American history (Full all chapters) Summary
Chapter 19: The Politics of the Gilded Age
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- Navigate this page:
- Chapter 20: The Progressive Era
- Chapter 21: An Emerging World Power
- Chapter 22: War and the American State (WWI)
- Chapter 23: Modern Times: The 1920s
- Chapter 24: The Great Depression
- Chapter 25:The World at War
- Sept. 1..........Germany invades Poland! Sept. 3.......... Britain and France declare war on Germany! World War II
- June 22........Hitler invades USSR
- April 12....... FDR dies, Truman becomes President
- Aug. 6........... 1 st atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
- World War II Conferences Treaties
- Chapter 26: Cold War America, 1945-1960 1945
- 1953 Joseph Stalin dies
Chapter 19: The Politics of the Gilded Age 1874 Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) founded Although it called itself a "temperance" movement, the WCTU was actually an abstinence movement, calling for the elimination of alcoholic beverages. Under the leadership of Frances Willard, the movement adopted a "Do-Everything" policy; that is, it concerned itself with any reform activity in which women had an interest. 1877 Rutherford B. Hayes inaugurated as president, marking the end of Reconstruction
1881 President James A. Garfield assassinated This violent act by Charles Guiteau, a disappointed office seeker, stirred the government to begin a reform of the civil service. 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Act Enacted in response to Garfield's assassination, this legislation created a new Civil Service Commission to administer qualifying examinations to people who were interested in getting federal jobs. At first, only 10 percent of federal positions were covered by the act, but subsequent presidents added more. Supreme Court strikes down Civil Rights Act of 1875 This court ruling meant that the discriminatory acts of private citizens — owners of restaurants, theaters, hotels — were no longer prohibited under the Fourteenth Amendment. 1884 Mugwump reformers leave the Republican Party to support Grover Cleveland, first Democrat elected president since 1856 Liberal Republicans shifted their support in this election because they associated their party's presidential candidate, James G. Blaine, with the widespread corruption of the Grant administrations. 1887 Florida adopts first law segregating railroad travel Although racial segregation was fairly widespread in the South, it had not been legally enforced until near the close of the century. Following the passage of this law, many southern states and municipalities enacted segregation ordinances. 1888 James Bryce's The American Commonwealth In this sharply critical assessment of American politics, the English author complained about the lack of a difference between the political parties in the United States. 1890 McKinley Tariff The Republican administration passed the McKinley Tariff of 1890, which was highly protectionist; that is, it charged high duties on imports. The widespread unpopularity of this tariff contributed to Democratic electoral victories in 1890 and 1892. Democrats sweep congressional elections, inaugurating brief era of Democratic Party dominance Mississippi becomes first state to adopt literacy test to disfranchise blacks Many southern states used a variety of methods, both direct and indirect, to remove blacks from politics. The Supreme Court upheld the Mississippi law in 1898, saying that it was permissible to restrict the ballot as long as race was not used as the disqualifying criterion. 1892 People's (Populist) Party founded
1893 Panic of 1893 leads to national depression Repeal of Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890) President Cleveland persuaded Congress to repeal the Silver Purchase Act, which had reestablished a bimetallic currency. This action put the United States back on the gold standard, leading to a vigorous popular outcry for the coinage of silver and destroying Cleveland's position in the Democratic Party. 1894 "Coxey's Army" of unemployed fails to win federal relief
1895 Booker T. Washington sets out Atlanta Compromise Washington's address to a largely white audience at the Atlanta Exposition offered to withdraw black demands for social equality if white society would support industrial education for blacks and subsequently employ them. Although its results would be mixed at best, this "accommodationist" position impressed white philanthropists and made Washington the powerbroker for black America. 1896 Election of Republican president William McKinley; free-silver campaign crushed The volatile depression economy caused the electorate to vote for "sound money," rejecting what the Republicans called the "revolutionary" assault on the gold standard by Bryan and the silver Democrats. Plessy v. Ferguson upholds constitutionality of "separate but equal" facilities This Supreme Court decision set in place the doctrine on which the South built a system of racial segregation in almost all aspects of its society. 1897 Economic depression ends; era of agricultural prosperity begins
1889 Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr found Hull House This prototype settlement house provided education and child care for immigrants on Chicago's West Side. 1893 Panic of 1893 starts depression of the 1890s Business failures, layoffs, and four years of economic downturn led to social and labor unrest. 1899 National Consumers' League founded Florence Kelley led this organization, which lobbied on behalf of working women and children. 1900 Robert M. La Follette elected Wisconsin governor La Follette was a crusading Republican governor who used the resources of the University of Wisconsin to develop a legislative program. In 1906 he moved to the U.S. Senate, where he spearheaded progressive reform. Commission form of city government first appears, in Galveston, Texas Rebuilding after a disastrous hurricane, Galveston's business leaders took over the management of the city and replaced traditionally elected officials with a city commission. 1901 President McKinley assassinated; Theodore Roosevelt succeeds him Having been put in the vice-presidency by Republican Party bosses to keep him out of power, Roosevelt — "that damn cowboy," one party boss called him — was suddenly president. 1902 President Roosevelt settles national anthracite strike After failing to settle this strike by negotiation, Roosevelt threatened to take over the coal industry. The owners caved in but left the president with resentment toward business leaders. 1903 National Women's Trade Union League founded
1904 Supreme Court dissolves the Northern Securities Company This landmark case against a railroad trust reflected the beginning of a change in attitude on the part of the Supreme Court. 1905 Lochner v. New York overturns law restricting length of the workday The U.S. Supreme Court overturned a law limiting the number of hours a day employees could be required to work, saying that both parties to a contract were free to accept or reject the conditions enumerated therein. 1906 Upton Sinclair's The Jungle This muckraking novel about the stockyards and the meatpacking industry in Chicago provided the impetus for the federal government's adoption of food and drug regulations. Hepburn Railway Act This legislation empowered the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to regulate railroad rates and examine company financial records. AFL adopts "Bill of Grievances" When Congress rejected this request for support against court injunctions aimed at unions, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) decided to become more active in electoral politics. 1908 Muller v. Oregon upholds regulation of working hours for women The Supreme Court upheld the right of states to pass protective legislation for women workers, in this case, limiting the workday to ten hours. Federal Council of Churches founded Protestant churches subscribing to the Social Gospel movement organized this federation to coordinate their urban-reform activities. William Howard Taft elected president Theodore Roosevelt's hand-picked successor took office and immediately began to disappoint his sponsor. 1909 NAACP formed White progressives and socialists joined with black activists to form an organization concerned with racial uplift and equality for African Americans. Herbert Croly's Promise of American Life This work combined the federalism of Alexander Hamilton with the republicanism of Thomas Jefferson in calling for a new statist policy of social, economic, and political reform. 1910 Roosevelt announces the New Nationalism Based partially on Croly's ideas, Roosevelt's new program called for massive federal intervention in corporate economic affairs and an enhanced social-welfare program. Woman suffrage movement revives; suffrage victory in Washington State The emergence of modern feminism contributed to this revival. The suffragists adopted new tactics in pursuing the ballot. 1911 Standard Oil decision restores "rule of reason" The Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of the oil trust, basing its decision on the "rule of reason"; that is, the court had the right to decide for itself what actions constituted an illegal restraint of trade. Triangle Shirtwaist fire This tragic event in New York City, which caused the deaths of 146 workers, stirred the political community in New York State to pass the most comprehensive laws to date requiring safer workplaces. 1912 Progressive Party formed When the Republicans rejected Roosevelt as presidential nominee in 1912, he led progressives out of the convention and organized the Progressive ("Bull Moose") Party. Woodrow Wilson elected president The split in Republican ranks enabled the Democrat Wilson to become president with only 42 percent of the popular vote. 1913 Federal Reserve Act The establishment of the Federal Reserve Board to control financial reserves helped strengthen and stabilize the nation's banking industry. Underwood Tariff Act Enacted in 1913, this act lowered tariff rates, particularly in trust-dominated industries, to an average rate of 25 percent. Consumer prices on imported goods were therefore reduced. 1914 Clayton Antitrust Act This act became effective with the establishment of the Federal Trade Commission, which had the power to investigate unfair trade practices and issue rulings restraining improper activity. Chapter 21: An Emerging World Power Expanded Timeline 1875 Treaty brings Hawaii within U.S. orbit This agreement opened the U.S. market to Hawaiian sugar and was the entering wedge for the later movement for annexation led by American planters on the islands. 1876 United States achieves favorable balance of trade
1895 Venezuela crisis After President Cleveland accepted the need for an aggressive foreign policy for commercial reasons, the United States reasserted its claims to dominance in the Western Hemisphere by requiring Great Britain to give up its border dispute with Venezuela. Cuban civil war The Cubans rebelled against Spanish rule again, as they had in 1868. This time the insurgency was supported by U.S. public opinion, and the Spanish-American War that followed led to Cuban independence. 1898 Outbreak of Spanish-American War The United States went to war with Spain over the issue of Cuban independence. Hawaii annexed Once the United States determined that it had strategic interests in the Philippines, Hawaii was rapidly annexed because of its signficant location as a coaling station and naval base. Anti-imperialist movement launched: Organized in opposition to the annexation of the Philippines, this movement coalesced into the formidable Anti-Imperialist League in 1899. 1899 Treaty of Paris In settling the Spanish-American War, this treaty granted Cuban independence and ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States. The United States also occupied Manila in the Philippines pending the signing of the peace treaty. Guerrilla war in the Philippines:Before the United States could annex these islands, it had to fight a costly war against the Philippine independence movement. Open-door policy in China Even though European commercial interests were dominant in China, the United States sought to establish a free trade zone there in opposition to the restrictive trade practices of the existing "spheres of influence." This plan succeeded after the United States helped put down the Boxer Rebellion. 1901 Theodore Roosevelt becomes president; diplomacy of the "big stick" Roosevelt's elevation to the presidency led to a new emphasis on the use of naval power to assert American ambitions abroad. Hay-Pauncefote Agreement: Britain gave up its treaty rights to joint participation in any Central American canal project, leaving the United States free to build a canal that would be exclusively under its control. 1902 U.S. withdraws from Cuba; Platt amendment gives United States right of intervention Even though American troops were no longer stationed in Cuba, the American government reserved the right to intervene in Cuban affairs if they deviated from American national interests. 1903 U.S. recognizes Panama and receives grant of Canal Zone: After assisting the province of Panama to achieve its independence from Colombia, the United States established its right to build an interoceanic canal across the isthmus. 1904 Roosevelt Corollary In this extension of the Monroe Doctrine, President Roosevelt declared that the United States had the right to act as "policeman" in the Caribbean, interfering in the internal affairs of nations in cases of "wrong doing or impotence." 1906 U.S. mediates Franco-German crisis over Morocco at Algeciras American diplomats negotiated a peaceful settlement of the Moroccan crisis but in doing so violated the traditional American policy of isolation as far as European conflicts were concerned. 1907 Gentlemen's Agreement with Japan Japan agreed to limit immigration to the United States as a concession to Roosevelt's accommodating stance toward Japanese expansionism. 1908 Root-Takahira Agreement This agreement, backed up by U.S. naval power, confirmed the principle of free oceanic commerce in the Pacific and the open-door in China. 1909 Taft becomes president; dollar diplomacy President Taft was not particularly interested in the use of military power in foreign policy, but he supported the notion that the United States should protect American economic interests abroad. 1913 Wilson asserts new principles for American diplomacy Wilson favored American support for investment abroad but not at the expense of other nations that were involved. He stated that foreign policy shoud be conducted in conformity with democratic principles and with respect for human rights and territorial integrity. Intervention in the Mexican Revolution: President Wilson sent U.S. troops, uninvited, to support the Constitutionalist forces in the Mexican Revolution. The triumphant Constitutionalists nevertheless resented American interference, leading to a long-lived anti-Americanism in Mexico. 1914 Panama Canal opens The result of a massive engineering and construction feat and some politics, the canal called for in Mahan's theories was completed. World War I begins The United States declared its neutrality as armed conflict broke out between the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente. Chapter 22: War and the American State (WWI) 1914 Outbreak of war in Europe The assassination in Sarajevo of Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand ignited long-smoldering antagonisms and led to outright war among alliances that had been formed to establish a balance of power in Europe. United States declares neutrality Wilson's determination that the United States remain neutral created problems when German U-boats began to violate American neutrality. 1915 German submarine sinks British ship Lusitania
ship was a civilian vessel, it was carrying thousands of cases of ammunition destined for the Allied forces. Many Americans were outraged by the sinking and called for an increase in military preparedness. 1916 Wilson reelected president
troops did not enter the European war until May 1918, they were decisive in the Allies' subsequent victory. War Revenue bill passed This revision of the income tax laws called for both the rich and corporations to pay a higher share of their incomes than ordinary citizens in support of the war effort. The progressive income tax subsequently became the primary source of government revenue. Selective Service Act passed The enactment of the bill calling for a military draft combined national legislation with local administration, maintaining the nation's federal structure. War Industries Board established
industry during the war. Private industry's voluntary compliance with national requirements contributed to a long-term relationship of cooperation between business and government. Suffrage militancy Militant suffragists engaged in civil disobedience in an attempt to force the government to adopt a constitutional amendment granting women the vote. East St. Louis race riot
and whites in which nine whites and more than forty blacks died. Espionage Act
material from the mails. The companion Sedition Act punished anyone who was overly critical of the government or the military. Both laws sharply curtailed freedom of speech. Bolshevik Revolution
democratic revolution in Russia and took that country out of the war. Committee on Public Information established
indirectly encouraged the development of a common national ideology. 1918 Wilson proposes Fourteen Points peace plan
of these points actually became part of the Treaty of Versailles. Among the policies Wilson advocated were national self-determination, open diplomacy, freedom of the seas, free trade, and arms reduction. Meuse-Argonne campaign
that American troops made to World War I. Socialist Eugene Debs imprisoned under Sedition Act
the subject classes fought them. In 1920, he received several hundred thousand votes for president while still imprisoned. Armistice ends war The shooting stopped on November 11, 1918, after German representatives signed an armistice with the leaders of French forces. U.S. troops intervene in Russia
Russians overthrow the Bolshevik regime. This action helped establish a bitter legacy of hostile American-Soviet relations. 1919 Treaty of Versailles signed, ending World War I The Big Four (leaders of the United States, France, Britain, and Italy) met in Versailles to draw up a peace treaty. Wilson hoped that his Fourteen Points would be adopted, but the other three heads of state had concluded secret treaties dividing up the former Turkish and German empires and exacting severe reparations from Germany. Chicago race riot
rioting left twenty-three blacks and fifteen whites dead. Steel strike Hundreds of thousands of steelworkers across the country walked off the job, protesting the lack of union recognition and harsh working conditions. The strike was broken when the United States Steel Corporation hired black and Mexican American replacement workers to keep up production. Red Scare and Palmer raids Fearing sedition by radicals, Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer organized raids on suspected subversives and deported many aliens who were thought to have radical sympathies. Most of this activity took place without due process of law. Schenck v. United States
American Legion founded Veterans of the American Expeditionary Force organized to keep alive their positive memory of service in World War I. League of Nations defeated in U.S. Senate Wilson refused to compromise on any part of the Versailles peace treaty, and the Senate, under the leadership of Henry Cabot Lodge, refused to ratify the treaty. As a result, the United States never formally accepted the Treaty of Versailles. Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition) ratified Conservative religious opinion and anti-German sentiment combined to persuade Congress to pass this amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, transport, or sale of alcoholic beverages. War Industries Board disbanded Wilson disbanded the board on January 1, 1919, resisting suggestions that he keep it temporarily in place to help ease the process of demobilization. 1920 Nineteenth Amendment (woman suffrage) ratified After Wilson agreed to support a suffrage amendment in return for the loyalty of the suffragists during the war, Congress readily adopted the proposal. 1924 Woodrow Wilson dies Chapter 23: Modern Times: The 1920s Expanded Timeline 1920 First commercial radio broadcast Station KDKA in Pittsburgh broadcast the presidential election returns on November 2, 1920. Warren G. Harding elected president Voters went with the Republicans in 1920, rejecting progressivism and supporting a return to "normalcy." Census reveals shift in population from farms to cities For the first time, more Americans lived in cities (defined as towns of more than 2,500) than in rural areas. Sinclair Lewis, Main Street Lewis's novel was critical of the values of small-town America. Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence In the first novel by a woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, Wharton dissected the mores of New York City's upper class. 1920-1921 National economic recession
1921 Sheppard-Towner Act Female lobbyists successfully pushed for the enactment of the Federal Maternity and Infancy Act, in an effort to reduce the infant mortality rate. Congress cut off funding for the program in 1929 after realizing that women did not vote as a bloc. Congress limits immigration The first major attempt to restrict immigration by the national quota system cut the number of immigrants entering the United States by more than half in the first year. Washington Conference supports naval disarmament The three leading naval powers — Britain, Japan, and the United States — met with other nations and agreed to limit the number of their warships. 1922 Fordney-McCumber Tariff The Republicans raised tariffs to keep foreign-made goods out of the country. T. S. Eliot, The Waste Land Eliot's modernist poem spoke, obscurely, about the fragmentation of the postwar world. 1923 Calvin Coolidge succeeds Harding as president The elevation of the upright Coolidge to the presidency convinced the public that the corruption revealed in the Harding administration would be eliminated. Time magazine founded The introduction of a newsweekly in magazine form helped launch a new form of journalism and advertising that would contribute to the development of mass culture. Jean Toomer, Cane This black author's complex, poetic novel of the discovery of his heritage was an inspiration to the writers of the Harlem Renaissance. 1924 Dawes Plan reduces German reparation payments This plan reduced the amount of reparations owed by Germany to the Allies and provided Germany with loans to help the country survive its economic crisis. Bruce Barton, The Man Nobody Knows Barton was an advertising mogul who wrote this book suggesting that Jesus was the greatest businessman the world had ever seen. Teapot Dome scandal
U.S. troops withdraw from Dominican Republic As had been the case with Nicaragua and Haiti, the United States had occupied many Caribbean nations, including the Dominican Republic, in pursuit of its national interests. National Origins Act This second stage in immigration restriction further reduced the number of immigrants who could enter the United States from southeastern Europe and Russia. 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald's novel laid bare the emptiness of the heedless pursuit of wealth during the 1920s. Height of Ku Klux Klan At its peak, the Klan was able to elect many state and local public officials, particularly in the Midwest. Scopes ("monkey") trial John Scopes was convicted of teaching evolution in his high-school biology class in Dayton, Tennessee. The popular notion of evolution — that humans are descended from apes — gave the trial its nickname. 1926 Alain Locke, The New Negro anthology
1927 First "talkies" Although changing from silent films to "talkies" seemed prohibitively expensive, the studios quickly recouped their losses as Americans flocked to see the new talking pictures. Charles Lindbergh's solo flight "Lucky Lindy" became the most widely acclaimed hero of American culture in the 1920s when he completed the first solo nonstop flight from New York to Paris. Ford's Model A car Henry Ford finally gave in to competitive pressure from General Motors by introducing the Model A, a car that provided a variety of models and colors for the discriminating consumer. 1928 Herbert Hoover elected president
Kellogg-Briand Pact signed Sixty-three nations finally signed this treaty agreeing not to pursue war as a way of settling international disputes. The pact reflected a widespread desire for peace, but it established no powers for its enforcement. 1929 Middletown published Sociologists Helen Merrell Lynd and Robert Lynd closely analyzed everyday life in Muncie, Indiana, during the 1920s and produced this classic community study. Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms This novel about the wastefulness and futility of war made its author, who had served as an ambulance driver in World War I, a renowned figure. William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury Applying Freudian motifs to the rural South, the author produced one of the major works of American modernism. 1929 Stock market crash On October 29, 1929 ("Black Tuesday") panic selling drove the total value of the stocks on the market from $87 billion down to $55 billion. Agricultural Marketing Act This Hoover administration legislation was the federal government's most aggressive intervention in agricultural stabilization and relief up to that time. 1930 Midwestern drought begins
Hawley-Smoot Tariff This act of economic nationalism raised tariffs to the highest levels ever, which restricted international trade and drove the United States and the rest of the world even deeper into depression. 1931 Scottsboro case The trial of nine black men in Alabama for the alleged rape of two white women created a public protest because of the unfair, harsh sentences and the denial of adequate legal counsel. Hoover declares moratorium on Allied war debts This statesmanlike act eased tension in the international financial arena. Miners strike in Harlan County, Kentucky Coal miners struck over a 10 percent wage cut but were defeated by mine owners and the National Guard. 1932 Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) created
funneling federal dollars through this agency into American banks and industry. Acting too cautiously, the RFC failed to achieve this objective. Bonus Army rebuffed by Congress
Height of deportation of Mexican migrant workers The Hoover administration ordered Mexican Americans deported in order to prevent them from becoming a drain on the relief system. But many more Mexicans left the country because they were jobless and local relief agencies refused to help them. Strike at Ford's River Rouge plant in Michigan This strike led to an outbreak of violence between strikers and company security force that left three demonstrators dead and fifty seriously wounded. Communist-led hunger marches American communist activists organized the poor into "unemployment councils" that staged hunger marches in many cities. Chapter 24: The Great Depression Expanded Timeline 1933 Unemployment rises to highest level Joblessness peaked in the months between Roosevelt's election and his inauguration, reaching an estimated unemployment rate of 20 to 25 percent. Franklin Delano Roosevelt becomes president FDR took office at the deepest point of the depression. His vigorous action and reassuring manner helped restore a measure of hope to the American people, but they did not end the depression. Birth rate drops to lowest level due to depression
The Marx Brothers in Duck Soup The irreverent Marx Brothers made fun of virtually everybody, but they reached the height of their popularity by skewering the pretensions of rich, corrupt politicians, the military, and almost all other authority figures. 1934 Southern Tenant Farmers Union founded As the agricultural depression deepened in the South, black and white tenant farmers organized the STFU in an attempt to protest what they saw as oppressive conditions. It Happened One Night sweeps Oscars This sophisticated "screwball comedy" epitomized the new type of Hollywood films that followed the studio's adoption of self-censorship in 1934. 1935 National Youth Administration created The NYA gave part-time employment to millions of students and out-of-work youths. Harlem race riot Rumors of police brutality led to an explosion of violence in Harlem against what was seen as a pervasive system of exploitation of the black community by white store owners. 1936 Student Strike against War Disillusionment over World War I led thousands of college students to sign the "Oxford Pledge,"promising never to support a war in which the United States was involved. Several hundred thousand students participated in the 1936 action. Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind This nostalgic look at the Civil War South, with its not always accurate recounting of Reconstruction, was a best-selling novel during the depression. It was made into a movie in 1939. Birth control legalized
down all federal laws against distributing information about birth control. Massachusetts and Connecticut banned contraception by state law until the 1960s. 1939 John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
California into a novel that quickly achieved the status of a classic. Frank Capra, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington : Italian immigrant Capra directed this 1939 film in which a virtuous small-town hero defeats corrupt politicians whose schemes subverted the nation's ide
1938 Munich agreement Britain and France agreed to let Germany annex the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia, indicating their reluctance to confront Hitler as he began to carry out his expansionist program in Eastern Europe. 1939 Nazi-Soviet pact Germany and the Soviet Union signed a treaty promising not to attack each other, giving Hitler the freedom to attack Poland. War breaks out in Europe
Britain and France entered the war two days later. 1940 Conscription reinstated
fear that the United States would be drawn into the war. America First Committee
of the war. Roosevelt reelected to third term
prospect of American participation in the war was a major campaign issue. 1941 Roosevelt promulgates Four Freedoms In his State of the Union address, the president noted the "four essential freedoms": freedom of expression and speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Hitler invades Soviet Union
Lend-Lease Act The United States agreed to lend or lease military equipment to the Allies, leading Germany to attack American shipping. Fair Employment Practices Commission
the Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) in order to reduce racial discrimination in the defense industry. Atlantic Charter Roosevelt and Churchill met secretly on a ship off the coast of Newfoundland to discuss their intentions for the postwar world. The ideology was similar to Wilson's Fourteen Points, calling for collective security and national self-determination. Japanese attack Pearl Harbor On December 7, planes from Japanese aircraft carriers bombed and strafed American military installations in Hawaii, drawing the United States into World War II. 1942 Battles of Coral Sea and Midway halt Japanese advance in the Pacific
war.
Women recruited for war industries The campaign to enlist women in defense work was symbolized by Norman Rockwell's painting on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, depicting a female industrial worker — "Rosie the Riveter." Relocation of Japanese Americans More than 100,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast were interned in relocation camps in the interior. The federal government considered these people to be untrustworthy, and feared espionage and sabotage on behalf of Japan. No evidence of either has ever been discovered. Revenue Act of 1942
had been borne primarily by the rich and by corporations. The number of taxpayers increased from 3.9 million in 1939 to 42.6 million in 1945. 1942-1945 Rationing A complex system for the rationing of scarce resources was applied on the American home front during the war. Among the items covered by this system were rubber, gasoline, sugar, butter, and meat. 1943 Race riots in Detroit and Los Angeles Racial tensions resulting from competition for jobs and housing led to outbreaks of violence in these and many other cities. Fascism falls in Italy
fighting until 1945. Teheran Conference
negotiations over the structure of the postwar world. Roosevelt and Churchill also agreed to open a second front within six months. 1944 Gunnar Myrdal, An American Dilemma Synthesizing studies undertaken by America's leading authorities on race relations, the Swedish sociologist's massive work focused attention on American racial prejudice. D-Day invasion
away from the Eastern Front and beginning the pincer movement that would lead to the conquest of Germany. Reconquest of Philippines Under the leadership of Douglas MacArthur, American forces began their reconquest of the Philippines after the victory over the Japanese navy at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. GI Bill of Rights
education, job training, and a variety of other benefits. Roosevelt reelected to fourth term
1945 Germany surrenders After Hitler's suicide on April 30, any desire on the part of the Germans to continue the war evaporated, and the surrender came on May 8, V-E Day. Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa
on these islands as American forces came closer to Japan. Yalta Conference
Conflicting interpretations of the negotiations that took place contributed to the rise of the Cold War. Harry Truman becomes president after Roosevelt's death FDR died on April 12. Vice-President Truman had been "kept out of the loop" about military and diplomatic affairs, but he quickly took charge of the government during this critical period. United Nations convenes
being with the support of the Big Three in San Francisco in April. U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
weapon he had never been told about until he took office. Desiring to end the war quickly, without the high casualties predicted for an invasion of Japan, Truman ordered the bombs to be dropped. Japan surrenders
document on September 2. World War II Chronology
1933. Jan...............Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany March...........Hitler granted dictatorial power 1934 March...........Hindenberg dies, Hitler becomes Fuhrer 1935 March...........Hitler announces German rearmament Oct...............Nuremberg Laws deprives Jews of citizenship rights Italy invades Ethiopia 1936 March...........Germany moves troops into the Rhineland July.............. Civil War in Spain Germany signs pact with Italy 1938 March...........Anschluss (Germany annexes Austria) Sept..............Munich Conference (Sudetenland annexed) Nov..............Kristallnacht 1939 March...........Hitler annexes the rest of Czechoslovakia August..........Nazi-Soviet Pact
Fall...............USSR occupies Eastern Poland, bases in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland Nov..............US begins “cash and carry” policy 1940 April.............Germany invades Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France June..............Dunkirk (evacuation of British and French troops) Italy enters war (invades southern France) June 20..........France falls July...............Battle of Britain begins Sept..............USA begins 1st peace time draft Tripartite Pact Dec...............Battle of Britain called off 1941 March...........US begins Lend-Lease June 22........Hitler invades USSR Aug..............Atlantic Conference Dec.7........... Japanese attack Pearl Harbor! Dec. 8..........US declares war on Japan! Dec. 11........Germany and Italy declare war on the US Entire western hemisphere except Argentina declares war on the Axis powers Late Dec.......Japan invades Philippines, Guam, Midway, Hong Kong, Malaya, New Guinea, Threatens Australia 1942 June............. Battle of Midway (US turns back Japanese navy) Nov............. Allied invasion of North Africa begins Germans begin retreat from Stalingrad 1943 Jan............... Casablanca Conference July............. Allied invasion of Italy Mussolini flees to Germany Italy joins the Allies Nov............. Teheran Conference 1944 June 4........... Rome falls to Allies June 6.......... D-Day (Allied invasion at Normandy) Aug. 25......... Paris liberated Nov-Dec....... Battle of the Bulge (last German offensive) 1945 Feb................ Yalta Conference March........... Allies cross the Rhine at Ramagen
April............. Allied and Soviet forces meet at the Elbe River Mussolini executed
July............... 1st testing of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos, NM Potsdam Conference
Aug 8............ USSR declares war on Japan Aug. 9........... atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki Aug 14.......... Japan surrenders Aug 15..........V-J Day! Sept. 2...........Japan signs formal articles of surrender World War II Conferences & Treaties
Chapter 26: Cold War America, 1945-1960 1945 Yalta and Potsdam conferences Allied leaders met, in February and July, respectively, to plan the shape of postwar Europe. Truman had replaced Roosevelt in April, and at Potsdam he took a harder line against Stalin than FDR had. It was at Potsdam that Truman heard of the successful testing of the atomic bomb. Harry S Truman succeeds Roosevelt as president A middle-of-the-road replacement for FDR's liberal Vice-President Henry Wallace in 1944, Truman assumed office uninformed about recent affairs, but he quickly took charge of some of the century's most important presidential decisions. End of World War II Shortly after Hitler committed suicide, Germany surrendered on May 8 (V-E Day). The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki contributed to the Japanese surrender on August 10 (V-J Day).
outlined a policy to resist it. Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech The wartime British prime minister provided a metaphor for the developing Cold War.
The Soviet Union was not willing to accept the terms proposed by Baruch, which would continue to give the United States nuclear predominance. Employment Act. This act established the policy of federal intervention in the economy, for example, lowering taxes to stimulate the economy and raising them to slow inflation.
to reduce the power of labor unions by, among other things, banning the closed shop and encouraging states to pass "right to work" laws.
would fight communism wherever it was seen to be trying to undermine established governments outside the U.S. sphere of influence.
Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council, and combining the Departments of War and the Navy into the Department of Defense.
economic aid to help rebuild the shattered economies of European nations. Although the Soviet bloc was invited to participate, it refused because of restrictions on the use of funds. House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) begins to investigate Hollywood After widely publicized hearings on communist infiltration of the film industry, artists who had been labeled as "reds" found themselves blacklisted and unable to find work.
order. Military desegregation was hastened by the outbreak of the Korean War. Berlin airlift When the Soviet Union cut off ground access to Berlin, deep in the Soviet zone of occupation, U.S. and British airplanes kept the city provisioned with food and fuel for more than a year until the blockade was withdrawn.
formed a peacetime military alliance, the first for the United States since the War of Independence. This mutual defense pact required all signatories to join the struggle if any of them came under attack. People's Republic of China established. The Chinese Communists won their civil war against the Nationalists and drove them off the mainland onto the island of Taiwan. National Housing Act This act established the responsibility of the federal government to provide decent housing for all American families. It called for the construction of 810,000 units of low-income housing.
substantially to the fear of communism already felt by Americans. 1950 Senator Joseph McCarthy presents list of alleged Communists in government With his unsubstantiated charges and steadfast refusal to release the names on his "list," Senator McCarthy set the pattern for the witch-hunt that came to bear his name.
evaluated the Soviet threat and called for a massive increase in U.S. defense spending.
under the auspices of the United Nations, sought to prevent North Korea from unifying the country under communist control. The war ended with a stalemate and continued division. 1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower elected president The American people turned to a military hero to get the nation out of the Korean War and tame subversives in government. U.S. detonates hydrogen bomb The arms race took an even more deadly turn when both the U.S. and the USSR decided that they needed weapons thousands of times more powerful than the atomic bombs that had been dropped on Japan.
There was a softening of attitude toward the West on the part of Stalin's immediate successors.
sheltering subversives. The televised hearings of the investigation exposed the insubstantiality of the charges, and the boorish behavior of the senator led to McCarthy's loss of public support. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka In this decision, the Supreme Court declared that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established by a previous court in 1896.
attacked by a coalition of Britain, France, and Israel in an attempt to regain control of the vital waterway. The United States and the United Nations condemned the attack and the coalition withdrew, leaving Egypt both in control of the canal and increasingly open to Soviet influence.
national highway system. Along with the St. Lawrence Seaway, these were the largest public works programs undertaken by the federal government up to that time.
Responding to the Suez crisis, the president announced that the United States would go to the aid of any nation in the oil-rich Middle East that was threatened by communist aggression.
ahead of the United States in the space race. The Eisenhower administration responded by enacting a program of massive aid to education designed to strengthen scientific research. Eisenhower sends U.S. troops to Little Rock to ensure school integration. Arkansas governor Orval Faubus mobilized the state's National Guard to prevent the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School. Eisenhower nationalized the Arkansas National Guard and sent in U.S. troops to enforce the desegregation ruling. 1958 NASA established The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created to direct and coordinate American exploration of space. 1960 American U-2 spy plane shot down over USSR The public revelation of American violation of Soviet air space caused the cancellation of a summit meeting and blocked the negotiation of an arms-control agreement.
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