LAD #37: Brown v. Board of Education

Little Linda Brown (pictured to the left) become the subject of a monumental civil rights case in 1951.  After being denied entry to a white only school, Brown's father along with the help of the NAACP challenged the ruling in court.  Although the U.S. District Court agreed with Brown's belief that this separation was unequal, the Supreme Court had yet to overrule the Plessy v. Ferguson Case.  Therefore they sided with the Board of Education in Topeka Kansas.  Brown appealed to the Supreme Court and after a few years of debate the Supreme Court made its decision.  On May 17th, 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren explained: Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other "tangible" factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does...We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place." This proved to be a huge win for African Americans across the nation, as the ideas of separate but not equal no longer held any substance.

LAD #36: The Truman Doctrine

On March 12th 1947, President Harry Truman delivered the Truman Doctrine to Congress.  In this speech, he spoke of the policy of containment, as well as how to aid nations with Communist neighbors. Along with this Truman talked about the security of the US, and the nations plans to deal with foreign affairs.  The main point of the speech however revolved around Americans relations with Greece and Turkey.Truman announced the many problems within the Greek government.  He believed that it was of necessity to intervene to make sure that the democratic Greece did not fall to Communism.  Likewise, Turkey was in the same situation.  All in all, Truman tried to convince Congress as well as the nation that being the strongest democratic power in the world meant that it was America's job to help other democracies from falling to the evils of Communism.

LAD #35: Executive Order #9066

On the 19th of February, 1942, FDR issued the Executive Order #9066.  In it he proclaimed that because the nation was now entangled in a war, it is the governments right to protect the nation from espionage and against any sabotage.  FDR believed that to keep the country safe, it would be necessary to gather up all of the Japanese and move them to a guarded location, while providing them with "medical aid, hospitalization, food, clothing, transportation, use of land, shelter, and other supplies, equipment, utilities facilities and service."  With the authority of being President, he gave this task to the Secretary of War, and let him use whatever means necessary to carry this out.

LAD #34: FDR's Declaration of War

On December 8th, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared war on Japan.  This declaration came a day after Japan's infamous attack on Pearl Harbor.  FDR explained to the American people a day after Pearl Harbor, that the attack came as a complete surprise to America.  Japan had lied about continuing peace with America as it prepared for the deliberate attack.  FDR explains to Americans that many lives were lost and that the American naval fleet has been greatly damaged/destroyed. He goes on to share with the people that as well as the US, Japan forces had also attacked Hong Kong, Guam, the Philippine Islands, Wake Island, as well as Midway Island.  FDR states that it is apparent that the American people are in danger, and finally asks Congress to declare war on Japan.

LAD #33: FDR's First Inaugural Speech

After a landslide victory over Herbert Hoover in the 1932 presidential election, Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his first inaugural speech on March 4th, 1933.  At the time the nation was in the midst of the worst depression America had ever faced.  Within the first couple opening lines Roosevelt declares his now famous line that "the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself".  He continued on the topic of the depression stating that the cause of the depression were due to greed as well as the shortsightedness of the nations rich businessmen.  But now that these men are removed from their positions the nation can work its way back to normal.  He explained that he planned on not only changing ideas of ethics, but instead that he wanted to bring change through actions.  He then began to talk about the massive unemployment of the times, and how it was his top goal to get people jobs.  Roosevelt then turned to foreign policy briefly saying how he planned on having a "good neighbor policy".  He finished off his speech promising the American people that he was going to act quickly and do everything he can to get Americans out of the Great Depression.

LAD #32: The Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact

On August 27th, 1928, The Kellog-Briand Peace Pact was signed.  This pact prohibited war "as an instrument of national policy" stating that war could only be used in self-defense.  It was named after the US Secretary of State Frank Kellogg, as well as the French foreign minister Arstide Briand.  Originally only between America and France, Kellogg proposed it to be opened up to other countries, in hopes of keeping the US out of the European Alliance system.  In all 15 nations including the US, France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Japan signed the pact.  Along with these nations, 31 other nations agreed to adhere to the pact by the time it was put into effect on July 24, 1929.

LAD #31: Wilson's Fourteen Points

President Woodrow Wilson created his famous Fourteen Points to bring peace to the Great War with a treaty.  In a speech he delivered summarizing these points, Wilson was able to justify going to war as a effort to bring peace to Europe.  His points are as follows: 
1. Peace
2. Freedom of the seas
3. Removal of economic barriers
4. Guarantee that national armaments will be reduced
5. Adjustment of colonial claims
6. Russian territory should be evacuated, and that Russia should be welcomed into the society of free nations
7. Belgium should be evacuated and restored
8. All French territory should be freed
9. The borders of Italy shall be reajusted
10. The citizens of Austria-Hungary shall be given the opportunity to independently develop
11. Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro should be evacuated and restored, with Serbia getting more rights and independence
12. The Turkish portion of the Ottoman Empire should have a secure sovereignty.
13. An independent Polish state should be created.
14. The League of Nations should be formed.

LAD #30: Schenck vs. US

The Schenck vs. US Court Case was very influential during the early 1900s in that it upheld the Espionage Act of 1917.  On March 3rd, 1919, Charles Schenck was arrested for mailing out flyers denouncing the draft.  Being the leader of the Socialist Party, there grew outrage over his charges as many stated that the first amendment protected his freedom of speech.  So, he challenged the Espionage Act which made it illegal to interfere with wartime activities.  He did not win however as Supreme Court Justice Holmes stated "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic. [...] The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent."

LAD #29: Keating-Owen Child Labor Act

The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act passed in 1916 prohibited factories, companies, as well as stores that employed children under 14 from selling their products. Along with this, people were not allowed to buy products from businesses with children under 14 working.  Furthermore, this act regulated the hours that 16-year-olds could work.  The goal of all this was to completely put an end to child labor.  This act came about after the 1900 census showed that close to 2 million children were working in terrible conditions as child laborers. This statistic finally opened up peoples eyes enough to call for changes to occur.  The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act was ruled unconstitutional however in 1918 in the Hammer vs. Dagenhart case, but another act getting rid of child labor was passed once again in the same year.

LAD #28: Wilson's First Inaugural Address

On March 4th 1913, President Woodrow Wilson presented his first inaugural address. In it he discusses how the democrats gained control by winning the majority in the Senate as well as in vice president and president.  He goes on to explain that this is more than just a party success in Washington, but instead a success for the country as a whole.  He then talks about the citizens of the nation and that it will be one of his goals to help them do good, and steer away from evil.  Wilson strongly believes that government's job is to look out for the welfare of its people and he says that he will try to make sure that this happens.

LAD #27: Clayton Antitrust Act

The Clayton Antitrust act solved the problem of dealing with trusts by breaking up all of the bad trusts during the 1900s.  It was able to do this by introducing many new regulations on trusts and Big Business in general.  First off, businesses could not make prices fluctuate according to who was buying it.  If a company were to do this they would be fined.  Next, this act made it officially illegal to sell bribes.  Also, special deals had to be offered to everyone, not just a specific group of customers.  Along with this, if you were to accept a special deal you could also be fined and arrested.  This act also made it so that one company could not sell another company's product.  To protect workers, if someone were to get hurt on the job, they were now allowed to sue the company they were working under.  All in all, this act decreased the monopolistic control of big business.

LAD #26: MLK's "I Have a Dream" Speech

From the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous 'I Have a Dream' Speech on August 28th 1963.  Part of the March on Washington, King's speech was presented to millions calling for equal civil rights for all people of any race.  He begins this speech referencing the Emancipation Proclamation.  He states that after this proclamation was announced the slaves were officially free, yet 100 years later blacks are still not free.  He continues this idea mentioning the ways in which blacks are mistreated, discriminated against and segregated.  Along with this, King speaks of the Declaration of Independence, and how African Americans still do not receive an equal treatment as whites.  King declares that now is the time to change these injustices and abuses of civil rights.  He believes that everyone wanting this change must stick together, and never let up.  King shares his beliefs in his famous words "I have a dream..." "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."  This sums up his hopes that through hard work, our nation can one day truly be equal for all people.

LAD #25: The Dawes Act

 Signed into law February 8, 1887, The Dawes Act allowed the U.S. to break up Native American lands into individual parcels.  These little chunks of land would be given out to each of the individual Native Americans, and the surplus land was to be sold to white settlers.  The plots that were given out to the Native Americans depended on each persons age, as well as if they had a family or not.  Furthermore, Native Americans were allowed to choose their own land, and if two people chose the same plot then it would be divided and they'd be given the rest of their land somewhere else.  If picks for plots were not made in a certain amount of time (four years), then an agent would pick for them.  Native Americans with this land would receive legal patents that would be enforced and protected.  These Native Americans were now under U.S. law however.  This meant they could be protected by the law, but also could be punished by it.  Lastly, Native Americans not a part of any tribe could apply for U.S. citizenship.  Tribes such as the Iroquois and the Sioux were not offered these things however.

LAD #24: Bryan's Cross fo Gold

The most famous speech in American history was written and orated by William Jennings Bryan on July 9th, 1896.  Given at the Democratic Convention in Chicago, this speech centered around endorsing the free coinage of silver at a 16 to 1 ratio to gold.  Bryan starts off his speech by explaining to the crowd that men are born, live and die, but that principles are forever lasting.  He declares that the matter at hand is one of these principles.  Around this time, a section of the Democratic Party called the silver Democrats took over the Party and spread across the country. There goal was to campaign to try and get silver to be coined freely.  These men were unselfish and put their opinions aside and agreed with the majorities views.  Bryan explains that northern businessmen got in the way because they were only following their interests, as opposed to those of the common man.  He believes that the miners and farmers were equally as good as the businessmen in New England.  Bryan explains that this fight for the free coinage of silver is one of the average man, as many farmers needed this to pay off debts. He views the income tax as something good for the people and that government should play a bigger role in coining money. Bryan stood firm in his belief that Americans must move toward bimetallism, instead of just gold.

LAD #23: Populist Party Platform

Emerging from the Farmers Alliance, the Populist Party rose in the 19th century as a third independent party in the presidential elections.  The Populists were opposed to having all the money in the hands of a few, and were against big business in general. Along with being against big business, they were also against all the corruption that dominated Washington, and felt that workmen were being denied their rights.  This party called for silver to be used as an unrestricted form of currency.  The Populist Party believed that these problems had arisen because of the other parties lack of taking action against it, and believed it was time to put the government and the money of the country back into the hands of the "plain people".  Along with supporting the rights of workers, this party was all for labor unions as well.  They also called for government to operate the telephone companies and a public railroad that worked in the interest of the people. Among these things they believed in restricting foreigners so that Americans could get American jobs.  All of these ideas were written into a Declaration of Independence-style document.

LAD #22: McKinley's War Message

 On April 11th, 1898, President McKinley addressed Congress about the war in which Cuba was fighting against Spain.  Americans had tried to remain neutral after fighting broke out in 1895 when Cubans began their quest to gain independence.  McKinley spoke to Congress about this ongoing war because for the first time the lives of American citizens were beginning to be affected. Along with this, the economy and trading relations were also being impacted by the war.  McKinley explains that three years into the war there is still no obvious victor, and that he believes America either needs to become neutral in the war, or become a military ally.  McKinley explains that this intervention is necessary to put an end to the bloodshed, protect the lives of Cubans, as well as saving our own trade, and government.  The last reason given was that the U.S.S. Maine was supposedly blown up by a torpedo, so action needed to be taken.  He finalizes his speech by asking Congress to allow the U.S. to take action to make peace.