5 Important Days in American History by Kaylin Vidaurre 🌸

#1) Thomas Paine's Common Sense

7475_45_1 — 2024-05-20 12:27:19 UTC

On January 10th, 1776, a 47 page pamphlet called Common Sense was created by Thomas Paine, a political propagandist who swayed the minds of the American colonists for them to realize that they were being manipulated under colonial British control. This day is important since it was a turning point that changed the minds of the colonists, encouraging them to fight for their independence and leading up to the American Revolution. The creation of the pamphlet isn't well known or publicly acknowledged, separating it from more obvious dates.

Source: https://www.ushistory.org/us/10f.asp#:~:text=Common%20Sense%20was%20an%20instant,creation%20of%20a%20democratic%20republic.

#2) Indian Removal Act

7475_45_1 — 2024-05-20 13:44:42 UTC

On May 28th, 1830, the Indian Removal Act was signed by President Andrew Jackson. This allowed the president to forcefully push Indians from their territories and relocate them in newly granted land located west near the Mississippi River in exchange for their native homelands. This eventually led to what is known as the Trail of Tears, where thousands of Indian people had walked miles to get to what is now present-day Oklahoma. This day is important since it shifted the signal of change to what America would racially be made up of. The creation of lawful acts isn't as well known as the event of the Trail of Tears.

Source:

https://guides.loc.gov/indian-removal-act#:~:text=The%20Indian%20Removal%20Act%20was,many%20resisted%20the%20relocation%20policy.

#3) The Compromise of 1877

7475_45_1 — 2024-05-21 14:57:40 UTC

In 1877, the Compromise of 1877 was created to settle tensions from the presidential election of 1876 between the Southern democrats and Republican allies of President Rutherford Hayes. It also marked the end of the reconstruction era taking place in the South. While there was much outrage over the results and the outcomes it would bring, the Southern democrats were willing to meet with the Republican allies to conclude that Hayes being president would be accepted only if he fully removed military forces in the Confederate states, including a Democrat from the South in Hayes's cabinet, creating transportation methods, industrializing southern states, and achieving the rights of African Americans. This day is important as it reflects on the change of social structure in America as it joins together to form one nation rather than a divided one. This event isn't well known as other ones such as the Civil War overshadow it.

Source:

https://historyforkids.org/compromise-of-1877/#:~:text=The%20Compromise%20of%201877%20was%20an%20unwritten%20agreement%20whereby%20the,federal%20troops%20from%20the%20south.

#4) Sedition Act of 1918

7475_45_1 — 2024-05-22 02:53:16 UTC

On May 16th, 1918, the Sedition Act of 1918 was published. This act made it illegal to say anything offensive or abusive about the U.S. government, the Constitution, the military, or the flag during World War I. It aimed to prevent any criticism or dissent that could harm the country's war efforts. This was enacted after World War I, adding upon the Espionage Act of 1917 as the nation found itself more in major conflicts. This day is important as it led to future protests amongst American citizens for them to fight for their vocal rights, including their defense for the first amendment. This eventually led to the act being repealed on December 13th, 1920. This event isn't well know since the act is no longer in use in today's society.

Source:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-congress-passes-sedition-act

#5) Three Mile Island Nuclear Failure

7475_45_1 — 2024-05-22 03:20:02 UTC

On March 28th, 1979, a nuclear incident occurred at a power plant in south central Pennsylvania. A cooling system malfunction caused the reactor to overheat, leading to a partial meltdown. This caused radioactive gasses to be released in the atmosphere. This day is important in American history since even though there were no immediate injuries or deaths, the incident brought great public concern about nuclear safety and it led to significant changes in how nuclear plants are regulated and operated, thus sparking the Anti-Nuclear Movement. This event isn't well known since other events and changes such as Roland Regan's presidency and creation of reaganomics overshadow this greatly.

Source:

https://www.history.com/topics/1970s/three-mile-island