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Attack on Fort Sumter
A confederate orchestrated bombardment on the union territory, Ft. Sumter. The attack was in retaliation of Abraham Lincoln sending supplies to the fort. Surprisingly, there were no casualties on either side. This conflict officially marks the beginning of the American civil war. -
Battle of Antietam
The battle of Antietam was a brutal engagement fought in the midst of Maryland following an invasion from the Confederates into the north. The battle itself is singlehandedly the bloodiest day of the entire war with both sides suffering heavy casualties. It was significant because it was the first Union declared victory after the Confederates had to retreat back to the south. -
Battle of Gettysburg
The most gruesome battle of the Civil War that resulted from the Confederates final attempt to invade the north. The battle lasted for 3 days in the town of Gettysburg in which the Union successfully defended. By far, the battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest conflict of the war with over 51,000 casualties. -
The American Frontier
The frontier was a movement of westward expansion in America. From the results of the civil war, many traveled west to escape the destruction that it had left it behind and settled in the old west. The frontier ended in 1890 after the Bureau of Census was passed. -
Lee’s Surrender
After 4 years of fighting, Robert E. Lee finally surrenders and agrees to meet with Ulysses S. Grant to discuss terms. The location they decided on was the McLean family house “The Appomattox Courthouse”. This event officially ended the American civil war. -
Lincoln’s Assassination
On the evening of April 15, 1865, president Lincoln was attending the famous play “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s theater with his wife. During the play, the assassin by the name of John Wilkes Booth snuck past security and fatally shot Lincoln in the head. Abraham
Lincoln later died in the following morning. -
Military Reconstruction Acts
The military reconstruction acts were a series of laws put in place to govern the south after the civil war. These acts divided the rebel states in exchange to be readmitted to the United States. -
Acquisition of Alaska
In 1867, Secretary of State William H. Seward purchases Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. Approximately 2 cents per acre. However, Seward received a lot of criticism in his decision by Americans but that would later change when Alaska’s abundance of resources were discovered. -
Construction of the Transcontinental Railroad
The transcontinental railroad was a 1,911 mile track that connected the west to the east. The railroad started in Sacramento and stretched out to Omaha. It was officially finished in 1869 when the two railroads connected at Promontory Summit, Utah. -
The Battle of Little Bighorn
A fierce clash between the Native Americans and the U.S army in the plains of Montana. The U.S. forces led by George Custer were swiftly defeated by the natives as a result from the army’s bad tactics. This battle was significant because it was the first Native American victory over the army. -
The Compromise of 1877
This compromise was an agreement between the Republican party and Democrat party in the election of 1876. Because there was no true winner of the election, the parties decided that the Republican candidate (Rutherford B. Hayes) could be elected only if plans for reconstruction were stopped. This event officially marked the end of the south’s reconstruction. -
The Brooklyn Bridge
Designed by John Roebling, the Brooklyn Bridge was the world’s first suspension bridge. With a main span of 1,595 feet, the bridge opened on May 24, 1883 after 15 years of construction. The bridge was significant because it demonstrated America’s ingenuity. -
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France as an honor of America’s independence in 1876. Designed by Frederic Bartholdi, the statue was shipped to America in parts and took 10 years to fully construct the magnificent structure. -
The Jim Crow Era
The era of Jim Crow were a series of laws put in place to discriminate against African Americans. One of these laws included segregation which separated black and white people in public facilities. The origin of Jim Crow came from a minstrel character. -
Ellis Island Opens
Right at the beginning of 1892, Ellis Island officially opens and serves as a facility to process immigrants coming to America mainly from Europe. The first immigrant to be processed at the island was Annie Moore, a teenage girl from Ireland along with her two younger brothers. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
A Supreme Court case on the laws of racial segregation. The case began with Homer Plessy, a 1/8 African white man who was denied service in a whites only train car. Despite Plessy’s efforts, the court ruled that segregated facilities were ‘separate but equal’. -
Sinking of the USS Maine
During a period of high tension with Spain, the USS Maine was stationed near Havana Harbor, Cuba when suddenly an explosion rocked the naval ship. 268 of the crew members were killed and the blame of the ship’s sinking was put on Spain. This event officially began the Spanish-American war. -
Battle of Manila Bay
An intense naval battle in the Philippines during the Spanish-American war. In just over 6 hours, Commodore George Dewey completely defeated the Spanish naval fleet and was a huge victory for the U.S. -
Battle of San Juan Hill
The battle of San Juan Hill was fought between the U.S. and Spain in Cuba. Led by the rough riders, the Spanish were defeated quickly and the Americans gained a significant advantage in the war. Most notably, Theodore Roosevelt was one of the many rough riders that fought in the battle. -
Annexation of Hawaii
Hawaii is officially annexed by the U.S several years after the overthrowing of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Because of the island’s tax on exporting sugar, many farmers urged its annexation in order to remove it and President McKinley did just so. Hawaii’s first governor would later be Stanford B. Dole in 1900. -
The New Era of the Woman
Early in the 20th century, the American woman became more emancipated than ever before. Inventions such as the bicycle gave women the freedom to wear shorter apparel. Women were now able to seek an education and go to college. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
On May 7, 1915, the passenger ship RSM Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine killing all people aboard, most of whom were Americans. The Germans reasoning for their actions was that the ship was transporting ammunition to the allied powers. This was one of the major events that contributed to America joining the war. -
The Zimmermann Telegram
The Zimmermann Telegram was a message sent to Mexico from Germany urging them to ally with them. In exchange for Mexico’s involvement in the war, Germany promised that it would help them reclaim lost land in America. Fortunately, the telegram was intercepted and was the event that truly got the United States into WW1. -
America Joins WW1
After years of trying to stay out of it, America finally gets involved in the war and sides with the allies. Woodrow Wilson had enough of Germany’s hostility and retaliated against them. -
Battle of Belleau Wood
The Battle of Belleau Wood was fought between Germany and America near the Marne river during Germany’s push into France. It was the first major engagement for the Americans in WW1 and victory as well. The battle lasted for over 26 days. -
Fashion of the 1920s
The new decade introduced a lot of things that were often considered rebellious and improper at the time. The most notable of all was the new fashion especially for women. The women who embraced the attire were known as flappers and earned their reputation for defying the normal standards. -
The Start of Prohibition
At the beginning of the decade, prohibition is officially put into the place with the passing of the 18th amendment. The amendment made the selling and production of alcohol entirely illegal. However, it didn’t explicitly prohibit drinking alcohol. -
Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment
After years of civil unrest, the 19th amendment was finally put into place and officially granted women suffrage. From then on, the right of U.S. citizens to vote could no longer be denied based on one’s sex. This was a crucial event in the women’s right movement. -
The Establishment of Organized Crime
Following the implementation of the 18th amendment, opportunists sought new ways to profit in the illegal alcohol business. This contributed to the growth of criminal operations all across America focused on the selling and transportation of the illegal substance. Crime bosses such as Al Capone and Joe Adonis quickly created their own empires. -
Stock Market Crash of 1929
On October 29, 1929, the Stock Market unexpectedly collapsed and sent everything into chaos. In response, Thousands of Americans rushed to the banks to withdraw funds as many feared for the worst. Banks suffered the most with losses up to 563 billion dollars. -
The Dust Bowl
The phenomenon known as the dust bowl, were a series of severe drought and dust storms that struck the American Midwest during the peak of the Great Depression. The effects of the storms destroyed nearly all farm land leaving many farmers without a job. The duration of the storms extended through the decade. -
Smoot-Hawley Tariff
During the onset of the Great Depression, President Herbert Hoover implements the smoot-hawley tariff which raised the tax for all goods imported into the United States by 50%. In theory, the tariff was supposed to benefit trade, but it did the exact opposite and essentially created a trade war. This was one of the political decisions that contributed to the depression. -
The New Deal
The New Deal was the recently elected Franklin D. Roosevelt’s plan to address and repair the damages of the Great Depression. The plan included series of programs, laws and legislations, and a plethora of economic reforms. The New Deal was a success in the fact that it provided jobs for Americans. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, a surprise attack by the Japanese is conducted on the Pearl Harbor naval base. On the day of attack, Japan was expecting the entire US Navy fleet to be at the base, however none of the aircraft carriers were present. This single event is what caused America’s entry into WW2. -
The Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was focused on the research and development of the atomic bomb throughout WW2. The project was a major success for the U.S. and their acquisition of nuclear weapons. The most notable person involved was J. Robert Oppenheimer. -
Operation Overlord
Led under the command of Dwight D. Eisenhower, operation overlord “D-Day” was a coordinated allied invasion into France on the beaches of Normandy. The invasion was a grueling task with fierce Nazi resistance. In the end, it was a huge victory for the Allied powers in the war. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive against the Allied forces in the Ardennes forest during a brutal winter. The battle got it’s name because essentially the Germans created a bulge in the American line. The result was a decisive victory for the Allies. -
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
After years of war in the pacific, President Harry S Truman authorizes the decision to drop two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The decision was made because of Japan’s refusal to surrender. In total, roughly 135,000 people were killed. -
Victory over Japan
On August 15, 1945, the emperor of Japan finally surrenders to the United States after the atomic bombings on two major cities. This event officially ended WW2 once and for all. -
The Korean War
During the summer of 1950, North Korean communist forces cross the 38th parallel and invade South Korea. The conflict itself was the first instance of a proxy war between the two world powers. The south was backed by the United States, and the north by the Soviets. -
Ellis Island Closes
For more than sixty years, Ellis island served as the primary location for processing immigrants into America. It finally closed it’s doors on November 12, 1954 and processed a total of 12 million immigrants into the country. Individual states would now be responsible for immigration after it’s closure. -
The Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred when nuclear warheads were observed over communist controlled Cuba. The United States found it itself on the brink of nuclear war. The crisis was eventually adverted when president JFK negotiated with the Soviets to remove U.S. warheads in Turkey in exchange for theirs in Cuba. -
The Moon Landing
During the peak of the space race, America becomes the first to land humans on the moon. The mission was successfully performed by the Apollo 11 crew and its commander, Neil Armstrong. A significant event in human achievement. -
Destruction of the Berlin Wall
On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall is finally tore down after decades of division between pro-democracy West and communist East Germany. The collapse of the wall allowed Germany’s reunification and was a major step in the Cold War. -
Fall of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union collapses on Christmas Day after Mikhail Gorbachev resigns his position. This dissolution officially ended the Cold War era that had lasted for over forty years.