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The Golden Spike
On may 10th 1869 the Trans Continental Railroad was finished. This allowed someone to rave from the east coast to the west coast by train. This made travel and trading much easier and safer than before. -
Custers Last Stand
In 1876 the battle of Little Big Horn occurred. General Custer and his men were wiped out by the Lakota Indians. This caused a change in US policy towards Native Americans. The Native Americans would never win such a big battle ever again. -
The Chinese Exclusion act
In 1882 the Chinese Exclusion Act was implemented. This act was used to prevent most Chinese people from entering the country, with the exception of students, teachers, and merchants. This contradicted the words on the Statue of Liberty. -
The Harlem Renaissance
Starting in 1890 large numbers of African-Americans migrated from the South to the North, and many wound up in Harlem. This started new forms of writing and music, most specifically jazz. This crossed racial lines and drew in white and black audiences. -
Hawaiian Annexation
In January 1893 the sugar plantation owners organized a rebellion to overthrow the queen of Hawaii. They did this with the support of the US military, however they did not have the presidents approval. -
The First World War
America tried to stay neutral for years but eventually got pulled into the war. Millions of people were killed, however after a fews years the war finally came to an end, and Germany was defeated. -
The League of Nations
The League of Nations was suppose to prevent another world war from occurring, by ensuring that the borders of member nation were secure. The US failed to ratify this agreement, and never joined The League of Nations. -
The Invention of the Teenager
Prior to the 1920s, Society consisted of jus adults and children. With the invention of the automobile and the popularity of pubic high schools teenage years became a distinct phase fo life. For the first time older kids had time and space to socialize on their own, and develop their own ideas and dating rituals. -
The Great Depression
In the 1920's the US. economy was the biggest in the world. However the 1929 stock market crash put an end to it all. Unemployment soared, people panicked and there were runs on banks. Many people lost everything that they had worked so hard for. -
Social Security
in 1935 the Social Security Act was passed and signed by President Roosevelt. This act required employees and employers to pay part of their paycheck into a special fund to support retired workers. Previously retirement funding was the responsibility of individuals and their families, this provided safety net to keep them from going hungry or homeless -
Peal Harbor
On December 7th 1941 the Japanese staged a surprise attack on the base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Three thousand Americans were killed, and many planes and ships were destroyed. America declared war upon Japan the next day. -
D-Day
On June 6th 1944 the British, Americans, and Canadians attacked the beaches in Normandy, France in an attempt to retake it form the Germans. it was the largest naval armada ever assembled. By the end of the day the German troops began to retreat. -
Rosa Parks
In December 1955 Rosa Parks stood up against racism by refusing to give up her bus seat. After refusing to move seats she was arrested as well as received a charge of $10. Following this event a boycott began on December 5th 1955. Because of this boycott 99% of African-Americans used other forms of transportation, costing the company thousands of dollars. -
Kennedy's Assassination
On November 22nd 1963 tragedy engulfed the nation. President John F Kennedy was killed by an assassin. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the crime, but was in turn killed the next day. To this day questions remain about wether or not Oswald acted alone and who stole Kennedy's brain. -
The Vietnam War
In 1965 The Vietnam War began when the United States tried to prevent a communist invasion form the north. It went on for eight years, cost tens of thousands of American lives, and billions and billions of dollars. By the time the war ended the government had lost the confidence of the United States public. -
Roe v. Wade
In 1973 in the Roe v. Wade court case the Supreme Court ruled that states could not regulated abortion during the first trimester. This effectively legalized abortion throughout the country. Arguments for and against abortion have continued up to present day. As of summer 2022 Roe v. Wade has been overturned causing right leaning states to make access to reproductive care extremely difficult for all people in those states, and forcing them to travel hundreds of miles to get the care they need. -
The End of the Cold War
The beginning of the end of The Cold War happened when Poland elected a non communist government in June of 1989. Soon the communist governments of other countries fell as well, including the destruction of the Berlin Wall in East Germany. By the end of that year The Cold War was over. -
Operation Desert Storm
In August 1990 the Iraqi army under Saddam Hussein invaded the small country of Kuwait. This act threatened the worlds oil supply. The US a created a coalition with other nations via the UN to liberate Kuwait. The freeing of Kuwait took less than a week, but it didn't get off easily. There was an environmental disaster as many oil wells were blown up and oil was dumped into the Persian Gulf. -
Living in the Information Age
During the beginning of the 1990's the World Wide Web was born. Almost every company developed homepages and internet presence. This revolutionized communication, online shopping, and information gathering. Over time more and more activities switched to the virtual world. -
President Bill Clinton
In 1992 Bill Clinton was elected President of the United States. He was the first president born after WWII and never served in the armed forces. Although there were many scandals surrounding him, he was elected by focusing on the economy.