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Homestead Act
The Homestead Act of 1862 was a landmark piece of legislation that encouraged the settlement of the American West by granting 160 acres of public land to any U.S. citizen willing to farm it for five years. -
Black Codes
In the wake of the Civil War and emancipation, Southern states enacted the Black Codes to restrict the freedom of African Americans and maintain a labor force resembling slavery. -
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery throughout the United States. -
Freedmen's Bureau
The Freedmen's Bureau was established in 1865 to assist formerly enslaved people and poor whites in the South following the Civil War. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was the first federal law to define U.S. citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected by the law. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendmen granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and guaranteeing them equal protection under the law. -
Rockefeller Founds Standard Oil
John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil, one of the first powerful monopolies of its kind. -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote by prohibiting any government from denying suffrage based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. -
Haymarket Riot & AFL Founded
The Haymarket Riot began as a peaceful labor protest in Chicago advocating for an eight-hour workday, but it turned violent when a bomb was thrown at police, leading to a deadly clash. -
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was one of the most severe economic depressions in American history, triggered by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky financing that led to widespread bank failures and unemployment. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
The Pure Food and Drug Act was a major achievement of the Progressive Era, establishing the federal government’s role in regulating consumer products for safety and accuracy. -
NAACP Founded
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) became the United States’ leading civil rights organization during the 20th century. -
World War I
The United States entered World War I in 1917, joining the Allied Powers in a global conflict that had already raged for three years. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment granted women the constitutional right to vote, ending decades of organized suffrage activism. -
Stock Market Crash and Great Depression
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 triggered the Great Depression, the worst economic downturn in U.S. history. -
World War II
The United States entered World War II after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, joining the Allies in a global conflict that reshaped the modern world. -
The Fair Deal
President Harry Truman’s Fair Deal aimed to expand the New Deal and provide economic security to more Americans in the postwar era. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. -
Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act was a landmark piece of legislation that aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting. -
National Organization for Women Founded
The founding of the National Organization for Women (NOW) marked the emergence of second-wave feminism, which sought equality not only in voting rights but also in employment, education, and reproductive freedom.