-
The Haymarket Affair
The Haymarket Affair of 1886 symbolized the struggle for workers’ rights at the time. Although it started with good intentions, this rally transformed into a riot as someone threw a bomb at police officers who were sent to break up the rally. As a result, the workers who went and sought change in the system were blamed and public opinion about unions and organization shifted in a negative way. This event signified the hardships people faced when it came to labor. -
The Homestead Steel Strike
This event, much like the Haymarket Affair of 1892, revolved around organized labor. The company attempted to break up the union the workers had by cutting their wages, which resulted in the strike happening. The protest was shut down by brute force, and several workers were injured and killed. The Homestead Steel Strike showcased the hardships unions had in the face of government and corporations. Although unions had power, they weren’t powerful enough to prevent anything. -
The Spanish-American War
The Spanish-American War cemented the United States as a world power. This war challenged The Spanish Empire’s power over the western hemisphere. This conflict ended up in the United States expanding its territory and gaining respect along with it. They freed lands from Spanish rule, similar to how they freed themselves from British rule. -
The Gilded Age
This period is important as it showed the corruption within the government. Despite it looking nice on the outside, once you dig deeper you’ll find the unhealthy and dangerous conditions that many people worked in and the power companies had over other smaller companies. The government was very uninterested in getting involved with the economy, and so this created a power structure where companies got to do whatever they wanted. -
World War I
The Great War was a point in time in American history where we first got involved in foreign affairs. Prior to the war, the United States was an isolationist nation that didn’t really want to get involved. After the sinking of The Lusitania which saw American lives be lost due to German fire, the United States decided to step in. This decision is what helped make the United States into a world power. -
The Pure Food And Drug Act (1906)
The Pure Food and Drug act of 1906 passed by President Theodore Roosevelt regulated how food and drugs were processed. After the publication of Upton Sinclair's book “The Jungle”, the public became aware of the unsanitary conditions in which meat was produced. As a result, this act was passed to ensure the conditions were sanitary and thus insure the health of Americans. -
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
A fire erupted in a shirtwaist factory which resulted in the deaths of 146 people. This fire publicized the dangers within these factories and how this tragedy could have been easily prevented. This event in American history is what caused the United States to pass laws that would ensure the safety of workers. This event also added more momentum to the U.S. Labor movement. -
Addition of the 19th Amendment
The 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote is a notable staple in America’s history, as it also paved the way for other accomplishments to be made. Moreover, it granted more people the ability to vote which is instrumental in how the United States is supposed to run. In a democracy, it is crucial that every citizen has a say in what goes on in their country. Therefore this amendment is important as it showed the kind of changes that could happen with sheer determination. -
The National Origins Act
The National Origins Act served as a measure to limit the amount of migration from specific countries from entering the country. This act not only restricted certain countries, it outright banned immigrants from Asia from coming into the country. This act was very discriminatory towards immigrants, but it was also very effective as there was a sharp decline in immigration. This act shows the attitude towards immigrants at the time and how this way of thinking hasn’t changed much. -
Stock Market Crash
The Stock Market shaped the way that the United States runs. This event set the standards for how the economy and financial side of the country should run. Before the crash, banks were very reckless and gave loans out to everyone, which caused them to overspend and use money they didn’t have. The struggles that people went through during the Great Depression serves as a warning to not repeat the same mistakes. -
The Scottsboro Boys Trial
The Scottsboro trial represented the failure in the justice system back then. Nine African American young boys were accused of sexually assaulting two white girls and they were arrested and charged with the crime. However, overtime they were found to not have proper legal counsel and most of them were eventually released. This trial is important as it showcased the prejudice of the time and how it affected the justice system. -
The Fair Labor Standards Act
This act established some of the things that are commonplace in the workplace. For example, this act established a minimum wage, child labor protection, and rules regarding overtime. This act was passed as a way to ensure that Americans had enough to live off as they found that most were barely scraping by. Moreover, they restricted the conditions children were allowed to work in, as they were often in dangerous jobs that risked their lives and education. -
World War II
The second World War saw the United States entering the conflict as a result of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This event united the country and was a source of a lot of changes. For example, women contributed to the war effort by working on wartime factories. The war also led to an economic boom as the country was left unaffected by the war, unlike Europe. Because of this, there was a huge demand for goods and the United States was there to satisfy those needs. -
Ratification of the 22nd Amendment
This amendment sought to limit the terms a President can serve to just two. This was done as a reaction to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency and the number of terms he served before his death in 1945. By his fourth term, Roosevelts judgment around his vice president was something he had not prioritized. There were many issues with having a long Presidential tenure, and this amendment sought to fix these issues. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This supreme court case is an important case as it ended segregation within schools. This decision, despite being met with resistance, still managed to pass. It was mostly criticized over the fact that the evidence was supplied by social scientists instead of what was already established within law. However, this court decision ensured the desegregation of schools and opened the gates for more changes. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a boycott that sought to end segregation within public Buses. This bus boycott also saw the rise of Martin Luther King Jr. and his mission to achieve racial equality through peaceful methods. This boycott was instrumental to the civil rights movement as it degrades another public utility. After Brown V. Board of Education’s decisions, the ruling that segregation was unconstitutional was just around the corner. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile crisis was a moment in history where nuclear war tensions were at an all time high. Tensions in this time were already very high, and the potential presence of nuclear weapons so close to the United States increased those tensions. Despite this, the Cuban Missile Crisis demonstrated The United States and Soviet Union's reluctance to use these kinds of weapons as they both feared what the other side was capable of. -
Voting Rights Act
The voting Rights Act was enacted to ensure that African Americans were able to register and vote. Moreover, this act was also designed to get rid of tactics that were made in order to limit African American involvement in politics. A few years shortly after the Civil War ended, African Americans had the ability to participate and be involved in politics. However, these political gains were lost shortly thereafter and this act sought to fix this problem. -
Roe V. Wade
This court case was a major victory for women’s rights, as it ensured the right for women to seek an abortion. Additionally, this court case determined that abortion was protected under the right to privacy, and that women are able to get an abortion without legal repercussions, so long as certain requirements are met. Abortion was already practiced in the early years of the United States and was slowly limited and banned over time, and all this case did was bring it back to how it used to be. -
Nixon Resignation
Nixon’s Resignation from his presidency was a turning point in American politics. After the Watergate scandal broke out, which saw Nixon involved in the break-in of the Democratic National Committee Headquarters and subsequent lying of his involvement. This event is notable by the fact that the American people had come to the conclusion that the President had lied to them, and many Americans began to lose faith in the government.