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Transforming the West
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Morrill Land Grant College Act
The Morrill Land Grant College Act allowed for the funding of new universities in sparsely populated areas, typically in the west, through taxes on the sale of public land. Due to this act, we have universities such as Texas A&M. In many rural areas, people weren't looking much into the advancements of knowledge. However, with this act in place, schools began appearing in the lowest populated areas in hopes to not only bring people in but educate the American people. -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was used as a way to help populate the West by advertising, or essentially, giving away free land. With the Homestead Act, settlers would receive 160 acres if the land was improved for at least five years. This played as a huge advantage for former slaves and single women. After the American Civil War over 15,000 homestead claims were made prior and most went to small farmers in the South. This changed later on, as more people became accessible to this grant. -
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Becoming an Industrial Power
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Knights of Labor
The Knights of Labor were an organization which wanted to eliminate market competition for a cooperative one. They were open to all workers, boycotted un-fair businesses, believed in 8 hour working days, and wanted equal pay for both men and women.The name for their organization came from their leader Uriah Smith Stephens who wanted to protect members from their employers having ultimate dominance over their lives. It should also be noted that in 1887, their group grew due to the railway strike -
Transcontinental Railroads
Two corporations that are associated with the transcontinental railroads involve the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific. The Union Pacific built west, and the Central Pacific built east causing them to meet at Promontory Point, Utah in May of 1869. In fact, most to all of the American railroads were built by Asians. This railroad helped Americans in many ways, not only in transporting goods and people but in also bringing hope due to the huge achievement in the eyes of American citizens. -
Laissez Faire
Laissez Faire is the idea in which the government should stay out of the private sphere by allowing the market to take care of itself without any political influence. In other words, businesses would have the ability to run themselves without regulations or rules.This resulted in the creation and large expansion of many monopolies, which the government would later have to deal with. Without any political influence on the market, companies are at all rights to exploit consumers and raise prices. -
Standard Oil Trust
The Standard Oil Trust was created in 1863 by John Rockefeller as a way to defend his own built company, in ways to become the largest oil refinery firm in the world. The company was facing many legal issues due to the breaking of monopolies, and trusts were a way to find loopholes regarding these regulations. This trust was a way to become an industrial dominator and establish a strong foothold affecting all countries, not only the United States. -
Railroads
Once railroads were fully constructed in the 1970's, numerous tracks allowed for transportation in a new and revolutionary way. These railroads allowed farmers to sell products on the national market. Along with this, railroads also resulted in many town booms into major cities such as Denver, Colorado and San Francisco, California. Due to the large expansion of railroads, new time zones were created for departures and arrivals in 1883. -
The Battle of Little Big Horn
The Battle of Little Big Horn took place in June of 1876 and was led by George Custer who wanted to be viewed as a hero. However, Custer largely underestimated the size of the Native forces and was slaughtered on the battlefield. This caused him to be portrayed as an American hero in the media, although his death was pathetic. The main goal of the war was to force Indians back to their reservations and basically divide them and conquur. -
Monopolies
In a monopoly, a few or one person has a certain power in controlling a sector of the economy. Railroads were some of the first types of monopolies, a majority being constructed and owned by Cornelius Vanderbilt. In this monopoly, railroad men would bribe elected officials and prices for transportation would gouge, causing them to manipulate stock prices. This in fact caused many problems in the American market, since large companies didn't have much competition and one price could be set. -
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The Gilded Age
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Exodusters
The name which was given to African Americans who migrated west in order to escape the segregation of Jim Crow. Also commonly referred to as, The Exodus of 1879, is also known as the first general migration of black people following the civil war. Although many migrated, some failed and were forced to return to the South. It was simply a way for Africans to search for a better life and take a shot at the American dream, which they were never granted. -
Farmer's Alliance
The Farmer's Alliance took reins from the Granger Movement and had over 5 million white only members. The primary purpose of the Farmer's Alliance for farmers to hold a discussion, overcharge on shipping crops, united farmers, negotiate higher crop prices, receive better loan rates, insurance, and even became political by fighting off monopolies which made it hard for them to grow economically. This alliance brought many farmers together and gave them a voice, both professionaly and politically -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was an act put into place in order to ban the further entrance of Chinese immigrants into the United States. Many said this act was put into place since the U.S. believed they were in danger of Chinese workers taking American jobs.This is similar to what Americans say today about Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. They are often criticized for taking American jobs, and because of this, many problems such as DACA have become established. -
Haymarket Riot
The Haymarket Riot of 1886, a group of protesters gathered in awareness of killed strikers at Haymarket Square, Chicago. Due to this riot, various police came to break up crowds and seven officers lives were lost. In fact, there were eight labor activists which were convicted of having something to do with the bombing. This entire riot was commonly viewed as a major setback for the labor movement within the United States. -
Dawes Severalty Act
The Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1887 and called for a breakup of reservations. Along with this, it forced Native Americans to assimilate into American Christian Society. Their children became white-washed and they changed their cultural ways in order to be accepted by whites. In today's world, people continue to assimilate on their own. However, the difference between today and Dawes Act is the force element placed on Natives. -
Social Darwinism
Social Darwinism is closely related to the touchy Theory of Evolution. In Social Darwinism, rich people of higher society believed that being intelligent, strong, and adaptable was the modern survival of the fittest. It was simply a way for the wealthy class of America to justify their income as a form of intellect. In other words, the reason in which why many people live in poverty, is due to their lack of education advancement. -
Tenements
Tenements were the epitome modern day ghettos and homeless zones. During the gilded age, not all people lived their lives in glitz and glams. In fact, much of them lived in tenements with multiple family dwellings in terrible conditions. Dozens of families would live in one single home without proper ventilation, light, and even food. Due to the large amounts of people living in this horrific way, rent costs soared and many were evicted for falling behind on their payements. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was originally made in order to illegalize trusts. However, this didn't stop corporations from buying out politicians, furthermore making it useless to tackle monopolies. This act was simply a way to eliminate trusts and keep high developing industries or companies from expanding far from within their boundaries. Trusts had become a loophole for monopolies to continue their unethical work forms. -
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Imperialism
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City Beautiful Movement
The City Beautiful Movement was an action taken in order to eliminate or possibly reduce problems and crime in cities by redesigning. It was a way to make American cities gorgeous and desirable. Many public squares, open parks, boulevards, and classical pieces of architecture were constructed. We can thank the City Beautiful Movement for the stunning sights in cities such as Washington D.C. and Chicago. -
Yellow Journalism
Yellow Journalism was started as a way to dramatize and over exaggerate news and the media to create scandals in order to create controversy and attract readers into buying articles. Similar to what YouTubers do today, in order to gain views by making overly-exaggerated titles and thumbnails. Yellow Journalism was very popular in the nineteenth century due to Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Not many people know, but yellow journalism got it's name from the yellow paper on articles. -
Depression of 1893
The Depression of 1893 was one of the worst in United States history. Tons of banks, railroads, and everyday businesses went under with the economy. This caused many people to question laissez-faire capitalism. This had a huge effect on people as they peacefully marched on Washington and protested capitalism in the U.S., they began to question their roles in society and if the United States could continue to support good American citizens. -
Pullman Strike
The Pullman Strike consisted of the various building of luxury railroad cars. and company towns build for employees. However, the Depression of 1893 hurt companies, laid off works and cut salaries causing a worker's strike. The worker's strike consisted of the American Railway Union. They shut down American railroads and President Cleveland intervened. There was huge backlash since people wanted to continue working, even though the Depression didn't allow it. -
Mining
In the 1860's and 1870's, many fortunes were made due to mining. Gold, silver, copper, lead, and even zinc were all found deep in the Earth and were said to make average Joe's rich over-night. One example of these large "get-rich-quick" schemes was the Klondike Gold Rush located in Canada and Alaska. Thousands of men and women rushed into the cold North in search for gold and many lost their lives. -
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The Progressive Era
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Plessy V. Ferguson
Plessy V. Ferguson was a supreme court trial which was both controversial but very popular. The case focused primarily on the segregation of the Jim Crow railroad cars in Louisiana. The court decided that legislation could not conquer racial attitudes due to how people had been used to racism during the decade which somehow excused the racism and caused the constitution to agree that "separate but equal" was okay in all setting from schools to hospitals. -
U.S.S. Maine
In 1898, the American ship known as the U.S.S. Maine exploded and sank into Havana Harbor. This incident caused over 260 Americans to die, leaving many to point blame on Puerto Rico. Theories began to arise about why the incident was caused but neither one was ever confirmed. It was later discovered that the explosion was caused by a fire in the coal bunker at the bottom of the ship. However, at the time, Americans wanted to blame Spain and chanted "remember the maine!" -
Battle of Manila Bay
The Battle of Manilla Bay was the first major battle in the American War. In this battle, the United States' Asiatic Squadron destroyed the Spanish Pacific fleet and the first 400 Spanish warships were wrecked and captured. Also impacted by this war, the Phillippines gained US victory under Commodore George Dewey. It was a complicated battle, but Roosevelt ended up taking over by commanding Dewey leave to Hong Kong if the way broke off. -
Siege of Santiago
The Battle of Santiago also commonly referred to as the Seige of Santiago, was a war from the American War which sealed United States victory over the Spaniards. Along the way, there was a sudden outbreak of hostilities between both powers and a Spanish fleet arrived at Santiago harbor. When the war started, everyone wanted to end it but surrendered on July 13th. It wasn't decided until after the war, however, that the terams of capitulation for surrender would be avoided. -
Treaty of Paris (1898)
The Treaty of Paris one of the prodominent treaties which marked the ending to the long last Spanish American war. The treaty confirmed the terms in regards to Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam. In order to complete the treaty, they were forced to pay 20 million. There we many reasons thw way had to end, this caused the United States to be sent to Paris on October 1st, 1898 in order to produce and sign the treaty. -
Philippine American War
From the years 1899 to 1902, The United States and Filipino revolutionaries were involved in a war. The war was initiated by an insurrection that was seen as the continued fight in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish liking. Although the war last three years, it also resulted in the death of over two hundred thousand Filipinos. Many believe they primary died from the war, but they also died due to violence, stravation, and even disease. -
New Women
During the gilded age, the role of women began to change drastically. As their clothes and hair became shorter, most women had large amounts of free-time, were part of the middle class, attended college, and became more viable to the U.S. economy. Many of them became activists for women's suffrage and advocated temperance. This new role of women caused them to be more free but worried many men since women weren't as available to raise families. -
Election of 1900
The U.S. presidential election of 1900 was the 29th quadrennial election which was held on Tuesday of November 6th, 1900. It was more so of a rematch from the 1896 election. During this time, the Republican president, William McKinley defeated the Democratic opponent, William Jennings Bryan. The Republican president, in fact, won the election and was the first to have a re-election since Ulysses S. Grant. Later in his presidency, McKinley was assassinated in 1901, and replaced by Roosevelt. -
Open Door Policy
The Open Door Policy was a statement of principles that were initiated by the United States, in order to protect equal privileges for all countries that trade with China. There had been various issues by the United States Secretary of State, John Hay, to Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Russia. The policy was primarily received as a universal plan that had to be approved by the United States initially. It was simply a way to grant fair trade for all. -
Robber Barons
Robber Barons were known as greedy capitalists that grew rich using shady business practices and techniques. They were large on political manipulation and worker exploitation, making them unlikeable by people of the lower class. A few robber barons included Carnegie, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt and many others. These, along with others, took over the entire market of one precise area such as railroads, mining, or oil, in order to gauge prices. -
Mail-Order Catalogues
In the development of the modern mass market, mail-order catalogs such as the Montgomery Ward were popular in rural America. Much later, a new player came into the game known as the Sears-Roebuck Catalogue. Sears became very popular in rural areas since most people lived there until the beginning of the 1920's. With the introduction of these catalogs, more goods were available and at much better prices. Very similar to eBay or Amazon today. -
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor, also known as AFL, replaces the Knights of Labor and is an organization which focuses on capitalism instead of cooperatives. Along with this, they did not allow unskilled workers into their organization, along with blacks, immigrants, or women. They were more of a group created for the overall success of the white man. It was a way to protect their jobs and keep them from being exploited like many immigrants. -
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese war was a battle fought between Russia and Japan. This war started when both Russia and Japan began to fight over Korea, Manchuria. They both wanted the land and its resources but by 1904 neither side gained a clear advantage so they both sent reps to Portsmouth, NH. At that location, Roosevelt meditated the Treaty of New Hampshire in 1905. He later received the Nobel Peace Prize for his duties and helping to benefit the Russo-Japanese war. -
Meat Inspection Act
The Meat Inspection Act was passed in 1906, in response to the novel, The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair. Due to the book's huge controversy over safe food in America, the U.S. was forced to take action. This act set harsh standards regarding the cleanliness of meat=packing industries, due to a large number of reports from people becoming sick or finding unwanted things in their food such as feces, dirt, or even fingers. -
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was a successful man due to his mass production of one of the most famous products in the 20th century, the car. One reason the car was so popular with Americans, was due to affordable price at the time, since only the super wealthy could afford them. His car allowed people to move from place to place at a more innovation pace and opened an entirely new door for workers throughout the United States.They were mass produced using assembly lines, to this day many cars are made this way. -
Model T
The Model T was designed by Henry Ford and was the first production of Ford to be completed. Ford built more of this model once it became popularized in the early 1900's. This vehicle was one of the longest to be produced in automobile history. It was first viewed as a luxury car that only certain people could afford due to its hefty price-tag. Later, Ford found ways to make automobiles more affordable, making them accessible to most Americans, basically developing the world we live in today. -
Anti-Saloon League
The Anti-Saloon League was founded in 1803 in Ohio, which strictly began as a state organization. This league first focused on the largest single issue of prohibition and it expanding all across the United States. They worked largely through public awareness and supported any of all politicians who supported the banning of alcohol and widespread referendums. This had a huge on politicans, causing them to adjust their debates to better attract votes. -
Exploitation
In worker's exploitation, a variety of strict rules were placed on employees. One of these included workers being expected to work in silence. Along with this, workplace rules were enforced which were sometimes extremely cruel and unusual. Workers were asked to perform more tasks than possible, experienced large amounts of stress, and rarely took breaks from working. So not only were worker's overworked but also exploited by not being able to work in safe conditions or fairly. -
City Centers
As cities grew rapidly, and thousands of people flooded into them, peace and decent living conditions became harder and harder to find, much like today's growing cities. Due to this, city centers became the center for commerce with mass transit systems, skyscrapers, and suburbs just outside the center. In these suburbs, middle-class Americans lived quiet lives, with no immigrants or disturbance. If anything, the middle class living outside city centers were well established and had fewer kids. -
The Square Deal
The Square Deal was made by President Theodore Roosevelt, his plan involved the reform in order for all Americans to be granted and given equal opportunities to succeed and have a better life. Due to all of the advancement in America, these opportunities became more available. The large focus of this deal was to get rid of trusts, regulate big business, give a fair choice of labor, and conserve the environment. -
The Bull Moose Party
The Bull Moose Party began after the Republican party was split in a very bad shape throughout the election of 1912. It was a way for Roosevelt to break away and form his own party since he did not agree with the points of both other parties. Although his party is known as the Bull Moose Party, many have referred to it as the Progressive Party. However, as we know from U.S. History, third parties only bring forward ideas and take away votes from larger parties. -
The Election of 1912
In the election of 1912, Woodrow Wilson was nominated under the Democratic Party, giving him a strong stands-point due to his support of the "New Freedom" program, which many people during the election were very fond of. On the other hand, the Republicans had split between Taft and Roosevelt's new Bull Moose Party, in regards to the "New Nationalism" program. Since the Republican party was split, it was evident that Woodrow Wilson would win. -
17th Amendment
The 17th Amendment was established due to the need for fairness in policial policies. The Amendment called in that the Senate of the United States should only be composed of two senators from each state. It was also established that the senators were meant to selected directly, making the system less complicated. In fact, this law was intended to make policies more democratic and fair since many officicals were electing people they knew personally, making them underqualified. -
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal was built by the United States and it cost over four hundred million dollars to fully construct. The Panam Canal's primary purpose was to allow faster passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, and vice-versa, causing both sides to benefit. Before the Canal was built, many Columbians were against it due to it's extension towards Latin America, but Roosevelt didn't care and ordered for the Canal to be built as it would largely benefit all of North America. -
Barbed Wire
Barbed wire became very popular during World War 1 and was used largely by both sides. A very popular form of warfare, known as trench warfare, at the time, had been stablizied and stretched from Switzerland all the way to the coast of France. Before World War 1, we saw barbed wire used in farms for cattle, which largely eliminated cattle drives in the West. The ones used for war, however, were further tweaked and played a helpful role in being extremely dangerous to any targets approaching. -
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World War 1
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Great Migration
The Great Migration was an event in which many African-Americans living in the southern United States migrated North. A total of seven million traveled up the country for better life, less discrimination, and better economic opportunities. Due to Jim Crow regulations in the South, many African-Americans weren't able to work proper jobs, shop at certain stores, or even send their children to better schools. -
No Man's Land
No Man's Land is a term used to show that land is unoccupied and available for anybody to claim. It was used in World War 1 to identify the area of land in between two enemies and their trench systems. Neither side attempted to cross No Man's Land since they would become easy targets and could become attacked in an instant. This is usually near the area where barbed wire fences were set up, just on the outsides of the trenches, similar to boundary set-ups. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was invented in order to better expand communication. The telegram was issued from the German Foreign Office and was said to largely benefit the war. It was sent from Germany's secretary in Zimmerman to the Prime Minister of Germany. Zimmerman promoted Mexican to join the Central Powers and in return. In fact, the Zimmergram Telegram was one of the primary reasons the first World War was able to develop. -
Shellshock (WWI)
Through the remainder of World War 1, and much after, Shellshock, otherwise known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) became an extreme problem for soldiers. The stress they dealt with, was a result of the loud noises and trauma experienced in the war zone. Soldiers would experience moments of shock and sudden scares when being no-where near battle zones. This later impacted them drastically, as they re-joined civilization after WW1. Many of them were forced to attend therapies and etc. -
U-Boats
U-Boats played a huge role in the development of World War 1, due to their ability to fight and explore successfully. These boats were created as a stronger way to fight enemies back, and portray the United States and big and bad. In fact, the U-Boats at the time were one of the reasons why the Lusitania and Sussex sank. They were early versions of submarines, named by Germans, in which the "U" stands for "undersea." These ships would also be a large reason the U.S. becomes involved with WW1. -
Sedition Act
The Sedition Act was passed on May 16th of 1918. This act was made up of the United States Congress and extended the Espionage Act to continue protecting the American participation throughout World War 1. In fact, this act was meant to guarantee and extend protection towards the war cause, and even Americans. Along with protection, this act made it illegal for any person to give information regarding the United States Armed Forces to outside sources, such as enemies, which could gain strategy. -
Spanish Flu
During World War 1, the Spanish Flu became the deadliest disease in history, killing over five thousand million people around the world. Many people during the war, rumored the disease to have come from Europe and then drastically spread throughout the world due to travel and even trade. It wasn't until 1918, that the Spanish Flu was spotted in Europe, the U.S., and various parts of Asia. It's also tragic to note that at this time vaccines were non-existent, causing people to die at rapid rates. -
14 Points
The Fourteen Points were a principle developed which allowed for peaceful negotiations in the ending of World War 1. The 14 Points were described on January 9th of 1918 in a speech given over war aims and peace in the United States Congress. Further developed by the current president, Woodrow Wilson, the Fourteen Points believed that peace, self-determination, freedom to roam seas, free trade, end of secret engagements, reduction of arms and league of nations, would benefit the United States. -
Argonne Forest
The Argonne Forest was an event which took place on September 26th of 1918 and lasted all the way through November 11th, 1918. To this day this was is extremely important due to it being the greatest victory of the American Expeditionary Force during the battle of World War 1. In this battle, the AEF lost precisely 26,277 soldiers and had roughly about 95,786 soldiers wounded. In fact, this battle stretched among the entire Western Front and was led by General John J. Perishing. -
Growing Cities
Cities began to grow rapidly as many rural farmers moved towards the city in hope to live more comfortable lives. The world was progressing and city-living soon became essential in order for people to advance their lives. Good job opportunities, various options for foods, and lifestyle setting were huge pull factors. These not only attracted rural communities, but also immigrants from Latin America, Europe, Caribbean, and even Asia. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles marked the official ending of World War 1. The Treaty consisted of a negotiation amongst the Allied powers with some involvement by Germany. It marked the reassignment of German boundaries and restrictions. In terms, this negotiation exposed a split between the French and included of fifteen parts and just about 440 articles. Similar to many other endings of wars, this Treaty stopped commotion for a temporary period, until Hitler later rose to power. -
Volstead Act
The Volstead Act was a United States law made created in 1919 and made effective in 1920, which provided the enforcement of the eighteenth amendment. This act officially prohibited the sale and manufacturing of any alcoholic beverages. For a long time, this act was under-budgeted and not enforced, mostly in states against prohibition, which their interest, wanted to avoid any alcoholic ban laws. As harsh as this act may have been imposed, it didn't stop Americans from drinking. -
The Lost Generation
The Lost Generation is a group of American writes which came of age during World War 1. They established their literary skills and are more commonly known as the group of people born in the post World War 1 time period. They refer to this generation as "lost" since they don't have the same values of those prior to the war. They are the new generation, which are more modernized, and are living in a postwar world in need of development, including socially. -
The First Red Scare
The First Red Scare occurred in the early 20th century throughout the United States, due to events which were occurring at the time, one being the Russian Revolution. It wasn't until the peak of the year 1920, however, that Americans began to be allegedly accused of being communist. This caused many people to become scared and today results in the large fear of communism in America. In fact, many people in the United States to this day are completely anti-communist, especially the super-rich. -
Gold vs. Silver (16:1 Coinage)
Gold vs. Silver was used as a perfect representation of the Gilded Age. Gold symbolized the rich and their desires, while silver symbolized the workers. It was also used as a way to distinguish Democrats & Populists, as more money was in circulation. This would end monopolies and depression, cause there would be more silver than gold, and both were meant to exist in the economy. In other words, the silver out weighed the gold, and this later brought the value down causing inflation. -
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The 1920's
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19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment was established in order to give women the equal right to vote regardless of their sexual orientation. Since women were granted the right to vote, many people began to question how the role of American women would change. Before the amendment was passed, many women around the U.S. would be huge pioneers in women's suffrage by organizing protests, marches, and taking part in the Seneca Falls Convention. -
Ku Klux Klan
Although the Ku Klux Klan was an organization which had existed for many years, it became extremely influential during the 1900's. It started as a secret military group in the United States, specifically originated in the South but later expanded as it gained popularity towards whites across the nation. They were so organized, that they had their own uniforms, traditional rituals, and shared values. They targeted blacks, Jews, and various other minorites. -
Tea Pot Dome Scandal
The Tea Pot Dome Scandal is an American scandal which occurred in the early 1920s regarding the undercover leasing of federal oil reserves by the secretary, Albert Bacon Fall, which gave rights to Harry F. Sinclair, a man incorporated with the Mammoth Oil Company. In this scandal, President Warren G. Harding's cabinet was found guilty of accepting bribes while representing the United States. In fact, Harding was the first person to be convicted of a crime while being president. -
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey was born on August 17th of 1887. He became a primary influence in the 20th century as a black nationalist leader due to his large desire for reform in regards to African Americans. Much of his ideas and concepts were influenced by Booker T. Washington, a black activist whom fought and spoke out for the civil rights of African Americans. Marcus Garvey made it his life goal to follow Washington's footsteps and speak out about injustice in black communities and etc during the 1920s. -
Immigration Quotas
The Immigration Quotas of 1924 were put into place to protect white workers who felt as though their jobs were being taken away. These new quotas limited the number of immigrants allowed to enter the United States. This is similar to the problem occurring today, in which American citizens are afraid that their jobs are being taken away by immigrants of any decent, but most specifically Hispanics. This is underlying proof that history repeats itself. -
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a large movement which took place in the 20th century involving the celebration of black culture and individuality. It first began in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City but later expanded as it celebrated social and artistic creativity. During this renaissance, African Americans had a complete re-birth in status, is known for their successful literature, music, stage performances, and art. Among these, Jazz played a huge role and was in fact stolen by whites. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
The Scopes Monkey Trial was an American legal case which occurred in July of 1925. The case involved a substitute high school teacher, known by the name of John T. Scopes, which was convicted of abusing Tennessee's Butler Act, which made it completely illegal to teach or discuss human evolution in state-funded schools. As a result of this, Scopes was found guilty. This case played a huge role in the discussion towards evolution being taught in schools. This today leads to religion discussion. -
Valentines Day Massacre
On Valentines Day of 1929, a very well recognized gangster by the name of "Al Capone" was involved in a massacre in hopes to murder his enemies. He was widely known for being very violent and killing off his rivals in the legal trading of alcohol and prostitution. The massacre took place in the city of Chicago, in where gangsters under Al Capone's command, dressed as police officers and lined up rival Irish gang members onto a wall, just to murder them one by one. -
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The Great Depression
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The Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl was an event with occurred in the Southern Plains of the United States in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Due to many high winds and over-cropping in regions all the way from Texas to Nebraska. As a result of the Dust Bowl, many people and livestock were killed and much of the crops failed throughout the region only worsening the depression. Many people depended on the land for growing cash crops and with soil becoming arid, resources lacked, and the depression flourished. -
Mexican Repatriation
The Mexican Reparation Act occurred in the year 1930, right in the midst of the Great Depression, causing situations for many people to worsen. In this repatriation, just over a million people were forced out of the U.S. across the border into Mexico. The U.S. did not consider this deportation, since the government simply believed they were returning individuals back to their native country, regardless of their citizenship. In fact, over 60% of those sent away, were U.S. citizens. -
Hoovervilles
Hoovervilles were referred to as ghetto destructed towns built during the Great Depression. They were built by the homeless and were named after Herbert Hoover, the president of the United States at that time. Many people blamed him for the Great Depression and made sure to name the towns after him to show everyone how dramatically he had affected the American people. In Hoovervilles, most of their homes were constructed of boxes and waste, with no restrooms or proper plumbing. -
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was born in 1884 and is today known as the first modern first lady. Throughout her role in the white house, Eleanor was more so Franklin D. Roosevelt's right hand, providing him with policy ideas, letters from citizens, and even ways to be a better president. In her place of First Lady, Eleanor fought towards human and women's rights, also drawing in a majority of African Americans into the Democratic party. She faced many challenges but still outperformed all first ladies. -
Emergency Relief Act
The Emergency Relief Act was an effort to aid Americans which were unemployed. Due to the Great Depression, many Americans experienced a great downfall resulting in the loss of their jobs and money. When Roosevelt became the president in January 1933, over 15 million Americans were tragically unemployed, not being able to support themselves or their families. In order to help the depression, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration was inaugurated. This helped provide work, and aid unempoyed. -
The New Deal
The New Deal was a series of federal programs, public works, financial reforms and regulations organized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as a response to the Great Depression. The programs created were meant to help people suffering drastically as a result of the depression. The programs included the CCC, the CWA, the FSA, the NIRA, and various other organizations which developed as a result of the New Deal. -
20th Amendment
The 20th amendment, also known as the "same duck" period, which followed election in November. This amendment was ratified in 1933 and shortened the total time in which duck members of the Congress could stay in office once an election was handled. Meaning duck members were under limited time and would need to make any actions necessary before November rolled around. The amendment included two primary principles, one fixing the start date and the second commercing new sessions every year. -
The Holocaust
The Holocaust was a horrific event which began on January 30th of 1933, in which over six million Jews, along with other minorities, were murdered by the German Nazis throughout the duration of World War II. In the eyes of Hitler, Jews were viewed as an inferior race which needed to be eliminated. In order to do this, Nazis created concentration camps to keep minorites under and keep them from interupting Nazi domination. -
Glass-Stegall Act
The Glass-Stegall Act was largely effective since it was used to separate commercial banking from investment banking and created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, along with many other things. The Glass-Stegall Act was one of the most discussed and debated about laws between legislative initiatives before it was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the June of 1933. As soon as it was signed by Roosevelt it was passed within days. -
Share Our Wealth Plan
The Share Our Wealth Plan was a program made and designated to ensure an equal standard of living for all United States citizens by spreading the nation's wealth equally amongst all people. Huey Long, the man which started the entire plan largely supported and fought towards the need for higher education and had strong beliefs in vocational training, enforced by the Roosevelt Corollary. The entire concept was simply to give everyone an equal life and not divide people based on economic income. -
Social Security Act
The Social Security Act was established in 1935 as a way to create a system of welfare to benefit old-age workers, the blind, dishabituated, or any other form of depending individuals. It was on August 14th of 1935 when Theodore Roosevelt signed into the law Social Security Act and guarantee income for depending based American citizens. This meaning that once U.S. citizens become a certain age and are no longer to work they will be covered by the U.S. along with many other groups. -
Fair Labor Standards Act
The Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in 1938, as an important labor legislation which regulated the minimum wages and maximum hours for workers involved in interstate commerce. This act officially outwarded labor by children under sixteen since many underage children were working in factories and weren't able to attend school do not having the sufficient time in their schedules or needing to support their families. However, this act did excuse agricultural, service, and domestric workers. -
Munich Conference
The Munich Conference occurred in the September of 1938, in where a settlement permitting Nazi Germany's annexation from portions of Czechoslovakia was allowed. This settlement is known as the Munich Agreement and is today regarded as a failed response to Germany, since Adolf Hitler viewed others against his views as fools and demanded he gets his way, in order to meet the wishes of Nazis. The agreement was signed by Germany, France, the U,K., and Italy. -
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World War II
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World War II
World War II was a war which began due to unresolved issues involving America and Europe. Prior to the war, in 1929, Hitler and Joseph Stalin sighed the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, which worried Western Europe. Marking the beginning of the war, Hitler invaded Polan and just two days later, Franch and Britain declared war on Germany, resulting in this tragic event. It wasn't until 1945, however, that President Harry S. Truman discussed the war over with Japan and established peace. -
Pearl Harbor
Pearly Harbor occurred on December 7th, 1942, in where thousands of Japanese fighter airplanes left their base in order to damage a total of twenty American naval vessels, which were vital to the United States, including over eight battleships and three hundred airplanes. Because of this tragic attack on the U.S., more than two thousand Americans died and over one thousand became severally injured. The exact day after the attack, President FDR was outrages and declared immediate war on Japan. -
Navajo Code Talkers
The Navajo Code Talkers were the people who used a strange form of language to secretly communicate during World War II. American soldiers during World War II were forced to communicate in the native Navajo language in order to successfully combat, due to the various hackings of communication systems. With this new form of language, hackers weren't able to depict what was being spoken and had a disadvantage in not knowing the enemy's position during the war. -
Executive Order 9066
Executive Order 9066, occurred when the United States presidential executive order was signed. This order was issued during World War II, in 1942, by current President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In fact, the Executive Order 9066 was issued as a way to have certain authorized areas as military zones and clearing ways to the incarceration of Japanese Americans, including others, whom were placed in concentration camps located throughout the U.S. -
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference occurred in 1945 and is known as the second wartime meeting between the U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. This meeting was called in order for all three leaders to agree to demand Germany's surrender, but to also discuss plans for moving towards living in a post-war world. Not surprisingly, this meeting was held towards the end of the war and about three of the agreements were kept in secrecy. -
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin, widely known as the Fall of Berlin, was the first major offensive of the European theatre of World War II. It was designated by the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union. It was on April 16th, 1945 the Red Army reached German territory and Soviet fronts, and attacked Berlin from the south and east. Along with this strategic attack, they found a way to overrun German forces causing Hitler and many others to commit suicide before the battle. -
Soviet Declares War
The Soviet Union officially declared war on Japan on August 8th, 1945, causing millions of Soviet soldiers to be forced into Japenese Manchuria. During this declaration, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and caused over 1.6 million troops to make a surprise attack on the Japanese Army, due to the attempt on the Japanese Army to invade Magnolia, it then led to the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and resulted in huge conflicts between all sides.
