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The Railroad Begins
The construction of the Transcontinental Railroad started in Omaha, Nebraska, and was completed with the help of Chinese and Irish immigrants. This would be the start of a brand new way of travel, and new, great era -
The Homestead Act
This act was a very important factor in the colonization of the west. It promised 160 acres of land in the west, free of charge, to any citizen who would work it and live on it for at least 5 years. Married couples were given 2 shares, or 320 acres of land -
The Railroad is Finished
The ending of the making of the Transcontinental Railroad was in Promontary Point, Utah, when the two sides on construction met, the other side coming from Sacramento, California -
Enforcement Acts
Acts set to deal with the terrorization from the Ku Klux Klan -
Ulysses Grant As President
Ulysses S. Grant wins 1872 presidential election against Horace Greeley and Horatio Seymour -
Civil Rights Act
An act set to say the African American people cannot be segregated because of their skin color -
The Battle of Little Bighorn
Also called "Custer's Last Stand", this battle was between roughly 250 American soldiers and 2000 Native Americans. Not one American soldier remained after the battle. The only known U.S. survivor was a horse named Comanche -
Statue of Liberty
Designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi in France, this was a gift to America for it's 100th anniversary of independence. As a symbol of freedom, this is the first thing the immigrants to Ellis Island see of America. -
The Compromise of 1877
Rutherford B. Hayes is elected as president as a compromise with Samuel J. Tilden, whose advantage was the end of reconstruction. This was the official end of reconstruction -
"How the Other Half Lives"
This book by Jacob Riis, a photojournalist, shows how drastic the differences between the way of life for the poor and rich are. It includes photos of children starving on the streets and how terrible life is for the families living in the tenements. -
Ida B. Wells
A former school teacher whose friends were killed in a mob trying to defend themselves. Since the police wouldn't arrest the killers, she started a newspaper against the mobs and lynchings. Her newspaper was burned, so she fled to the north and started anti-lynching campaigns. -
Ellis Island Opens its Doors
Ellis Island is the place where the European immigrants would come through to America. There, they would go through many body examinations, most importantly, the eye exam. Surprisingly, only 2% of the total people who have come through Ellis Island were sent back (for a variety of reasons). -
The Panic of 1893
This panic resulted in Americans questioning their economic system and embracing socialism. This leads to the formation of the American Socialist Party in 1901. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
This was a Supreme Court case which was the cause of the defiant behavior of a man who was only about an eighth black and sat in a white-only train car, boasting about his ethnicity. The ruling of this case is that places of segregation will be "separate but equal". -
The Spanish American War Starts
Th catalyst of this event was the explosion of the USS Maine thought to be caused by the Spanish. The war would then be fought in Cuba and the Philippines. -
Emilio Aguinaldo Captured
The leader of the Filipino rebels, he was an ally to the Americans, but turned against them when they were refused their independence. Emilio was soon captured, ending the war completely. -
11,747 Immigrants Processed in One Day
In the year 1907 (day not available), 11,747 immigrants were processed in one day. A new record! -
Eugenics
Eugenics is the practice of sterilizing those deemed undesirable to reproduce, meaning stopping their genes from being passed down, trying to "better" the human race. This became very popular from 1907-1960 when 100,000+ Americans era sterilized, some against their will. -
The Start of World War I
Because of the assassination of Archduke Frank Ferdinand, by Serbian Gavrilo Princip, the world was thrown into a world war that kept on the European soil for the most part. -
The Sinking of the Lusitania
This British passenger boat was sunk by the Germans because it was carrying ammo. Innocent American citizens were on the boat, so this was one reason America was forced into the war. -
The United States Joins the War
Despite trying to stay neutral, the United States was pushed into the war because of the Zimmerman telegram, the sinking of the Lusitania, and many attacks from U-boats and blockades. -
Picketing the White House
Alice Paul and Lucy Burns did all they could to help women get suffrage, including picketing the White House. This lead to their arrest for "obstructing traffic". -
The Selective Service Act
This act caused the drafting of many young American men to the war. They were then trained to fight in many different ways, whether in airplanes, on ground, or in the navy. -
The End of World War I
The war ended mostly because the Central Powers were exhausted. This lead to the creation of the Treaty of Versailles, which changed a lot for Germany, mainly destroying their economy. This also, cause the U.S. to be recognized as more of a world power. -
The 18th Amendment
This amendment proclaimed prohibition throughout America. It was thought to stop many things supposedly caused by drunkenness, such as abuse, crime, and general unkindness. -
The 19th Amendment
Formed in 1920, this amendment gave women the right to vote. They won this right by fighting long and hard for what they knew was rightfully theirs. -
The Scopes Trial
Also known as the "monkey trial", this trial was caused because a biology professeor, John Scopes, was teaching evolution, which he knew was against the law. He was found guilty, but only fined $100. -
First Solo Atlantic Fligh
Charles Lindbergh, a pilot, flew solo over the Atlantic Ocean in his plane "The Spirit of St. Louis", a flight which took 33 hours. He started in New York and ended in Paris, France, safe and sound. -
Black Tuesday
Around the month of September in 1929, the stock market was noticeably falling. On October 29, 1929, the news announced the official crash of the stock market. -
Dust Bowl
This period of extreme drought, also know as the "dirty thirties", saused serious damage to the economy through the ruin of crops and farms. This came about because of the lack of understanding on treating topsoil in farming, causing it to become loose and dry, easily being picked up by the wind. -
The Worst Year of the Great Depression
Before this time, the GDP was gradually falling, but during this year, it suddenly fell an estimated 15%. Many families were hit hard and forced to live in poverty. -
Revenue Act
This act took affect in June of 1932. Its main purpose was the raise income tax from 25% to 63%. -
Emergency Banking Act
This act was passed by the United States Congress in 1933. It's purpose was stabilize the banking system by closing banks across the nation. -
The 21st Amendment
This amendment repeal the 18th amendment, which caused prohibition. The 18th failed because it wasn't enforced well enough and only about 19% of Americans supported prohibition in the first place. -
Invasion of Poland
Marked as the official start of World War 2, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, causing it to be divided and annexed. -
Pearl Harbor
This attack happened in Honolulu, Hawaii by the Japanese Imperial Army and caused catastrophic damage to U.S. ships. -
D-Day
This invasion of Nazi-occupied France, code name "operation overlord", was an attempt to free it from their occupation. The Allies successfully pushed Germany away and thus freed France. -
V-E Day
V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day, was the final end of World War 2 and celebration of the Allies' victory. -
V-J Day
V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day, marks the surrender of Japan and a celebration of the war official ending in the United States. -
Communists Take Over China
China was a powerful country, full of new technology and culture. Every other country wanted a piece of it as part of their empire. Soon it was sliced up and divided between many countries, mostly European, thus leading it to be to become communist. -
Alaska Becomes the 49th State
William Seward purchased Alaska for America from Russia. Many people thought it was ridiculous, because it just seemed to be a pointless icebox, but it turned out to have many valuable resources such as gold and oil. -
Hawaii Becomes the 50th State
After overthrowing queen Liluokalani, Sanford B. Dole became the temporary president of Hawaii. The U.S. wanted Hawaii because of its sugar plantations, and eventually got it, making it the fiftieth state. -
1st Human Sent Into Space
Yuri Gagarin was the first human sent into space. A Soviet pilot and cosmonaut, he flew his spacecraft into orbit and completed a full orbit the Earth in 108 minutes. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
This invasion was a complete fail and caused much catastrophe. A CIA sponsored military group had planned to overthrow Castro's army, but was defeated in only 3 days. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Also known as the "missile scare", this happened when the United States discovered nuclear missiles in the country of Cuba. This incident brought a shadow of threat for nuclear war between the Soviets and the U.S. -
JFK Assassination
While visiting in Dallas, Texas, president John F. Kennedy was shot by a sniper, Lee Harvey Oswald, while in a convertible with his wife. This was caught on video by Zapruder and many people were there to witness, although no one actually saw Lee Harvey Oswald since he was on the 6th floor of a building close by. -
Attack on U.S. Ships
During the Vietnam war, some Vietnamese ships led an uncalled-for attack on U.S. ships during a routine patrol. 2 days later, a pair of ships were deliberately attacked. -
Tet Offensive
One of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War, this attack was led by the Viet Cong and North Vietnam against the south and the United States' forces. -
26th Amendment
This amendment was a revise of a previous amendment, and stated that any one person the age of 18 or older is of voting age. Their basis for this was that if you were old enough to be drafted, you were old enough to vote.
