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Custer's Last Stand
EyeWitnessToHistory.comAfter happening upon a small Indian village on the banks of Little Big Horn River, General George Armstrong Custer attacked what he did not realize was the main Sioux and Cheyenne Native American encampment. Being overconfident in the technological capabilities of his forces (and the Gatling gun), Custer and the entire Seventh Cavalry ended up massacred by three thousand Sioux natives led by Crazy Horse. Unfortunately for the natives, this would end up being their last significant victory agains -
Capitalism
Crash Course U.S. History: Capitalism An economy structured in such a way that individuals and private companies, instead of the government, control national trade and industry. This idea was brought to life in the Gilded Age as the Captains of Industry dominated the economy – namely, Rockefeller in oil, Carnegie in steel, and Morgan in railroads. -
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Post-Reconstruction to Present
This timeline is meant to showcase various important events in American history from the end of Reconstruction to the present decade. It also highlights some of the major themes that can be observed across this time period. -
Haymarket Square Bombing
History.comA bomb was thrown into the crowd gathered for a rally in Chicago put on by the Knights of Labor to go along with a strike demanding an either-hour workday for all laborers. One death and several injuries occurred. Despite the leader of the Knights, Terence Powderly, making every attempt to persuade the general public otherwise, his organization was blamed. The labor union image became one of violence, putting a rather severe damper on the efforts of the labor movement at the time. -
Imperialism
Crash Course U.S. History: Imperialism Imperialism is a policy of extending a nation's power and influence through diplomatic or military means. In the late 1880's, the United States gained a variety of new territory from Alaska and Hawaii to the Philippines and Puerto Rico, not to mention a great deal of influence in Cuba (the latter three as a result of the Spanish-American War). -
Ford Motor Company founded
History.comWhen Henry Ford invented the automobile, he changed transportation forever. He utilized the assembly line in manufacturing, and caused the steel and vulcanized rubber industries to boom. Families were able to vacation in a larger variety of places. Urban and city dwellers could explore each other’s environments. Teenagers also gained more independence, and traffic jams as well as accidents and fatalities were experienced for the first time. -
Federal Reserve Act
FederalReserveHistory.org The Federal Reserve Act created the Federal Reserve System that we have today. It was meant to provide economic stability by creating the Central Bank, which would be in charge of American monetary policy. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
EyeWitnessToHistory.comGerman submarines torpedoed and sank the British ship RMS Lusitania, killing 1,198 passengers, 128 of which were American. The Germans believed the ship to be carrying war contraband, and it did indeed have 4 million rounds of ammunition in its cargo. President Wilson and American isolationists were outraged, and this event had a strong influence in America’s decision to join the Allies rather than the Axis powers. -
Paris Peace Conference
History.State.govAfter the Allies won the First World War, President Woodrow Wilson, David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Georges Clemenceau of France, Vittorio Orlando of Italy (collectively known as the “Big Four”), and other diplomats gathered in Paris to decide the fate of their opponents. Wilson had a “Just Peace” approach that he outlined in fourteen points, but the European leaders were more interested in retribution. In the end, only Wilson’s idea for the League of Nations became a reality (one that the -
Stock Market Crash
PBS.orgOn this day in history, a record 16 million shares were exchanged in the stock market for rapidly shrinking values. In just 10 weeks afterwards, the market’s value had been cut in half. This event caused panic, bank failures, and unemployment to sweep the nation as America fell into what would become an infamous, decade long depression. -
Ratification of the 21st Amendment
PBS.orgThis amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, which had outlawed the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. However, problems arose including an insufficient budget, unhealthy drinking practices due to a lack of regulation, and outraged civil liberties advocates as the amendment was the first to restrict instead of grant Americans’ rights. After government officials finally recognized the failures of their efforts, the 21st Amendment was ratified. -
Pearl Harbor
History.comIn the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, this was truly “a date which will live in infamy.” Japanese planes attacked the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, killing over 2,300 Americans and launching the United States into World War II. -
D-Day Attack
DDay.orgOn this day, Allied forces crossed the English Channel and stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. Despite heavy casualties, they successfully broke through the lines of the occupying German forces. This event was the beginning of the end for the Axis powers as the Allies were then able to reclaim Europe, leading to the Allied victory. -
McCarthyism
ColdWar.org This was the practice of accusing people of disloyalty or treason without proper regard for evidence. Senator John McCarthy made allegations during the 1950’s against various federal government employees who were “card-holding members” of the Communist party. He made his initial speech announcing this in Wheeling, West Virginia, and soon his ideas spread and he appeared before the Senate to make his case. -
Sit-In at Woolworth's
NorthCarolinaHistory.orgFour African American college students tested a new form of peaceful activism by sitting at the counter at Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, North Carolina. They refused to leave when they were denied service, despite threats and intimidation. The protesters were supposed to never fight back, simply sitting and taking it in the name of their cause – in this case, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, an era where Martin Luther King Jr. spearheaded the peaceful activism movement. -
Kennedy's Assassination
JFKLibrary.org As he rode in an unprotected convertible limousine following a procession through Dallas, a gunman somewhere nearby killed President Kennedy. Although Lee Harvey Oswald, an avowed communist, was arrested for the crime, no one was completely certain about who shot the president, or from where. Grief swept the nation following the tragedy. -
Roe vs. Wade
CNN.comOn this day, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the legality of a woman’s right to have an abortion according the 14th amendment. The debate occurred over when life fundamentally begins. Some faiths declared conception, others argued birth, and some made a case for stages in between. The battle over abortion is still strong today. -
Apple Computer invented
U-S-history.comThis was the start of a new era for America and the world. The “Information Age” was kick-started by a new widespread phenomenon, the personal computer. It continues to keep everyone informed, updated, and connected to this day. -
Reaganomics
Princeton.edu Reaganomics involved plans to utilized the "Supply-Side" or "Trickle-Down" theory of economics to fix the economy. Ronald Reagan believed that tax relief for the rich would trickle down through the classes. However, the Federal Reserve Board believed it would re-ignite inflation and raise interest rates. Federal debt sky-rocketed and America fell into a deep, two-year recession. -
Clinton's Impeachment
NYTimes.com The House Judiciary Committee drew up articles of impeachment of Bill Clinton on four counts including abuse of power and obstruction of justice. This was sparked by overwhelming evidence of a sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky which he tried to deny for a while, but eventually admitted to. -
Globalization
Forbes.com By the turn of the century, the world was fast becoming wired. The World Wide Web revolutionized the way countries could interact. Trade barriers with Canada and Mexico were eliminated in the North American Trade Agreement, and world leaders looked to Washington D.C. for military leadership. "Americanization" truly became a center piece to global unification.
