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Period: to
Reconstruction
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Sand Creek Massacre
Massacre where 400 Natives were massacred who had been told that they had immunity. Women and children were scalped and shot point blank. -
13th Amendment
The Thirteenth Amendment was passed by Congress on January 1, 1865. This amendment legally abolished slavery with the exception if a person needed to perform service as a punishment for a crime. As a result of the amendment, four million people were now forever free from slavery. -
14th Amendment
The House of Representatives approved the Fourthteeth Amendment on June 13, 1866. This amendment ensured that state laws could not deny due process or discriminate against particular groups of people. The Fourthteeth Amendment signaled the federal government's willingness to enforce the Bill of Rights over the authority of states. -
1868 Election
Grant (Republican) was against Horatio Seymour (Democrat). This was the first election after the Civil War. Republicans preached for peace and unity. Democrats fought against peace. Grant dominated electoral college and popular vote. -
15th Amendment
The Fifteenth Amendment was ratified on February 3, 1870. This amendment gave African American men the right to vote. "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Although the amendment was made during the time of the Reconstruction, it did not play a huge effect in society until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 was a time of global depression where there was a six year economic downturn. The Jay Cooke Company failed during this time. Railroads were highly invested in, but its debts remained to be unpaid for. Shifting to gold caused less currency to be available. The New York Stock Exchanged closed for ten days. 15,000 American businesses went bankrupt. Those in debt and workers in industrial areas were impacted the most. -
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
The WCTU was founded as a temperance organization devoted to combating the evils of drunkenness. Frances Willard later invigorated the organization by transforming it into a national political organization that would improve social welfare and advance women's rights. -
Civil Rights Act 1875
The Civil Rights Act was established in 1875. It prohibited racial discrimination in public places. It couldn't prohibit accommodations such as public transportation or restaurant access due to race. This Act was later deemed unconstitutional by the Civil Rights Cases of 1883. -
Whiskey Ring Scandal
The Whiskey Ring was a scandal exposed in 1875. The people behind the Whiskey Ring bribed the IRS to attempt to excise tax revenue from alcohol. Orville Babcock was indicated in the ring. Most of the people believed that the money was used to help pay for the re-election of Grant, which led to controversy. -
Munn v. Illinois
A court case in which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the power of government to regulate private industries. This led to a series of rulings. One ruling is that "property does become clothed with a public interest when used in a manner to make it of public consequence, and affect the community at large... must submit to be controlled by the public for the common good...". -
Battle of Little Bighorn
General Custer found gold in a reservation for the Sioux. Many invaders invaded the area and were met by Sioux and neighboring tribes. Custer's 250 men were met by 2,500 warriors. Fighting ended with whites ultimately being successful and forcing Natives to reservations. -
Jacob Riis
New York City journalist Jacob Riis published "How the Other Half Lives". In his piece, he showed the poor living and working conditions in the city's slums. His pictures gave readers an unflinching view of urban poverty, alongside his vivid descriptions. -
"Ghost Dance" Outlawed
The "Ghost Dance" of the Sioux was outlawed leading to the Battle of Wounded Knee. The dance was believed to reach out to the spirits to protect them from the white man and to return their lives to the way they were before. Soldiers saw this as a threat. -
Tariffs Against Hawaiian Sugar
McKinely Tariff raised barriers against Hawaiian sugar. American sugar planters sought annexation as ir would eliminate tariffs. Queen Liliuokalani, a nationalist, insisted Hawaiians should control Hawaii. -
Panic of 1893
A major railroad struggled, sparking nearly 4 million to be unemployed. President Cleveland, who thought this was a normal, bust business cycle, did nothing. -
Battleship Maine
The U.S. sent Battleship Maine to Cuba in 1898. It aimed to protect and evacuate Americans if danger occurred while also giving voice to popular distaste for Spain's reconcentration policies. It ended up blowing up to due to malfunctions. Yellow journalism was used to put blame on Spain. -
Carrie A. Nation
Nation was an imposing woman who believed she worked God's will. She won headlines for destroying saloons. After being released from prison, she drew much national attention. She described herself as being "a bulldog running along at the feet of Jesus, barking at what He doesn't like". She became a inspiration for a few women and organizations. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
In 1911, the doors of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory had been chained shut when the fire appeared, leaving over two hundred women trapped in the factory. The doors were shut to prevent workers from taking unauthorized breaks. The managers, who had the keys to the doors, saved themselves. The women had to line the rooftop and windows of the ten-story factory to jump off and desperately save themselves. They landed in bloody pulps as life nets were tore open by the impact of the bodies -
KKK Reemerges
The reemergence of the KKK was started by William Simmons in Georgia after viewing the silent film, "Birth of a Nation". The KKK promoted ideology of "Americanism", targeted non-white Protestant Americans, etc. -
Wilson Re-elected
Midwesterners and Westerners voted heavily for Wilson due to him keeping America out of war. His Progressive policies also played a huge role in gaining him support for reelection. -
America goes to war
Germany announced that they would sink any ships, even American ones that entered into the war zone. Threats, like the Zimmerman Telegram, towards America also forced Wilson to enter the war. -
Radio Broadcasting
Radio broadcasting developed in 1920. It was difficult for many to hear at first, but it sparked great interest. It brought regions together, educated people of other parts of the country, informed citizens and politicians of matters, etc. -
Nanjing Massacre
This was an invasion of China by the Japanese. Official troops were ordered to leave, while less trained troops remained and were ordered to fight until the end. Women were raped, children were killed, villages were destroyed and burned to the ground. This impacted the relationship between Japan and Allies -
Pearl Harbor
A devastating Japanese attack on the U.S. that lasted under two hours. Over 2,000 killed and over 1,000 people were wounded. Nineteen ships and eight battle ships were destroyed. -
Operation Cherry Blossoms At Night
The Japanese were believed to plan to launch a plague of infested fleas on San Diego. However, they were unable to do this because of their surrender in August 1945. -
Civil Liberties Act
An act passed by Congress that awarded more than 80,000 Japanese Americans $20,000 each to compensate them for the ordeal they had suffered. Congress also issued a formal apology for the government's policy toward Japanese Americans.
