Turn of the Century

By curtikay

  • Alaska is purchased from Russia

  • Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad

  • John D. Rockefeller started standard oil

    John D. Rockefeller started standard oil
    Rockefeller began his business in oil when he made a deal with Vanderbilt, which would transport his oil on Vanderbilt's trains. Eventually, Rockefeller became too powerful and Vanderbilt could not pay Rockefeller anymore. By 1880 Rockefeller was one of the richest men in the United States and was controlling 90% of all oil refineries.

  • Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone

    Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone
    Bell made many technological and scientific advances, along with the telephone. As the telephone was being invented, many people were excited to see the new advance. After the invention was complete he began his own telephone company.

  • Thomas Edison brings light to the world with the light bulb

    Thomas Edison brings light to the world with the light bulb
    Although Edison is credited for the invention of the lightbulb, there were many other people that were involved in the invention. He used much of his time testing with different metals and seeing the changes. After the invention of the lightbulb, Edison opened up his own company.

  • Chinese Exclusion Act

  • Samuel Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL)

  • Sherman Antitrust Act

  • Ellis Island opens

    Ellis Island opens
    Ellis Island was opened for the purpose of letting immigrants through. The function of Ellis Island lasted for 60 years. Millions of immigrants passed through Ellis Island over the years and over forty percent of the United States people have ancestors that passed through Ellis Island.

  • Peak year of immigration through Ellis Island

  • Carnegie Steel’s Homestead Strike

    Carnegie Steel’s Homestead Strike
    This was a violent strike that was caused by a dispute with workers. The workers were mad about the horrid conditions and hours they were working and felt they had a right to have better conditions. For 12 hours the workers and a group called the "Pinkertons" fought back and forth. Although there were not many significant changes in work, things became more negotiable.

  • Plessy v Ferguson

  • The U.S. declares war on Spain

    The U.S. declares war on Spain
    This war helped America become a very powerful nation. After winning, the U.S. was able to claim the Philippines. The war itself was only 3 months and there was only a loss of about 400 people.

  • Hawaii is annexed

  • Rudyard Kipling published “The White Man’s Burden” in The New York Sun

  • The start of the Boxer Rebellion

  • Tenement Act

  • Pres. McKinley is assassinated and Progressive Theodore Roosevelt becomes President

  • The Philippine Insurrection comes to an end

  • The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe doctrine declares the U.S. right to intervene in the Western Hem

  • Upton Sinclair releases “The Jungle”

  • Pure Food & Drug Act and The Meat Inspection Act are passed

    Pure Food & Drug Act and The Meat Inspection Act are passed
    This act made it illegal to sell food or drugs that had been handled improperly. This completely changed around the amount of people getting sick and improved companies.The act also brought up the start of the FDA, which made sure all food and drugs were safe.

  • Henry Ford produced his first Model T (car)

  • Creation of the NAACP

  • The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

    The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
    The fire was in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, there were a total of 145 workers that were killed. The whole thing was completely preventable, only if they would have had necessary safety precautions. Even though the fire was tragic, it helped people realize they needed safer conditions and they were finally implemented.

  • The Assassination on Austria’s archduke Franz Ferdinand starts WWI

  • The Panama Canal is completed and opened for traffic

  • The United States enters WWI

    The United States enters WWI
    The U.S. held back as long as they could from entering the war, they wanted to remain a neutral country. WWI was devastating but it did open up opportunities for many people. Women finally fought hard enough to get their right to vote.

  • Ratification of the 18th Amendment - Prohibition

  • Women got the right to vote.

    Women got the right to vote.
    The 19th amendment was finally passed after decades of fighting for their right to vote. Through the 1800s and 1900s, women fought and picketed, getting so much hate from everyone else. Women were a strong force and they never let down their guard, many of the original fighters did not even get to live to see the amendment be passed but their legacy was known.