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Purchase of Alaska
Alaska was purchased from Russia for $7.2 million. William Steward initiated for the American purchase of the land. This was significant because it ridded the continent of another foreign power. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Many of American citizens were annoyed with the Chinese as they were taking the jobs in the west which lowered wages and job opportunities. This act was the first significant law restricting immigration in the U.S. Congress passed this law to appease American workers and to account for concerns about maintaining white supremacy within the nation. -
Pendleton Civil Service Act
The demand and desire for civil service reform began after the Civil War because of the corruption within federal departments and agencies. The act created a Civil Service Commission which stated that federal employees could not be required to contribute to campaign funds nor be fired for political reasons, race, religion, etc. The law at first only protected 10% of the federal government but is quickly increasing and is currently close to 100%. -
Dawes Severalty Act
An act passed by the U.S. Congress that dismantled American Indian tribes, set up individuals as family heads with 160 acres, and attempted to make rugged individualists out of the Indians. The Ghost Dance led to this act being enforced. The act tried to assimilate the Indian population into the American, essentially turn them into "white" citizens which was unsuccessful. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act passed
Reformers moved Congress to pass this act after failing to curb trusts on the state level. The act was passed in 1890 and it prohibited any "contact, combination, in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy in restraint of trade or commerce." Unites States v E.C. Knight was a Supreme Court case which ruled that the Sherman Anti-Trust Act could be applied only to commerce and not to manufacturing as well. -
Homestead Strike
A strike against the Homestead Steel Works (part of the Carnegie Steel Company) in Pennsylvania against wage cuts. It was considered one of the most violent strikes in the U.S. and Henry Clay Frick was in charge of the mills when this occurred and his decision to use strike breakers ignited the not and helped stain the image of unions. The riot was ultimately put down by Pinkerton Police and the state militia. -
Panic of 1893
Considered the worst economic collapse up to the Great Depression in the 1930's which it is often compared to. It was a serious economic depression beginning in 1893 and lasting until 1897. The panic was caused by railroad companies over-extending themselves, causing bank failures. -
U.S.S. Maine explodes
The U.S. battleship exploded and sank in Havana Harbor killing 260 Americans. The Americans blamed Spain on the sinking which gave them an excuse to begin the Spanish-American War. It was later concluded that it was an internal explosion caused by a fire in the coal bunker. -
Spanish-American War
The war was caused by Americans' desire to expand as well as the harsh treatment that the Spanish had over the Cubans. The U.S. wanted to help Cubans gain independence from Spain. The war resulted in the U.S. gaining Guam and Puerto Rico as well as control of the Philippines. -
Treaty of Paris
A formal end to the Spanish-American War with negotiations from each nation. It confirmed the terms of the armistice concerning Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam. American negotiators startled the Spanish by demanding that they also cede the Philippines to the U.S., but an offer of $20 million for the islands convinced the Spanish to accept these terms. -
Panama Canal opened
Ship canal cut across the isthmus of Panama by U.S. Army engineers. The sea voyage between the east and west coasts of North America was greatly shortened. The canal was turned over to Panama in 2000.