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California Gold Rush
The discovery of gold led the world into a frenzy. Everyone was doing what they could to get to California in hopes to strike it rich. Sadly very few got rich but the journey and time panning for gold probably made for good stories. -
Seneca Falls Conference
This was where women presented what they want they wanted as rights. What they presented was a modified version of the Declaration on Independence. The Conference lasted two days and took place in New York. -
Fort Sumter
The first win for the Confederacy. A battle won with no casualties on either side. Took place in South Carolina. This was also the start of the war. -
Homestead Act
The homestead act of 1821 allowed people to go west and claim land. This was to hopefully get people to move west. To no one’s surprise it worked and western expansion was on a roll. -
The fall of New Orleans
In April David Farragut captured New Orleans. By May Benjamin Butler had earned his nickname "The Beast". Shortly after word of what was going on in New Orleans spread. Butler and his men were quickly deemed outlaws by Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy. I couldn’t find a specific date but it happened in April. -
Ida B. Wells
Was born into slavery in 1862. She was freed after the war. Her parents got involved in their local Republican Party. -
Battle of Antietam
This is the single bloodiest day in modern American history with 20,000 casualties in a single day. -
The 13th Amendment
Passed on January 31st, 1865. The 13th amendment made slavery illegal in the US. -
Freedman’s Bureau
Established on march 3rd, 1865 the freedman’s bureau was made to help black people get on their feet after being freed. They provided food, shelter, medical services, land, and clothes to the freed black people. -
Grandfather Clause
If your grandfather had the right to vote so do you. A way of keeping black people from voting while allowing poor illiterate whites to vote. Worked because there’s no arguing who you’re related to. -
Transcontinental Railroad
First speedy coast to coast transportation the U.S. had seen. Stretches from Sacramento to Omaha. Helped provide jobs to people from all sorts of industries. -
Lady Liberty
Gifted by the French in 1876 Lady Liberty was given to us as a sign of friendship 100 years after the American revolution. Her full name is Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World. The designer is Fredric Augusta Bartholdi. -
Compromise of 1877
Made to break the tie in votes in the election of 1876. Gave the republicans the office as long as the democrats got an end to reconstruction. Made Rutherford B. Hayes president. The vote went to congress where the deal was presented. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
In 1892 an act called the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed. This act ended Chinese migration. It was passed as the American nativist movement grew. -
First Day Open
On January 1, 1892 Ellis Island was open. The first people to be registered were Annie Moore and her brothers. Annie was given a $10 coin to commemorate this. -
Plessy V. Ferguson
Homer Plessy sat in the white only car on a train. He said that his constitutional rights were violated. The Supreme Court disagreed and pretty much said segregation is fine as long as it’s equal. -
The Maine Gets Attacked
The USS Maine was “attacked”. This drew us into the Spanish American war. We later found out that it was an explosion in the ship that caused it to sink. -
U.S. Declares War on Spain
Two months after the “attack” on the uss Maine the U.S. declares war on Spain. The U.S. had been thinking about entering the war before the attack but after the Maine they had to enter. -
Annexation of Hawaii
America wanted Hawaii for their sugar crops. They wanted to sell it in the U.S. without having to pay so much for it. The queen at the time, queen lil, opposes but was eventually overthrown bu Dole -
Platt Amendment
The Platt amendment was the grounded for the Cuba-U.S. relations. Made Cuba a territory of the U.S. Was something they wanted. -
Construction of the Panama Canal Continued by The U.S.
On February 25, 1904 the president signed on the continuation of the construction of the Panama Canal. Work was completed in 1914. The Panama Canal has proved its self very useful to ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific. -
Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
The assassination of archduke Ferdinand is the main catalyst for the whole war. He was killed by Gavrilo Princip. Princip approached their open car and opened fire on its occupants killing the Archduke. It is thought that if the assassination had failed or he had survived WWI may have never happened. -
The Lusitania
The sinking of the Lusitania was one of the reasons America joined the war. The Lusitania was a passenger ship sunk by German blockades. While Americans were told to stay off British ships 128 of them died in this incident. This forced Germans to ease up on their blockades for a bit. -
The Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman telegram was something that the U.S. wasn’t meant to see. It was a note to Mexico promising them land back if they helped Central Powers and attacked the Allies. Between this and the sinking of four unarmed ships America declared war. -
14 Points
Wilson’s 14 points were used in our treaty with Germany. Wilson really wanted a League of Nations from around the globe but the people didn’t agree with that. They didn’t want to be brought into more European drama and or wars. -
Passing of the 19th amendment
On August 20, 1920 the 19th amendment was passed. As they sat and the state representatives voted the women were one vote short. One of Tennessee’s states mens mothers sent him a telegram telling him to vote yes for women's suffrage and Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment. -
The Scopes Trial
A court case which became a national sensation. Both sides brought in their heavies hitters. Ended in the evolutionists losing and Clarence Darrow being fined $100 -
The First Sound Movie
Released in 1927 the Jazz Singer was the first movie with sound. This made it a absolute hit in theaters as audiences could not only watch the movie but also hear it. This movie was redone with sound and was originally a vaudeville film. -
First Animated Movie
Steam Boat Willie was the first animated movie and was released im 1928. The movie was fascinating in ways other movies weren’t at the time as it was animated. It was also the first Disney movie ever to be released. -
The Crash
The Crash also called Black Tuesday was a symptom of the Great Depression. It caused a lot of confidence in stocks. Losses of this event exceeded 26 billion dollars. -
The Chrysler building
The Chrysler building was dubbed the tallest building. This only lasted for a year and the Empire State Building went up in 1931 and took the title of tallest building. Battle for tallest building has been going on since skyscrapers were created. -
The Bonus Army
After WWI vets. we’re promised a bonus that would be paid in 1945. After the depression started they gathered and marched to Washington demanding their bonuses early. The governments treatment of the protesters really swayed peoples opinion on the government. -
The Election of 1932
After the disaster of the Hoover Administration the people blamed him for their short comings. This lead to a very one sided election. Franklin D, Roosevelt won by a landslide. -
The Second New Deal
The second new deal was passed in 1935 and focused on new relief programs for the people of the United States. This meant new work programs, social security, and unemployment insurance. The work program is the bitters peace time work program in our history.