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Creation of Jamestown
Jamestown will be the first permanent settlement of American Soil in the New world. The people of Jamestown struggled extremely for the first few years since they did not know any of the land and could not farm their normal crops. It did however have some survive showing people back home that the land in the New World was livable and that people who needed to get out of their current situation could immigrate there. Many immigrants left their home countries in search of religious freedom. -
End of Seven Years War
War between the British and the French over land in America. The British win the war forcing the French to almost entirely leave the New World. The British called on American colonies to help in the war and Americans felt like they deserved credit for the war while the British saw them as cowards. The tensions between the colonies and the motherland are rising as Britain is struggling financially after the war. -
Proclamation of 1763
After the Seven Years War, many Americans are intrigued by the new land to explore. However British officials do not want the colonists moving west past the Appalachian mountains. The Proclamation of 1763 did just that but was not enforced or followed by American colonists. Many American people ignore the proclamation and still travel west. Once Britain hears word of American actions they are not pleased. -
Stamp Act
In response to Britain's financial struggles post Seven Years War, they look to their American allies for aid. The Stamp Act of 1765 was created only to act on American people. The act caused anything you wanted to be legally recognized to require a stamp. The only people at the time who want things legally recognized are the wealthy. Rage courses throughout the nation, ensuing conflict. -
Boston Massacre
With tensions rising over the new acts reigning over the colonies, 2,000 British troops occupy Boston to try and enforce tax laws. American citizens rebelled against the troops crying for " no taxation without representation." Skirmishes between patriots and British had been becoming more common at the time. A group of soldiers were stationed outside a loyalist's house and fighting broke out and shots were fired. Crispus Attucks was a free black man who was killed in the action. -
Boston Tea Party
In response to repetitive taxes imposed over the 1760s, the colonists needed to respond. The colonists and Sons of Liberty are also still holding a grudge over the Boston Massacre. On the day of, the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as native Americans and boarded The Dartmouth to throw off the tea. The Sons threw over an estimated 1.8 million dollars in tax revenue that day. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a needed meeting between twelve of the thirteen colonies to unite them. The meeting was held to find a response to the intolerable acts and what they would do to fix the problem. The delegates at the meeting would take about a month to come up with a plan to boycott British goods to send a message to their government. The meeting also created a continental army for an inevitable ahead. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The American Revolution was on the brink of it's beginning with colonists preparing and hiding gunpowder, rifles, ammo, and cannons in Concord. British intelligence caught word and started to march in Concord to stop the war before it can even begin. Paul Revere's famous ride raised alarm to the colonists yelling on his way "the red coats are coming." Two important leaders of the rebellion, John Adams and John Hancock, are able to flee just in time from Lexington. -
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Revolutionary War
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Common Sense
After intense fighting in the war around Boston, Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense. Common Sense was an extremely brilliant propaganda piece at the time that pushed for independence. It was extremely influential while also being easy to read for the common man.The pamphlet was designed to boost a very low Patriot moral and it did just that. Common Sense brought a must needed boost to the army for the war. -
Deceleration of Independence
A country in need of leadership, encouragement, and a new identity is completed by the Deceleration of Independence. The Deceleration was an imperfect thought that all "men" were created equal and the government existed to serve the people. Thomas Jefferson's words would change the nature of government throughout the world. The article created a national army, created a paper currency, and organized a committee to deal with foreign nations. -
Siege of Yorktown
After a grueling campaign through the south, general Cornwallis retreated to Yorktown for the winter with his navy at his back. General Cornwallis was not alerted of the royal navy's loss at the battle of the capes. Cornwallis is met with an opposing french navy at his back and the pursuing continental's at his front. General Cornwallis was forced to surrender which led to the Treaty of Paris in 1783 that ended the war. -
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris was a needed document to end the Revolutionary war after the battle of Yorktown had ended and general Cornwallis had surrendered. Before the battle had even taken place however, British parliament had already agreed to end the war and the treaty was signed by King George the 3rd and US delegates. The treaty would recognize that the US was now an independent nation and that a lot of British lands in the new world now belonged to the United States. -
Shays' Rebellion
Upset with little compensation for their war efforts, farmers start to riot and band together. Daniel Shays was a military veteran who turned into a farmer after the war just like many of the men who joined his rebellion. The rebellion was formed to prove a point that the economic state of the country is not sufficient for many of its residents. The rebellion proved many of the Articles of Confederations flaws, one of which being no military and the rebellion was brought down by private militia. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was a way for the US government to add new states to it's country. This is one of the most important things in the country because it will continue to be used as they start to expand further west. The Ordinance at the however was mainly made to organize the Midwestern territories. The ordinance itself would require territories to get a certain population and create a state constitution for it to apply for statehood. It also have some land to native peoples. -
George Washington Becomes President
After the ratification of the US Constitution, the country needs a leader. George Washington is the most popular man in the country at the time and is selected by the Electoral college and sets many standards for the country's future. Washington gives an inauguration speech, serves only two terms, establishes the court system, and establishes the presidential cabinet. George Washington had a huge influence on how the country's president should act. -
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Washington Presidency
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Hamilton's Financial Plan/First National Bank
The new country was still struggling to find a successful economy until Alexander Hamilton came along. Hamilton's plan was to pay off war debt, raise federal revenue through taxes, encourage growth of American industry, and to create a national bank. Hamilton's plan was the base of the US economy for many years just because of the national bank. It created paper currency and strengthened the federal government. His idea however was not impressive to everyone. -
Whiskey Rebellion
In response to Hamilton's financial plan that placed a tax on whiskey, many farmers and distillers rose up against it. The farmers and distillers refused to pay the whiskey tax. The Whiskey rebellion was similar to Shay's rebellion but this time the government had a response to the outbreak. It served as the Constitution's first real test to its strength and response to uprisings. President Washington led the US army to Pennsylvania to stop the rebellion. -
Invention of Cotton Gin
The creation of cotton was starting to become not very profitable due to very hard conditions. Eli Whitney created the cotton gin not with the idea of increasing slave usage in the south but sadly that's what the result was. Cotton will dominate the southern economy for many years to come using the cotton gin and it is one of the most important inventions for the south. With interchangeable parts being a factor the cotton gin also created new factory jobs in the north. -
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John Adams Presidency
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Alien and Sedition Acts
President Adams has lost his popularity with the people of the United States due to his belief in strong government power and avoiding war with France. He creates the Alien and Sedition Acts to try and regain control of power but the Acts strip rights given in the Constitution to common people. The Alien and Sedition Acts were one of the worst things ever created by a president but once again showed the power of the country's new government as power would soon shift to Thomas Jefferson. -
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Jefferson Presidency
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Marbury v Madison
With President Jefferson's election in 1800, John Adams and the federalist party tried to keep power by filling courts with federalists. James Madison however finds a letter that was to appoint John Marbury a federal judge. The case was brought to the Supreme Court which decided that the Judiciary Act was unconstitutional and therefore void. This case gave the supreme court the Judicial Review power which is still used today and is one of the most important parts of the Court. -
Louisiana Purchase
With hopes of just buying New Orleans from Napoleon, President Jefferson sends James Monroe to France but Napoleon says he won't sell it unless we buy the whole territory. Jefferson doesn't know what to do because he doesn't know if the Constitution allows him to purchase that much land. With the good of the country in his mind he makes the purchase and instantly doubles the size of the country and gains control of the Mississippi and New Orleans. The purchase leads to Lewis and Clark expedition -
Embargo of 1807
The US has finally established decent trade relations with Britain and France they go to war once again. President Jefferson wants to remain neutral in the war so he imposes the embargo act that puts a ban on all foreign trade at the time. This was not very popular with many people who made their money from trading and it does damage the US economy. However, the Embargo Act of 1807 introduces the idea of domestic manufacturing in the country, which becomes one of the country's biggest successes. -
Steamboat Invented
With the new accusation of much more land the country also gained country of many rivers but now they need a way to navigate them. With this the steamboat is invented and is a very important invention not because of how useful it was but to the invention of a very important way of transportation in the US. The steamboat was mildly productive on river travel but it's most important use was it led to the train that fueled the country for a very long time and still in part does today. -
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Madison Presidency
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War of 1812
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Battle of Thames
With the British invading once again, they have appealed to a new ally, the Native peoples to help them defeat the US. In an important victory for the allies against the Shawnee Indians in Canada, the Native leader, Tecumseh, is killed. Tecumseh's death ends Native resistance giving the US army a lot more room to breath and turning the tide in the war. This victory starts the beginning of the US wave of victories that will quickly end the war. -
Battle of New Orleans
With the war coming to an end, the allied force needs a final victory to put them over the edge as the British come for New Orleans. Andrew Jackson is leading a group of multicultural untrained men in the south and they absolutely maul the British force. The death count was 2,042 British to 71 American deaths. Andrew Jackson is now seen as the war's hero even though the war had already ended. He now becomes the people's champion and this will contribute to him winning the election. -
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Monroe Presidency
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Panic of 1819
The Panic of 1819 corresponds to the Bank Crisis of 1819 and they were both economic crises in the US. The Panic was caused by the end of years of war between France and Britain so the US was having a slow time trying to trade. This event led to an eventual complete economical collapse. Unemployment rates sky rocketed, banks would fail, mortgages were foreclosed, and farm crops price would be half in value. Interest in western lands also disappeared because no one had any money to invest. -
Missouri Compromise
With tensions rising between the north and the south and the anti slavery v slavery, a deal needed to be made to calm the problem. Henry Clay, the US's many time savior came up with a solution that would benefit both sides. The Compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state, Maine as a free state, and outlawed slavery north of the 36º 30' latitude line. The deal allowed for tensions to calm down for a while and prevent a Civil War. The Supreme Court later ruled it unconstitutional. -
Monroe Doctrine
James Monroe created the Monroe Doctrine with the idea that the European powers had to respect the United States and that the Western Hemisphere belongs to the United States.This did not mean the US owned the hemisphere but that European countries should not try to establish territories there. It was a warning to not mess with US in the Western hemisphere, and if they respected this then we would not interfere with their affairs in their territory.France and Britain did not follow this at first. -
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John Quincy Adams Presidency
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Tariff of Abominations
The Tariff of Abominations was extremely controversial at the time and mainly benefited the north and hurt the south. The Tariff made foreign goods more expensive so people would buy more U.S goods. This was good for the northern industrialized people because more people would buy from them but the people of the south hated this. It hurt their economy since foreign nations would not buy their product since we wouldn't buy theirs. The tariff ended up giving Andrew Jackson the edge in the election -
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Jackson Presidency
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Indian Removal Act
President Jackson was extremely popular president at the time of his presidency because he was a man of the people. Many people did not like native people and neither did the president so he got rid of them to clear up land for the US people. The Act gave him the power to relocate native tribes into new land. The Act led to the Trail of Tears and some of the most disapproved events in the current day for the US but at the time a lot of people in the country supported this. -
The Liberator
The Liberator was truly revolutionary for its time because it was one of the first published media to support the Abolitionist movement. William Lloyd Garrison creates this newspaper and he promotes the movement and does what no one else at the time had ever done. Garrison was an incredible man because he also supported the women's rights movement and the prohibition movement. He lived to see the ratification of the 13th amendment that he spent most of his life pushing for. -
Bank War
President Jackson never liked the idea of the Bank. He thinks that it is just there to benefit the rich and has no help to the common people. Jackson vetos the second banks charter and orders for all of the banks money to be distributed to state banks and this destroys the national bank. As one can expect this caused huge inflation throughout the country and it basically leads to a country wide depression that president Van Buren will spend most of his presidency trying to fix. -
Battle of the Alamo
The state of Texas that had recently become a state of Mexico opened it's doors to US citizens so they could improve the economy in the area. Soon the American population would grow so large that it would start to get fed up with Mexican laws and revolt. The people of Texas did not receive help from the U.S government since it established itself an independent nation. The Alamo was a Texan stronghold were every fighter fought to the death. The US soon joined the war to help Texas. -
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Van Buren Presidency
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Tyler Presidency
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Texas Annexation
With Texas struggling in it's war against Mexico, the US sees an opportunity to gain a large amount of land and with this the country will become even more powerful. With the U.S power chasing it also led to a very one sided America- Mexico War. The annexation of Texas was beneficial for the country but it led to some very controversial and unneeded things for country. Northern republicans were in fear of slavery expanding westward and an ensuing Civil War. -
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Polk Presidency
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Mexican-American War
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Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was one of the first events that started the Women Rights movement. The convention basically had an end goal of creating a group of people that want to change the inequality in the country. The convention was successful for sparking the women's rights movement but created a problem between supporters and abolition supporters. Many people thought the abolition movement was more important and started to support it more than the Women Rights movement. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war between America and the US. The war that had started due to president Polk's hunger for land and power ended as a huge success for the country in terms of gaining land. The Treaty would force Mexico to give up a large amount of its territory in the west. This will open up room for westward expansion in the country and encourage trade with Asia through the Pacific Ocean. -
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Taylor Presidency
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Compromise of 1850
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 had shortly fixed the ensuing problem of disunion throughout the country but is now not good enough for the south.This was Henry Clay's last creation before his death that would save the country from the Civil War.The Compromise let California enter the Union as a free state and the slave trade will be abolished in Washington D.C. On the other hand the fugitive slave laws are enacted and territories apply for statehood would be free or slave based on popular vote. -
Americanization of Natives
The American government still chasing power of owning all of the land, tries to completely end the native people's way of life by basically taking their children at age 6 and trying to raise them like white children. Americanization was basically a genocide of native people's way of life and most schools would completely change children's lives. They would give them new white names, make them speak English, and force them to go to christian services. Most would return home unrecognizable at 16. -
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Fillmore Presidency
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Pierce Presidency
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Dread Scott v Sandford
The Dread Scott v Sandford case was a very tragic event due to the Supreme Court's decision. Dread Scott and his wife moved with their owner into a free state and took his case to court saying that now that he lived in a free state he could walk free. The Supreme Court ruled against him claiming that he must remain a slave because he has no rights against the white man. The decision showed that even though states could be called "free states" they never really will be until conflict happened. -
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Buchanan Presidency
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Election of 1860
The election of 1860 is one of the most important elections in the history of the country because Lincoln was the underdog. The Democratic party made the mistake of entering more than one candidate in the election, splitting their votes allowing Lincoln to win. Lincoln never intending on splitting the country and ending slavery, he actually wanted to try his best to keep the country together. However, many people of the south were afraid of him ending slavery so South Carolina seceded. -
Fort Sumter
The battle of Fort Sumter was the first battle in the Civil War. Fort Sumter was just off the coast of South Carolina, the first state to secede, and was scared of a union attack. The Confederacy chose to start the fight and take over Fort Sumter in an easy victory after Lincoln tried to send it's men supplies to survive. The people and military of the Union laughed at this attempt from the Confederacy knowing they were way outmatched. The brilliant General Lee would not go down without a fight. -
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Lincoln Presidency
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Civil War
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Homestead Act
The Homestead Act was created to solve two problems in the country that seriously needed to be fixed. The first was we needed people to move west and make use of our land and our cities in the East were becoming overpopulated. The Act gave 160 acre plots to anyone who wanted it and would follow its rules. The Act was extremely successful and millions of people started to move west in search of new opportunities for themselves. This made the Pacific Railway Act even more significant. -
The Pacific Railway Act
The Pacific Railway Act was a very ambitious thing at the time since we were in the middle of a Civil War. The act was to create a railroad that connects the whole country together from East to West. President Lincoln signs the act knowing we don't have the money to give for this but we do have the land. Both railroad companies are paid in land instead of real money because it was probably worth just as much or even more. The project was the largest public work in country history at the time. -
Battle of Gettysburg
In the heart of the warm, General Lee tries to make a daring advance to give him an edge in the war but ends up killing his hopes of victory. The battle of Gettysburg is arguably the most important battle in the Civil War and has the most American casualties in any battle ever. The battle weakened the south to retreat and to never have a chance to recover in the war. The battle was ended with Lincoln's iconic Gettysburg Adress, his most famous speech. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Waiting for a Union victory, president Lincoln created the Emancipation Proclamation in hopes of killing two birds with one stone. Lincoln originally only wanted to unify the nation but the proclamation also plans to only abolish slavery in states that are not included in the Union. Lincoln is giving the south an incentive claiming that if they return back to the Union then they will get to keep slavery but if they are conquered then it will be abolished. -
Battle of Vicksburg
The battle of Vicksburg was not much of a battle but more of a siege. The battle was arguably the most important battle in the war because it completed the Anaconda Plan, which was to separate the Confederate force into two. This would allow the Union to take control of the Mississippi and to give the Confederacy no hope. When the smoke cleared at Vicksburg, an estimated 30,000 Confederate soldiers surrendered, making Lee's already small army even smaller. -
Sand Creek Massacre
The Sand Creek Massacre was one of the most horrific events in the U.S.history. In the heat of the Indian Wars, peaceful tribes who had accepted the land the U.S government had forced on them were told to be under the protection of the U.S government. Then the women and children were massacred at their homes while the men were out hunting. The massacre led many natives to start believing that they had been failing their gods and that they needed to come back to their traditional lives. -
13th Amendment
The 13th amendment finally outlawed slavery throughout the United States. The amendment came into power with a vote from the House of Representatives which barely got over the 2/3 vote needed. Sadly, President Lincoln never got to see the amendment be ratified because he was assassinated in April that year. The amendment officially ended slavery in the south, or did it? After its ratification new black codes started to pop up in the south and had similar ideas to slavery. -
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Johnson Presidency
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14th Amendment
In the midst of the Reconstruction, the 14th amendment was ratified but it may have started the end of the Reconstruction. The amendment declared all people born in the States a citizen, prevented Confederate leaders from being in power, and required that all rights for citizens were protected fully in the legal process. President Johnson did not support this amendment and he tried to veto it but was overridden by Congress. Johnson started to appeal more to Southern leaders. -
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Grant Presidency
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15th Amendment
The 15th amendment would bring the end to the Reconstruction period but was very revolutionary for its time. The amendment made it so states could not deny suffrage of citizens based on race, servitude, but not to women. The amendment basically gave colored people the right to vote. The problem with it was that even the people in the North did not agree with this. The Radicals lost the favor of the people in every part of the country and would lose the election of 1876. The Reconstruction ends. -
Women's Christian Temperance Union
The Creation of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was founded in response to a series of temperance demonstrations In New York and much of the Midwest in 1873. The Women that were a part of the group believed that alcohol had few positive effects and many negative affects that were harmful for people and families. The Temperance movement grew fast in the 1800s with other movements such as abolition. The movement remained popular until the 18th amendment caused economic failure. -
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Hayes Presidency
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Invention of Light Bulb (Edison)
Edison's light bulb wasn't the first ever light bulb created but it was the first efficient, long lasting light bulb that could be commercially used. Thomas Edison was one of the most remarkable people in human history and this was only one of his many creations. The light bulb with a lasting life proved very useful in everyday life in the Untied States and in Europe. Today, Edison's light bulb is still used today but in modified ways but still based on the same base model. -
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Arthur Presidency
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Cleveland Presidency
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Haymarket Square Riot
The Knights of Labor had been gaining popularity during the 1880s and were protesting as a riot started. The protest lasted many days and as the days went on the protesters started to get more violent as the speakers got more socialist. The riot ended with a total of 7 dead police officers and plenty of injured protesters. The Knights of Labor and other labor unions started to decline after the riot because they started to become way too radical and people didn't want those things. -
Dawes Act
The Dawes Act was created in 1887 with the intention of protecting American Indian property rights during land rushes in the west. The Act however was kind of a backhanded act that would offer any Native Indian 160 acres of land but they had to leave their native tribes. The intention of the Dawes Act was basically to isolate natives from their tribes and for them to become more like Americans. The act was pretty sick and caused the native tribes to weaken in number. -
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Harrison Presidency
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National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)
The founding of NAWSA in 1890 was a revolutionary moment in women's history because it united two rival organizations into one. The two groups had the same goals the entire time but just had different opinions on what strategy they would use. The NWSA thought a federal constitutional amendment was the best way to go while AWSA wanted to use state by state campaigns. NAWSA combined both of their techniques and would help the organization to achieve the 19th amendment in 1920. -
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Cleveland Presidency
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Plessy v. Ferguson
One of the most controversial court cases in United States history, Plessy v. Ferguson, came to a decision in 1896. The landmark case came to the conclusion that racial segregation laws did not violate the US constitution and it's famous words "separate but equal" kept segregation in the country.The decision started a new goal for Civil Rights leaders to strike down the ruling with another case. Leaders like Thurgood Marshall and his associates would dedicate many years to overturn the decision. -
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McKinley Presidency
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USS Maine Sunk
As an example of power, the United States stationed the USS Maine on the Cuban coast to force Spain to stop brutally stopping Cuban protest. The USS Maine randomly exploded one night and the United States blamed Spain for the explosion. The tension between both countries seemed to be bringing war without a doubt. The war was very short between the two countries and was the United States first real takeover of territory with the Philippines. This was the beginning of a new world power. -
McKinley's Death
A lot of people do not know a lot about president McKinley except his assassination in 1901. The assassination was an important part in American history because Teddy Roosevelt would take office after McKinley's death. McKinley's republican government was a big supporter of the big business in the country but that was all in jeopardy with Roosevelt now in charge. A lot of people in the republican party were scared of Roosevelt being too radical. The Progressive Era began. -
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T. Roosevelt Presidency
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The Jungle
Upton Sinclair's, The Jungle, was written by the author to promote communism since he was a communist follower. However, due to the book describing the meat packing industry in the United States and it's disgusting details. The book soon made it's way into Teddy Roosevelt's office and a meat eater himself, he wanted to check if these things were true. Roosevelt soon made the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act that helped to clean the industry. His laws led to the FDA. -
Model T Introduced
Henry Ford had created one of the most important inventions in American history with his Model T Ford created his new automobile with affordable, simple to operate, and durable in mind and it was a big deal in American culture. Before the times of the Model T, cars were too expensive for most Americans and only the rich could afford them. Ford changed the automobile business forever and started to mass produce his cars at a rate no one else could replicate. His influence still is prevalent today -
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Taft Presidency
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NAACP
Racism was still very common in the United States in the early 1900s with a constant threat of lynchings and other violence towards people of color. A lot of colored people at the time were afraid of riots just like the one in Springfield, IL, that was a brutal attack on many African Americans who lived there. After the attack, the first civil rights leaders like W. E. B. DuBois wanted to create a response to the attacks. The NAACP was a very important piece of the upcoming Civil Rights Movement -
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Wilson Presidency
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Federal Reserve Act
The Federal Reserve Act created the Federal Reserve in the United States with hopes of stabilizing the economy and introducing a central bank. The Act was supposed to stop financial crisis by raising interest rates and it did it's job very well by creating a new belief and confidence in the banking system. The Federal Reserve Act was a very important thing in 1913 and it still is today in 2023. The Federal Reserve is one of the most influential laws shaping the U.S. banking system. -
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World War 1
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U.S. joins The Great War
Having missed out on the first couple of years in The Great War, the United States finally joined the effort after German U Boats kept attacking peaceful American ships. It was also discovered that the German's were trying to make allies with Mexico and FDR's plan of neutrality could not hold in place any longer. FDR asked Congress to declare war on Germany even though he ran his whole presidency on the idea of staying out of the war. The declaration stayed controversial within the country. -
Treaty of Versailles
Only two years after the United States joined The Great War, Germany was forced into submission to sign the Treaty of Versailles. The US Congress and FDR never signed the bill because they thought it to be too harsh on Germany. However, all of the US allies in Europe signed the treaty and wanted Germany to suffer for what they had done. The Treaty of Versailles is known to be one of the worst things to ever be created after a war, being the main cause for years of German depression and uprising. -
Palmer Raids
During the 20s, the rise of a red scare in America led to the Palmer Raids. The Palmer Raids were raids that involved mass arrests and deportation of those suspected to be communists or radicals. These raids were in response to the rise of unions, immigration, and bombing during the 1920s. The raids represented how America was willing to ignore civil rights in order to combat communism. Overall, the Palmer Raids represented America's fear and hostility to communists and radicals. -
19th Amendment
Women's activists had been fighting for a very long time to achieve equal rights with men. One of the major things they fought for was the right to vote. WW1 played a major role in the Women's rights movement because it showed a lot of the country how important the women were in the effort and what they did. Women were given the right to vote in many European and the US after the war had ended. However, the amendment only granted voting rights to white women, there was still work to do. -
Prohibition Begins
In the early 1900s, alcohol was seen as the root of many domestic problems in the US at the time. Prohibition supporters and activists got what they wanted in 1920 and alcohol was banned. However, the ban on production and distribution in the United States led to a large amount of organized crime the the country. These organized crime and mobs started to run the cities and crime rates were skyrocketing in the US. -
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Harding Presidency
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Tulsa Race Massacre
When the United States drafted men into it's military, many jobs were left behind. A lot of African Americans saw the opportunity to move north and work these jobs while the men were away at war, this was called the Great Migration. When the soldiers came back home, many African Americans did not want to go back south and the white people wanted their jobs back, this led to violent actions. The massacre left hundreds dead or injured and destroyed the affluent Black neighborhood of Greenwood. -
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Coolidge Presidency
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Scopes Trial
Biologist Charles Darwin's theory of evolution revolutionized his field, but not all were receptive: Tennessee passed a law in 1925 that made it illegal for schools to teach anything but creationism. John Scopes was a high school teacher who taught the theory to his biology class. In the trial, he was represented by the ACLU and prominent lawyer Charles Darrow. The jury found him guilty. The state's Supreme Court later overturned the ruling, but the debate persists even today. -
Crash of Stock Market
The "Roaring 20s" were coming to an end as the economic boom started to decline by around 13%. Only a day later the market went down by another 12% and the stock market was up in flames. In only a short few weeks, the value of the market had halved by November. The decline continued all the way until mid summer the next year and the Dow closed at a sad 41.22. The United States had not seen a value this low throughout the entire 20th century. The economy did not fully recover until 1954. -
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Hoover Presidency
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Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl was one of the most fascinating natural disasters in history. The Dust Bowl is now known to be caused by depression, long drought, unusually high temperatures, and poor agricultural practice. The topsoil in the Midwest would easily blow up in the air with the wind because of wind erosion. The Dust Bowl was caused by bad agricultural practice and discipline and could have easily been avoided. Today we have rules in place to prevent a second dust bowl. -
Bonus Army March
In the midst of the Great Depression, the war veterans from WW1 were promised war bonuses. The bonus pension was promised to be given to them by 1940 but most of them needed that money so that them and their families could survive. Veterans started to march towards Washington in protest and stayed on the White House lawn for days. President Hoover ordered the US military to get rid of the soldiers. This move by president Hoover hurt his already low popularity. -
The New Deal
After FDR was elected into office, he brought his New Deal with him. The New Deal had three r's: relief, recovery and reform. The New Deal tried to control certain economic problems like the price of goods and wages. The government also started many public works programs to create jobs for people who were out of work. However the New Deal proved to try and put the country into more debt to get out of debt, which did not work. WW2 was what brought the country out of the Great Depression -
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FDR Presidency
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Social Security
A part of the New Deal, the Social Security Act of 1935, was created to basically provide for general welfare for people in retirement. The act was created to provide a basic supply for people in retirement but not a full plan. The Act was very controversial because the country was already in an economic hardship and many people didn't see this being that important. Today, Social Security is still a thing today but doesn't provide close to enough money for people in retirement. -
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World War 2
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WW2 Begins
After Hitler came into power 1933, he looked to expand his empire in 1938, taking over Austria. He also came to European leaders and said he would take over part of Czechoslovakia and they agreed as long as he stopped taking more land. Obviously he didn't listen to them and invaded Poland in 1939 to conquer Danzig. Once Winston Churchill was put into power in Great Britain, he declared war on Germany and many other European countries joined. -
Pearl Harbor
2 years into WW2, the US was still neutral in the war until Pearl Harbor in 1941. The Japanese had been staging an attack for months on the United States, with hopes of eventually invading and taking us over for our natural resources. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor at Hawaii when most of the US naval forces were all stationed there. The United States was a neutral country at the time; the attack led to The United States formal entry into World War II the next day. -
Executive Order 9066
Issued by President FDR, this authorized the forced removal of all Japanese and Japanese Americans from the West Coast to internment camps farther inland, as they were seen as threats after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The Japanese Americans that were displaced lost their homes, jobs, and everything else, while being housed in poorly built and strictly run camps in very harsh climates. This only heightened tensions between Asians and whites, and ruined the lives of many innocent families. -
Double V Campaign
The goals of the double V campaign were very simple and that was to end the axis powers over seas and to end racism at home. It was often promoted by black newspapers and rights for African Americans who were serving in the military. The campaign helped black Americans by relieving their plight faced in the army and at home but it did create a narrow appreciation for the complexity of AA wartime situations. The campaign also demanded for desegregation in the military and in the workforce. -
D-Day
The United States, Canada, and Britain had been planning for a long time to capture a beachhead and create a western front. The Allies suffered heavy casualties but the ultimate goal was achieved. 1.5 million soldiers entered France along with equipment and supplies. Now that Germany had to fight the war on two fronts, after it's attempt to invade the Soviet Union. D-Day was one of the biggest military feats in all of human history, and set the stage for a German defeat. -
G.I. Bill of Rights
As WW2 came to a close in 1945, the U.S. wanted a way to give back to it's veterans. The G.I. Bill gave veterans grants for trade school or college tuition, low mortgage, and small business loans. The government had successfully created something to give back to its war veterans and to help fix it's economy. Almost 16 million veterans utilized the bill and it changed the country forever. It contributed to post-war prosperity, sub urbanization, and the value placed on college education. -
Atomic Bombs Dropped
The War in Europe might have been over but the allies were still fighting the Japanese. They detonated two nuclear bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, forcing the Japanese into a surrender. President Truman made the decision to use the weapons for a fast end to the problem and a show of power to the rest of the world. The bombings caused an estimated 225,000 deaths to mostly civilians and left Japan in a national ruin. Today it remains as the only nuclear bomb used in war. -
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Truman Presidency
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Baby Boom
Right after WW2 ended, the US population increased by 30 million. The baby boom was caused by the security in the world and a lot of soldiers that hadn't seen a girl in a long time. The huge increase in population also led to a huge increase in the economy and upped the demand for everything the country needed for life. The baby boom would later lead to a new youth culture that would be created as the kids get older and reject their parents ideas of conformity. -
Levittown
Levittowns made the dream of low-density housing accessible to the middle class by creating a new model for developments. Each Levittown would have a set number of floor plans available. Prospective residents could choose one, visiting model houses to get an idea of their future homes. Because each house was no longer being custom built, they could be built much faster and at much lower costs. In the post-war conditions, suburbs like these grew rapidly thanks to the economy and the GI bill. -
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Cold War
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Truman Doctrine
President Harry S. Truman established that the United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. The Truman Doctrine effectively reoriented U.S. foreign policy, away from its usual stance of withdrawal from regional conflicts not directly involving the United States, to one of possible intervention in far away conflicts. -
Beginning of Cold War
After the end of World War 2 and the atomic bombs being dropped, the US and USSR started to have tensions between each other. The USSR refused to give back the land they had take over during the war and left behind their own communist leaders. The USSR also successfully created their own nuclear weapons called ICBMS. Both of these factors were the main causes of the Cold War but neither country ever directly attacked each other in fear of mass destruction. -
Berlin Airlift
After the USSR had placed a complete blockade around West Berlin, president Truman comprised a plan to deliver goods into West Berlin without ever setting foot in East Germany. The plan was named "Operation Vittles" and the US starting dropping goods from planes to the citizens of West Berlin for over a year. Truman told Stalin that if a single one of the US planes were shot down then they would be met with war. The blockade was soon repealed after the US refused to stop helping West Berlin. -
McCarthyism
Senator Joseph McCarthy spoke at a meeting in 1950, and presented a list of 205 communists in the state dept. This led to McCarthyism, a campaign designed to find alleged communists in the American government and media. The power of fear was very prominent and it took very little evidence for people to believe accusations. The HUAC investigated communist threats during this era publicly. McCarthyism was one of the worst violations of Constitutional rights in American history. -
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Korean War
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Eisenhower Presidency
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Brown v. Board
In the heat of the Civil Rights movement, the NAACP chose a case that they knew that they could win and strike down Plessy v. Ferguson. Oliver Brown sued the Topeka Board of education because his daughter, Linda Brown, couldn't go to white school. Thurgood Marshall represented Brown and won the case. The "seperate but equal" clause from Plessy v. Ferguson was overturned and determined unconstitutional. The Brown v. Board case was one of the main events in the Civil Rights movement. -
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Vietnam
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
The NAACP had been waiting for the right time to spark a rebellion and found it when Rose Parks wouldn't give up her seat in 1955. She refused her seat to a white man at the front of the bus and was soon arrested by police officers. As a response to the event, the black community boycotted using the bus for anything. After a year of the boycott, the bus companies started to suffer a large portion of their profit and eventually had to end segregation on their buses. -
Interstate and Defense Act
President Eisenhower, signed the Interstate and Defense Act into law in 1956 and changed American life forever. The interstates were created as a new fast way of transportation between all parts of the country. The project was the biggest public works operation in history and cost an estimated $114 billion ($558 billion today). Eisenhower also made the interstates require a mile of straight road so they could operate as runways in case of attack. The interstate is still used commonly today. -
Billy Graham at Madison Square Garden
Billy Graham was a very popular evangelist who used the power of television to his advantage. In 1957 he hosted a crusade at Madison Square Garden that lasted for 16 weeks. He used television to spread his beliefs internationally and to reach people that couldn't have heard him speak otherwise. The religious boom in the 1950s can be credited in part to Billy Graham for his determination to spread his faith to people around the world. -
Little Rock Nine
After the Brown v. Board case in 1954 ruled that segregated schools were illegal, but the change would not happen until several years later. In 1957, 9 black teens entered Little Rock Central high school. The idea was met with typical southern bitterness and riots and walkouts from the school took place for weeks. The Arkansas governor stood in front of the door the first day and wouldn't let them enter. After weeks of not being allowed to enter, Eisenhower sent U.S. troops to escort them in. -
Sputnik launched
The USSR launched the first ever satellite, Sputnik, into space in 1957 and kick started the space race. The US and USSR spent years and billions of dollars trying to beat each other into space and to the moon. The fear was that one country would find a way to militarize their space crafts and use them against each other. However, the space race contributed greatly to an increase in technological knowledge and scientific discovery. Neither country ever used space to attack the other to this day. -
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JFK Presidency
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Cuban Missile Crisis
The country of Cuba had gone through the Cuban revolution and the government was overthrown by the communist regime led by Fidel Castro. Shortly after the revolution was over, a US U2 spy plane discovered missile bases and launch pads being built in Cuba. After the US had discovered the Soviets plan, they took extreme measures to stop them from shipping missiles into Cuba. They even had a two week stand off at sea until the USSR withdrew, this was the closest the US has been to nuclear war -
"I Have a Dream"
As JFK was pushing for the new Civil Rights Act, many civil rights leaders staged a march on Washington. Over 400,000 people showed up for the march and there was attendance from all areas of the US. MLK delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech and inspired hundreds of thousands of people. In the speech he called for civil and economic rights for all races in the United States and his hope for his kids to be able to grow up in a world were everyone is equal. -
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LBJ Presidency
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Gulf of Tonkin Incident
As the US was trying to fight the war against communism in Vietnam, a US ship was fired at by a Vietnamese craft. The event was really made a lot bigger deal than it really was, since no one was killed. Before the events of the incident, the states were just "advising" the Southern Vietnamese democrats. President Johnson was given emergency financial oversight over the country and allowed him to bypass Congress's power. This was one of the most controversial things ever done by Congress. -
Miranda v. Arizona
The Supreme Court that served during Johnson's time was very progressive and tried to help protect people's rights. In the Miranda v. Arizona case, the court used the 5th amendment to stop the persecutors from using things that were said during an interrogation before he was read his rights. The new rights are called the Miranda rights today, and that they have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney in the court. The Miranda rights are required to be read to this day. -
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Nixon presidency
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Watergate
In 1972, five Republican men broke into the Watergate hotel to bug the rooms in hopes of stealing democratic plans during the election. The five men were arrested and president Nixon was accused of planning the event but claimed didn't know about it. President Nixon started to fire his own employees that started to accuse him and he seemed to be trying to cover his tracks. The Watergate scandal tarnished Nixon's reputation and eventually led to his resignation in 1974. -
War Powers Act
Following the events of the Gulf of Tonkin and the Tonkin Resolution LBJ was given a power that no other president had ever had. Congress basically gave the president the power to control the finances of the war, giving up one of it's main checks in power. When president Nixon was in office the War Powers Act was passed and overuled his veto, it got rid of the Tonkin Resolution. The power that LBJ was given was too great for a single man to have in the government and had to be revoked. -
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Ford Presidency
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Carter Presidency
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Camp David Accords
President Carter spent a lot of time dealing with foreign problems in the Middle East, and he needed to settle these problems because the U.S. needed oil badly. Israel and Egypt had been fighting for a long time and Carter brought the leaders of each country to the US to discuss peace. The leaders had argued with each other for a very long time in American soil until finally coming to the decision of peace. This was Carter's biggest success in foreign affairs and sadly couldn't do more. -
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Reagan Presidency
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Bush Presidency
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Clinton Presidency
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W. Bush Presidency
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Obama Presidency
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Trump Presidency
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Biden Presidency