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The Oregon Trail
In the time of eager expansion, the Oregon Trail was the route to that path. It was a 2,170-mile-long trail that supported the use of a wagon when wanting to go out West. The first to use it were fur traders and trappers. -
The California Gold Rush
Americans all across the east were migrating westward when news broke out about there being gold. The gold rush peaked in 1852 with 300,000 Americans searching for gold, which led to the supply running extremely low. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This treaty ended the war between Mexico and America. Within this treaty Mexico agreed to forfeit 55% of its land to America creating the Rio Grande border between the United States and Mexico. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment set into the constitution a few months after the Civil War. Thus, freeing slaves all over the United States. -
First Transcontinental Railroad
They connected two railway lines, one going east from Sacramento, California, and the other going west from Omaha, Nebraska. This connected the East and the West parts of the United States very efficiently. This event was one of the most important for its time due to the fact people could travel very quickly and it would lead to more railways being created in the future. -
Civil Rights Act
This Act guaranteed the African Americans equality with use of public spaces. This Act took almost five years to pass due to all the debating. It was one of the main events that happened during the Reconstruction Era. -
Haymarket Riot
During a labor protest, a bomb was thrown at the police causing many casualties to ensue. Later the police unlawfully arrested and hung who they believed were the reason this happened. -
Homestead Strike
Carnegie Steel's contract with the union came to an end, which led to a decision to cut wages for their employees. The employees backlashed against this and began their protest, when the Pinkerton detectives tried to break this up by arriving on boats the protestors fought back. This was overall a defeat for the labor movement due to their brutal treatment of the Pinkertons. -
Spanish-American War
It all began when an explosion occurred in the Havana Harbor bringing down the USS Maine. This caused America to intervene on the Cuban War of Independence. These events led to the rise of "Yellow Journalism" meaning the media took advantage of major events and construed it for financial gain. -
Treaty of Versailles
This peace treaty was responsible for ending World War One. Involved were the Allied Powers and Germany. -
Stock Market Crash
After almost a decade of prosperity within the United States, a significant downfall occurred. The stock market crashed and so did everyone who had invested in it. Banks were not able to dispense the money people were trying to take leading to banks all across America to close. Leaving most people in poverty. -
The Dust Bowl
This was a severe disaster that occurred in the midst of The Great Depression. There was an extreme drought that occurred across the Great Plains region, along with high winds caused a huge dust storm. These storms would wipe out farmers crops leading them to have no business. -
The New Deal
Franklin D. Roosevelt in the beginning of his presidency reassured Americans all across the nation that everything would be alright soon. He declared a four-day bank holiday to help banks. He also created an Act that prevented workers from being treated unfairly, and an Act that would help the unemployed. -
The Sit-Down Strike
In this 44-day long streak of striking, workers decided to sit around and enjoy themselves instead of working with the dangerous machinery. This proved to be extremely powerful as it brought a huge auto company to its knees. Labor was never the same after this event. -
Pearl Harbor
During World War II there was a bombing that occurred at Pearl Harbor. The first wave of Japanese attacks proved to be detrimental to the Navy base, the battleships which were stationed there were badly damaged, some even sunk. Then, the second wave of attacks tore through the base causing more than 2400 Americans dead. -
The Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a secret project during WWII. The goal of this project was to create the Atomic Bomb in an effort to beat the Germans and Soviets from creating it first. This weapon ultimately ended WWII when the US dropped the bombs on Japan. -
The Civil Rights Movement
The struggle faced from African Americans was immense. The gradual lead up of oppressed African Americans and their small fights lead to this great movement. This movement even led to one of their leaders, Martin Luther King to be assassinated. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This law was established for black and white unity within schools. It was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. This case was brought on by the NAACP for an African American parent whose daughter was unable to receive an education at a white school. -
Civil Rights Act
This act aimed to end segregation and discrimination on race, sex, color, and religion. It had many sections to it regarding desegregation and assessing how to repair the issues faced in the past. -
Fannie Lou Hamer's Testimony
Fannie Lou Hamer's testimony at the DNC was targeted by the President Lyndon Johnson where he held a pointless White House meeting in an effort to oppress Fannie's story about her experience with racism.