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Transforming the West
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Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was signed into law in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln. It was a document that encouraged Western migration by promising settlers 160 acres of land for their ownership. It allowed any American who was the head of a household and 21 years of age or older, including freed slaves, to own land, so long as they lived on the land for 5 years and paid a small fee. By the end of the Civil War, 15,000 land claims had been made through this act. -
Transcontinental Railroad
The Pacific Railroad Act, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, chartered two Railroad Companies, The Central Pacific and the Union Pacific, with the task of building a transcontinental railroad that would connect the two halves of the United States. The Central Pacific would build the eastern half and the Union Pacific would build the western half. This job took 7 years and started from Sacramento, California on one side and Omaha, Nebraska on the other- meeting at Promontory, Utah, in 1869. -
Morrill Land Grant College Act
This act passed by the U.S. Congress provided grants of land to states to finance the establishment of colleges specializing in "agriculture and the mechanic arts". It funded new universities in sparsely populated areas through taxes on the sale of public land. It granted each state 30,000 acres of land and the funds were used to finance public education. This act led to many land-grant institutions, such as Texas A&M, Cornell, Tuskegee, Prairie View A&M, and many more. -
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius quit school and worked with his father at age 11. He was known for aggressive marketing, shrewd deals, and undercutting the competition. These traits would be practiced all his life. In 1817, he partnered with Thomas Gibbons in a steamship business called the Union Line. In 1864, Vanderbilt turned to railroads, gaining control of a number of railway lines operating between Chicago and New York. He was worth more than $100 million after he died. -
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Becoming an Industrial Power
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American Federation of Labor
Formed in 1886, The American Federation of Labor was a union of skilled laborers. Gompers was a capitalist and didn't think there was any need to reconstruct America. He wanted to keep it simple and knew what workers wanted and cared about in regards to their economic life- better wages and working conditions. Gompers met with other smaller craft unions and came together to create the AFoL. With the establishment of the AFoL, unions were growing in size and status all across the board. -
Knights of Labor
Founded by Uriah Stephens in 1869, the Knights of Labor was an organization of idealists who believed they could eliminate conflict between labor and managements. They wanted a cooperative society where laborers owned the industries in which they worked. The group had an open-membership policy that grew along with the continuous growth of the economy and the growth of the urban population. They included unskilled and semiskilled workers like women, immigrants, and African Americans. -
John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870, which by the early 1880s controlled over 90 percent of U.S. refiners and pipelines. He was known as a Robber Baron, and was accused of predatory pricing and working with the railroads to eliminate his competition. In 1911, the SCOTUS found Standard Oil in violation of anti-trust laws and it was dissolved. He was, however, a philanthropist and donated more than $500 million to various causes, including Rockefeller University. -
Women's Christian Temperance Union
The WCTU was an organization that advocated for the prohibition of alcohol, or temperance. It was led by Frances E. Willard. Advocates of prohibition found common causes with activists elsewhere, and founded the World WCTU in the 1880s. The WWCTU sent missionaries around the world to spread the gospel of temperance. "Do everything" was the slogan for the women of the WCTU to incite lobbying, petitioning, preaching, publication, and education. -
The Battle of Little Big Horn
Tensions between Americans and Natives were rising due to the discovery of gold on Native American lands. This battle near the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory was between federal troops and the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne tribes. A number of tribes missed the federal deadline to move reservations, so the U.S Army, along with Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, went to confront him. Custer underestimated the Native numbers and was outnumbered. -
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The Gilded Age
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Exodusters
Exodusters was a name given to African Americans who migrated from the South to Kansas and other Western states after Reconstruction, following the Civil War. Many individuals and families were willing to leave everything they knew to seek the amazing opportunities the rest of the country offered. This large-scale migration came to be known as the "Great Exodus" and the people in it were called the "exodusters". -
Slums
Slums are overcrowded urban districts inhabited by extremely poor people. In 1800, only 3 percent of people lived in cities, but by 1900, that percentage rose to about 30 percent. In 1860, 20 percent of the American population was living in slums. By 1900, that percentage doubled. European immigrants were pouring into cities in search of industrial jobs. These slums were not only overcrowded but also unsanitary, ultimately leading to epidemics of diseases. -
Tenements
Tenements were apartments or dwellings occupied by multiple families at once. These were what made up slums in the late 19th century. Families that lived here were usually of low economic statuses. With the ever-growing population of America, cities were forced to be cheap with housing options. Tenements rarely had proper lighting and generally lacked plumbing. The tenements in the Lower East Side of New York housed 2.3 million people by 1900, which was over 2/3 of the city's population. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first significant law to restrict immigration into the United States. Workers on the West Coast were experiencing wage decline and lack of job opportunities due to the Chinese immigrants "taking" their jobs. Congress passed the act to calm workers' economic demands and the desire for maintaining "racial purity". The act was in action for 10 years, renewed in 1892 for another 10 years, and in 1902, Chinese immigration was made permanently illegal until 1943. -
Pendleton Act
The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act is a U.S. federal law which established that positions within the federal government should be awarded on the basis of merit instead of political affiliation. The act also made it unlawful to fire or demote for political reasons employees covered by the law. It banned federal employees from giving campaign money to their party. It also required the Civil Service Exam to be taken in order to receive most government jobs, and the highest scores got the jobs. -
Buffalo Bill's Wild West show
In 1883, in Omaha, Nebraska, William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody opened Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Over the next four years, Cody would perform to crowds of people all around the nation, often numbering 20,000 people. Cody reenacted many frontier events, the most exciting being Custer's Last Stand at Little Big Horn. People believed these shows to be an authentic depiction of the Wild West. Cody even had Sitting Bull on the show a few times to make it seem "more genuine". -
Time Zones
With the expansion of transport and communication during the 19th century, the need for a unified time-keeping system grew, and thus time zones were introduced. Railroad line operators needed a new time plan that would offer a uniform schedule for train departure and arrivals. This worldwide system was introduced by Sir Sandford Fleming, a Scottish immigrant. Every 15 longitudinal degrees around the globe is a different time zone, and there are more than 24 of them. -
Social Gospel Movement
The Social Gospel Movement was a religious movement that occurred during the second half of the nineteenth century. Protestant ministers, especially, began tying salvation and redemption to good works of life. The movement's beliefs attacked the concept of Social Darwinism. They believed that to honor God, people must put aside their own desires and help others, especially the needy. People in this movement implemented reforms to help others. -
The Great Upheaval of 1886
The Great Upheaval was a wave of strikes and labor protests by workers across the United States in 1886. Leaders of companies were cutting pay, having them work under horrid conditions, and were treating them overall unfairly. The ultimate significance of this was that it brought workers together to demand change and justice. It was the first mass strike to involve so many different types of workers. Many were killed and imprisoned because of these strikes, but the workers' demands were met. -
Haymarket Riot
The Great Upheaval was already getting in gear at this time. Workers were striking and protesting their leaders and companies for better working conditions and wages. There was a rally at Haymarket Square organized by radicals to protest the violence from the previous day's strike. Toward the end of the riot, policemen were going to break up the crowd and someone threw a bomb at them. Chaos ensued as some opened fire. 7 police officers and at least one civilian died this day. -
Interstate Commerce Comission
The purpose of the Interstate Commerce Commission was to oversee the conduct of the railroad industry. It was the first regulatory commission in U.S. history. It was created as a result of railroad misuse and abuse, making railroads the first industry subject to Federal regulation. The ICC was also given the task of consolidating railroad systems and managing labor disputes in interstate transport. The ICC's safety functions were later transferred to the Department of Transportation in 1996. -
Andrew Carnegie
Born as a Scottish immigrant, Andrew Carnegie came to America with his family when he was 13 years old. In 1853 he got a job at the Pennsylvania Railroad and there learned about the industry and business in general. By the next decade most of his time was dedicated to the steel industry, creating his own business called the Carnegie Steel Company. He revolutionized steel production in the U.S.. At 65, he decided to spend the rest of his life helping others, beginning philanthropic work. -
Robber Barons
This was the nickname given to industrialists, or major business owners, who gained their profits and became rich through ruthless business practices. The people that generally practiced this were U.S. businessmen in the late 19th century. They drove their competitors by selling their products at cheap prices- cheaper than the production fee, then once they had everyone in their grasp, they would price-gouge, or hike the prices way above the original price. -
Political Machines
Political machines was the nickname for well-organized political groups; where a boss or small group supports a chain of supporters and businesses that get rewards for their efforts. They gave money, jobs, and other favors to businesses that supported them, immigrants, and the poor in return for their votes. They were very corrupt, stealing millions from taxpayers using fraud and over-inflation. This is how groups controlled political parties in the late 19th century. -
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Imperialism
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The Sherman Antitrust Act
The Sherman Antitrust Act was the first act passed by U.S. Congress to prohibit trusts. It was named after Senator John Sherman of Ohio. This act was based on constitutional power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce. The goal of it was a "comprehensive charter of economic liberty aimed at preserving free and unfettered competition as the rule of trade." It outlawed every contract that restrained trade and any monopolies. It was signed into law in 1890 by President Benjamin Harrison. -
Wounded Knee
Through 1890, the U.S. government was worried about the Ghost Dance spiritual movement. Many Sioux believed that this practice, along with the rejection of white men ways, the gods would destroy all non-believers, including non-Indians. During a confrontation between the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry, a fight broke out between an Indian and a U.S. solider. A shot was fired, unclear from which side, and a brutal massacre followed, killing 150 Indians, nearly half of them women and children. -
City Beautiful Movement
This was inspired by the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago with the message that cities should aspire to aesthetic value for their residents. The idea was that the city was no longer a symbol for the economy and industrialization, but could now be seen and appreciated as beautiful. Many American cities commenced on public building and art projects to beautify their surroundings. These included public squares, open parks, boulevards, and a reform in architecture to the classic style. -
The Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was another economic depression in the United States. The continuous expansion of the 1880s were driven by railroad investments. Railroads were overbuilt and many companies kept growing by taking over competitors, sometimes risking their own businesses' stability. With the mining of silver, the market was flooded with it, but farmers in the Midwest suffered a series of droughts which left them in debt and with devalued land. A series of bank failures followed later as well. -
Annexation of Hawaii
The U.S. and President McKinley wanted Hawaii for business relations, so he made Hawaiian sugar expensive and raised the tariff on it. Americans felt that the best way to offset this was to annex Hawaii. McKinley also wanted Hawaiian sugar to be sold in the U.S. duty-free, but Queen Liliuokalani opposed, and in 1893, Americans revolted and succeeded. Sanford B. Dole overthrew the queen and in 1898, President William McKinley convinced Congress to annex Hawaii. -
World's Columbian Exposition of 1893
This world fair took place in Chicago and featured the progress of American civilization through its architecture that represented an ideal urban environment. It was created to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago was nicknamed "the White City" from this exposition. It showcased Chicago's downtown area and fairgrounds, which made its progress through new industrial technologies. -
Pullman Strike
This was a strike by railroad workers upset by drastic wage cuts. Workers from Pullman Palace Car Company were the ones involved, led by socialist Eugene Debs. The American Federation of Labor did not support the strike, and eventually, President Grover Cleveland had to intervene and send federal troops to end the strike. Debs was thrown into jail and the strike had no material victory, but showed divisions within labor as well as the government's willingness to use armed forces against strikes. -
Yellow Journalism
Also called Yellow Press, Yellow Journalism was a term to describe the sensationalist newspaper writings of the time of the Spanish American war. This type of journalism exploits, distorts, and exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers. It was popularized by Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. Sensationalizing events like the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine angered the American public towards Spain. Yellow Journalism was one of the causes of the Spanish-American War. -
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The Progressive Era
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Election of 1896
This election was the defeat of William Jennings Bryan (Democrat) by William McKinley (Republican). Bryan gave an iconic speech called the "Cross of Gold". He believed free silver would bring the nation prosperity. He opposed the gold standard and said "you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold." McKinley supported the gold standard and high tariffs. He had Mark Hanna, a Ward Boss backing him up. He also ran the Front Porch Campaign, where people come up to his front porch and meet him. -
Klondike Gold Rush
Often called the Yukon Gold Rush, this expedition was a mass exodus of migrants seeking for wealth to Canadian Yukon Territory and Alaska after gold was discovered there the year prior. Over 100,000 people participated in this journey, and only less than half of them got there safely. The gold rush negatively impacted the Native people. Most fell victim to disease and drunkenness. Some Native groups such as the Han fell in population due to the destroying of their hunting and fishing grounds. -
Treaty of Paris 1898
The Treaty of Paris 1898 was the treaty that concluded the Spanish American War. Commissioners from the U.S. were sent to Paris on October 1 to produce a treaty that would bring an end to the war with Spain after six months of hostility. From this treaty, the United States gained Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, Spain received $20 million from the United States for the Philippines, and Spain recognized Cuba's independence. -
Philippine-American War
The Philippine-American War was fought to quell Filipino resistance to American control of the Philippine Islands. The first battle was the Battle at Manila Bay. Commander George Dewey was ordered to attack the Spanish fleet in the Philippines, and he destroyed them all killing 400 Spanish sailors without losing any U.S. sailors. The war lasted 3 years until Filipino leader Emilio Aguinaldo was captured, making the Filipinos give up their guerrilla warfare. -
Open Door Policy
Issued by John Hay in 1899, the Open Door Policy was a statement that reaffirmed the principle that all countries should have equal access to any Chinese port open to trade. It asked powerful and influential countries to respect Chinese rights and promote fair trade with low tariffs. This policy was accepted by other countries and prevented any country from creating a monopoly on Chinese trade. It was Hay's effort to preserve Chinese territorial integrity and maintain American access to China -
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 was a Chinese uprising against Western control of the country. Also known as The Boxer Uprising, this was the popular peasant uprising in China (supported nationally), that blamed foreign people and institutions for the loss of the traditional Chinese way of life. "Boxers" were traditionally skilled fighters that attacked Westerners, beginning with Christian missionaries. The Boxer Rebellion underscored the social problems in China and the anger of the Chinese people. -
Election of 1900
William McKinley was the Republican candidate with running mate Teddy Roosevelt while William J. Bryan was the Democratic candidate. McKinley advocated for imperialism while Bryan advocated for anti-imperialism and opposition to the gold standard. The silver issue was exhausted by 1900 and did nothing for the Democratic vote. Republicans professed that free silver would end U.S. prosperity, and McKinley won the election with an overwhelming victory in urban areas of the U.S. -
Teddy Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States. He became president when William McKinley was assassinated and was the youngest president at the time. He was a champion of moderate change, and believed reform was for protecting the American Society by radical changes. At its root, his policy was a desire to win for government the power to investigate activities of businesses and let the public know about them. -
Big Stick Policy
The "Big Stick" Policy was the nickname given to President Roosevelt's foreign policy. The "Big Stick" was a symbol of his beliefs that presidents should engage diplomacy but also maintain a strong military readiness to back up their policy. It was a way to intimidate countries without actually harming them and was the basis of U.S. imperialistic foreign policy. Using this philosophy, Roosevelt forced others around the world (but especially in Latin America) to recognize US interests. -
Meat Inspection Act
The Meat Inspection Act was passed, mainly as a response to Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle', in 1906. President Roosevelt had read the novel and appointed to a commission of experts to investigate the meat packing industry. The commission then issued a report backing up Sinclair's account of the horrible conditions of the industry. The law sets strict standards of cleanliness in the meatpacking industry because of this, requiring federal inspection of meat processing to ensure sanitary conditions. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
Due to education and exposure from Muckrakers, this law was passed in 1906, and was the first to regulate manufacturing of food and medicines in the United States. It prohibited dangerous additives and forbade the manufacture or sale of mislabeled or adulterated food or drugs. It gave the government broad authority to ensure the safety and efficacy of drugs to abolish the "patent" drug trade. It started the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), which is still in effect today. -
Upton Sinclair
Upton Sinclair was a Muckraker who wrote The Jungle, a novel that showed the reality behind the meat packing industry. The book was fiction but was based on things Sinclair had seen for himself. Sinclair was a Pulitzer Prize-winning prolific American author who wrote over 90 books in various genres. The Jungle is his most famous and significant novel. It caused a public uproar that partly contributed to the passing of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act in 1906. -
Gentleman's Agreement
Established in 1908, Roosevelt arranged this compromise by means of an informal understanding. It was an agreement when Japan agreed to curb the number of workers coming to the U.S., and in exchange Roosevelt agreed to allow the wives of the Japanese men already living in the U.S. to join them. With this, the Japanese government secretly agreed to restrict the emigration of Japanese workers to the U.S. in return for Roosevelt persuading California to repeal its discriminatory laws. -
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American businessman and founder of Ford Motor Company. He's deemed as the father of modern assembly lines as well. He was the first in the manufacturing of affordable automobiles with his Model T car, completed in 1908. Between 1908 and 1927, Ford would build 15 million Model T cars. It was the longest production run of any automobile model of its time. He's also known for raising his workers' wages and instituted many modern concepts of regular work hours and job benefits. -
Election of 1912
Woodrow Wilson was the candidate of the Democratic Party. He had a strong progressive platform called the "New Freedom" program. The Republican Party had two candidates: William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt had the "Bull Moose Party" with its "New Nationalism" program. There was also one Socialist Party candidate, Eugene Debs, who had also run for President three times prior to this election and two times after. The Republican votes were split, so the Democratic Party won. -
17th Amendment
Passed in 1913, the 17th amendment calls for the direct election of senators by the voters instead of their election by state legislatures. U.S. Senators were previously chosen by state legislators who were controlled by political machines. The people wanted more say in the government and pressured Congress to pass an amendment like this. This Amendment stated that Senators were now elected by popular vote from the citizens, creating a more democratic and fair society. -
Federal Reserve Act
This act created the new Federal Reserve Board. It was a nationwide system of 12 regional reserve district banks that had the power to issue paper money and lend money at discount rates. It was an attempt to provide the United States with a consistent yet flexible currency. The board it created still plays a vital role in American economy today. The federal government determines the in/out flow of money, prints money to send to the federal reserve bank, and determines interest rates. -
Schlieffen Plan
The Schlieffen Plan was a German war plan developed by Alfred Graf von Schlieffen to be used if Germany faced a two front war. It was designed to enable Germany to win a two front war; hold the East, win in the West, and win in the East. After declaring war on Russia due to Austria-Hungary, the adoption of the plan caused Germany to also declare war on France. The plan was for Gernany to invade France first, then Belgium, and then fight Russia before the British got there. -
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World War I
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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was shot to death along with his wife by a Serbian nationalist in their car in Sarajevo, Bosnia. The Black Hand, a terrorist organization, made plans to assassinate the Archduke. A member of the Black Hand took the chance to fire at both Franz Ferdinand and Sophie as they were stuck at a dead end, killing them both. This caused the Central Powers and Serbia's allies to declare war on each other, starting World War I. -
The Panama Canal
The United States built the Panama Canal to have a quicker passage to the Pacific from the Atlantic and vice versa. The U.S. military needed a canal for the defense of island territories they had recently acquired/had large influence in. It was a ship canal cut across the isthmus of Panama by United States Army engineers and costed $400,000,000 to build. The United States turned the canal over to Panama on Jan 1, 2000. -
RMS Lusitania
The Lusitania was a British passenger ship that was sunk by a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915. 128 Americans died. Americans were angered by this because according to the Sussex Pledge, Germany agreed not to target passenger ships unless they carried weapons. The sinking greatly turned American opinion against the Germans, helping the move towards entering the war. President Wilson reconsidered options, tried to negotiate, but endorsed a $1 billion U.S. military build up. -
The Sussex Pledge
The Sussex Pledge was a declaration by Germany in 1916 resulting in a changed naval policy. It stated that U-boats would not target passenger ships and that merchant ships would not be attacked unless armed. A French boat that was shot down, which made Germany apologize to the U.S. yet again. Wilson then warned Berlin to stop the marauding submarines, or else they will sever diplomatic relationships. The pledge was upheld until February 1917, when unrestricted submarine warfare was resumed. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was a telegram from Germany's foreign secretary, Arthur Zimmerman, to Mexico. In return for Mexico joining the Central Powers, Germany would help recover the territories that Mexico had lost to the U.S. (Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona). The telegram was intercepted and decoded by the U.S. and caused them to join the Allied Powers. -
Mustard Gas
Also known as sulfur mustard, the gas was the poisonous gases created by Fritz Haber, a Professor at the University of Karlsruhe. During a mustard gas attack, the effects are very gradually, and after a few days or hours, there will be red spots on your skin that will quickly turn into painful blisters and cause second or third-degree burns. If you inhaled the mustard gas, then you would get swelling in your nose and throat as the blisters developed, sealing your airway. -
Shell Shock
Soldiers after fighting in the trenches of World War I often were affected by PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), nicknamed "shell shock". However, at this time it was misunderstood and victims of shell shock were not treated. The psychological distress of soldiers was attributed to concussions caused by the impact of bomb shells; this impact was believed to disrupt the brain and cause “shell shock". It was assumed that soldiers who experienced these symptoms were cowardly and weak. -
14 Points
A statement of principles for peace that was to be used for peace negotiations in order to end World War I. The speech made by Wilson took many domestic progressive ideas and translated them into foreign policy (free trade, open agreements, democracy and self-determination). Europeans generally welcomed Wilson's points, but his main allied colleagues were skeptical of the applicability of Wilsonian idealism. -
Espionage & Sedition Acts
Federal law passed shortly after entrance into WWI, made it a crime for a person to mail or print information that inspired dissent against the American war effort or promoted its enemies. This included the forms of speech, including "any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States." The Espionage Act of 1917 was a law which punished people for aiding the enemy or refusing military duty during World War I. -
The 18th and 19th Amendments
Women didn't have very many rights from early on up until the early 20th century. In 1919, the 18th amendment for national prohibition was passed. This amendment is the midpoint of a growing drive towards women's rights as well as showing the moral attitude of the era. In the same year, the 19th amendment for granting citizens the right to vote regardless of their sex was passed. This amendment granted the women the ability to vote. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles ended WWI. It did not take a progressive approach as Wilson's Fourteen Points did. It focused on punishing Germany and making them pay reparations. Its terms were: Germany disarmed and stripped of colonies in Asia and Africa as it admitted guilt and accepted 15 years of French occupation of Rhineland, costs paid; territories once controlled by Ger., Au-Hu, and Russia taken by allies, independence granted to some countries; and signers of treaty joined League of Nations. -
Volstead Act
The Act specified that "no person shall manufacture, sell, barter, transport, import, export, deliver, furnish or possess any intoxicating liquor except as authorized by this act." It did not specifically prohibit the purchase or use of intoxicating liquors. It was enacted to carry out the intent of the 18th Amendment, which established prohibition in the United States. The act was under-budgeted and largely ineffective, especially in strongly anti-prohibition states. -
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey was an influential Jamaican immigrant. He promoted economic empowerment, heavily influenced by Booker T. Washington and create the UNIA, similar to the NAACP. He will promote black-owned businesses. He campaigned against lynching, Jim Crow laws, denial of black voting rights and racial discrimination. The government would grow worried about a violent movement. In 1923 he would be convicted of mail fraud, deported back to Jamaica, and the UNIA will collapse. -
Harlem Renaissance
An intellectual, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem, New York, spanning the 1920s. During the time, it was known as the "New Negro Movement", named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke. The Movement also included the new African-American cultural expressions across the urban areas by those affected by the African-American Great Migration. The Harlem Renaissance was considered to be a rebirth of African-American arts. -
Ku Klux Klan
The white supremacy group, called the Ku Klux Klan had a second wave during the 1920s. They would follow The Red Scare, suffrage, prohibition, and immigration. By the 1920s, there were millions of members. Historically, the KKK used terrorism—both physical assault and murder—against groups or individuals whom they opposed. Their targets were Jews, Catholics, immigrants, and feminists. -
Louis Armstrong
Considered to be one of the most influential jazz artists in history, Armstrong was a trumpeter, bandleader, singer, soloist, film star and comedian. More than anyone else he laid the foundation for modern jazz. He is known for songs like "Star Dust," "La Vie En Rose" and "What a Wonderful World." Armstrong popularized the scat style of singing and remains one of jazz's most important and influential musicians. His career spanned from the 1920's to the 1960's. -
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1920s
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Teapot Dome Scandal
A bribery incident which took place in the United States in 1922-1923, Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall leased Navy petroleum reserves at Teapot Dome to private oil companies, without competitive bidding, at low rates. In 1922 and 1923, the leases became the subject of a sensational investigation. Fall was later convicted of accepting bribes from the oil companies. Fall was the first individual to be convicted of a crime committed as a presidential cabinet member. -
First Red Scare
A period during the early 20th-century history of the United States marked by a widespread fear of Bolshevism and anarchism, due to real and imagined events; real events included those such as the Russian Revolution and anarchist bombings. At its height concerns over the alleged spread of communism and anarchism in the American labor movement fueled a general sense of concern if not paranoia. -
Margaret Sanger
Margaret Sanger was an American leader of the movement to legalize birth control during the early 1900s. As a nurse in the poor sections of New York City, she had seen the suffering caused by unwanted pregnancy. She founded the first birth control clinic in the U.S. and the American Birth Control League, which later became Planned Parenthood. She taught women about the dangers of illegal abortion, as well as contraceptives. She was later arrested for “maintaining a public nuisance.” -
Al Capone
Capone was agrasping and murderous gangster; known as "Scarface". In 1925, he began six years of gang warfare that netted him millions of blood-splattered dollars. He branded "Public Enemy Number One". Capone could not be convicted of the cold-blooded massacre, on St. Valentine's Day in 1929, of seven disarmed members of a rival gang. After serving most of an eleven year sentence in a federal penitentiary for income-tax evasion, he was released as a syphilitic wreck. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
A high school biology teacher, John Scopes, was put on trial for teaching evolution in schools. This raised countrywide debate on whether people believed in evolution or creationism. Scopes was defended by nationally known attorneys. The clash between theology and biology proved inconclusive and Scopes was found guilty and fined $100. -
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The Great Depression
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Black Tuesday
Black Tuesday was the name given to the day that stock market prices crashed, causing businesses and people to lose everything, beginning the Great Depression. The stock market crash of 1929 was not the sole cause of the Great Depression, but it did act to accelerate the global economic collapse of which it was also a symptom. By 1933, nearly half of America's banks had failed, and unemployment was approaching 15 million people, or 30 percent of the workforce. -
The Dust Bowl
Also known as the Dirty Thirties, the Dust Bowl referred to the drought in the Southern Plains Region of the U.S. after a severe dust storm formed in the 1930s. The topsoil was blown away by drought and poor farming. Dust blanketed major cities. People barricade themselves in their homes. Millions of cattle will die from suffocation. The economic depression intensifies and it made many farming families to migrate somewhere else for better living conditions and to find work. -
Hoovervilles
With the Great Depression, many families lost their homes because they could not pay their mortgages. No one had money because of the economy failure. These people had no choice but to seek alternative forms of shelter. Hoovervilles, named after President Hoover, who was blamed for the problems that led to the depression, sprung up throughout the United States. "Hooverville" became a common term for shacktowns and homeless encampments during the Great Depression. -
New Deal Coalition
Coalition or union forged by the Democrats who dominated American politics from the 1930's to the 1960's. Created by FDR that kept the Democratic party in power during this time. Its basic elements were the urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans, and intellectuals. Alliance of southern conservatives, religious, and ethnic minorities who supported the Democratic Party for 40 years. -
The Bonus March
The name for an assemblage of some 43,000 marchers—17,000 U.S. World War I veterans, their families, and affiliated groups—who gathered in Washington, D.C. to demand cash-payment redemption of their service certificates. Organizers called the demonstrators the "Bonus Expeditionary Force", to echo the name of World War I's American Expeditionary Forces, while the media referred to them as the "Bonus Army" or "Bonus Marchers". The contingent was led by Walter W. Waters, a former sergeant. -
Election of 1932
In this election, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Democratic) ran against the Herbert Hoover (Republican). The election happened as the effects of the 1929 Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression. President Herbert Hoover's popularity was falling as voters felt he was unable to reverse the economic collapse or deal with prohibition. In the end, Frankin D. Roosevelt won 472 electoral votes and 22,821,857 popular votes. White Hoover lost with 59 electoral votes and 15,761,841 popular votes. -
Eleanor Roosevelt
An American politician, diplomat and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States the "First Lady of the World" in tribute to her human rights achievements. Roosevelt was a controversial First Lady at the time for her outspokenness, particularly her stance on racial issues. She was the first lady to hold regular press conferences, write a daily newspaper column, write a monthly magazine column, host a weekly radio show, and speak at a national party convention. -
Fireside Chats
Fireside chats is the term used to describe a series of 30 evening radio addresses given by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933 and 1944. On radio, he was able to quell rumors and explain his policies. His aim was to be a reassuring presence for many Americans through the trials of the Great Depression. Millions of people found comfort and renewed confidence in these speeches, which became known as the “fireside chats.” -
Reichstag
Seated Germany's lower house of Parliament, it burned in 1933 and Hitler blamed it on the communist, this event led to Hitler becoming the absolute dictator in Germany. in state of emergency, Chancellor can assume temporary dictatorial powers; fire at Reichstag set by Nazis gets Hitler power, he does not step down They used it as a way to blame the communists to get more people to join the Nazi party. Nazis set out to kill all communists. -
Glass-Steagall Act
This act separated commercial and investment banking into four sections, preventing commercial Federal Reserve member banks from: dealing in non-governmental securities for customers,
investing in non-investment grade securities for themselves,
underwriting or distributing non-governmental securities, and
affiliating with companies involved in such activities. It also created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and was one of the most widely debated legislative initiatives. -
Wagner Act
Guaranteed basic rights of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, engage in collective bargaining for better terms and conditions at work, and take collective action including strike if necessary. The act also created the National Labor Relations Board, which conducts trade unions. Does not apply to workers who are covered by the Railway Labor Act (agricultural or domestic employees, supervisors, federal, state or local government workers, independent contractors, etc.) -
Munich Conference
The Munich Conference was a settlement reached by Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy. It permitted German annexation of the Sudetenland in western Czechoslovakia. Hitler promises to take over no more territory. Britain and France conceded to Hitler's demands for Czechoslovakia. The agreement was seen as an assurance of peace. He was convinced the allies were weak. He thinks there is a need for more living space. -
Allied Powers
The countries that together opposed the Axis powers during WWII. The Allies promoted the alliance as seeking to stop German, Japanese and Italian aggression. The Allies consisted of France, USSR and the United Kingdom. The United States provided war materiel and money all along, and officially joined in December 1941 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The alliance was formalized by the Declaration by United Nations. -
Axis Powers
The nations that fought in World War II against the Allied forces. The Axis powers agreed on their opposition to the Allies, but did not completely coordinate their activity. The Axis grew out of the diplomatic efforts of Germany, Italy, and Japan to secure their own specific expansionist interests in the mid-1930s. Benito Mussolini declared on 1 November that all other European countries would from then on rotate on the Rome–Berlin axis. -
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WWII
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Blitzkrieg
German forces invaded Poland. Blitzkrieg was now put into practice. A form of warfare used by German forces in World War II. Characterized by highly mobility and concentrated forces at point of attack. In a blitzkrieg, troops in vehicles, such as tanks, made quick surprise strikes with support from airplanes. "Surround and penetrate". These tactics resulted in the swift German conquest of France and Poland in 1940. Blitzkrieg is German for "lightning war." -
Invasion of Poland
A joint invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, the Free City of Danzig, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began one week after the signing of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, while the Soviet invasion commenced on 17 September following the Molotov-Tōgō agreement that terminated the Soviet and Japanese hostilities in the east on 16 September. -
Operation Sea Lion
This operation was the planned invasion by the Germans into Great Britain, requiring both air and naval superiority. It did not take place because Herman Goerring convinced Hitler that if the German Army was allowed to invade Great Britain the German Generals would be hard to control. Hitler decided to allow the Luftwaffe to bomb Great Britain instead. This was a crucial mistake on Hitler's part and an example of how German commanders worked against each other instead of achieving a common goal. -
The Holocaust
A genocide during World War II in which Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany, aided by its collaborators, systematically murdered some six million European Jews, around two-thirds of the Jewish population of Europe, between 1941 and 1945. Jews were targeted for extermination as part of a larger event involving the persecution and murder of other groups, including in particular the Roma and "incurably sick". -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack on the U.S. Naval base by the Japanese naval air force in Hawaii. Several battleships of the U.S. Pacific fleet were damaged or sunk. This attack killed 3,000 men and resulted in an American declaration of war the following day. Canada also declared war on Japan. Canadian soldiers in Hong Kong were soon fighting as the Japanese attacked the British colony the same day as this. -
Bomb on Hiroshima
The US warned Japan that it had weapons of mass destruction. The Japanese were warned to surrender or suffer the consequences. The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. 100,000 people died within seconds and thousands for within the next five days. The bomb on Hiroshima was known as "Little Boy."
