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1492
New World is Discovered
In 1492, Christopher Columbus convinced Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain to fund a trip to Asia. He sailed to what he thought was Asia and tried taking an alternate route. He eventually came across to what he thought was India, when it was actually the New World. He began calling the natives "Indians" until eventually it was discovered that it was the Americas. Named after Amerigo Vespucci, who discovered it was not Asia. -
1517
Protestant Reformation
Sparked by Martin Luther, a German priest, the protestant reformation was a religious reform movement during the 1500s. It created Protestantism, one of the major branches of Christianity. Essentially protestants believe in the utmost authority of the bible and the church, and that all Christians are deeply and directly connected with god. -
1521
Aztec Empire is Conquered
In 1519, Hernan Cortes and his army went to the Aztec Empire to challenge their leader, Montezuma. Montezuma, however, was in such awe of the Spaniards that he welcomed them with open arms and a big ceremony. The Spaniards took this opportunity and captured him, and after a long siege, they captured the city and conquered the empire. -
Jamestown Settlement
Jamestown Settlement was the first permanent British settlement. It was initially sent to make money for a company, rather than religious freedom. But since they didn't know anything about the land, crops, or environment there, they struggled for a long time and made no profits. Luckily they began getting help from local natives, and they discovered tobacco, which later helped them flourish and made them lots of profits. -
Headright System Developed
The headright system was a law saying that if you went to a settlement and you survived, you would gain 100 acres of land for being loyal to the crown. As a way to get more people to go to settlements, if you were a new settler and you paid for your way to the New World, you were granted 50 acres of land. This gave people to climb up the ranks of society and also allowed them to make money for their families in England. This attracted many settlers and was a big success. -
The Arrival of Slaves in Jamestown
Slaves didn't actually come directly from Africa. First, they were taken to the West Indies, and then they were taken to America. During their journey, they were forced to lie down on the ship floor, and many preferred death to slavery. The arrival of slaves to Jamestown marked the beginning of a movement that would have lasted decades. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was a rebellion held by Virginia settlers. It was led by Nathaniel Bacon against William Berkeley. The reason Bacon rebelled was because Berkely refused to drive out the Native Americans from their land. -
Start of Great Awakening
The start of the great awakening was a religious "revival". Christian leaders began traveling from town to town to share their sermons. For example, George Whitefield shared how God loves everyone and anyone no matter who or what they are. His sermons were so inspiring that even Benjamin Franklin loved them, he was a person who was very hard to move. -
The Albany Plan
The Albany Plan, proposed by Benjamin Franklin, was rejected. The purpose of the plan was to unify the colonies and make the nation one. Benjamin's motto was "Join or Die", meaning that the nation would be lost if they weren't united. He thought the nation needed a more centralized and united government. However, the colonies didn't like it and refused to accept the plan. -
Royal Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 prohibited the colonists from settling anywhere beyond the Appalachian Mountains since they were lands acquired by the French during the French-Indian War. They feared this would encourage Native American violence and didn't want to risk it. The proclamation however didn't stop the colonists from moving westward. They dealt with natives however they could and settled in their own lives. -
Pontiac's Rebellion
The Pontiac Rebellion was a rebellion from native tribes to the British. The rebellion led to the Proclamation of 1763. As a result, problems with natives were quickly was it resolved. -
Sugar Act of 1764
The Sugar Act of 1764, was an act enforced by the British government which reduced the tax on sugar products. At this time, sugar products had very high taxes. This caused sugar to be sold in the black market, and there was lots of smuggling as well. The act reduced the taxes and made the same as the black markets, the only difference between the two was the legality of them. However many people still stuck to the black market. -
The Quartering Act of 1765
During this time soldiers had no barracks. Therefore, the act was made, to give soldiers the privilege of being able to knock on someone's door, and forcibly have to be offered where to sleep and food to eat. This also gave them the chance to keep tabs on everyone and to investigate anyone they thought was unloyal to the crown. -
The Stamp Act of 1765
The Stamp Act made it so that if you ever wanted to get something stamped, you had to pay a fee. The issue was, that you needed stamps for all sorts of documents, such as certificates, land owing, etc. Living in the colonies was getting more and more expensive by the day. And the colonies were not very happy about it. -
Boston Massacre
During 1770, it was common to see the Sons of Liberty, setting custom houses on fire. It became so common that guards were stationed in front of one, they were ordered not to interact with the colonists. The colonists began assaulting the soldiers by throwing snowballs with rocks at them. They ended up injuring a soldier after hitting him in the head. And, as a way to defend themselves, the soldiers began shooting and ended up killing 5 people. To which the event was named. "The Boston Massacre" -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was pretty much like a mini rebellion. The colonists were very upset over the taxes they were getting, in this case, it was the Tea Act. The Sons of Liberty were drinking, and they decided to dress up like Indians and board a ship with tea. And then, throw the tea off the boat, into the sea. They destroyed the British's precious tea, they destroyed what represented 1.5 million dollars in tax revenue. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable or Coercive Acts were made as punishment for rebelling against British control. The acts closed the port of Boston, which put thousands of colonists out of business. They outlawed assemblies and gave royal officials accused of a crime to be tried in England, which let them get away with anything they did. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill, although it was an American loss, was a turning point in the war. It proved that the US could hold its ground against the British on its own. They also destroyed any chance of going back to Britain. -
Declaration of Independence
On July 4th, 1776, the Americans finally declared independence. They had finally become their nation. They made the "Declaration of Independence" a document which stated the rights Americans had. For example, "God made all men equal and gave them the right of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. -
Battle of Saratoga
The battle of Saratoga was another turning point in the war. It was won by the continental army and gave America the morale boost it needed. If they had not won this battle, they would have likely not gained the support they needed from France. This support was essential in winning the war. -
Treaty of Paris
Even after declaring it's independence, the United States was still not recognized as an independent nation. This treaty finally gave them the recognititon they needed. The treaty is a sign of peace between, not only the US and Britain, but also between France, Spain, the Netherlands, etc. -
The Great Compromise
The great compromise was an agreement that helped developed the federal government. The compromise stated that the government would have a house of representatives and a senate. The representatives of the house would be determined by the population of each state. Meanwhile, the members of the senate were equal for each state. The compromise was a blend of the Virginia compromise and the New Jersey Compromise. -
The Judiciary Act
The Judiciary Act establishes the courts and other functions in the justice system. It states that the supreme court should have one chief justice and five justice associates. The act also created the District Court and what would become the Court of Appeals. -
The Whiskey Rebellion
The whiskey rebellion, was a tax protest during Washington's presidnecy. The whiskey tax, which put a tax on whiskey and other alcohol products, was heavily disliked by the public. It was the first tax that had been put by the newly formed government. The rebellion was due to the fact that people didn't like the tax. -
Pinckney's Treaty
Pinckney's treaty was an agreement between Spain and the US. It let US citizens go around freely around the Mississippi River, which at the time was Spanish territory. This gave Americans the privilage of trade in New Orleans. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were laws that restricted immigrant rights in the US. The laws raised the age requirement for US citizenship from 5 to 14 years. They also gave the president the right to deport or throw in jail whoever he wanted. They were shut down, as they gave the president too much power -
The Revolution of 1800
The Revolution of 1800, also known as the time when Jefferson became president. Up to this point the Federalist party had remained in control of the country, but it all changed thanks to Jefferson. In a heated debate, it was Jefferson vs Adams for president, Adams belonging to the Federalist party, and Jefferson to the Democratic-Republican party. Jefferson's victory marked the change of power between parties. -
Marbury V. Madison
This case was between James Madison and William Marbury. This case determined the right of the courts to determine the constitutionality of the actions of the other two branches of government. Meaning, that if the president did something unconstitutional, the court could determine the action as unconstitutional. The decision influenced the checks and balances system as well. And while Madison's refusal was illegal, there was no legal action taken. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was an exchange of land between France and the US. The US purchased land from the French(Napoleon) for 15 million dollars. The purchase doubled the size of the nation. The reason Napoleon so gladly gave the US the land was because it was majorly unexplored land, and it was filled with unknowns. This also allowed western expansion to take place. -
Embargo Act
The Embargo Act, was an act which closed all US ports and prevented any imports from Britain. During this time, Britain and France would interfere with US ships coming to or from the US, during the Napoleatic Wars. To prevent these interferences, president Jefferson issued this act. -
Battle of Thames
During the Battle of Thames, which was an American Victory. The commander of the British troops was Tecumseh, a native American leader. His death resulted in the destruction of his confederacy, which helped the Americans win the Battle of Thames. -
Treaty of Ghent
The treaty of Ghent was an agreement between Britain and the US. It stated that all conquered territory was to be returned and that commissions were planned to settle the boundary between the US and Canada. The treaty was likely because Britain was convincing the natives in the US territories to attack them and revolt against them. -
The Monroe Doctrine
President Monroe's annual message to Congress warned Europe of interfering with Western affairs. The doctrine said that the western hemisphere would no longer tolerate any colonization or "puppet monarchs". It was meant to deal with the problems of the moment but it eventually became one of the greatest things in US history. -
Election of 1824
John Quincy Adams won against Andrew Jackson by having more electoral votes in the house of Representatives. Even though Jackson had more popular and electoral votes, Adams still won. This election was the only time the 12th Amendment was passed, and the president was decided by the house. -
Tariff of Abominations
This tariff raised taxes on lots of foreign products and reduced competition between American and foreign businesses. Southerners would refer to it as the tariff of abominations. They claimed that it was unfair as it would mainly help the Northern economy. -
Election of 1828
In this election, Adams and Jackson went against each other once again. Only this time, Jackson won against Adams. The election marked the rise of Jacksonian Democracy. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was an act approved by Andrew Jackson. It gave the American government the "right" to move the Indians from their homes and relocate them wherever they wanted them. Most tribes were forced to go peacefully, but some did rebel. -
Nullification Crisis
During President Jackson's term, they passed the tariff of 1828 and 1832. South Carolina didn't like the tariff, and so they passed the Nullification Ordinance. Which is saying that the tariffs don't affect South Carolina, because it's null and void. This caused the nullification crisis, and brought up the question of whether the state had to power to declare federal law "null and void". -
Schism of 1840
The Schism of 1840 was an annual meeting for the American Anti-Slavery Society. There they began questioning whether the women should be allowed to participate in certain activities or movements. It is called the schism, as the anti-slavery society, split. Some agreed that women should be able to participate. While others disagreed and believed that they should not. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention. In it, they not only discussed women's rights but also slave rights, education rights, civil rights, social rights, etc. It was held for two days, and it was very controversial. It was controversial for promoting women's rights, this caused many supporters to withdraw their support. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a set of laws made to ease the tension between the North and the South. It was originally made to decide whether California was to be a slave state or a free state. The laws said that California would be a free state, and gave the North some benefits. But to make it fair, the South also had lots of benefits. -
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860. Lincoln was competing against 4 other candidates. John Breckinridge from the Democratic(south) party, John Bell from the Constitutional Union party, and Stephen Douglas from the Democratic party. Lincoln was in the Republican party. This election was huge since Lincoln won with less than 40% of the electoral votes. It was also influential at the beginning of the civil war. -
South Carolina Secession
In 1860, South Carolina was the first state to secede from the nation. The trigger to the secession was Abraham Lincoln being selected as president. Because Lincoln was a known supporter of anti-slavery, and South Carolina was a slave state, they thought he was too much of a risk to their economy. This was probably one of the major influences on the civil war. -
Battle of Fort Sumter
The battle of Fort Sumter was the beginning of the Civil War. It was an important event in the history of Americans. And even though it was a victory for the Confederacy, it was one of the major battles for the Union. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was a proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln, stating that all slaves in rebellious states were and will always be free. He was kind of forced into issuing the proclamation, as initially, he didn't want to do it. He had stated before, that if he could unite the nation and free everyone he'd do it, and if he could unite the nation without freeing anyone, he'd do it. His ultimate goal was to unite the nation, the people, however, pressured him to issue it. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War. The battle ended in a Union victory, it is considered one of the bloodiest battles in American history. After the battle, Lincoln made his famous Gettysburg Address. -
Wade-Davis Bill
The Wade-Davis Bill was made as a sort of guideline for the reconstruction. It was also made as a plan to reintegrate the confederacy into the union. It would have also abolished slavery but it required half of the men in the confederacy to take an oath, and of course that didn't happen. -
Reconstruction of 1865
The reconstruction era was the era after the Civil War. During this time the US tried to reintegrate the rebel states into the union. During this time, abolitionists were also trying to get rid of slavery. The reconstruction period ended up being a success with the nation being restored as a unified nation. -
Election of 1868
The election of 1868 was the first election in the Reconstruction era. Ulysses S. Grant from the Republican party won over Horatio Seymour from the Democratic party. Grant won very easily as he was a war hero and was highly respected. This was the first election since the civil war. -
Plessy V. Ferguson
Plessy V. Ferguson was a court case that was taken up by the Supreme Court. The case was about a man who bought a first-class ticket to a train but was removed from the train as first-class seats were only for whites. The man explained that there were no first-class seats for blacks, and that it was not fair for him to be removed from his seat which he had already bought on his own. The court ruled in against the man, saying that it was "separate but equal". -
De Lome Letter
The De Lome Letter was a letter written by the Spanish ambassador to the United States, which criticized the president and called him weak and only concerned with the favor of the crowd. Cuban revolutionaries then intercepted the mail and published the letter. The letter angered the people as they felt that the Spanish ambassador was mocking the president and felt offended. This fueled support for a war with Spain over the independence of Cuba. -
Spanish American War
The Spanish-American War, like the name, was a war between the United States and Spain. The US was fighting for the independence of Cuba from Spain. Due to the struggle of Cubans for their independence, the US trade with Cuban ports almost ended. To solve this problem President McKinley decided to help Cuba gain independence and due to the De Lome Letter being published this further influenced there to be a war with Spain. -
Rough Riders
The Rough Riders was a regiment of the US cavalry created by Theodore Roosevelt to aid with the battle of Santiago de Cuba. Roosevelt himself recruited the people in the cavalry. These soldiers were made up of cowboys, miners, athletes, and others. They became extremely popular with the public due to their untraditional ways of fighting. -
Open Door Policy
The Open Door Policy was a statement of principles issued by Secretary of State John Hays. The policy would ensure the protection of equal privileges among countries trading with China. It was received with almost universal approval in the US and heavily influenced future foreign policies involving East Asia. -
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion was a rebellion against foreigners that occurred in China. It was at first begun by the civilians and it was later supported by the government. A Chinese society known as the "Boxers" decided that they wanted to throw all of the foreigners out. They began a violent campaign to achieve their goals. If they succeeded this would mean that the "open door policy" would prove insignificant and would not work. -
The Gold Standard Act
The Gold Standard Act was an act whose purpose was to define and fix the standard of value of all of the money issued/coined by the US. It was signed by President McKinley. Basically, it would define the USD by gold amounts. -
Square Deal
The Square Deal was a deal proposed by President Roosevelt. It would propose the idea of a peaceful coexistence between big business and labor unions. The concept of the Square Deal was later largely incorporated into the Bull Moose Party(Progressive Party) in which Roosevelt was the candidate in the election of 1912. -
Anthracite Coal Strike
The Anthracite Coal Strike was caused after mine operators refused to meet with representatives of the United Mine Workers of America. The strike almost caused a coal famine, as it was generally used for almost everything. Roosevelt feared the strike would cause the people to be cold in the winter and decided to give the people what they wanted and solve the strike. -
Muckrakers
The Muckrakers was a group of journalists that provided detailed and accurate stories about the corruption and hardships caused by big businesses. The Muckraker's style of writing was inspired by yellow journalism from the 1890s. The emergence of a Muckraker magazine was first seen in January of 1903, by the McLure Magazine. -
Niagara Movement
The Niagara Movement was a movement organized by the black community led by W.E.B. Du Bois, which called for the rights of African Americans. The movement could be compared to the NAACP, one of the biggest civil rights campaigns. The movement is named after it's first meeting place, which was in front of the Niagara falls. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire was a terrible fire that occurred in a New York City Sweatshop. The fire really impacted the nation due to it being a demonstration of the importance of having safety measures at work. Many people tried to escape the fire at once and got stuck in the stairs and doors and couldn't get out. Due to this, many decided to escape through the windows, or some even decided to just die instead. -
Progressive Party
The Progressive Party, otherwise known as the Bull Moose Party, was a political faction that nominated President Roosevelt, as a candidate for the election of 1912. They opposed the conservatism of the original Republican Party and decided to make one of their own, with their own ideals. The nickname of the party was due to Roosevelt describing himself as strong and vigorous, which was often used to describe the party. -
Prohibition Act
The Prohibition Act was an act that prohibited the sell, manufacture, and transport of any alcoholic beverage. The reason the act was put in place was due to the desire to prevent accidents and improve the efficiency of the factory workers. The act was supported by factory owners, women in the temperance movement, and people in the anti-saloon league. -
Stock Market Crash
The Stock Market Crash occured when Wall Street investors traded about 16 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange in a single day. Thousands and thousands of dollars were lost and many investors were lost as well. The aftermath was called "Black Tuesday", and it is believed that the stock market crash was one of the main factors for the Great Depression. -
Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl is the name for a drought in the Great Plains that lasted about 6 years, as well as the section of it that extended south. Due to the many many years of overcultivation and poor land management, a drought began. Then some very strong winds brought about what is regularly known as the dust bowl. In which a large cloud of dirt and dust became so thick it would cover the sun and sky, and people would die of suffocation over not being able to breathe while covered. -
Good Neighbor Policy
The Good Neighbor policy was a policy issued by FDR. The policy was supposed to improve foreign relations with Central and South America. The policy would emphasize cooperation and trade rather than military force to maintain stability in the Western hemisphere. The policy was basically what its name says, to be a good neighbor to our neighbors. -
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs and projects that were issued by FDR during the Great Depression. The New Deal was basically supposed to help stabilize the economy and provide more jobs and relief to those suffering. Some of the programs that were created through the New Deal are, The CCC, The WPA, the TVA, the SEC, etc. -
Court Packing Scheme
On February 5th, 1937, FDR proposed to expand the Supreme Court to 15 judges, to make it more efficient, supposedly. However, people then accused him of trying to "pack" the court to neutralize the justices who didn't like the New Deal. This later on became known as the court-packing scheme, in which FDR tried to turn the supreme court in his favor. -
Munich Conference
The Munich Conference was a settlement by several countries including the US, Germany, Italy, etc, that would allow the German annexation of Sutentland in western Czechoslovakia. After having absorbed Austria, Hitler now wanted Czechoslovakia. Thus, the Munich Conference and agreement was put in place. -
Lend Lease Act
The Lend-Lease Act was an act that would allow the US to give necessary supplies to any nation which the US considered "vital to the defense of the US". The act was issued by FDR. The main reason for the act was due to Britain requiring supplies but the US couldn't actually give it to them just like that, and so the act was created. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the codename for the German invasion of the Soviet Union. This campaign would ultimately decide the start of WWII. Hitler the then ruler of Germany, considered the Soviets to be his enemy and therefore wanted to destroy them. However, even though Germany was winning in the beginning, they ended up failing. -
Atlantic Charter
Atlantic Charter was a joint declaration issued by FDR and Winston Churchill after meeting the government of Newfoundland. The charter would provide a broad statement of the goals of the British and the Americans regarding war. The meeting was originally called as a response for the situation in Europe, in which Germany was determined to take over the world. -
Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack on the US by the Japanese military. During this time, Japan had been expanding in Asia and the Pacific, the US threatened to stop supplying it with oil if they did not stop. Japan decided to attack Pearl Harbor so that if they wouldn't be supplied with oil, no one else would. This caused the US to go to war with Japan, but it also influenced things such as the Japanese Internment Camps. -
Japanese Internment Camps
After the attack on Pearl Harbor from Japan, the American people were scared and feared national security. Due to this fear, FDR passed Executive Order 9066, which resulted in the internment of thousands of Japanese-Americans. The order would authorize officers and others to "evacuate" all people deemed a threat to the US into internment camps, which the government called "Relocation centers". -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a battle in which the US fought with the Japanese, mainly in aircraft. Fortunately for the US, they completely destroyed the Japanese and won the battle. The Battle of Midway was incredibly important as it marked the end of the threat of Japanese invasion in the US. -
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was an operation of the invasion of North Africa during the WWII. It first started on November 8th, 1942 when thousands of soldiers landed in several parts of Africa. The French authorities then concluded an armistice three days after the invasion. The victory of the invasion marked the end of the Axis powers in North Africa. -
Korematsu v. U.S.
Korematsu V US was a case in which Fred Korematsu, a 23-year-old Japanese-American refused to leave his home and go to an internment camp. He did many things to try and escape the government, such as altering his eyes, changing his name, and claiming to be from somewhere else. And on May 30, he was arrested for refusing to go to the "relocation center". During his trial, the court ruled that his relocation was a "military necessity" that had nothing to do with race. -
Operation Overlord(D-Day)
The operation overlord was a heavily planned operation that had been planned for almost 18 months before. It is the largest "amphibious" invasion in military history. The invasion ended in victory with German General Alfred Jodl signing an unconditional surrender at Reims, France. -
Yalta Conference
The Yalta conference took place in a Russian resort town during WWII. At the conference, FDR, Churchill, and Stalin met to discuss the future progress of the war and what they would do after the war. In the conference, they all agreed on the conditions for which the Soviet Union would enter war with Japan. They also discussed the futures of their nations and what was to be of them after the war. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was a message given by President Truman during one of his addresses. The Truman Doctrine asked Congress for 400 million dollars to lend assistance to Turkey and Greece. The reason was that Britain could no longer provide them assistance, and they now relied on the US to give them the aid they needed. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was a plan issued by George Marshall. The plan proposed that the US would give economic aid to Europe to help them restore their postwar state. This was marked as the beginning of the Cold War with the Soviet Union, as the Soviet union didn't want the US to provide the countries they were trying to conquer to get their aid. -
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was a part of the Marshall Plan campaign. Due to the Soviet Union refusing the aid of the US, they threatened them if ever touched the ground in the Soviet Union they'd be considered a threat. As a response, the US agreed and gave out aid through airplanes, without touching the ground. This was the best way to get the people some aid. The president even threatened that if any of the aircraft were to come down for any reason, they would consider it a declaration of war. -
Hollywood Ten
The Hollywood Ten was a series of directors and producers who when interrogated about being communist spies, refused to say anything. Due to this they were blacklisted in Hollywood and were pretty much outcast. Not only that, but they were also arrested, for refusing to be interrogated. -
Brown v. Board
The Brown V. Board case was a case in which the court ruled that separating public schools on the base of race was unconstitutional. This heavily impacted the world, as it was a very big victory for the civil rights movement. This case overruled the Plessy V. Ferguson case which stated that segregation was constitutional as long as it was "separated but equal". -
Space Race
After WWII, the conflict of the Cold War had begun. In the mdidle of this conflict, a new competition had begun. The US had gotten to nuclear power first, this race was to determine who got to space first. American's consider the moon landing to be the victory of America vs Russia, hwoever Russians will tell you that the launch of Sputnik was the actual winner. -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a conflict between North and South Vietnam. Originally Vietnam asked the US and Britain for help, to which they refused. However, later, the USSR began supporting North Vietnam in their efforts, to make Vietnam completely communist. To stop this, the US decided to help South Vietnam to fight against communism. Many were upset at this decision as they felt that it wasn't worth the amount of soldiers that had died on the battlefield. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a campaing belonging to the civil rights movement. In this boycott, African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama refused to use the bus until it was equal for everyone. The public transit system could not risk the loss of African Americans as for them it would mean much less profit. In the end it was the first big victory for the civil rights movement, with the removal of segregated seating. -
Interstate Highway Act of 1956
The Interstate Highway Act of 1956 is an act that provided the national system for the interstate and defense highways that were built in the last 13 years. The purpose of the act was to authorize the building of highways throughout the nation. Without it, we wouldn't have the highway system we have and know today. -
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine were nine African-American students who were selected to end segregation in public schools. On September 4, 1957, these 9 students were enrolled in a white public high school and were to attend there for the remainder of the year. The students were mistreated and discriminated against with teachers quitting and people taking their kids out of the schools. However, this marked the first time that the government chose to fight against segregation of public schools. -
Sputnik Launched
Sputnik was the world's first-ever satellite. The launch of Sputnik marked the actual beginning of the space race between the USSR and the US. It was launched by the soviet union, which might lead some to say that this is why they won the space race. While other's may say that the moon landing was the actual victory, to which the win would go to the US. -
Greensboro Sit In
The Greensboro Sit-In was a major protest that belonged to the civil rights movement. The main goal of the protest was to desegregate lunch counters. In the sit-in, African-American students came into a Woolworth's segregated lunch counter, sat there, and refused to leave after being denied service. This was a major movement that eventually inspired others to do similar disorderly conduct campaigns. -
Election of 1960
The election of 1960 was held on November 8, 1960. The candidates were John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Although many believed that Nixon was a better presidential candidate, they were charmed by Kennedy. Eventually, Kennedy won the election, however, he was assassinated only two years after having been in office. -
Freedom Riders
The Freedom Riders were a group of white and black activists who would go on bus trips to protest segregated bus terminals. During these trips, the riders would try to use "white" only restrooms, and lunch counters in the states they went through. They were many times confronted by the police as well as violent white protestors. This drew a lot of attention to the civil rights movement. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. This moment was the closest anyone had ever been to a full-out nuclear war. The US had discovered a missile site being built by the Soviet Union in Cuba. To solve the problem, Kennedy decided to form a naval blockade around Cuba, this led to the Soviet Union removing the missiles and the problem being solved. -
March on Washington
The march on Washington was the biggest civil rights gathering of its time. It is estimated that more than 250,000 people attended. Thousands of people went to the march and arrived through planes, trains, cars, and buses from all over the country. During this march, was when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech. -
I have a Dream Speech
The "I Have A Dream" speech was delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. during the march on Washington. The speech states that even though the fight for civil rights is not over yet, the dream of a better future is still there. His speech inspired millions of people then and is still inspiring people today. It is one of the most famous speeches in US history. -
The Great Society
The Great Society was a program that granted aid on education, attack disease, Medicare, urban renewal, and other things. It was signed by Lyndon B. Johnson and helped many people. Its main goals were to end poverty, reduce crime, abolish inequality, and improve the environment. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was an act that prohibited the discrimination of anyone based on race, religion, sex, or national origin. This act applied to the process of hiring, promoting, and firing as well. The act marked the biggest victory of the civil rights movement and still impacts our world today. -
March from Selma to Montgomery
The march from Selma to Montgomery was a series of marches whose purpose was to ensure that African Americans continued having the right to vote, even with all of the discriminatory acts against them, which made it almost impossible. There were three attempts at marching to Montgomery, they were denied entry on the first two, and on the third attempt, they were able to give their petition to the governor. The march was attended by thousands of people, including Martin Luther King Jr. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, was an act that helped outlaw discriminatory voting practices such as literacy tests. Along with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, this was also one of the biggest victories for the Civil Rights movement. Although not the end yet, it helped the movement move one step forward to complete victory.