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1492
Christopher Columbus Lands in the "Indies"
After a long voyage from Spain, Italian Christopher Columbus famously landed in what is now the Bahamas. Believing he was in Asia, he claimed he had reached the "Indies." While the usefulness and productivity of Columbus's trip is questionable at best, and while he was not particularly friendly to the natives he encountered, he is credited with helping to open the Americas to European exploration and trade via the Columbian Exchange, for better or for worse. -
Period: 1500 to
Beginning of the Atlantic Slave Trade
1619 is often considered to be the first instance of African enslaved people being brought to the New World. This is, however, not true. Since more or less the beginning of Europe's exploration of the New World, Africans were being brought to do backbreaking labor. This represents only the beginning of the bloody history of race relations int he Americas, the effects of which can still be clearly seen today. -
1520
Smallpox Reaches the Americas
The swift and brutal conquest of the Native American populations by the Spanish and other Europeans can be attributed to a number of factors. Key among them was disease, especially smallpox. This illness swept across the continent multiple times, brought by Old World migrants and transmitted with dreadful unfamiliarity to the immune systems of the Natives. Killing unfathomable quantities of them, smallpox aided and abetted the bloody beginnings of European conquest. -
1521
Cortés Overthrows Aztec Empire
After a long siege, Spainiard Hernán Cortés and his men brutally conquer the Aztec capitol of Tenochtitlán. the vast, ancient, powerful Aztecs had fallen to the first wave of European colonization of the New World. -
1533
Pizzaro Ravages Inca Empire
Spaniard Francisco Pizarro invaded the largest empire in the world, the Inca, with a very small group of men. The Spaniards' superior weapons, European diseases, and the infighting already at play in the empire meant that Pizarro had a remarkably easy time of killing the new Inca ruler and razing multiple settlements, melting down golden religious symbols and killing many. Not Around a half century later, the Inca empire was thoroughly crushed by Spain, another gruesome colonization. -
Don Juan de Oñate Reads Requerimiento to Pueblo Natives
Spaniard Don Juan de Oñate Struck North From New Spain, establishing the colony (and much later, US state) of New Mexico. In the process, he unlocked to Europeans some of the secrets of what is now the United States. However, his brutal treatment of natives, including the reading of the commanding and conquesting Requerimiento to the Pueblos, represented another chapter in the harsh story of European treatment of natives - this time North of the Rio Grande. -
Jamestown Founded
Due to power changes, conflict with Spain, and other factors, England was slow to enter the New World colonization arena. In 1497, John Cabot had represented the first English claims. However, it wasn't until more than a century later that successful colonization by England took place. Following Walter Raleigh's failed colonization of Roanoke, the Virginia Company arranged Jamestown in what is now Virginia. This was the first successful English colony int he New World. -
New Amsterdam Surrendered to English
The Dutch had, in the 1620s, cheated the natives out of Manhattan island and established the city of New Amsterdam, which is now New York City. The settlement started out humble, but rather quickly began to show qualities of diversity in who lived there, which exemplify it to this day. When the English, who were delving deeper into what is now New England, came upon the city, they met little resistance and took it. What resulted was one of the most interesting and important cities in the USA. -
Transatlantic Connections Grow Strong
As most things, English colonization of the New World started out slow, with multiple filed colonies and finally one weak, flickering flame in the form of Jamestown. After 1720, however, connections across the Atlantic Ocean were strong and colonization exploded. The strong links across the ocean would lead to some conflict down the line, however, as the rapidly growing colonies felt more friction with the government in Mainland England. -
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French & Indian War
The Seven Years' War, as it was known in Europe, was a lengthy conflict between Britain and France which originated int he colonies. As French settlers from Northern colonies began moving South into English-controlled Ohio River Valley, war broke out which eventually spread to Europe and even India. The war brought an end to England's policy of Salutary Neglect, which ultimately precipitated the buildup to the American Revolution, along with the important Albany Plan, developed during the war. -
Revenue Act
The Revenue Act, or Sugar Act, was one of the first in a lengthy regime of English tax policies during the late 1700s. The act not only instituted a tax, it also provided harsh provisions for the collection and prosecution of that tax. Colonists, upset and of the opinion that England did not have the right to tax them, set up boycotts and petitions to protest. While nonviolent, this dissent represented some of the first in an escalating string of vicious conflict which ended in Revolution. -
Sons of Liberty Founded
As the ember of rebellion that grew into Revolution struck the Colonies, its tinder was the Sons of Liberty. A rebellious group based in Boston, these early patriots used many tactics, some violent, to protest English rule. While they could be considered the extreme, the ideas they not only expressed but acted on grew -
Boston Tea Party
As the colonists' dissatisfaction with English policy deepened, affirmative rebellious action was being taken. In response to the Tea Act, which had the goal of protecting the East India Tea Company, along with instituting a new tax. To protests, a group of colonists dressed as Mohawk Natives threw large amounts of teas overboard a ship in Boston Harbor. Parliament's response was the Intolerable or Coercive Acts, which furthered the transatlantic scowling. -
First Continental Congress
In the wake of the Boston Tea Party and the Intolerable Acts, the Committees of Correspondence organized a meeting of 81 delegates, representing all colonies but Georgia, in Philadelphia. The Congress set precedents still in action in today's government, and represented an act of colonial unity which led to development and agreement upon many of the ideals which later drove the American Revolution. -
Olive Branch Petition Rejected by Parliament
In the midst of the first shots of the Revolution, multiple documents were sent by the Colonies to Parliament. One, the Olive Branch Petition, was somewhat of a last-ditch effort at peaceful agreement with England. It was sent at around the same time as less peace-oriented documents, but nonetheless its rejection by congress represented a further and more mutual intention of conflict than before; neither side wanted to give in, and the result would be a war destructive to both. -
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American Revolutionary War
Starting with the Shot Hear Round the World at Lexington, the revolutionary war raged for years. It was a difficult conflict for the under-equipped Colonists, but in the end (with the help of Lafayette and the French) they won surrender at the Battle of Yorktown. The result, per the Treaty of Paris, was the United Stats' existence as an independent nation with its Western border at the Mississippi River. -
Thomas Paine's Common Sense Published
At an uncertain moment in history where the fate of a nation hung in the balance, a very important piece of literature was published: Thomas Paine's Common Sense. The pamphlet discussed the philosophical basis of the revolution and was remarkably successful at inspiring the patriots. Many copies were sold, and George Washington later read the pamphlet to his men to keep their spirits high. -
Congress Agrees to Ratify Declaration of Independence
After multiple sets of back-and-forth communication between the Colonists and Parliament, the patriots sent off one of the most decisive and important documents in US history: the Declaration of Independence. After Richard Henry Lee, a Virginian, brought the resolution for independence, the Declaration was written (mostly by Thomas Jefferson) and, finally, congress agreed to ratify a modified version of the document. It represented a final resolve of the Colonies to gain their independence. -
Battle of Saratoga
The American Revolution was well under way, but in the beginning the fate of the Colonists seemed questionable at best. They were, after all, a small number of ill-prepared individuals facing one of the most adept militaries in the world. However, the Patriots' prospects brightened significantly with their victory at Saratoga, considered the turning point of the war. The victory communicated to the French the capabilities of the patriots, a fact which won the latter valuable allies later on. -
Articles of Confederation Ratified
After deciding to remove themselves from English Rule (or die trying), the Colonies needed government. The first assembly, the Continental Congress, gave way in 1781 when the Articles of Confederation, the first real stab at federal government, were fully ratified. The Articles made an attempt to give power to a federal congress, but realistically had many drawbacks. An inability to tax or enforce laws left the federal government under-powered, producing the necessity for yet another system. -
Constitution Ratified
With the downfalls of the Articles of Confederation laid bare by a few years of government under them, the Constitutional Convention framed a new Constitution, the one still in effect today. The constitution ensured balance of powers between and within levels of government and granted an impressive degree of popular sovereignty. Shortly after its ratification, the Bill of Rights, its first 10 amendments, specifically laid out basic civil rights promised to all Americans. -
Hamilton's Financial Plan Submitted
George Washington asked the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, to compose a plan for management of government funds, debt, and credit. The resulting plan was, to some, somewhat radical, and included such measures as assumption of states' debts and the establishment of the first Bank of the US. The plan had a political agenda of development of national government. Hamilton struggled and even bartered to get it through Congress. -
Treaty of Greenville
As the United States pressed farther into the Northwest Territory, hostilities with natives raged. George Washington ultimately sent General Wayne to crush the resistance of natives there, which he did. The resulting treaty ceded large swaths of Northwest land to the States. This played a role in the retraction of the British from their Northwest Forts and represented another step in the history of American conquest of land from and ruthless violence towards natives. -
Alien & Sedition Acts
The question of immigration and citizenship was considered very early in US policy. In 1798, two xenophobic pieces of legislation were passed: the Alien Enemies Act and the Sedition Act. These allowed deportation of migrants for nearly and reason and imprisonment for any talk against the government. Such issues are still in question to this day, and debate over these acts led to some of the first discussion of nullification, a concept which would spark further conflict later on. -
Northern States Abolish Slavery (occurring for some time through early 19th Century)
Slavery, present in the Americas since the beginning of European exploration thereof, was still strong in and through the revolutionary era. However, shortly after the establishment of the United States of America, the less-agriculture-dependent Northern states began passing legislation and building statements into their constitutions to outlaw the institution. While this was certainly a good thing, it formed a disparity between North and South that sparked major conflict down the line. -
"Revolution" of 1800
The Election of 1800 was pivotal, so much so that some referred to it as a Revolution. Its winner, Thomas Jefferson, as well as many following presidents, were Democratic-Republicans; all for states' rights, weak Federal government, and so on. This long dynasty played a large role in shaping American politics long to come. While Federalist policies far from died, it is entirely possible that the nation would have developed a more centralized system of government had this election been different. -
Louisiana Purchase Made
At the end of the Revolution, it was agreed that the United States' Westernmost border would be the Mississippi River. That soon changed. After changing hands between Spain and France, a large swath of land West of the river was bought by the States under President Thomas Jefferson. This parcel contained many modern states, and the purchase foreshadowed a pattern of expansion which would drive many important American events to come. -
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Expansion beyond Appalachians
In light of the Untied States' newest land acquisition, the Louisiana Purchase, citizens practically poured over the Appalachians into the new territory. Leaving worn-out Southern land and seeking the cheap new land of the West, many speculated in and purchased land. This pattern, though typical and bound to continue into later American history, brought about some new happenings. The overspeculation and lack of scarcity of land led to a recession, which was remedied by the Land Law of 1820. -
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Lewis & Clark
With the massive new Louisiana Purchase and not enough knowledge of what is contained, President Jefferson wanted information. Hos solution was to send Meriwether Lewis to lead a military expedition to explore West of the existing States. Their goals were to find resources and waterways and establish trade, and thereby to build importantly on the United States as a nation. They also furthered the States' place as the dominant country in the region. -
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War of 1812
conflict at sea between the US and Britain had been at play for some time when things finally came to war. Jefferson's Embargo Act, designed to combat the British tactic of impressment, did not succeed, and was inherited by Madison. After a continued buildup surrounding trade rights, war began. After multiple years, and some quite destructive fighting, the war came to an end with no real change brought to the world. However, it did bring forward intent of peace for the future and new war heroes. -
McCullough v. Maryland
In light of Hamilton's financial plan, there was much debate over the economic powers of the Federal government. Such actions as the creation of the National Bank were considered unconstitutional by some, and this disagreement ultimately led to a supreme court case. The ruling was that the Federal government was constitutionally capable of creating a national bank, and that the state of Maryland was not able to tax it. This case importantly decided the workings of our economic system. -
Adams–Onís Treaty
Florida had returned to Spain's hands int he Treaty of Paris, and West Florida had been settled by American migrants. Rebellion of these stimulated the US to purchase it from a weakened Spain which was unwilling to fight to keep it. The resulting conflicts involved Seminole Indians, escapees of slavery, and General Andrew Jackson, who would gain even more fame through the affair. -
Missouri Compromise
At the point in time of Missouri's entrance into statehood, the standings between 'slave' and 'free' states were even. Therefore, Missouri's entrance raised contention: would it be slave or free? The balance was to be maintained. Henry Clay settled the debate like this: Missouri enters the union Slave, and Maine is added as a balancing Free state. A line was also created to divide what states would, when later added, be slave or free. This furthered the problematic North-South divide. -
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Age of Jackson
President Andrew Jackson had a very strong influence on American polotics and society. The former general's rise to the presidency represented a shift in who was part of American polotics. The 'common man' became politically important and democracy was strengthened. At the same time, the position of President gained power. In general, it was a time of optimism in the nation, which shaped its trends and policies greatly. -
Mexico Gains Independence
Centuries after Spanish conquest of the Aztec, Mexico, acquired its independence from the European power. This was of great pertinence to the United States, because the decisions made by the now-independent nation affected - and still affect - US affairs, being our Southward neighbor. Shortly after gaining independence, Mexico invited Americans to migrate into Texas, a region which had been hardly touched by the Spanish but would now go through a turmoil of chaotic and influential events. -
Monroe Doctrine
Triggered by the loss of multiple pieces of land by Spain, some of which were becoming Independence democracies, President John Quincy Adams employed a relatively new doctrine for foreign policy. The Monroe Doctrine, as it was called, was the policy of supporting new democracies in the Western Hemisphere and limiting European influence therein. The Doctrine was one of the early signs of the Untied States rising to the position of hegemon of the hemisphere, a status securely present today. -
Erie Canal Completed
During the early 19th century, the Market Revolution was fully underway in the United States. Transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture were changing rapidly with new technologies, building the US into an entirely new culture altogether. An important project of the Market Revolution was the Erie Canal, which connected Hudson Bay to Lake Erie. In addition to being an important representation of the entire revolution, this elevated New York City to even higher levels of importance. -
Second Great Awakening Fully Underway
Though it had been going on for some decades, the Second Great Awakening had momentum by the 1820s. This was a protestant religious revival which focused and refocused many people on religious ideals. Results of the Awakening included a new intent to convert natives to Christianity, a focus on 'soul-winning' as the goal of Christianity, and such ideas as temperance and womens' suffrage gaining momentum. -
Age of Reform Underway
Some historians have tagged 1830 as the start of the Age of Reform, a large wave of reform-oriented movements in the mid- 19th century. One of the most important was the first major American wave of Women's rights activism, starring such names as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony. Dorothea Dix was also an important name, workign to reform mental health treatment. Abolition was also an issue, one that would rise to the forefront during the Civil War. -
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Changes in Literature
As a greater proportion of the American population became literate thanks to public education, shifts were seen in American literature. From the 'bottom', where small-scale entertainment-oriented novels could be found, to the 'top', in which the American Renaissance was generating critically important works, this era was one of many wonderful and important written pieces of art. Indeed, we still read literature from this era and the increase in popular reading developed during it remains today. -
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The Bank War
With Andrew Jackson in office, the question of the National Bank was called into question again; that is, Jackson was a devout opponent of the Bank of the US. The economic strife caused by Jackson's figurative battles with Nicolas Biddle and other BUS officials led ultimately to a recession and new land-purchase policies. In the end, the bank went out of business; another perplexing episode in the complex development of the country's economic system. -
Trail of Tears Begins
The relationship between Euro-Americans and natives has rarely been friendly, and one of the worst episodes of all was the Trail of Tears. When gold was found in Georgia, the Cherokee who lived there went through legal whirlwind which ended in their removal from their land and march to Oklahoma. Around a quarter of the natives died along the way, marking a brutal chapter in the story of European takeover of the continent. -
"Manifest Destiny" Coined
The coinage of the term 'manifest destiny' itself is not so significant as what it represented: the massive will to expand Westward territoriality. The term was deep in a piece of literature, but it eventually caught on and explained the movement well: Americans saw it as their divine right and even expectation to expand as much as physically possible. This Westward tide eventually led to war, annexation, and more and wholly contributed to the US's dominance - for better or for worse. -
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The Mexican-American War
Texas was the spark of the Mexican-American War. Specifically, when the US triad to annex the future state, dispute rose over where Mexico ended and where the United States began. In the end, withe the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico ceded more than half of its land the the United States, establishing the Latter's boundary as the Rio Grande and further solidifying the nation as the dominant force on the continent. -
The American Dream on the Rise
although the term "American Dream" wasn't coined until 1931, that idea has remained one of the most integral and important aspects of the nation ever since. It represents social mobility, the chance for prosperity, and reward for hard work. However true or untrue it is, it has drawn immigrants in, driven politics, and had a large influence on the economy and pop culture for centuries. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin
The abolition movement Was ramping up. From free soilers to radicals, many Northerners were, on some level, opposed to the institution. Harriet Beecher Stone's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, which depicted life on a plantation, created even more abolitionists, strengthening the rising social force that eventually (though not without severe conflict) saw the end of what was likely the most brutal institution in American history. -
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Bleeding Kansas
As tensions over slavery continued to grow, two states - Kansas and Nebraska - were poised to enter the union. Rather than using the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska act decreed that popular vote would decide the status (slave or free) of the states. Two constitutions were eventually written, one slave and one free, in Kansas. Conflict over which would rule escalated into a bloody preamble which certainly did nothing to slow progress towards the Civil War. -
Panic of 1857
The windup to the Civil War well underway, another recession struck. The nature of this panic was that it did not particularly affect the South. This was taken by some Southerners to be an argument in their favor, "God's endorsement" of the horrific institution of slavery, further emboldening the approach to war. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
As conflict over questions of free and slave states and territories continued to rise, a critical supreme court case was decided. The court revoltingly decided that enslaved people were legally property and remained so even in free states. This invigorated Southern pro-slavery leaders and deepened the latitudinal divide. -
John Brown's Raid
Bleeding Kansas veteran and radical abolitionist John Brown wanted to end slavery. His plan was to start a massive armed revolt starting in Virginia, by raiding an arsenal at Harper's Ferry. While the raid failed, it further fed tensions that resulted in the Civil War, and placed more weight on the 1860 election. -
Election of 1860
Possibly one of the highest-stakes and most influential elections in US history, the Election of 1860 did many things for the nation. Aside from being the spark that ignited the long-prepared fire of secession, it put a president in office who would pay a critical role in ending the following war and contributed to Southern anger which lasted far beyond the War itself. -
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The American Civil War
After decades of conflict over the spread of slavery, Southern states followed through on their threats of secession. The result was a vast and bloody war, with Abraham Lincoln committedly seeking to restore the Union. After many historical conflicts and a sizable campaign of Total War, the war was over, the South in shambles and the nation faced with the task of healing. -
National Bank Act
In the midst of the Civil War, another important event in the timeline of America's economic system played out. The National Bank Act reestablished the national banking system and created a stable currency, among other measures having to do with war bonds. This was an important step in making the country's economic system the way it is today. -
Turning Point of the Civil War
A couple of years into the most brutal war American soil has ever seen, the tides began to turn. At the Battle of Gettysburg, after massive bloodshed, the Union defeated Lee's army, marking the Northernmost reach of the South's forces during the war. Then, at Vicksburg, Grant took the last South-controlled place on the Mississippi River. Grant also led a brute-force Wilderness Campaign, leveraging his superior resources to wear down the Confederacy. What followed was total war and surrender. -
13th Amendment
After a long struggle over and against slavery, the 13th amendment finally outlawed it in earnest. During Reconstruction, this meant a massive leap for the fairness of the country towards African-Americans. Thereafter, a strong system of racism returned. However, the fact remains that the amendment constitutionally ended one of the longest-running and most severe practices in US American history. -
Lincoln Assassinated
Abraham Lincoln, the man largely responsible for restoring the union and legally ending slavery, had enemies. One was John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor who thought Lincoln a tyrant. Almost immediately after the Civil War ended, Booth tragically assassinated Lincoln, making the president a martyr and spelling out just another gruesome episode in the fight for unity and justice. -
USA Becoming World Industrial Power
The relatively young United States had been gradually gaining power and tracking on the world stage almost since its foundation. A pivotal step in its becoming the world-leading power it is today came as a result of the boost in Northern industry during the Civil war, which catapulted the nation into the dominant world industrial status it would hold for many years. -
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Reconstruction
After the brutal and dividing Civil War, the country faced the challenge of mending. During Johnson's presidency, restrictive racial laws were passed in the South. Partially due to anger over this, radical reconstruction began in 1867. Thanks to strongly enforced new policy, African-Americans had more say in government and a higher standing in society than ever before - a status which would not last. Impressive as it was, reconstruction did not nearly end American racism. -
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The Gilded Age
As the name suggests, this period of time was characterized by corruption, poverty, and injustice, all of which was covered over - 'gilded' - by a layer of outer flashiness and class emanating from the upper class nationwide. Packed full of scandals and cash-grabs, the Age was a prosperous time for a few and a dreadful one for many others. It formed the background of many events into the early 20th century. -
KKK Formed
One of the most revolting and enraging stories in US history belongs to one of the nation's most revolting and enraging organizations - the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan, assembling from confederate veterans in the wake of the Civil War, quickly devolved into a group dedicated to maintaining, through intimidation and violence, the racist social order in the South. Despite the efforts of Reconstruction, the Klan and other groups kept horrifying racism alive - in the case of the KKK to this very day. -
Transcontinental Railroad Completed
After many years of debate, planning, and construction, the first railroad to reach across the United States was completed. Aside from being the source of considerable adversity between North and South (everyone wanted the railroad near them), it served a critical role in connecting the nation commercially, and brought about even more benefit from the Market and Industrial revolutions. -
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Currency Issues
Despite the new economic policy of the National Bank Act, economic turmoil did not cease going into the gilded age. A major set of issues surrounded the exchange between 'greenbacks' (currency notes) and gold and silver. During the Panic of 1873, the National Bank cut off exchange of greenbacks for gold, and silver coining was halted. While both of these measures were undone by 1878, the surrounding questions remained pertinent and controversial. -
A Century of Dishonor Published
In the long and difficult struggle for Native Rights, Helen Hunt Jackson presented a book that was far ahead of its time on the topic. The struggle was far from over, with the Dawes Act right around the corner, but this was a step. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Int he wake of reconstruction and further industrialization of the USA, a new law blatantly cut off immigration from one particular country: China. Aside from simply racism, the anti-Chinese sentiment at this time stemmed largely from the impression that the immigrants would take the jobs of other groups. This was another ugly chapter in the fight for equality and immigration ethics in the United States, which is still occurring today. -
Bureau of Labor Founded
In the midst of an economic situation ruled by large trusts and wealthy businesspeople, a governmental measure held some promise for the rising tide of the Labor Movement. The Bureau of labor was oriented towards helping specifically the worker. While the Labor movement and indeed the gilded age were far from over, this was a step for workers. -
American Federation of Labor
One of the multiple important labor unions during the Labor Movement of the Gilded Age was the American Federation of Labor (AFL). Led by Samuel Gompers, it organized only skilled laborers (making it less inclusive but less vulnerable) and had very clear-cut goals. The AFL played an important role in the process of giving workers a voice in their own conditions, and a form of the organization survives to this day. -
Dawes Severalty Act
The plights of American Indians at the hands of whites were, sadly and angeringly, far from over. The Dawes Act split up reservations into family homesteads, also allotting intermixed plots to white buyers. In addition, boarding schools were established in an attempt to integrate young natives into white society, destroying the culture of their heritage. -
Shift to Mostly New Immigration
The story of immigration int he United States is, to this, day marked with gruesome events and unfair politics. This was, perhaps, amplified around 1890 when the shift occurred from mostly 'old' (North and Western European) to 'new' (South and East European, Asian) immigration. In general, the new wave of immigrants did not assimilate as much into American culture, and many later political measures would make immigration and life much more difficult for these groups. -
Ida B. Wells Reveals Horrors of Lynching
Near the end of the Gilded Age, lynching was increasingly rampant as Jim Crow took flight in the South. This, one of the most gruesome of the the era's consequences, would not end until well into the 20th century. Ida B. Wells, a journalist investigated this and exposed some of its horrors publicly. -
Panic of 1893
Thanks to over-expansion of railroads, another panic stuck in 1893. During this, small companies started being bought up by larger, more stable companies. This represented a step towards even more consolidation and monopolization, an issue that would remain very much in the foreground well into the Progressive Era. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
In the vacuum of reconstruction, harsh measures were being taken by whites on every level to maintain the same racial caste system as before the Civil War. The supreme court case Plessy v. Ferguson aided and abetted this pattern by incorrectly stating that, constitutionally, separate, segregated communities and accommodations could be equal. While this would eventually be overturned, it was the theme of the Jim Crow South for decades to come. -
Wilmington Massacre
In North Carolina, the Fusionist party formed a fairly powerful alliance of poor whites and African-Americans. Wilmington formed a very important and promising town for many African-Americans. When some managed to get into office there, whites silenced the African-American press and a massacre followed. This was another grisly scene of intimidation and violence being used to maintain a racist social order. -
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Spanish-American War
In light of the US's recently reinvigorated imperialist sentiment, the nation went to war against Spain over many of the latter's colonies. The 'splendid little war' killed more Americans by disease than anything else, and the United States gained multiple territories from their victory. -
Insular Cases
The US's gain of new territory raised the question of what legal status extended to these non-state regions. The Insular Cases laid the rule down. Territorial occupants have less representation and different taxation, as well as differing travel allowances. This was an important aspect of the operation of the new American Empire. -
Election of 1904
The second election of the 20th century saw Teddy Roosevelt, a progressive, winning in his own right with his Square Deal platform. During this important presidency, Roosevelt spent time busting up trusts and other remnants of the Gilded Age. The first of three progressive presidents in a row, Teddy Roosevelt's election was important for the changes the nation would see over the course of his term and the next. -
Hay/Bunau-Varilla Treaty
The effort to construct a passage between North and South America - a connection between the Atlantic and Pacific - had been put underway before, by the French. However, the United States were the first to succeed. With guidance from French Bunau-Varilla, the United States employed the president's Big Stick policy to separate Panama from Columbia, subsequently acquiring the canal zone in the former and completing the important trade passage. -
US Forest Service Established
Environmental health was of increasing concern in the early 1900s. President Roosevelt was a conservationist, seeking responsible use of resources, and the Forest Service (formed under his administration) had similar goals. Its formation was an important step for environmental protection, but the friction between its conservation goals and the preservation views of those like John Muir created conflict down the line. -
San Francisco Earthquake
Not only was the San Francisco Earthquake a devastating event in itself, it precipitated other consequences. For one, the city somewhat turned on its Japanese migrants after the earthquake, leading to an anti-immigration Gentleman's Agreement with Japan. The earthquake also sparked a heated conservation/preservation debate surrounding Hetch Hetchy Valley. -
Federal Reserve Act
Another important step in the story of US economic systems, Woodrow Wilson created the Federal Reserve. This is to this day the central financial institution of the nation, and serves to regulate the economy. It seems that, in the end, Hamilton's idea of a national bank won out. -
Fighting Ends in the Philippines
After more than a decade of fighting between the United States and Filipino forces who were displeased with US control. Many Filipinos died, including in prison camps. Though Theodore Roosevelt declared victory there in 1902, the fighting continued. In 1915, the fighting ended and the long process of handing control over to the Philippines began. -
National Park Service Established
Though it had been decades since the first national park, Yellowstone, was instituted, the establishment of the National Park Service was another big step for environmental protection. The Service is one of the few government environmental organizations with the goal of preserving, rather than conserving, resources. It has since preserved many acres of pristinelands for the enjoyment of many generations. -
Shift in Party Progressivism
One of the many important results of the progressive movement was a shift int he platforms and goals of the two major political party. Specifically, the progressive movement had mostly shifted to being a democratic affair by 1916, characterizing the party in a light much more familiar to us now and forming an important fact about the important movement. -
Russian Revolution
In the midst of WWI, a massive revolution upheaved the order in Russia. It government was replaced by the communist regime of the USSR, or the Soviet Union. The immediate result in the United States was the First Red Scare, and the USSR went on to be first ally, then enemy for around half a century. Fear of communism in the US was a major concern throughout many events of the 20th century, and this was a large part of its root. -
Creel Committee Created
As typically occurs during war time, civil liberties were restricted during WWI. A large part of this happening came from the Creel Committee, or the Committee of Public Information. The Committee distributed propaganda and encouraged support for the war in such a way that, while few of these measures were legally compelling, society punished anyone who did not support the effort. This important pattern of rights restriction would be seen again during WWII. -
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US Involvement in WWI
War had broken out in Europe between the Central Powers and the Allied Powers in 1914. During his first term, Woodrow Wilson had managed to keep the United States out of the conflict, but the nation finally declared war on Germany in 1917, joining the worn-out allies. The German use of U-Boats made the war unlike any other in history. The trench warfare in France was brutal, but in the end the Allies were victorious. The repercussions from this war, however, would play strongly into WWII. -
'Spanish' Flu Outbreak
Right around the time of armistice in WWI, a massive influenza outbreak swept the globe. The disease killed tens of millions of people, many in the prime of life, and its spread was aided by the end of the war. This also contributed to a decrease in the birth rate, adding onto the blow of WWI deaths. -
14 Points Speech
International tensions were high surrounding the First World War, and the quest to calm them would not see significant success until after the Second. But an important, albeit immediately effectless, contribution to the effort was delivered in President Wilson's 14 Points Speech. The speech lay out principles of freedom and cooperation Wilson hoped the world would undertake, even as he brought the US into war. Its ideas also formed the League of Nations, predecessor to the United Nations. -
Schenck v. US
Among the chaos of war came a pivotal supreme court case regarding freedom of speech. Schenck had encouraged people not to enlist during the war, which he considered his right to free speech. However, the Court decided that when free speech presented a clear and present danger, it could be limited. -
Race Riots in Chicago
After an African-American boy who drifted into segregated 'white' water at the beach was lynched, the city of Chicago practically erupted into violence. In the end, many were dead, injured, or out of their homes. It was a hideous episode in the Jim Crow era, indicative of the volatile race relations of the country at the time. -
18th Amendment Ratified
Prohibition had been discussed for some time, and some demonstrated the debate over it as a fight between protecting women and children and protecting wealthy alcohol businessmen. In 1919, the 18th amendment made prohibition legal, and the Volstead Act prohibited alcohol's manufacture, transport, and sale. Prohibition formed an important part of '20s culture, while also demonstrating the downfalls of such a policy; among them, the creation of new forms of crime. -
19th Amendment Ratified
The road to women's suffrage was a long, difficult one. The 19th amendment finally provided women that right nationwide, taking a massive step towards evening the odds of democracy. True equality was still far off, and indeed is not present today, but this was an important step towards fully realizing the democratic principles of the nation's founding. -
National Origins Act
The National Origins Act was another giant negative step for the rights and liberties of immigrants to the United States. It referenced the 1890 census, before the switch to new immigration, to set quotas. Thereby, it disproportionately discriminated against the newer wave of immigration, representing continued nativism. -
Model T Prices at $260
Henry Ford's business was an important part of 1920's culture and reform. he pioneered the weekend, payed workers a living wage of $5 an hour, and drove down the prices of cars significantly. For a single businessman with a single company making, for a large part, a single product, the change Ford wrought in society is impressive at the least. -
Kellogg Briand Pact
In the wake of WWI, many nations of the world sought peace and security. The methods of achieving this, however, played a role in allowing the Second World War to occur. The Kellogg Briand Pact was essentially an agreement among nations to outlaw war. While this was a noble end, measures like this created a fabricated sense of security when war began brewing again. This drew concentration away from real steps towards preventing the war. -
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The Great Depression
Thanks in large part to overspeculation in the stock market and a lack of diversification in industry, the nation's economy went under in 1929, catalyzed by the stock market's Black Thursday crash. The Hoover Administration did relatively little to help the country out of the depression, but the later Roosevelt administration's New Deal paved a road to recovery. However, it was not until the industrial ramp-up of WWII that this horrible crisis truly came to an end. -
Election of 1932
The 1932 presidential election came during a time of turmoil in which the country's leadership was critically important. President Hoover, who had taken somewhat of a hands-off approach to the Depression, campaigned with the idea that 'it could have been worse'. His opponent, FDR, won and entered office with an optimistic outlook, a mandate, and the New Deal. His leadership was instrumental in the following events of both he Great Depression and World War 2. -
The First 100 Days
Roosevelt came into office and inherited leadership of a nation in deep trouble, as well as the legacy of an administration that had one little about it. The 'first 100 days' of his time in office were spent in alliance with congress, passing immense volumes of New Deal legislation. These policies formed the foundation of what would become the nations' best bet at recovery. -
Indian Reorganization Act
The shaky native policies of the US saw a bit of improvement with the "Indian New Deal". This Act undid the previous Dawes Act, returning tribal ownership. It also recognized, on some level and in some locations, the sovereignty of those who had been there long before anyone else. -
Social Security Act
A very important piece of financial legislation still high-profile today came as part of the New Deal. The Social Security Act provided benefits to get the elderly out of the workforce, as well as to aid others. The act was, at first, somewhat discriminatory. As this has become less the case, however, it has continued to be an important policy for many Americans. -
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US Involvement in WWII
Fascism was on the rise in Europe, with Hitler's Nazis re-arming Germany, Mussolini in Italy, and Japan all forming the Axis Powers. War began, and US initially made an effort to stay out of it. But when Pearl Harbor was bombed, the nation fully committed to the effort, and joined Britain, France, and the USSR as the Allies. The war was brutal worldwide, even more severe than the so-called 'War to End All Wars" Before it. The Allies eventually won, but not without massive international losses. -
D-Day Invasion
A large turning point int he European front of World War 2 came on D-Day, June 6, 1944. On this day, the Allies crossed the English channel, dropping paratroopers and then landing amphibious craft and inserting massive numbers of troops onto the beaches of Normandy, France. The result was a pushback against Nazi German forces that ended with Allied victory in Europe - an end to one of the most horrific regimes the continent had ever seen. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
World War 2 was a horrific war, and its horrors did not cease until its very conclusion. In the face of an unyielding Japanese military, President Truman made the decision to deploy atomic bombs over two Japanese cities. The result was utter devastation and uncountable civilian deaths. No nuclear weapon has been dropped since, but this was a bloodily influential event in international relations, generating fear and tension ever since.
