Truman had many goals and wanted to put his country first. -
Truman Doctrine
This doctrine was an American foreign policy created in the intent to counter Soviet geopolitical hegemony during the Cold War. It was first announced to Congress by President Harry S. Truman on March 12, 1947, and further developed on July 12, 1948, when he pledged to contain Soviet threats to Greece and Turkey. Overall it shifted American foreign policy toward the Soviet Union from a wartime alliance to a policy of containment of Soviet expansion. -
Marshall Plan
On April 3, 1948, President Truman signed the Economic Recovery Act of 1948. It became known as the Marshall Plan, named for Secretary of State George Marshall, who in 1947 proposed that the United States provide economic help to restore the economic infrastructure of postwar Europe. The Main idea of this plan was to prevent the spread of communism in Western Europe. This plan impacted and generated a resurgence of European industrialization and brought extensive investment into the region. -
Executive Order 9981
The executive order mandated the desegregation of the U.S. military. The first point in the executive order states “It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. This order banned segregation in the Armed Forces. This -
NATO
Formed in 1949 with the signing of the Washington Treaty, NATO is a security alliance of 30 countries from North America and Europe. NATO's main goal is to safeguard the Allies' freedom and security by political and military means. The document stated that the Alliance's fundamental tasks were security, consultation, and deterrence and defense, adding that crisis management and partnership were also essential to enhancing security and stability. NATO helps defend the territory of its members. -
McCarthyism
In 1950, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy began a staggering campaign against communists (entertainers, teachers, democrats, and government officials) that led to more than four years of charges and countercharges, ending when the Senate censured him in 1954. McCarthyism became the modern-day name for the red scare of the 1950s. McCarthyism's effects were Millions of Americans were forced to take loyalty oaths, and labor unions goes into decline,many people become afraid to speak out on public issues. -
Rosa Parks and Bus Boycotts
In 1955, Parks rejected a bus driver's order to leave a row of four seats in the "colored" section once the white section had filled up and moved to the back of the bus. Her defiance sparked a successful boycott of buses in Montgomery a few days later. The Bus Boycotts resulted in the Supreme Court ruling segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. A significant play towards civil rights and transit equity, the Montgomery Bus Boycott helped eliminate early barriers to transportation access -
JFK becomes President
John F. Kennedy was a new Democratic candidate running against Nixon. He was the youngest candidate to run for president, at the age of 43. Kennedy was seen as young, fresh, and innovative, and won the presidency in November 8, 1960. President Kennedy inspired a generation to learn to take on responsibility for its government, and its world, by taking political and social action. As president, he fought very hard to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all. Americans -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
On April 17, 1961, 1,400 Cuban exiles launched what became a botched invasion at the Bay of Pigs on the south coast of Cuba. This invasion showed Russia and Cuba that America would not tolerate communism and that they would fight to keep it at the bay. The impact of the Bay of Pigs Invasion was that the President of Cuba, Fulgencia Batista, was overthrown and the establishment of a new government. It also led to a reassessment of Cuba's policy by the Kennedy administration. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
In 1962, Cuba which was a communist country off the coast of Florida very close to the U.S. that allowed the Soviet Union to come into the country and place nuclear missiles aimed at the United States. This happened after Fidel Castro took over. The Cuban Missile Crisis helped to relax Cold War relations between the USA and the USSR. Both leaders had seen how their game of brinkmanship had almost ended in a nuclear war. Now they were more prepared to take steps to reduce the risk of nuclear war. -
The March on Washington
On August 28, 1963, 250,000 people for a peaceful demonstration to promote Civil Rights and economic equality for African Americans. Participants walked down Constitution and Independence avenues,then gathered at the Lincoln Monument for speeches, songs, and prayer. The most memorable speech of the day was the Rev Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. This march left an impact pressuring the administration of John F. Kennedy to initiate a strong federal civil rights bill in Congress. -
JFK assassinated
The mortal shooting of John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, as he rode in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. His accused killer was Lee Harvey Oswald, a former U.S. Marine who had embraced Marxism. Soon after his assassination, the country was in fear of what they would do next without their president. It made people feel unsafe and scared. President security changed quite a bit after he was killed and things were much more monitored and strict. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act was passed under the Johnson administration, this act outlawed segregation in public areas and permitted the federal government power to fight black disfranchisement. The act also created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to prevent discrimination in the workplace. This act was the strongest civil rights legislation since Reconstruction and invalidated the Southern Caste System. This act was a turning point in the opinions on the basis of race, color, religion, and sex. -
Selma to Montgomery March
On March 7, 1965, hundreds of people gathered in Selma, Alabama to march to the capital city of Montgomery. They marched to ensure that African Americans could exercise their constitutional right to vote — even in the face of a segregationist system that wanted to make it impossible. They had a successful march, leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. African Americans first earned their right to vote in 1870, just five years after the United States ended the Civil War. -
Martin Luther King, Jr is Assassinated
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated at a Memphis hotel. James Earl Ray, was a white man who resented the increasing black influence in society. King's murder set off many new rounds of riots across the country, while both blacks and whites mourned MLK's tragic death. King's death impacted the Black Power Movement. Black Americans felt even more distrustful of white institutions and America's political system. -
Nixon Resigns
Nixon resigned from office on August 4, 1974. He resigned because of the Watergate Scandal. Disclosure of the White House involvement in the break-in and subsequent cover-up forced President Nixon's resignment all to avoid impeachment. Nixon knew he would be impeached by the House of Representatives and then found guilty in the Senate so he decided to resign. -
3-Mile Island nuclear failure
The Three Mile Island nuclear plant had two pressurized light-water reactors. On March 28, 1979, a cooling malfunction caused part of the core to melt in Reactor 2. Some radioactive gas was released but not enough to cause adverse health effects, as noted in numerous health studies.
Its aftermath brought about lots of changes involving emergency response planning, reactor operator training, human factors engineering, radiation protection, and many other areas of nuclear power plant operations. -
Ronald Reagan elected President
First elected president in 1980 and elected again in 1984. He ran on a campaign based on the common man and "populist" ideas. He served as governor of California from 1966-1974. He also participated in the McCarthy Communist scare. Iran released hostages on his Inauguration Day in 1980. Reagan being able to release the hostages built trust with the people. Ronald Reagan's victory in the presidential election of 1980 represented an important milestone, allowing significant tax cuts and much more. -
First Space shuttle launched
The first space shuttle was launched for the first time on April 12, 1981, the first flight of the Space Shuttle program. Over 22 years of service it completed 27 missions before disintegrating during re-entry near the end of its 28th mission, STS-107 on February 1, 2003, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members. There is abundant and well-documented evidence of the widespread benefits flowing from the space program to the nation and, indeed, to the world. -
Iran-Contra Scandal
The iran-Contra Scandal was a secret operation during the Reagan administration, senior Reagan Administration officials secretly sent financial aid and the sale of arms to Iran, the subject of an arms trade in hopes of securing the release of hostages and allowing U.S. intelligence agencies to fund the Nicaraguan Contras. They chose to do this all fully aware that those were illegal actions. In the end, several dozen administration officials were indicted, and eleven convictions resulted.