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There is much controversy over whether or not Edison actually invented the light bulb. He did certainly patent it. However, historians say that over 20 individuals can be credited with the invention of a light bulb before Edison.
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The Chinese Exclusion Act was signed by President Chester A. Arthur. The law made it very difficult for immigrants from Asia to enter the US and banned the Chinese entirely. Immigrants from Asia would be locked up in cells for days or months until their paperwork had been examined, and even then they were often sent home.
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The workers at Carnegie Steel decided to go on strike because of small wages and long working hours. Frick, who had been put in charge of the plant while Carnegie was away, called in the Pinkertons and let the situation get out of hand so that the state militia would get called in. The event ended up being the third most violent in the labor history of the US.
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When Spain colonized Cuba and the Philippines and mistreated them, the Philippines looked to the US for help, hoping for the US to be for them what France had been to the US during the Revolutionary war. However, the US refused to get involved until the sinking of the Maine. To this day no one truly knows what caused it, but the US blamed Spain.
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When the US put a tariff on sugar, citizens who owned sugar plantations in Hawaii were naturally upset. Some formed a group and overthrew the queen, their leader declaring himself the King of Hawaii. He then proposed a deal to the President: lift the tariff and the US could have a naval base there. The President agreed, not wanting to look like he couldn't control his own people.
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Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" describes the horrors of the meat packing industry. It was written in such a way that people at first thought it was fiction. President Roosevelt set up an investigation, only to find that Sinclair's accusations were accurate.
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The workers were locked in the factory to prevent them from taking breaks and from stealing, so when the fire started, they couldn't get out and started to jump from the windows. 146 workers, mostly women, died. This tragic event led to more safety laws and inspections.
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Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by the a member of the Black Hand during a parade in Serbia while there to discuss peace between the two countries. His wife, who was later found out to be pregnant, died as well. Germany then declared war, not Austria.
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The US didn't get involved in WWI for years mostly because they didn't feel it was their problem. Then two things sparked their involvement: the sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmerman note. When the Germans sunk the Lusitania, they broke their promise made in the Sussex pledge. Germany also sent a letter to Mexico saying they would support them in a war against the US to regain their territory so the US would be busy.
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Women had been fighting for the right to vote for decades. Leading up to the ratification of the 19th amendment, women picketed the White House with quotes from President Woodrow Wilson about democracy; proving him a hypocrite. He finally gave in because he was worried about his reputation with other world powers.
