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ABBREVIATIONS:
A = Administration
AM = Anti-Masonic
D= Democratic
DR = Democratic-Republican
F = Federalist
J = Jacksonian
NR = National Republican
O= Other
Opp. = Opposition
R= Republican
W = Whig
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1787
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Constitutional Convention, Independence Hall, Philadelphia
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Northwest Ordinance
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1788
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Congress picks New York City as site of government
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1789
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George Washington: 1789–1797 (Nonpartisan)
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1st 1789–1791
Senate: 17 F; 9 Opp.
House: 38 F; 26 Opp.
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House of Representatives, Senate, executive branch organized, Supreme Court is established
George Washington inaugurated in New York City
Pres. Washington signs first act of Congress
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Judiciary Act
Tariff Act of 1789
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1790
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1st census: U.S. population 3,929,214
Congress meets in Philadelphia, new temporary capital
Congress submits Bill of Rights to states for ratification
Supreme Court meets for the first time
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Copyright Act of 1790
Naturalization Act
Patent Act
Southwest Ordinance
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1791
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2d 1791–1793
Senate: 16 F; 13 DR
House: 37 F; 33 DR
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Bill of Rights ratified
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Bank of the United States
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1792
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U.S. Mint established through Coinage Act
New York Stock Exchange organized
Cornerstone to White House laid
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Coinage Act of 1792
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1793
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3d 1793–1795
Senate: 17 F; 13 DR
House: 57 DR; 48 F
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Cotton gin invented by Eli Whitney
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Anti-Injunction Act Fugitive Slave Act of 1793
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1794
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Excise tax on distilled liquor causes Whiskey Rebellion
Creation of U.S. Navy authorized by Congress
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1795
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4th 1795–1797
Senate: 19 F; 13 DR
House: 54 F; 52 DR
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Eleventh Amendment goes into effect (limits judicial powers)
First state university, University of North Carolina, opens
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1796
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Hylton v. United States is first Supreme Court case that upholds an act of Congress
George Washington's farewell address is published, but never delivered as speech
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1797
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John Adams: 1797–1801 (Federalist)
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5th 1797–1799
Senate: 20 F; 12 DR
House: 58 F; 48 DR
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Congress creates 80,000 member militia
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1798
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Undeclared war with France begins (conflict ends 1800)
Rebellion in Haiti ends slavery there; many white Haitians flee to U.S., increasing fears among whites of slave rebellion and French revolution
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Alien and Sedition Acts
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1799
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6th 1799–1801
Senate: 19 F; 13 DR
House: 64 F; 42 DR
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1800
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2d census: U.S. population 5,308,483
Library of Congress established
Site of government moves to Washington, DC
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1801
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Thomas Jefferson: 1801–1809 (Democratic-Republican)
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7th 1801–1803
Senate: 18 DR; 13 F
House: 69 DR; 36 F
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Judiciary Act of 1801
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1802
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1803
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8th 1803–1805
Senate: 25 DR; 9 F
House: 102 DR; 39 F
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Marbury v. Madison is first Supreme Court case that declares an act of Congress unconstitutional
Lewis and Clark expedition begins
Louisiana Purchase (U.S. purchased about 828,000 square miles between the Mississippi River and Rocky Mountains from France, for $15 million)
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1804
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Twelfth amendment ratified (separate ballots for president and vice president)
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1805
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9th 1805–1807
Senate: 27 DR; 7F
House: 116 DR; 25 F
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1806
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1807
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10th 1807–1809
Senate: 28 DR; 6 F
House: 118 DR; 24 F
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Steamboat (Robert Fulton's Clermont) completes round trip from New York to Albany in 62 hours, first practical steamboat trip
Importation of slaves into the U.S. prohibited
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Prohibition of the Slave Trade
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1808
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Anthracite coal first used as stove fuel in Pennsylvania
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1809
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James Madison: 1809–1817 (Democratic-Republican)
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11th 1809–1811
Senate: 28 DR; 6 F
House: 94 DR; 48 F
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Supreme Court case United States v. Peters affirms federal government power over states
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Nonintercourse Act
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1810
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3d census: U.S. population 7,239,881
Revolt against Spanish by southern expansionists results in the U.S. gaining territory in the south
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1811
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12th 1811–1813
Senate: 30 DR; 6 F
House: 108 DR; 36 F
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Non-intercourse policy against Great Britain renewed
Senate declines to renew charter of Bank of the United States
Construction of Cumberland Road begins (completed 1818; Cumberland, MD, to Wheeling, WV)
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1812
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First war-bond issue; first interest-bearing U.S. Treasury notes are authorized
War is declared on Great Britain (War of 1812, 1812-1814)
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1813
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13th 1813–1815
Senate: 27 DR; 9 F
House: 112 DR; 68 F
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Creek War with Indian nations in southern United States
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1814
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Peace treaty signed ending Creek War; Americans led to victory over Native Americans by Gen. Andrew Jackson
Treaty of Ghent (Belgium) signed ending war with Britain
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1815
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14th 1815–1817
Senate: 25 DR; 11 F
House: 117 DR; 65 F
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Treaties signed with Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli ending piracy on U.S. ships
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1816
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Second Bank of United States is created
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1817
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James Monroe: 1817–1825 (Democratic-Republican)
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15th 1817–1819
Senate: 34 DR; 10 F
House: 141 DR; 42 F
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First Seminole War begins; Andrew Jackson named as commander of U.S. forces
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1818
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Seminole War ends after American capture of St. Marks and Pensacola, FL
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1819
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16th 1819–1821
Senate: 35 DR; 7 F
House: 156 DR; 27 F
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Adams-Onis treaty signed with Spain; Spain cedes East Florida to U.S., ends claim on West Florida
Financial panic of 1819, economic recession begins
First American savings banks open and begin paying interest on deposits
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1820
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4th census: U.S. population 9,638,453
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Missouri Compromise
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1821
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17th 1821–1823
Senate: 44 DR; 4 F
House: 158 DR; 25 F
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Republic of Liberia founded by American Colonization Society as haven for freed African-American slaves
Sante Fe trail opened (Independence, MO, to Sante Fe, NM)
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1822
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Planned slave revolt in Charleston, SC, blocked
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1823
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18th 1823–1825
Senate: 44 DR; 4 F
House: 187 DR; 26 F
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In annual message to Congress, Pres. Monroe lays out what will become known as the Monroe Doctrine
Treaties signed with Osage and Kansa Indian nations that cede lands in present-day Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri to the U.S.
Great Britain abolishes slavery in its territories
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1824
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Supreme Court case Gibbons v. Ogden upholds Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce
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1825
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John Quincy Adams: 1825-1829 (Democratic-Republican)
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19th 1825–1827
Senate: 26 A; 20 J
House: 105 A; 97 J
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Erie canal opens between Buffalo, NY, and New York City
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1826
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John Stevens demonstrates use of first steam locomotive in Hoboken, NJ
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1827
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20th 1827–1829
Senate: 28 J; 20 A
House: 119 J; 94 A
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Mechanics Union of Trades Association, first central labor union, is created in Philadelphia
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1828
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Treaty signed by United States and Mexico establishes Sabine River as common boundary
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1829
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Andrew Jackson: 1829–1837 (Democratic)
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21st 1829–1831
Senate: 26 D; 22 NR
House: 139 D; 74 NR
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1830
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5th census: U.S. population 12,860,702
Various Native American tribes sign treaties ceding western lands of present-day Iowa, Missouri, and Minnesota
Mexico prohibits further settlement of Texas by Americans
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad begins operation (first U.S. passenger railroad)
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Indian Removal Act
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1831
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22d 1831–1833
Senate: 25 D; 21 NR; 2 O
House: 141 D; 58 NR; 14 O
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Nat Turner leads a slave rebellion in Virginia, is captured and executed along with 19 other blacks
First U.S. built locomotive goes into service
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1832
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Black Hawk War with Sac and Fox Indians; Creek nation cedes all its lands east of the Mississippi River to the United States; Seminoles cede lands in Florida
Virginia legislature considers, but rejects, gradual termination of slavery
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1833
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23d 1833–1835
Senate: 20 D; 20 NR; 8 O
House: 147 D; 53 AM; 60 O
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Oberlin College (Ohio) is first college in U.S. to adopt coeducation
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1834
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1835
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24th 1835–1837
Senate: 27 D; 25 W
House: 145 D; 98 W
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Texas declares independence from Mexico; Mexico establishes military state in Texas
Second Seminole War begins in response to attempts to remove Seminoles by force
Cherokee nation cedes lands east of the Mississippi River
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1836
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Siege of the Alamo in San Antonio, TX, by Mexicans; entire garrison killed
Mexican general Santa Anna captured at Battle of San Jacinto; Sam Houston installed as president of Republic of Texas
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1837
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Martin Van Buren: 1837–1841 (Democratic)
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25th 1837–1839
Senate: 30 D; 18 W; 4 O
House: 108 D; 107 W; 24 O
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Financial panic of 1837 leads to economic depression that lasts until 1842
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1838
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Underground railroad becomes force in assisting slaves to reach the North and Canada
Forced removal of Cherokee Indians from their native land in Georgia to Oklahoma begins (Trail of Tears)
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1839
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26th 1839–1841
Senate: 28 D; 22 W
House: 124 D; 118 W
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1840
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6th census: U.S. population 17,063,353
Great National Pike completed (Cumberland, MD, to Vandalia, IL; formerly known as the Cumberland Road)
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1841
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William Henry Harrison: 1841 (Whig)
John Tyler: 1841-1845 (Whig)
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27th 1841–1843
Senate: 28 W; 22 D; 2 O
House: 133 W; 102 D; 6 O
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First wagon train leaves for California from Independence, MO (47 people)
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Bankruptcy Act of 1841
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1842
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Dorr's Rebellion in Rhode Island (demanded new state constitution guaranteeing equal voting rights)
Settlement of Oregon begins via Oregon Trail
Webster-Ashburton Treaty fixes northern border of U.S. in Maine and Minnesota
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1843
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28th 1843–1845
Senate: 28 W; 25 D; 1 O
House: 142 D; 79 W; 1 O
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1844
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Treaty of Wanghia signed with China; opens five Chinese ports to American commerce
Commercial telegraph service begins
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1845
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James K. Polk: 1845–1849 (Democratic)
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29th 1845–1847
Senate: 31 D; 25 W
House: 143 D; 77 W; 6 O
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Texas annexed by U.S.; Mexico breaks off relations with U.S.
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1846
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Mexican-American War begins (1846-1848)
Treaty with Great Britain setting northern boundary of Oregon Territory at 49th parallel
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1847
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30th 1847–1849
Senate: 36 D; 21 W; 1 O
House: 115 W; 108 D; 4 O
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Establishment of new government in California begins after treaty ends Mexican-American War hostilities there
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1848
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Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo ends Mexican-American War
California gold rush begins
First women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, NY
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1849
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Zachary Taylor: 1849–1850 (Whig)
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31st 1849–1851
Senate: 35 D; 25 W; 2 O
House: 112 D; 109 W; 9 O
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Mormons establish state of Deseret after migration to Utah from Illinois (1846); Deseret becomes Territory of Utah in 1850
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1850
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Millard Fillmore: 1850–1853 (Whig)
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7th census: U.S. population 23,191,876
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Compromise of 1850 Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
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1851
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32d 1851–1853
Senate: 35 D; 24 W; 3 O
House: 140 D; 88 W; 5 O
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1852
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Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes Uncle Tom's Cabin
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1853
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Franklin Pierce: 1853–1857 (Democratic)
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33d 1853–1855
Senate: 38 D; 22 W; 2 O
House: 159 D; 71 W; 4 O
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Commodore Matthew Perry arrives in Japan to deliver letter from the president, who wants to open trade
Gadsden Purchase (southern areas of present-day Arizona and New Mexico)
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1854
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Treaty of Kanagawa opens Japanese ports to the U.S.
Large-scale immigration of Chinese begins
First American oil company incorporated (Pennsylvania Rock Oil Co.)
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Kansas Nebraska Act
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1855
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34th 1855–1857
Senate: 40 D; 15 R; 5 O
House: 108 R; 83 D; 43 O
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U.S. Court of Claims established
Congress authorizes construction of telegraph line from Mississippi River to Pacific Ocean
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1856
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Violence in Kansas breaks out between pro- and anti-slavery factions over question of slavery; federal troops keep temporary peace
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1857
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James Buchanan: 1857–1861 (Democratic)
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35th 1857–1859
Senate: 36 D; 20 R; 8 O
House: 118 D; 92 R; 26 O
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Dred Scott case decided by Supreme Court (decision says Scott is not a citizen, therefore cannot sue in federal court; his residence in a free state does not make him free; Missouri Compromise is unconstitutional)
Financial panic results from speculation in railroad securities and real estate
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1858
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1859
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36th 1859–1861
Senate: 36 D; 26 R; 4 O
House: 114 R; 92 D; 31 O
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Kansas approves constitution making it a free state
Harper's Ferry incident (abolitionist John Brown and 21 other men seize a U.S. Armory, are captured, Brown is hanged)
First trip of a Pullman sleeping car on a railroad is completed
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1860
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8th census: U.S. population 31,443,321
South Carolina is first state to secede from Union
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1861
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Abraham Lincoln: 1861–1865 (Republican)
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37th 1861–1863
Senate: 31 R; 10 D; 8 O
House: 105 R; 43 D; 30 O
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Confederate government created; Jefferson Davis elected president of the Confederacy
Civil War begins (1861-1865)
First transcontinental telegraph line is completed
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Civil War Pensions
First Confiscation Act
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1862
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Homestead Act
Militia Act
Morrill Land Grant Act
Second Confiscation Act
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1863
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38th 1863–1865
Senate: 36 R; 9 D; 5 O
House: 102 R; 75 D; 9 O
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Pres. Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation
Draft riots in New York City, about 1000 killed, some blacks lynched
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Enrollment Act (Conscription Act)
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1864
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J. P. Morgan & Co. established
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National Bank Act
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1865
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Andrew Johnson: 1865–1869 (Democratic)
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39th 1865–1867
Senate: 42 U; 10 D
House: 149 U; 42 D
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Gen. Robert E. Lee surrenders to Gen. U. S. Grant at Appomattox Court House
Pres. Abraham Lincoln assassinated in Ford's Theater, Washington, DC
Thirteenth Amendment is ratified (abolished slavery)
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Freedmen's Bureau Act
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1866
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Reconstruction of the South begins
Ku Klux Klan founded
Fourteenth Amendment enacted by Congress (guarantees that no person is to be denied life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness by a state without due process of law)
First refrigerated rail car built
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Civil Rights Act of 1866
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1867
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40th 1867–1869
Senate: 42 R; 11 D
House: 143 R; 49 D
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U.S. purchases Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million
National Grange is formed to protect farmer's interests
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Reconstruction Acts (1867–1868)
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1868
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House of Representatives votes to impeach Andrew Johnson for violating the Tenure of Office Act after he tries to remove the secretary of war from office; Senate one vote short of two-thirds required for conviction
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1869
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Ulysses S. Grant: 1869–1877 (Republican)
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41st 1869–1871
Senate: 56 R; 11 D
House: 149 R; 63 D
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Congress enacts Fifteenth Amendment (makes it illegal to deprive a citizen of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude)
National Woman Suffrage Association organized
Freedmen's Bureau goes out of operation
First transcontinental railroad completed with the joining of Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads at Promontory, UT
Knights of Labor (national labor union) formed
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1870
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9th census: U.S. population 38,558,371
Justice Department is created
Standard Oil Co. is incorporated
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1871
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42d 1871–1873
Senate: 52 R; 17 D 5 O
House: 134 R; 104 D; 5 O
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The Tweed Ring in New York City (led by Boss William Tweed of Tammany Hall) is broken up
Race riots against Chinese in Los Angeles; 15 lynched
Disastrous fire in Chicago destroys over 17,000 buildings, leaves 100,000 homeless
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Ku Klux Klan Act
Force Act
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1872
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Mail Fraud Statute
Yellowstone National Park Act
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1873
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43d 1873–1875
Senate: 49 R; 19 D; 5 O
House: 194 R; 92 D; 14 O
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U.S. monetary policy shifts from bimetallic standard to gold standard
Financial panic of 1873 results in New York Stock Exchange closing for ten days, substantial unemployment, and drastic fall in security prices
Bethlehem Steel Co. begins operating
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Coinage Act
Comstock Act
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1874
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1875
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44th 1875–1877
Senate: 45 R; 29 D; 2 O
House: 169 D; 109 R; 14 O
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Civil Rights Act of 1875
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1876
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Battle of Little Bighorn in Montana; Col. George Custer and 266 are surrounded and killed in "Custer's last stand"
Alexander Graham Bell receives patent for telephone, makes first telephone call
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1877
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Rutherford B. Hayes: 1877–1881 (Republican)
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45th 1877–1879
Senate: 39 R; 36 D; 1 O
House: 153 D; 140 R
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Federal troops withdraw from South in return for allowing Rutherford B. Hayes to become president in disputed election (Compromise of 1877)
Strike on Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in protest of wage cuts leads to strikes on other railroads; 100,000 workers eventually involved
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1878
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First commercial telephone exchange opened, New Haven, CT
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Bland-Allison Act
Posse Comitatus Act
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1879
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46th 1879–1881
Senate: 42 D; 33 R; 1 O
House: 149 D; 130 R; 14 O
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First Woolworth five-and-dime store opens
Incandescent electric lamp invented by Thomas Edison
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1880
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10th census: U.S. population 50,155,783
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1881
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James A. Garfield: 1881 (Republican)
Chester A. Arthur: 1881-1885 (Republican)
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47th 1881–1883
Senate: 37 R; 37 D; 1 O
House: 147 R; 135 D; 11 O
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Pres. Garfield shot and killed in Washington, DC, by disappointed office seeker
Sitting Bull and Sioux surrender to U.S. Army
Southern Pacific Railroad completed (New Orleans to Pacific)
Tuskegee Institute founded by Booker T. Washington
Western Union Telegraph Co. formed
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1882
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First trust formed by Standard Oil Co.
Severe strikes in iron and steel industry
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Chinese Exclusion Act
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1883
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48th 1883–1885
Senate: 38 R; 36 D; 2 O
House: 197 D; 118 R; 10 O
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Brooklyn Bridge in New York City completed
Northern Pacific Railroad completed
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Civil Services Act (Pendleton Act)
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1884
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Statue of Liberty presented to U.S. by France (arrives in U.S. 1885, dedicated 1886)
First tall building to use steel beams is erected (Home Insurance Building, Chicago)
First large-scale electric street car system established in Richmond, VA
First long-distance telephone service established between New York and Boston
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1885
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Grover Cleveland: 1885–1889 (Democratic)
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49th 1885–1887
Senate: 43 R; 34 D
House: 183 D; 140 R; 2 O
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1886
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Apache Indians (Southwest) surrender to U.S.
Haymarket Massacre in Chicago
American Federation of Labor (AFL) organized by 25 labor groups
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1887
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50th 1887–1889
Senate: 39 R; 37 D
House: 169 D; 152 R; 4 O
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Free mail delivery begins in cities of 10,000 or more
The Interstate Commerce Commission, first U.S. regulatory commission, is created to regulate railroads
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Indian General Allotment Act (Dawes Act)
Interstate Commerce Act
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1888
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Department of Labor established
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1889
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Benjamin Harrison: 1889–1893 (Republican)
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51st 1889–1891
Senate: 39 R; 37 D
House: 166 R; 159 D
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Carnegie Steel Co. organized by Andrew Carnegie
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1890
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11th census: U.S. population 62,979,766
Sioux Indians are defeated at Wounded Knee; last major battle of Indian wars
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Sherman Antitrust Act
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1891
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52d 1891–1893
Senate: 47 R; 39 D; 2 O
House: 235 D; 88 R; 9 O
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Immigration and Naturalization Service is established
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1892
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Ellis Island opens as an immigration receiving station
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1893
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Grover Cleveland:1893–1897 (Democratic)
|
53d 1893–1895
Senate: 44 D; 38 R; 3 O
House: 218 D; 127 R; 11 O
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Free mail delivery extended to rural communities
Stock market crash, financial panic of 1893 begins, 491 banks and 15,000 commercial institutions fail; economy in severe depression until 1897
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1894
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American Railway Union strikes at Pullman plant in Chicago; federal injunction breaks strike
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1894 Income Tax and the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act
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1895
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54th 1895–1897
Senate: 43 R; 39 D; 6 O
House: 244 R; 105 D; 7 O
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Internal combustion engine patented; first automobile company started
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1896
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Supreme Court upholds Louisiana law calling for "separate but equal" accommodations on public transportation in Plessy v. Ferguson
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1897
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William McKinley: 1897–1901 (Republican)
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55th 1897–1899
Senate: 47 R; 34 D; 7 O
House: 204 R; 113 D; 40 O
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Thomas Edison patents a movie camera
First section of a U.S. subway opens, in Boston
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1898
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Spanish-American War begins and ends; Spain cedes Puerto Rico, Philippines, and Guam to U.S. and relinquishes all claims to Cuba
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1899
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56th 1899–1901
Senate: 53 R; 26 D; 8 O
House: 197 R; 151 D; 9 O
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Filipino nationalists revolt against U.S.
First Hague Conference held; 26 nations participate
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1900
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12th census: U.S. population 76,212,168
U.S. announces Open Door Policy in China (opens Chinese markets to all nations)
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Gold Standard Act
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1901
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Theodore Roosevelt: 1901–1909 (Republican)
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57th 1901–1903
Senate: 55 R; 31 D; 4 O
House: 197 R; 151 D; 9 O
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Pres. McKinley assassinated in Buffalo, NY, by an anarchist
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1902
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Pres. Roosevelt asks attorney general to bring first antitrust suit to dissolve a railroad holding company
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National Reclamation Act
Panama Canal Purchase Act
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1903
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58th 1903–1905
Senate: 57 R; 33 D
House: 208 R; 178 D
|
Hay-Herran Treaty with Colombia provides for 100-year lease of 10-mile-wide strip across isthmus of Panama for canal
Wright brothers demonstrate first motor-driven airplane
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1904
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Muckraker Ida Tarbell publishes The History of the Standard Oil Company
First section of New York City subway opens
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1905
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59th 1905–1907
Senate: 57 R; 33 D
House: 250 R; 136 D
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1906
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Upton Sinclair publishes The Jungle, muckraking account of the meat-packing industry
Dow Jones Industrial Average closes over 100 for the first time
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Antiquities Act
Pure Food and Drug Act
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1907
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60th 1907–1909
Senate: 61 R; 31 D
House: 222 R; 164 D
|
Food and Drug Administration begins operation
Financial panic of 1907
Indiana passes world's first compulsory sterilization law for "all confirmed criminals, idiots, rapists, and imbeciles" held in state institutions; 32 states eventually adopt such laws
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1908
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Bureau of Investigation formed (later to become FBI)
Model T automobile introduced by Henry Ford, sells for $850
|
Federal Employers' Liability Act
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1909
|
William Howard Taft:1909-1913 (Republican)
|
61st 1909–1911
Senate: 61 R; 32 D
House: 219 R; 172 D
|
Congress passes Sixteenth Amendment (allows federal income tax; ratified 1913)
NAACP created
|
Corporate Income Tax Act
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1910
|
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13th Census: U.S. population 92,228,496
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Mann Act
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1911
|
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62d 1911–1913
Senate: 51 R; 41 D
House: 228 D; 161 R; 1 O
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Supreme Court orders dissolution of Standard Oil Co. as a monopoly; same goes for the American Tobacco Co. and the DuPont Co.
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1912
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1913
|
Woodrow Wilson: 1913–1921 (Democratic)
|
63d 1913–1915
Senate: 51 D; 44 R; 1 O
House: 291 D; 127 R; 17 O
|
Seventeenth Amendment ratified (calls for popular election of senators)
First drive-in gasoline station opens in Pittsburgh, PA
Ford Motor Co. introduces conveyor-belt assembly-line production of cars
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Federal Income Tax Act of 1913
Federal Reserve Act
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1914
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|
War breaks out in Europe; Woodrow Wilson issues neutrality proclamation
Federal Trade Commission established
Commercial traffic begins on Panama Canal
Margaret Sanger launches The Woman Rebel, feminist magazine dedicated to birth control; is indicted for "inciting violence and promoting obscenity" (goes on to found first family planning clinic, 1916; American Birth Control League, precursor to planned parenthood, 1921)
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Clayton Act
Federal Trade Commission Act
Narcotics Act
|
|
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1915
|
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64th 1915–1917
Senate: 56 D; 40 R
House: 230 D; 196 R; 9 O
|
First transcontinental telephone call
Film Birth of a Nation debuts and increases support for the new Ku Klux Klan
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1916
|
|
Congress votes to increase size of army; authorizes 450,000 person national guard
U.S. buys Danish West Indies
In first half of year, nearly 2,100 strikes and lockouts occur
First woman elected to House of Representatives (Jeanette Rankin, R-MT)
|
Keating-Owen Act
National Park Service Act
|
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1917
|
65th 1917–1919
Senate: 53 D; 42 R
House: 216 D; 210 R; 6 O
|
U.S. declares war on Germany and on Austria-Hungary; first U.S. troops arrive in Europe
Puerto Rico becomes U.S. territory
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Espionage Act
Selective Service Act
Trading With the Enemy Act
Vocational Education Act
|
|
1918
|
|
Woodrow Wilson outlines "Fourteen Points" for a peace program
Armistice signed with Germany and Austria-Hungary
Regular airmail service established (between Washington, DC, and New York City)
Influenza epidemic kills around 20 million people worldwide; 548,000 die in U.S.
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Sedition Act
|
|
1919
|
66th 1919–1921
Senate: 49 R; 47 D
House: 240 R; 190 D; 3 O
|
Treaty of Versailles signed by Germany and Allies (excluding Russia)
In Schenck v. United States, Supreme Court finds that free speech can be restricted in wartime, upholding Espionage and Sedition Acts
Riots in Chicago, Washington, and many other cities
|
National Prohibition Act
|
|
1920
|
|
14th Census: U.S. population 106,021,537
Eighteenth Amendment goes into effect (Prohibition)
Nineteenth Amendment goes into effect (women's suffrage)
American Civil Liberties Union founded
First commercial radio broadcasts
|
Merchant Marine Act
Mineral Leasing Act
|
|
YEAR
|
PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
|
|
1921
|
Warren G. Harding: 1921–1923 (Republican)
|
67th 1921–1923
Senate: 59 R; 37 D
House: 301 R; 131 D; 1 O
|
Congress limits the number of immigrants from each country to 3 percent of the number of that foreign-born nationality living in U.S.
First state sales tax levied (West Virginia)
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|
1922
|
|
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1923
|
Calvin Coolidge: 1923–1929 (Republican)
|
68th 1923–1925
Senate: 51 R; 43 D; 2 O
House: 225 R; 205 D; 5 O
|
Pres. Harding dies in San Francisco during return trip from Alaska
First transcontinental nonstop plane flight
First sound-on-film motion picture (Phonofilm) shown in New York City
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1924
|
|
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Regular transcontinental air service begins
Annual immigration quota reduced to 2 percent of number of that foreign-born nationality living in U.S.
Congress passes law making all Indians U.S. citizens
First woman elected state governor (Nellie Tayloe Ross, D-WY)
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Bonus Bill (Adjusted Compensation Act)
|
|
1925
|
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69th 1925–1927
Senate: 56 R; 39 D; 1 O
House: 247 R; 183 D; 4 O
|
National Aircraft Board created to investigate government's role in aviation
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|
|
1926
|
|
|
First liquid-fuel rocket demonstrated by Robert H. Goddard, Auburn, MA
|
|
|
1927
|
|
70th 1927–1929
Senate: 49 R; 46 D; 1 O
House: 237 R; 195 D; 3 O
|
Charles Lindbergh makes first New York-Paris nonstop flight
|
|
|
1928
|
|
|
|
|
|
1929
|
Herbert Hoover: 1929–1933 (Republican)
|
71st 1929–1931
Senate: 56 R; 39 D; 1 O
House: 267 R; 167 D;1 O
|
Teapot Dome scandal (former secretary of state is found guilty of leasing government land for bribes)
Stock market crash sets off Great Depression (1929-1939)
|
Migratory Bird Conservation Act
|
|
1930
|
|
|
15th census: U.S. population 123,202,624
Bank of the United States in New York closes; over 2,100 banks close between late 1929 and end of 1930
|
Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act
|
|
YEAR
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PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
|
|
1931
|
|
72d 1931–1933
Senate: 48 R; 47 D; 1 O
House: 220 R; 214 D; 1 O
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1932
|
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Bonus March on Washington, DC (WWI veterans demand early payment of their bonus)
First woman elected to U.S. Senate (Hattie W. Caraway, D-AR)
|
Federal Home Loan Bank Act
Norris-LaGuardia Act
|
|
1933
|
Franklin D. Roosevelt: 1933–1945 (Democratic)
|
73d 1933–1935
Senate: 60 D; 35 R; 1 O
House: 310 D; 117 R; 5 O
|
An estimated 25 percent of the workforce is unemployed
First 100 days of Roosevelt administration marked by passage of much New Deal social and economic legislation
U.S. officially goes off gold standard
Congress passes legislation providing for independence of the Philippine Islands after 12 years
U.S. recognizes U.S.S.R.
Twentieth Amendment ratified (moves presidential inauguration and beginning of congressional term to January; were previously in March)
Twenty-first Amendment goes into effect (repeals Eighteenth Amendment)
|
Agricultural Adjustment Act
Farm Credit Act
Federal Deposit Insurance Act
Glass-Steagall Act
National Industrial Recovery Act
Securities Act of 1933
Tennessee Valley Authority Act
|
|
1934
|
|
|
Dust storms in Midwest blow thousands of tons of topsoil away (Dust Bowl)
Longshoremen strike in San Francisco leads to first general strike in the U.S.
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Communications Act
Gold Reserve Act
Indian Reorganization Act
Securities Exchange Act
|
|
1935
|
|
74th 1935–1937
Senate: 69 D; 25 R; 2 O
House: 319 D; 103 R; 10 O
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George H. Gallup founds Institute of Public Opinion, which holds Gallup polls
First U.S. Savings Bonds issued
Committee of Industrial Organization, precursor to Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), created
|
Aid to Dependent Children
Motor Carrier Act
National Labor Relations Act
Neutrality Acts (1935-1939)
Public Utility Holding Company Act
Social Security Act
Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act
|
|
1936
|
|
|
|
Commodity Exchange Act
Rural Electrification Act
Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act
|
|
YEAR
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PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
|
|
1937
|
|
75th 1937–1939
Senate: 76 D; 16 R; 4 O
House: 331 D; 89 R; 13 O
|
First African-American federal judge (William H. Hastie)
Pres. Roosevelt's plan to increase number of Supreme Court justices from 9 to 16 is defeated
|
United States Housing Act
|
|
1938
|
|
|
House Committee on Un-American Activities created to investigate subversive activities
Federal minimum wage established
|
Civil Aeronautics Act
Fair Labor Standards Act
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
Natural Gas Act
|
|
1939
|
|
76th 1939–1941
Senate: 69 D; 23 R; 4 O
House: 261 D; 164 R; 4 O
|
U.S. declares neutrality in World War II
Scientists, including Albert Einstein, warn Pres. Roosevelt of possibility of atomic bomb
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Federal Unemployment Tax Act
Hatch Act
|
|
1940
|
|
|
16th census: U.S. population 132,164,569
Congress approves first peacetime draft
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|
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1941
|
|
77th 1941–1943
Senate: 66 D; 28 R; 2 O
House: 268 D; 162 R; 5 O
|
First commercial television license issued to NBC
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
U.S. enters World War II
|
Lend-Lease Act
Public Debt Act
|
|
1942
|
|
|
Manhattan Project organized for production of atomic bomb
10,000 Japanese-Americans on West Coast are relocated to camps in the interior
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|
|
1943
|
|
78th 1943–1945
Senate: 58 D; 37 R; 1 O
House: 218 D; 208 R; 4 O
|
Building of Pentagon (to house Department of Defense) completed
|
|
|
1944
|
|
|
Conference at Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, DC, lays groundwork for United Nations
First large scale digital computer completed by IBM, given to Harvard University
|
Veterans' Preference Act
|
|
YEAR
|
PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
|
|
1945
|
Harry S. Truman: 1945–1953 (Democratic)
|
79th 1945–1947
Senate: 56 D; 38 R; 1 O
House: 242 D; 190 R; 2 O
|
Pres. Roosevelt dies suddenly while on vacation
First atomic bomb detonated successfully in New Mexico
Germany agrees to unconditional surrender; German occupational zones established
Pres. Truman orders dropping of two atomic bombs on Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Japan quickly surrenders; U.S. begins occupation
United Nations is formed as representatives of 50 nations meet in San Francisco
Nuremberg War Crimes Trials begin
Lend-Lease program ends
|
Export-Import Bank Act
United Nations Participation Act
|
|
1946
|
|
|
U.S. gives Philippine Islands independence
U.N. General Assembly holds first session
World Bank organizes
|
Administrative Procedure Act
Atomic Energy Act
Employment Act of 1946
Farmers Home Administration Act
Federal Tort Claims Act
Foreign Service Act
Hill-Burton Act
Hobbs Anti-Racketeering Act
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act
|
|
1947
|
|
80th 1947–1949
Senate: 51 R; 45 D
House: 245 R; 188 D; 1 O
|
The president pledges aid to Greece and Turkey (to prevent the spread of communism), known as the "Truman Doctrine"
U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force combined into Defense Department; Joint Chiefs of Staff and National Security Council created (National Security Act)
|
National Security Act
Taft-Hartley Act
|
|
1948
|
|
|
U.S.S.R. blockades Allied sectors of Berlin; U.S. and British airlift food and coal into city (blockade ends in 1949)
Universal Declaration on Human Rights adopted by U.N. General Assembly
Israel declared an independent state
Executive order issued by Pres. Truman outlawing racial segregation in armed forces
Organization of American States formed by 21 Western Hemisphere nations
|
Economic Cooperation Act (Marshall Plan)
United States Information and Educational Exchange Act
Federal Water Pollution Control Act
|
|
YEAR
|
PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
|
|
1949
|
|
81st 1949–1951
Senate: 54 D; 42 R
House: 263 D; 171 R; 1 O
|
North Atlantic Treaty signed; NATO created
|
Central Intelligence Agency Act
|
|
1950
|
|
|
17th census: U.S. population 151,325,798
Korean War begins when North Korea invades South Korea; U.S. leads U.N. troops
Thirty-five military advisers, along with arms and supplies, sent to South Vietnam to aid anti-Communist government
Army seizes railroads to prevent general strike (ordered by Pres. Truman)
|
Federal Civil Defense Act
|
|
1951
|
|
82d 1951–1953
Senate: 49 D; 47 R
House: 234 D; 199 R; 1 O
|
Twenty-second Amendment ratified (sets a maximum of two terms for the presidency)
Credit card is introduced by Franklin National Bank of New York
|
Mutual Security Act
|
|
1952
|
|
|
First hydrogen bomb tested
Pres. Truman orders seizure of steel mills to prevent strike; Supreme Court rules seizure is unconstitutional
Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man published
|
Immigration and Nationality Act
|
|
1953
|
Dwight D. Eisenhower: 1953–1961 (Republican)
|
83d 1953–1955
Senate: 48 R; 47 D; 1 O
House: 221 R; 211 D; 1 O
|
Armistice signed in Korea
|
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
Small Business Act
|
|
1954
|
|
|
Supreme Court rules that racial segregation in public schools violates the Fourteenth Amendment (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas)
Senator Joseph McCarthy conducts televised hearings concerning Communists in the U.S. government and Democratic Party
Southeast Treaty Organization created
First atomic-powered submarine is launched
|
Communist Control Act
Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act
Internal Revenue Act of 1954
|
|
YEAR
|
PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
|
|
1955
|
|
84th 1955–1957
Senate: 48 D; 47 R; 1 O
House: 232 D; 203 r
|
American occupation of Germany ends
U.S. agrees to help train South Vietnamese Army
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, AL; this leads to a boycott of buses and to Supreme Court decision that outlaws segregation in public transportation
AFL and CIO, two largest labor organizations in U.S., merge
McDonald's fast-food chain founded
|
National Housing Act (Capehart Act)
|
|
1956
|
|
|
Commercial telephone service over transatlantic cable begins
Minimum wage raised to __BODY__ per hour
Dow Jones Industrial Average closes over 500 for the first time
|
Highway Act of 1956
|
|
1957
|
|
85th 1957–1959
Senate: 49 D; 47 R
House: 233 D; 200 R
|
Southern Christian Leadership Conference founded, Martin Luther King, Jr., president
|
Civil Rights Act of 1957
|
|
1958
|
|
|
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) created
|
Federal Aviation Act
National Aeronautics and Space Act
|
|
1959
|
|
86th 1959–1961
Senate: 64 D; 34 R
House: 283 D; 153 R
|
Nikita Khrushchev, Soviet premier, visits U.S.
|
|
|
1960
|
|
|
18th Census: U.S. population 179,323,175
Russia announces it shot down an American U-2 spy plane; President Eisenhower says he authorized the flight
Sit-ins begin when 4 black college students refuse to move from a Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, NC
Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee established
|
|
|
YEAR
|
PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
|
|
1961
|
John F. Kennedy: 1961–1963 (Democratic)
|
87th 1961–1963
Senate: 65 D; 35 R
House: 263 D; 174 R
|
Bay of Pigs invasion by Cuban exiles is crushed
Peace Corps created by executive order; legislation follows
Twenty-third Amendment ratified (allows residents of District of Columbia to vote for president)
Minimum wage raised to __BODY__.25 per hour
|
Arms Control and Disarmament Act
Foreign Assistance Act
Peace Corps Act
|
|
1962
|
|
|
Cuban missile crisis (Soviet missile buildup in Cuba)
Cesar Chavez organizes National Farm Workers Association
John Glenn becomes first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth
|
Bribery Act
|
|
1963
|
Lyndon B. Johnson: 1963–1969 (Democratic)
|
88th 1963–1965
Senate: 67 D; 33 R
House: 258 D; 177 R
|
Pres. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, TX
Dr. Martin Luther King gives "I have a dream" speech during March on Washington for equal rights, Washington, DC
Ninety-nine nations, including U.S., U.S.S.R., and Great Britain agree to limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
|
Clean Air Act
Equal Pay Act
|
|
1964
|
|
|
Pres. Johnson announces air attacks on Vietnam; Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by Congress gives the president broad authority for military action in Vietnam
Three civil rights workers murdered in Philadelphia, MS; 21 white men arrested, 7 convicted of conspiracy in killings
Twenty-fourth Amendment ratified (bars poll tax in federal elections)
|
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Economic Opportunity Act
Food Stamp Act
Urban Mass Transportation Act
|
|
YEAR
|
PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
|
|
1965
|
|
89th 1965–1967
Senate: 68 D; 32 R
House: 295 D; 140 R
|
First combat troops land in South Vietnam (125,000 total troops in Vietnam by year's end)
Malcolm X assassinated in New York City
Civil rights activists march 54 miles from Selma to Montgomery, AL
|
Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act
Higher Education Act
Highway Beautification Act
Housing and Urban Development Act
Medicaid Act
Medicare Act
National Emissions Standard Act
Solid Waste Disposal Act
Voting Rights Act
|
|
1966
|
|
|
More than 10,000 protest Vietnam War in front of White House
National Organization for Women (NOW) established
|
Freedom of Information Act
Highway Safety Act
National Historic Preservation Act
National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act
|
|
1967
|
|
90th 1967–1969
Senate: 64 D; 36 R
House: 246 D; 187 R
|
First African-American Supreme Court justice (Thurgood Marshall)
Blacks riot in Newark, NJ, and Detroit, MI
Twenty-fifth Amendment ratified (sets up presidential succession scheme)
|
Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Public Broadcasting Act
|
|
1968
|
|
|
Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy are assassinated
Lyndon B. Johnson announces that he will not seek reelection
|
Alcoholic and Narcotic Rehabilitation Act
Fair Housing Act
Gun Control Act
Indian Civil Rights Act
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act
|
|
1969
|
Richard M. Nixon: 1969–1974 (Republican)
|
91st 1969–1971
Senate: 57 D; 43 R
House: 245 D; 189 R
|
Peace talks to end Vietnam War begin; 250,000 protest war in Washington, DC
U.S. astronauts land on moon
|
Consumer Credit Protection Act
National Environmental Policy Act
Truth in Lending Act
|
|
1970
|
|
|
19th Census: U.S. population 203,302,031
Four students at Kent State College in Ohio are killed during an antiwar demonstration
First draft lottery since WWII is held
Intel introduces its first computer memory chip
|
Controlled Substances Act
Occupational Safety and Health Act
Organized Crime Control Act
Plant Variety Protection Act
Rail Passenger Service Act
|
|
YEAR
|
PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
|
|
1971
|
|
92d 1971–1973
Senate: 54 D; 44 R; 2 O
House: 254 D; 180 R
|
Pentagon Papers, classified documents on Vietnam War leaked to the press, published in newspapers
Amtrak begins operation
Twenty-sixth Amendment ratified (lowers voting age to 18)
|
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
Federal Election Campaign Act
|
|
1972
|
|
|
Pres. Nixon makes historic visits to China and U.S.S.R.
Peace talks on Vietnam War begin and then stall
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty I signed with U.S.S.R.
Five men are arrested for breaking into Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate building in Washington, DC, beginning a series of events that would lead to Richard Nixon's resignation
Dow Jones Industrial Average closes over 1,000 for the first time
|
Federal Advisory Committee Act
Marine Mammal Protection Act
Title IX, Education Amendments
|
|
1973
|
|
93d 1973–1975
Senate: 56 D; 42 R; 2 O
House: 239 D; 192 R; 1 O
|
Cease fire signed between U.S., South Vietnam, and North Vietnam
OPEC oil embargo (Arab countries ban oil exports to U.S. because of U.S. support to Israel in Arab-Israeli War)
In Roe v. Wade Supreme Court rules that a state cannot prevent a woman from having an abortion in the first six months of pregnancy
|
Domestic Volunteer Service Act (VISTA)
Endangered Species Act
War Powers Resolution
|
|
1974
|
Gerald R. Ford: 1974–1977 (Republican)
|
|
House of Representatives authorizes an impeachment investigation of Pres. Nixon, votes and approves three impeachment articles; Nixon resigns
Work begins on Alaskan oil pipeline
Minimum wage raised to $2.00 per hour
|
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act
Employee Retirement Income Security Act
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
Legal Services Corporation Act
Privacy Act
Safe Drinking Water Act
Trade Act of 1974
|
|
YEAR
|
PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
|
|
1975
|
|
94th 1975–1977
Senate: 61 D; 37 R; 2 O
House: 291 D; 144 R
|
Remaining U.S. military evacuated from Vietnam after the shelling of Saigon by Communist forces; South Vietnam surrenders unconditionally to the Viet Cong
U.S. military academies open to women
Minimum wage raised to $2.10 per hour
|
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Hazardous Materials Transportation Act
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1976
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Homestead Act of 1862 repealed for all states except Alaska
Apple I desktop computer introduced
Minimum wage raised to $2.30 per hour
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Copyright Act of 1976
Federal Land Policy and Management Act
Government in the Sunshine Act
National Forest Management Act
Toxic Substances Control Act
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1977
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James E. Carter: 1977–1981 (Democratic)
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95th 1977–1979
Senate: 61 D; 38 R; 1 O
House: 292 D; 143 R
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Agreement between U.S. and Canada for oil pipeline from Alaska to continental U.S.
Pres. Carter pardons most Vietnam War draft evaders
Microsoft corporation is formed
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Community Reinvestment Act
Department of Energy Organization Act
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
International Emergency Economic Powers Act
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
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1978
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Deregulation of the airline industry
Minimum wage raised to $2.65 per hour
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Bankruptcy Act of 1978
Civil Service Reform Act
Contract Disputes Act
Ethics in Government Act
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
National Energy Conservation Policy Act
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act
Pregnancy Discrimination Act
Whistleblower Protection Laws
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1979
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96th 1979–1981
Senate: 58 D; 41 R; 1 O
House: 276 D; 157 R
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Sixty-three U.S. citizens taken hostage when Iranian militants seize U.S. embassy in Tehran; black and women hostages released in just over two weeks
Nuclear accident (partial meltdown) at Three Mile Island, Middletown, PA
Minimum wage raised to $2.90 per hour
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1980
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20th Census: U.S. population 226,542,203
Military mission to rescue U.S. hostages in Iran fails
Residents are evacuated from homes in Love Canal, Niagara Falls, NY, a former toxic waste dump
Minimum wage raised to $3.10 per hour
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Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation Act
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act
Paperwork Reduction Act
Regulatory Flexibility Act
Staggers Rail Act
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1981
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Ronald W. Reagan: 1981–1989 (Republican)
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97th 1981–1983
Senate: 53 R; 46 D; 1 O
House: 242 D; 189 R
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Iran releases remaining 52 U.S. hostages
First manned space shuttle (Columbia) launched into space
Nationwide strike by Professional Air Traffic Controllers Association; most controllers are fired
Sandra Day O'Connor becomes first woman Supreme Court justice
Minimum wage raised to $3.35 per hour
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1982
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Equal Rights Amendment to Constitution defeated (would assure equal rights regardless of sex)
Unemployment reaches 10.8 percent of the labor force, highest since 1940
U.S. and Soviet Union hold arms control talks in Geneva, Switzerland
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Nuclear Waste Policy Act
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1983
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98th 1983–1985
Senate: 54 R; 46 D
House: 268 D; 167 R
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Soviet Union shoots down a Korean Airlines plane, killing all 269 passengers, including 52 Americans
U.S. Embassy in Beirut is bombed, killing 17 U.S. citizens; a truck bomb kills 241 Americans at a U.S. Marine compound in Beirut
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1984
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Truck filled with explosives strikes U.S. Embassy annex in Beirut; U.S. Marines are withdrawn from Beirut
As a result of an antitrust settlement, AT&T gives up 22 local Bell System telephone companies
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Counterfeit Access Device and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Sentencing Reform Act
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
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CONGRESS
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US HISTORY
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LEGISLATION
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1985
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99th 1985–1987
Senate: 53 R; 47 D
House: 253 D; 182 R
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U.S. and Soviet Union hold arms control talks in Geneva
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Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act)
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1986
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Pres. Reagan signs secret order authorizing sale of arms to Iran; Lt. Col. Oliver North is dismissed when it is learned that some proceeds from the arms sales helped finance Nicaraguan Contras
Space shuttle Challenger explodes in air after liftoff, killing entire crew
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Anti-Drug Abuse Act
Electronic Communications Privacy Act
Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act
Immigration Reform and Control Act
Tax Reform Act
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1987
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100th 1987–1989
Senate: 55 D; 45 R
House: 258 D; 177 R
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Iran-Contra hearings in Congress last about three months
U.S. and U.S.S.R. sign treaty banning medium- and short-range missiles
Dow Jones Industrial Average closes over 2,000 for the first time
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Computer Security Act
McKinney-Vento Act
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1988
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Senate approves free trade agreement made with Canada (1987), all tariffs between the two countries will be eliminated by 1999
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Civil Liberties Act
Indian Gaming Regulatory Act
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1989
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George H. W. Bush: 1989–1993 (Republican)
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101st 1989–1991
Senate: 55 D; 45 R
House: 260 D; 175 R
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Oil tanker, Exxon Valdez, runs aground on a reef in Prince William Sound, off the coast of Alaska, creating largest oil spill in American history
Failing savings and loan industry receives $159 million bailout legislated by Congress
20,000 U.S. troops invade Panama, overthrow regime of Manuel Noriega
Minimum wage raised to $4.25 per hour
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Flag Protection Act
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1990
|
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21st census: U.S. population 249,632,692
U.N. forces begin air attacks on Iraq, after Iraq invades Kuwait
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Administrative Dispute Resolution Act
Americans with Disabilities Act
Negotiated Rulemaking Act
Oil Pollution Act
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YEAR
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PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
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|
1991
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|
102d 1991–1993
Senate: 56 D; 44 R
House: 267 D; 167 R; 1 O
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First Persian Gulf War begins and ends, freeing Kuwait from Iraqi occupation
U.S.S.R. is formally dissolved, effectively ending the Cold War
Dow Jones Industrial Average closes over 3,000 for the first time
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1992
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Representatives from Canada, Mexico, and U.S. approve draft agreement establishing free trade among the three nations in 15 years
Riots in south-central Los Angeles after a jury acquits four white police officers on charges of brutality against a black man, Rodney King
Twenty-seventh Amendment is ratified (legislated pay raises for congress don't take effect until a new Congress is convened)
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Weapons of Mass Destruction Control Act
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1993
|
William J. Clinton: 1993–2001 (Democratic)
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103d 1993–1995
Senate: 56 D; 44 R
House: 258 D; 176 R; 1 O
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Bomb explodes in parking garage beneath World Trade Center, killing 6 people
Twenty U.S. soldiers are killed in Mogadishu, Somalia, in an effort to protect food shipment and distribution to the population
Second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty signed with Russia
U.S. and 117 other countries agree to GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade), to be signed in 1995, will remove export barriers and tariffs on thousands of products
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Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act
Family and Medical Leave Act
NAFTA Implementation Act
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
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1994
|
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U.S. and North Korea sign agreement that allows for U.N. inspection of North Korea nuclear facilities
Republicans win control of Congress for the first time since 1952; Newt Gingrich to become Speaker of the House (1995-1999)
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Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act
Federal Blackmail Statute
Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act
Violence Against Women Act
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act
|
|
YEAR
|
PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
|
|
1995
|
|
104th 1995–1997
Senate: 52 R; 48 D
House: 230 R; 204 D; 1 O
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U.S. troops arrive in Balkans as part of U.N. force, mission is to halt years of fighting in Bosnia
Bombing of Oklahoma City Federal Building, killing 160 people
Dow Jones Industrial Average closes over 4,000 (Feb.) and 5,000 (Nov.) for the first time
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Lobbying Disclosure Act
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|
1996
|
|
|
Nineteen U.S. military personnel die, several hundred wounded, in bombing of military complex near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Minimum wage raised to $4.75 per hour
Dow Jones Industrial Average closes over 6,000 for the first time
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Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act
Communications Decency Act
Defense of Marriage Act
Food Quality Protection Act
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
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|
1997
|
|
105th 1997–1999
Senate: 55 R; 45 D
House: 226 R; 208 D; 1 O
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Settlement for $368.5 billion reached between four major tobacco companies and several state attorneys general (a $200 billion settlement with 46 states would happen in 1998)
Minimum wage raised to $5.15
Dow Jones Industrial Average closes over 7,000 (Feb.) and 8,000 (July) for the first time
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1998
|
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House of Representatives approves two articles of impeachment against Pres. Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice; he is accused of lying under oath about his relationship with a White House intern
Newt Gingrich steps down as Speaker of the House and leaves Congress amid ethics charges and poor results in the midterm congressional elections
Dow Jones Industrial Average closes over 9,000 for the first time
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Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
Taxpayer Bill of Rights III
|
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YEAR
|
PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
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|
1999
|
|
106th 1999–2001
Senate: 54 R; 46 D
House: 222 R; 208 D; 1 O
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Two students of Columbine High School in Littleton, CO, open fire and kill 12 students and a teacher, then commit suicide; at least 4 other school shootings occur during the year
Pres. Clinton impeached but not convicted; investigation led by independent council Kenneth Starr reveals much about Clinton's sexual indiscretions
Dow Jones Industrial Average closes over 10,000 (Mar.) and 11,000 (May) for the first time
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2000
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Disputed results in the presidential election, centering around election results and ballot irregularities in Florida, lead to a Supreme Court decision that does not allow a vote recount to proceed in that state; George W. Bush declared winner over Al Gore, who won the popular vote
U.S.S. Cole, an American ship, is bombed by terrorists while refueling in Yemen; 17 sailors killed, 39 injured in the blast
"Dot com" boom experienced throughout the late 1990s begins to go bust, starting with the bursting of the stock market "bubble" in March; 4 of the 10 greatest point losses on the Dow Jones Industrial Average occur this year (3 of the 10 greatest point increases occur as well)
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Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act
|
|
YEAR
|
PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
|
|
2001
|
George W. Bush: 2001–(Republican)
|
107th 2001–2003
Senate: 50 D; 49 R; 1 O
House: 222 R; 211 D; 1 O
|
On September 11, the U.S. comes under terrorist attack when two hijacked planes fly into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York, another plane flies into the Pentagon, and a fourth crashes in Pennsylvania
Letters containing Anthrax spores, sent to congressmen and journalists, contaminate the U.S. mail system
U.S. begins bombing of Afghanistan to oust the Taliban (Islamic fundamentalist party in power) and capture Osama Bin Laden (leader of Al-Qaeda, the group thought responsible for the September 11 attacks); Taliban removed from power, Bin Laden not captured
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No Child Left Behind Act
USA Patriot Act
|
|
2002
|
|
|
The Enron Corporation collapses as a scandal regarding the company's accounting practices emerges, its share prices plummet and the company declares bankruptcy; other similar corporate scandals follow
Bush administration begins to announce an aggressive policy toward Iraq, including the possibility of a "preemptive" strike with the aim of "regime change"; U.N. passes resolution sending weapons inspectors to Iraq; Congress passes resolution authorizing the president to use military force in Iraq
|
Born-Alive Infants Protection Act
Department of Homeland Security Act
|
|
YEAR
|
PRESIDENT
|
CONGRESS
|
US HISTORY
|
LEGISLATION
|
|
2003
|
|
108th 2003-2005
Senate: 51 R; 48 D; 1 O
House: 229 R; 205 D; 1 O
|
Although U.N. weapons inspectors are still at work, U.S., Britain, and allies declare that Iraq has not disarmed and is in violation of a U.N. resolution passed in November 2002; U.S. is unable to get U.N. approval for the use of force against Iraq because of international opposition; U.S. and a "coalition of the willing" attack Iraq without U.N. approval and win war easily; after Pres. Bush declares an end to major combat a guerilla war ensues; reconstruction of Iraq's infrastructure proves to be more costly than thought; as of five months after Bush's declaration of victory, banned weapons—the major rationale for the war—had not been found
Space shuttle Columbia breaks apart during reentry killing all seven crew members; independent investigation of accident lasts nearly seven months and concludes that flaws in NASA's management and culture were underlying causes of the disaster
In California, a petition gathers enough signatures to force a recall election for governor (incumbent is Gray Davis [D]); 135 candidates to appear on ballot, including actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)
Massive, rolling blackout across northern Midwest, Canada, and northeastern U.S. results in 50 million people losing power
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Timeline
©2004 by Macmillan Reference USA. Macmillan Reference USA is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc.
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