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California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush is one of the key things that fueled westward expansion in the mid 1800s. Many Americans traveled west in the hopes of striking it rich. Unfortunately, many people would die along the way or come back with nothing to show, -
The Freedman's Bureau
The Freedman's Bureau was established after the emancipation of the slaves in the South. The goal of the Bureau was to help newly freed slaves become self-sufficient. Their duties included issuing clothing, rations, running hospitals and food banks, as well as supervising labor contracts. -
The Ku Klux Klan was Founded
The Ku Klux Klan is a white-supremacist terror organization that was founded in 1865 in Tennessee. The founding of the KKK was one of the key reasons that the reconstruction era failed. They hunted and lynched black people, and worked with local governments to ensure that freed slaves would not get the same rights as white men. -
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Great Railroad Strike
The Great Railroad Strike was the first major strike in the United States that spread to multiple states. It began in Martinsburg West Virginia after owners of the Pennsylvania and Baltimore and Ohio railroads announced that they would be cutting wages to accommodate their shareholders. The strikes were quelled with help from private militiamen as well as US soldiers without any substantial change to the worker's pay or working conditions. -
"The Gospel of Wealth" Published
In June 1889, Andrew Carnegie published his book "The Gospel of Wealth". It was a manifesto that said the rich should use their wealth and privilege to fund necessities for the less fortunate such as hospitals, libraries, colleges, the arts, and more. -
Chicago World's Fair
The Chicago World's Fair (officially known as the World's Colombian Exposition) attracted 27 million visitors and hosted expos from 46 different nations. Industrial advancements made allowed for the mass production needed to host and give out numerous souvenirs at the fair. The CWF also debuted many common things we see today such as the ferris wheel, the dishwasher, brownies and Juicy Fruit Gum. -
The Sinking of the USS Maine
In 1898, the USS Maine was sunk in Havana Harbor by an unknown explosion. US newspapers, fueled by "yellow journalism" painted the sinking as a deliberate attack by Spain. This urged the US to join the Spanish-American war by May, which was the first large war for the US since the war against Mexico in 1846. -
The Nigra Movement
The Niagara Movement was a movement lead by W. E. B. Du Bois, among others, that called for fair treatment of Black people. Du Bois drafted the "Deceleration of Principles" in 1909 which called for universal suffrage, the end of convict leasing, and universal education. Although the movement died out, it was the stepping stone for the creation of the NAACP in 1909. -
Creation of US Children's Bureau
President Taft created the National Children's Bureau in 1912 to protect the welfare of children across the country. It was used to investigate and bring awareness to the fact that one in six children were working. These jobs were mostly manual, with heavy equipment, and shifts were typically 10-12 hours. -
The Invention of the Assembly Line
Henry Ford invents and popularizes the assembly line. The assembly line was a method of using conveyor belts and stationed workers to quickly and cheaply build products, in this case, automobiles. Ford was able to drop the price of a new car to $300 in 1924, which is what drove America to have the car-dependent infrastructure it has today. Today, assembly lines are used to all mass-produced goods, and this innovation is what kicked off the mass production and consumerism we get to enjoy today. -
Assasination Of Franz Ferdinand
In 1914, the Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated while riding in his open-top car. This was the event that ignited World War 1, one of the most brutal and terrifying wars in history. The United States would later join the war in 1917. -
The Great Depression
After the economic expansion of the 1920s ended, the United States, as well as the rest of the world, was hit with the largest financial crisis in history. Over the next decade, The Great Depression caused people to lose their life savings as banks closed, unemployment to soar, and hunger and poverty to run rampant. -
The New Deal
The New Deal was a series of policies that helped lift the United States out of the great depression. It consisted of banking reform laws, emergency relief programs, work relief programs, and agricultural programs. The New Deal set a president for the government to be more involved in economic and social policies. Because of the New Deal as well as his leadership during World War 2, FDR is now regarded as one of America's greatest presidents. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Japanese launches a surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese used carrier attack planes equipped with bombs and machine guns to attack the US Navy. The planes themselves were also used as weapons when they were intentionally crashed into battleships in Kamikaze attacks. The attack of Pearl Harbor is what pushed the United States to join World War II -
Bombing of Heroshima
The United States dropped the world's first atomic bomb used as a weapon on the city of Hiroshima on August 6th 1945. This event is ultimately what ended WWII, after the Americans chose to drop the bomb instead of invading mainland Japan and was used to demoralize the Japanese army. It was the first of two bombings, the other was in Nagasaki. The two bombings killed up to 250,000 people. The bombing started the nuclear arms race across the world, causing paranoia in the American population. -
First Levittown Home Occupied
The first Levittown home was occupied in 1952, starting the rapid suburban architecture that is so common in the United States today. Wealthier white people wanted to move from urban centers into calmer suburban areas of the United States. Levittown was also notorious for its exclusion of black people, highlighting that the mid 20th century was still a highly racist time in our country. -
The Launch of Sputnik
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite to obit the Earth. This launch sparked fears in the American public, already fueled by the Cold War, that the USSR was becoming more technologically advanced than them, and could be using it to spy. This event kicked off the space race. -
"I Have a Dream" Speech
MLK's I Have a Dream speech is one of the most famous speeches in all of American history. He talked about his vision for a better America, where racism is gone and black and white children are free to play without prejudice. It is widely considered as the turning point in the civil rights movement, and the speech was given to a crowd of over 200,000 people. -
Assacination of JFK
President John F Kennedy was assassinated during a parade in Dallas Texas in 1963. This event caused the United States to heavily upgrade its presidential security, and the nation was deeply affected by the death of this very popular president. JFK is still fondly remembered to this day for his good looks, his push for the United States to reach the moon, and his progressive policies. -
Woodstock Music Festival
The Woodstock Music Festival was held on August 15th, 1969 in Bethel, NY. It was the height of the hippie movent, which advocated for peace and anti war policies among the youth in the 1960s. It was headlined by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, and The Who