US History: VHS Summer: Curtis Synnott

Transcontinental railroad

1869

The completion of the Transcontinental railroad connect the two coats by train and open the West to expansion like never before.

US History Timeline

Period: 1869 to 2011

This is a timeline of events in American History. This list will encompass many major historic events and changes from 1877-2011

Railroad Strikes

1877

Cuts in pay and jobs caused railroad workers in West Virginia to strike, a movement that gained traction and spread to other areas, putting workers rights forward as a public issue.

Wounded Knee Massacre

1890

American soldiers massacred native Americans in a confrontation after demanding that they relinquish their weapons.

Hawaiian Annexation

1893

American troops supported an uprising against the current queen Liliuokalani that ended in an American victory.

The Great Migration

1910

A term used to describe the large influx of American Americans to Northern Cities like New York from the South. This set the stage for the Harlem Renaissance.

Anti-Lynching Laws Passed by Congress

Jan 26, 1922

The NAACP was finally able to pass a measure through congress that imposed fines and jail time on those found guilty of being involved in a lynching, a much needed law.

Stock Market Crash

Oct 24, 1929

The stock market crash marked the beginning of the Great Depression. By September 1932 stocks had lost 90% of their value.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff

Jun 17, 1930

In a desperate attempt to help their failing economy, the US government implemented massive tariffs on foreign goods with disastrous results.

Total War

1939

Total War occurs when an entire country's production and focus is on fighting a war. This occurred in the US during WWI and WWII, with everyday citizens making sacrifices for the war effort.

Pearl Harbor

Dec 7, 1941

[The attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese was a surprise attack meant to cripple American naval power in the Pacific. The attack partially succeed, but drew America into WWII which resulted in the eventual defeat of the Japanese.]((https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor)

D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

D-Day was the name for the massive naval invasion on Normandy by Allied troops in WWII. This important battle provided a foothold in Europe for the Allies and was a pivotal moment in the war.

United Nations

Sep 24, 1945

The United Nations is a international governmental body that does everything from mediate disputes between nations to provide aide for humanitarian crisis. It was created after WWII to prevent a conflict of that scale from occurring again.

Civil Rights Movement

1950

African Americans protested against segregation and discrimination. Leaders of this movement included Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and many others. Their largely peaceful protests were often met with violence and police brutality.

Feminist Movement

1960

Movement in which women protest for equal rights and more economic opportunity. Books like The Feminine Mystique rejected traditional social roles and showed Women they could do more.

March on Washington

Aug 28, 1963

The March on Washington was a massive civil rights protest outside the US capitol, and the site of MLK Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

The Internet

1970

The internet was developed by the Department of Defense in order to access multiple computers from the same terminal. The Internet was released from government control in 1984, and has since because a global network.

Reaganomics

1980

Economic system implemented by President Ronald Reagan that cut relied on trickle down economics in order to grow businesses.

Fall of the USSR

Apr 11, 1990

The collapse of the USSR signaled the end of the cold war, leaving America as the worlds only remaining superpower, as well as an end to the spread of Communism.

Operation Desert Storm/Gulf War

Aug 2, 1990

After Iraqi forces refused to withdraw from neighboring Kuwait, a coalition of nations including the US forced them out. The war was a success, and was a major moral victory for the American people.

NAFTA

Jan 1, 1994

President Bill Clinton negotiated the North America Free Trade Agreement during his presidency, a treaty that removed tariffs between Canada, Mexico, and the US.