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Lincoln Delivers Gettysburg Address
Over four months after the Union army defeated the Confederates at the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln returned to Gettysburg and delivered the Gettysburg Address. His speech lasted a mere two to three minutes. The speech reflected the belief that the Civil War wasn't just a fight to save the Union, but a struggle for freedom and equality for all -
Lincoln delivers Emancipation Proclamation
Two years after President Lincoln was inaugurated, he delivered the Emancipation Proclamation during the third year of the Civil War. The Proclamation was meant to free the slaves in the south, but it actually freed few people. Despite this, it did allow African American men to join the Union army. -
President Andrew Johnson
Even after Lincoln died, President Andrew Johnson continued with the reconstruction of the Confederate States. When Congress met in December of 1865, most of the southern states were reconstructed and slavery was abolished. Despite this fact, however, "black codes" to regulate the freed man began appearing. -
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes was the 19th president. He took office determined to reform the system of civil service appointments, which had been based on the spoils system since president Andrew Johnson. As president, Hayes oversaw the end of Reconstruction. -
President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland angered many railroads when he forced them to return 81,000,000 acres of land. He signed the Interstate Commerce Act which attempted Federal regulation of railroads. He also ordered an investigation of western lands held by a Government grant. -
McKinley and the War with Spain
William McKinely favored a peaceful approach in hopes to convince Spain to grant Cuba its independence. When it was clear the Spain wouldn't ever let Cuba declare independence, riots were reported and McKinley sent in the USS Maine. The USS Maine was then sunk, claiming 266 lives. -
Theodore Roosevelt
President Theodore Roosevelt was known for his skill in foreign policy. He helped solve disputes in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Morocco. He also won the adoption of the Drago Doctrine, which prevented the use of force in collecting foreign debts. -
William Howard Taft
In the area of federal spending, Taft initiated reforms which would revolutionize the Executive's role in the federal government's budget process. Previously, each executive department presented to the Treasury Dept. Its own expense estimates, which were then forwarded to the Congress. -
Woodrow Wilson
The Republican Party was split between Roosevelt and Taft, which meant that Wilson easily won. He became the 28th president of the United States. One of the first events of Woodrow Wilson's presidency was the passage of the Underwood Tariff. -
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge was the 30th president of the United States. He succeeded to the presidency on August 3, 1923 when Harding died from a heart attack. In 1924, the Veteran's Bonus passed through Congress even though Coolidge vetoed it.
