-
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document that declares the U.S free from England's power. The declaration served as a reason for separation from England, the principles of democracy, and giving colonists their freedom. The importance is to allow people to have freedom of religion and have a better government that understands the rights of citizens. -
E Pluribus Unum
The E Pluribus Unum is Latin for "Out of many one" which became the theme for the seal of the United States. It once appeared on all American coins and was replaced by In "God We Trust". The main importance of E Pluribus Unum was diversity and unity for the founders of the United States. -
U.S Constitution
The U.S Constitution is a document establishing the nation's fundamental laws and structures. The Constitution includes the 27 amendments, the Bill of Rights, and principles such as Checks and Balances. The importance of the Constitution is to form a basic structure of any government. -
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments of the U.S Constitution guarantee rights such as freedom of speech and the right to secure houses. The Bill of Rights was influenced by the Manga Carter which King John signed the Manga Carter to protect people against royal abuse. The Bill of Rights is significant because it protects citizens from the government and their private lives. -
Eugenics
Eugenics is the theory of perfect people and groups through scientific laws and genetics. It labeled people as unfit including ethnic and religious minorities. It was morally wrong to invalidate others due to them being of different ethnicities and races. -
Political Machines
Political Machines was an organization to reward both poor and rich followers and win elections. It controlled party loyalists and the Democrat party also helped control political machines. The significance was to help improve facilities and encourage businesses to grow. -
Social Darwinism
Social Darwinism was the idea of specific people becoming powerful simply because they were better than other people. Some ideologies include the Survival of the Fittest, Eugenics, Adolf Hitler, and Capitalism. Social Darwinism has even justified racism, inequality, and imperialism. -
Period: to
Nativism
Nativism is the reaction against immigrants and became a major issue in American history. Many white Americans were nativist towards Irish immigrants for being Roman Catholics and Japanese Americans for sabotaging Pear Harbor. German Americans were also targeted specifically in Ohio which led them to promote patriotism and create anti-German activities and anti-German sentiments. -
Period: to
Alex de Tocqueville
Alex de Tocqueville was a political philosopher who created five values for American success. His five values include Liberty, Egalitarianism, Individualism, Populism, and Laissez-Faire. The importance of these values was to have equality and individualism in America. -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act is a law in which homeowners are protected by the Estate Homestead. The Estate protects homeowners from forced sales, execution, and provides limited protection of the value of a home. The act is important because it helped create a productive agricultural economy and opened up settlements in the West. -
Tenement
Tenements were apartments that were often crowded, of poor quality, and lacked most house essentials like ventilation. Immigration began to increase in New York which caused people to move into the tenements which were located in very poor neighborhoods. By the 1920s the tenements were destroyed and better apartment buildings were built to replace them. -
Period: to
Gilded Age
The Gilded Age was rapid economic growth and a huge increase in immigration. The railroad industry was the main development of the Gilded Age with the Transcontinental Road being completed in 1889. The Gilded Age was important because new inventions were being created during this time period such as the lightbulb, telephones, and cars. -
Period: to
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley was a music publishing center in New York City. The Tin Pan Alley included commercial music by dance music and songwriters of ballads and the most profitable product was sheet music for lyricists. The Tin Pan Alley was not only important in American history but also in the music industry because it provided fame for many composers in America. -
Settlement House Movement
The settlement house movement was a movement to help the poor in urban areas and work directly with them and recognize all individuals. A group of leaders opened houses for children and families to create healthier communities and offered several different activities. The importance of this movement was to help the poor with better services and create better communities for them to live in. -
Period: to
Progressive Era
The Progressive Era was a period of social activism and reform. Some important events include the Homestead Act, the Meat Inspection Act, The Jungle, and the creation of the 19th amendment. The importance of the Progressive Era was to eliminate corruption in governments and give power back to the people. -
Period: to
Muckrakers
Muckrakers were a group of journalists that exposed the corruption in the government and in social issues like child labor and environmental abuse. Famous Muckrakers include Upton Sinclair and Helen Hunt Jackson. The importance of Muckrakers was to show the public the corruption of unsafe working conditions in factories and in political corruption. -
Homestead Strike
The Homestead Strike was a fight between the Carnegie Steel Company and its workers. Henry Clay Frick was an industrialist that cut the worker's wages and fired thousands of workers. Workers took over the steel mill, but Frick called for backup from the governor of Pennsylvania to send in troops which eventually led the workers to surrender. The strike was important because it led to the weakening of unionism in the steel industry. -
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush was a race between thousands of miners rushing to Klondike Alaska in order to obtain gold. Thousands of gold seekers set up ships with supplies to head to Alaska but faced many challenges such as starvation, suicide, and diseases. The importance of the gold rush was it had a big impact on the increase of agricultural developments -
Period: to
Spanish-American War
The Spanish-American War was a battle between the U.S and Spain to end Spanish rule and it resulted in the United States claiming territories in the West Pacific. On April 9th Spain announces their new organization to give Cuba limited powers of self-government and eventually the Treaty of Paris would end the war. The importance of the war was the turning point on each side and the end of the Spanish power. -
Big Stick Policy
The Big Stick policy was the foreign policy created by Theodore Roosevelt that helped define his leadership. The policy helped America in several situations such as the Panama Canal, the increase of influence America had on Cuba and the creation of peace between Russia and Japan. The policy was important because it gave the U.S more involvement in Central America. -
Period: to
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was the golden age for African Americans in literature, art, and music. Several African families moved to the neighborhood of Harlem from South to North which eventually led to a population boom. The importance of the Harlem Renaissance was it gave many African artists pride in their work and represented them in American culture. -
16th Amendment
The 16th amendment allows Congress to collect federal income tax from businesses and individuals as the main revenue for the U.S government. This amendment allows the government to grow in public services and gain profit from sales. The 16ht amendment is important because it allows the government to build bridges and roads, and enforce laws by collecting taxes. -
17th Amendment
The 17th Amendment states that the U.S should be made up of two Senators of each state and that each Senator must have one vote by serving six years. It also states that for any Senator who passes away or is expelled the governor needs to fill in that position. The importance of the 17th Amendment is to divide power between federal and state governments by electing Senators. -
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal was built to connect a water passage across Panama and link it to the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. The United States built the canal because it would be easier for America to ship goods. The significance of the canal was the expansion of global trade and is one of the greatest achievements in engineering. -
National Park System
President Wilson signed the Organic Act which created the National Park Service. The National Park Service is responsible for protecting and maintaining parks and monuments by the department. The importance of the National Park System is to protect national parks that are cultural and historical. -
U.S and WW l
There are several reasons why the U.S entered WW l. Some reasons include Germany sinking the ship Lusitania, the German minister sending the Zimmermann telegram, and the invasion of Belgium by Germany. Pearl Harbor was another main reason why the U.S entered the war with Japan being threatened by the U.S expanding the Pacific and the United States putting restrictions on their resources. -
18th Amendment
The 18th Amendment bans the selling of intoxicating alcohol but does not prevent people from consuming it. The Volstead Act was passed by Congress in the 1800s which later gave inspiration for the 18th Amendment. The 18th Amendment is important because it is the only amendment repealed by the constitution. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment guarantees women the right to vote. Women supporters lectured and marched to achieve the right to vote in America. The 19th Amendment is important because women got more respect in society and gave them better jobs along with better education. -
Period: to
Teapot Dome Scandal
Through the 1920s The Teapot Dome Scandal surprised so many Americans with the exposure of the corruption within the federal government. It included several events like illegal liquor being sold, bribery cash, and even murder-suicides. This scandal is important in American history because it showed the public how much greed there was in the government and it was even the first time a U.S official served time for a crime when being in office. -
Immigration Act
This act limited the number of entries for immigrants entering the United States. There were many protests by the Japanese since Japanese immigrants were not included and only allowed no more than 150,000 to enter the U.S. The act was influenced by eugenics and preventing Jewish people from entering was the main reason for passing the act. -
American Indian Citizenship Act
This act granted full citizenship to Native Americans in America. However, the 14th amendment did not give Native Americans citizenship but gave citizenship to all people born in the U.S. The importance of this act is it finally gave Native people citizenship in the United States but still did not have the right to vote until later on. -
Period: to
Mexican Repatriation
Between 1929 and 1939 Mexican descendants were deported out of the U.S. About 1.8 million people were deported back to Mexico even though about 60% were actually American and arrested people regardless of documentation. The reason for the raid was that white Americans should have jobs instead of Mexican workers and it left families torn apart from each other along with their communities. -
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a secret code name for creating atomic weapons during World War II and had the first successful bomb in 1945 on Mexico. President Roosevelt gave approval to the project with nuclear scientists and the military working in the organization to weaponize nuclear energy. The project led became important by ending World War II with the Japanese surrendering and by bombing enemies it saved a lot of lives that could have been lost. -
Period: to
Flying Tigers
The Flying Tigers were American pilots that volunteered to fight off the Japanese that wanted to invade China. The pilots would drop off supplies, provide air cover, and protected China's capital by successfully preventing Japan from invading China. The significance of the Flying Tigers was the success in defeating Japan by never losing an air battle and altering the course of the war in China. -
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was a march that which American Filipinos were captured by the Japanese and forced to march to the Bataan Peninsula all the way to San Fernando. Thousands and thousands of men died during the march due to being beaten, starvation, and diseases with survivors were sent to prison camps which led to more deaths. This march became significant because it was the largest surrender in America and started motvation for people to start fighting for their country. -
Period: to
Bracero program
The program allowed Mexicans to enter the U.S to temporarily work on railroads, factories, and farms. About 4.6 Mexicans entered the U.S and workers faced many discriminations and low wages which led to political and social problems. The significance of this program was to have the intention of having a solution to the labor shortage. -
Executive Order 9066
Thousands of American Japanese with Japanese backgrounds were taken into custody. Many Americans suspected Japanese living in the U.S had a role in the Pearl Harbor attack and were considered dangerous enemies. Japanese Americans were forced out of their homes and were relocated to camps and were guarded by troops to prevent them from returning to their old homes. -
Korematsu v.s U.S.
Fred Korematsu was the son of Japanese immigrants who refused to relocate during Executive order 9066. He was convicted of violating a military order and was sentenced to probation, but in the end, Korematsu had committed no crime and his conviction was overturned in 1983. The importance of this case showed that the government had the right to move people to different areas based on their racial backgrounds. -
Period: to
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials bringing Nazi criminals to justice. The most well-known trial was the Major War Criminals which had twenty-four individuals and six Nazi organizations with a few of them committing suicide before the trial begins. The trials were important because they became the first highly successful international crime court given. -
"In God We Trust"
The national motto of the United States replaced the E Pluribus Unum. It is on all American bills now and is the revolutionary structure of America. The importance of this motto is showing the country's foundation and identity as Americans.