Digital Flyer
1880-1920
Treaty of Versailles
Established nine new nations and shifted the boundaries of other nations. Carved five acres out of the Ottoman Empire and gave them to France and Great Britain as temporary colonies. I am proud of the treaty because of the work the U.S. did to help other countries out in time of need.
League of Nations
International organization to address diplomatic crises like those sparked up in war. Would provide a forum for nations to discuss and settle their grievances without having to resort to war. Although the League of Nations didn't always do their jobs correctly, they prevented some wars and helped to settle arguments civilly. I am proud of the work that the League of Nations was supposed to do.
Selective Services Act
Congress passed the Selective Services Act in May 1917 that required men to register with the government in order to be randomly selected for military services. The Selective Services Act would call men to help fight in wars if they was not enough volunteers to go into battle with. I am proud of this because now if we have wars and not enough soldiers the government could always call upon young men to help.
Treaty of Paris of 1898
On December 10, 1898 the United States and Spain met in Paris to agree on a treaty. Spain freed Cuba, turned over island of Guam and sold the Philippines. I am proud of the accomplishments that the United States made in Paris when signing the treaty and events that followed.
Spanish-American War | 3 Minute History
Spanish - American War
The U.S.S. Maine exploded. February 15, 1898 the ship blew up in the harbor of Havana. More than 260 men were killed. Battle cry "remember the Maine" was used for the U.S. while they were in Cuba. War was declared on Spain on April 20 by the U.S. for revenge. I am not proud of the actions the U.S. took out on Spain, but I am proud that the U.S. will go to war to protect its country.
Yellow Journalism
Sensational style of writing, which exaggerated the news to lure and enrage readers. Pushed the U.S. into an unwanted war. February 1898 New York Journal published de Lome Letter. The letter was stolen and leaked into the newspapers. I am ashamed of how twisted people would make stories and how they would even use private information in newspapers.
Meat Inspection Act
Meat Inspection Act
Roosevelt pushed for passage of the Meat Inspection Act. Dictated strict cleanliness requirements for meat packers. Created the program of federal meat inspection that was used until replaced in the 1990's. I am proud of the Meat Inspection Act because without it people would still be dying because of cross contamination and lots of germs.
Ida Turbell
Ida was born in Memphis. She became an editor for a local newspaper. Racial justice was a persistent theme for wells reporting. March 9, 1892 three of her friends were lynched - illegally without atrial. She saw lynching for what it really was. I am proud of her accomplishments.
Pure Food and Drug Act
The Pure Food and Drug Act was passed by congress in 1906 which halted the sale of contaminated food and medicines and called for truth labeling. It did not put a stop to harmful products outright. Its requirements of truthful labeling reflected progressive belief. I am proud that truth labeling was now a requirement, but ashamed that the act did not put an end to harmful products.
Sanitation
Horse manure piled up on the streets, sewage flowed through open gutters, and factories spewed foul smoke into the air. Without dependable trash collection people put garbage on the streets. The scavengers did not do their jobs properly. I am ashamed of how dirty the streets of neighborhood could get and that there was no trash collection systems that were efficient.
Settlement Houses
Community centers in slum neighborhoods that provided assistance to people in the area, especially immigrants. Many settlement workers lived at the house so they could learn firsthand about the problems caused by urbanization and help create the solution. I am proud of this because it was the start of a lot of government, neighborhood, and community services for people in need of help.
Tenements
Tenements were over crowed and unsanitary. New Your City passed a law that set minimum standards for plumbing and ventilation in the apartments. Landlords began building tenements with a shafts that provided an outside window for each room. People sometimes put garbage in the air shafts where it attracted vermin. I am proud that there were places provided for people to live, but ashamed of how unsanitary they were.
Nativism
Nativism
Overt favoritism toward native-born Americans. Gave risk to many anti-immigrant groups and led to demand for immigration restrictions. The American Protective Association, founded in 11887, launched vicious anti-catholic attacks. In 1887 congress passed a bill requiring a literacy test for immigrants. They had to be able to read 40 words in English. I am ashamed of how harsh Americans were to immigrants because of how unfairly the immigrants were treated.
Angel Island
Asians - primarily Chinese - arriving on the west coast gained admission at Angel Island in San Fransico Bay. Between 1910 and 1940 about 50,000 Chinese immigrants entered the U.S. through Angel Island. Processing stood in contrast to procedure at Ellis Island. The immigrants endured hard questioning, long detention in filth, etc. I am ashamed of the way Americans treated immigrants. Especially when the immigrants worked really hard on U.S. soil, got paid very little and were treated terribly at work just to support their families or themselves.
Ellis Island
Around 20% of immigrants at Ellis Island were detained for days before being inspected. Only about 2% were denied early. The processing of immigrants on Ellis Island was an ordeal that might take about % hours or more. Each immigrants had to pass several medical exams to enter the United States. I am ashamed of the way the immigrants were treated at Ellis Island, but proud that America was open to immigration.
Expansion of Electricity
Edison and Westinghouse invented an entire system for producing and distributing electrical power. By 1890 electric power ran numerous machines. It allowed for manufacturers to locate their plants anywhere. I am proud of this because electricity is very important in the daily life of any person. Without electricity life as we know it would be so much harder.
Transcontinental Railroad
The railroad line linking the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States. The railroad was completed in 1869. At the start of the Civil War the nation had about 30,000 miles of railroad tracks. By 1890 it was nearly six times greater than before. I am proud of the transcontinental railroad because it helped promote safer travel and we used the technology to help create better transportation for people today.
Telegraph
The telegraph was invented by Samuel F.B. Morse. The telegraph was used to send messages in code over a wire in a matter of seconds. The code was known as morse code. By 1854 there was 23,000 miles of telegraph wire that crossed the country. I am proud of this because the invention of the telegraph helped build the technology that we use today.