101 EVENTS IN US-VA HISTORY
CRITICAL TO THE SOL TEST
KNOW THESE EVENTS, AND
YOU’RE ON THE WAY TO
SUCCESS!
#1. JAMESTOWN, VA IS ESTABLISHED IN 1607
Remember this expression:
“The first permanent English colony in
North America”
Jamestown, Virginia was the first
permanent English colony in North
America.
(The “Lost Colony” at Roanoke Island on
the Outer Banks was the first, but it
failed.)
#2. THE HOUSE OF BURGESSES IS ELECTED, 1619
The House of Burgesses was the first representative
government in American history, and it met right
here in Virginia.
There were town hall meetings and other forms of
direct democracy in some of the New England
colonies, but Virginia’s system was unique.
Elected representatives who made choices with the
commonwealth in mind were the order of the day in
Jamestown.
#3. THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT IS SIGNED, 1620
The Mayflower Compact was the
first written constitution in American
History.
The Mayflower Compact was
basically just an agreement
between all of the Pilgrims and a
handful of “strangers” along for the
voyage that they would all work
hard to support one another and
survive the winter.
The colony at Plymouth survived.
#4. MARYLAND’S ACT OF TOLERATION, 1649
Maryland was founded by a group of
English Catholics who were seeking
religious freedom.
By 1649, Lord Baltimore and the
Catholics who settled Maryland realized
that Protestants would soon outnumber
them in Maryland; hence, they passed
the Act of Toleration which would support
the idea of religious toleration.
The difference between religious
freedom for yourself and religious
toleration – for all people – is very
important! The Middle Colonies were best
known for religious toleration!
#5. THE GREAT AWAKENING OF THE 1740S
The Great Awakening did two very important things.
First, it increased interest in religion and participation
in religious life. Ministers of the Great Awakening
encouraged individuals to have a direct relationship
with God and to find salvation through Jesus Christ.
Secondly, because the Great Awakening ministers
suggested that you could find your own path to
salvation, they encouraged dissent against local
ministers (government officials)!
If you could register complaints in your minister, you
could also get used to registering complaints against
local government officials – or the governor – or the
Parliament – or the King!
#6. THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 1754 - 1763
The French and Indian War lasted
for nine years in North America.
The French and their Indian Allies
VS.
The English and American Colonists
Although the English and Americans
won this war decisively, by the end
of the war, England was broke! In
order to restore their Treasury’s
revenue, they would begin to tax
their American colonists. This led to
the Revolutionary War!
#7. THE PROCLAMATION OF 1763
After the French and Indian War ended, King
George III issued the Proclamation of 1763.
This proclamation forbid American colonists
from settling to the west of the Appalachian
Mountains. The King did this for two reasons:
1. If Americans had moved west of the
Appalachian, it might provoke a war with the
Indians who lived in the Ohio River Valley.
2. He couldn’t tax Americans west of the
Appalachians.
The American colonists, who had fought – and
won – the French and Indian War in hopes of
moving into the fertile land of the Ohio River
Valley – were outraged!
#8. THE STAMP ACT OF 1765
England’s first effort to collect taxes from their
American subjects was the Stamp Act of 1765.
Americans were angered that Parliament – a
legislature in which Americans had no representation
at all – would attempt to place a tax on them.
In Virginia, the Stamp Act Congress met to denounce
the measure.
In Boston, Samuel Adams founded the Sons of Liberty,
who opposed the Stamp Act using violent force and
threats against possible tax collectors.
Before the end of the year, the Stamp Act was
repealed and Americans celebrated. However, the
Parliament passed a Declaratory Act in 1766 –
claiming they could tax their American colonists
whenever they wanted!
#9. THE BOSTON MASSACRE
On March 5th, 1770, a group of American
dockworkers and local toughs were harassing
British “lobsterbacks” – or, English Soldiers.
After rocks, snowballs, chunks of ice, and oyster
shells had been thrown at them, the English soldiers
opened fire. Five Americans died: Samuel Gray;
Samuel Maverick, Crispus Attucks, James
Caldwell, and Patrick Carr. Another man died of
his wounds years later: Christopher Monk.
The Boston Massacre was portrayed as an
unprovoked attack on Americans by English
soldiers by men like Paul Revere, who etched the
picture to the right. It is considered a major cause
of the American Revolution.
#10. THE BOSTON TEA PARTY OF 1773
On December 16th, 1773, the Sons of
Liberty dumped over 340 chest of tea
into the Boston Harbor. Why? Because
the English Parliament had placed a
small tax on tea and the Sons of Liberty
refused to stand for “taxation without
representation.”
The English were so outraged by the
Boston Tea Party that they passed the
Intolerable Acts, and instituted martial
law in Boston and shut down the Boston
Harbor. The Boston Tea Party led to
the Revolutionary War.
#11. THE BATTLES OF LEXINGTON & CONCORD
In April of 1775, the English army
marched out into the Massachusetts
country side seeking a cache of
weapons there. What followed was
the opening battle of the Revolutionary
War. At Lexington Green, the “Shot
Heard ‘Round the World” was fired.
After a skirmish at Lexington Green
ended in retreat, the Americans
reorganized at the Old North Bridge in
Concord and forced the British to
retreat. Then, because they were more
familiar with the terrain, the minutemen
used guerrilla tactics as the British fled
towards Boston, inflicted heavy
casualties on the Redcoats. The first
battles of the Revolution were fought.
#12. THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, 1776
In January of 1776, Thomas Paine published Common
Sense, insisting that the Americans should declare
Independence.
Even after several battles were fought in and around
Boston and the Continental Army was organized under
George Washington, no Declaration of Independence
had been produced.
In the summer of 1776, Thomas Jefferson rectified that
situation. He was influenced strongly by the English
political philosopher John Locke. The Declaration of
Independence described Americans understanding of
the purpose of government (Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit
of Happiness), the justification for separating (a long
train of abuses, destructive to these rights), and a list
of grievances against the King. Those who signed the
document understood they were risking their lives for
the new nation.
#13. BATTLE OF SARATOGA & TREATY OF ALLIANCE
The turning point of the Revolutionary
War was the Battle of Saratoga in
1777. At this battle, General John
Burgoyne of England was forced to
surrender his army.
After hearing of the victory by
American soldiers, Benjamin Franklin
was overjoyed.
Franklin, who was a diplomat in France,
now convinced the French to sign a
Treaty of Alliance. France pledge to be
our military ally – so that we could win
our independence!
The Battle of Saratoga, 1777. Generals Horatio Gates and
Benedict Arnold defeated John Burgoyne of England. France
was soon convinced to help Americans gain their independence
by fighting with us against England.
#14. THE SURRENDER AT YORKTOWN, 1781
Americans finally achieved victory at the
Battle of Yorktown in 1781. George
Washington received assistance from
French military experts:
Marquis de Lafayette, his aide-de-camp.
Rochambeau, who organized the siege of
Yorktown.
Admiral De Grasse – who prevented the
English from sending reinforcements.
After losing a second army in America, the
British population no longer supported –
or wanted to pay for – the war against
Americans.
#15. THE TREATY OF PARIS OF 1783
The embittered English delegation
refused even to sit for the official
portrait.
The United States of America was
independent, and controlled all of the
land to the Mississippi River.
Americans promised to restore Loyalists’
property – but didn’t.
The English promised to leaved all
Western forts – but didn’t.
Where
are the
Brits?
#16. SHAYS’ REBELLION, 1786
Daniel Shays led a revolt against the state
government in Massachusetts when the legislature
attempted to seize his land – and the land of
others like him – for failure to pay taxes.
Shays led a violent assault on the state militia.
Eventually cooler heads prevailed; however, the
following year, debtors elected a state legislature
which was willing to pass laws which forgave all
debts – thereby robbing creditors of their
property!
The Founding Fathers were alarmed by Shays’
Rebellion and called for a Constitutional
Convention in Philadelphia in 1787.
#17. THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, 1787
The Constitutional Convention voted
almost immediately to throw out the
Articles of Confederation and replace it
with a new government. Arguments
erupted over proportional or equal
representation; the slavery issue; the style
of the executive branch; the federal
judiciary. But all of the arguments were
resolved, and the Constitution was sent
off to the states to be ratified. Nine
states must ratify the document to make it
the law of the land; the biggest objection
to the Constitution was that it lacked a Bill
of Rights.
#18. THE FEDERALIST PAPERS & RATIFICATION
DEBATES, 1787 - 1788
Nine of the thirteen states must ratify the
Constitution for it to become the law of
the land; however, for it to be legitimate,
every state needed to approve.
Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James
Madison wrote the Federalist Papers in
order to convince Americans to ratify the
document. Anti-Federalists, who objected
to the Constitution, often feared that the
government would become too powerful
– they uniformly agreed that it should
have a Bill of Rights added.
#19. THE WHISKEY REBELLION OF 1790
After the Constitution was ratified, it
was a fait accompli that George
Washington would become the
nation’s first President. As President,
every action the President took
established a precedent. In 1790, a
group of people in Pennsylvania
announced that they would not pay
their taxes. George Washington
responded to the Whiskey Rebellion
immediately. He raised an Army, led
it to Western Pennsylvania, and
forced the citizens to pay their taxes.
Compare that to Shays’ Rebellion!
#20. THE BILL OF RIGHTS RATIFIED, 1791
James Madison convinced many Anti-Federalists to
support the Constitution – to ratify it – by promising that
after it was ratified, he would introduce amendments to
the Constitution in the form of a Bill or Rights.
He did, and the first ten amendments to the Constitution
were ratified in 1791, mostly to restrict the powers of the
national government:
Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the
Press, the Right to Assemble, the Right to Petition the
Government, the Right to Bear Arms, Freedom from
Searches and Seizures of Property, the Right to A Jury Trial,
Freedom from Self-Incrimination, Freedom from Cruel and
Unusual Punishments, and the list goes on and on!
#21. GEORGE WASHINGTON’S FAREWELL ADDRESS
In his “Farewell Address” – which was published in
newspapers, not delivered as a speech, Washington
encouraged Americans to –
 Beware of foreign entanglements .
 Avoid alliances with European powers.
 Maintain strong ties of trade.
 Maintain good character and cultivate good
citizenship.
Although it is sometimes called an isolationist policy,
remember that it’s only isolationist with regards to
Europe. Washington realized we weren’t yet powerful
enough to mix it up with European nations and their
state system. Westward expansion, into Indian territory,
was fine!
#22. JOHN ADAMS’ ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS, 1798
During the administration of John Adams, the Quasi War raged with
France. Because he was fearful that the republic may be
endangered by foreign agitators, he passed the Alien and Sedition
Acts, which essentially forbid the criticism of his government – in
speech or in the press. People were arrested and thrown in jail!
Since this was a clear violation of the First Amendment, Americans
were angered, especially Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. They
wrote the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, which disputed the law
and seemed to suggests that the states could just ignore it.
This challenged the supremacy of the federal government, though.
Nullification was not the answer. What to do? Well, in the Election of
1800, Jefferson won election as POTUS and repealed the law. Then, in
1803, the Supreme Court managed to settle the issue. In Marbury V.
Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that it was the duty of the
Supreme Court to determine the Constitutionality of laws. He
asserted the right of judicial review, ending the conflict – sort of…
#23. ELECTION OF 1800
This was one of the most controversial
elections in American History. In 1800, John
Adams ran against Thomas Jefferson and
there were slanderous accusations and bitter
words exchanged by both sides – including
this political cartoon accusing Thomas
Jefferson of having an affair with a slave
woman. Absurd! Well, maybe not…
The importance of the Election of 1800 was
that it showed that their could be a peaceful
transition of government in a democratic
system! Jefferson was elected; Adams was
ousted; no bloodshed, no war!
#24. THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE OF 1803 &
LEWIS AND CLARK’S CORPS OF DISCOVERY
In 1803, Thomas Jefferson purchased the
Louisiana Territory from France for just over $15
Million. He was a little concerned over the
deal because he didn’t know if the President
had the power to make such a deal; however,
it was too good to pass up.
Also in 1803, he sent Virginians Meriwether
Lewis and William Clark out West, with the
Corps of Discovery, to explore the Territory.
Together with Sacagawea, they went all the
way to Oregon and back, collected samples
of the flora and fauna, and made contact
with the Native American nations located in
the region.
#25. MARBURY V. MADISON (1803)
In the case of Marbury V. Madison, Supreme Court Chief
Justice John Marshall asserted the right of judicial review.
In other words, the Supreme Court can make rulings
about whether or not a law is constitutional. If they rule a
law or an executive order of the President
unconstitutional, their decision must be upheld.
John Marshall made a number of decisions which upheld
the supremacy and the authority of the national government
over the states.
#26. THE WAR OF 1812
The War of 1812 started for two reasons,
(1) the impressment, or kidnapping of
American sailors, and (2) because English
soldiers remained on American soil in the
West and traded openly with Native
Americans seeking weapons.
While the war was a draw in terms of the
fighting, the fact that Americans could hold
their own against the English – without
French help this time – showed the world
that the USA was a nation to be respected in
terms of military prowess.
In addition, many Native America tribes
were forced west of the Mississippi River,
opening land in the deep South for settlers.
The Battle of New Orleans, pictured above, was the most
glorious victory of the war for the United States. Andrew
Jackson’s forces soundly thrashed the British. One problem
with the battle: it took place in January of 1815, about a
month after the Treaty of Ghent had been signed, ending
the war! Ooops!
#27. THE ACQUISITION OF FLORIDA –
THE ADAMS-ONIS TREATY OF 1819
John Quincy Adams negotiated the AdamsOnis Treaty of 1819 in order to acquire
Florida.
If you look at the map, you can see that
“Florida” included the entire Gulf Coast
heading west to New Orleans, so parts of
Alabama, and Mississippi were included.
We paid $5 Million in claims and also
bestowed citizenship upon the few
Spaniards who actually lived there. Most of
the inhabitants were members of the
Seminole Indian tribe – who never sold!
#28. THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE OF 1820
When Missouri applied to enter the Union
as a slave state, a major controversy
erupted – it would have tilted the
balance of power in the Senate to the
slave states. The Missouri Compromise
was the solution.
1. Maine became a free state.
2. Missouri became a slave state.
3. The Missouri Compromise Line. A line
was drawn at 36°30’ N Latitude. North
of the line no slavery would be allowed.
South of the line, it could be allowed.
#29. THE MONROE DOCTRINE OF 1823
James Monroe, the Virginian,
declared that the Western
Hemisphere – North America, South
America, and Central America,
including the Caribbean – was no
longer available to European
powers for colonization.
We pledged to protect the new
democracies of the Western
Hemisphere.
In exchange, we promised not to
become involved in European
affairs.
#30. ANDREW JACKSON’S ELECTION IN 1828
Andrew Jackson’s Election took place largely because of a
change in the American electorate. Universal white male
suffrage allowed all poor whites to vote, and the war hero
Andrew Jackson benefited.
As President, Jackson used the powers of the executive
office to the utmost. He considered himself the
embodiment of the people’s will – he was the only person
is the government elected by all of the people.
He used the veto frequently, appointed the common man to
government positions through the Spoils System, and ruled
arbitrarily – against the Bank of the United States one day,
against the state of South Carolina (Nullification Crisis) or
even the US Supreme Court (Worcester V. Georgia,
Cherokee Removal) if it challenged his authority.
#31. NAT TURNER’S REBELLION OF 1831
Should the Virginian Nat Turner be
remembered as a bloody murderer
or as a freedom fighter?
He fought against slavery by
leading a bloody massacre in
Southampton, VA – killing 55
whites, including his owners.
Later, he would be hunted down,
captured, and executed, along with
scores of others who helped him or
knew about the plot.
The South was always fearful of
their slaves after Nat Turner’s
revolt.
#32. THE TARIFF OF ABOMINATIONS &
THE NULLIFICATION CRISIS
South Carolina refused to pay the Tariff
of Abominations.
Two important points here:
1. People in the South hated high tariffs,
because they only benefited northern
industries – it just led to higher prices in
the South.
2. The federal government is superior to
state governments. Andrew Jackson
made them pay, even if they didn’t like
the law. It was the law of the land!
#33. THE TEXAS WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 1836
Texans won their independence after
fighting a war against Mexico in the
middle 1830s.
Remember the Alamo! Texans fought so
that those who died there would not
have died in vain.
After the battle of San Jacinto, Texas
claimed its independence. Since the US
would not immediately annex Texas, it
was an independent nation for nine
years. The US annexed Texas in 1845.
#34. CHEROKEE REMOVAL & THE TRAIL OF TEARS
When the Supreme Court heard
the case of Worcester V. Georgia,
they sided with the Cherokee:
They should be allowed to stay
in Georgia.
Andrew Jackson, however,
refused to enforce the Supreme
Court’s decision. During the Trail
of Tears, the Cherokee were
forced to march over 1000 miles
to the Indian Territory (present
day Oklahoma), and thousands
of Cherokee died along the way.
#35. THE INVENTION OF THE TELEGRAPH:
SAMUEL F.B. MORSE
Samuel F.B. Morse brought the
telegraph back to the United States
after a visit to Paris, France – where he
was studying the art of painting.
Morse code allowed for communication
across thousands of miles. Telegraph
wires generally accompanied the
railroad tracks as American moved into
the west.
The revolution in communication helped
to keep Americans together from coast
to coast. The first telegraph ever sent
in the US: “What Hath God Wrought?”
#36. THE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS &
MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR OF 1846 - 1848
• Texas was annexed by the United States
and became a state in 1845.
• A dispute over the borders of Texas led
to the Mexican-American War. James K.
Polk ordered the military to act
aggressively in order to provoke war.
• The United States won the MexicanAmerican War and demanded significant
areas of Mexican Territory be sold to us.
• The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended
the war and granted the US the Mexican
Cession.
#37. THE MEXICAN
CESSION
As a part of the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo, Mexico was forced to cede all of
their territory in the American Southwest to
the United States.
The Mexican Cession included parts of New
Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada,
and California.
It also confirmed the boundaries of Texas
along the Rio Grande River – a dispute
which had actually caused the war in the
first place.
Americans acted imperialistically in this war.
The US took control of California and
immediately discovered gold there in 1848.
By 1849, gold had been discovered in California, and
thousands of so-called 49ers flooded into San Francisco and
the fertile valley regions. It was a state by 1850. California.
The Compromise of 1850:
#38. THE COMPROMISE OF 1850
1. California would enter the
Union as a free state.
2. The slave trade – not slavery
itself, but slave auctions – would
end in Washington, D.C.
3. The Fugitive Slave Law would
be strictly enforced by
government agents paid by the
taxpayers.
4. Popular sovereignty would be
used in order to determine the
future of slavery in two new
Western territories: New Mexico
and Utah.
5. Texas gave up some of its
territory to create the new
territories.
#39. THE KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT OF 1854
After having established the precedent of
popular sovereignty in the Compromise of
1850, Senator Stephen F. Douglas applied
the principle to the Nebraska and Kansas
Territories, which were created in 1854.
One problem: The Missouri Compromise of
1820 forbid slavery in both places!
The Kansas-Nebraska Act overturned the
Missouri Compromise. It also led to a huge
controversy which would not be resolved
until the violence of the Civil War settled
matters permanently.
#40. THE DRED SCOTT CASE OF 1857
Dred Scott sued for his freedom because he had
been moved by his master to a free state and lived
there for several years. His argument was: if I was in
a state were slavery was not allowed, I could not
have been a slave. I was a free man. And once free,
I cannot be reduced to slavery again.
The Supreme Court, however did not agree! Chief
Justice Roger Taney ruled that African-Americans had
no rights which white men were bound to respect and
essentially proclaimed that the property rights of
Southern slave owners trumped the rights of the
enslaved. Slavery was legal in the South, and if slave
owners sought to bring their slave to the West, or
even to the North, slavery was legal there, too.
#41. JOHN BROWN’S RAID ON HARPERS FERRY, 1859
In 1859, John Brown attempted to take control of
the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, VA. His plan
was to hand out weapons to slaves and lead them
in a campaign to liberate every enslave person in
America.
It failed. He was captured, put on trial, and
executed by the state of Virginia for treason.
In the North, he was mourned as a martyr.
In the South, his execution was celebrated.
This was a sign that the Union was close to
dissolving. Within two years, the Civil War had
started.
#42. THE ELECTION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, 1860
Abraham Lincoln was a member of the Republican
Party who personally opposed slavery and sought to
see it restricted by not allowing any slavery into the
Western Territories.
Ten Southern state did not even list him on the ballot,
yet he won the Electoral College.
After Lincoln won the election but before he was
sworn into office as President, seven (7) states
seceded from the Union: SC, GA, FL, MS, AL, LA, and
TX.
Lincoln’s election caused Southern states to form the
Confederate States of America.
#43. THE BATTLE OF FORT SUMTER, 1861
The opening battle of the Civil
War was fought at Fort Sumter,
SC, in Charleston Harbor, on
April 12, 1861.
The South fired the first shots,
and they won the battle. Major
Robert Anderson surrendered
the fort.
No one died during the
bombardment of Ft. Sumter.
After the fort was surrendered,
Lincoln called up 75,000
volunteers to put down the revolt.
Four more states left the Union:
VA, NC, TN, and Arkansas.
#44. THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM &
THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION, 1862
The original goal of the Union at the start of
Civil War was simply to bring the Southern
States back into the Union.
In 1862, however, after the Union had been
unsuccessful in major battle after major battle,
Lincoln changed the goals of the war. After
the victorious Battle of Antietam in Maryland,
Lincoln announced that he would emancipate all
of the slaves living in parts of the South still
actively in rebellion against the Union on
January 1, 1863. Not only did this liberate
the enslaved, it also hurt the Confederacy,
which relied upon slave labor to manage
plantations while soldiers fought away from
home. It also kept England and France out of
the conflict going forward.
#45. THE TURNING POINT: GETTYSBURG, 1863
The Battle of Gettysburg was the
turning point in the Civil War.
Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern
Virginia was soundly thrashed by
the Union’s Army of the Potomac,
commanded by George Meade.
On the final day of the battle,
Pickett’s Charge failed, and the
Confederates lost tens of
thousands of men. Lee’s Army
never recovered.
The same week, Vicksburg
surrendered to US Grant. The
Union now controlled the
Mississippi River, too.
#46. THE
GETTYSBURG
ADDRESS:
The Gettysburg Address was simply a
speech given by Abraham Lincoln on
November 19th, 1863, to dedicate the
national cemetery which was opening
that day near the battlefield in
Pennsylvania.
In the speech, Lincoln described what
these men had died for and what he
prayed would be accomplished by the
war. In particular, he hoped that
American democracy would survive and
that a “new birth of freedom” – African
American freedom?... would emerge.
#47. APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE, 1865
Confederate General Robert E. Lee
surrendered to Union General Ulysses S.
Grant on April 9th, 1865 at Appomattox
Court House, VA.
At the surrender, Grant offered Lee
generous terms: rations were given to his
men, they were allowed to take guns and
their horses back to the South, and Lee
was not taken prisoner.
Grant realized that this was the end of the
Civil War, but also the start of the
Reconstruction, so he treated Lee as a
fellow citizen.
Although an occasional skirmish erupted
over the next few weeks in the West, this
was the end of the Civil War.
#48. RADICAL RECONSTRUCTION, 1865 - 1877
The Reconstruction Period in American history was
between 1865 and 1877.
During Reconstruction, the South was militarily
occupied by Union soldiers. Laws were passed by
the Radical Republicans in Congress to ensure that
African-Americans received aid in their transition
from slavery to freedom, like the Freedman’s
Bureau Act.
Amendments were passed to change the nature of
the country: the 13th Amendment ended slavery, the
14th Amendment granted African-American
citizenship rights, and the 15th Amendment allowed
African-American men the right to vote.
#49. THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY IS ESTABLISHED:
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER
The Standard Oil Company was
established by John D.
Rockefeller and would soon
dominate the oil industry in the
United States.
Rockefeller used unfair business
practices in order to run smaller
competitors out of business.
In the early 1900s, the Standard
Oil Company was sued by
trustbusting President Theodore
Roosevelt and broken apart for
violations of the Sherman AntiTrust Act.
#50. THE INVENTION OF THE LIGHT BULB:
THOMAS EDISON
Thomas Edison invented many things, including the
light bulb, the motion picture machine, the
phonograph, and the electric generator.
The light bulb not only increased productivity by
allowing people to work into the night, it also
proved to be much safer than kerosene lamps, which
sometimes burned the house down!
Edison’s inventions revolutionized the world we live
in and improved the quality of life in the United
States over time.
#51. THE INVENTION OF THE TELEPHONE:
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL
The telephone was viewed as a miraculous device
when the phone calls were made.
Alexander Graham Bell started the American Telegraph
and Telephone Company: AT&T.
Although today’s cell phone communication uses
satellites and a whole realm of new technologies, it
was Bell who got the ball rolling so to speak.
#52. THE HOMESTEAD PLANT STRIKE OF 1892
The rise of labor unions like the Knights of Labor, the Industrial
Workers of the World, and the American Federation of Labor
changed the work place.
Workers demanded higher wages, the 8-hour day, safer working
conditions, an end to child labor, collective bargaining rights,
health care, etc.
Owners of companies, like Andrew Carnegie, didn’t want to
give in to these demands, because it meant they would lose
money.
The Homestead Plant Strike took place in 1892, after
Carnegie slashed his workers wages. Carnegie’s workers
went on strike to protest. He locked them out, brought in
strikebreakers, and eventually used violent force (Pinkerton
Agents and the Pennsylvania State Militia) to get his way. But
he lost money and his reputation in the process.
#53. THE PULLMAN STRIKE OF 1894
In 1894, George Pullman slashed the wages
of his employees at the Pullman Palace Car
Company. They went on strike, but there
were only about 500 employees.
Then, Eugene V. Debs entered the picture. He
ordered all of his members in the American
Railway Union not to load or unload any
train with a Pullman Car attached.
In the summer of 1894, commerce came to a
standstill. Eventually the President sent in the
Army to get the trains moving again. Both
sides lost money, and a lesson was learned.
Cooperate, or lose money!
#54. THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR OF 1898
The USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor on
February 15th, 1898.
Yellow journalists in the United States, like
William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer,
jumped to the conclusion that the Spanish had
sunk the ship. Their articles exaggerated and
embellished the truth to sensationalize stories.
War soon followed. The United States won the
“Splendid Little War” decisively.
After the war, the United States forced Spain
to sign the Treaty of Paris of 1898, in which
they ceded Guam, Puerto Rico, and the
Philippines (for $20 Million) to the USA. Cuba
also became an American protectorate:
independent, but managed attentively by the US.
#55. THE PANAMA CANAL ZONE IS ACQUIRED, 1903
Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” Diplomacy in
action: the acquisition of the Panama
Canal Zone.
“Speak softly, and carry a big stick.”
First TR asked Colombia for permission
to build the canal through the isthmus
of Panama.
American engineers and a team of mostly Caribbean workers of African descent
built the Panama Canal, which opened in 1914. TR took personal credit for it!
When Colombia refused, Americans
encouraged a group of Panamanians
to seek independence, recognized their
new nation, defended it with the USS
Nashville, and then, asked them to sign
a treaty allowing the US to build the
Panama Canal. They did. We built it.
#56. THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY IS SUED BY
THEODORE ROOSEVELT: SHERMAN ANTI-TRUST ACT
Theodore Roosevelt and his successor, William Howard Taft,
were America’s Trustbusting Presidents.
Using the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, Theodore Roosevelt
successfully sued:
The Northern Securities Trust (a Railroad company)
The Armour Meat Trust (Meatpacking)
The American Tobacco Trust
The Standard Oil Company
William Howard Taft continued the tradition of trustbusting,
suing more companies for violating the Sherman Anti-Trust
Act in four years than Theodore Roosevelt had in eight.
#57. THE MEAT INSPECTION ACT OF 1905 &
THE PURE FOOD AND DRUG ACT OF 1906
After he read Upton Sinclair’s
socialist work novel The Jungle,
Theodore Roosevelt insisted that the
meatpacking plants in the Midwest
must be cleaned up.
Two laws were passed:
The Meat Inspection Act
The Pure Food and Drug Act
Both laws are still influential today,
as the Department of Agriculture
still inspects meatpacking plants
and slaughterhouses and the FDA
still inspects our nation’s food and
drugs.
#58. THE SINKING OF THE HMS LUSITANIA, 1915
At the start of World War I – or, the
Great War as it was called then – the
United States was pledge to neutrality.
Woodrow Wilson encouraged Americans
to remain neutral in mind as well as in
action.
On May 7th, 1915, that was put to the test
when a German U-Boat torpedoed and
sank the Lusitania, a passenger liner.
Unbeknownst to Americans, the ship was
full of weapons and ammunition intended
for the British. Many called for war
against Germany in retaliation. It would
still be another two years, though, before
the United States entered the war.
#59. THE SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT
During both World War I and World
War II, the US Government prepared for
war by drafting young men into the
military.
The Selective Service Act required that
all young men over the age of 18
register for the draft.
When World War I started, the US
Army consisted of just 125,000 soldiers.
Millions of men joined the service to fight
“Over There.”
In World War II, over 15 Million men
and women joined the armed forces.
#60. THE ZIMMERMANN TELEGRAM OF 1917
The Zimmermann Telegram was intercepted in 1917.
It was a message from Germany to Mexico, and the gist of
it was this:
If Mexico would attack the United States – to keep the US
occupied and out of Europe during World War I, then
Germany would help Mexico reclaim the land they had lost in
the Mexican-American War, almost seventy years ago.
Americans got the message before the Mexican
government – because it was sent by telegram!
No one in Mexico would have gone for the plan anyhow.
This was the straw that broke the camel’s back so to speak.
The US declared war on Germany in April of 1917.
#61. WOODROW WILSON’S 14 POINT PLAN
At the end of World War I, President Woodrow Wilson unveiled his 14
Point Plan for peace in Europe. The 14 Point Plan included some big
ideas:
 Freedom of the Seas
 Free Trade
 Self-Determination of Nations – which led to a new European map.
 Reduced Militarism and No Secret Treaties of Alliance
 The League of Nations – an international peacekeeping government.
Although most of Wilson’s 14 Point Plan was included in the Treaty of
Versailles in 1919, it met opposition in the United States Senate.
The United States of America never ratified the Treaty of Versailles and
never joined the League of Nations.
#62. THE SENATE REJECTS THE TREATY OF
VERSAILLES, 1919
Henry Cabot Lodge led the opposition to the
Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.
He believed that the treaty would rob the United
States of its sovereignty and therefore endanger
the republic.
Woodrow Wilson launched a huge speaking tour
to drum up support for the treaty in 1919; but
sadly, he suffered a massive stroke. Wilson was
an invalid for the remainder of his Presidency,
and many believe that his wife, Edith Wilson
was running the country to some degree.
The Treaty was never ratified and the USA never
joined the League of Nations.
#63. THE PROHIBITION AMENDMENT IS RATIFIED
The 18th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1918
and prohibition was the law of the land until 1933, when it was
repealed by the 21st Amendment.
The 18th Amendment mad the manufacture of, the
transportation or, and the sale of alcohol illegal.
Groups seeking to help poor families supported the law,
believing that alcoholism caused great social harm.
During World War I, a desire to save grain and be more
productive as workers also led to support for the amendment.
After Prohibition became the law of the land, the public
disobeyed the law openly and there was an increase in
organized crime – leading to the amendment’s repeal.
#64. THE PALMER RAIDS, 1919 - 1921
During World War I, the Bolsheviks had
taken over Russia, installing their communist
regime in the largest nation (physically) on
Earth.
In the United States, fears of radicalism:
anarchists, socialists, communists, and even
radical labor unions like the I.W.W led to an
invasion of personal liberty known today as
the Palmer Raids.
Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer – himself
the target of an anarchist’s bombing – invaded
the homes and offices of suspected radicals.
Foreign radicals were deported; Americans
might be imprisoned.
#65. THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE OF THE 1920S
During the 1920s in Harlem, New York
City, a gathering of African-American
poets, playwrights, artists, musicians and
writers produced a unique school of
literature called the Harlem Renaissance.
African-American heritage and culture was
celebrated through their work.
Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and
Countee Cullen were leaders of this
literary movement.
Artists like Jacob Lawrence celebrated the
Harlem Renaissance in their later works.
Jazz music influenced many of the writers
and poets of the Harlem Renaissance.
#66. THE SACCO AND VANZETTI TRIAL
Despite the fact that virtually no
evidence was introduced against these
two men in their murder trial, they were
both put to death.
Nichola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti
had two strikes against them. They were
admittedly anarchists – in a time when
radicalism was greatly feared – and
they were Italians – in a time of nativism
and anti-immigrant fervor.
That, combined with being in the wrong
place at the wrong time, got them
convicted of murder and executed.
#67. THE STOCK MARKET CRASH OF 1929:
“BLACK TUESDAY”
On October 29th, 1929, “Black Tuesday,” the
Stock Market collapsed on Wall Street.
Overproduction by companies and overspeculation by investors – many of whom were
“buying on the margin” – led to the collapse.
The collapse of Wall Street’s Stock Market brought
the banks down as well, since many banks had
recklessly loaned money to stockbrokers in
hopes of quick returns.
The Stock Market Crash caused the Great
Depression.
#68. HOOVER AND THE BONUS ARMY, 1932
Herbert Hoover believed strongly in laissez faire
economic policies – which said the government should
not interfere with the economy.
During the Depression he refused to intervene to help the
poor.
In his darkest hour, Hoover went so far as to set fire to
and raze a shanty set up by veterans of World War I.
The Bonus Army had come seeking relief from the
government, hoping to be paid the bonuses they were
promised early.
#69. FDR’S INAUGURAL ADDRESS AND THE NEW DEAL
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected President of the United States in
1932 and gave his first inaugural address on March 4, 1933.
In the speech, FDR stated,
“Let me assert my firm belief, that the only thing we have to fear is fear
itself – nameless, unjustified, unreasonable terror, paralyzing needed
efforts to convert retreat into advance!”
The topic of FDR speech that day was the banks, not World War II.
(World War II wouldn’t start until 1941.)
FDR’s New Deal was a series of government programs set up to provide
jobs for the unemployed; provide food and shelter for families in need; and
prevent future economic collapses by regulating the Stock Market and
Wall St. Perhaps the most important programs he instituted were the
Social Security Act and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
which guaranteed the security of bank deposits.
#70. THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT IS PASSED
 The Social Security Act was passed in 1935 as a part
of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.
 Social Security provided a monthly pension to anyone
over the age of sixty-five, to provide for the needs of the
elderly and their families; but also in hopes of jump
starting the economy.
 In addition, the Social Security Act provided aid for
dependent children in disadvantaged families,
unemployment insurance, and assistance for the blind and
disabled.
 Today, tens of millions of Americans rely on Social
Security in their retirement.
#71. THE BOMBING OF PEARL HARBOR: DEC. 7, 1941
On Sunday morning, December 7th, 1941, a
date that will live in infamy, the United States
was suddenly and deliberately attacked by
the Empire of Japan. Thousands died in the
surprise attack.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United
States went to war with all of the Axis Power
Nations: Germany, Italy, and Japan.
For the United States of America, this was the
start of World War II. It also effectively ended
the Great Depression, because full employment
was restored by the War Industry.
#72. THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY ISLAND
The turning point in World War II in the
Pacific Theatre, where the United States
was fighting against the Japanese, was the
Battle of Midway Island.
A reconnaissance pilot caught view of
several aircraft carriers steaming towards
Midway Island and reported back to his
commanders.
During the Battle of Midway, the ships
involved never really interacted; it was
fought exclusively with torpedo bombers
and dive bombers. Americans sank four
Japanese aircraft carriers and the Japanese
Navy was crippled going forward.
#73. D-DAY: JUNE 6, 1944
For the United States, the turning
point in World War II was the
invasion of the coast of Normandy
in France which took place on DDay, June 6, 1944.
The attack was organized and
executed by General Dwight David
Eisenhower and it was code
named Operation Overlord.
The men who stormed the beaches
at Omaha met deadly resistance
from Nazis along the Atlantic Sea
Wall. Nevertheless, they
prevailed and liberated Europe.
#74. THE MANHATTAN PROJECT AND HIROSHIMA
The Manhattan Project was the team of
scientists who worked to produce the first
atomic bomb.
Albert Einstein had written to FDR at the
start of the war to let him know that
German scientists were attempting to
create such a device.
J. Robert Oppenheimer was the man who
directed the project. The first a-bomb was
dropped at Los Alamos, NM in the summer
of 1945. On August 6th and August 9th,
bombs were dropped over Hiroshima and
Nagasaki to hasten the end of World War II.
#75. THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE
The Truman Doctrine is a classic example of the
American policy of containment.
In order to stop the spread of communism, Harry
Truman sent $400 Million dollars to pro-democracy and
pro-capitalist forces in Greece and Turkey in 1947.
Both nations maintained capitalist and democratic
institutions.
Both nations joined NATO.
The Truman Doctrine was a success story in stopping the
spread of communism.
#76. THE MARSHALL PLAN
While the Soviet Union took over and virtually
enslaved the nations of Eastern Europe, the United
States attempted to promote our democratic,
capitalistic values in Western Europe by helping them
to rebuild.
Any nation which pledged itself to capitalism and
democracy was granted funding to rebuild in the
aftermath of World War II by the US government.
In the end, over $13 Billion were given to nations
throughout Europe to rebuild. The nations which
received funding continue to maintain capitalism and
democracy, and they protect individual rights, as well.
Many are members of NATO – The North Atlantic
Treaty Organization.
#77. THE BERLIN BLOCKADE & THE BERLIN AIRLIFT
In 1948, Joseph Stalin attempted to take over the city of
West Berlin, which was located completely within Soviet
controlled East Germany.
Stalin ordered a blockade of all roads, rails, and canals
leading into West Berlin.
Harry Truman, committed to the policy of containment,
ordered that the city of West Berlin be saved.
An airlift, delivering food, medicine, and supplies to the city
was organized. After 11-months of non-stop supply,
Joseph Stalin took down the blockade in embarrassment.
West Berlin was an island of democracy, capitalism, and
individual rights in the middle of Communist East Germany
throughout the Cold War.
#78. CHINA FALLS TO COMMUNISM
After a long Civil War, Communist forces
led by Mao Zedong took over China in
1949.
Americans were horrified to see the most
populous nation on Earth adopt
communist practices and refused to
recognize the legitimacy of the
government.
During the Korean War, Americans would
fight against communist Chinese soldiers.
China would remain closed to Americans
until Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit.
#79. THE KOREAN WAR, 1950 - 1953
There were four stages to the Korean War:
1. North Korea, led by Kim Il Sung, invaded
South Korea in an attempt to unify the nation
under communist rule.
2. The United States, with authority of the UN,
invades at Pusan and restores the nation of South
Korea.
3. The United States attempts to invade North
Korea, overthrow the communist leaders, and
unify the nation under democratic rule.
4. China enters the war, attacks American forces
and the war concludes in a stalemate.
Korea remains divided at the 38th Parallel even
to this day: see The Interview!
#80. DOUGLAS MACARTHUR IS FIRED BY TRUMAN
Because General Douglas MacArthur
wanted to expand the war in Korea by
attacking China and perhaps even the
Soviet Union, he got into a public
standoff with the President of the United
States. If you are a five star general,
you can pretty much say anything you
like, with one exception. You can’t
challenge the wisdom and leadership of
the Commander in Chief. Harry S Truman,
in order to maintain civilian control over
the US military, fired Douglas MacArthur!
Good on you, Harry!
#81. JOSEPH MCCARTHY AND THE RED SCARE, 1950S
During the Cold War, Joseph McCarthy
made a series of reckless, baseless, and
boorish accusations against people he
suspected of being communists.
Because there was a real sense of paranoia
in the United States about communist spies in
our midst, he garnered a lot of attention.
McCarthyism – the practice of grandstanding
and making false accusation of Communist
sympathies – hurt many patriotic Americans
reputations. Eventually, McCarthy’s game
was discovered, he was censured, lost his
seat in the US Senate, and died miserably
of cirrhosis of the liver.
#82. THE FREEDOM RIDES: SUMMER OF 1961
The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
organized the Freedom Rides in 1961 to test the
will of the federal government to enforce its
laws.
The federal law forbid discrimination in
interstate bussing – and in the bus depots and
restaurants located throughout the nation.
CORE members encountered violent hate
criminals and asked for the federal government’s
protection. Although Attorney General Robert F.
Kennedy and his brother, the President, attempted
to protect the Freedom Riders they never made it
from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans by bus!
#83. THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS OF 1962
In 1961, John F. Kennedy authorized – but failed to
execute – the Bay of Pigs Invasion, an attempt to
overthrow or assassinate Fidel Castro.
Seeking to protect himself, Castro reached out to
the Soviet Union, which provided him with missiles
and launch sites.
The United States demanded that these missiles be
removed and threatened war over it. In October
of 1962, the US and the USSR came as close to
nuclear holocaust as the world has ever seen.
Kennedy stood up to Khrushchev, then negotiated a
solution. Both nations removed nuclear missiles
from regions near the other’s territory. The Soviets
removed the missiles from Cuba; Americans quietly
removed our “Jupiter” missiles from Turkey and
Greece.
#84. THE “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH: THE MARCH
ON WASHINGTON FOR JOBS AND FREEDOM
On August 28th, 1963, one day after the death of the
Civil Rights icon W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King, Jr.
delivered the “I Have a Dream” speech at the steps of
the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The speech was one of the most important in American
History, as he challenged Americans “to live out the
true meaning of its creed – that all men are created
equal!”
Immediately after the speech, King met with President
John F. Kennedy and began to plan out the Civil Rights
Act.
All of this took place after King had spent some portion
of the summer of 1963 in jail in Birmingham, Alabama
for leading protest marches against the segregated
system of “Jim Crow Laws” there.
#85. THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 IS PASSED
John F. Kennedy was slain by an assassin’s
bullet in November of 1963, and when
LBJ assumed the Presidency, he made it a
priority to carry out many of Kennedy’s
priorities.
Since Kennedy had worked on the Civil
Rights Act prior to his assassination, LBJ
did everything in his power to get the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 passed into law.
The Civil Rights Act forbid discrimination
based on race, sex or skin color. It was a
groundbreaking law both for the Civil
Rights Movement and for the Feminist
Movement. Women gained access to
colleges and athletic scholarships as a result
of Title IX in the Civil Rights Act.
#86. LBJ’S GREAT SOCIETY
Lyndon Baines Johnson’s legislative
program was called “The Great
Society.” LBJ believed that as the
wealthiest and most powerful nation on
Earth, Americans should be able to look
after the poor in our own nation while
simultaneously stopping the spread of
communism abroad. Great Society
programs included Medicaid, Medicare,
and Head Start – a pre-school program
for underprivileged children. He also
passed both the Civil Rights Act of
1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Were it not for his policy on the
Vietnam War, which drained American
money and lost American lives, he
might be remembered as one of the
nation’s best domestic leaders.
#87. THE GULF OF TONKIN RESOLUTION
The United States of American went to war in
Vietnam when the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was
passed by Congress in 1964.
Lyndon Johnson had asked for authorization to
fight against the communists in Vietnam after the
so-called Gulf of Tonkin Incident. It was reported
that the USS Turner Joy and the USS Maddox were
attacked by North Vietnamese gun boats.
Evidence was scant.
The United States began sending troops to Vietnam
in 1964, and by 1968, over 500,000 troops were
fighting in Vietnam, to stop the spread of
communism. Although Americans sent millions of
dollars and hundreds of thousands of soldier to
Vietnam between 1964 and 1975, we did not win
the war. Communism prevailed in Vietnam.
#88. SELMA AND THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965
George Wallace forbid the planned
march from Selma to Montgomery in
1965; however, leaders of the
march carried on – non-violently. As
they approached the Edmund Pettis
Bridge, they were assaulted by
Alabama State Troopers. When
Americans saw the footage of state
troopers hitting peaceful churchwomen and non-violent marchers
with billy clubs, firing tear gas into
the crowd, and violently beating
peaceful marchers in retreat, they
were outraged. The Voting Rights
Act of 1965 was passed to put an
end to the violent “Jim Crow” South.
#89. THE TET OFFENSIVE – JANUARY 1968
Protests – Doves – increased as the war in Vietnam appeared to
be in a stalemate. War Hawks still feared the domino theory.
Since the United States had entered the war in
1964, Johnson and his advisors had told
Americans that we were just on the verge of
victory. A few more soldiers or another
campaign might end the war. But in 1968, the
Vietnamese launched a surprise counterattack
known as the Tet Offensive. Although it was
completely put down, Americans began to
doubt their leaders. News reporter Walter
Cronkite proclaimed, “We are mired in a
stalemate.” As doubt over the success of the
war grew, peace protesters took to the streets
and a “Credibility Gap” – doubt in the
President’s leadership and his word –
emerged.
#90. NIXON VISITS CHINA – DÉTENTE
While Richard Nixon was President, Henry
Kissinger served as the Secretary of State. The
two men attempted to scale down tensions with
our Communist rivals.
 Nixon visited China to open relations with
Mao Zedong and his deputy Zhou Enlai.
 Nixon determined to follow the policy of
détente with the Soviet Union. He signed the
SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) Treaty
with the Soviets.
 Nixon attempted to withdraw the nation
from the war in Vietnam. His Vietnamization
policy essential put the burden of fighting the
war on the South Vietnamese.
#91. THE WATERGATE SCANDAL – NIXON RESIGNS
Richard Nixon was forced to resign from office in
1974 by the Watergate Scandal. Nixon had
hired a team of burglars to break into the
Watergate Hotel during the Democratic National
Convention in 1972. When the burglars were
discovered, a paper trail came back to the
White House. Nixon’s Oval Office had
recording devices which taped every
conversation which took place there. When this
was revealed, Congress demanded the tapes.
A long court struggle ensued. Eventually, the
Courts determined that Nixon must hand over
the tapes. Congress had prepared articles of
impeachment and he was sure to be removed
from office when Nixon determined that it would
be better to resign.
#92. THE IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS OF 1979 - 1980
While Jimmy Carter was President of the United
States, this embarrassing and deadly crisis played
out. The Iran Hostage Crisis lasted for over a year.
The Ayatollah Khomeini took power in Iran in 1979.
During the revolution which resulted in his takeover,
Americans had sided with his rivals. Iranian students
assaulted the US Embassy in Tehran and took our
diplomats there hostage.
Although he tried both negotiations and the failed
Operation Eagle Claw to rescue the hostages, they
would not be released until Ronald Reagan became
President in 1981. The United States appeared
weak, and Jimmy Carter appeared helpless to do
anything for his people.
Operation Eagle Claw failed to rescue American Hostages, and
Carter appeared weak compared to the Ayatollah Khomeini.
#93. THE REAGAN-GORBACHEV SUMMITS, 1980S
During the 1980s, Ronald Reagan and Michael
Gorbachev met on several occasions to
attempt to de-escalate the arms race between
the Soviet Union and the United States.
Although President Reagan was deeply
mistrustful of the USSR when he entered office,
Michael Gorbachev’s devotion to glasnost and
perestroika – economic reforms and a more
open society – won him over.
They met three times: in Iceland, in Moscow, and
in Washington, D.C.; each meeting made the
world a safer place. Reagan eventually
challenged Gorbachev to “Tear Down this Wall!”
while standing at the Berlin Wall. It fell just a
few years later.
#94. THE IRAN-CONTRA SCANDAL
While Ronald Reagan was President the Iran-Contra Scandal
threatened to ruin his legacy.
Reagan commissioned Lt. Col. Oliver North to sell weapons to an
enemy of the United States, Iran during the 1980s.
They would use the money they made selling arms to Iran in order
to fund an anti-communist group of rebels in Nicaragua, the Contras.
The Contras were attempting to overthrow a group which had taken
over Nicaragua and begun redistributing land and property there, the
Sandinistas.
When Reagan was accused of wrongdoing, he claimed not to
remember anything. Meanwhile, Oliver North exercised his 5th
Amendment rights against self-incrimination before Congress.
Eventually, he was pardoned for his crimes by George H.W. Bush.
He ran for Senate as a Republican in 1994, despite having
committed felonies.
#95. THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL - 1989
After the Soviet Union relaxed its controls
on the governments of Eastern Europe,
democracy began to emerge again.
Nothing was more symbolic of the change
than the tearing down of the Berlin Wall,
which took place in 1989.
By 1990, East Germany and West Germany
had merged and Germany was restore as a
European nation.
Many believe that this was made possible
due to the policies of Ronald Reagan during
the 1980s.
#96. THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION, 1991
In 1991, the Soviet Union quietly died.
Michael Gorbachev was overthrow, and the
16 nations which had once been the USSR
went their separate ways.
Russia was restored under the leadership of
Boris Yeltsin.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan
and many other nations were restored.
The Cold War was over and the United States
of America had won.
#97. THE PERSIAN GULF WAR OF 1990:
VICTORY BY COALITION
While George H.W. Bush Sr. was
President of the United States, Saddam
Hussein of Iraq invaded Kuwait and
attempted to take over the nation.
The United States organized a coalition of
nations, including members of NATO and
a number of Middle Eastern allies, and
restored Kuwait’s government.
George Bush, Norman Schwarzkopf and
Colin Powell demonstrated great
leadership in organizing a complicated
and successful intervention.
#98. CLINTON: NAFTA, PROSPERITY, IMPEACHMENT
While Bill Clinton was President of the United States, the
nation was economically prosperous.
Clinton was known for attempting to compromise with
Republican leaders like Newt Gingrich by adopting
moderate positions in order to pass legislation.
While Clinton was President:
 NAFTA – The North American Free Trade Agreement
 Welfare Reform was enacted.
 Both South Africa and Vietnam’s new governments were
recognized by the United States.
 He was impeached for lying to Congress repeatedly about
a sexual liaison with a White House intern.
#99. SEPTEMBER
TH
11 ,
2001 AND
THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
Terrorists from Al-Qaeda, an Islamic fundamentalist group led
by Osama bin Laden, attacked the United States of American
using airliners as missiles on September 11, 2001.
Four planes were crashed in suicide missions. Two flew into
New York’s World Trade Centers, which collapsed, killing
thousands.
A third plane was flown into the Pentagon in Northern
Virginia.
A fourth plane, United Flight 93 was crashed into a field near
Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passenger fought back.
In response, the United States invaded Afghanistan to overthrow
the Taliban, an Islamic Fundamentalist government which had
allowed Al-Qaeda to organize its terrorist mission. The Taliban
was overthrown, and the United States remains in Afghanistan
even to this day attempting to build a democracy in the nation.
#100. THE IRAQ WAR
The War in Iraq began in 2003 when President
George W. Bush, Jr. insisted that Saddam Hussein
had weapons of mass destruction: nuclear,
biological, or chemical weapons.
The United States invaded, against the wishes of
much of the international community. No such
weapons were ever found.
After toppling the Iraqi government and executing
Saddam Hussein, Civil War erupted in Iraq.
Thousands died, including American servicemen
who were there to protect the new Iraqi
government. When the United States finally
withdrew, chaos ensued. Today, the Iraqi forces
are fighting against ISIS – the self-proclaimed
Islamic State, which is know for their fundamentalist
beliefs and the brutal murder of innocents.
#101. OBAMACARE: THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care
Act continues a tradition of expanding the role
of the federal government promoted by
liberal, Democratic politicians.
FDR’s New Deal, Social Security
LBJ’s Great Society, Medicaid, Medicare
Obama: The Affordable Health Care Act
The Constitutionality of Obamacare was put to
the test, and the Supreme Court ruled that it
was legal: since the government has the power
to tax, it can insist that everyone pays into the
health care system of the nation.