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Stock Market Crash
In 1929, the expansion of the American stock market reached its peak. In October, the fall of the stock market began and people began to panic. On Black Thursday over 12 million shares were traded. Rich investors tried to stabilize the market by buying even more stock. This helped for a few days until a day known as Black Tuesday the prices of stock dropped completely. This wiped out thousands of investors and caused America and other countries to fall into the Great Depression. -
Roosevelt First Election
While working as the Governor of New York in the 1930s, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became a popular candidate to become the Democratic presidential nominee. He was a popular candidate because of his proposed new deal that promised to help Americans recover from the economic crisis of the depression. He beat out Hoover in the election of 1932. People didn't want to support Hoover any more because he was a sign of the depression and the hardships. -
CCC
During the Great Depression, millions of American young men were on the hunt for jobs. FDR created the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 as part of his New Deal to help give relief to those without jobs. Men in the CCC worked to create national parks and to plant trees. During the years they were around they helped create over 800 parks and plant 3 billion trees. This was an instrumental part in helping Americans recover from the effects of the depression. -
Social Security Act
The Social Security was one of many plans carried out by FDR as part of his New Deal. The act promised an income to those who were retired or unemployed. His goal was to decrease the chances of retired people from being thrown into poverty by losing money. Although at first the act was meant to help those who were unemployed, it serves as more of a financial safety net for retirees today. -
FDR Court Packing Scandal
While in office, president FDR released a plan that would increase the number of supreme court justices. He claimed that it would make things more efficient. Many people criticized this plan because they believed he was “packing” the court to cancel those who were against his New Deal. They also thought this because the Supreme court had shut down many of his New Deal plans in the past. -
HUAC Formed
The House of Un-American Activities Committee was a part of the House of Representatives. They were mostly active while the US was involved in the Cold War with the Soviet Union. They would investigate those who were suspicious of being communist or taking part in communist activity. If you were accused, you would have to go to a hearing and testify in front of congress. The HUAC’s investigations intensified America’s fear of communism during the Red Scare while the Cold War was going on. -
Germany Breaks Munich Pact
The Munich Pact was an agreement made between the British and French Prime Ministers and Adolf Hitler. The agreement was that they should avoid war but let Germany take Czechoslovakia. Hitler called that land Sudetenland and wanted to put in a new Pro German government. When Czechoslovakia refused this, Hitler broke the Munich Pact and invaded. -
Battle of Britain
During the summer of 1940, both the British and German air forces entered into a conflict. They went against each other in the sky during a bombing campaign. For four months, the two sides would clash in the skies over the United Kingdom. In the end, the Royal British Air Force would prove to be superior over the Germans. Winning this battle saved Britain from being invaded and attacked by the Germans on the ground. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
In the midst of World War II, Japan and the United States faced growing tension. The US was upset with Japan’s attitude toward China and their desire to expand their import market. In December of 1941, the tension was at an all time high. Japan decided to attack Pearl Harbor, a US naval base. This brutal attack destroyed a lot of military equipment and left over 2,000 Americans dead. Almost immediately after the attack, the US decided to go to war. -
United Nations Created
In 1942, FDR and Winston Churchill made a declaration to create an organization that would work for worldwide peace. 26 countries signed the declaration and with that, the United Nations was created. They agreed to try and defeat the axis powers as best as they could. After the war, they sought to ensure human rights and to make sure that justice reigned worldwide. -
Operation Overlord/D Day
During WWII, the battle of Normandy began on a day known as D Day. Also known as Operation Overlord, the battle began when over 150,000 Allied troops landed on beached along the coast of Normandy in France. They invaded and faced resistance from German troops for the next three months. The battle resulted in the liberation of France from Nazi control. -
FDR Dies/Truman President
After struggling with polio and other health problems, president FDR was found dead while on retreat in Georgia. His death forced Vice President Harry S Truman to take his place and deal with the continuing second World War. Truman had huge shoes to fill as FDR had been the leader from the Great Depression all the way through World War II. -
Nuclear Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima/Nagasaki
Throughout the early 1940s, scientists in the US had been developing a nuclear bomb. When the bomb was ready, an American Bomber plane dropped it over the city of Hiroshima in Japan. The explosion from the bomb destroyed about 90% of the city and killed 80,000, many would die later due to the radiation poisoning. Just 3 days later, America dropped another nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. This bomb killing 40,000. The dropping of these bombs caused Japan to surrender in WWII. -
Truman Doctrine
Truman introduced the Truman Doctrine in a dramatic speech he made before congress. He stated that congress should provide assistance to Greece and Turkey. He wanted to help them out in order to prevent Communism from dominating their countries and possibly spreading to even more countries surrounding them. This speech and doctrine marked the start of the Cold War. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was a plan proposed by president Truman. Truman suggested that the US provide $3 million to help finance the economic recovery of Europe after the war. The Soviet Union saw this as an attempt to interfere with international affairs. It turned out to be a hug success and really helped European countries recover after the destruction of WWII. -
Berlin Airlift
After World War II, the allied powers split the defeated country of Germany into separate zones. The capital city of Berlin was located in the Soviet zone and was split into four zones. The soviets blocked all the roads exiting Berlin, making it nearly impossible for those living there to get access to supplies. The US decided to give aid to Berlin by dropping care packages from airplanes in the sky. This effort lasted for a little more than one year. -
Formation of NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance between the US and other European countries. When they were first created, their main goal was to stop the expansion of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union had a similar alliance called the Warsaw Pact. There was extreme division between the countries in both alliances. The division gave insight to the increasing tension of the Cold War. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a political argument between the Soviet Union and America that lasted for 13 days. America found out that the Soviet Union was storing missiles on the island of Cuba, located just 90 miles off the coast of the US. JFK decided to use a naval blockade around the coast of Cuba to prevent firing of the missiles. When the American people heard this news, they feared a global nuclear war. The conflict was resolved after an agreement made between JFK and Nikita Khrushchev. -
Korean War (beginning and End)
The Korean War was the first major conflict of the Cold War. It began when Communist North Korea crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea with the approval of the Soviet Union. North Korea was pushing through the South so the US decided to help the them out. We sent over a large number of troops and pushed back into the North. After a lot of fighting back and forth over the 38th parallel, there was a stalemate. The Korean War killed about 5 million and accomplished nearly nothing. -
Rosenberg Trials
After WWII, the FBI received word that the instructions for how to create the atomic bomb were stolen and given to the Soviet Union. Accused of this doing this was Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. This trial scared Americans as they didn’t know who they could trust anymore. Many protested and fought for their innocence. The Rosenbergs would be found guilty of the crimes and would be sentenced to death. The president reviewed their case for a pardon but didn’t feel that it was necessary. -
Brown v Board
The African American community was fed up with the fact that black students were unable to attend public schools due to their race. They argued that the segregation of public schools denied their 14th amendment rights. The supreme court would rule that the segregation of public schools did violate the 14th amendment and that “separate but equal” facilities gave white Americans an unfair advantage in society. -
Vietnam War
The United States, Soviet Union and Vietminh met up to set up a peace plan called the Geneva Accords. The plan divided Vietnam into Communist (North) and anti communist (South). There was some issues between the two sides as the North wanted the South to become communist. The US brought troops to help the South fight off the north. There was fighting back and forth for about 20 years until it ended with the fall of Saigon and the reunification of Vietnam. -
Sputnik
In 1957, the Soviets launched the first artificial satellite into space. The beeping sound of the satellite could be heard on radios throughout the world and people would listen to it in awe and wonder. The launch of Sputnik initiated the Space Race between the US and the Soviet Union. Throughout this time, they were constantly trying to one up each other with more advanced space technology. -
Greensboro Lunch Sit ins
The Greensboro sit ins were a civil rights protest led by African American students against segregation of lunch counters. The students would sit down at the lunch counter and when denied service, they would not give up their seat. They were inspired by the peaceful protests of Gandhi and used many similar tactics in their protests. Soon enough, the movement spread all throughout the country and many restaurants became integrated. -
Bay of Pigs invasion
In 1959, Fidel Castro became the dictator of Cuba. He was trying to set up a communist system there and the Soviet Union was supporting him by supplying him with weapons. American troops responded by invading Cuba full on. The invasion turned out to be a failure because the Cuban troops outnumbered American troops. The invasion ended after less than 24 hours. -
Freedom Rides
The freedom rides were a protest against segregated bus terminals and the lack of enforcement of rulings such as Morgan v. Virginia and Boynton v. Virginia. The freedom riders expected much opposition as they rode integrated buses into the Deep South and encountered many violent riots and attacks. To prevent the attacks, both state police and the federal government were forced to intervene. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a wall built around west Germany to divide the East side from the West side. They built the wall because they wanted to keep the Western Germans or “Fascists” out of the East side. So many people from West Germany were fleeing to the East and the wall helped to keep them contained. The wall stood for 28 years and was a physical symbol of the Cold War. -
March on Washington
Thousands of protesters gathered in washington DC to draw attention to the racism and the hate that black people were facing in the US. Martin Luther King made an iconic speech while standing at the Lincoln Memorial. MLK explained that he had a dream that people of all races and cultures would be able to come together and live as one, with equal freedoms. -
*The Feminine Mystique Published*
In 1963, Betty Friedan published the book The Feminine Mystique. Many believe that this book sparked the second wave of the feminist movement in America. The book explores and challenges the American housewife stereotype. She conducted research and studied the psychology of the typical American housewife and found that many were unhappy with their lives. The book inspired women everywhere to fight for their rights such as the Equal Pay Act. -
*Equal Pay Act of 1963*
Signed by JFK, the equal Pay act of 1963 amended the previous Fair Labor Standards Act. It made it unconstitutional for there to be differences in wage based only on sex. The act fights for equal pay in all aspects. It was the first American law made to reduce discrimination based on gender. This act had a positive impact on women and caused them to want to fight for even more rights in the workplace such as the Civil Rights Act Title VII and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act later on. -
Assassination of JFK
While on a riding in a convertible through Dallas, the sound of 3 gunshots were heard and President John F Kennedy was hit. His wife, Jackie Kennedy was quick to assist him but it was to no avail as he would be pronounced dead just 30 minutes later at the age of 46. Lee Harvey was convicted of the crime. Later on the day of the Assassination, Lyndon B Johnson was sworn in as the 36th president on the runway of a Dallas airport. -
*Civil Rights Act- Title VII*
The civil Rights Act Title VII is a federal law signed by President Lyndon B Johnson. It stops employers from discriminating employees based on race, gender, religion and origin. This impacted the lives of women because it opened so many doors for them. They were finally able to get better jobs and get paid a more. They had more freedom than they once did. This inspired future amendments giving women more rights like the Title IX of the Education Amendments and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. -
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
In the midst of the Vietnam War, the USS Maddox entered the Gulf of Tonkin and was fired upon. They had been ambushed by North Vietnamese forces. After this event, President Lyndon B Johnson asked for and received full military control during the war. The whole even turned out to be a lie and was a scheme to give president Johnson more military power. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was an American bombing plan against the North Vietnamese. The goal was to show North Vietnam that the American military was superior. America never bombed Hanoi because it was too close to the Soviet Union and we did not want them to get involved. They bombed North Vietnam constantly for four years in hopes that Ho Chi Minh would give in and negotiate. That never happened and the bombing and fighting continued. -
Assassination of Malcolm X
While delivering a religious speech in New York City, Malcolm X was gunned down and killed. Malcolm X had a different approach to the civil rights movement. He advocated for the liberation of all African Americans. He was adored by many but some feared that he had become too powerful after joining the Nation of Islam and influencing many. -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a series of North Vietnamese attacks against the South and the US. The purpose was to get the US to have less involvement in the war. The attacks were mostly held off by the American and South Vietnamese attacks but once footage of the attacks was released, people were shocked and began to stop supporting the war effort. The Tet Offensive marked the beginning of the US withdraw from the Vietnam War. -
Assassination of MLK
One evening after meeting with civil rights activists Ralph Abernathy and Jesse Jackson, MLK stepped out onto the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tennessee. Then, he was shot in the neck by a sniper. King was rushed to the hospital immediately but was pronounced dead at the age of 39. His assassination put people in shock all throughout the nation and the event caused many riots to break out. -
Stonewall Riots
One early morning in New York City , police began to raid a gay club called the Stonewall Inn. The raid upset many and lead neighboring residents to protest against the violence. Over the next six days after the raid, there were non stop protests around the club. The police treated the protesters with rough violence. The Stonewall Riots are credited as the beginning of the gay rights movement in the United States. -
Woodstock
Woodstock was a three day music event that promoted peace and love. It was started by a group of musicians who were trying to raise money to build a recording studio near the New York city of Woodstock. Expecting only about 200,000 to show up, they were blown away when 500,000 arrived. Hippies united while jamming out to songs that opposed the Vietnam War. The three days were filled with numerous performances by groups like The Grateful Dead and Creedence Clearwater Revival. -
Kent State
While a group of Kent State students prepared to protest against the Vietnam War, members of the Ohio National Guard open fired on the crowd. This shooting killed four and left nine injured. After the shooting, a huge protest broke out causing numerous colleges and universities to close down temporarily. The event is believed to have begun the downfall of president Nixon. -
26th Amendment
The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 18 to 21. The debate to change the voting age began during the WWII and became more intense during the Vietnam War. The main argument was ‘Old enough to fight, old enough to vote’. The young men being sent to war were being denied the right to vote due to their age which just did not make sense. The amendment was passed in 1971 and was signed by President Nixon. -
*Eisenstadt vs Baird*
Eisenstadt vs Baird was a supreme court case that determined that married couples and unmarried couples have the same rights when purchasing contraceptives. Baird was a Boston University professor who got charged with a felony for distributing contraceptives to his class. There was a state law against what he did.The court removed the law and made it legal for anyone to get contraceptives. This case gave women more sexual freedom because now they were able to receive contraceptives at any time. -
*Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972*
The Title IX of the Education Amendments act was signed in 1972 and stated that sexual discrimination in any federally funded job or education program was prohibited. It is still impacting America today because women face less discrimination in workplaces and school than they used to. This affected future decisions like Roe v Wade and Einstadt vs Baird because more women became educated and saw that they needed to fight for their reproductive rights. -
*Roe v Wade*
Roe v Wade was a supreme court case that made abortion in America legal. The case was with a woman named Roe in Texas who wanted to get an abortion but a Texas state law prohibited it. The case went to the supreme court and they determined that getting an abortion was a woman’s right. This court case affected future cases such as Einstadt vs Baird because women’s reproductive rights were still not being 100% fulfilled. -
Vietnam Day
March 29, 1975 marks the day that the last American troops left Vietnam. Over 2.7 million Americans served in Vietnam with about 58,000 being killed. In 2017, President Trump made March 29th a national day to honor all those who served in Vietnam, the longest American conflict in history. -
*The Pregnancy Discrimination Act*
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act was an act that amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibited workplace discrimination based on a woman’s pregnancy. It required employers to allow for a pregnancy leave of absence. This impacted women's rights because women could finally be respected and avoid being fired from their jobs just for being pregnant. This case inspired future acts like the Violence Against Women Act because women were given more investigation into workplace violence. -
*Sally Ride*
Sally Ride was the first American woman to go space while on the Challenger space shuttle. She was extremely smart. Apart from being an astronaut she was also a physicist and taught at the University of California San Diego as a professor. Sally ride inspired women everywhere. Young girls looked up to her and saw possibilities for their future that they may not have seen in the past. -
*Violence against women act*
The Violence Against Women Act became a federal law in 1994 and was signed by president Bill Clinton. This new act put over one billion dollars toward the investigation of any violent crimes against women. This act brought women justice and would provide hope for those women who had been attacked in the past. They would able to find answers and closure in their situations. -
*Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (2009)*
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act addressed the Ledbetter vs Goodyear court case. Ledbetter claimed that she was not being paid enough while working at Goodyear Tires. The Ledbetter fair pay act states that if you want to file a lawsuit for pay discrimination, it needs to be done 180 days after the first paycheck. It gave women more rights but put restrictions on how much time they can take to file a lawsuit. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Obergefell v Hodges was a supreme court case that determined that banning same sex marriage is unconstitutional. In the case, numerous same sex couples sued their respective states for not allowing them to get legally married. In all of the cases, the plaintiffs won. The court said that it was a same sex couples fundamental right to be able to get married. This case was monumental for the LGBTQ community because it allowed them to legally get married.
