Like the 1800s, the 1900s in America also had three themes: War, Depression and Development. However, we can also divide the history into decades.

The second decade was marked by World War I. The Titanic sunk in 1912, but it was not the only big ship to sink. In 1915, the Germans sunk the Lusitania, which was one reason for the US to enter World War I in 1917. They did not fight long, because President Wilson made a plan for peace in 1918, which was accepted in 1919 at the Paris Peace Conference (Treaty of Versailles).

The third decade (1920s) was called the "Roaring 20s"; the economy was good and society changed a lot. Because of the war, women became stronger and in 1919, the 19th amendment (women’s vote) was ratified. Prohibition started in 1920. The Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925 said that only Biblical creation, not evolution, may be taught in school. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh flew solo over the Atlantic Ocean, and Babe Ruth hit his 60th Home Run. But the economic bubble burst in 1929 when the stock market collapsed.

This led to the Great Depression in the 1930s. People had no work and no money. There was also a drought, creating the "Dust Bowl" in the Midwest. “Hoovervilles” were poor areas named for the US president at that time, Herbert Hoover. There was a lot of crime then too. Al Capone, a famous mafia leader, was sentenced to prison in 1931. In 1932 Charles Lindbergh's baby was kidnapped and killed. In 1934, famous bank robber and murderer pair Bonnie and Clyde were killed by police. But things started to get better in 1933, when President F.D. Roosevelt was elected and began the "New Deal". By the end of the decade, Hollywood films were getting better, and "Gone with the Wind" was the first

However, WWII had already begun in Europe in 1939, marking the beginning of the war years in the 1940s. America was worried about Europe, but first entered the war when attacked at Pearl Harbor by Japan on Dec. 7, 1941. America declared war on Japan on Dec. 8. Germany and Italy declared war back as Japan's allies, and America entered the European war on Dec. 11. In 1942, the "Manhattan Project" began, leading up to Atomic bomb testings in New Mexico, and finally Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings in 1945. Victory in Europe (V-E day) was May 8, 1945, and V-J day (victory in Japan) was Sept. 2, 1945. Reconstruction began in Europe with the Paris peace conference in 1946, and the Marshall Plan in 1948. The NATO treaty was signed in 1949. In Japan, Macarthur took charge of the occupation and reconstruction until 1952.

By the sixth decade (1950-1959) America was very worried about communism. The cold war between America and Russia began with the Korean War in 1950-1953. In the Mc Carthy era from 1950-1956, people were accused and convicted (often wrongly) of being communist. However, as after WWI, the economy boomed. Color TV was introduced in 1951, and "the pill" was invented in 1952, giving women more freedom. Disneyland opened in 1955, and the US launched Satellite Explorer I in 1958, after the USSR launched Sputnik in 1957, the first earth satellite. Concern over civil rights began in 1954 with the Brown vs. Board Court decision that declared race segregation in schools unconstitutional. Rosa Parks began a bus boycott in 1957 that ended in further victories against race segregation.

The seventh decade (1960-1969) was marked by the Vietnam War and assassination of President John F. Kennedy and several other leaders. After coming very close to another war in 1962 with the Cuban Missile Crisis President Kennedy assassinated in 1963. Many other assassinations followed: Black leader Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965, and Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy were both assassinated in 1968. The US presence in the Vietnam war had been escalating since 1961, and students protested against this in 1966 in the US, and around the world in 1968-70. The hippie movement in the 1960s and 70s was also a passive protest against war. In 1969, Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon and US troops began withdrawing from Vietnam.

The eighth decade (1970-1979) led to peace and more Civil Rights actions. Nixon visited China in 1972, normalizing relations with the communist country. He was impeached in 1974, though, for the Watergate scandal. In 1975, the Vietnam War "officially" ends, and the Russian and US spaceships Apollo and Soyuz link in space, symbolizing the wish to end the cold war. In 1977, President Carter pardoned draft dodgers, people who left the country to avoid having to fight in Vietnam. On the other hand, tensions in the middle East increased after the Egypt/Israel summit at Camp David in 1978, and US Embassy staff were taken hostage in Iran in 1979.

1980-1989 continued this trend. Gorbachev introduces "perestroika" and "glasnost“ ending cold war in 1987, and the Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989. However, Iraq invaded Iran in 1980. Scientific progress continued; in 1981, AIDS was identified, and the IBM personal computer was invented. However, in 1986, the space ship Challenger exploded in space.

1990-1999 began the Electronic age. WWW began in 1992, and personal computers spread quickly. Los Angeles figured highly, with racial unrest (Rodney King riots) in 1992 and the Northridge earthquake in 1994. Bombings also occurred in New York (World Trade Center) in 1993 and Oklahoma in 1995. More trouble abroad included the Gulf War from 1990-1991 and US Embassies bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, the same year that President Clinton was impeached over the Monica Lewinsky scandal but found not guilty.

History 4

Like the 1800s, the 1900s in America also had three themes: War, Depresssion and Development. However, we can also divide the history into decades.

The first decade, 1900-1909, were the years of invention and economic revolution an progress. In 1901, J.P. Morgan's US Steel Corp. became the first billion dollar industry. In 1903, the Wright brothers flew the first plane at Kitty Hawk, NC. The U.S. was given the Panama Canal Zone in 1904, and began work on the Panama Canal. Theodore Roosevelt negotiated the end to the Russo-Japanese War（Treaty of Portsmouth) in 1905, and the Ford Company introduced the Model-T in 1908.

The second decade was marked by World War I. The Titanic sunk in 1912, but it was not the only big ship to sink. In 1915, the Germans sunk the Lusitania, which was one reason for the US to enter World War I in 1917. They did not fight long, because President Wilson made a plan for peace in 1918, which was accepted in 1919 at the Paris Peace Conference (Treaty of Versailles).

Because of the war, women became stronger. In 1919, the 19th amendment (women’s vote) was ratified, and a dramatic change occurred in the 1920s. Prohibition started in 1920. The Scopes Monkey Trial said that only Biblical creation, not evolution, may be taught in school. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh flew solo over the Atlantic Ocean, and Babe Ruth hit his 60th Home Run. But the economic bubble burst in 1929 when the stock market collapsed.

This led to the Great Depression in the 1930s. People had no work and no money.

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History 4 The 1900s: War, Depresssion and Development

1900-1909: Economic revolution
1901- J.P. Morgan's US Steel Corp. is first billion dollar industry
President Mc Kinley is assassinated
1902- President Roosevelt helps settle a coal miner strike
1903- Wright brothers fly first plane at Kitty Hawk, NC
1904- U.S. granted the Panama Canal Zone
1905- Roosevelt negotiates end to Russo-Japanese War （Treaty of Portsmouth)
1906- The great San Francisco Earthquake
1908- Ford Company introduces the Model-T; cost-$850

1910-1919: World War I
1911- Sherman Antitrust Act used to break up oil company monopoly
1912- The Titanic sinks killing over 1,500 people
1914- World War I starts in Europe
1915- Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine
1917- US enters World War I
1918- Wilson’s Fourteen Points as plan for peace
1919- The Treaty of Versailles ends the War; 19th amendment ratified (women’s vote)

1920-1929: The roaring 20s
1920- The 18th Amendment, Prohibition takes effect
1923- President Harding dies during the Teapot Dome oil scandal
1925- The Scopes Monkey Trial says that only Biblical creation may be taught in school
1927- Charles Lindbergh flys solo over the Atlantic; Babe Ruth hits 60th Home Run
1929- stock market collapses; Great Depression

1930-1939: Depression years
1930- the "Dust Bowl" begins in the Midwest “Hoovervilles”
1931- Al Capone is sentenced to prison
1932- Charles Lindbergh's baby kidnapped and killed
1933- President F.D. Roosevelt elected "New Deal“
1934- Bonnie and Clyde are killed
1937- Steel strike in Chicago (Memorial Day massacre)
1939- Hollywood film "Gone with the Wind", WWII begins in Europe

1940-1949: War again, and recovery
1941- Pearl Harbor attack
US enters WWII
1942- Fermi splits atom, "Manhattan Project" begins
1945- Atomic bomb test in New Mexico, Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings, V-E day, V-J day
1946- Paris peace conference
Dr. Benjamin Spock "Baby and Child Care"
1948- Marshall Plan helps Europe
1949- NATO treaty

1950-1959: The cold war　and Civil rights
1950- Mc Carthy era begins; Korean War
1951- Color TV introduced; first h-bomb exploded
1952- "The pill" produced
1953- Lung cancer reported linked to smoking
1954- Race segregation in schools declared unconstitutional (Brown vs. Board)
1955- Blacks in Montgomery, Alabama boycott bus lines (Rosa Parks ), Disneyland opened
1957- USSR launches Sputnik (first earth satellite)
1958- US launches Satellite Explorer I

1960-1969: Kennedy and Vietnam
1961- Bay of Pigs invasion fails
1962- Cuban Missile Crisis
1963- President John F. Kennedy assassinated, Nuclear test ban treaty, coup in South Vietnam
1965- Malcolm X assassinated
1966- Protest against Vietnam
1968- Worldwide student protest
Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy assassinated
1969- First man on moon, Anti-war demonstrations, US troop withdrawal
1970-1979: Peace and Civil Rights again
1970- Four students killed at Kent State protests1972- Nixon first visits China
1974- Watergate scandal, Nixon impeached 1975- Vietnam War ends, Apollo/Soyuz link in space1976- Bicentennial celebrations1977- President Carter pardons draft evaders1978- Egypt/Israel summit at Camp David1979- US Embassy staff taken hostage in Iran
1980-1989 The “Me” generation
1980 Iraq invades Iran
1981 -AIDS identified, IBM personal computer invented
1982- US back Contra rebels in Nicaragua, invade Grenada1986-Challenger exploded in space
1987- Gorbachev introduces "perestroika" and "glasnost“ ending cold war

1990-1999 : The Electronic Age
1991- Iraq invades Kuwait/Gulf War
1992- Rodney King riots in L.A., WWW born
1993- World Trade Center bombed; Waco, Texas cult fire
1994- Earthquake in L.A.
1995- Federal building bombed by Mc Veigh in Oklahoma
1998- US Embassies bombed in Kenya,Tanzania
1998- President Clinton impeached but found not guilty

And into the 21st century!
2001- Twin towers attacked by terrorists (9/11)
2001- War in Afghanistan
2003- War in Iraq
2005 Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans
2008 Democrats win the election
2009 Michael Jackson dies

History 4 The 1900s: War, Depresssion and Leadership