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Presidency of Woodrow Wilson
An American politician, lawyer, and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the 34th governor of New Jersey before winning the 1912 presidential election. -
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World War I
One of the primary factors that played into the start of World War I was the assassination of Archduke Frank Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, which led to the formation of alliances, imperialism, militarism, and nationalism. -
Sinking of the RMS Lusitania
A German U-boat torpedoed the British-owned steamship which was thought to be carrying ammunition, killing 1,195 people on board, including 123 Americans. This indirectly led to the United States entering World War I. -
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Great Migration
The movement of over 6 million African-Americans out of the rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast, Midwest, and West. -
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Russian Revolution
A period of political and social revolution across the territory of the Russian Empire, beginning with the abolition of the monarchy in 1917. -
First woman elected to Congress
Jeannette Rankin, a delegate from Montana, was an American politician and women’s rights advocate who is known for helping to pass the 19th Amendment. -
Congress passes Selective Service Act
The Selective Service Act of 1917, or the Selective Draft Act, authorized the United States federal government to raise a national army for service in World War I though conscription. -
Congress passes Espionage Act
Two months after the United States entered World War I, Congress enacted the Espionage Act of 1917, which outlawed aiding the enemy, obstructing military recruitment, or performing any action that would impede the war effort. -
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1918 influenza pandemic
The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, one of the deadliest in history, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide, about one-third of the planet’s population, and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million victims, including some 675,000 Americans. -
President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points Speech
The Fourteen Points was a statement of principles for peace that was to be used for peace negotiations in order to end World War I. These principles were outlined in President Woodrow Wilson’s speech on war aims and peace terms to Congress. -
Congress passes Sedition Act
The Sedition Act of 1918 extended the Espionage Act of 1917 to cover a broader range of offenses, notably speech and the expression of opinion that portrayed the government or the war effort in a negative way. -
Schneck v. United States
A case in which the Supreme Court held that Charles Schneck’s conviction under the Espionage Act for criticizing the draft did not violate the First Amendment. -
Senate rejects Treaty of Versailles
By a vote of 39 to 55, far short of the two-thirds majority, the Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles, which formally ended World War I, primarily because of objections to the League of Nations. -
19th Amendment is passed
After a lengthy and difficult struggle that spanned several decades, women were finally granted the right to vote. -
End of Russo-Polish War
The Russo-Polish war was formally brought to an end with the signing of a peace treaty at Riga, Latvia. -
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Teapot Dome Scandal
A bribery scandal involving the administration of United States President Warren G. Harding. -
Congress passes Emergency Quota Act
The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 established the nation's first numerical limits on the number of immigrants who could enter the United States. -
Congress passes Fordney-McCumber Tariff
The Fordney-McCumber Tariff of 1922 was a law that raised American tariffs on many imported goods to protect factories and farms. -
Death of Vladimir Lenin
Leader of the Soviet Union Vladimir Lenin dies, and Joseph Stalin begins purging rivals to clear the way for his leadership. -
Start of Great Depression
The Great Depression begins with the Wall Street Crash.