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U.S. Stock Market Crash/Great Depression
(ECONOMIC) U.S. Stock Market crashes, marking the end of six years of economic prosperity for U.S. It marked the beggining of the Great Depression, and an estimated $30 billion in stock values would "dissappear" by mid-November. -
Good Neighbor Policy
(SOCIAL) F.D.R. states in his inaugural address for the U.S. to remove its Marines out of Nicaragua and Haiti in hope of gaining Latin America's support again. Significant because it allowed the U.S. to compensate with Latin America over foreign aid in the oil industry during 1938. -
Executive Order 6102
(ECONOMIC) Executive Order 6102 was a declaration that all privately held gold of American citizens had to be sold to the U.S. Treasury, also the price of gold was increased from $20 to $35 per ounce. Executive Order 6102 was important because it was directed towards fighting the deflation that the economy was facing. -
National Labor Relations Act/Wagner Act
(POLITICAL) A key to the second New Deal, the act established the rights of employees to organize, join, or aid labor unions, to participate in collective bargaining through their representatives. It also allowed unions to take "concerted action" if there was something they disliked, so the act was important because workers could legally strike and take other peaceful actions as a way of placing pressure on their employer. -
Social Security Act
(POLITICAL) A piece from the New Deal, president F.D.R. passed the Social Security Act which established Social Security and promised the elderly, poor, or sick economic security. The Social Security Act was important because it required the current working generation to contribute to those in need. -
U.S. Revenue Act
(ECONOMIC) Passed by U.S. president F.D.R., the Revenue Act of 1935 increased U.S. federal income tax on higher income levels. Significant because it was a civilian public sacrifice since the Act took up to 75% on incomes of over 5 million people. -
F.D.R.'s "Quarantine Speech"
(POLITICAL) Speech given by F.D.R. stating the idea of international "quarantine of the aggressor nations" as an alternative to the political heating of American neutrality and isolationism that was popular at that time. The Quarantine Speech was significant because the speech did cause a huge controversy, but also started getting approval from the U.S. media later on. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
(POLITICAL) The FLSA was an act passed in the U.S. that introduced the maximum of a 44-hour 7-day workweek, established the national minimum wage, guranteed 'overtime' hours in some jobs, and did not allow child-labor anymore. The FLSA was very important because it set the basis for the workforce making more people want to join the workforce. -
Neutrality Act of 1939
(ECONOMIC) "Cash & Carry" term applied to Neutrality Act and it allowed countries to to purchase weapons and war materials from the US. Was important because weapons and materials were purchased only through cash, materials were transported in the purchasers own ships, and made the U.S. less isolated. -
Canada Gov. creates Department of Munitions & Supply
(ECONOMIC) -Lead by C.D. Howe, 28 crown coporations are created for large-scale production of manufactured goods for Allied powers (especially Great Britian). Important because by 1941 the number of employees in Canada's manufacturing sector increased by 50%, and by the end of the war Canada had a more highly skilled labour force. -
Two-Ocean Navy Act
(MILITARY) Being the largest naval bill in U.S. History, the Two-Ocean Navy Act made the United States Navy increase by 70%. The Two-Ocean Navy Act was significant because it was funded with $300 million dollars and enlarged the navy power to prepare themselves against Japan. -
Destroyers for Bases Agreement
(POLITICAL) An agreement between the U.S. and Great Britian that the U.S. would trade 50 WW1 American destroyers to Britian for the trade off of military base rights on the Britian Carribean Islands. The agreement was important because it was steps of non-isolationist America. -
Selective Service Training Act
(SOCIAL) The S.S.T. Act sated that all men between 18 and 36, regardless of race, were eligible to volunteer in naval and ground forces without being discriminated. The S.S.T. Act was important because the act attempted to change the way the military allowed black people to fight in the war. -
"Arsenal of Democracy"
(ECONOMIC) U.S. President F.D.R. stated in a radio broadcast that the U.S. was the, "Arsenal of Democracy", and promised the U.K. in fighting against Nazi Germany by giving them military supplies. Significant because it marked the decline of isolated United States, and marked the beggining of increased supply production. -
Declaration by United Nations
(POLITICAL) Document which was agreed on during the Arcadia Conference by 26 governments including the "Big 4" known as the U.S., The UK, the USSR, and China. UN was fighting for life, liberty, indenpendent freedom, human rights, and justice. Significant because this document became the basis for our modern UN. -
F.D.R.'s "Four Freedoms" Address
(POLITICAL) The Four Freedoms Address to Congress were goals the president proposed to congress about funduamental freedoms that people around the world should naturally own which were the freedom of speech, worship, and from want and fear. The Four Freedoms address was important because it went beyond traditional constitional values in America. -
Lend-Lease Act
(ECONOMIC) Program in which United States supploed the U.K., the Soviet Union, China, France, and other Allied nations with materials between 1941 through 1945. Significant because it made the U.S. break away from its isolationist policies, improve the economy, and help fellow allies in need. -
Executive Order 8802
(SOCIAL) Signed by F.D.R., the order prohibited racial discrimination in the defense industry, specifically subjected to minority workers and especially African Americans. Executive Order 8802 was significant because it created the FEPC, direct government agencies, job-training programs, and contractors to avoid racial and religious discrimination. -
The Atlantic Charter
(POLITICAL) F.D.R. agreement with Winston Churchill on how a post-World War 2 world would be including establishments such as importance of freedom, seeking of no terretorial gains, and work towards the disarment of agressor nations. The Atlantic Charter was significant because it established a commonality of purpose between Great Britian and the U.S., and also influenced the creation of the UN. -
Creation of the Office of Price Administration (OPA)
(ECONOMIC) U.S. President F.D.R. creates the Office of Price Administration to regulate money and rents after World War II broke out. Significant because the OPA now controlled ceilings on all prices except agricultural products, and the ration scarce supplies of other items, like tires, automobiles, shoes, nylon, sugar, gasoline, fuel oil, coffee, meats and processed foods. -
Defense/War Bonds
(ECONOMIC) Before known as defense bonds before the attack of Pearl Harbor, War Bonds were issued throughout the nation to remove money from circulation and decrease inflation. Advertised extremely by War Propaganda, War Bonds were important in the purpose of financing military operations in any way possible during the war. -
Pearl Harbor
(MILITARY) Japanese air forces bombed Pearl Harbor in the goal of destroying our Pacific Fleet. Pearl Harbor was significant because the next day the U.S. entered the war against Japan (Germany declared war also to the U.S.). -
F.D.R.'s "Infamy Speech"
(POLITICAL) With the speech being delivered by president F.D.R. the day after the attack of Pearl Harbor, F.D.R. adressed the response and trauma the United States was in because of the attack. This speech being significant because within an hour of the speech the U.S. declared War against Japan. -
Beginning of Japanese American Internment Camps
(SOCIAL) Called "War Relocation Camps" the U.S. goverment thought it would be important to contain Japanese-Americans (even though all of them were loyal US citizens) because of fear there would be another Japanese attack within the nation. The containment was signifance though because it showed the U.S. that people should not assume things and take their rights' away. -
Executive Order 9066
(SOCIAL) President F.D.R. uses his authrority as Commander-in-Chief to send feared ethnic groups to internment groups across the United States. Was significant because the executive order affected about 110,00 and was used against those with "Foreign Enemy Ancestry" (Japanese Americans) due to the paranoia in the nation. -
Japanese Canadian internment Begins
(SOCIAL) Passed under the War Measures Act, it gave the federal government the power to intern all people of Japanese racial origin. The Japanese Canadian Internment Camps was an important event because it marked the beginning of intentended racism towards Canadian Japanese Americans like their fellow counterparts in the U.S. -
Battle of Midway
(MILITARY) The U.S. decisively defeated the Japanese Navy attack on Miday Atoll, causing huge casualties for the Empire of Japan. The battle of Miday was important because it effectively ended Japanese offensive power in the Pacific. The war turned from Japan on the offense to Japan on the defense. -
Office of War Information is Created
(SOCIAL) To manage propaganda, F.D.R. creates Office of War Production (OWI). The OPI was important because it promoted and emphasized the good (U.S./Allied Powers) vs. evil (Axis Powers) struggle, promoted the total destruction of the enemy, which thus led to a huge U.S. patriotnism. -
Bracero Program
(SOCIAL) (Don't know exact day which event took place just know it happened sometime in August 1942) A series of laws and government agreements between the U.S. and Mexico over the desperate need of labour workers in the U.S. The Bracero Program was significant because it allowed about 4.5 million border crossings of guest workers from Mexico to the U.S. and thus increased the war production. -
War Relocation Authority Confidental Office Memo
(SOCIAL) After some Japanese Americans tried to challenge the internment policy the Office of the Solicitor and the Office of Reports for the use of the W.R.A.S. made the W.R.A.C.M. The confidental memo was important because it included the following statements of: all Jap's/Japanese Americans look very much alike, Japanese-Americans had most of their education in Japan, and that it was a reason to begin the internment camps. -
The Manhattan Project
(MILITARY) The research and developmental program for the first nuclear weapon begins after hearing Nazi Germany was researching for a hardcore bomb also. The Manhattan Project was very significant because it would leard to the first two nuclear bombs ever to be used in warfare, the surrender of Japan/end of war, and the aftershock of such a detonation. -
Battle of Guadacanal
(MILITARY) The Battle of Guadacanal was the first offensive attack by U.S. Naval and ground forces against Japan during World War II. The Battle of Guadacanal was important because If the Japanese military had kept the island and completed their airbase, they would have cut the supply line between the Unites States and Australia. (The airfield also gave the American forces a base to attack other islands and stuff). -
“Rosie the Riveter” Pictorial Representation
(SOCIAL) Saturday Evening Post was the first widely publicized pictorial representation of the new “Rosie the Riveter” and led to many other “Rosie” images and women to represent the image. Greatly significant because women immediately joined the workforce in vast numbers replacing their male counterparts fighting in the war. -
Servicemen's Readjustment Act (A.K.A. G.I. Bill)
(ECONOMIC) (Don't know exact day which was passed, just know it was passed in June of 1944) Law that was passed in the U.S. for returning World War II veterans in need of economic stability after the war. Benefits included were: low-cost mortgages, loans to start a business or farm, cash payments of tuition and living expenses to attend college, high school or vocational education, as well as one year of unemployment compensation. -
D-Day (Operation Neptune)
(MILITARY) : D-Day is the day that the allied forces landed on the coast of France (Normandy) to begin the liberation of France and eventual defeat of Germany. D-Day is an important day because Day was significant because it was the turning point of World War II. It marked the begininng of the Allies' invasion of Western Europe and soon an Allied victory against Nazi Germany! -
Brazilian Expeditionary Force
(MILITARY) Brazil sends 25,000-man force, the FEB, to fight in Europe against Nazi Germany and also in the Italian campaign. The Brazilian Expeditionary Force was significant in World War 2 because it was the first Latin American force being sent overseas to fight with U.S. forces under general Mark Clark when facing against Italy. -
Battle of the Bulge
(MILITARY) The Battle of the Bulge was the last offensive Nazi Germany tried to throw against Allied Forces in the west, Germany trying to capture the city of Bastogne, but failed. The Battle of the Bulge was significant because having failed to stop the Allied advance, the Bulge confirmed that Germany was going to lose the war. -
Yalta Conference
(POLITICAL) (Feb. 4rth-11th) The Allies agreed that the liberated nations of Europe would create democratic governments of their own choice, Germany would be divided into occupation zones, Germany would pay war reparations, and that the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan. The Yalta Conference was extremely important because the Allies agreed to of what Europe planned to look like after the end of World War II. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
(MILITARY) The battle of Iwo Jima was when U.S. Forces were needed to capture this island because it had two airfields created by the Japanese. The battle of Iwo Jima was very important because the Allied forces needed these runways to help pillots to land their damaged planes or planes without enough fuel. (Iwo Jima was also a good place to be restocked with needed supplies) -
Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
(MILITARY) (Aug. 6th-9th) After U.S. president approval the B-29 Enola Gay & Boxcar dropped the atomic bombs "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" over Hiroshima & Nagasaki as a last resort to the end the war. The atomic bomb droppings were important because The Empire of Japan finally surrendered.
