1876 - 1900

  • The Telephone is Invented.

    Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone.
  • Battle of Little Bighorn

    Troops led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer fight a band of Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne warriors.
    https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/battle-of-the-little-bighorn
  • Munn v. Illinois

    Court rules states may regulate warehouse rates
  • U.S. Congress convenes on the presidential election dispute, reaching the Compromise of 1877

    A joint session of the U.S. Congress convenes on the presidential election dispute, reaching the Compromise of 1877 and electing Rutherford B. Hayes as President and William A. Wheeler as Vice President. They would be inaugurated two days later on March 4. Hayes would appoint Carl Schurz Secretary of the Interior, who began efforts to prevent forest destruction.
  • The Nez Perce War begins

    The Nez Perce War begins when Nez Perce Indians route two companies of United States Army cavalry in Idaho Territory near White Bird. This is the first battle of the war. On August 9 Colonel John Gibbon commands the 7th U.S. Infantry as they clash with Nez Perce Indians at the Battle of the Little Big Hole. This war was fought when the Nez Perce tribe attempted to avoid confinement within the reservation system.
  • The Molly Maguires

    The Molly Maguires, an Irish terrorist society in the minefields surrounding Scranton, Pennsylvania is broken up when eleven leaders are hung for murders of police and mine officials.
  • Bland-Allison Act

    This act forced the United States Treasury to buy and circulate silver as currency and gave America a set currency and way to pay.
  • The Light Bulb is Invented.

    Thomas Edison invents the light bulb.
  • AFL is Founded

    The American Federation of Labor (A.F.L.) is founded by Samuel Gompers in 1881.
  • James Garfield is Elected as President

    James Garfield is elected as the 20th president of the United States.
  • James Garfield is Assassinated.

    James Garfield is assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau
  • Chester A. Arthur Takes Over as President

  • Exclusion Act

    The Chinese Exclusion Act was signed by President Arthur on May 6, 1882 and prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers.
  • The Brooklyn Bridge Opens

  • Grover Cleveland Starts His First Presidential Term

  • Dawes Act

    The Dawes Act of 1887 is passed to survey Native American tribal land and divide it into allotments for individual Native Americans.
  • Interstate Commerce Act

    The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 is passed in order to regulate the railroad industry.
  • Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

    Sherman Anti-Trust Act is enacted and regulates competition among enterprises.
  • Wounded Knee Massacre Occurs

    Wounded Knee Massacre occurs on December 29, 1890, near Wounded Knee Creek on the Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the U.S. state of South Dakota.
  • Populist Party is Founded

  • The Motion Picture Camera is Invented.

    The motion picture camera is invented and released into the public the following year.
  • Ellis Island Opens

    Ellis Island officially opened as an immigration station.
  • Grover Cleveland Starts His Second Presidential Term

  • The New York Stock Exchange Collapses

    The New York Stock Exchange collapses, starting the financial panic of 1893. It would lead to a four year period of depression.
  • Women in Colorado are granted the Right to Vote

  • A Strike Occurs in Illinois

    A wildcat strike of three thousand Pullman Palace Car Company factory workers occurs in Illinois.
  • Frederick Douglass Dies

    Frederick Douglass, the ex-slave who rose to prominence in national politics as a civil rights advocate and abolitionist during Civil War times died at his home in Washington, D.C.
  • The First United States Patent for the Automobile is Granted

    The first United States patent for the automobile, #549160, is granted to George B. Selden for his two stroke automobile engine.
  • Plessy v.s. Ferguson

    Plessy versus Ferguson decision by the Supreme Court states that racial segregation is approved under the "separate but equal" doctrine
  • William McKinley Wins the Presidential Election of 1896

    Republican William McKinley claims victory in the presidential election with a majority of Electoral College voters, 271 selected him over Democratic and People's Party candidate William J. Bryan with 176.
  • The 1st Boston Marathon

    The first Boston Marathon is run with fifteen runners, won by John McDermott
  • The United States Annexes the Independent Republic of Hawaii.

  • The Peace Treaty ending the Spanish-American War is signed in Paris.

    The Peace Treaty ending the Spanish-American War is signed in Paris. The Spanish government agrees to grant independence to Cuba and cede Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States.
  • Mount Rainier National Park is established in Washington State

  • The Open Door Policy with China is Declared

    The Open Door Policy with China is declared by Secretary of State John Hay and the U.S. government in an attempt to open international markets and retain the integrity of China as a nation.
  • The blockade of Cuba Begins

    The blockade of Cuba begins when the United States Navy aids independence forces within Cuba. Several days later, the U.S.A. declares war on Spain, backdating its declaration to April 20. On May 1, 1898, the United States Navy destroyed the Spanish fleet in the Philippines. On June 20, the U.S. would take Guam