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Transcontinental Railroad Started
Construction starts on the Transcontinental Railroad. Starting on opposite sides of the country, the Central Pacific and Union Pacific rail companies raced to lay down as much track as possible. Work would continue for 6 more years, at the cost of more than 2000 worker's deaths. -
Shootout at the O.K. Corral
In Tombstone, Arizona, a lomg-simmering feud between a group of lawmen and a gang of outlaws called the Cowboys finally culminated in a gunfight that lasted only 30 seconds, leaving all of the gang members dead. The event has been memorialized in pop culture as the inspiration for countless gunfights in Western films, despite such events being very rare in real life. -
Abraham Lincoln Assassinated
While watching the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., Abraham Lincoln is shot by actor John Wilkes Booth. He was taken to a house next door, but died soon afterwards. He was the first president to have been murdered while in office. Booth had been planning to kill the President as payback for the Confederacy losing the war. -
Civil War Ends
After a 4-year war, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders while surrounded at the Appomattox Court House, putting an end to the most deadly war America has ever fought. In the coming years the event would be both celebrated and hated, but it certainly wouldn't been forgotten. -
Alaska Purchase
America purchases the Alaskan Territory from Russia. Although the event was widely mocked at the time, the purchase would eventually prove to be worthwhile when large amounts of gold were discovered there in 1896. -
Transcontinental Railroad Built
Construction is officially finished on the Transcontinental Railroad. This railway greatly assisted in transportation across the frontier, shortening a months-long trip by stagecoach to a mere five days. The railroad still remains the longest ever built in the world. -
Fifteenth Amendment Passed
The Fifteenth Amendment is ratified, allowing men of all nationalities to vote. This was the third and last of the Amendments passed during Reconstruction that granted civil rights. -
Battle of the Little Bighorn
General George A. Custer engages in battle with the Sioux tribe along the Little Bighorn river in Montana Territory. His army is outnumbered more than ten times by the opposing Native Americans, resulting in no survivors except for a single horse. -
Compromise of 1877
Due to a tie in the election of 1876, a compromise between Democrats and Republicans was formed. The Democrats would have Rutherford B. Hayes as president, and the Republicans would have an official end to Reconstruction. -
Brooklyn Bridge Completed
The Brooklyn Bridge was the first steel suspension bridge to ever be constructed and the longest bridge in the world at the time. In the decades since its completion, it has persisted as an icon of New York culture. -
The Gospel of Wealth
Andrew Carnegie writes an article stating that wealth comes from hard work and that the rich should donate their riches charity. The article later became a manifesto of modern philantrophy. -
Ellis Island Begins Accepting Immigrants
Ellis Island begins accepting immigrants. More than 12 million new US citizens would pass through the island in the next 60 years. The voyage is remembered as being extremely cramped, hot, and uncomfortable; however, the American experience is regarded in a far more positive light. -
Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases
Suffragist, journalist, and Civil Rights activist Ida B. Wells writes a pamphlet detailing the horrors of lynchings in the Deep South. The pamphlet is considered an important piece in the early history of the Civil Rights Movement. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This court case ruled that racial segregation of facilities was legal as long as both facilities were equal in quality. It only helped prolong the existence of Jim Crow laws, which would continue to discriminate against black people for decades. -
Sinking of the Maine
The US battleship Maine suffers explosive damage and sinks, killing everyone on board. At the time, it was believed that she was attacked by the Spanish, although modern data suggests that the explosion occured from the inside instead of outside. The tragedy was one of the main incentives for the US to declare war on Spain. -
Battle of Santiago Bay
The decisive battle of the Spanish-American War lasted only 6 hours and ended a war that had lasted for less than a year. Commodore George Dewey's naval forces managed to completely destroy the Spanish navy and surround its commander Pascual Servera, forcing his surrender. The aftermath of the war led to Cuba's independence, Theodore Roosevelt being elected Vice President, and the US being recognized as a world power. -
Roosevelt Corollary
The Roosevelt Corollary is established as an addition to the Monroe Doctrine. The corollary states that the United States can and will interfere in unjust conflicts between European countries and Latin American countries. This was consistent with Roosevelt's "Big Stick" diplomacy policy. -
Theodore Roosevelt Elected
Theodore Roosevelt wins the 1904 Presidential election. As President, he would enact many Progressive reforms and work to improve American society. He was popular among civilians for his work in poor areas of the country. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
The Pure Food and Drug Act is enacted, establishing requisite standards for food and drug manufacturing. The passing of the law was sparked by the novel "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair, which depicts the sqalid conditions of meat packing factories at the time. -
Angel Island Begins Accepting Immigrants
The immigrant center on Angel Island was meant to be a parallel to Ellis Island in the West. However, the scanning process was far more strict and involved asking many seemingly pointless questions. These questions were used to sniff out any people who had attempted to sneak into the US by faking immigrant papers. -
First Suffrage Parade
The National American Woman Suffrage Association puts on a parade the day before Woodrow Wilson's inauguration, as protest to the American government's exclusion of women. The parade was led by Inez Milholland, clad in white and sat atop a white horse. -
Franz Ferdinand Assassinated
Archduke of Austria Franz Ferdinand and his wife are shot by a Serbian assassin. The murders were the result of various tensions between Austria and Serbia at the time. This event would lead to Austria declaring war on Serbia, which would eventually escalate into World War I. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
The British passenger ship Lusitania is sunk by German U-boats due to the fact that she was transporting ammunition. The sinking of the ship is considered one of the events that led up to America declaring war on Germany. -
Planned Parenthood Founded
Pro-choice activist Margaret Sanger opens the first birth clinic in the US, which eventually results in the creation of Planned Parenthood. Despite her progressive stance on abortion, Margaret held a large amount of xenophobic and eugenicist beliefs; Planned Parenthood has since denounced her political ideals. -
Zimmermann Telegram
The British intercept an encoded telegram from Germany to one of its ambassadors in Mexico. The decoded message stated that Germany was about to begin "unrestricted submarine warfare" and that Mexico could be convinced to join the Central Powers if America entered the war. This is believed to be the event that led to America entering the war three months later. -
Wilson Declares War
The Zimmermann Telegram turns out to be the last straw for the United States. President Woodrow Wilson declares war on Germany, entering the United States into the "war to end all wars". -
18th Amendment Ratified
The 18th Amendment made it illegal to purchase or manufacture alchohol. While it was believed that the Prohibition would lower crime rates, they actually rose to higher than ever as people did anything to get their hands on alcohol. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles is enacted, putting an end to World War I. The treaty severely weakened Germany's military forces and forced the country to pay fees to the countries it had fought against. Unfortunately, the treaty would end up doing more harm than good, as Adolf Hitler sprung upon the country's vulnerability to help him rise to power. -
19th Amendment Adopted
The 19th Amendment is passed, giving women the right to vote in every state in the US. This amendment was the culmination of the women's suffrage movement, which had been fighting for this exact cause for decades. -
Wall Street Crash of 1929
As a sode ffect of America's continuing economic troubles, the stock market crashes. The crash was the worst in American history and is generally considered the start of the Great Depression. -
Chrysler Building Completed
The Chrysler building was completed during the rise of American urbanization. Skyscrapers were on the rise due to the fact that they took up much less horizontal space. It was the tallest building in the world at the time of its completion, but it would lose this record less than a year later. -
Smoot-Hawley Tariff Signed
The Smoot-Hawley Tariff increased the prices of more than 20,000 imported goods, causing many countries to break off trading with America. It is believed to have been one of the contributors to the Great Depression. -
Al Capone Arrested
Though Al Capone was one of the country's most wanted criminals and an infamous mod boss, he was actually arrested for not paying his taxes. He was not convicted for his more serious crimes due to the highly corrupt Chicago police force being in cahoots with his gang. -
FDR Elected
Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected as President with the promise that he will get America out of the Great Depression and fix its economy. He was the only President to serve more than 2 terms. -
Bank Holiday
FDR issues a 4-day "bank holiday" in which all banks are closed and cannot reopen until they receive an official license. The event was issued in a successful attempt to ward off bank panics, which caused more than 30,000 banks to go out of business. -
21st Amendment Ratified
The 21st Amendment was written solely to repeal the 18th Amendment and made the buying and production of alcohol legal once again. -
Bonnie and Clyde Shot
Infamous criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are shot to death while trying to escape the police. The public's fascination with criminals was still going strong. (The picture above is the car that they were shot in.) -
Social Security Administration Formed
Franklin Roosevelt forms the SSA as part of his New Deal plan to bring America out of the depression. The SSA provides a source of income for the eldery and disabled. -
Germany Invades Poland
Germany invades Poland under the control of the Nazi party. Poland's allies defend it in retaliation, sparking World War II. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
Japanese aircraft firebomb Peal Harbor in Hawaii, killing more than two thousand people and inciting the United States's admission into the war. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Nazis fight the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad. After a gruelling 5-month battle, the Soviets are superior. This battle marks the first major Ally victory during the war. -
D-Day/Operation Overlord
Allied forces invade France through Normandy Beach. The invasion had been in planning for months and is still considered the largest sea invasion in history. -
V-E Day
Nazi Germany surrenders to the Allies after the Soviet Union invades Berlin and Hitler commits suicide. However, the battle still continues in the Pacific. -
V-J Day
Japan surrenders to the Allies after America drops nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thus putting an end to the bloodiest war in recent history. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Residents of Alabama refuse to ride the bus in solidarity with Rosa Parks, who defied the segregation laws that prevented black people from riding in the front of buses. The bus boycott was one of the most well-known occurences of the Civil Rights movement and would continue for more than a year. -
Sputnik 1
The Soviets successfully launch the world's first man-made satellite, Sputnik 1. For many years, they would continue to beat the Americans in the Space Race. -
Greensboro Sit-in
The first instance of sit-in protesting occurs when four black college students sit at the lunch counter at a Woolworth's in Greensboro, North Carolina, despite the regulations allowing only white people to sit there. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The US attempts to invade communist Cuba and fails miserably, soiling JFK's reputation. -
Freedom Riders
The Freedom Riders begin their journey across the West Coast of the United States as a part of Civil Rights activism. While two buses set off from Washington, D.C., neither of them made it to their destination of New Orleans due to constant assault and bigotry from Southerners. More Freedom Rides would commense in the following years. -
Berlin Wall Construction
Despite saying otherwise, Premier Krushchev begins construction of the Berlin Wall after more than 2,400 refugees escape East Berlin in a single day. -
JFK Assassinated
John F. Kennedy is shot and killed by
Lee Harvey Oswald while riding a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Lyndon B. Johnson is inaugurated later that day. Oswald's explanation for his actions will forever be unknown, as he was shot by nightclub owner Jack Ruby while being escorted by authorities. -
Tet Offensive
North Vietnam launches an attack against South Vietnam. Though the South managed to successfully fight off the attack, media still reported it as a loss. This would eventually result in Lyndon B. Johnson deciding against running for another election. -
MLK Assassinated
Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King is shot and killed at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, just a day after giving a speech proclaiming that "we will all get to the Promised Land." -
Vietnamization Begins
President Richard Nixon announces his "Vietnamization" plan to the general public. The plan consisted of gradually withdrawing American troops while equipping the South Vietnamese people so they could fully defend themselves. (The actual effectiveness of this plan is still widely debated.) -
Kent State Massacre
The National Guard shoots and kills four college students during a protest against the bombing of Cambodia at Kent University. The shooting caused the public's opinion to shift towards favoring the end of the Vietnam War. -
Watergate
Several burglars are caught in the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. President Nixon attempted to cover up the burglary out of concern that the Democrats would assume he had something to do with it; the ensuing scandal would result in his resignation two years later. -
Berlin Wall Falls
The Berlin Wall is officially demolished thanks to Mikhail Gorbachev. More than 2 million Berliners participate in the destruction of the wall. -
Cold War Ends
Mikhail Gorbachev resigns and the Soviet Union dissolves, officially putting an end to the Cold War.
