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Transforming the West
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Homestead Act
The Homestead Act allowed Americans and freed slaves to claim land up to 160 acres. About 15,000 homestead claims had been made by the end of the Civil War. Eventually, 1.6 million claims will be established and nearly 10% of all government held property will be claimed. -
Laissez Faire
Laissez Faire, meaning "let go", was a term used when the United States was becoming an industrial power. The government stayed out of people's private sphere. The market would then take care of itself, resulting into no rules or regulations as to what the market can or cannot do. -
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Becoming an Industrial Power
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Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt was a self-made multi-millionaire who became one of the wealthiest Americans in the 19th century. Before the railroad industry, Vanderbilt's business was the country's largest steamship operators. Going into the railroad industry, Vanderbilt became very wealthy and benefited transportation by railroad. When he died, he was worth more than $100 million. -
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, business magnate, and philanthropist. He was known for the largest and richest steel company in America. Carnegie invested in a process known as the Bessemer Process, mass producing steel at low costs. As a philanthropist, he has given $9.5 billion to charity, ranking the 4th highest amount of money given to charity. -
John Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller was an American oil industry business magnate, industrialist, and philanthropist. He established Standard Oil and controlled 90 percent of U.S. refineries and pipelines. In 1911, Rockefeller's Standard Oil was found violating anti-trust laws and was to rid of it by the U.S. Supreme Court. John donated over $500 million for philanthropic causes. -
Promontory Point, Utah
During the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, two companies, Union Pacific and Central Pacific, will build the railroad on opposite sides of the U.S. The Union Pacific started from the west and the Central Pacific started from the east. After many years of construction, the two companies met in Promontory Point, Utah, finishing the Transcontinental Railroad. -
Battle of Little Bighorn
A battle between the natives and Americans, George Custer, the leader of the American army, wanted to be a hero. Custer underestimated the size of the native forces, so Custer's army including himself were obliterated. However even if Custer lost, the media portrayed him as a hero. -
Telephone
The first telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell, a scientist, inventor, engineer, and innovator. The telephone allowed for fast communication over far distances, faster than the telegraph. This invention helped many American lives for getting information out faster, especially for the media. -
Phonograph
The Phonograph was also invented by Thomas Edison. After the telephone, Thomas developed the carbon transmitter, increasing volume and clarity on the telephone. This type of work led to the invention of the Phonograph. The Phonograph recorded sounds as indentations on sheets of paper. Retail and production didn't occur until a few years after the invention. -
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The Gilded Age
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Light Bulb
Thomas Edison, an inventor and businessman, invented the first electric light bulb. The electric light bulb greatly influenced America's economy and future. The invention changed how Americans sought the future would be. Inventions after the light bulb started using electricity, changing America to what it is today. -
Blacklists
Blacklists were lists that had people's names written on them meaning they couldn't get jobs. Employees wrote down "bad" workers names on these lists so they wouldn't be hired when applying for another job. The result of these lists led to an improvement in behavior. -
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association, YMCA, was founded on June 6, 1844 in London, United Kingdom. This association was created as a result of the Social Gospel Movement that started in England. The YMCA gave access to housing, libraries, kitchens and exercise to young men. The first YMCA in the U.S. opened on 29 December, 1851 in Boston, Massachusetts. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act banned further immigration to the U.S. The Act was to last for 10 years until Congress extended it through the Geary Act. The extension was made permanent in 1902 and required Chinese residents to register and obtain a certificate of residence. If they didn't acquire a certificate, then he or she will face deportation. -
Ethnic Communities/Neighborhoods
Many cities had diversity in different areas. Italians, Chinese, Jewish and etc. had their own small local communities in cities. Little Italy, Chinatown, and Jewish Eastside were all ethnic enclaves in New York. Although they faced discrimination, life was easier to them personally because they were in an environment of the same ethnicity. -
Longhorns
Longhorns were made popular when Spanish cattle bred with English cows. This new species was popular being an American delicacy as it was sold around the U.S. to be cooked. The North sold $40 per animal, whilst the South sold it for $4 each. -
Haymarket Riot
The Haymarket Riot were protests planned for killed strikers at Haymarket Sq., Chicago on May 4. About 300 policemen came to breakup the crowd, but a bomb explodes near the police and killed 7. The press hysterically proclaim a riot. This riot damages the labor movement into the 20th century. -
Dawes Severalty Act
The Dawes Severalty Act allowed the POTUS to survey American Indian Tribal land and divide it into allotments for individual Indians. The act called for the breakup of reservations, assimilating natives into American Christian Society. It also gave 160 acres of farming land to anyone, but the soil was poor for farming. Smaller amounts of land were given to those who are unmarried or under 18. Application for citizenship was also announced. Only whites could buy surplus land if they wanted. -
Hull House
The Hull House, co-founded by Jane Addams, was a settlement home for people in Chicago. Immigrants could settle in the house as a home for themselves. Cooking, sewing, hygiene and civics were all things settlers in the Hull House could do. By 1911, Hull House buildings had grown to 13 buildings. Almost 500 buildings were constructed nationally by 1920. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was an act that made trusts illegal. Corporations bought politicians in which it watered its language down. The act was useless to tackle monopolies, but will be successful later. -
Wounded Knee
The Wounded Knee Massacre was a killing spree of about 300 Sioux Indians performing a "ghost dance". Before the massacre occurred, the natives were performing a certain dance when a gun accidentally went off. The Americans thought the gun had went off in the crowd of natives, so they started firing shots at the Sioux people. -
Ghost Dances
The Ghost Dance Movement was a resistance to white rule. A Shaman envisioned a flood washing away whites, so the natives could return to their old ways of life. Dead spirits would protect the natives from bullets. Doing this dance would grant them protection from whites, but military leaders saw the dance as a threat and they would intervene. -
Great Migration
The Great Migration were not the exodusters, but they were African Americans moving north fleeing from Jim Crow. Between the years 1890 and 1910, about 300k African Americans fled north. However, from 1890 to 1970, roughly 7 million had moved from the south. -
City Beautiful Movement
The City Beautiful Movement was formed to clean up problems in the city. This happened by a means of redesigning the city. Public squares, large open parks and boulevards were created to relieve many people's lives as well as the city's problems. Classical architecture was also put around the city to add decoration. -
Silver Act
The Sherman Silver Purchase Act, passed by Congress in 1890, nearly doubled the price of silver to the U.S. government causing prices to skyrocket. Instead of keeping the prices high, silver prices fell after a while which causes the Panic of 1893. Currency was then switched back to gold, but it only made the panic worse. -
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Imperial America
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Populist Party
The People's Party, also known as Populist Party, were a 3rd party wanting to fight corruption and greed within the government. As a result, they eliminated monopolies, created the coinage of silver, graduated income tax, and made storage of surplus. Although the party did all of these things, they were being attacked by the democrat and republican parties. -
Depression of 1893
The Depression of 1893 was one of the worst in U.S. history. Banks, railroads, everyday businesses and etc. went under. Many people questioned laissez-faire capitalism. Coxey's Army, led by Ohio businessman Jacob Coxey, marched on Washington peacefully and protested captialism. Coxey's Army was later forced out of the area. -
Vaudeville
Vaudevilles are a circus-like event in the early 20th century. These events were designed for leisure activities, relaxing stressed workers, entertaining children and other people. Vaudevilles became popular because of the many people that came to watch. -
Pullman Strike
George Pullman built luxury railroad cars for his railroad company. Because of the Depression of 1893, his company was a victim, so he laid off workers and cut salaries. Workers would strike and cause the American Railway Union (ARU) to shut down American railroads. President Cleveland intervenes with the problem and gives public support to the strikers, increasing their attention. -
Technology
Technology during the transition of the 19th to early 20th century advanced greatly. It helped spur expansion as it increased communication nationally and worldwide. The invention of steam power made it faster to travel and move around news. The U.S. Navy also updates their ships to steel making it stronger and the 3rd most powerful navy in the world. -
American invest in Cuba
America heavily invested in Cuba because of their goods from farming. The U.S. invested about 50 million dollars into Cuba. Almost all exports went to America, giving them more resources. Cubans had such a great relationship with America that when they rebelled a second time against the Spaniards, they destroyed sugar plantations except for the ones owned by the Americans. -
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The Progressive Era
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Klondike Gold Rush
In 1896, gold was discovered in the Klondike River. The next year and the year after, stampedes of people poured into the area in search of excavating the gold. Unfortunately, many people died of the below freezing temperatures in the Klondike. -
U.S.S. Maine Incident
Early in the morning on February 15, 1898, the U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana Harbor shocking the American populace. The ship blew up from a layout malfunction, but the Americans didn't know. At the time the U.S. were having conflicts between Spain, so the Americans used yellow journalism and blamed the Spaniards. -
William Randolph Hearst
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Battle of San Juan Hill
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Treaty of Paris 1898
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Henry Cabot Lodge
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Industrial Workers of the World
The IWW is a member-run union for all workers, a union dedicated to organize jobs in industries and communities. Sex, race or skill didn't matter in IWW. The IWW was the anti-thesis to the American Federation of Labor (AFL). -
Meat Inspection Act
The Meat Inspection Act was a law passed by Congress that makes it a crime to adulterate or misbrand meat and meat products being sold as food. The act also ensures that meat and meat products are slaughtered and processed under sanitary conditions. -
Model T
The Ford Model T was known for the first affordable automobile. Henry Ford, the creator, used a process called assembly line process which increased production of cars and used standardized auto parts making the car cheaper for everyday use. -
Benefits
Henry Ford, creator of the Model T, passed benefits to employee because of the success of the Model T. Employees received $5 a day for an 8-hour workday. Well paid employees would buy Ford's products. Workers would have to work for a year before the benefit would kick in, men must live with their families, no gambling, drinking and etc. -
Muller v. Oregon
The Muller v. Oregon court case was about women wanting equal working rights as men. Five years prior to the court date, the state of Oregon passed a law saying women could work no longer than 10 hours. The result of the court case was the regulation of women's working hours by SCOTUS. -
Carrie A. Nation
Carrie A. Nation was a 64 year-old religious woman who had much hate for alcohol. She always carried around an ax and her bible. Carrie would walk around going into bars and smash up the place. Nation was a well known person in the temperance movement. -
Trustbuster
Theodore Roosevelt was also famous for busting trusts as he was acknowledged as the "Trustbuster". Busting trusts strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and regulated big business, transportation, oil and telecommunications. Roosevelt used the Sherman Anti-Trust Act against the trusts formed such as the Standard Oil Trust of John Rockefeller. -
Teddy Bear
Theodore Roosevelt, also known as "Teddy" or "T.R.", was the 26th President of the United States. He was the youngest president as he to serve in place of William McKinley, who was assassinated. Today's modern toy bears were inspired from our 26th president, the teddy bear. Teddy was a very likeable guy, so a toy company decided to name a stuffed bear after him. -
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft served as the 27th president of the United States. Taft was elected president after Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, but was defeated running for re-election against Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt trusted Taft about being president, but their relationship drifted apart. Taft does the opposite of what Teddy would want. -
Ludlow Massacre
The Ludlow Massacre was an attack by the Colorado National Guard and Colorado Fuel & Iron Company camp guards on a tent colony of 1200 striking coal miners and their families at Ludlow, Colorado, on April 20, 1914. -
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World War I
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1920s
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American Indian Citizenship Act
This act legally gave Native Americans citizenship in the U.S, however they weren't allowed to vote. Access to voting was given the Natives in the 1940s. Native Americans were somewhat uplifted about this act. -
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The Great Depression
