40 Years of America
By: Matthew Cortinas
Industrialization
Telegraph (Economic)
The telegraph was meant to make communication back in the day a lot faster and efficient. It was a machine that sent a code immediately over a wire, the code was then to be deciphered by someone on the other end of the wire. After the code was deciphered the letter would then be delivered to who it was meant for.
Transcontinental Railroad (economic)
The Continental Railroad was a railroad that was meant to connect the east and the west coast. It was built for the purpose of making trade across all of the U.S. to be more efficient and less costly. This railroad was completed in 1869 and had 30,000 miles of tracks by the start of the Civil War.
Expansion of Electricity (Economic)
Edison and Weston House made an entire system for producing and distributing electrical power. By 1890 electricity powered numerous machines and helped manufacturers to locate their plants.
Immigration
Ellis Island (cultural)
At this island where new immigrants had to get accepted to come into the U.S. where over 20% of them were detained for hours and hours where it's really crowded. They had to pass these test that were set up to decide who to let in and who to not. Many immigrants were sent back to their homeland and were not permitted to enter the U.S.
Angel Island
This island was very similar to the Ellis island. Primarily immigrants from China. Between 1910-1940 over 50,000 immigrants entered the U.S. form China. These immigrants were also detained had tested to see if they were fit to enter the U.S.
Nativism
The native americans that lived in the U.S. before we did were treated poorly. They were always taken advantage of and pretty much had zero say about what would happen to them. Many acts and promises were made to them and either they were acts to help the U.S. out or we wouldn't keep our promise.
Tenements (cultural)
Tenements were built to house new immigrants in the cities. The new immigrants had a very poor style of living and were very crowded. At least 5 to one tenement with the the size of an average room size today.
Settlement houses
Community centers in slum neighborhoods that provided assistance to people in these houses, especially immigrant's. Many settlement workers lived at the house to they could learn firsthand about the problems caused by urbanization and help create solutions.
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.
Progressivism
Purefood and drug act
Passed by Congress in 1906 which halted the sale of contaminated food and medicines and called for truth labeling. Did not ban harmful products but the labeling required the truth of what's in the object.
Meat Inspection act
1906 Roosevelt pushed for passage of the meat inspection act, it dictated strict cleanliness requirements for meatpackers and created the program of federal meat inspection that was used until replaced in 1990's.
Ida Tarbell
Born in Memphis and became an editor for a local newspaper. Racial justice was a persistent theme for her reporting. March 9, 1898 three of her friends were lynched illegally without trial.
Imperialism
Yellow journalism and New York journalism
Sensational style of writing, which exaggerated the news to lure and enrage readers. Pushed the U.S. into war. February 1898 New York Journal published de Lome Letter; letter wasstolen and leaked into the newspapers.
Spanish American War
U.S.S. Maine explodes on February 15, 1898. More than 260 men were killed. Battlecry "remember the Maine" and U.S. declared war on Spain.
Treaty of Paris
On December 10,1898 the U.S. and Spain met in Paris to agree on a treaty. Spain freed Cuba, turned over island of Guam and sold Philippines.
World War 1
League of Nations
International organization to address diplomatic crises like those sparked in war; would provide a forum for nations to discuss and settle their grievances without having to resort to war.
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 service.
Treaty of Versailles
Established 9 new nations and shifted the boundaries of other nations; carved 5 areas out of the Ottomon Empire and gave them to France and Great Britain as temporary colonies.