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The Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention. It was "a convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman". It was in Seneca Falls, New York. It lasted two days July 19-20. This convention was a big mark on the road to women’s suffrage. -
The Homestead Act
The Homestead Act is a set of laws that allowed people to own land in the west. It gave one American citizen man 160 acres of land and for couples they got double. This act helped Americans want to move out west. Land was very expensive to get in the east and moving out west allowed people to get a lot of land for very cheap. -
Standard Oil Trust
The Standard Oil Trust was formed in 1863 by John D. Rockefeller. He built up his own company to become the largest oil refinery firm. In 1870, the company was renamed Standard Oil Company because Rockefeller bought up all the other competition and form them into one large company. -
Freedmans Bureau
The freedmans bureau was designed to help freed slaves and poor whites in the south to get on their feet after the civil war. It provided them with things such as clothes, food, money, and education. This was founded by Abraham Lincoln. It was intended to last for the duration of the Civil War and for one year afterwards, however it continued until July 1, 1869. The freedmans bureau was one of the main kickoffs to rebuilding of the south. -
The 13th Ammendment
The 13th ammendment abolished all slavery in all states. It was ratified by the required states in December 6, 1865. The emancipation proclamation abolished slavery in only rebellion states so there were still more slaves. The 13th ammendment made it so that slavery was abolished in alll states. In February of 1865, Abraham Lincoln signs this and submits it to the states to sign as well. -
The Presidency of Ulysses Grant
Ulysses Grant was the 18th president and was leader of the union during the civil war. Although he lead the union to victory, his time in office was marked by scandal and corruption. One of these major scandals was called the whiskey ring. It involved a network of people who frauded the government millions in liquor tax revenue. All of these scandals hurt the reputation of Ulysses Grant as a president. He passed away in 1910. -
The Battle of Little Bighorn
The Battle of Little Bighorn is a battle between the Natives and American troops over gold found in the Natives land. George Custer was a very put together and confident General. People had big expectations of him. However, during this battle, the Americans were way outnumbered by warriors. The American side ended up losing which was a shock to many. America eventually sent out more troops and pushed the Natives out. The Natives were led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. -
The Compromise of 1877
The results of the election of 1876 were tied between Republicans and Democrats. In order to settle this, the two sides came up with a compromise. In this compromise, the Republicans get the presidency with Rutherford Hayes. For the Democrats, they get to end reconstruction. Black people in the south are the biggest losers in this bargain because there will no longer be people from the north protecting them in the south. The compromise of 1877 officially ended the reconstruction era. -
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France symbolizing our friendship. It was designed by Fredrick Auguste Bartholdi. It was given in 1876, 100 years after America became a country. -
Oklahoma Land Rush
Everyone was eager to get the land that the Natives moved off of. In order for everyone to get land fairly, the government organized a race to see who could get the land first. Whoever got there first, gets the land. Some people cheated and went before the race begun and they are known as Sooners. People who actually waited for the cannon boom to shoot are known as boomers. This was the first land rush into the unassigned lands. -
Wounded Knee Massacre
In order to get back their greatness, the Natives performed something called a ghost dance to try and wipe white people off the face of the earth. This made the American troops angry so they fought the Natives. However, the Natives were way outnumbered. This is considered a massacre because so many Natives were killed. Sitting Bull, the leader of the Sioux Indians was arrested because authorities feared that he would join the Ghost Dance movement. -
The invention of Basketball
Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith. It was made to condition young athletes during the winter. He created this game at the YMCA. -
Ellis Island
Ellis Island was an immigration gateway for over 12 million immigrants. Doors opened on January 1, 1892. Immigrants had to go through multiple tests in order to get to America. People fled from their country because of poverty or in search of freedom. An eye exam was performed on the immigrants because Americans were making sure their was no trachoma. Also, questions were asked at the beginning and end of the trip to ensure the validity of the answers. -
Grandfather Clause
Stated that If a voters father or grandfather was eligible to vote on January 1, 1867 they didn’t have to take the literacy test or pay the poll tax. This clause worked to exclude black people from the vote but allowed the many illiterate and poor whites to vote. -
Plessy vs Ferguson
Homer Adolph Plessy, who was 1/8 black, went on a white only train. After refusing to get off, he was arrested. He then sued for it being a rights violation. This was the trial Plessy vs Ferguson. They ended up ruling that segregation was legal as long as facilities were separate but equal. -
Klondike Gold Rush
In August 1896 Skookum Jim Mason, Dawson Charlie and George Washington Carmack discovered gold in Alaska. This ignited many people to travel to Alaska in search of riches. However, the results are similar to the California gold rush. Many people were not successful in their searches and did not find much gold. -
Remember the Maine
American President sent a ship called the “Maine” to protect Cubans. Many believed that it was sunk by the Spanish killing 260 soldiers. This even marked the beginning of the Spanish American war. Many people say “remember the Maine”. -
Teller Ammendment
This gave Cuba their freedom apart from Spain. They had to sign the Platt Ammendment which gave us a naval base in Cuba. -
Hawaii Annexation Ceremony
The Hawaiian sugarcane crops were a great source of wealth and of sugar. When the US took Hawaii, the Navy got a important base at Pearl Harbor. This helped the US to project its power across the Pacific. On July 12, 1898, the Hawaiian islands were officially annexed by the United States. However many Hawaiians were unhappy about this. Some say annexation is illegal and that what America did was illegal. -
Angel Island
Angel Island is very similar to Ellis Island. The major difference is that immigrants from Asian countries mainly passed through Angel Island. Also, Ellis Island is located in the east (New York Bay) and Angel Island is located in the west (San Francisco Bay), -
17th ammendment
The 17th amendment provides for regular people to elect their Senators. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof. -
Archduke Assasination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated in Sarajevo. His death is the event that sparks World War I. The assassination set off a chain of events, as Austria-Hungary immediately blamed the Serbian government for the attack. Russia supported Serbia, Austria asked for that Germany would step in on its side against Russia and its allies, including France and Great Britain. -
Sinking of Luistania
A German submarine sinks the passenger liner Lusitania. The ship carries 1,198 people, 128 of them Americans. This makes America angry and is one of the causes that makes them join the war later on. -
National Women’s Party Formed
Alice Paul and Lucy Burns form the national women’s party. They adopt strategies from the British women’s political union however their tactics were not as violent as the British. -
Zimmerman Telegram
British gives Wilson the Zimmermann Telegram, a message from German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmermann proposing that Mexico side with Germany in case of war between Germany and the United States. In return, Germany promises to return to Mexico the lost land of Texas and much of the rest of the American Southwest. Mexico declines the offer, but it pushes Americans to support entering the war. -
Armistice Day
In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I. Now days, we call it Veterans Day and it is a national holiday. This day is important to remember all of the people who fought for us. -
18th Ammendment
The 18th Ammendment banner selling, making and transporting alcohol. However, this ammendment did not prohibit drinking alcohol. Ratified on January 16, 1919. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Paris Peace Conference opened on January 18, 1919, with the goal of developing a treaty that would punish Germany. Negotiating the treaty, which would be known as the Treaty of Versailles, was a long process. Eventually the Treaty of Versailles was established and enforced. The treaty: took land away from Germany, dismantled Germany’s military, forced Germany to take the blame of the war, also it made Germany pay for the damage done to the countries in the war. -
19th Ammendment
The 19th Ammendment states “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” Tennessee was the last state to ratify for this Ammendment to pass. This was a big victory for women in the United States. President Wilson was the president at the time. -
Scopes Trial
On May 10, 1925, John Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution in school. The ACLU hired Clarence Darrow to defend scopes against William Jennings Bryan. Both were the top attorneys of their time. Although John Scopes was found guilty, this opened the doors to people pushing for evolution to be taught in schools. Since then, laws have been changed and evolution is now taught in schools. -
Klansmen March
During the 20s, the KKK had reached its highest population of over 3 million members. Over 40,000 Ku Klux Klansmen marched in Washington, filling Pennsylvania Avenue. At the time, the KKKs goal was to preserve America for Protestant whites. -
Stock Market Crash
Also referred to as black tuesday, the stock market crash was a symptom of the great depression. Many people began to sell their shares because they were worthless. Because of loss of confidence in stocks, bank runs occurred. The stock market crash was a major event in the great depression. -
Smoot-Hawley Tariff
The Smoot-Hawley Tariff raised taxes up 50% on imported things. It virtually closed our borders to foreign goods and ignited a viscous international trade war. This is considered Herbert Hoover’s greatest mistake. -
Smoot-Hawley Tariff
The Smoot-Hawley Tariff raised taxes up 50% on imported things. It virtually closed our borders to foreign goods and ignited a viscous international trade war. This is considered Herbert Hoover’s greatest mistake. -
Dust Bowl
During 1930s, farmers would experience bad droughts and erosion called Dust Bowl. This caused crop yield and many farmers struggling. This lasted from 1930-1936 -
Revenue Act of 1932
The government decided to balance federal budget. They did so by increasing the income tax. This was not a good plan. The highest incomes were being taxed up to 60%. This is also considered another big mistake mad ebay Herbert Hoover. Also called peacetime income tax increase. -
The Bonus Army
World War 1 veterans were due to be paid a bonus in 1945. In 1932, over 20,000 jobless veterans protested to get their bonus sooner. In clashes with police 4 veterans were killed. This made less people like Hoover. In 1936, Congress overrode the president and paid the veterans. -
21st Ammendment
Prohibition lead to many negative effects in America. By 1920s only 19% of people supported prohibition. In 1933, the 21st Ammendment repealed prohibition. -
Pearl Harbor
On Dec 7,1941,7:53 am, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, a naval base in Hawaii. The battleships moored along “Battleship Row” we’re being targeted. Their main target was the Arizona. The bomb dropped on it 10 minutes into the attack and it began to sink. Isoroku Yamamoto was the mind behind the attack. FDR probably knew that eventually America was going to go to war. He declared war the next day. -
Casablanca Meeting
This meeting took place in Casablanca, Morocco and included FDR and Winston Churchill. They invited Stalin but he could not attend because he was taking care of business (fighting in Russia). At this meeting, they talked about creating a strategic plan to fight Axis powers. They hoped to draw Germany away from the eastern front. They decided to 1) plan amphibious invasions of France and Italy and 2) only unconditional surrender would be accepted. -
Battle of the Bulge
In October 1944, Americans captured their first German town (Aachen). Hitler responded by trying to push the ally supply line, the bulge, but it didn’t work. On Dec. 16, the German army launched a counteroffensive that was intended to cut through the Allied forces turn the war in Hitler's favor. This was Germany’s last massive offensive action. This was a fail for Germany and victory for the allies. -
VE Day
On may 8 in 1945, both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. This was the day when German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their guns. More than 13,000 British POWs were released and sent back to Great Britain. General Eisenhower accepted the surrender on the third Reich. Right before VE Day, FDR died in April. He did not get to see the victory. -
Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Truman didn’t want to invade Japan because a lot of allies would die. He decided to use an atomic bomb. America had been planning this bomb secretly. It was called the Manhattan Project. On Aug 1,1945, America dropped 500lb containers each holding leaflets that warned Japanese to surrender. On August 6 a bomb called Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima. On August 9 a bomb called Fat man was dropped on Nagasaki. Japan surrendered days after the 2nd bomb was dropped. -
VJ Day
Japan’s surrender was important because the Japanese honor code prevented them from surrendering. They held back so much throughout the war so when they finally surrendered was a big deal. “Should we continue to fight,” Hirohito declared, “it would not only result in the ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation but would also lead to the total extinction of human civilization.” Surrendering was the best decision for Japan. -
The Berlin Blockade
When the French, USA and UK merged their sections of germany creating West Germany, Russia responded by cut all road and rail links between West and East Germany. This meant that those living in Western Berlin had no access to food supplies and faced starvation. Food was brought to Western Berliners by US and UK airplanes, an exercise known as the Berlin Airlift. -
Brown vs The Board of Education of Topeka
Linda Brown of Topeka, Kansas became the face of school
desegregation. She was a third grader who had to ride a bus to a farther away black school when a white school was much closer to her home. Her parents tried to enroll her in the close school, but were told she had to go to the black school.Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund took on hercase, as well as several others and ended up putting them together in what is known as Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka. -
The Geneva Accords
In July 1954, the Geneva Agreements were signed. As part of the agreement, the French agreed to withdraw their troops from northern Vietnam. Vietnam would be temporarily divided at the 17th parallel, pending elections within two years to choose a president and reunite the country. However, the country did not unify. -
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks’s arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, during which the black citizens of Montgomery refused to ride the city’s buses in protest over the bus system’s policy of racial segregation. The boycott lasted 382 days. In 1956, the supreme court ruled that segregation was illegal. -
Hungarian Revolution
This began as a Hungarian protest against Communist rule in Budapest. On 24th October Soviet tanks entered Budapest. The tanks withdrew on 28th October and a new government was formed which quickly moved to introduce democracy. The Soviet tanks returned on 4th November encircling Budapest. The Prime Minister Imre Nagy made a World broadcast that Hungary was under attack from the Soviet Union and calling for aid. Hungary fell to Russia on 10th November 1956. -
The Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine black students who enrolled at formerly all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in September 1957. On September 4, 1957, the first day of classes at Central High, Governor Orval Faubus called in the Arkansas National Guard to block the black students’ entry into the high school. Later that month, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent in federal troops to escort the Little Rock Nine into the school. -
Bay of Pigs
A force of Cuban exiles, aided by the US government attempted to invade Cuba and overthrow the Communist government of Fidel Castro. The attempt failed. This event did not help Kennedy and his new presidency. This was a 3 day battle and they surrendered on the 20th. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A US spy plane reported sighting the construction of a Soviet nuclear missile base in Cuba. President Kennedy then set up a naval blockade and demanded the removal of the missiles. War was avoided when the Russians agreed on 28th October to remove the weapons. The United States agreed not to invade Cuba and agreed to remove the missiles we had in Turkey. -
The Assasination of John F Kennedy
JF Kennedy was assassinated while on a visit to Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the murder but there has always been speculation that he was not a lone killer and that there may have been a communist. He was the 4th president to be assassinated. -
President Kennedy's Funeral
President Kennedy's flag-draped casket was moved from the White House to the Capitol on a caisson drawn by six grey horses and one riderless black horse. Crowds lined Pennsylvania Avenue and many wept openly as the casket passed. On Monday, November 25, 1963 President Kennedy was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. The funeral was attended by heads of state and representatives from more than 100 countries. -
Gulf on Tonkin
USS Maddox is allegedly attacked by North Vietnamese patrol torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. Two U.S. aircraft are shot down and one U.S. pilot, Everett Alvarez, Jr., becomes the first U.S. airman to be taken prisoner by North Vietnam. Congress then gave president LBJ power to do whatever he wanted "The Blank Check" causing him to send troops and begin the war. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was the codename for an American bombing campaign during the Vietnam War. U.S. military aircraft attacked targets throughout North Vietnam. This was intended to put military pressure on North Vietnam’s communist leaders and reduce their capacity to wage war against South Vietnam. It marked the first sustained American assault on North Vietnam and represented a major expansion of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. -
Selma March
In March 1965, in an effort to register black voters in the South, protesters marched the 54-mile route from Selma to the state capital of Montgomery were confronted with violence from local authorities and white vigilante groups. Tv cameras captured the police using clubs, chains and electric cattle prods on the marchers. This led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
Tet Offensive
The north launched coordinated attacks on south trying to force Johnson administration to bargain. However, this attempt failed. The US and south fought back and won. In America, this was presented as a lost, making more people hate the war. -
The Watergate Break-in
On June 17, 1972, 5 men were arrested while attempting to bug the headquarters of the Democrat Party inside the Watergate building in Washington D.C. In August, Nixon gave a speech in which he swore that his White House staff was not involved in the break-in. Most voters believed him, and in November 1972 the president was reelected in a landslide victory. However, it was soon uncovered that Nixon was in fact behind the break in.
