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US History: VHS Summer: Alex Longo
From President Hayes to President Obama, our country has seen triumphs and tragedies. Our country is strong; however, its strength is continually tested both at home and abroad. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
As more and more people immigrated to the U.S. from China, American natives in fear of losing their jobs to the new flow of cheap labor, began the fight to restrict any future immigration from China into the U.S. In 1882 they were successful as Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act which restricted the ethnicity entirely.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/38c.asp -
The McKinley Tariff
Long before the McKinley Tariff, the U.S. wanted to make Hawaii one of their territories given its strategic location in the Pacific. Because Hawaii was a significant importer of sugar to the U.S., the McKinley Tariff was passed resulting in a high import tax and economic depression in Hawaii. The tariff forced the Hawaiian queen to abdicate and the island was annexed to the U.S. thereby eliminating the import tax to the sugar growers.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/44b.asp -
Homestead Strike
Unhappy with work conditions, long hours, and minimal pay, the workers at the Carnegie Steel plant agree to strike. On July 6, 1892, plant manager Henry Frick, arrived at the plant with 300 Pinkerton guards to find ten thousand strikers waiting for them. Outnumbered, the Pinkerton guards opened fire on the strikers, killing nine, injuring many more. After an all day battle, the Pinkerton guards surrendered, losing seven of their own men. http://www.history.com/topics/homestead-strike -
The Root-Takahira Agreement
Mounting tension between the U.S. and Japan over territories led to the Root-Takahira Agreement. Through this agreement, Japan recognized U.S. control over the Hawaiian islands and the Philippines and agreed to limiting Japanese immigration to California. Similarly, the U.S. recognized Japanese right to annex Korea, their position in northeast China, and their control over southern Manchuria.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/44f.asp
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root%E2%80%93Takahira_Agreement -
Sinking of the Lusitania
Despite the warning from the German government, on May 7, 1915 the Lusitania, a huge passenger ship with 1,198 passengers aboard including 128 Americans departed from New York. The boat was suspected by the Germans to be containing weapons and ammunition to aid allies in Europe (which it was) and as a result was torpedoed by a German U-Boat, killing everyone onboard. This event influenced once reluctant Americans to lean towards an involvement in the war. http://www.ushistory.org/us/45a.asp -
Declaration of War on Germany
On April 6, 1917 the U.S. took a big step with declaring war abroad against Germany. We were in no place to be fighting a war with only enough bullets for two days of fighting and an army of 200,000 strong. Under these circumstances, we could make little impact in this war. America needed to rally together and step up big for the war effort and thats just what we did. http://www.ushistory.org/us/45b.asp -
Total War
Herbert Hoover was placed in charge of the Food administration during the total war of WWI and many policies and sacrifices had to be made in order to support the troops abroad. Things such as Meatless Mondays, and Wheatless Wednesdays were put in place by the government. Also Victory gardens were planted and the sales of war bonds also made a huge impact towards the war effort.http://www.ushistory.org/us/45c.asp -
Harlem Renaissance
90% of all African Americans lived in the South where White supremacy and racist culture was a continually legally growing force. African Americans began to move North and colonize in urban areas living in less than favorable conditions. One of these places being Harlem, where instead of having pity on themselves, black culture was celebrated and reborn. Artists, writers, musicians, and actors all spread powerful messages of conformity and change.http://www.ushistory.org/us/46e.asp -
Great Depression
At the end of the roaring 20's the U.S. faced the largest economic crisis in history which at its peak led to over 12 million left without jobs and an unemployment rate of 25%. Stock holders investments vanished and America was sent into a downward spiral of despair and suicides. Not even wealthy investors such as J.P. Morgan could make a dent in the crisis. Some big changes were coming.http://www.ushistory.org/us/48a.asp -
Isolationism
In the midst of the Great depression, U.S. foreign policy set its sights to focus less on events going on around the world and focus more on domestic reconstruction. With many citizens arguing that any more foreign involvement would only dig the country into a deeper hole, many have come to say that the bigger problems are right here in the U.S. Recovering from the costs of WWI, as well as the market crash seemed to be Americas main focus at the time. (50a) -
Communism
In the wake of WWII the U.S. and U.S.S.R. became engaged in a mostly political and economic battle better known as the Cold War. The U.S. being democratic, and the Soviets being Communist, the two are basically polar opposites. The Truman Doctrine is enforced by the U.S. with a main goal of containing the spread of communism, and to aid any country threatened by communism. This leads to many big events in history for example the Korean War and Vietnam War. -
Japanese-American Internment
During WWII, American paranoia grew to new levels as over 127,000 Japanese-Americans were imprisoned for being Japanese. The risk being a Japanese invasion of the homeland, Japanese-American citizens were thought to join in and provide an advantage for the enemy as they would be loyal to their ancestral land. An executive order signed by President Roosevelt was signed in February 1962, ordering the relocation of all Japanese-Americans to concentration camps inside the U.S. (51e) -
Cuban Missile Crisis
With the Arms Race and Cold War in full tilt with the U.S.S.R., the U.S. war on Communism was about to escalate. 90 miles south of Florida on the island of Cuba, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev built several nuclear missile silos well within distance to strike the U.S. The result being an extremely tense 13 day military standoff and the eventual removal of the missiles. http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cuban-missile-crisis -
Feminism
Beginning in the 50's, women started to become more educated and question the the social norms, and gender roles they have been involved in for so long in order to become the "perfect wife/mother."
Although, it wasn't until the 60's when books like The Feminine Mystique and groups such as the National Association for Women (NOW) were created to vouch for women's rights and demand equality between men and women and the end of gender roles. -
Black Power
Stemming mostly from the influence of Malcom X, Stokely Carmichael the leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) began expressing ideas of racial pride and the strengthening of black communities, which is known as the Black Power movement. Feeling as though people like MLK Jr. were out of touch with the situation and the moving forward of the Civil rights movement, groups like the Black Panthers were formed, abandoning the ideas of nonviolence all together. (54i) -
Globalization
globalization means making the world more unified by removing barriers between nations and being open politically, culturally, with technology, trade, business, etc. Mainly though, globalization focuses on bringing nations together by spreading and accepting different cultures around the world in a progressive manner.https://courses.govhs.org/d2l/le/content/225274/viewContent/2231621/View -
Internet
At first the internet was designed by the department of defense in order to relay information. At first it was only used by scientists to communicate with one another and remained under government control until 1984. in the early 1990's the World wide web was developed followed by email shortly after. At this point the world was on the verge of becoming wired. http://www.ushistory.org/us/60d.asp -
Iran-Contra Affair
One of President Reagan's worst domestic scandals of his presidency that real put a dent in his legacy. Reagan supplied weapons to Iran who at the time was basically an arch enemy of the U.S. in return for the release of American hostages in Lebanon, the proceeds were then sent to the Nicaraguan Contras who were backed by communism.http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/iran-contra-scandal-unravels -
Monica Lewinsky
Clinton's legacy took a turn towards rock bottom as he almost joined the short list of presidents to ever be impeached after it being reported that he was having a sexual relationship with white house intern Monica Lewinsky. At first Clinton denied the accusations but as evidence continued to pile up he finally admitted his guilt. Although the necessary 2/3 vote of the senate was not reached for impeachment. http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/time/1998/09/14/affair.state.html -
Imperialism
Imperialism is one of the oldest forms of foreign policy created event before capitalism. It is the spread of culture or a civilization by taking over another civilization or spreading their influence somewhere else. It is an extremely important concept as it is still very much used event in the present. For example, the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation was an act of imperialism.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annexation_of_Crimea_by_the_Russian_Federation
