Early 20th Century U.S.: Titanic and Temperance

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1938: Drinking fountain on the county courthouse lawn, Halifax, North Carolina (Photo by Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

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Jim Crow Laws

Black Codes The roots of Jim Crow laws began as early as 1865, immediately following the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States. Black codes were strict local and state laws that detailed when, where and how formerly enslaved people could work, and for how much compensation. The codes appeared […]

Triangle Shirtwaist Company FireFire hoses spray water on the upper floors of the Asch Building (housing the Triangle Shirtwaist Company) on Washington and Greene Streets, during the fire in New York City, March 25, 1911. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory in New York City burned, killing 146 workers. It is remembered as one of the most infamous incidents in American industrial history, as the deaths were largely preventable.

Lithograph of Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders Charging San Juan HillA lithograph showing Theodore Roosevelt riding with the Rough Riders during their charge of San Juan Hill, near Santiago de Cuba, on July 1, 1898.

Spanish American War

Causes: Remember the Maine! The war originated in the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain, which began in February 1895. Spain’s brutally repressive measures to halt the rebellion were graphically portrayed for the U.S. public by several sensational newspapers engaging in yellow journalism, and American sympathy for the Cuban rebels rose. Did you know? The term […]

Titanic

The Titanic was a luxury British steamship that sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912 after striking an iceberg, leading to the deaths of more than 1,500 passengers and crew.

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Moses Fleetwood Walker, Six Decades Before Jackie Robinson, This Man Integrated Major League Baseball

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6 Decades Before Jackie Robinson, This Man Broke Baseball’s Color Barrier

Moses Fleetwood Walker played for a Major League Baseball team in the 1880s.

How Gilded Age Excesses Led to the Progressive Era; A rally of the Populist movement in Willowdale Township, Dickinson County, Kansas

How Gilded Age Corruption Led to the Progressive Era

As the rich grew richer during the Gilded Age, the poor grew poorer, spurring the call for reforms.

A dinner of society people at Delmonico's restaurant in New York City in 1899.

How Robber Barons Flaunted Their Money During the Gilded Age

As American industrialists and financiers accumulated incredible wealth during the Gilded Age, they strove to outdo one another with their lavish spending and possessions.

How Laws First Passed in Jim Crow Era Suppressed the African American Vote

How Jim Crow-Era Laws Suppressed the African American Vote for Generations

In the wake of the passage of the 15th Amendment and Reconstruction, several southern states enacted laws that restricted Black Americans’ access to voting.

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Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

A chronicle of a tragic fire that occurred at New York City’s Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in 1911.

1:49 minTV-PG

The Unsinkable Molly Brown

A look at the extraordinary life of Margaret Brown, best known as ‘Unsinkable Molly Brown’ after she survived the 1912 RMS Titanic disaster. She later became an activist for workers’ and women’s rights and made a bid for election six years before women had the right to vote.

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