Today In History Flashcards
(205 cards)
1
Q
Aug 15, 1914: Panama Canal opens to traffic
A
The rush of settlers to California and Oregon in the mid 19th century was the initial impetus of the U.S. desire to build an artificial waterway across Central America.
2
Q
Aug 16, 1967: Tonkin Gulf Resolution challenged
A
President Johnson’s broad interpretation of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution is attacked by Senator William Fulbright, who feels that Johnson has no mandate to conduct the Vietnam War on the present scale.
3
Q
Aug 17, 1998: Clinton testifies before grand jury
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When questioned about the Lewinsky affair, Clinton denied it, which led Kenneth Starr to charge the president with perjury and obstruction of justice, which in turn prompted his testimony
4
Q
Aug 18, 1795: George Washington signs Jay Treaty with Britain
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Jefferson, Madison and other opponents feared the treaty gave too many concessions to the British.
5
Q
Aug 19, 1919: President Wilson appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
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U.S. President Woodrow Wilson appears personally to argue in favor of its ratification of the Versailles Treaty, the peace settlement that ended the First World War.
6
Q
Aug 20, 1954: United States decides to support Diem (South Vietnam)
A
President Eisenhower approves a National Security Council paper titled "Review of U.S. Policy in the Far East." Ultimately, however, Diem would refuse to make any meaningful concessions or institute any significant new reforms and U.S. support was withdrawn.
7
Q
Aug 21, 1858: Lincoln-Douglas debates begin
A
In the seven Lincoln-Douglas debates–all about three hours along–Lincoln argued against the spread of slavery while Douglas maintained that each territory should have “popular sovereignty”. Lincoln lost the Senate race, but his campaign brought national attention to the young Republican Party.
8
Q
Aug 22, 1862: Lincoln replies to Horace Greeley
A
President Abraham Lincoln writes a carefully worded letter in response to an abolitionist editorial by Horace Greeley, the editor of the influential New York Tribune, and hints at a change in his policy concerning slavery.
9
Q
Aug 23, 1927: Sacco and Vanzetti executed
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Despite worldwide demonstrations in support of their innocence, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are executed for murder.
10
Q
Aug 24, 1814: British capture and burn Washington
A
During the War of 1812, British forces march unopposed into Washington, D.C. President James Madison and his wife, Dolley, escaped just before the invaders arrived. Meanwhile, the British troops, ecstatic that they had captured their enemy’s capital, began setting the city aflame in revenge for the burning of Canadian government buildings by U.S. troops earlier in the war.
11
Q
Aug 25, 1945: The first casualty of the Cold War
A
John Birch, an American missionary to China, is killed by Chinese communists days after the surrender of Japan, for no apparent reason. In the 1950s, Robert Welch would create a right-wing, anticommunist organization called the John Birch Society.
12
Q
Aug 26, 1920: 19th Amendment adopted
A
The 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote, is formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution. The amendment was the culmination of more than 70 years of struggle by woman suffragists.
13
Q
Aug 27, 1952: Red Scare dominates American politics
A
Republicans and their allies were obviously planning to use the Red Scare to their advantage in the presidential election of that year, while the Democrats were going to have to battle the perception that they had been "soft" on communism during the administration of President Truman
14
Q
Aug 28, 1963: King speaks to March on Washington
A
In the year after the March on Washington, the civil rights movement achieved two of its greatest successes: the ratification of the 24th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished the poll tax and thus a barrier to poor African American voters in the South; and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited racial discrimination in employment and education and outlawed racial segregation in public facilities.
15
Q
Aug 29, 1949: Soviets explode atomic bomb
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The loss of U.S. atomic supremacy, led President Truman to order development of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon theorized to be hundreds of times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan.
16
Q
Aug 30, 1967: Thurgood Marshall confirmed as Supreme Court justice
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Thurgood Marshall becomes the first African American to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice
17
Q
Aug 31, 1935: FDR signs Neutrality Act
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The signing came at a time when newly installed fascist governments in Europe were beginning to beat the drums of war.
18
Q
Sep 1, 1775: King George refuses Olive Branch Petition
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Britain’s King George III refused to receive the petition, which, written by John Dickinson, appealed directly to the king and expressed hope for reconciliation between the colonies and Great Britain.
19
Q
Sep 2, 1945: VJ Day!
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The USS Missouri hosts the formal surrender of the Japanese government to the Allies
20
Q
Sep 3, 1783: Treaty of Paris signed
A
The American Revolution officially comes to an end when representatives of the United States, Great Britain, Spain and France sign the Treaty of Paris. The signing signified America’s status as a free nation
21
Q
Sep 4, 1957: Arkansas troops prevent desegregation
A
Governor Orval Faubus enlists the National Guard to prevent nine African American students from entering Central High School in Little Rock. The armed militia troops surrounded the school while an angry crowd of some 400 whites jeered, booed, and threatened to lynch the frightened African American teenagers, who fled shortly after arriving
22
Q
Sep 5, 1774: First Continental Congress convenes
A
In response to the British Parliament’s enactment of the Coercive Acts in the American colonies, the first session of the Continental Congress convenes at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia
23
Q
Sep 6, 1847: Henry David Thoreau leaves Walden and moves in with the Emersons
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Deeply influenced by his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poetry and essays, Thoreau lived by Transcendentalist principles
24
Q
Sep 7, 1813: United States nicknamed Uncle Sam
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The name is linked to Samuel Wilson, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812. Wilson stamped the barrels with "U.S." for United States, but soldiers began referring to the provisions as "Uncle Sam’s." The local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname for the U.S. federal government.
25
Sep 8, 1664: New Amsterdam becomes New York
Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrenders New Amsterdam, the capital of New Netherland, to an English naval squadron. New Amsterdam's name was changed to New York, in honor of the Duke of York, who organized the mission
26
Sep 9, 1850: California becomes the 31st state
After a rancorous debate between the slave-state and free-soil advocates, Congress finally accepted California as a free-labor state under the Compromise of 1850, beginning the state's long reign as the most powerful economic and political force in the far West.
27
Sep 10, 1833: Andrew Jackson shuts down Second Bank of the U.S.
President Andrew Jackson announces that the government will no longer use the Second Bank of the United States, the country's national bank. He then used his executive power to remove all federal funds from the bank, in the final salvo of what is referred to as the "Bank War." LEJ
28
Sep 11, 2001: Attack on America
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led international effort to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and destroy Osama bin Laden's terrorist network based there, began on October 7, 2001. Bin Laden was killed during a raid of his compound in Pakistan by U.S. forces on May 2, 2011.
29
Sep 12, 1959: Situation deteriorates in South Vietnam
North Vietnamese Premier Pham Van Dong says: "We will drive the Americans into the sea." When President John F. Kennedy took office in 1961, he decided that the line against communism had to be drawn in Vietnam and therefore he increased the number of military advisers in Saigon.
30
Sep 13, 1814: Key pens Star-Spangled Banner
Francis Scott Key pens a poem which is later set to music and in 1931 becomes America's national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." The poem, originally titled "The Defense of Fort McHenry," was written after Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded by the British during the War of 1812
31
Sep 14, 1901: Teddy Roosevelt becomes president of the United States
The 42-year-old Theodore Roosevelt is abruptly elevated to the White House when President McKinley dies from an assassin's bullet.
32
Sep 15, 1963: Four black schoolgirls killed in Birmingham
A bomb explodes during Sunday morning services in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four young girls. The church bombing was the third in Birmingham in 11 days after a federal order came down to integrate Alabama's school system.
33
Sep 16, 1940: Franklin Roosevelt approves military draft
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Selective Service and Training Act, which requires all male citizens between the ages of 26 and 35 to register for the military draft
34
Sep 17, 1862: Rebels and Yankees clash at the Battle of Antietam
Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union General George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac fight to a standstill along a Maryland creek on the bloodiest day in American history. Although the battle was a tactical draw, it forced Lee to end his invasion of the North and inspired President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation
35
Sep 18, 1634: Anne Hutchinson arrives in the New World
Hutchinson preached that faith alone was sufficient for salvation, and therefore individuals had no need for the church or church law. By 1637, her influence had become so great that she was brought to trial and found guilty of heresy against Puritan orthodoxy.
36
Sep 19, 1881: President Garfield succumbs to shooting wounds
Eighty days after a failed office seeker shot him in Washington, D.C., President James A. Garfield dies of complications from his wounds. This tragedy would lead to civil service reform, the Pendleton Act, in particular
37
Sep 20, 1878: Author of The Jungle, Upton Sinclair is born
An assignment on meat-packing plants led to his bestselling novel The Jungle, in which an idealistic immigrant goes to work in the Chicago stockyards. The novel's gritty portrayal of labor abuses and unsanitary conditions led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.
38
Sep 21, 1780: Benedict Arnold commits treason
American General Benedict Arnold meets with British Major John Andre to discuss handing over West Point to the British, in return for the promise of a large sum of money and a high position in the British army. The plot was foiled and Arnold, a former American hero, became synonymous with the word "traitor."
39
Sep 22, 1862: Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issues a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which sets a date for the freedom of more than 3 million black slaves in the United States and recasts the Civil War as a fight against slavery.
40
Sep 23, 1806: Lewis and Clark return
Amid much public excitement, American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark return to St. Louis, Missouri. The Lewis and Clark Expedition had set off more than two years before to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase.
41
Sep 24, 1789: The First Supreme Court
The Judiciary Act of 1789 is passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, establishing the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal made up of six justices who were to serve on the court until death or retirement. That day, President Washington nominated John Jay to preside as chief justice
42
Sep 25, 1957: Central High School integrated
Under escort from the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, nine black students enter all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. After a tense standoff, President Dwight D. Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard and sent 1,000 army paratroopers to Little Rock to enforce the court order.
43
Sep 26, 1960: Kennedy and Nixon square off in a televised presidential debate
The debate ushered in an era in which television would dominate political campaigns. Kennedy clearly "won" the debate, a fact attributable to both his superior comfort level with the new communication medium and his "telegenic" good looks.
44
Sep 27, 1779: John Adams appointed to negotiate peace terms with British
The Continental Congress appoints John Adams to travel to France as minister plenipotentiary in charge of negotiating treaties of peace and commerce with Great Britain during the Revolutionary War.
45
Sep 28, 1781: Battle of Yorktown begins
George Washington ordered troops to block the British escape from Yorktown by land while the French naval fleet blocked the British escape by sea. After three weeks of non-stop bombardment, both day and night, from cannon and artillery, General Lord Cornwallis surrendered to Washington in the field at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, effectively ending the War for Independence.
46
Sep 29, 1965: Hanoi announces that downed pilots will be treated as war criminals
Hanoi publishes the text of a letter it has written to the Red Cross claiming that since there is no formal state of war, U.S. pilots shot down over the North will not receive the rights of (POWs) and will be treated as war criminals.
47
Sep 30, 1962: Riots over desegregation of Ole Miss
James H. Meredith, an African American, is escorted onto the University of Mississippi campus by U.S. Marshals, setting off a deadly riot. Two men were killed before the racial violence was quelled by more than 3,000 federal soldiers. The next day, Meredith successfully enrolled and began to attend classes amid continuing disruption.
48
Oct 1, 1908: Ford Motor Company unveils the Model T
Ford kept prices low by sticking to a single product. By building just one model, for example, the company's engineers could develop a system of interchangeable parts that reduced waste, saved time and made it easy for unskilled workers to assemble the cars. By 1914, the moving assembly line made it possible to produce thousands of cars every week
49
Oct 2, 1919: Woodrow Wilson Suffers a Stroke
Wilson slowly regained his health, but the lasting effects of the stroke—he remained partially paralyzed on one side--limited his ability to continue to campaign in favor of the League of Nations. In 1921, Republican Warren Harding's election to the presidency effectively ended efforts by the League's supporters to get it ratified. Wilson died in 1924.
50
Oct 3, 1917: War Revenue Act passed in U.S.
Six months after the United States declared war on Germany and began its participation in the First World War, the U.S. Congress passes the War Revenue Act, increasing income taxes to unprecedented levels in order to raise more money for the war effort.
51
Oct 4, 1957: Soviet Union launches Sputnik I
The successful launch of the unmanned satellite Sputnik I by the Soviet Union shocks and frightens many Americans. As the tiny satellite orbited the earth, Americans reacted with dismay that the Soviets could have gotten so far ahead of the supposedly technologically superior United States.
52
Oct 5, 1986: Iran-Contra scandal unravels
The scandal involved the secret sale of U.S. weapons to Iran (which was supposed to help in the release of U.S. hostages in the Middle East). Some of the proceeds from these sales were used to covertly fund the Contra war in Nicaragua.
53
Oct 6, 1973: The Yom Kippur War brings United States and USSR to brink of conflict
Though actual combat did not break out between the two nations, the events surrounding the Yom Kippur War seriously damaged U.S.-Soviet relations and all but destroyed President Richard Nixon's much publicized policy of detente.
54
Oct 7, 1913: Moving Assembly Line at Ford
The astounding increase in productivity affected by Ford's use of the moving assembly line allowed him to drastically reduce the cost of the Model T, thereby accomplishing his dream of making the car affordable to ordinary consumers.
55
Oct 9, 1635: Rhode Island founder banished from Massachusetts
Religious dissident Roger Williams is banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the General Court of Massachusetts. Williams had spoken out against the right of civil authorities to punish religious dissension and to confiscate Indian land.
56
Oct 10, 1951: Truman signs Mutual Security Act
Announcing to the world, and its communist powers in particular, that the U.S. was prepared to provide military aid to "free peoples." The signing of the act came after the Soviet Union exploded their second nuclear weapon in a test on October 3
57
Oct 11, 1961: Kennedy ponders the Vietnam situation
Kennedy made it clear that he would continue the policy of the former President, Dwight Eisenhower, and support the government of Diem in South Vietnam. Kennedy also made it plain that he supported the ‘Domino Theory’ and he was convinced that if South Vietnam fell to communism, then other states in the region would as a consequence.
58
Oct 12, 1492: Columbus reaches the New World
After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sights a Bahamian island, believing he has reached East Asia. His expedition went ashore the same day and claimed the land for Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, who sponsored his attempt to find a western ocean route to China, India, and the fabled gold and Spice Islands of Asia.
59
Oct 13, 1845: Texans ratify a state constitution and approve annexation
A majority of the citizens of the independent Republic of Texas approve a proposed constitution, that when accepted by the Congress, will make Texas the 28th American state. Ominously, the Mexican minister warned the U.S. that his nation would consider annexation an act of war. Mexico and the United States would be at war within a year.
60
Oct 14, 1962: The Cuban Missile Crisis begins
Photographs taken by a high-altitude U-2 spy plane offered incontrovertible evidence that Soviet-made medium-range missiles in Cuba—capable of carrying nuclear warheads—were now stationed 90 miles off the American coastline. During the next two weeks, the United States and the Soviet Union would come as close to nuclear war as they ever had, and a fearful world awaited the outcome
61
Oct 15, 1965: First draft card burned
Under the Selective Service Act, all American men between the ages of 18 and 35 were required to register with a local draft board. In case of war, the able-bodied ones among them could be drafted to serve in the military. The law required the men to carry their draft cards with them at all times. In an amendment, the law was augmented with four words, to include penalties for any person who "knowingly destroys, knowingly mutilates" the card
62
Oct 16, 1859: John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
Brown had hopes that the local slave population would join the raid and through the raid’s success, weapons would be supplied to slaves and freedom fighters throughout the country
63
Oct 17, 1777: Americans win more than a battle at Saratoga
Soon after word of the Patriot victory at Saratoga reached France, King Louis XVI agreed to recognize the independence of the United States and made arrangements with U.S. Ambassador Benjamin Franklin to begin providing formal French aid to the Patriot cause. This assistance from France was crucial to the eventual American victory in the Revolutionary War.
64
Oct 18, 1898: U.S. takes control of Puerto Rico
Only one year after 1.Spain granted Puerto Rico self-rule, 2.following the Spanish American War, American troops raise the U.S. flag over the Caribbean nation, 3.formalizing U.S. authority over the island's one million inhabitants. 4.Puerto Rico’s relationship with the U.S. today is referred to as a commonwealth status
65
Oct 19, 1781: Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown
British General Charles Cornwallis formally surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to a French and American force at Yorktown, Virginia, bringing the American Revolution to a close.
66
Oct 20, 1947: The Red Scare comes to Hollywood
The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) of the U.S. Congress opens its investigation into communist infiltration of the American movie industry
67
Oct 21, 1967: Thousands protest the war in Vietnam
In Washington, D.C. nearly 100,000 people gather to protest the American war effort in Vietnam. More than 50,000 of the protesters marched to the Pentagon to ask for an end to the conflict. The protest was the most dramatic sign of waning U.S. support for President Lyndon Johnson's war in Vietnam.
68
Oct 22, 1962: Kennedy announces blockade of Cuba during the Missile Crisis
Kennedy announced that he was ordering a naval "quarantine" of Cuba to prevent Soviet ships from transporting any more offensive weapons to the island and explained that the United States would not tolerate the existence of the missile sites currently in place.
69
Oct 23, 1855: Rival governments in bleeding Kansas
In opposition to the fraudulently elected pro-slavery legislature of Kansas, the Kansas Free State forces set up a governor and legislature under their Topeka Constitution, a document that outlaws slavery in the territory.
70
Oct 24, 1945: U.N. formally established
Less than two months after the end of World War II, the United Nations is formally established. The UN would fulfill Woodrow Wilson’s vision of an international body to deter aggressor nations
71
Oct 25, 1929: Cabinet member guilty in Teapot Dome scandal
During the Teapot Dome scandal, Albert B. Fall, who served as secretary of the interior in President Warren G. Harding's cabinet, is found guilty of accepting a bribe while in office. Fall was the first individual to be convicted of a crime committed while a presidential cabinet member.
72
Oct 26, 1825: Erie Canal opens
The effect of the canal was immediate and dramatic. Settlers poured into western New York, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Goods were transported at one-tenth the previous fee in less than half the previous time. Barge loads of farm produce and raw materials traveled east as manufactured goods and supplies flowed west.
73
Oct 27, 1858: Teddy Roosevelt born
A dynamic and energetic politician, Theodore Roosevelt is credited with creating the modern presidency.
74
Oct 28, 1919: Congress enforces prohibition
Congress passes the Volstead Act over President Woodrow Wilson's veto. The Volstead Act provided for the enforcement of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, also known as the Prohibition Amendment.
75
Oct 29, 1929: Stock market crashes
In the aftermath of Black Tuesday, America and the rest of the industrialized world spiraled downward into the Great Depression.
76
Oct 30, 1953: Eisenhower approves NSC 162/2
President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally approves National Security Council Paper No. 162/2 (NSC 162/2). The top secret document made clear that America's nuclear arsenal must be maintained and expanded to meet the communist threat. It also made clear the connection between military spending and a sound American economy.
77
Oct 31, 1517: Martin Luther posts 95 theses
By the time Luther died, of natural causes, in 1546, his revolutionary beliefs had formed the basis for the Protestant Reformation, which would over the next three centuries revolutionize Western civilization.
78
Nov 1, 1765: Parliament enacts the Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a direct tax on the colonists and led to an uproar in America over an issue that was to be a major cause of the Revolution: taxation without representation.
79
Nov 2, 1948: Truman defeats Dewey
In the greatest upset in presidential election history, Democratic incumbent Harry S Truman defeats his Republican challenger, Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York. On election night, long before all the votes were counted, the Chicago Tribune published an early edition with the banner headline "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN."
80
Nov 3, 1969: Nixon calls on the "silent majority"
President Richard Nixon goes on television and radio to call for national solidarity on the Vietnam War effort and to gather support for his policies; his call for support is an attempt to blunt the renewed strength of the antiwar movement.
81
Nov 4, 1979: Iranians storm U.S. embassy
Student followers of the Ayatollah Khomeini send shock waves across America when they storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran. The radical Islamic fundamentalists took 90 hostages.
82
Nov 5, 1940: FDR re-elected president
Franklin Delano Roosevelt is re-elected for an unprecedented third term as president of the United States. Roosevelt was elected to a third term with the promise of maintaining American neutrality as far as foreign wars were concerned
83
Nov 6, 1860: Abraham Lincoln elected president
Lincoln is elected the 16th president of the United States over a deeply divided Democratic Party, becoming the first Republican to win the presidency. The announcement of Lincoln's victory signaled the secession of the Southern states, which since the beginning of the year had been publicly threatening secession if the Republicans gained the White House.
84
Nov 7, 1972: Nixon re-elected president
Almost unnoticed during the presidential campaign was the arrest of five men connected with Nixon's re-election committee who had broken into the Democratic Party's national headquarters in the Watergate apartment complex in Washington, D.C. The Watergate scandal ultimately proved to be Nixon's undoing, and he resigned the presidency as a result of it in August 1974.
85
Nov 8, 1960: John F. Kennedy elected president
During the first few months of the Kennedy presidency he appeared overwhelmed, first by the catastrophic failure of the (1)Bay of Pigs invasion, then by a blustering (2)Nikita Khrushchev during a summit meeting in Europe, and finally by the construction of the(3) Berlin Wall. And there was also the deteriorating (4)situation in Southeast Asia to consider
86
Nov 9, 1989: East Germany opens the Berlin Wall
One of the ugliest and most infamous symbols of the Cold War was soon reduced to rubble that was quickly snatched up by souvenir hunters.
87
Nov 10, 1865: Henry Wirz hanged
Wirz, a Swiss immigrant and the commander of Andersonville prison in Georgia, is hanged for the murder of soldiers incarcerated there during the Civil War.
88
Nov 11, 1918: World War I ends
At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ends. World War I was known as the "war to end all wars" because of the great slaughter and destruction it caused. Unfortunately, the peace treaty that officially ended the conflict—the Treaty of Versailles of 1919—forced punitive terms on Germany that destabilized Europe and laid the groundwork for World War II.
89
Nov 12, 1775: Abigail Adams leads rhetorical charge against Britain
Upon hearing of England's rejection of the so-called Olive Branch Petition on this day in 1775, Abigail Adams writes to her husband, "Let us separate, they are unworthy to be our Brethren. Let us renounce them and instead of supplications as formerly for their prosperity and happiness, Let us beseech the almighty to blast their councils and bring to Nought all their devices."
90
Nov 13, 1909: Ballinger-Pinchot scandal erupts
The controversy over the Ballinger-Pinchot affair soon became a major factor in splitting the Republican Party. Roosevelt concluded that Taft had so badly betrayed the ethics of conservation that he had to be ousted. Roosevelt mounted an unsuccessful challenge to Taft on the independent Bull Moose ticket in 1912
91
Nov 14, 1851: Moby-Dick is published
Moby-Dick, a novel by Herman Melville about the voyage of the whaling ship Pequod. Moby-Dick is now considered a great classic of American literature and contains one of the most famous opening lines in fiction: "Call me Ishmael." Initially, though, the book about Captain Ahab and his quest for a giant white whale was a flop.
92
Nov 15, 1777: Articles of Confederation adopted
Patriot leaders, stinging from British oppression, were reluctant to establish any form of government that might infringe on the right of individual states to govern their own affairs. The Articles of Confederation, then, provided for federalism of American states.
93
Nov 16, 1945: German scientists brought to United States
The United States and the Soviet Union, once allies against Germany and the Nazi regime during World War II, were now in a fierce contest to acquire the best and brightest scientists who had helped arm the German forces in order to construct weapons systems to threaten each other.
94
Nov 18, 1987: Congress issues final report on Iran-Contra scandal
It concluded that the scandal, involving a complicated plan whereby some of the funds from secret weapons sales to Iran were used to finance the Contra war against the Sandinista government in Nicaragua, was one in which the administration of Ronald Reagan exhibited "secrecy, deception, and disdain for the law."
95
Nov 19, 1863: Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
The speech reflected his redefined belief that the Civil War was not just a fight to save the Union, but a struggle for freedom and equality for all, an idea Lincoln had not championed in the years leading up to the war.
96
Nov 21, 1877: Edison's first great invention
Public demonstrations of the phonograph made the Yankee inventor world famous, and he was dubbed the "Wizard of Menlo Park." Edison was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production to the process of invention
97
Nov 22, 1963: Kennedy becomes fourth president to be assassinated
The nation is shocked by the assassination of its president, John F. Kennedy. Kennedy was riding in an open car in Dallas, Texas, when a gunman named Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots at him from an upper-level window of a nearby building. In 1865, Abraham Lincoln became the first president to be assassinated when he was shot by a Confederate sympathizer in Washington, D.C. In 1881, James Garfield was shot by a disgruntled federal employee and lived 80 days before succumbing to his wounds. William McKinley was killed by an anarchist in 1901.
98
Nov 27, 1954: Alger Hiss released from prison
His defenders argue that Hiss was a victim of the Second Red Scare that swept through the U.S. during the 1940s and 1950s. Others are equally adamant in maintaining his guilt, claiming that documents recently released from Soviet archives strongly support the case that Hiss was a spy for the Soviet Union.
99
Nov 28, 1943: FDR attends Tehran Conference
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt joins British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin at a conference in Iran to discuss strategies for winning World War II and potential terms for a peace settlement.
100
Nov 29, 1963: LBJ establishes Warren Commission
Johnson issued Executive Order No. 11130, appointing the President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy--commonly referred to as the Warren Commission, after its leader, Chief Justice Earl Warren
101
Nov 30, 1993: Brady Bill signed into law
The Brady Bill, as it became known, was staunchly opposed by many congressmen, who, in reference to the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, questioned the constitutionality of regulating the ownership of arms. In 1993, with the support of President Bill Clinton, an advocate of gun control, the Brady Bill became law.
102
Dec 1, 1824: Presidential election goes to the House
As no presidential candidate had received a majority of the total electoral votes in the election of 1824, Congress decides to turn over the presidential election to the House of Representatives, as dictated by the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
103
Dec 2, 1823: Monroe Doctrine declared
The Monroe Doctrine forbade European interference in the American hemisphere but also asserted U.S. neutrality in regard to future European conflicts.
104
Dec 4, 1945: Senate approves U.S. participation in United Nations
Senate approval meant the U.S. could join most of the world's nations in the international organization, which aimed to arbitrate differences between countries and stem military aggression.
105
Dec 5, 1933: Prohibition ends
The 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and bringing an end to the era of national prohibition of alcohol in America
106
Dec 6, 1865: 13th Amendment ratified
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, officially ending the institution of slavery, is ratified
107
Dec 7, 1941: "A date which will live in infamy"
In an early-morning sneak attack, Japanese warplanes bomb the U.S. naval base at Oahu Island's Pearl Harbor—and the United States enters World War II. FDR anticipated Japanese reprisals for his government's refusal to reverse economic sanctions and embargoes against Japan
108
Dec 8, 1863: Lincoln issues Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
By this point in the Civil War, it was clear that Lincoln needed to make some preliminary plans for postwar reconstruction. First, it allowed for a full pardon for all engaged in the rebellion. Second, it allowed for a new state government to be formed when 10 percent of the eligible voters had taken an oath of allegiance to the United States. Third, the Southern states admitted were encouraged to enact plans to deal with the freed slaves.
109
Dec 9, 1992: U.S Marines storm Mogadishu, Somalia
1,800 United States Marines arrive in Mogadishu, Somalia, to spearhead a multinational force aimed at restoring order in the conflict-ridden country
110
Dec 10, 1898: Treaty of Paris ends Spanish-American War
Puerto Rico and Guam were ceded to the United States, the Philippines were bought for $20 million, and Cuba became a U.S. protectorate.
111
Dec 11, 1815: Madison presents trade agreement to Congress
The commerce agreement secured America's autonomy on the high seas, but more importantly, it signified Britain's acceptance of America as a separate nation with the will and capacity to defend its interests.
112
Dec 12, 1787: Pennsylvania ratifies the Constitution
Pennsylvania was the first large state to ratify, as well as the first state to endure a serious Anti-Federalist challenge to ratification. Large states had the most to lose by joining a strengthened union
113
Dec 13, 1918: President Wilson makes first U.S. presidential trip to Europe
To capitalize on his fame and to maximize the chances for a peace settlement based on his Fourteen Point Plan
114
Dec 14, 1799: George Washington dies
Washington resigned in 1797 after two terms. Not only was he growing old and disillusioned with vicious partisan politics, he did not want to appear monarchical and preferred to set a precedent of transferring power peacefully.
115
Dec 15, 1791: The Bill of Rights becomes law
Virginia becomes the last state to ratify the Bill of Rights, making the first ten amendments to the Constitution law and completing the revolutionary reforms begun by the Declaration of Independence.
116
Dec 16, 1773: Sons of Liberty dump British tea
Now known as the "Boston Tea Party," the midnight raid was a protest of the Tea Act of 1773, a bill enacted by the British parliament to save the faltering British East India Company by greatly lowering its tea tax and granting it a virtual monopoly on the American tea trade.
117
Dec 17, 1944: U.S. approves end to internment of Japanese Americans
During the course of World War II, 10 Americans were convicted of spying for Japan, but not one of them was of Japanese ancestry. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill to recompense each surviving internee with a tax-free check for $20,000 and an apology from the U.S. government.
118
Dec 18, 1620: Mayflower docks at Plymouth Harbor
Before going ashore, 41 male passengers–heads of families, single men and three male servants–signed the famous Mayflower Compact, agreeing to submit to a government chosen by common consent and to obey all laws made for the good of the colony.
119
Jan 9, 1776: Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense
Originally published anonymously, "Common Sense" advocated independence for the American colonies from Britain and is considered one of the most influential pamphlets in American history. Credited with uniting average citizens and political leaders behind the idea of independence, "Common Sense" played a remarkable role in transforming a colonial squabble into the American Revolution.
120
Jan 10, 1941: FDR introduces the lend-lease program
The lend-lease program provided for military aid to any country whose defense was vital to the security of the United States. The plan thus gave Roosevelt the power to lend arms to Britain with the understanding that, after the war, America would be paid back in kind.
121
Jan 11, 1908: Roosevelt dedicates the Grand Canyon as a national monument
Photographers, writers and painters captured the Grand Canyon's dramatic beauty in their works and, with improvements in transportation, the Grand Canyon became a popular tourist destination. An ardent conservationist and avid hunter, Roosevelt issued a prophetic statement that "the conservation of our natural resources and their proper use constitute the fundamental problem which underlies almost every other problem of our national life."
122
Jan 12, 1942: Roosevelt (re)creates the National War Labor Board
Roosevelt wanted to prevent potential labor union strikes, which would slow industrial production and impede the war effort. The nation's urgent and massive conversion to a war economy had catapulted the United States out of the Great Depression, but the dramatic increase in employment also threatened to put labor unions and industrial leaders at odds over working conditions and wages.
123
Jan 13, 1966: LBJ appoints first African-American cabinet member
In keeping with his vision for a Great Society, Johnson sought to improve race relations and eliminate urban blight. As many of the country's African Americans lived in run-down inner-city areas, appointing Robert C. Weaver was an attempt to show his African-American voters that he meant business on both counts.
124
Jan 14, 1784: Adams, Jefferson and Madison help to ratify the Treaty of Paris
The document, negotiated in part by future President John Adams, contained terms for ending the Revolutionary War and established the United States as a sovereign nation. The treaty outlined America's fishing rights off the coast of Canada, defined territorial boundaries in North America formerly held by the British and forced an end to reprisals against British loyalists.
125
Jan 15, 1929: Martin Luther King Jr. born
King helped organize the first major protest of the African-American civil rights movement: the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott.
126
Jan 16, 1919: Prohibition takes effect
The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes," is ratified on this day in 1919 and becomes the law of the land.
127
Jan 17, 1961: Eisenhower warns of the "military-industrial complex"
Cognizant that America's peacetime defense policy had changed drastically since his military career, Eisenhower cautioned that the federal government's collaboration with an alliance of military and industrial leaders, though necessary, was vulnerable to abuse of power.
128
Jan 18, 1803: Jefferson requests funds for Lewis and Clark
Though he did not disclose his intentions to Congress, Jefferson planned to send Meriwether Lewis, his private secretary, on a reconnaissance mission that far exceeded the boundaries of the Louisiana Purchase. In misleading Congress, Jefferson had temporarily stifled his distaste for an abuse of executive privilege to achieve a strategic goal.
129
Jan 19, 1807: Robert E. Lee born
Confederate General Robert Edward Lee is born in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His brilliant battlefield leadership earned him a reputation as one of the utmost military leaders in history as he consistently defeated larger Union armies.
130
Jan 20, 1981: Iran Hostage Crisis ends
Minutes after Ronald Reagan's inauguration as the 40th president of the United States, the 52 U.S. captives held at the U.S. embassy in Teheran, Iran, are released, ending the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis.
131
Jan 22, 1973: Roe v. Wade
The Supreme Court decriminalizes abortion by handing down their decision in the case of Roe v. Wade.
132
Jan 23, 1973: Nixon announces peace settlement reached in Paris
Under the terms of the agreement, which became known as the Paris Peace Accords, a cease-fire would begin at 8 a.m., January 28, Saigon time (7 p.m., January 27, Eastern Standard Time). In addition, all prisoners of war were to be released within 60 days and in turn, all U.S. and other foreign troops would be withdrawn from Vietnam within 60 days.
133
Jan 24, 1848: Gold discovered at Sutter's Creek
A millwright named James Marshall discovers gold along the banks of Sutter's Creek in California, forever changing the course of history in the American West.
134
Jan 25, 1961: Kennedy holds first live television news conference
Ever since his televised presidential debate with Richard Nixon in 1960, Kennedy had been aware of the media's enormous power to sway public opinion.
135
Jan 26, 2005: Bush appoints Rice as secretary of state
President George W. Bush appoints Condoleezza Rice to the post of secretary of state, making her the highest ranking African-American woman ever to serve in a presidential cabinet.
136
Jan 27, 2010: "The Catcher in the Rye" author J.D. Salinger dies
In 1951, “The Catcher in the Rye” was published and became a best-seller. With its sympathetic understanding of adolescence and its fierce if alienated sense of morality and distrust of the adult world, the novel struck a nerve in cold war America and quickly attained cult status, especially among the young.
137
Jan 28, 1986: Challenger explodes after liftoff
Millions of children in schools across the nation watched the space shuttle takeoff, live on CNN. It was supposed to be a moment of joy, but it quickly turned into one of the defining tragedies of the decade, and reinforced Ronald Reagan as “The Great Communicator”
138
Jan 29, 1861: Kansas enters the Union
Kansas, deeply divided over the issue of slavery, was granted statehood as a free state in a gesture of support for Kansas' militant anti-slavery forces, which had been in armed conflict with pro-slavery groups since Kansas became a territory in 1854. During the Civil War, Kansas suffered the highest rate of fatal casualties of any Union state, largely because of its great internal divisions over the issue of slavery.
139
Jan 30, 1781: Maryland finally ratifies Articles of Confederation
The problematic Articles of Confederation remained the law of the land for only eight years before the Constitutional Convention rejected them in favor of a new, more centralized form of federal government
140
Jan 31, 1968: Viet Cong attack U.S. Embassy
As part of the Tet Offensive, a squad of Viet Cong guerillas attacks the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. The soldiers seized the embassy and held it for six hours until an assault force of U.S. paratroopers landed by helicopter on the building's roof and routed the Viet Cong.
141
Feb 1, 1790: First session of the U.S. Supreme Court
The Constitution granted the Supreme Court ultimate jurisdiction over all laws, especially those in which constitutionality was at issue.
142
Feb 2, 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed
Ending the Mexican-American War in favor of the United States, the Treaty added an additional 525,000 square miles to United States territory, including the area that would become the states of Texas, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, as well as parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
143
Feb 3, 1924: Woodrow Wilson dies
In 1919, Wilson suffered a severe stroke that paralyzed his left side and caused significant brain damage. This illness likely contributed to Wilson's uncharacteristic failure to reach a compromise with the American opponents to the European agreements, and in November the U.S. Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles or the League of Nations.
144
Feb 4, 1789: Washington unanimously elected by Electoral College to first and second terms
The peculiarities of early American voting procedure meant that although Washington won unanimous election, he still had a runner-up, John Adams, who served as vice president during both of Washington's terms. In 1804, the 12th Amendment to the Constitution stipulated that separate votes be cast for president and vice president.
145
Feb 5, 1917: Immigration act passed over Wilson's veto
The law required a literacy test for immigrants and barred Asiatic laborers, except for those from countries with special treaties or agreements with the United States, such as the Philippines. This act added to the number of undesirables banned from entering the country, including but not limited to “homosexuals”, “idiots”, “feeble-minded persons”, "criminals", “epileptics”, “insane persons”, alcoholics, “professional beggars”, all persons “mentally or physically defective”, polygamists, and anarchists
146
Feb 6, 1778: Franco-American alliances signed
(1)The Treaty of Amity and Commerce recognized the United States as an independent nation and encouraged trade between France and America, while the (2)Treaty of Alliance provided for a military alliance against Great Britain
147
Feb 7, 1964: The Beatles arrive on American shores
America—not just its teenagers, but the entire country—was still looking for a reason to emerge from the shadow of the Kennedy assassination barely two months earlier. New York found its reason on this day in 1964, and the rest of America followed just two days later when the Beatles made their live television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.
148
Feb 8, 1915: Birth of a Nation opens
Throughout its three hours, African Americans are portrayed as brutish, lazy, morally degenerate, and dangerous. In the film's climax, the Ku Klux Klan rises up to save the South from the Reconstruction Era-prominence of African Americans in Southern public life.
149
Feb 9, 1950: McCarthy says communists are in State Department
During a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, Senator Joseph McCarthy (Republican-Wisconsin) claims that he has a list with the names of over 200 members of the Department of State that are "known communists." The speech vaulted McCarthy to national prominence and sparked a nationwide hysteria about subversives in the American government.
150
Feb 10, 1763: The French and Indian War ends
The treaty ensured the colonial and maritime supremacy of Britain and strengthened the 13 American colonies by removing their European rivals to the north and the south.
151
Feb 12, 1809: Abraham Lincoln is born
Lincoln is remembered as The Great Emancipator. Although he waffled on the subject of slavery in the early years of his presidency, his greatest legacy was his work to preserve the Union and his signing of the Emancipation Proclamation
152
Feb 13, 1905: Teddy Roosevelt discusses America's race problem
While Roosevelt firmly believed in the words of the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal, his administration took only a passive, long-term approach to improving civil rights. His successors in the 20th century would take the same route--it was not until Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 that government efforts to correct racial bias would be encoded into law
153
Feb 14, 1929: The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
Americans were shocked and outraged by the cold-blooded Valentine's Day killings and many questioned whether the sin of intemperance outweighed the evil of Prohibition-era gangsters like Capone.
154
Feb 15, 1898: The Maine explodes
Subsequent diplomatic failures to resolve the Maine matter, coupled with United States indignation over Spain's brutal suppression of the Cuban rebellion and continued losses to American investment, led to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in April 1898.
155
Feb 16, 1945: Bataan recaptured
The Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines is occupied by American troops, almost three years after the devastating and infamous Bataan Death March. America avenged its defeat in the Philippines generally, and Bataan specifically, with the invasion of Leyte Island in October 1944. General MacArthur, who in 1942 had famously promised to return to the Philippines, made good on his word.
156
Feb 17, 1801: Deadlock over presidential election ends
Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated the third president of the United States on March 4. Three years later, the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for the separate election of presidents and vice presidents, was ratified and adopted.
157
Feb 19, 1942: Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066
By June, more than 110,000 Japanese Americans were relocated to remote internment camps built by the U.S. military in scattered locations around the country.
158
Feb 21, 1972: Nixon arrives in China for talks
Nixon's historic visit began the slow process of the re-establishing diplomatic relations between the United States and communist China. As President, Nixon reasoned that improving relations with China would allow him to inject more fluidity into the international environment and offset the growing power of the Soviet Union.
159
Feb 22, 1946: George Kennan sends "long telegram" to State Department
His opinion that Soviet expansionism needed to be contained through a policy of "strong resistance" provided the basis for America's Cold War diplomacy through the next two decades.
160
Feb 23, 1945: U.S. flag raised on Iwo Jima
In early 1945, U.S. military command sought to gain control of the island of Iwo Jima in advance of the projected aerial campaign against the Japanese home islands.
161
Feb 24, 1803: Marbury v. Madison establishes judicial review
The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Marshall, decides the landmark case of William Marbury versus James Madison, Secretary of State of the United States and confirms the legal principle of judicial review--the ability of the Supreme Court to limit Congressional power by declaring legislation unconstitutional--in the new nation.
162
Feb 25, 1862: Legal Tender Act passed
This Act authorized the use of paper notes to pay the government's bills. This ended the long-standing policy of using only gold or silver in transactions, and it allowed the government to finance the enormously costly Civil War long after its gold and silver reserves were depleted.
163
Feb 26, 1917: President Wilson learns of Zimmermann Telegram
In a crucial step toward U.S. entry into World War I, President Woodrow Wilson learns of the so-called Zimmermann Telegram, a message from German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador to Mexico proposing a Mexican-German alliance in the event of a war between the U.S. and Germany.
164
Feb 27, 1973: AIM occupation of Wounded Knee begins
On the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, some 200 Sioux Native Americans, led by members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), occupy Wounded Knee, the site of the infamous 1890 massacre of 300 Sioux by the U.S. Seventh Cavalry. Demands were made that the U.S. Senate launch an investigation of the scores of Indian treaties broken by the U.S. government.
165
Feb 28, 1987: Gorbachev calls for nuclear weapons treaty
Gorbachev's offer led to a breakthrough in negotiations and, eventually, to the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in December 1987. Within the next few years the Cold War would be over and the Soviet Union would cease to exist
166
Feb 29, 1968: Kerner Commission Report released
The report identified more than 150 riots or major disorders between 1965 and 1968 and blamed "white racism" for sparking the violence--not a conspiracy by African American political groups as some claimed.
167
Mar 1, 1961: Kennedy establishes Peace Corps
The program was judged a success in terms of helping to "win the hearts and minds" of people in the underdeveloped world. The program continues to function, and thousands of Americans each year are drawn to the humanitarian mission and sense of adventure that characterizes the Peace Corps.
168
Mar 2, 1929: Congress passes the Jones Act
The Jones Act strengthened the federal penalties for bootlegging. Of course, within five years the country ended up rejecting Prohibition and repealing the Eighteenth Amendment.
169
Mar 3, 1820: Congress passes the Missouri Compromise
A bill granting Missouri statehood as a slave state under the condition that slavery was to be forever prohibited in the rest of the Louisiana Purchase north of the 36th parallel, which runs approximately along the southern border of Missouri. In addition, Maine, formerly part of Massachusetts, was admitted as a free state, thus preserving the balance between Northern and Southern senators.
170
Mar 4, 1933: FDR inaugurated
At the height of the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is inaugurated as the 32nd president of the United States. In his famous inaugural address, Roosevelt outlined his "New Deal"--an expansion of the federal government as an instrument of employment opportunity and welfare
171
Mar 5, 1770: The Boston Massacre
It was the culmination of tensions in the American colonies that had been growing since Royal troops first appeared in Massachusetts in October 1768 to enforce the heavy tax burden imposed by the Townshend Acts.
172
Mar 6, 1857: Dred Scott decision
In what is perhaps the most infamous case in its history, the Supreme Court decided that all people of African ancestry -- slaves as well as those who were free -- could never become citizens of the United States and therefore could not sue in federal court.
173
Mar 7, 1965: “Bloody Sunday”
The attack and the march inspired passage of the Voting Rights Act, which barred obstacles such as literacy tests that were set up by segregationists to keep blacks from registering to vote.
174
Mar 8, 1654: John Casor Becomes the First Legally-Recognized Slave in America
In one of the earliest freedom suits, Casor argued that he was an indentured servant who had been forced to serve past his term. The court sustained the right of free blacks to own slaves, and ordered Casor returned to his master for life.
175
Mar 9, 1841: Supreme Court rules on Amistad mutiny
At the end of a historic case, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the African slaves who seized control of the Amistad slave ship had been illegally forced into slavery, and thus are free under American law.
176
Mar 11, 1941: FDR signs Lend-Lease
A means of aiding Great Britain in its war effort against the Germans, by giving the chief executive the power to "sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of" any military resources the president deemed ultimately in the interest of the defense of the United States.
177
Mar 12, 1947: Truman Doctrine is announced
President Harry S Truman asks for U.S. assistance for Greece and Turkey to forestall communist domination of the two nations. Historians have often cited Truman's address, which came to be known as the Truman Doctrine, as the official declaration of the Cold War.
178
Mar 13, 1868: Impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson begins
For the first time in U.S. history, the impeachment trial of an American president gets underway in the U.S. Senate. President Andrew Johnson, reviled by the Republican-dominated Congress for his views on Reconstruction, stood accused of having violated the controversial Tenure of Office Act
179
Mar 14, 1794: Eli Whitney granted a patent for the cotton gin
Whitney's gin revolutionized the cotton industry in the United States, but also led to the growth of slavery in the American South, and has been identified as a contributing factor to the outbreak of the Civil War
180
Mar 15, 1767: Andrew Jackson is born
As president, historians acknowledge his protection of popular democracy and individual liberty for United States citizens, but criticize him for his support for slavery and for his role in Indian removal
181
Mar 26, 1953: Salk announces polio vaccine
For promising eventually to eradicate the disease, which is known as "infant paralysis" because it mainly affects children, Dr. Salk was celebrated as the great doctor-benefactor of his time.
182
Mar 27, 1775: Jefferson elected to the Continental Congress
At just 33 years old, Jefferson finished writing his draft of what is considered the most important document in the history of democracy in just a few days. After a few minor changes, the committee submitted the draft, titled A Declaration by the Representatives in General Congress Assembled, to Congress on June 28, 1776. After some debate, the document was formally adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776, under the new title, The Declaration of Independence.
183
Mar 28, 1774: British Parliament adopts the Coercive Acts
Passed in response to the Americans' disobedience, the Coercive Acts included: The Boston Port Act, The Massachusetts Government Act, The Administration of Justice Act, The Quartering Act, A fifth act, the Quebec Act, was joined with the Coercive Acts in colonial parlance as one of the Intolerable Acts
184
Mar 29, 1951: Rosenbergs convicted of espionage
In one of the most sensational trials in American history, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are convicted of espionage for their role in passing atomic secrets to the Soviets during and after World War II. The husband and wife were later sentenced to death and were executed in 1953.
185
Mar 30, 1870: 15th Amendment adopted
Following its ratification by the requisite three-fourths of the states, the 15th Amendment, granting African-American men the right to vote, is formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution.
186
Apr 1, 1945: U.S. troops land on Okinawa
In the last major battle of the Pacific, the massive loss of life helped sway President Truman to use atomic bombs instead of a land invasion of Japan
187
Apr 2, 1917: Wilson asks Congress for declaration of war
Wilson asks Congress for declaration of war Wilson felt the U.S. could not stand by any longer; in the face of continued German aggression, the nation had the moral obligation to step forward and “make the world safe for democracy” It was also an outlook that would, for better or worse, determine the direction of U.S. foreign policy for decades to come, up to and including the present day.
188
Apr 3, 1948: Truman signs Marshall Plan
The program channeled more than $13 billion in aid to Europe between 1948 and 1951. Meant to spark economic recovery in European countries devastated by World War II, the plan also saved the United States from a postwar recession by providing a broader market for American goods. However, because the USSR prevented countries like Poland and Czechoslovakia from participating, the plan also contributed to the raising of the "Iron Curtain" between Eastern and Western Europe.
189
Apr 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated
In the months before his assassination, Martin Luther King became increasingly concerned with the problem of economic inequality in America. He organized a Poor People's Campaign to focus on the issue, including an interracial poor people's march on Washington, and in March 1968 traveled to Memphis in support of poorly treated African-American sanitation workers.
190
Apr 5, 1614: Pocahontas marries John Rolfe
Pocahontas, daughter of the chief of the Powhatan Indian confederacy, marries English tobacco planter John Rolfe in Jamestown, Virginia. The marriage ensured peace between the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan Indians for several years
191
Apr 6, 1841: Tyler is inaugurated as 10th president
Tyler was elected as William Harrison's vice president earlier in 1841 and was suddenly thrust into the role of president when Harrison died one month into office. He was the first vice president to immediately assume the role of president after a sitting president's untimely exit and set the precedent for succession thereafter.
192
Apr 9, 1865: Confederate General Lee surrenders
At Appomattox, Virginia, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders his 28,000 troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the American Civil War
193
Apr 10, 1942: Bataan Death March begins
During this infamous trek, known as the "Bataan Death March," the prisoners were forced to march 85 miles in six days, with only one meal of rice during the entire journey. By the end of the march, which was punctuated with atrocities committed by the Japanese guards, hundreds of Americans and many more Filipinos had died.
194
Apr 11, 1951: Truman relieves MacArthur of duties in Korea
The firing of MacArthur set off a brief uproar among the American public, but Truman remained committed to keeping the conflict in Korea a "limited war."
195
Apr 12, 1861: Fort Sumter fired upon
The bloodiest four years in American history begin when Confederate shore batteries under General P.G.T. Beauregard open fire on Union-held Fort Sumter in South Carolina's Charleston Bay
196
Apr 13, 1919: Debs imprisoned
Eugene V. Debs enters prison in Atlanta, Georgia for going against the Espionage Act and speaking out against the draft during World War 1
197
Apr 16, 1947: Bernard Baruch coins the term "Cold War"
The term "Cold War" was instantly embraced by American newspapers and magazines as an apt description of the situation between the United States and the Soviet Union: a war without fighting or bloodshed, but a battle nonetheless.
198
Apr 17, 1961: The Bay of Pigs invasion begins
The Bay of Pigs invasion begins when a CIA-financed and -trained group of Cuban refugees lands in Cuba and attempts to topple the communist government of Fidel Castro. The attack was an utter failure. The failure at the Bay of Pigs cost the United States dearly. Castro used the attack by the "Yankee imperialists" to solidify his power in Cuba and he requested additional Soviet military aid
199
Apr 18, 1775: Revere and Dawes warn of British attack
British troops march out of Boston on a mission to confiscate the American arsenal at Concord and to capture Patriot leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock, known to be hiding at Lexington. As the British departed, Boston Patriots Paul Revere and William Dawes set out on horseback from the city to warn Adams and Hancock and rouse the Minutemen.
200
Apr 19, 1775: The American Revolution begins
The "shot heard around the world" was fired from an undetermined gun, and a cloud of musket smoke soon covered the green. When the brief Battle of Lexington ended, eight Americans lay dead or dying and 10 others were wounded. Only one British soldier was injured, but the American Revolution had begun.
201
Apr 20, 1898: McKinley asks for declaration of war with Spain
Although contemporaries of McKinley and Roosevelt called it a splendid little war, the Spanish-American War is now viewed by most historians as a war of American imperialism.
202
Apr 23, 1975: Ford says that war is finished for America
President Gerald Ford says the Vietnam War is finished as far as America is concerned. "Today, Americans can regain the sense of pride that existed before Vietnam. But it cannot be achieved by re-fighting a war."
203
Apr 24, 1945: Truman is briefed on Manhattan Project
President Harry Truman learns the full details of the Manhattan Project, in which scientists are attempting to create the first atomic bomb. The information thrust upon Truman a momentous decision: whether or not to use the world's first weapon of mass destruction.
204
January 7, 1953 Truman announces U.S.. Has developed hydrogen bomb
In response to evidence of an atomic explosion occurring within USSE in 1949
205
Jan 8, 1918 Wilson announces his 14 points
Unselfish peace terms from the victorious Allies The restoration of territories conquered during the war The right to national self-determination. The establishment of a postwar world body to resolve future conflict
