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Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott was a slave who returned to the slave state of Missouri after living in a free state in the north. Scott argued he deserved emancipation because of the time he spent in these locations. Unfortunately for Scott, the court decided that no African American could claim U.S. citizenship, thus, African Americans were not able to ask the court for their freedom. The Dred Scott decision angered abolitionists and increased North-South tensions which would transform into war 3 years later. -
Lincoln Assassination
(Lincoln Information)On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln in Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Just three days earlier, Confederate General Robert E. Lee Surrendered his massive army at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, ending the American Civil War.</a> -
Social Security Act
Social Security is a federal program that provides benefits to retired, unemployed, and the disabled. Social security was first created under FDR's first term as president, as a measure to create "social insurance" during the Great Depression of the 1930s, This Act, set up by FDR, paved the way for social security available today. -
Brown V. Board of Education
On May 17, 1954 the United States Supreme Court overturned provisions of the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision, which allowed for "separate but equal" public facilities, including public schools in the United States. The case ultimately decided that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal," while also providing a spark to the American Civil Rights movement -
McCarthy Hearings
A subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Government Operations was trying to find out if Joseph R. McCarthy had used improper techniques to win favorable treatment for Pvt. G. David Schine. This hearing captured the nations attention because it was the first hearing to be nationally televised. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a major legislation passed by congress that baneed discrimination against minorities and women. It ended unequal voter registration requirements and segregation in schools, the workplace, and in public facilities. -
Watergate Affair
Early in the morning of June 17, 1972, several burglars were arrested inside the current democratic canidate's office, located in the Watergate building in Washington, D.C. The theives were sent by President Richard Nixon attempting to wiretap phones and steal secure documents. After Watergate, Americans began to realize that politicians can be corrupt. This led to a higher public demand to know more about their government. -
Ronald Reagan's "tear down this wall!" speech
During this famous presidencial speech, Reagan told the russian president, "Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Two years later, the German people did just that. The Berlin Wall was torn down finally connecting east to west for the first time in nearly thirty years. -
Clinton Impeachment
Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives on two charges on December 19, 1998. Two other article of impeachment failed in the House. The empeachment charges came from lawsuites from Paula Joens and his affair with Lewisky. On Feb. 12 Clinton was impeached and United States citizens were very disappointed in their president. -
9/11/01 Terrorist Attack
On September 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda operatives hijacked four planes and carried out suicide attacks against key United States governmental buildings. These attacks killed over 3,000 civillians including over 400 firefighters and police officers. The attack triggered major U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanastan to combat terrorism and defined the George W. Bush's presidency.
