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The Battle of First Bull Run
Also known as the Battle of First Manassas, this was the first real battle of the Civil War. Many thought the Civil War would be a quick, “90 day war”. As a result, a group of spectators came to watch this battle, picnic lunches in tow, which didn’t turn out to be such a great idea when they were caught in midst of the South’s retreat. One Southern general and his men did stay their ground: Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, who “stood like a stone wall”, earning himself the iconic nickname. -
Attack on Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter- a naval garrison off the coast of South Carolina- was occupied by Union forces at the time of it’s secession from the Union. When Union Major Robert Anderson and his men at the fort and refused to leave, President Lincoln sent a supply ship to them. Consequently, the Confederates began firing at the fort, with the leadership of P.G.T. Beauregard. Eventually the Union surrendered and left. Although this was not a real battle, it is considered by many to be the start of the Civil War. -
The Battle of Antietam
Antietam was a critical battle in the Civil War. As Lee and his troops marched north, one of his soldiers dropped a piece of paper containing Lee’s battle plans. It was later found by a Union soldier, resulting in the North’s first victory. There were 20,000 casualties, the most in any one day of the war. This victory enabled Lincoln to firmly issue the Emancipation Proclamation, thus deterring slavery-free Great Britain and France from allying with the South. -
The 13th Amendment Ratified
On this date, the 13th amendment was added to the constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States and freeing upwards of 100,000 people. However, it did have one loophole in that forced labor could be used as a temporary punishment for crime. -
Andrew Johnson’s Impeachment
Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s successor, was the first US President to be impeached. Johnson’s impeachment was a result of his removing
Cabinet member Edwin M. Stanton without the Senate’ consent, which is illegal. Although he was impeached, Johnson fell one vote short of being found guilty and thus was not removed from office. -
Transcontinental Railroad Completed
After 7 years and 1,775 miles, a ceremonial golden spike was driven into the ground at Promontory Point, Utah, marking the completion of the transcontinental railroad. The spike was driven in by the presidents of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroad Companies, which were the groups who completed this daunting task. This railroad connected the east coast to the west, making travel much easier and safer, thus spurring on the settlement of the American West. -
The Statue of Liberty Completed
The Statue of Liberty was given as friendship gift from France to America on the centennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Built by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, it’s full name is “The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World”. The statue had to be built in France, deconstructed, the shipped across the ocean to New York, and reconstructed. Because it was the first thing many European immigrants saw of America, the Statue of Liberty is also called the “Gateway to America”. -
Reconstruction Ends
After the presidential election of 1876 resulted in a 50/50 draw, the vote was sent to the House of Representatives. The House devised a compromise: Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes was given the Presidency, and Democrats received an end to reconstruction. This meant that voting restrictions and federal troops were removed from the south. However, this ended up hurting former slaves as the troops had been the ones to enforce Civil Rights laws and provide them protection from racists. -
Chief Joseph Surrenders
Chief Joseph was a Nez Perce chief who was famous for leading his people in attacks against white settlers. In 1877, Chief Joseph agreed to bring his people onto a reservation. Shortly after, some of his tribe members killed some settlers, and then he and his people went on the run to Canada. On this date, Chief Joseph surrendered to white troops discouraged and exhausted after months on the run. It was here that he famously said, “I will fight no more forever.” -
Brooklyn Bridge Completed
Designed by John Roebling and engineered by his son, the Brooklyn
Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time of it’s opening, with a main span of 1,595.5 feet. However, as it was nearing completion, Roebling’s son got sick, so his wife took over. She saw the bridge to through to completion and got to be the first one to walk across it. The Brooklyn Bridge was a prominent symbol of American ingenuity. -
Ida B. Wells Refuses To Give Up Her Seat
Ida B. Wells had purchased herself a first class ticket for the train ride from Memphis to Nashville. However, once was on the train, she was told to move to the colored car. She refused and was physically forced out of the first class car and into the colored one, biting the conductor in the process. She sued the railroad company and won, but the case was eventually overturned in a higher court. Wells went on to become a journalist and activist for civil and women’s rights. -
Wounded Knee Massacre
Near Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota, the West saw it’s last confrontation between the Plains Natives and the settlers, and the end of the Ghost Dance Movement. After the 7th US cavalry surrounded a group of Native American Ghost Dancers and demanded they surrender their weapons, a fight broke out, causing the deaths of 150 natives and 23 white people. -
Ellis Island Opened
Ellis Island is a small island in New York Harbor where immigrants were processed. The first immigrant to be processed was 17 year old Annie Moore from Ireland. She was traveling along with her two younger brothers and was given a $10 coin to commemorate the occasion. All in all, Ellis Island processed 12 million immigrants before it closed in 1954. -
Plessy v. Ferguson Decided
Homer Plessy wanted to make a point about the current civil rights situation in America, so even though he was only 1/8th Black, he made sure the conductor knew it. After refusing to move to the colored section, Plessy was forcibly removed and arrested. He sued the railroad company, and the case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that segregation was legal as long as the facilities were “separate but equal”, which was never the case. This ruling wasn’t overturned until 1954. -
End of the Spanish American War
Two days after Emilio Aguinaldo’s capture of the Filipino capital and the destruction of the Spanish fleet in Santiago Bay, the U.S. won the Spanish American war. This meant liberty for the Spanish colonies, although they would now become American territories. Spain received $20 million in compensation. Winning this war against Spain established the U.S. as a new world power in it’s army and economy. -
Anti-Lynching Campaign Goes To White House
Following the lynching of three innocent African American men, Ida B. Wells started an anti-lynching campaign in memory of her friends. In 1898, it made its way to Washington D.C., where she held a protest and talked with President William McKinley about needed reforms. Although the bill was never passed, it raised needed awareness to the problems faced by African Americans. -
Start of Spanish American War
Before the start of the Spanish American war, President McKinley sent the USS Maine to Cuba. In theory it was supposed to protect the American citizens and their property there, not by doing anything, but by just being a presence. On this date, the ship exploded in the Havana harbor, killing 260 of the 400 men on board. Many blamed the Spanish, but it was later discovered that she ship had exploded from the inside. This event is seen as the catalyst of the Spanish American War. -
Start of Spanish American War
For three years, brutal conflict between the Cubans and their Spanish colonizers, aided by the exaggeration of yellow journalism, had awakened the American’s sympathy toward the plight of the Cubans. After the sinking of the Maine, congress declared war against Spain. The US would fight against them to liberate Cuba, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico from Spanish rule. -
Bicycle Popularity Reaches New Heights
By the year 1900, there were approximately 10 million bicycles in the US. This was instrumental in helping liberate women from the standards of previous centuries. For instance, it was difficult to ride a bike while wearing a dress and a corset, and as a result, fashion began to shift. Bikes also gave women the ability to travel where they wanted to, independent of a man with a car. These changes prompted conversations about gender equality, slowly bringing women into the public sphere. -
Woman’s Suffrage Parade
On this date, woman’s suffragists marched at the capital to bring their cause more national attention. There were 250,000 spectators, some of whom became hostile. There was no police intervention, but after an hour, army troops were brought in to break things up. One of the most famous people in the parade was Inez Milholland, who rode astride on a horse rather than sidesaddle. -
America Joins WW1
President Woodrow Wilson was greatly opposed to joining the Great War- in fact, his re-election campaign revolved around his keeping the US out of it. However, by 1917 he felt he had no other option due to recent events. One of those was the sinking of British passenger ship Lusitania by German U-boats, killing 128 Americans. The other was the British-intercepted Zimmerman telegram, in which Germany offered to help Mexico regain territory from the states if they allied with Germany. -
The Spanish Influenza
In October of 1918, the Spanish flu epidemic peaked in America, killing 200,000 otherwise healthy people. The Spanish flu accounted for half of the total deaths in WW1, spreading rapidly through crowded and dirty trenches and then being transmitted to military camps in Kansas. Many scapegoated the Germans by accusing them of unleashing the virus on the American public. In the end, 50 million people, including 600,000 Americans, lost their lives to the Spanish flu. -
Battle of Belleau Wood
On this date, the United States began it’s first battle in the Great War. The Allies were fighting to keep the advancing Germans out of Paris. The Allied forces won, but it cost us 10,000 dead, wounded, or missing. This battle proved that America was committed to helping defeat the Central Powers no matter what. -
The Treaty of Versailles
This treaty was signed by Germany and the Allied powers after the armistice of WW1. It took land and military power from Germany, and forced them to make reparations to the Allied countries and take blame for the entire war. The severity of this treaty was detrimental to Germany’s economy and morale, creating the perfect pretense for another war. -
The Largest Chicago Race Riot
In 1919, there were a series of riots between white and black people in Chicago. White people were concerned that black people were moving from the crowded black neighborhoods into white neighborhoods, and also competing with them for jobs. On this date, a black teenager was drowned for swimming in the white side of a beach. People began attacking businesses, homes, and individuals of the opposing race, leaving 38 dead and over 500 injured. -
18th Amendment Ratified
The 18th amendment banned the making, selling, and transporting of alcohol in the U.S., ushering in the prohibition era. Proponents of prohibition claimed it would reduce crime, abuse, and poverty, but it ended up doing the opposite. Organized crime developed as moonshine was smuggled and sold through bootleggers and speakeasies, and law enforcement was little to none. 13 years later, the amendment was repealed. -
The Scopes Trial Begins
After Tennessee became the first state to ban the teaching of evolution in schools, John Scopes- with support from the ACLU- decided to teach it anyway. The ACLU hired the well renowned Clarence Darrow to be his lawyer, while William Jennings Bryan defended the opposing side, and on this date, the trial began. Scopes was ultimately found guilty and fined $100, but the case drew attention to the debate between creation and evolution. -
Black Tuesday
This was the worst day of the stock market crash at the start the Great Depression. Everyone was racing to sell their stocks, but because no one was buying, the worth of those stocks plummeted. Millionaires lost everything overnight, and some jumped off buildings and committed suicide. This woke people up to the seriousness of what was happening in the economy. -
The Smoot-Hawley Tariff
The Smoot-Hawley tariff, often considered Herbert Hoover’s worst mistake as president, imposed a 50% tax increase on imported goods. The hope was that this would promote the purchasing of domestic goods in America, but the repercussions were far greater. Because foreign countries couldn’t sell, they refused to buy from America, eliminating 1/3 of the market for American farmers. Europe couldn’t repay their war debts and American farmers lost profits, worsening the economy as a whole. -
The Bonus Army Protest
After WW1, all who served were promised a bonus that was set to arrive in 1945. However, with the onset of the Depression, veterans wanted to receive their money early. After the government declined, 20,000 unemployed veterans protested in Washington D.C. Then president Hoover sent in police to evacuate the crowd, which resulted in some violence. Hoover’s public approval rating dropped even farther as a result. Under FDR, the men were offered jobs and eventually got their bonuses in 1936. -
National Bank Holiday
Shortly after being inaugurated, FDR ordered all banks to close until they were certifiably secure enough to reopen. This helped stop the banking runs and restore confidence in the banking system amongst the public. As more people started putting money into the banks, the economy slowly started to recover. -
Pearl Harbor
As Japan tried to expand its empire, the United States restricted it’s access to American products such as oil. In retaliation, Japan planned an attack on this U.S. naval base in Hawaii. Aside from getting back at America for putting those sanctions in place, Japan also hopped to cripple our fleet and prevent us from joining the war. Fortunately, not as many ships were in the harbor as Japan had expected. This largely unexpected event angered Americans, and shortly thereafter we joined WW2. -
The Battle of Midway
During the war in the Pacific, Japan “island hopped”, taking island after island and working their way toward Hawaii. Japan planned to use Midway ad a base to take Pearl Harbor. On this date, a five day battle began for an island called Midway, which America won. This was an important turning point in the war in the Pacific. -
The Battle of Stalingrad
On this date, the Battle of Stalingrad ended. Nazi Germany had invaded this Soviet industrial center in the summer of the previous year, but unfortunately were unequipped to survive winter in Russia and were forced to retreat. This victory was an important turning point for the Allies in WW2, despite over one million Soviet deaths. -
D-Day
Officially known as “Operation Overlord”, the goal of this mission was to drive the German occupiers out of France. 3 million Allied troops made their way onto the French coastline, facing heavy German resistance, especially on Omaha beach. By August, France was liberated. This was the largest land-sea-air operation in history. -
VE Day
On this date, General Eisenhower accepted the unconditional surrender of Hitler’s 3rd Reich. This was prefaced by the German’s last offensive in the Battle of the Bulge, which resulted in many losses for them. Additionally, the Allies had taken Berlin on April 25, leading to Hitler’s suicide in his underground bunker five days later. Nazi leaders were tried in court and all were sentenced to either death or life in prison. -
VJ Day
Almost one month after the dropping of the atomic bombs, Japan signs documents of surrender. Even after the horror of the atomic blasts, some Japanese generals tried to prevent the Emperor from surrendering. For the next 7 years, the United States occupied the country, rebuilding and improving their economy and constitution under General MacArthur. Their constitution is known today as the MacArthur Constitution. -
NATO Formed
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an international alliance that was formed during the Cold War, originally between the U.S. Canada, Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. It’s officially known as a mutual defense pact against communism. -
The Easter Parade
As a result of the division of Germany and Berlin amongst the Allies post World War 2, the Soviets were unhappy that capitalist West Berlin existed inside communist East Germany. In retaliation, they blockaded the city for close to a year. During that time, the United States delivered necessary supplies to West Berliners via airplanes. This date, nicknamed the Easter Parade, was the busiest day of the Berlin airlift, with an average of one delivery every minute. -
China Falls to Communism
In June of that 1949, Chang Kai-Shek was defeated by communist Mao Zedong. On this date, Mao Zedong proclaimed the country as The People’s Republic of China, although a communist country is not a republic. At this point, the balance between communism and capitalism became unbalanced, casing more fear among people in western countries. -
The Start of the Korean War
On this date, communist North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel, the longitudinal line that had divided it from South Korea since the end of WW2. Two days later, President Truman sent American troops to support South Korea, while Soviet and Chinese troops helped the North. This is an example of “proxy wars”- although the U.S. and the Soviet’s never fought directly against each other during the Cold War, they fought through the wars of other countries. -
Ellis Island Closes
Around 1924, Ellis Island began to slow down due to restrictive quotas on immigration. Following this chapter of it’s life, the island was used as alien enemy detention center during WW2. Then, it closed down completely in 1954, but was reopened in 1965 as a tourist attraction. In 1990 Ellis Island was reopened as the museum we know today. -
Eisenhower Gives Alaska Statehood
Nearly one hundred years prior, William Seward purchased the Alaska Territory from Russia. At the time, many Americans called this decision “Seward’s folly”, believing he had wasted money on a lifeless chunk of ice. However, Alaska soon became the site of the Klondike gold rush and Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which transported oil for export. Additionally, Alaska is a valuable source of fish, timber, copper, and coal. On this date, Alaska became the 49th state in America. -
Hawaii Becomes a State
Since the 1790s, the United States took special interest in Hawaii. It was an equal distance from each continent, making a great rest stop for merchant ships. Additionally, owning the island could help the US secure the Pacific in times of war. After political strife between the leaders of the US and of Hawaii, Sanford B. Dole took the throne from Hawaii’s queen (with the help of the marine corps). McKinley annexed Hawaii as a territory in 1898, and in 1959 Eisenhower gives the island statehood. -
Neil Armstrong’s Moon Landing
During the space race, the United States unofficially competed with Russia for several “firsts”- the first object in space, the first living creature in space, and the first person in space. Russia beat the U.S. each time, except for the first moon landing. On this date, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to set foot on the moon, taking “one small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind.”