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2nd Industrial Revolution
This second industrial revolution was known for the rapid standardization and industrialization occurring in the late 19th and early 20th century. It's occurrence was brought about by the inventions of earlier machinery, such as interchangeable parts, as well as the Bessemer Process. -
The Grange Movement
After the destruction of the South following the Civil War, this movement attempted to unite both Northerners and Southerners with a common goal of repairing America's agricultural production. This movement was significant in the ways that it was able to help Southern agriculture throughout the Antebellum period. -
Panic of 1873
After many banks raised millions of dollars to finance railroad construction, believing it would return great profits, but expenses ballooned and many banks folded. This situation caused the first "Great Depression," both in the United States and abroad. -
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
While originally tackling issues such as suffrage, labor laws, and prison reforms, this women-led group became highly active in the prohibition movement. This organization had also played a large role in the passing of the 18th amendment in 1919. -
Invention of the Telephone
This invention revolutionized communication throughout the entire world, helping to transform society in the late 19th century. This was one of history's most significant inventions, as it is still being used today. -
Indian Wars
These series of wars between American settlers and American Indians were fought over land and natural resources in the west. The Battle of Little Big Horn marked the decline of these wars, in which the Americans would eventually win. -
Tammany Hall
This organization was a political machine that had a lot of power in New York City, which relied on the many immigrant groups that populated the city. It was eventually brought down by the Progressive movement of the late 19th century. -
Tuskegee Institute
This institute, created by Booker T. Washington, was meant to educate black men and women in both the arts and manual labor. Students were also engaged in complex thinking that would rival that of any Ivy League school. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
This act completely prevented Chinese laborers from entering the United States. It is significant in that it was the first immigration law to exclude an entire ethnic group. -
Pendleton Act
This act marked a new era for the U.S. government, changing the how politicians gained access to public office, and becoming a symbol of a non-corrupt American government. This forever changed the system of political office in America by ending the spoils system started decades before by President Andrew Jackson -
Wabash v. Illinois
After an Illinois law was passed that allowed fines to be placed on railroads that charged the same prices for closer destinations, a railroad company had challenged this law in the Supreme Court. The Court ruled that Illinois had no authority to place such restrictions, confirming that states could not control interstate commerce, and eventually led to the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
This was the first act passed by Congress to limit concentrations of power that lead to unfair business practices and lack of competition within the economy. However, this act was barely used against industrial monopolies, but instead used to break up trade unions. -
National American Woman Suffrage Association
This organization was primarily focused on expanding women's suffrage throughout the United States. It became the nation's largest organization for women's rights, and played a key role in the passing of the 19th Amendment in 1920. -
Ocala Platform
After years of agricultural depression in the South following the Civil War, associations for the support of farmers met in Ocala, Florida to demand government support for the nation's depressed farmers. While this platform did not have any of its demands met by the two major political parties at the time, it helped with the rise of the Populist Party, which had a few influential candidates in the 1890s. -
Forest Reserve Act
This act allowed the President to set aside forest reserves previously part of the public domain. This allowed millions of acres of land to be set aside for preservation in National Forests -
Ellis Island
This island in New York Harbor was America's busiest immigrant inspection station during the late 19th and early 20th century, processing over twelve million immigrants. -
Panic of 1893
After the collapse of two of the country's largest employers, a full-blown panic erupted on the stock market. After many companies began to call in loans, thousands had to declare bankruptcy. Both unemployment and homelessness throughout the country exploded as well. -
Pullman Strike
After a nationwide railway strike occurred in 1894, rail traffic was delayed throughout the nation, major rioting occurred in Chicago, and over thirty people died. This was the first nationwide strike in America's history, and led to widespread disillusionment with the nation's government. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
In this extremely influential Supreme Court case, Homer Plessy was accused of riding in a whites-only rail car, which was illegal in the state of Louisiana. The Supreme Court ruled in Ferguson's favor, who was the state judge of Louisiana, which served as legal justification for racial segregation in the United States. -
Angel Island
One of America's largest immigration centers, second to Ellis Island, this island processed over a million immigrants in the early 20th century, most of those being of Asian origin.
