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  3. Early 20th Century U.S.

Early 20th Century U.S.

In the early 20th century, America was flexing its economic and political muscle on the international stage. The era was defined by the temperance movement, Progressive-era activism, the sinking of the Titanic and World War I.

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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 […]

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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

Working Conditions in The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory The Triangle factory, owned by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, was located in the top three floors of the Asch Building, on the corner of Greene Street and Washington Place, in Manhattan. It was a true sweatshop, employing young immigrant women who worked in a cramped space at […]

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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 […]

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The 46,328 tons RMS Titanic of the White Star Line which sank at 2:20 AM Monday morning April 15 1912 after hitting iceberg in North Atlantic...UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1800: The 46,328 tons RMS Titanic of the White Star Line which sank at 2:20 AM Monday morning April 15 1912 after hitting iceberg in North Atlantic (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

Titanic

The Building of the RMS Titanic The Titanic was the product of intense competition among rival shipping lines in the first half of the 20th century. In particular, the White Star Line found itself in a battle for steamship primacy with Cunard, a venerable British firm with two standout ships that ranked among the most […]

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Stories

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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3:29 minTV-PG
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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.

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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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3:51 minTV-PG

Titanic’s Tragic Sister Ship

Follow a team of wreck divers on an expedition to the sunken Britannica, the ship known as the sister to the ill-fated Titanic.

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1:04 minTV-PG

Flashback: A Knife-Throwing Mother Brings Her Family Into the Act

Louella Gallagher is not the prototypical mother of the 1950s. Her daughters Connie Ann, age 5, and Colleena Sue, age 2.5, serve as props in a knife-throwing act that would be considered a bit too risky by today’s standards.

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This Day in History

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1906

Atlanta Race Riot of 1906 begins

Early 20th Century U.S.
1913

Grand Central Terminal opens in New York City

Early 20th Century U.S.

This Day In History: 01/11/1908 – Grand Canyon Made Monument

Early 20th Century U.S.
1907

Oklahoma enters the Union

Early 20th Century U.S.
1917

U.S. ends search for Pancho Villa

Early 20th Century U.S.
1944

Fire engulfs circus big top in Hartford, killing 167

Early 20th Century U.S.
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