Period 6

• 1876 - Little Bighorn

• Native American forces defeated Custer's troops, representing fierce resistance to westward expansion.

• 1886 - Haymarket Square Riot

• A labor protest turned violent in Chicago, hurting the labor movement's public image.

• 1887 - Dawes Act

• This law aimed to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal land into individual plots.

• 1887 - Interstate Commerce Act

• The federal government regulated railroads to ensure fair rates and curb monopolistic practices.

• 1890 - Wounded Knee

• S. troops massacred hundreds of Lakota at Wounded Knee, ending Native resistance in the Plains.

• 1890 - McKinley Tariff; Sherman Antitrust Act

• High tariffs protected industry, and the Sherman Act aimed to break up monopolies.

• 1894 - Pullman Strike

• A major railroad strike was crushed by federal troops, showing the government's alliance with business.

• 1896 - "Cross of Gold" speech

• William Jennings Bryan defended bimetallism and criticized the gold standard in this famous speech.

• 1896 - Plessy v. Ferguson

• The Supreme Court upheld segregation as "separate but equal," legalizing racial discrimination.

Period 6 timeline

1865-1898