The turn of the century as the turn of the 18-20th century. This time was the time when many life-changing events happened. Important inventions were made that improved life then and now, immigrants immigrated to the U.S., businesses were blooming, cowboys, and much more The turn of the century was a crucial time in american history because of all of the events that took place.
Panama Canal
One of the important events that happened was the Panama Canal was built in 1904-1914. The Panama Canal was funded for by the 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt. It was used for ships that went through the Atlantic and Pacific that came to ship goods. The ships could cut through the Panama Canal and shorten the distance the ship had to go to reach their destination.
The Panama Canal was valuable because ships did not have to take such a long time to get to where they needed to go. It was also a cheaper alternative because the ships did not have to pay for as much gas nor would they need to buy as much supplies they needed for a long trip.
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver was a african american inventor, professor, and scientist that invented more than 100 inventions out of peanuts and sweet potatoes. He was born into slavery in Diamond, MO in 1864. Some of the inventions that he made were medicine, dye, plastics, flour, and fertilizer. He also taught farmers the benefits of crop rotation. George Washington Carver was also a professor at Tuskegee Institute. He developed and taught many ways to improve soil to his students. Tuskegee Institute was located in Alabama.
Ellis Island
Immigration was a crucial part of american history. Immigrants from Europe, Russia, Germany and other countries immigrated to America. Why those states went to Ellis Island and not the other immigration station in California, Angel Island is because Europe, Russia, Germany, Ireland etc. was closest to Ellis Island in NY.Ellis Island would approve the immigrants to stay or if they had to be sent back. Ellis Island is located in New York. Many Europeans nicknamed Ellis Island the Isle of Hope, it was nicknamed the Isle of hope because immigrants had hope that they could come to America and live a fuller life. Historians divided immigration into 3 different eras, the colonial period (1600-1776), the old immigration (1776-1890), and the new immigration (1890-1900). The Irish also immigrated to Ellis Island, they immigrated because of a disease caused in the soil of plants, this was called the great irish potato famine. This caused immigrants to come because many irish people were farmers and this caused their crops to be diseased so this would be devastating to their businesses. Many immigrants after they immigrated they did not return to where they came from; they would not see their family that they left behind nor would they see their former friends that they left behind. Ellis island closed their doors in 1954. Ellis island today is an immigration museum. More than 16 million people passed through it when it was opened in 1892.
Angel Island/ Chinese Immigration
Angel Island is located in the west coast in San Francisco Bay. Most people know of Ellis Island in the East Coast, Angel Island is like Ellis Island but it is in the west coast near asian countries. In 1910 Angel Island was used as an immigration station. People from Europe went to Ellis Island but most Asian immigrants went to Angel Island because Asia was closest to Angel Island and the other immigration station, Ellis Island was farther than Angel Island was to them.
Mostly immigrants from China came to the U.S. When immigrants came to Angel Island they had to wait weeks there, the immigrants also had to live there when they waited. The immigrants lived in what they thought felt like “jail”. Many years before people from China came to the U.S. they were given jobs that paid them very little money, but Americans thought that they were taking their jobs and this was unfair. So a law in 1882 was made, and only people from China had to follow it when they came to the U.S. The law made it so that the immigrants only visit the U.S., They couldn’t stay to live in the U.S. nor could they stay to work. They could only stay if they lived in the U.S. prior to when the law was made, but they still had to stay in Angel Island to prove it. Many of the Chinese people had to go back to China but many did not give up. This law did not stay forever though, it was repealed in 1940. Angel Island is no longer an immigration station, it is now a state park. Ferry Boats take people to the park; cars, roller skates, rollerblades and skateboards are not allowed in the park, but bikes are. Now more than two million Chinese immigrants are around the United States.
Wright Brothers/ Airplane Invention
Orville Wright was born in August 19, 1871 and Wilbur Wright was born in April 16, 1867 in Dayton, Ohio. These two brothers invented the first working airplane. The flight lasted almost a minute long. The flight took place in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The airplane they flew does not look like airplanes today.
The airplane they flew do not look as closed as the planes today. The Wright Brothers invention would be a very important invention in the future. It was the beginning of aviation. The invention is very practical today as it helps many people get across the world.
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was a scientist, engineer and an inventor. His inventions he was famous for was the telephone and the graphophone. The graphophone could record and playback sound like microphones. The graphophone improved the older invention the phonograph. The telephone is another invention that he made. The telephone helped businesses and people back then and they still do today. It helped by letting people talk even though they may not be close. The telephone is an improvement from the old invention, the telegraph. This was an improvement because the telephone you talk to another person on another line instead of using morse code and having to decipher the beeps into English.
The Transcontinental Railroad
The transcontinental railroad was an idea by a smart engineer, Ted Judah. He had this idea and wanted to build it, so he persuaded 4 businessmen to raise money for the railroad. When the railroad was being built at the peak of the railroad, 30,000 workers were building the railroad. There was a big challenge that was faced though when building the railroad. The railroad needed to be built on Indian Territory so the Indians were forced off their property for the exception of the the railroad. So the Indians were given new places to live near the west coast near Oklahoma and Arkansas.
The turn of the century is a very crucial step in American History. The events set up the world for what it is today.
~Sherman Ho