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Jamestown is the first successful permanent English settlement in North America. The settlement was around for about 100 years and thrived. It set up trade with its homeland Great Britain. They also eventually formed there own government and taxes. -
In late August of 1619 20 enslaved African Americans were brought to the shores of Jamestown, Virginia by an English Privateer named White Lion. Slaves were a significant part in the new settlement of the American Colonies. The impact slaves will have on the new country will be substantial. -
The separatists came to America to practice their religion freely. They wanted a fresh start and a clean break from the Anglican Church. There were 102 Separatists that boarded the Mayflower in hopes of starting over and freely practicing their religion. -
The Puritans were Anglicans from England who wanted to come the America to purify the church. They thought that Bishops and Priests had to much power over church members. The Puritans left England because of Religious prosecution and economic reasons. They discovered and developed what is Now Boston, Massachusetts. They brought thousands of new settlers to the shores of America. -
The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witch craft in Massachusetts. More than 250 people were accused. 30 were found guilty and 19 of them were sentenced to death by hanging. The trials started because of church politics and disagreements. It lasted from February 1692 to May 1693. -
The Albany plan was a Union idea for the 13 colonies to be governed under a more centralized government. It means that all 13 colonies would be united and stand for each other. Its the first time ever anyone gave voice that we are stronger together than in different parts. The Albany Plan failed but it gave us the idea we would be stronger united than 13 separate colonies. -
The Proclamation of 1763 was a plot to keep the colonies under the strict control of England and the British wanted them east of the Appalachian Mountains so they could keep an eye on the colonists. This prevented the colonies expanding and making it harder for England to see everything there doing. -
The Sugar Act was established by the British Government to end the smuggling of sugar and molasses from the French and West Indies. The colonies would smuggle sugar and molasses because it was cheaper and better than the sugar and molasses Great Britain made. This act also made the colonies economy suffer as it increased the prices and reduced exports by the colonies. -
The first internal tax imposed directly of American Colonists by the British Parliament. It imposed a tax on all papers and official documents in the American colonies. The tax wasn't forced in England but only in the American colonies. -
Colonists were forced to house and feed British forces who were serving in North America. It impacted the colonists because they still had to pay for provisions and barracks for the army. This also made it harder for colonists to share there displeasure about Britain because they had government officials in their houses. -
Six British guards were guarding the customs house in Boston. The colonists start to throw snowballs with rocks in them. One of the snowballs hits a guard in the face and they all start firing their weapons resulting in 5 colonists dying. This impacted the relations between the colonies and Britain as the colonies wanted to become more independent now. -
This was the first major act of defiance by the colonists. A group of colonists, dressed as Indians, dumped 5 million dollars worth of British tea into the Boston Harbor. This was a protest against the tax on tea and it showed major rebellion and a desire for American independence. -
This was formed as the American's reacted to there punishment from Britain because of the Boston Tea Party. The colonies sent 12 delegates to Philadelphia where they decided they would remain a part of Great Britain as long as they gave them representation in Parliament and limited there taxes on the colonies. Conservatives wanted to fix things with Great Britain as Radicals wanted the split and declare independence. They attempted the Diplomatic way first and failed. -
The Second Continental Congress was formed because Britain rejected our idea of representation and limited taxes. This time all 13 delegates from the colonies were represented. They tried the conservative diplomatic way first and if failed, so they now used the radicals ideas of independence. The delegates charged Thomas Jefferson and others to write a Declaration of American Independence. The Continental Army was also established during this meeting and led by George Washington. -
The British are met by 77 militia men in the town of Concord. The militia men are protecting there armory from the British forces. The British force the militia men to stand down and as they are surrendering a shot is fired. As a result all 700 British forces open fire on the militia men, killing 17. The militia raise the alarm throughout the countryside and the British faced 1500 militia men. The militia kill 250 soldiers as they return to Boston. The American Revolution has begun. -
Common sense is written after intense fighting in and around Boston and before Independence was declared. Common sense lays out a passionate case for independence in the language of the common people. It is a great propaganda piece to persuade the people of the colonies to support for their own independence. -
The Declaration of Independence is the formal document stating the Colonies want to be freed from Great Britain. It was written initially by Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers. The document also contains the ideas or goals that we want for our new nation. The impact of the document is that were are now at war with Britain, fighting for our freedom. -
The Battle of Saratoga was a major turning point in the war. British General John Burgoyne and his army planed to move south where he would meet with two other British forces. When he arrives the other two forces aren't there and Burgoyne and his troops are quickly surrounded and force to surrender. This victory by the colonies turns the tide of the war. -
After the British defeat at Saratoga, General Cornwallis retreated to the coast of Yorktown, Virginia for the winter and the protection of the Royal Navy. Cornwallis wasn't aware the French Navy defeated the British fleet at the Battle of the Capes in September. Cornwallis arrives and is instead surrounded by American and French forces and is forced to surrender. This ended the major fighting in the Revolutionary War and made the United States victorious against Great Britain. -
The war between the colonies and Great Britain was over. The British acknowledged the independence of the United States. The American Revolution was ended as the 13 colonies were now know as the United States of America. -
Shays Rebellion exposed the weakness of the new American government under the Articles of Confederation. Shays Rebellion was an angry mob of mostly farmers who were not getting payed for joining the Continental Army. The government wasn't paying them and as a result the farmers couldn't pay the taxes the government forced on them. The farmers that were in debt were forced to sell there land off. -
The steamboat was a significant invention for the U.S. The boats were mainly used to bring goods up and down the Mississippi River. The boats were also used to carry passengers. The Steamboat was the first ever boat to be able to go upstream. Steamboats were powered by steam engines, and had the chance to have mechanic failures and blow up. Steamboats helped the economy grow because it cut down on the time it took goods and people to get up or down rivers. -
The Virginia plan was a proposed idea about how states would be represented based on population. It was biased towards larger more populated states as they would have more representation. The New Jersey Plan was a counter saying that all states should have equal representation and was favored by the small states. The Founding Fathers came to the idea of the Connecticut Compromise which was 2 sides of Congress, equal representation in the Senate and population based representation in the House. -
George Washington is sworn in as the first President of the United States. Washington establishes multiple government precedents and establishes the courts system and he establishes the Supreme Court. The establishment of the Presidential Cabinet was also formed to help the president over see everything. Washington's Inauguration is made possible because the U.S. won there war for independence against Great Britain. -
The Federal Judiciary Act was passed by Congress in 1789. It created and independent federal court system with the Supreme Court and lower level courts. It also established that the U.S. Supreme Court is to have a chief justice and five other associate justices. It has sense been changed to nine justices. This act impacted the U.S. because when ever something legal had to be decided on the Supreme Court would make the decision. -
Pennsylvania farmers refused to pay the new tax on whiskey until the American Army enforces it. They were mad about the new tax because it was a tax on imported and domestic alcohol. Alcohol was safer to drink than water at the time. Water could have had parasites and diseases where alcohol had none of that. This rebellion was the first test of federal authority in the United States. -
The cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney. The cotton gin removed seeds from cotton fiber which made this invention very popular in the south. It made the cotton industry in the south explode because now more cotton could be picked and sorted by the machine than just using slaves. It reduced the amount of time it took to separate the fibers from the seeds. This had a positive impact on the U.S. because they could make more cotton cheaper and made the economy and trade boom.
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This treaty was an important diplomatic success for the United States. It ended disputes over territories by Spain and gave the Americans the right to freely travel on the Mississippi River and use the port of New Orleans. This was very important for our new economy and trade as we could now trade with other countries in the lower part of the Atlantic Ocean. -
The XYZ Affair was a plan to repair relations with the French. The French people overthrew there king and the French wanted help from the U.S. to help save the monarchy. The U.S. decided to not side with any European country in wartime. The French were attacking American ships and the U.S. wanted to end that. The French demanded a bride of $250,000 before they would negotiate, this angers the American people and they want war. John Adams avoids war with French and negotiates peace with Napoleon. -
The Alien Act allowed the President to deport any alien considered dangerous. An alien is anyone who doesn't have doesn't have U.S. citizenship and is not a U.S. national. The sedition act made it illegal for newspaper companies to print any material that is critical of the President or Congress. These new laws also made it harder to become a citizen because you have to live in the country for 20 years instead of 5. The Sedition Act made it so that you only heard good things about the government -
James Madison, a member of Jefferson's cabinet found a letter granting John Marbury a federal judgeship. Thomas Jefferson the newly elected president at the time order Madison not to deliver the letter. William Marbury is outraged and sues because he thinks he deserves the position. He was one of Adams midnight judges that was appointed on the last day of his presidency. The Supreme Court sides with James Madison and create "Judicial Review" which is the right to declare laws unconstitutional. -
Thomas Jefferson initially sent James Monroe to negotiate the purchases of New Orleans from France for $3 million. Napoleon responds and says he will sell all of the Louisiana territory for $15 million to fund his military campaign. Thomas Jefferson puts aside his own views to do what is best for the country. The country doubles in size because of the purchase. It also secures New Orleans and the Mississippi River. The United States gained 828,000 square miles of land for only 4 cents an acre. -
As a result of the Louisiana purchase Jefferson commissions Merriweather Lewis and William Clark to explore the new territory. He also wants them the begin trading relationships with the Native Americans settled on the land. Jefferson's final task was for them to find a water route to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition helped the fur and lumber trade grow and they noted the best lands for future expansion and agriculture. -
The Battle of Tippecanoe was war between the U.S. forces and Shawnee Indians led by Tenskwatawa, the brother of famous chief Tecumseh. The U.S. wanted to settle on native land and later figured out the British were helping aid the Native Americans so we couldn't settle on the new land. The United States victory was significant because it ended the hopes of a large Indian Confederacy on U.S. land. -
Francis Scott Key, a prisoner in a British barge witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry for nearly 12 hours. The battle lasted all night and in the morning Scott Key observed that the American flag was still flying over the fort. Scott Key writes a poem called the Defense of Ft. McHenry, which is later turned into the Star Spangled Banner. This poem turned into the nations National Anthem and was created to celebrate a big victory over British forces in the war of 1812. -
The Battle of New Orleans was a major battle in the War of 1812. The British were trying to conquer New Orleans and expand into the new land the U.S. got from the Louisiana Purchase. The American forces led by Andrew Jackson out smarted the British and produced mass casualties. During the battle there were 2,042 British casualties and only 71 American casualties. This huge victory is responsible for ending the War of 1812. The impact of the war was that the U.S. gained international respect. -
When the voting concluded in the Election of 1824 none of candidates received the majority of the electoral votes. The 12th amendment says the vote goes to the House of Representatives. The candidate that came 3rd was Henry Clay and he was also the speaker of the house. He decides to drop out of the race so people don't think he used his influence in the House to gain power. The other candidates John Quincy Adams meets with Henry Clay and within the next few days Adams is elected as president. -
The Spoils System is when the winning political party gives government jobs to its supporters or people within their campaign as a repayment for funding or helping the political campaign. It started after Andrew Jackson became president and fired over 200 government officials from the previous presidents term. Jackson filled all of the jobs with democrats and people that supported his ideas. Andrew Jackson also felt that the normal American person could fill and success in a government job. -
In 1830, Andrew Jackson gave the federal government the power and control to exchange Native held land east of the Mississippi river for land to the west of it. This act freed more than 25 million acres of America's most fertile land for settlement. It also freed the Native Americans from the power of the U.S. government. This had a positive impact on the citizens because they got fertile land and protection from the U.S. government. -
The Nullification Ordinance started because the south was angry about the Tariff of Abominations and wanted to nullify the new tariff. John C. Calhoun a state representative from South Carolina believed the tariff was unconstitutional because it favors the north. Jackson tried to compensate and lower the tariff but South Carolina declined and declared the new tariff null and void. South Carolina also said they would secede from the U.S. if the federal government used force to make them comply. -
The Battle of the Alamo was an important event in the Texas Revolution and American history because it brought together the rest of Texas to fight against the Mexican army. Every single Texan/American defending the Alamo was slaughtered by the Mexican Army. The defeat at the Alamo made Texas more determined to win the war against Mexico. This impacts the U.S. because Texas wins their war with the help of the U.S. and becomes a U.S. territory. -
The Convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York and led by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cadey Stanton. It helped launch the Women Suffrage Movement and was a major reform of the 2nd Great Awakening. The Seneca Falls Convention helped fight for women's social, civil and religious rights. -
John Brown claims he is send by God to resolve the conflict of slavery. John Browns plan is to rob the armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia and kill every southern plantation family and free there slaves. His plan is to lead an armed slave revolt to demolish slavery. John Brown attacks the armory and barricades himself inside. General Robert E. Lee and the military kill Brown's men, but take him alive. As a result of the raid John Brown is hung for his acts. -
This is the start of the Civil War, South Carolina was the first state to succeed from the nation and were the ones to fire on Fort Sumter. President Lincoln planned to resupply the fort but couldn't because the Confederate Army surrounded it. After a 34-hour exchange of fire, Anderson and other Union Soldiers surrendered the fort. These were the first shots fired in the Civil War. -
This act helped westward expansion in the U.S. The government was offering 160 acre land grants to any head of household. The requirements were you must live on the land, farm the land for 5 years and must improve the property. This was seen as a chance to start over for some people and a chance the start their lives for others. -
This law offered government incentives to assist in the building of the first Transcontinental Railroad. The government hired 2 companies, The Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroad Companies. The incentives given by the government were $16000 per mile of track in the plain, $32000 per mile of track in the foothill, $48000 per mile of track in the mountains. The government also gave land grants adjacent to the railroad for every mile of track laid. This helped form little towns out west. -
Entering the 3rd hear of the Civil War, Lincoln tries to give the southern states that seceded the opportunity to keep their slaves, but they deny. The proclamation strengthens Lincoln's morale case for war and the Union's case for fighting the war. This is the first war with active serving African Americans in a war. The Union's idea of the war was to fight for the freedom of slaves. The proclamation also declares that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are now free. -
This is General Lee's final push in the Civil War. He decides to start attacking instead of letting the Union come to him. The Union end up defeating the Confederates which boosts the Unions morale and puts an end the Robert E. Lee's plan to invade the North. This was a big turning point in the Civil War as it gave the Union more confidence and swagger. -
After the Civil War ended Lincoln felt that the nation could only be unified again if there were no feelings of animosity towards the south. He designs the 10 percent plan which would pardon any Confederate leader who swore an oath to the Union and Constitution. It also said that any state could be readmitted once at least 10% of its voters had sworn loyalty oaths. The states also had to form new constitutions that banned slavery. -
This bill was a response from the Republicans to Lincoln's 10% plan. They thought his plan was to lenient on the south and wanted stricter requirements to be eligible to rejoin the nation. They proposed that 50% of a state's voters had to swear oaths of loyalty to the Union and only non-confederates were allowed to vote and hold political office. Lincoln turned down the plan because he thinks its to harsh on the south. -
The Confederate leader Robert E. Lee surrenders to Union leader Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Appomattox County, Virginia. Lee turned his sword over to Grant to show he is surrendering and Ulysses S. Grant gives it back as an act of respect. This officially ends the Civil War. There are around 700,000 to 800,000 total men lost. The Union wins the Civil War and forces the South to rejoin the nation. This also meant that slavery was now illegal in all states. -
Abraham Lincoln was the first president assassinated in U.S. history. He was killed by John Wilkes Booth while watching a play in Washington, D.C. His assassination dramatically changed the reconstruction era, because radical Republicans could now influence the new president Andrew Johnson into more harsh punishments on Confederate states. Johnson grew up hating plantation owners, but came up with is own reinstate plan that was similar to Lincoln's 10% plan. -
The 13th Amendment is ratified on December 6th 1865 making slavery illegal in all U.S. states. This means that slavery in now forbitten and a crime to continue to practice it. All of the slaves were now freed. The new freed blacks still faced intense segregation and racism in the South as most of them were killed or beat to death without punishment from southern state governments. -
With the working conditions being so bad and the wages being so little lots of America's workers decided to join labor unions. There were three major labor unions. The National Labor Union, Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor. By 1870 all three labor unions have more than 700,00 people in them. Some of the goals of the labor unions were to make working conditions better, to make the work day 8 hours, to raise wages and to add an age limit to people you could hire. -
This was the most important and biggest battle in the American Indian wars. The Native Americans won this battle and it is known as the most decisive native victory and worse U.S. army defeat in the Indian Wars. This slaying of U.S. military men helped the public think of Indians as wild and bloodthirsty. This battle also proved to be the height of Native American power as they finally stood up the U.S. military. -
This law requires most federal job seekers to pass a civil service exam which ended the spoils system. The law also provided that government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit and that Government employees be selected through competitive exams. This impacted the U.S. because to this day we still use these exams to award people government jobs. -
Industrial workers in Chicago held a rally to support a shorter workday. There were around 1500 people there to support the rally. The police were called to separate and attempt to break up the rally. As a result someone throws a bomb at the police and they start to open fire on the crowd. Protests, strikes and rallies were common back then as workers fought for more rights and freedoms. 7 police officers were killed and 8 protested died with 30-40 injured. -
The Dawes Act was equivalent to the Homestead act but for Native Americans. The U.S. split up tribal lands and made tribes move to smaller less fertile land. The natives ended up losing 86 million acres of sacred tribal land. This had a negative impact on Native Americans because the ones that took the land offered by the government had less tribal ties and a greater acceptance of white views. -
Jacob Riis creates the book "How the Other Half Lives" to show the American public what it is like to live in severe poverty in big cities. He brings to life the horrors of tenement house apartments and how unsafe they are. It was the first significant New York legislation to curb poor conditions in tenement housing. The American people see the pictures and stories he publishes and feel sympathy for the ones living in tenement housing and demand a change. -
This law was passed by Congress to promote competition within the economy by prohibiting companies to form a monopoly. Theodore Roosevelt wanted to break up what he considered "bad trusts" and wanted "good trusts" to succeed. The act made it illegal for companies to take over their industry. It was one of Theodore Roosevelts plans to use trust busting to make the economy more fair and have the smaller businesses succeed. -
George Pullman owned a railroad company and wanted his company to be more efficient. He lowered wages and laid off workers, while refusing to lower rent on homes in the town he created. As a result of the change the workers organized a strike which called for a nationwide strike for railway workers and made the railway stop during an economic depression. The government was forced the railway back into operation but with the cost of riots and $80 million worth of damage to the railroad. -
In 1896, the United States Supreme Court ruled, in a 7-1 vote, that "Separate but Equal" accommodations were to be made for blacks. This meant that segregation was legal as long as equal facilities were provided for both races. This was not the case as white facilities like water fountains and train cars were substantially nicer than those of the blacks. This impacts the United States because it kept blacks and whites separate and still didn't give blacks the rights or facilities they deserve. -
U.S. government officials received a stolen letter sent by the Spanish minister in Washington, D.C. The letter called President McKinley a "Would be politician", the letter also said that Spain had no plans to follow the deal they made with the U.S. about Cuba. This is all a result from a series of Cuban revolts that turn violent as the Cuban's wanted there independence. The letter also got leaked to a newspaper company which made the American people want war with Spain. -
As a response to the de Lomé letter, the U.S. anchor the U.S.S. Maine which is a Navy battleship right off the coast of Cuba. This is to protect U.S. citizens and economic interest in Cuba. While peacefully anchored the ship explodes killing 260 U.S. sailors. The U.S. believe that Spain blew it up, so we start a war with Spain where we defeat them and help Cuba gain its independence. It is later found out that the ship blew up because of mechanical failure and not because of Spain. -
This was Teddy Roosevelt's foreign policy. It shows force and military preparedness that was always ready for war. Its moto was "speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." He used his foreign policy when European powers threatened to seize control of south or central American nations. His policy was known also as the Roosevelt Corollary and was shown to be very powerful and not something to mess with or test. -
President McKinley was shot at a Pan American exposition in Buffalo, New York. The died days later of complications from his bullet wounds. This is significant because it now means Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt is now president. He was very famous and popular from serving in the military but the Republicans thought he was a wild card and would be hard to control. Roosevelt was one of the reasons McKinley was able to get re-elected because he was so popular and everyone loved him. -
After becoming President, Teddy Roosevelt created the United States Forest Service. President Roosevelt was an avid outdoors man and wanted to protect and preserve some of Americans natural wild lands and make them national parks and preserves. He established 150 national forest, 51 federal bird reserves, 4 national game preserves, 5 national parks, and 18 national monuments. He was the first U.S. president to prioritize conservation. -
The coal miners went on strike to protest the low pay and dangerous working conditions they were faced with. The owner of the plant refused to negotiate with the workers and the coal mine shut down. President Roosevelt realized a lot of Americans would go without heat this winter because of the strike and demanded that the owner negotiate or the U.S. military will take over the mine. This was significant because its the first time the government sides with labor over business. -
Lincoln Steffens wrote this work to expose the corruption of political machines and the cities sanitary conditions. Lincoln Steffens wanted to expose people like Boss Tweed that would rig elections and steal money from tax paying citizens. Also, he wanted the world and country to see the horrible sanitary conditions of living in the city. It was considered one of the bigger pieces produced by the Muckrakers and one of the most impactful. -
President Roosevelt learned of the ongoing tensions between Russia and Japan, and so he decided to invite representatives from Russia and Japan to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the war. The Treaty gave Japan control of Korea and much of South Manchuria, including Port Arthur and the southern half of Sakhalin Island; Russian power was curtailed in the region, but it was not required to pay Japan's war costs. Roosevelt earned a Nobel Peace Prize for deescalating the situation. -
This act was created because of the works by the Muckrakers. It prohibited the sale of misbranded or altered food and drugs in interstate commerce. This act also established the FDA or the Food and Drug Administration. Teddy Roosevelt was in such disbelieve after reading "The Jungle" that he knew there needed to be a change and it needed to happen quick. -
Upton Sinclair wrote this to support socialism. "The Jungle" was written to expose the horrible working conditions of the meat packing industry. It shines a light on abuses and shares vivid and disturbing stories about the facilities. It mentions how there isn't just meat in the processer machine and how there could be diseases and even human meat in the stuff that gets packaged up. As a result President Teddy Roosevelt made the The Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act. -
This act prohibited the sale of altered or misbranded livestock and derived products as food and ensured sanitary slaughtering and processing of livestock. Teddy Roosevelt made it so that the slaughter house conditions were safer and that the meat was safer to eat and had less diseases and outside things in it. This act was created because of the conditions in the meat packing industry that were detailed in great depth in Upton Sinclair's 1906 novel, "The Jungle." -
Teddy Roosevelt promised he would stick with the precedent 2 terms. Since he filled most of McKinley's term he thought he filled both turns. William Howard Taft was elected to replace him. He breaks up more trusts than Roosevelt and creates more national parks and preserves. He also creates the Children's Bureau but he also allows other reforms to slide. Teddy Roosevelt becomes mad at Taft for not acting out his reforms and decides to create the Bull Moose Party to run against Taft. -
This was President Taft's foreign policy. It stated to give money and guaranteeing loans to foreign countries in the hopes that it would strengthen economic ties, garner good will and earn the U.S. preferential treatment in trade negotiations. As a result it raised taxes for most Americans. It was also used to ensure the financial stability of a region while protecting and extending U.S. commercial and financial interests there. -
The government was inefficient and corruption needed reformed too. Robert LaFollette believed in our government but also believed in a more perfect version of it. He thought his plan was incorruptible and railed against those who would cheapen it. The Wisconsin Plan included recall, referendum, initiative, directly elected senators and the Australian Ballot. He also believed the national government was too big to react to the needs of local communities in individual states. -
When Teddy Roosevelt created the Bull Moose Party that split the vote for the Republican Party and that never works. Wilson easily won the 1912 election and was the first Democratic president in 16 years. He pledged to break up big trusts but saw little distinction between good or bad trusts. He also passed the Clayton Act to strengthen Sherman's Anti-Trust Act. He also create the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Reserve and the Underwood Tariff Bill. -
The Federal Reserve was created by Woodrow Wilson to re-organize the countries banking system. It was a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system. It made it easier for banks to survive and for Americans to trust banks with their money. The Federal Reserve or "The Fed" is a central bank that looks over banks and stores money. -
This bill lowered the tariffs and instituted the nations first income tax under the 16th amendment. The bill also reduced average rates from 40 percent to 25 percent. Its purpose was to also reduce levies on manufactured and semi-manufactured goods and to eliminate duties on most raw materials. The income tax helped make the federal government more powerful and was the main source of revenue for the government. -
The Clayton Act helped make the Sherman Anti-Trust Act stronger and more powerful. The act defined unethical business practices, such as price fixing and monopolies, and upholds various rights of labor. It is different from the Sherman Act because the Sherman Act only declared monopoly illegal, the Clayton Act was defined as illegal certain business practices that are favorable to the formation of monopolies or that result from them. -
Also know as the "FTC", it was made to help regulate interstate commerce and look into trading violations on Wall Street and in the stock market. Its mission was to protect consumers and competition by preventing anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices. it also gave the U.S. government a full complement of legal tools to use against anticompetitive, unfair, and deceptive practices in the marketplace. -
The Lusitania was a civilian ship that was sunk by the German's unrestricted submarine warfare. The German's sunk the ship without warning. The U.S. government was very upset and mad after learning about the sinking of the Lusitania that resulted in killing 128 Americans. It put the country on edge as President Wilson considered to enter World War 1 or not. The sinking of the ship made the American public feel more strong about entering the war and fighting against Germany. -
After the sinking of the Lusitania, Germany feared the U.S. entering the war so they became allies with Mexico. The Zimmerman Telegram was a message from the German foreign secretary, Arthur Zimmermann, to the German ambassador to Mexico proposing a Mexican-German alliance in the case of war between the United States and Germany. Mexico also wanted to take back Texas and wanted Germany to help them. President Wilson learned of the telegram and decided to join World War 1 just 2 months later. -
Many African Americans from the south moved the north to fill the jobs left by soldiers in World War 1. The newly established black community saw a flourishing of black artistic expression. The Harlem Renaissance was also a turning point in black cultural history. Black journalists, poets musicians and artists created a pride in being black and wrote about the experience of being black. Jazz also became popular during this time and quickly became popular with both black and white Americans. -
This granted the women the right to vote. The rise in the Women's Suffrage Movement helped women gain the right to vote. This took decades and lots of protests and non violent marches for women to finally get a say in politics. All United States females now had the ability to cast there voice and vote for who they thought was best. -
The Treaty of Versailles was signed by Germany and the Allied Nations ending World War One. Germany agreed to pay financial reparations, disarm, lose territory, and give up all of its overseas colonies, it was also required to give away its Navy to the allies but Germany decided to sink their ships instead. There military could also only be 100,000 men, no submarines or airplanes, and only six battleships. The Treaty was created to make sure Germany never had the strength to rise up again. -
Sacco and Vanzetti were two Italian immigrants and admitted to being being anarchists. They were charged with the murder of an employee of a shore store and were found guilty with very little evidence. Animosity toward immigrants and those with dangerous political positions were highlighted in this case. They were convicted because of their political views and were eventually sentenced to death. The Italian Immigrants fought for the 2 brothers and protested their convictions. -
This act limited the number of immigrants who can come to the U.S. to only 2% of the number of people from that country in the U.S. in 1890. This act affected every immigrant trying to get into the U.S. The U.S. preferred immigrants who were at least 21 who were skilled in agriculture and their wives and dependent children under 16. The U.S. made this act because they realized how many people were now entering the country and had to limit its capacity. -
A town in Tennessee banned the teaching of evolution and a local science teacher named, John Scopes, taught it anyways. He was charged and brought to trial and found guilty. However the case heightened tensions and sparked a debate that persists even today. The Scopes trial turned out to be one of the most sensational cases in 20th century America. This case took the publics attention and made millions of Americans aware of the ACLU for the first time. -
The Stock market crashes and this kick starts the Great Depression. The crash was a symptom of banks lacking money, people losing savings, debts growing, and no cash was left. Production of goods stopped, workers were fired, consumption declined and companies were no longer making profits. People lost their life savings because banks closed and farms and homes were foreclosed on. The unemployment hit a record high of 25% and there were extreme high levels of debt in the U.S. -
President Roosevelt promised programs to address the depression and focus on relief, recovery and reforms. He changed the role of the government and created enormous debt spending. He created the New Deal which was aimed at creating new agencies and programs to protect people from economic disaster and provide relief or temporary work. He was loved by the American people and was thought of as a tireless worker helping the American people get out of a depression. -
This administration was created to regulate trading practices in stocks and bonds. It has a three-part mission to protect investors, maintain fair, and efficient markets and facilitate capital formation. Its plan was to eliminate insider trading and people taking unfair advantages in the stock market. The American people wanted to get rich again fast and didn't care if it was legal or illegal. -
The Social Security Act was established to act as a safety net for all Americans. It takes a percent of your paycheck and saves it for a type of retirement fund. The check they would give you was intended to supplement not replace income. This bill made it easier for older people to retire because now they wouldn't be losing their income. It ensured that once an individual reached the age of retirement, they would receive some sort of compensation. -
This was the biggest agency in Roosevelts New Deal. It employed over 8 million people and had a $2 billion fund. It worked on bridges, reservoirs, irrigation, sewage, schools and playgrounds. The workers got paid the minimum wage, but were able to get a job. Roosevelt knew that the countries unemployment rate needed to be low for the country to get out of a depression. The WPA would get workers from employment, charity and soup lines. It provided jobs and incomes for millions of Americans. -
The U.S. demanded that Japan withdraw from China and Indochina. Japan thought an attack on the U.S. would be an easy win and a territory with an abundance of land and resources. The Japanese attacked in 5 phases and the attack lasted an hour and 20 minutes. The U.S. lost 188 planes, suffered 2,335 casualties, lost 18 ships and 68 civilians were killed. This attack destroyed the U.S. navy and decimated it. -
After FDR announced the U.S. will enter World War 2, the allies and the U.S. spend 18 months planning and training for D-day. D-Day was the largest seaborne invasion in history and was the turning point in World War 2. The night before the attack 23,000 paratroopers landed behind enemy lines to secure bridges and roads. There were 156,000 troops on the beach supported by 12,000 planes and nearly 5,400 ships. Within 7 days the allies controlled 80 miles of the coast of France. -
This was the governments way of saying thank you to the soldiers. the bill payed for education, whether that be college or a trade school. It also gave low interest home loans and also provided low interest business loans. This bill helped soldiers start families and create new memories. It had a huge impact on post war economy and made multiple new small businesses successful. -
The U.S. government decided to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki as revenge for what happened a Pearl Harbor. The bombs were also dropped to bring the war with Japan to a speedy end and spare American lives. The dropping of the atomic bombs is significant because its the first instance of atomic bombs used against humans which resulted in the killing of tens of thousands of people, destroying the cities, and contributing to the end of World War II. -
Levitt and sons created the first mass-produced suburban neighborhoods. New homes only cost $8,000 and allows families to move out of apartments or older building in the city and move out to the open suburbs. It also fulfills part of the American Dream to own a home. The houses were also easy to build because the workers would make the same model house over and over again while the new homeowners could pick the inside layout and color scheme. -
The Truman Doctrine stated that the U.S. would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from communism. President Truman asked Congress for $400 million on aid plus U.S. troops and advisors to help countries not fall to communism. Truman believed that the seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want. The U.S. didn't want communism to take over the world. -
Stalin wanted control over the entire city of Berlin. West Berlin was located deeply inside communist controlled parts of Germany. Stalin surrounded West Berlin and imposed a complete blockade on railways, roads and canal traffic. He wanted to cut West Berlin off from the world, so that they would have to fall to communism. President Truman decided they were going to keep West Berlin and came up with Operation Vittles which was airlifts by planes that would drop off food and supplies. -
George Marshall had a famous speech at Harvard in 1947 where he proposed his Marshall plan to help Europe develop infrastructure and industrialization. Mostly all of Europe was rubble because of the intense bombing of the wars and the U.S. didn't want the USSR taking over Europe with communism. The Marshall Plan was created to modernize and get European countries back on their feet. It was a major success as countries rebuilt infrastructure and increased production in agriculture and energy. -
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was 10 European countries, the United Stars and Canada. It was an alliance that brought together free and sovereign countries in order to create a collective security system. The purpose of the alliance is specified as "An armed attack on one is an armed attack on all". NATO is mostly European countries that stood up to communism and wanted to fight and defend each others countries. -
Communist North Korea pushed and attacked the South Korean and unprepared and surprised U.S. troops all the way to Pusan in South Korea. General Douglas Macarthur was in control of the United Nations forces and made a brilliant invasions at Inchon which threatened to trap all the North Korean forces fighting near the Pusan perimeter. The U.S. and South Korean troops pushed North Korean forces pretty close to the existing border where an armistice was signed and the border was decided. -
Plessy determined that schools could be separate or segregated if they were equal. The schools were not equal. Black schools were out of date and had low level books and material. They also were smaller with fewer services and had less qualified teachers. A young black lady named Linda Brown had to walk past 2 white schools every day to get to her black school. She took her case to court and was represented by Thurgood Marshall. They ended up winning the case and overturning Plessy. -
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white person and ended up getting arrested for it. The black leaders organize a boycott and 40,000 blacks in Montgomery participate in the boycott which lasted for 382 days. The bus companies eventually join in fighting the law in order to end the boycott and regain black customers which made up 75% of their business. Rosa Parks was selected by a local civil rights group to challenge the Jim Crow laws and be willing to get arrested. -
This was the largest public works project in history. It updated and modernized America's roadways. It connected and intertwined the country and made it a lot easier to transport goods and to travel. Eisenhower also made it so that the interstate could act as emergency runways incase an enemy destroys our air fields. The act also reduced manufacturing and distribution for companies which made the U.S. more competitive in world markets. -
Plessy had been struck down in 1957 but integration was still being blocked by local and state governments in the south. Blacks were now allowed to go to white schools but feared for their safety and the treatment they would receive. 9 students were picked to start the integration into white schools. They were threatened and even blocked from entering by the police. Eisenhower ordered that the 9 kids get escorted by the 101st airborne division to make sure they made it to school. -
In Greensboro North Carolina, 4 black college students sat down at a segregated lunch counter at Woolworths. When they are denied, they refuse to leave and begin a sit-in. This group of young men inspire other similar sit-in protests at lunch counters throughout the south. 6 months after the 4 North Carolina students were denied service, they were now entitled to be served lunch at the same Woolworths lunch counter. -
Over 1000 student volunteers both black and white, organized by CORE and SNCC began taking rides throughout the south to test new laws outlawing segregation in bus and railways stations. Several groups of riders are viscously attacked and buses were bombed by mobs of angry white racists. The police chief would intentionally delay getting on scene so the racists had more time to seriously damage people. Pictures surface of the bus being bombed and there is nationwide support for the students. -
A revolt in Cuba successfully overthrew the government and converted to communism. The new president JFK decided to back U.S. forces out of a planned invasion with Cuban exiles. At the same time U.S. intelligence began receiving report of soviet missiles in Cuba. Aerial photos for a U.S spy plane confirmed that the USSR were installing nuclear missiles in Cuba and planned to aim them at the U.S. Almost all major U.S. populations were in danger with Cuba being so close. -
President John F. Kennedy was in Dallas, Texas when he was shot 2 or 3 times and was later pronounced dead. This made Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson the President now. JFK's assassination was helpful to the fight for Civil Rights because Lyndon B. Johnson was very supportive of Civil Rights and wanted segregation and Jim Crow Laws to end. President John F. Kennedy was arguable one of the most well-loved Presidents and accomplished many things as President.
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The SCLC decided to plan a march and rally in Washington D.C. and had support from the NAACP, SNCC, CORE. There were over 250,000 people in attendance with people coming from all over the country. Martin Luther King Jr. says his famous "I Have a Dream" speech that talked about ending segregation and for everyone to have freedom. The march was successful in pressuring President John F. Kennedy to initiate a strong federal civil rights bill in Congress. -
This act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin. It ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination. It is considered one of the crowning legislative achievements of the civil rights movement. It also helped schools integrate and for everyone to have the same resources and tools. -
This law was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson and it banned the discrimination in local, state and national elections and pulling places. The law also banned literacy tests, intimidation tactics and physical violence. It meant that now everyone can vote, all nationalities and all genders are now able to vote. African Americans were used to being turned down to vote and having to jump through lots of hoops but now they just have to show they are of age and are an American citizen. -
This was a major political scandal that occurred during President Nixon's re-election campaign. 5 men broke into the Democratic National committees headquarters and wanted to steal information about there nominee. The 5 men were caught and President Richard Nixon tried to cover up the scandal and hide it from the public. The Watergate scandal resulted in Nixon's resignation and 69 government officials being charged and 48 being found guilty. He decided to resign before Congress could impeach him -
This was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case about if abortion is legal or not. The Supreme Court justices restricted state laws about banning abortion and would rule them unconstitutional. The court ruled the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman's liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. This resulted in abortion being legal and most doctors and nurses will abort children up the 12 weeks in the mothers womb.
