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Charles Darwin
charles Darwin published a volume On the Origin of Species. He set forth in lucid form the sensational theory that humans had slowly evolved from lower forms of life (survival if the fittest). -
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad went from Sacremento, CA to Sierra, NV. Four farseeing men, the "Big Four" were the chief financial backers of the enterprise. Leeland Stanford headed up the railroad efforts. Although they had tens of millions in profits, they kept their hands clean by not becoming involved in bribery of congressmen. Much chinese labor was used on this railroad. -
Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad is formed. For each mile of railroad constructed the company was granted 20 square miles of land, altering in 640 acre sections on either side of the track. For each mile the builders received a generous federal loan rangign from $16,000 on flat prairie land to $48,000 for mountainous country. -
Morill Act
Morill Act provides public land for higher education. "Land grant colleges," most of which became state universities, in turn bound themselves to provide certain services, such as military training. -
Salvation Army
Salvation Army began working in America. -
The Predidential Election of 1868
In the presidential election of 1868, the republicans nominated Gen. Ulysses Grant. Although he had no political experience, the idea was that his war-hero status would carry him to victory. The democrats nominated Horatio Seymour. His popularity took a huge hit when he said he did not support redeeming greenback money at full value. Grant narrowly won the election. His main technique was to "wave his bloody shirt" meaning to constantly remind voters of his military record. -
Transcontinental Railroad Completed
Transcontinental Railroad was completed in Ogden, Utah. As a celebration, a golden spike was driven into the track. -
Women's get the right to vote
Wyoming Territory grants women the right to vote. -
Woodhull and Chaflin
Woodhull and Chaflin's weekly was published. -
Election of 1872
Reformers started the Liberal Republican Party. The Liberal Republicans nominated Horace Greenly, editor of the New York Tribune, as the their candidate. The Democrats also endorsed Freenly since they were eagerto gain office. Grant won the election handily, 286 to 66. The republican congress in 1872 passed a general amnesty act; removing political disablilities from all, but some 500 former Confederate Leaders. -
Comstock Law
Comstock Law was passed by a self appointed morality crusader, that was used to prosecute moral and sexual disssidents. -
The Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 brought economic troubles. It was started by over-spending with burrowing money, this time in railroads and factories. The causes of the panic were: over speculation and too easy credit given by the banks. With no silver flowing into federal coffers, congress formally dropped the coinage of silver dollars. -
WCTU
Women's Christian Temporance Union (WTCU) organized. The Chautaugua education movement launched this women's organization. It was founded by reformer Frances Willard and others to oppose alcohol consumtion. -
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins university graduate school is established. -
Election of 1876
Samuel J. Tilden gained fame in prosecuting Tweed. Tweed eventually died in jail. He would rise to fame and become nominated for president against Ruthford B. Hayes. -
ASPCA
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was created. -
Compromise of 1877
The Compromise of 1877 marked more than the end of reconstruction. The deal was finally made in the compromise of 1877. The North got Rutherford B. Hayes elected as a republican president. The south got a pledge that Hayes would removal of military occupation in the south. -
Electoral Count Act
On Inaguration day the danger booomed that there would be no president. With a president needed, Congress passed the Electoral Count Act that set up a commission to resolve the crisis. There were 15 men on the commission: 8 republicans and 7 democrats. The republicans had the upper hand and were heading toward victory among the disputed states. -
Progress and Poverty
Henry James published Progress and Poverty. It advocated solving porblems of economic inequality by tax on land. -
Tuskegee
Booker T. Washington becomes head of Tuskegee Institute, to provide training in agriculture and crafts. -
American Red Cross
Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross. -
Barnum and Bailey
Barnum and Bailey ffirst joined to stage the "Greatest Show on Earth." -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Congress finally slammed the door on chinese immigrant laborers when it passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, prohibiting all further immigration from China. -
North Pacific Railroad
The North Pacific Railroad was built. It went from Lake Superior to Puget Sound. -
Pendleton Act
The medicine finally applied to the long suffering federal govenment was the pendleton Act of 1883-the so-called Magna Carta of civil-service reform. -
Time Zones
The major rail lines decreed that the continent would be divided into four time zones. -
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Railroad was completed in 1884. It went from New Orleans to San Fransisco. -
Election of 1884
The republicans nominated James G. Blaine for president in the 1884 election. Reform minded republicans didn't like this choice and went over to the democrats. They were called "Mugwumps," supposedly with "their mug on one side and their wump on the other." The democrats nominated Grover Clevelnad as their candidate. -
Grover Cleveland takes office
Grover Cleveland was the first democrat to take the oath of presidental office since Buchanan, 28 years earlier. -
Interstate Commerce Act
Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act. It prohibited rebates and pools and required the railroad to publish their rates openly. It forbade unfair discrimination against shippers and outlawed charging more for a short haul than for a long haul over the same line. It set up the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) which administered and enforced the new legislation. -
Great Northern Railroad
The Great Northern Railroad went from Duluthe to Seatle. it was created by James W. Hill.