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The idea of the Manifest Destiny originated from John O'Sullivan when he said it was our destiny to expand into newly acquired Texas territory. This inspired the nation to instead move west and spread the population across the country. This eventually lead to many more events in this era
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This conflict between the Dakota settlers and American settlers was brought about when Americans started to spread west and take over land. Dakotas in Minnesota revolted against incoming Americans prompting the Dakota war. Americans eventually won the war and captured 303 members of the Dakotas which were almost sentenced to death if it weren't for President Lincoln. However, 38 people were sentenced to death marking the largest execution in American History. -
The Gettysburg Address, while just outside of the time of Reconstruction, is one of the most famous speeches in United States history. The speech inspired Americans to keep fighting in the Civil War and to continue the fight to abolish slavery. The most famous words from the speech, "All men are created equal," are some of the most important words to be uttered during this time from President Lincoln. -
The ratification of the thirteenth amendment was the first addition to constitution in over fifty years. This amendment marked the end of slavery and completed one of President Lincolns goals. Although President Lincoln never saw the affects of the ratification, it's legacy will live forever. -
John D. Rockefeller started the Standard Oil Company on this date. This marked the beginning of his empire and what would turn out to be one of the great American monopolies. Through this company, Rockefeller owned almost all of the oil production in the country along with the transportation of it through the railroad system. -
Alexander Graham Bell won the patent for the telephone on this date and within the next year the first telephone line was constructed. Three years later, over 49,000 telephones would be in use across the country. The invention is one of the greats of industrialization and one that is still in use today. -
The signing of the Compromise of 1877 effectively marked the end of Reconstruction as it put President Hayes in office. President Hayes was put into office after the highly debated election of 1866 on the promise he would remove all federal troops from southern states such as South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana. -
In 1901, J. P. Morgan bought Carnegie Steel from Andrew Carnegie as part of his plan to consolidate the market. Carnegie Steel was valued as the first billion dollar company in America, and was in great need of consolidation. Sold for a price of 500 million, Carnegie Steel was now in the hands of Morgan and his investors. -
Henry Ford began the 20th century with one of the most important inventions for industrialization. Ford invented the assembly line that would increase the rate of products being made in factories. While Ford saw this as an ultimate success, others saw the shortcomings as unions started to arise. -
The second Ku Klux Klan was officially organized in 1915 and was more a fraternity organization. All the same properties remained from the first Klan, but this one was seen on a much larger level. Full time members were paid and operations were carried out at state headquarters. This group lasted until 1944, but still carried out lynchings, murders, and several other acts of terror as the previous. The second Klan garnered a larger audience and more support than the last. -
The ratification of the 19th amendment marked a pivotal moment in Progressivism with women now being allowed to vote in elections. A long battle that went on for decades was needed to end women's suffrage and would leave a lasting legacy on American History. -
The Emergency Immigration Act was the first document that limited the amount of immigrants coming into the United States. The act stated that only 3% of citizens from any country, as counted by the 1910 census, would be granted access into the United States while all other citizens would be denied access. Just three years later, that percentage would drop to 2%. -
Black Tuesday, commonly known as the great Stock Market Crash of 1929. occurred when nearly 16 million shares were traded on Wall Street, effectively losing 14 billion dollars in one day. This event kicked off the Great Depression that would last for just about a decade. The wealth across the country plummeted and Americans everywhere were living in poverty and facing immense debt. -
In January of 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed as chancellor of Germany. After elections, Hitler assumed the role of a dictator. Hitler had one goal in mind and that was to regain the military might that was possible in Germany. Adolf's views are well known, as he was openly anti-jewish and often went to extremes to meet his goals. -
Despite the efforts of FDR's first new deal, the United States economy was still in shambles in unemployment was still high. President Roosevelts second new deal formed the Works Progress Administration, National Labor Relations Act, and the Social Security Act. These programs provided jobs for the unemployed, providing supervision for unions to make sure they were treated fairly, and set up a system for unemployment insurance as well as grant pensions to millions of Americans. -
The United States, who for the past year, had been supplying European countries with supplies to combat the Nazi's in World War 2. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked a U.S naval base in Hawaii near Pearl Harbor. FDR in return declared war on Japan, which forced Germany to declare war on the United States. The U.S was now at war against the Axis Powers. -
In 1933, Albert Einstein fled to the United States to escape the Nazis who had been experimenting with uranium. Einstein stressed that the United States start their own atomic research program, thus creating the Manhattan Project. This project employed 150,000 workers and cost nearly 2 billion dollars. In 1945, the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan. -
On this day, Jackie Robinson started for the Brooklyn Dodgers and broke the color barrier for Americas Pastime. This is a moment that is still celebrated today, as it sent a message that people of color wouldn't be limited and that they could do everything that a white man could. Facing extreme racism and often violent opponents, Jackie Robinson left a legacy on the diamond that will be felt for years to come. -
The case between Brown and the Board of Education sparked the debate of segregation in public schools. Facing backlash from southern states and even President Eisenhower who did not want to force schools to integrate with people of color, the court eventually ruled that segregation in the classroom was unconstitutional. In 1957, a Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas accepted nine black students, being the first school to do so. -
The March on Washington occurred on the 100th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and was a march that urged President Kennedy to act on the promises he made regarding civil rights. Nearly a quarter million people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial to advocate for the inequalities being faced by people of color.