History Timeline

  • Homestead Act

    • 160 acres of public land in the west granted to any U.S citizen willing to settle on
    • required to farm on the land for at least 5 years
  • 13th Amendment

    -abolished slavery in the U.S
    -could now only be used as a punishment for a crime
  • 14th Amendment

    -granted citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the U.S
    -included former enslaved people
    -guaranteed all citizens "equal protection of the laws"
  • 15th Amendment

    -gave people the right to vote
  • Freedman Savings Collapse

    -Freedman Bank was established to provide a savings and wealth-building tool after the enslaved population was first freed
    -bank collapsed thanks to risky investment and mismanagement
  • Belknap Trading Post Scandal

    • also known as the "Indian Ring" accused William W. Belknap of committing crimes involving administrating of government contracts -took place during reconstruction
  • Rockefeller Takeover

    -already created the Standard Oil Company
    -began to control or own 90% of oil industry
    -lead to the railroad strike
  • Westward Expansion

    -ended in 1900
    -was the 19th century movement of settlers, agriculture, and industry into the American west
    -moved west of Mississippi river
    -Native Americans were removed from their land in that area
  • Haymarket Riot

    -was the aftermath of a bombing that took place at a labor demonstration
    -occurred at Haymarket Square in Chicago
  • Dawes Act

    -was a U.S law providing for the distribution of Indian reservation land among individual native americans
    -had the aim of creating responsible farmers in the white man's "image"
  • Sherman Anti-Trust Act

    -restricted companies from participating in interstate trade or commerce
    -was important to prevent monopolies from forming