-
Period: to
1921-1941
-
National Socialist German Workers' Party
A far-right political party created to pull workers away from communism. Adolf Hitler joined the party and became its leader in its founding year. Hitler was then appointed Chancellor of Germany and began his totalitarian reign known as the Third Reich. -
Harding Wins Presidency
Warren G. Harding became the 29th President of the United States in 1921. One of his primary campaign promises was a 'return to normalcy.' In the aftereffects of WWI, American citizens greatly desired a return to what they considered regular life. Ironically, the 1920s were a period of great turmoil in society as women took more active roles, opinions on race continued to change, and innovation reshaped consumerism. -
Emergency Quota Act
Known by several other names, this act was intended to temporarily limit the number of immigrants in the face of a large number of Jews fleeing from persecution overseas. Its purpose was to restrict the number of undesirable immigrants and favored immigrants from western Europe. It added two features to the country's immigration laws, numerical limits and using a quota system to set that limit, making it the most important turning point in the U.S. immigration policy -
Emergency Immigration Act
The Emergency Immigration Act was used as a temporary buffer for lawmakers to create the National Origins Act in 1924. These acts established an immigration quota based on the immigrants' country of origin. The act only allowed 2% of the number of immigrants from the same country living in America in 1890. By pushing back the date for the percentage, newer immigrants from Eastern Europe were excluded. The acts also completely excluded Asian immigrants. -
Scopes Trial
John T. Scopes was a biology teacher in Tennessee. He was placed on trial for violating the Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of anti-Biblical theories (such as Darwin's evolution theory) to students. The case soon became a national spectacle, as individual liberties were pitted against fundamentalist Biblical values. The case was later thrown out on a technicality, but the conflict between these two spheres continued. -
The Flight of Charles Lindbergh
Lindbergh was the first solo man to complete a flying journey across the Atlantic Ocean without stopping. He flew from New York to Paris without any breaks; a journey which took 33 hours. The journey restores some faith in the ability of technology to be beneficial to mankind, as this belief had been shaken by WWI. Lindbergh was hailed by most as an American hero. -
Black Tuesday
On a date known as Black Tuesday, the stock market began a long, traumatic fall. The week before, the market had undergone a similar crash before temporarily stabilizing. However, citizens were still afraid and began withdrawing all of their funds. The stock market crash led to credit vanishing, which in turn led to a run on the banks. Ultimately, Black Tuesday can be seen as the beginning step toward the Great Depression. -
Manchuria Railroad Explosion
The Japanese-owned South Manchuria Railway was located near the city Shenyang in China. In 1931, part of the railroad exploded in what the Japanese claimed was an attack by anti-Japanese dissidents. It was later determined that the explosion was actually planned by the Japanese. The Japanese used the explosion as an excuse to invade China and take control of the Manchuria province. This incident began the Asian section of World War II. -
Roosevelt Promises a New Deal
In his acceptance speech for the Democratic Presidential nomination, Franklin Delano Roosevelt promised a 'new deal' for the American public. Despite originally being a figure of speech, New Deal became the overarching name for the many programs which Roosevelt would enact to help end the Great Depression. This campaign promise helped Roosevelt win the election against Hoover in a landslide. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
In one of the more infamous moments of WWII, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the American Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The Japanese saw American intervention in the war inevitable, so they hoped a sudden attack would cripple the navy. The attack succeeded in taking thousands of American lives and destroying several vessels. However, Pearl Harbor shattered any remains of isolationism and pushed America toward cooperation with the Allies in Europe.