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Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was a term coined by Horace Greely in an article he wrote in the United States Magazine and Democratic Review. The phrase was meant to encourage expansion into Texas, but it inspired settlers to expand westward throughout the nineteenth century. -
Assassination of President Lincoln
President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by Confederate supporter John Wilkes Booth during a play at Ford Theater in Washington. The assassination was part of a conspiracy to eliminate the heads of the Union government where Secretary of State William Seward was stabbed and there was an abandoned plan to assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson. Lincoln became a martyr for the North. -
13th Amendment Ratified
The first amendment added to the Constitution since 1804. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for the conviction of a crime. -
Civil Rights Act Passed
Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1866. This legislature declared that all persons born in the United States to be citizens, regardless of race. President Andrew Johnson vetoed the act, but congress overturned his veto. -
14th Amendment Ratified
The amendment declared that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens. The amendment also overturned the Dred Scott decision and the three-fifths compromise of 1787. President Andrew Johnson again openly opposed the amendment, which hurt his reputation. -
15th Amendment Ratified
The amendment granted black men the right to vote. It did this by declaring that a citizens right to vote will not be denied on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. -
Alexander Graham Bell Patents Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell was awarded the Patent for the telephone, even though he was not the original inventor. Bell created Bell Telephone, which later bought Thomas Edison’s version of the more modern telephone from Western Union. -
Pendleton Civil Service Act
The first piece of antipatronage legislation that was intended to award jobs based on merit to qualified individuals as opposed to politically driven appointments. This act created the Civil Service Commission. -
Construction Begins on Ten Story Skyscraper in Chicago
Construction begins on the first ten story skyscraper and finishes in 1885. At the time, it was the tallest building with the most stories thanks to technological advancements in architecture and materials. -
Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act
Following the publication of a novel The Jungle written by muckraker journalist Upton Sinclair claiming highly unsanitary conditions, investigations in to the meat packing industry were ordered by President Theodore Roosevelt. The investigations brought about the need for new standards. These acts made sure that food could not be mislabeled and protected consumers. -
NAACP Founded
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded by W.E.B Du Bois and others after the Niagara Movement. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
A fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory on the 8th floor, resulting in the death of 146 garment workers. The evacuation was hindered due to blockaded doors and flimsy fire escapes. -
Progressive Part Founded
President Theodore Roosevelt founds the Progressive Party and makes great strides in Social Justice during his presidency. -
U.S. Enters WWI
America entered WWI and declared war on Germany. This was after a series of American and British ships, including civilian ships, were sunk by German submarines. -
19th Amendment Ratified
19th Amendment ratified, granting women the right to vote. The Women’s Suffrage Movement had been fighting for this right for years, but was always overshadowed by other issues the movement supported. -
Ford Model T Sells for $300
Technological advancements of mass production assembly lines allowed for automobiles to be sold for less. This allowed even low income American’s to own a new Model T for $300 and a used one for as low as $5. -
Stock Market Crash
The stock market crash of 1929 marked the beginning of America spiraling into the Great Depression. Approximately 1/3 of American’s lost their life savings. -
Pearl Harbor Attack, U.S. Enters WWII
Japan sends planes to bomb pearl harbor, inciting outrage and causing America to join WWII. -
Atomic Bomb and Hydrogen Bomb
The use of the A-Bomb on Hiroshima and the H-Bomb on Nagasaki were the first weapons of mass destruction on that scale. The use of these bombs essentially ended WWI. -
Brown V. Board of Education Ruling
Landmark case Brown V Board of Education rules that segregation of schools is unconstitutional.