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The Underground Railroad
Between 1810 and 1850 approximately 100,000 slaves through their escape and migration North, which was aided by the Underground Railroad. This resulted in a push from the South for stricter fugitive slave laws, which increased tensions between the North and South. -
Gold found at Sutter's Mill
The finding of gold in Sutter's Mill prompted a mass migration to California known as the Gold Rush. This movement became significant in history because it led to the development of California as a lawless area. In addition, it led California to apply for statehood. As a free state, this threatened to upset the balance in the House of Representatives concerning slavery and increased tensions. -
Bessemer Process
The Bessemer Process redefined steel manufacturing, making it more affordable to produce and more accessible. The availability of steel allowed for advancements in architecture and other products. One of the most significant effects of this was that it allowed for the construction of taller buildings, which led to the upward expansion of cities. *exact year is not given, occurred in the 1850s -
John Hale runs for the Free Soil Party
By running as a third party candidate in favor of limiting or abolishing slavery, Hale forced the other two candidates, Franklin Pierce and Winfield Scott to take a side on the issue of slavery. This increased sectional tension and accelerated conflict over the issue. -
Lincoln-Douglas Debates Begin
These debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas for the Illinois Senator elections provided publicity for Lincoln. The debates were influential in him gaining the Republican nomination for presidency. -
Democrat Party Splits
Prior to the election of 1860, the Southern and Northern states divided within the Democratic Party. This resulted in rivaling conventions of Northern and Southern delegates and the compromising Constitutional Union Party. It reflected the division in the wider political spectrum and foreshadowed the Civil War. -
South Carolina Seceeds
After the election of Abraham Lincoln, South Carolina held a special conference in which they voted to leave the union. This prompted other Southern states to follow in this pattern and it directly led to the Civil War -
The Freedmen's Bureau is formed
The Freedmen's Bureau was formed to provide education, medical care, and other social and economic services to freedmen and white refugees in response to the lack of resources available to these individuals after the Civil War. It hoped to reduce the gap between freedmen and whites. -
Reconstruction Act
The Reconstruction Act divided the South into five military districts for the duration of the Reconstruction period. It also made the requirements for states to re-enter the Union more demanding, requiring them to ratify the 14th Amendment. This act aimed to retain Northern control in government and over the South. -
Women's Christian Temperance Union forms
The Women's Christian Temperance Union was a group that aimed to ban alcohol from the United States. They professed that alcohol could ruin families and the exclusion of women from alcohol-driven facilities hurt their political influence. It represented a push by women to gain political influence. -
Haymarket Square Riot
This protest by the Knights of Labor sparked conflict when a bomb was thrown from the crowd. The events resulted in eight deaths and eight arrests. As a result, trust in and public opinion of labor unions decreased greatly and membership in the Knights of Labor dropped. -
Interstate Commerce Act
The Interstate Commerce Act was passed in response to the corruption in the railroad system. It outlawed such methods as pooling and raising rates for shorter trips. This was significant as one of the first instances of the Federal government providing restrictions on the operation of businesses for the benefit of the people. -
"How the Other Half Lives" is published
This series of photographs published by Jacob Riis highlighted the unsuitable conditions that the poor, especially immigrants, were forced to live in. It's intent was to make the well-off population aware of the struggles faced by the lower class to promote reform to improve these conditions -
Destruction of the USS Maine
The USS Maine, sent by President McKinley to Cuba to defend American citizens there, was destroyed, killing 266 people. Although they were not the cause of the incident, the Spanish were blamed, prompting America to intervene in Cuba's civil war and starting the Spanish-American War. -
Roosevelt Corollary
This corollary to the Monroe Doctrine allows the United States to act as a policing power over other nations in the Western Hemisphere. It promoted imperialism in the name of spreading civilization and American values. -
"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair
This muckraking novel outlined the poor labor conditions involved in the meat industry in attempt to promote labor reform. The novel led to the passing of the Meat Inspection Act and the Food and Drug Administration; however, it had less of an effect towards its actual goal of labor reform than it did in reform of food quality standards. -
17th Ammemdment
The Seventeenth Amendment made it so that Senators are directly elected into office instead of being appointed directly by election. This made the process more democratic and less influenced by corruption. This reflected the movement of the Progressive Era towards limiting political corruption. -
Jones Act
This act extended American Citizenship to Puerto Rico. It also established self government in the territory. -
18th Amendment/Prohibition
The banning of alcohol in the United States represented the growing political influence of women in the United States as groups like the Women's Christian Temperance Union took action for social reform. Although the amendment would be revoked later, it reflected the action being taken against political corruption and social issues associated with alcohol. -
Radio Develops
At this time, radio broadcast began developing, allowing for increased communication across greater distances. Radio stations would come to inform citizens about news and politics and made entertainment like sports more broadly available. -
Crop Prices Drop and Overproduction
Following the end of the war, farmers saw less profits from their crops because the government was no longer bolstering crop prices as they were during the wartime economy. This, combined with overproduction, offset the balance of supply and demand for farmers. They could not sell their goods at high enough prices to make a living. Over time, this contributed to unemployment and was one of the major factors leading to the Great Depression -
Hyperinflation in Germany
Hyperinflation in Germany and overall poor economic conditions in greater Europe contributed to the Great Depression in America. The economic instability affected the American access to international trade. Therefore, America did not have as great a market to sell excess goods too. In addition, the economic situation in Europe made the repayment of war debts unreliable. -
Scopes Trial
This trial found a Tennessee teacher, John Scopes, guilty of teaching the theory of evolution, which had been outlawed in the state. The trial reflected the desire to protect Christian values at the time. The defense of these values shows the changing values of society towards materialism and such things as the flapper movement. In addition, it represents the pro-Christian nationalism adopted by groups such as the KKK. -
Execution of Sacco and Vanzetti
Two Italian immigrants, Sacco and Vanzetti were controversially charged for murder and executed. Although they may have been involved in the murder, their trial was highly influenced by their known radical and anarchist beliefs. The trial reflected the tension throughout the nation regarding anti-immigration and nationalism. -
Stock Market Crash
After suspicion in the stock market after Britain raised their interest rates, on "Black Tuesday" 16,410,030 stocks were sold in personal attempts to save oneself from financial loss. Because stockholders sold for low prices, $40 billion dollars valued in the stock market was lost. This hampered industry and industrial growth, leading to the mass unemployment associated with the Great Depression -
Drought in Mississippi Valley
One contributing factor to the Great Depression was a drought that affected the Mississippi shortly after the stock market crash. The drought hurt farmers, causing them to sell their land. The displacement of farmers contributed to the unemployment in cities. -
Banking Act and Bank Holiday
The banking act and emergency bank holiday were instituted early in Roosevelt's presidency to restore stability to the banking system. The act allowed banks greater access to currency on the basis of valid assets and set up reform for unorganized banks. The act was the product of the advice of the Brain Trust -
Social Security Act
Institutes unemployment insurance, retirement insurance, and support for the blind, disabled and otherwise dependent. The payments were financed through a tax on workers and employers. This act sparked controversy between parties, with Republicans claiming that it offered welfare as a reward for laziness. -
Court Packing Plan
Roosevelt appealed to Congress for the ability to add additional justices to the Supreme Court to account for the justices over the age of 70 who were not retiring. Roosevelt felt that this would bring more energy to the court and make them more prompt and effective in performing their duties. However, this was seen as a power move on Roosevelt's part in order to gain higher control over the courts by appointing multiple justices. -
Invention of the Transistor
The invention of the transistor led to a boom in new technologies in the following decade. The transistor allowed for the advancement of electric products and made computers much more compact. These advancements allowed for improvements in business and commerce. -
Eisenhower visits Korea
Following a campaign promise to personally go to Korea to end the war, Eisenhower visited Korea for three days. This supported his sincere political style. The armistice in Korea was signed 7 months after his visit, after three years of fighting. However, there were no major border or political changes as a result of the war in Korea. -
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott
During the 1950s, Jim Crow laws were still in effect in many states, legalizing racial segregation. Rosa Parks, a member of the NAACP, was arrested for violating the Jim Crow laws in Alabama when she boarded a whites only bus. This led to a year long boycott of the city buses by blacks. This event reflected the continued racial tensions in America. In addition, the continued existence of the segregation contributed to a negative view of America in foreign countries. -
"The Feminine Mystique" published
Starting in the mid-1950s, the work force in America underwent changes that made more positions, especially in clerical and service work, available to women. This sharply contrasted the 1950s ideal of non-working housewives. Betty Friedan's book "The Feminine Mystique" criticized the idea that women belong only in the home and was a major contributor to the start of the feminist movement. -
Medicare and Medicaid
As a part of the Great Society program, LBJ instituted Medicare and Medicaid to help provide healthcare for the elderly and poor respectively. This followed 20 years after Truman's attempt to secure nationwide medical insurance. Medicare and Medicaid were part of the many reforms of the time aimed at reducing poverty. Medicare especially was successful in decreasing poverty among the elderly. -
LBJ abdicates
LBJ announced during a national address that he would not run for the next presidency. In this address, he also promised not to increase the number of American troops in Vietnam and to reduce the bombings in Vietnam. This followed the Tet offensive, which had high casualties and made many Americans call for an end to the war. LBJ's abdication suggested an end to his escalation of the war and was an attempt to calm the controversy and division that his handling of the Vietnam war had caused. -
Nixon orders invasion of Cambodia
Although Cambodia was officially neutral, Nixon ordered American troops to enter Cambodia with the South Vietnamese. Nixon did so without consulting Congress and his actions caused an uproar from the anti-war portion of the population. The riots at Kent State University (in which four students were killed) directly followed the invasion of Cambodia. After 2 months, Nixon withdrew American troops but the event increased the division between supporters and rejecters of the war. -
Equal Rights Amendment approved by Congress
Although it eventually fell short of passing into law, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) reflected the strong influence of the women's rights movement at the time. The amendment, originally proposed in 1923, challenged the idea that women should only carry out traditional gender roles. The bill was ultimately never ratified because of the concurrent conservative movement that stated the bill would eliminate certain protections offered to women and destroy the family structure. -
Nixon Resigns
After the Watergate scandal and the "smoking gun" tapes, President Nixon resigned from office. After the smoking gun tapes provided evidence that Nixon helped to cover up the Watergate affair, public outrage forced Nixon to resign or be impeached. His resignation exemplified that even the president must be subject to the law and the scandal greatly contributed to distrust in the American government. -
Carter's Malaise Speech
In the midst of the growing energy crisis and rising oil prices, President Carter delivered this speech to the American people hoping to dissuade the their concern over the oil crisis. The speech was viewed as insensitive and reflected that Carter had lost his connection with the mood of the American people. -
Appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor to Supreme Court Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman to become a Supreme Court Justice in 1981. This reflected the growing influence and prominence of women in government. She was one of the conservative justices appointed by President Reagan which would challenge issues like affirmative action and abortion. -
Iran-Contra Affair made public
Controversy and mistrust in the government was sparked again by this secret affair. The previous year, in exchange for American hostages, America sold weapons to Iran. The money was then sent by America to support the revolting Contras in Nicaragua. This was despite Congress stating they would not fund the contras and American support for Iraq. Although Reagan claimed not to be involved, the secrecy of the affair fostered distrust in government and foreign affairs. -
START II accord
Following the fall of Communism throughout the world, and especially the dissolving of the USSR, President Bush met with Boris Yeltsin, president of Russia, to reach and agreement on nuclear arms. It was agreed in the START II accord that they would reduce their nuclear weapons by 2/3 in in the next ten years. This reduced concern over who retained control over the nuclear arsenal of the USSR after it was dissolved.