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Civil Rights
The Emancipation ProclamationThe idea of Civil Rights is as old as humanity itself. There are several dates where I could have put this event. I could have put it on July 4, 1776 when our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. I could have put it on the date when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. But I chose to put it on the date when President Lincoln freed the slaves. This event atleast gave African Americans status as human beings. They were no longer animals to use for forced labor. -
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US History: VHS Summer: Ryan Pinch
This timeline is a brief representation of American History between the years of 1877 and 2011. The years between 1877 and 2011 were defining years of our shared American heritage. -
Martinsburg Strike Begins
The Great UpheavalAfter the management of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company cut their laborers' pay by 10%, the workers locked all the trains in the rail yard and declared that no trains were going to leave until their pay was given back. The strike spread throughout the northeast and midwest. In the end, their pay wasn't restored, but many future pay cuts could have been avoided because the workers' bosses were fearful of actions the workers would take against them. -
The American Dream
ARNet The American Dream was an idea started by author Horatio Alger who wrote short stories about immigrants who used hardwork and luck to make it in America. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Rush of ImmigrantsThe Chinese Exclusion Act was the first law limiting the immigration of an entire race of people. Many Chinese still wanted to come to America and they took boats from China to Victoria, British Columbia and then they crossed into the US from Canada. In 1892, the Geary Act required Chinese people to always carry their residence papers. The act was revoced in 1943. -
Tragedy in Haymarket Square
Early National OrganizationsThe Knights of Labor were the second large organized labor organization. They were founded by Uriah Stephens in 1869. They were known for their acceptance of people from every race or gender. In 1886 at their height, 750,000 workers belonged to the Knights of Labor. On International Workers Day in 1886, someone threw a bomb into a crowd of people killing one person and injuring several others. The Knights of Labor lost all of their credibility as an organization. -
Wounded Knee Massacre
The Wounded Knee MassacreAt the end of the 1880s, a movement called the "Ghost Dance" was sweeping across the plains indians. It told of an Indian Messiah who would free them. The Sioux were ordered by the government to stop following the movement. When they refused, the US Army went to the Sioux Reservation. Upon their arrival, 300 Sioux fled and were persued by the Army. As the Sioux were surrendering, someone fired one shot and by the time the dust settled, some 300 Sioux were dead. -
Sinking of the USS Maine
"Remember the Maine!"In 1895, Cuba revolted against Spain. This revolt was publicized in the United States and many people sympathized with the Cubins. As America's relationship with Spain deteriorated, the USS Maine had been sent to patrol in Havana Harbor. On this date, an explosion destroyed the ship and killed 260 sailors. Although it has never been proven, many Americans believed that the Spanish caused the explosion and they cried for war. -
Sinking of Lusitania
Farewell to IsolationOn this date, the British liner, the Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat. The Germans had warned Americans against sailing on ships carrying War materials to Britain. The Germans believed that the Lusitania was carrying ammunition. On this date, a German U-Boat torpedoed the Lusitania without warning. The attack killed 1,198 people including 128 Americans. The attack helped turn public opinion against Germany. http://www.ushistory.org/us/45a.asp -
Armistice Signed
Over ThereAfter an offensive in the Spring of 1918, the Germans were beaten back to their boarders. The Germans had lost their will to fight. Their people were tired of the war and wanted peace. On November 11, 1918, the German government signed an armistise, or an agreement to end the fighting. In the end, 14 milliion people including 112,000 Americans died in the First World War. http://www.ushistory.org/us/45b.asp -
The Teenager
Teen SafetyThe American world of the 1800's consisted of only children and adults. During the 1920's, child labor became illegal and education through to highschool became commonplace. Parents also stopped the practice of marrying off their children at young ages. The American teenager used the automobile to gain independence. The modern High School also allowed teens to participate in extracirricular activeties. -
Black Thursday
The Market CrashesDuring the roaring twenties, stock prices rose to record levels. The Stock Market was at an all time high. Americans were advised to invest atleast $15 a month in the stock market. Banks rewarded risky investment practices. On this date, as bankers began to lose faith in the value of stocks, they began to sell off their shares. Then, on Tuesday, October 29, a record 16 million shares were traded for decreasing values of money. These events began the great depression. -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl HarborAs Nazi Germany prepared for War in Europe, Japan had already been fighting the Chinese for several years. The countries of Britain and the Netherlands were too concerned with Hitler's ambitions in Europe to intervene to stop Japan. Therefore, The United States was the only nation standing in Japan's way. As peace talks stalled, a fleet of Japanese aircraft carriers sailed to Hawaii. At 7:55 AM on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked. At the end of the attack, 2,402 Americans were dead. -
Japanese Surrender
The Decision to Drop the BombSince 1941, the United States had been trying through the Manhattan Project to develope an atomic bomb. As the Americans advanced towards the Japanese mainland, they faced heavy casualties. On July 16, 1945, the United States successfully detonated an atomic bomb. President Truman then instructed Japan to surrender or face "total destruction." On August 6th and 9th, the Americans dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Five days later, Japan unconditionally surrendered -
McCarthyism
McCarthyismOn this date in 1950, Senator Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin began his unrelenting push to root out all Communism in the United States. He went after people from all walks of life. He accused many non Communist Americans of being Communists. Even if an accused person was cleared of wrongdoing, then their careers were probably still ruined. McCarthy's ultimate undoing came when he attacked the United States Army. The Army began to publicly challenge McCarthy and ultimately defeated him. -
Kennedy Assassination
Kennedy AssassinationOn this date in 1963, President Kennedy was killed by an assassin in Dallas, Texas. As the president drove through Dealey Plaza, three shots rang out. The President was killed instantly and Governor Connally of Texas was severely wounded. The assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested later that day but he was murdered by Jack Ruby as he was being moved between prisons. That action has fueled conspiracy theorists who to this day believe that Oswald was not the only gunman in Dealey Plaza. -
Martin Luther King Junior Assassination
Martin Luther King Jr. On this date in 1968, Martin Luther King Junior was gunned down in Memphis, Tennesse. He had worked tirelessly to increase awareness for the Civil Rights Movement as its de facto leader. His speaking skills were unmatched among his contemporaries. He gave many memorable speeches including his "I have a dream" speech, and his almost prophetic "I have been to the mountain" speech. His assassin, James Earl Ray was arrested in London two months later trying to flee on a Canadian Passport. -
Reaganomics
ReaganomicsReaganomics was the media's name for Ronald Reagan's new tax plan. He believed that social programs stopped economic growth. His plan called for a 30% tax cut to the upper classes of America. The plan centered on the idea of Trickle-Down Economics, the idea that if the rich receive tax breaks, then they will go out and use that extra money to create jobs. The tax cuts and increased Defense spending caused a budget deficit. The National Debt, which still plagues us today, tripled. -
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Desert StormOn this date, Coalition Aircraft began bombing Iraqi Targets in Kuwait and Iraq. This bombing campaign was in response to Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. After his invasion in August 1990, President George H W Bush assembled a large coalition to liberate Kuwait. After about a month of aerial bombardments by aircraft and cruise missiles, Coalition ground forces invaded and liberated Kuwait within 100 hours. -
Fall of the Soviet Union
The End of the Cold WarOn this date, The USSR was officially dissolved. The open reforms of President Gorbachev were too free for hardline communists in the government and KGB. In August 1991, they attempted a coup. The coup weakened the USSR and Gorbachev. That December, the former republics of the USSR formed the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Soviet Union was then replaced by Russia and Gorbachev handed over the presidency to Boris Yeltsin. -
September 11th Attacks
9/11 Comission ReportOn this date, The United States was attacked by Islamic terrorists from the country of Afghanistan. The 19 hijackers boarded four aircraft while in posession of box cutters that they used as weapons. Once on board the aircraft, they flew them into three targets. American Airlines Flight 11 and United Flight 175 were crashed at the World Trade Center. American Flight 77 was crashed into the Pentagon, and United Flight 93 was taken back by passengers and crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
