APUSH Period 7

Spanish American War

Spanish American War

1898: Conflict spurred by the election year and yellow journalism, leading to the acquisition of territories by the US.

Maine explodes

1898: USS Maine explosion in Havana harbor leads to the rallying cry "Remember the Maine."

DeLome Letter

1898: Letter criticizing President McKinley's policies, which heightened tensions between the US and Spain.

Williams vs. Miss.

1898: Legal case upholding literacy tests as a requirement for voting.

Get Hawaii

1898: US annexes Hawaii.

Peace of Paris

1898: Treaty ending the Spanish-American War, granting Cuba independence and ceding Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam to the US.

Samoa divided between US and Germany

1899: Division of Samoa between the United States and Germany.

Teller Amendment

1899: Legislation ensuring Cuba's freedom after the Spanish-American War.

Open Door Notes

1899: Policy proposed by Secretary of State Hay to ensure territorial integrity and equal trading rights in China.

National Negro Business League founded by Booker T. Washington

1900: Establishment of an organization to promote African American entrepreneurship.

Gold Standard Act

1900: Legislation establishing gold as the standard unit of value for currency.

Progressive Era

1900s: Period marked by reform movements aimed at addressing corruption, monopolies, temperance, and labor issues.

Election of 1900: Roosevelt (Rep) defeats Bryan (Dem)

1900: Theodore Roosevelt, Republican, wins the presidency against William Jennings Bryan, Democrat.

Boxer Rebellion

1900: Chinese nationalist uprising against foreign influence, suppressed by an international coalition.

US Steel Corporation formed

1901: Establishment of the US Steel Corporation, one of the largest steel producers in the world.

Platt Amendment

1901: Amendment to the Cuban constitution granting the US certain rights in Cuba, including a naval base and the right to intervene in Cuban affairs.

Insular Cases

1901: Supreme Court rulings determining that constitutional rights do not necessarily apply to US territories acquired through war.

Coal Strike

1902: Strike by coal miners demanding better working conditions and higher wages.

Department of Commerce and Labor created

1903: Establishment of a federal department to oversee commerce and labor issues.

Hay-Herran Treaty

1903: Treaty between the US and Colombia for the construction of the Panama Canal, later rejected by Colombia.

Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty

1903: Treaty granting the US control over the Panama Canal Zone.

Elkins Act

1903: Legislation aimed at regulating railroad rebates and preventing unfair practices.

Panama Canal Zone acquired

1904: Acquisition of the land necessary for the construction of the Panama Canal.

National Child Labor Committee formed

1904: Formation of an organization advocating against child labor.

Roosevelt Corollary

1904: Addition to the Monroe Doctrine asserting US intervention in Latin American affairs to maintain stability.

Industrial Workers of the World formed

1905: Formation of a labor union advocating for industrial workers' rights.

Upton Sinclair writes The Jungle

1906: Publication of a novel exposing the unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry.

Gentleman's Agreement

1907: Agreement between the US and Japan addressing immigration and discrimination against Japanese immigrants.

Treaty of Portsmouth of Russo-Japanese War

1905: Treaty negotiated by President Theodore Roosevelt to end the Russo-Japanese War.

Hepburn Act

1906: Legislation expanding the powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate railroad rates.

Pure Food and Drug Act

1906: Legislation aimed at regulating food and drug safety in the United States.

Drago Doctrine

1907: Policy asserting that foreign nations should not use armed force to collect debts owed by American countries.

Bank Panic

1907: Financial crisis marked by a series of bank failures and stock market downturn.

Muller vs. Oregon

1908: Supreme Court case upholding a state law limiting the working hours of women.

Root-Takahira Agreement

1908: Agreement between the US and Japan to maintain the status quo in the Pacific and uphold the Open Door Policy in China.

NAACP is founded

1909: Establishment of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to fight for civil rights.

Taft begins implementation of Dollar Diplomacy

1909: President William Howard Taft's policy of using economic power to influence foreign affairs.

Payne-Aldrich Tariff

1909: Tariff legislation passed under President Taft, raising tariffs on certain goods.

Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy

1910: Dispute between Secretary of the Interior Richard Ballinger and conservationist Gifford Pinchot over public land use policies.

Standard Oil Co. vs. US

1911: Supreme Court case resulting in the breakup of the Standard Oil Company due to antitrust violations.

The Sixteenth Amendment

1913: Amendment to the United States Constitution that authorized Congress to levy an income tax on individuals and corporations.

The Federal Reserve Act

1913: Legislation that established the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States, to regulate the country's monetary and financial system.

The Federal Trade Commission

1914: Independent agency established to promote consumer protection and prevent unfair business practices in the United States.

The Clayton Antitrust Act

1914: Amendment to the Sherman Antitrust Act that aimed to strengthen antitrust laws by prohibiting certain anti-competitive practices and protecting consumers from monopolies.

The USS Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine

1915: British ocean liner sunk by a German U-boat during World War I, contributing to the eventual entry of the United States into the war.

The Adamson Act

1916: United States federal law that established an eight-hour workday for railroad workers.

The Espionage and Sedition Act

1917: Laws passed by Congress during World War I to suppress dissent and criticism of the government's war efforts, leading to limitations on freedom of speech and press.

The Treaty of Versailles

1919: Peace treaty that ended World War I, imposing harsh penalties on Germany and establishing the League of Nations.

The Eighteenth Amendment

1919: Amendment to the United States Constitution that prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages (Prohibition).

The Nineteenth Amendment

1920: Amendment to the United States Constitution that granted women the right to vote (women's suffrage).

The Teapot Dome Scandal

1923: Political scandal during the administration of President Warren G. Harding, involving the illegal leasing of federal oil reserves.

The McNary-Haugen Bill

1924: Legislation proposed to stabilize agricultural prices by allowing the government to purchase surplus crops and sell them abroad.

The Dawes Plan

1924: International agreement aimed at resolving the World War I reparations issue by providing loans to Germany and facilitating payments to Allied nations.

The Scopes "Monkey" Trial

1925: High-profile trial in Tennessee concerning the teaching of evolution in public schools, highlighting the debate between science and religion in American society.

The Kellogg-Briand Pact

1929: International treaty signed by multiple countries, including the United States, renouncing war as an instrument of national policy.

The Great Stock Market Crash

1929: Catastrophic collapse of stock prices on Wall Street, leading to the onset of the Great Depression.

The New Deal

1933: Series of programs and reforms implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to address the economic challenges of the Great Depression and promote recovery.

The Social Security Act

1935: Landmark legislation that established a system of social insurance, including retirement benefits, unemployment insurance, and assistance to the disabled and elderly.

The Neutrality Acts

1935-1937: Series of laws passed by Congress to limit U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts and prevent the country from being drawn into another world war.

The Revenue Act of 1935

1935: Legislation that increased taxes on the wealthy and corporations to fund New Deal programs and address budget deficits.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

1941: Surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, leading to the U.S. entry into World War II.

The GI Bill

1944: Legislation that provided benefits to World War II veterans, including financial assistance for education, housing, and starting businesses.

The Yalta Conference

1945: Meeting between Allied leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin to discuss post-war Europe and the division of Germany.

The A-Bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

1945: Atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.

Roosevelt dies – Truman VP

1945: President Franklin D. Roosevelt's death and Vice President Harry S. Truman assuming the presidency, leading to Truman's leadership during the final months of World War II.

Potsdam Conference

1945: Conference attended by Allied leaders Truman, Churchill, and Stalin to discuss post-war Europe, including the division of Germany and the reconstruction of war-torn countries.