Home > Major Acts of Congress > Timeline

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

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1787			Constitutional Convention, Independence Hall, Philadelphia	Northwest Ordinance
1788			Congress picks New York City as site of government
1789	George Washington: 1789–1797 (Nonpartisan)	1st 1789–1791 Senate: 17 F; 9 Opp. House: 38 F; 26 Opp.	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	Judiciary Act Tariff Act of 1789
1790			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	Copyright Act of 1790 Naturalization Act Patent Act Southwest Ordinance
1791		2d 1791–1793 Senate: 16 F; 13 DR House: 37 F; 33 DR	Bill of Rights ratified	Bank of the United States
1792			U.S. Mint established through Coinage Act New York Stock Exchange organized Cornerstone to White House laid	Coinage Act of 1792
1793		3d 1793–1795 Senate: 17 F; 13 DR House: 57 DR; 48 F	Cotton gin invented by Eli Whitney	Anti-Injunction Act Fugitive Slave Act of 1793

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1794			Excise tax on distilled liquor causes Whiskey Rebellion Creation of U.S. Navy authorized by Congress
1795		4th 1795–1797 Senate: 19 F; 13 DR House: 54 F; 52 DR	Eleventh Amendment goes into effect (limits judicial powers) First state university, University of North Carolina, opens
1796			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
1797	John Adams: 1797–1801 (Federalist)	5th 1797–1799 Senate: 20 F; 12 DR House: 58 F; 48 DR	Congress creates 80,000 member militia
1798			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	Alien and Sedition Acts
1799		6th 1799–1801 Senate: 19 F; 13 DR House: 64 F; 42 DR
1800			2d census: U.S. population 5,308,483 Library of Congress established Site of government moves to Washington, DC
1801	Thomas Jefferson: 1801–1809 (Democratic-Republican)	7th 1801–1803 Senate: 18 DR; 13 F House: 69 DR; 36 F		Judiciary Act of 1801
1802
1803		8th 1803–1805 Senate: 25 DR; 9 F House: 102 DR; 39 F	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)
1804			Twelfth amendment ratified (separate ballots for president and vice president)

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1805		9th 1805–1807 Senate: 27 DR; 7F House: 116 DR; 25 F
1806
1807		10th 1807–1809 Senate: 28 DR; 6 F House: 118 DR; 24 F	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	Prohibition of the Slave Trade
1808			Anthracite coal first used as stove fuel in Pennsylvania
1809	James Madison: 1809–1817 (Democratic-Republican)	11th 1809–1811 Senate: 28 DR; 6 F House: 94 DR; 48 F	Supreme Court case United States v. Peters affirms federal government power over states	Nonintercourse Act
1810			3d census: U.S. population 7,239,881 Revolt against Spanish by southern expansionists results in the U.S. gaining territory in the south
1811		12th 1811–1813 Senate: 30 DR; 6 F House: 108 DR; 36 F	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)
1812			First war-bond issue; first interest-bearing U.S. Treasury notes are authorized War is declared on Great Britain (War of 1812, 1812-1814)
1813		13th 1813–1815 Senate: 27 DR; 9 F House: 112 DR; 68 F	Creek War with Indian nations in southern United States
1814			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
1815		14th 1815–1817 Senate: 25 DR; 11 F House: 117 DR; 65 F	Treaties signed with Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli ending piracy on U.S. ships

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1816			Second Bank of United States is created
1817	James Monroe: 1817–1825 (Democratic-Republican)	15th 1817–1819 Senate: 34 DR; 10 F House: 141 DR; 42 F	First Seminole War begins; Andrew Jackson named as commander of U.S. forces
1818			Seminole War ends after American capture of St. Marks and Pensacola, FL
1819		16th 1819–1821 Senate: 35 DR; 7 F House: 156 DR; 27 F	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
1820			4th census: U.S. population 9,638,453	Missouri Compromise
1821		17th 1821–1823 Senate: 44 DR; 4 F House: 158 DR; 25 F	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)
1822			Planned slave revolt in Charleston, SC, blocked
1823		18th 1823–1825 Senate: 44 DR; 4 F House: 187 DR; 26 F	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
1824			Supreme Court case Gibbons v. Ogden upholds Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce
1825	John Quincy Adams: 1825-1829 (Democratic-Republican)	19th 1825–1827 Senate: 26 A; 20 J House: 105 A; 97 J	Erie canal opens between Buffalo, NY, and New York City
1826			John Stevens demonstrates use of first steam locomotive in Hoboken, NJ

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1827		20th 1827–1829 Senate: 28 J; 20 A House: 119 J; 94 A	Mechanics Union of Trades Association, first central labor union, is created in Philadelphia
1828			Treaty signed by United States and Mexico establishes Sabine River as common boundary
1829	Andrew Jackson: 1829–1837 (Democratic)	21st 1829–1831 Senate: 26 D; 22 NR House: 139 D; 74 NR
1830			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)	Indian Removal Act
1831		22d 1831–1833 Senate: 25 D; 21 NR; 2 O House: 141 D; 58 NR; 14 O	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
1832			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
1833		23d 1833–1835 Senate: 20 D; 20 NR; 8 O House: 147 D; 53 AM; 60 O	Oberlin College (Ohio) is first college in U.S. to adopt coeducation
1834
1835		24th 1835–1837 Senate: 27 D; 25 W House: 145 D; 98 W	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

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1836			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
1837	Martin Van Buren: 1837–1841 (Democratic)	25th 1837–1839 Senate: 30 D; 18 W; 4 O House: 108 D; 107 W; 24 O	Financial panic of 1837 leads to economic depression that lasts until 1842
1838			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)
1839		26th 1839–1841 Senate: 28 D; 22 W House: 124 D; 118 W
1840			6th census: U.S. population 17,063,353 Great National Pike completed (Cumberland, MD, to Vandalia, IL; formerly known as the Cumberland Road)
1841	William Henry Harrison: 1841 (Whig) John Tyler: 1841-1845 (Whig)	27th 1841–1843 Senate: 28 W; 22 D; 2 O House: 133 W; 102 D; 6 O	First wagon train leaves for California from Independence, MO (47 people)	Bankruptcy Act of 1841
1842			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
1843		28th 1843–1845 Senate: 28 W; 25 D; 1 O House: 142 D; 79 W; 1 O
1844			Treaty of Wanghia signed with China; opens five Chinese ports to American commerce Commercial telegraph service begins
1845	James K. Polk: 1845–1849 (Democratic)	29th 1845–1847 Senate: 31 D; 25 W House: 143 D; 77 W; 6 O	Texas annexed by U.S.; Mexico breaks off relations with U.S.

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1846			Mexican-American War begins (1846-1848) Treaty with Great Britain setting northern boundary of Oregon Territory at 49th parallel
1847		30th 1847–1849 Senate: 36 D; 21 W; 1 O House: 115 W; 108 D; 4 O	Establishment of new government in California begins after treaty ends Mexican-American War hostilities there
1848			Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo ends Mexican-American War California gold rush begins First women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, NY
1849	Zachary Taylor: 1849–1850 (Whig)	31st 1849–1851 Senate: 35 D; 25 W; 2 O House: 112 D; 109 W; 9 O	Mormons establish state of Deseret after migration to Utah from Illinois (1846); Deseret becomes Territory of Utah in 1850
1850	Millard Fillmore: 1850–1853 (Whig)		7th census: U.S. population 23,191,876	Compromise of 1850 Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
1851		32d 1851–1853 Senate: 35 D; 24 W; 3 O House: 140 D; 88 W; 5 O
1852			Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes Uncle Tom's Cabin
1853	Franklin Pierce: 1853–1857 (Democratic)	33d 1853–1855 Senate: 38 D; 22 W; 2 O House: 159 D; 71 W; 4 O	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)
1854			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.)	Kansas Nebraska Act
1855		34th 1855–1857 Senate: 40 D; 15 R; 5 O House: 108 R; 83 D; 43 O	U.S. Court of Claims established Congress authorizes construction of telegraph line from Mississippi River to Pacific Ocean

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1856			Violence in Kansas breaks out between pro- and anti-slavery factions over question of slavery; federal troops keep temporary peace
1857	James Buchanan: 1857–1861 (Democratic)	35th 1857–1859 Senate: 36 D; 20 R; 8 O House: 118 D; 92 R; 26 O	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
1858
1859		36th 1859–1861 Senate: 36 D; 26 R; 4 O House: 114 R; 92 D; 31 O	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
1860			8th census: U.S. population 31,443,321 South Carolina is first state to secede from Union
1861	Abraham Lincoln: 1861–1865 (Republican)	37th 1861–1863 Senate: 31 R; 10 D; 8 O House: 105 R; 43 D; 30 O	Confederate government created; Jefferson Davis elected president of the Confederacy Civil War begins (1861-1865) First transcontinental telegraph line is completed	Civil War Pensions First Confiscation Act
1862				Homestead Act Militia Act Morrill Land Grant Act Second Confiscation Act
1863		38th 1863–1865 Senate: 36 R; 9 D; 5 O House: 102 R; 75 D; 9 O	Pres. Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation Draft riots in New York City, about 1000 killed, some blacks lynched	Enrollment Act (Conscription Act)
1864			J. P. Morgan & Co. established	National Bank Act

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1865	Andrew Johnson: 1865–1869 (Democratic)	39th 1865–1867 Senate: 42 U; 10 D House: 149 U; 42 D	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)	Freedmen's Bureau Act
1866			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	Civil Rights Act of 1866
1867		40th 1867–1869 Senate: 42 R; 11 D House: 143 R; 49 D	U.S. purchases Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million National Grange is formed to protect farmer's interests	Reconstruction Acts (1867–1868)
1868			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
1869	Ulysses S. Grant: 1869–1877 (Republican)	41st 1869–1871 Senate: 56 R; 11 D House: 149 R; 63 D	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
1870			9th census: U.S. population 38,558,371 Justice Department is created Standard Oil Co. is incorporated

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1871		42d 1871–1873 Senate: 52 R; 17 D 5 O House: 134 R; 104 D; 5 O	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	Ku Klux Klan Act Force Act
1872				Mail Fraud Statute Yellowstone National Park Act
1873		43d 1873–1875 Senate: 49 R; 19 D; 5 O House: 194 R; 92 D; 14 O	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	Coinage Act Comstock Act
1874
1875		44th 1875–1877 Senate: 45 R; 29 D; 2 O House: 169 D; 109 R; 14 O		Civil Rights Act of 1875
1876			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
1877	Rutherford B. Hayes: 1877–1881 (Republican)	45th 1877–1879 Senate: 39 R; 36 D; 1 O House: 153 D; 140 R	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

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1878			First commercial telephone exchange opened, New Haven, CT	Bland-Allison Act Posse Comitatus Act
1879		46th 1879–1881 Senate: 42 D; 33 R; 1 O House: 149 D; 130 R; 14 O	First Woolworth five-and-dime store opens Incandescent electric lamp invented by Thomas Edison
1880			10th census: U.S. population 50,155,783
1881	James A. Garfield: 1881 (Republican) Chester A. Arthur: 1881-1885 (Republican)	47th 1881–1883 Senate: 37 R; 37 D; 1 O House: 147 R; 135 D; 11 O	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
1882			First trust formed by Standard Oil Co. Severe strikes in iron and steel industry	Chinese Exclusion Act
1883		48th 1883–1885 Senate: 38 R; 36 D; 2 O House: 197 D; 118 R; 10 O	Brooklyn Bridge in New York City completed Northern Pacific Railroad completed	Civil Services Act (Pendleton Act)
1884			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
1885	Grover Cleveland: 1885–1889 (Democratic)	49th 1885–1887 Senate: 43 R; 34 D House: 183 D; 140 R; 2 O
1886			Apache Indians (Southwest) surrender to U.S. Haymarket Massacre in Chicago American Federation of Labor (AFL) organized by 25 labor groups

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1887		50th 1887–1889 Senate: 39 R; 37 D House: 169 D; 152 R; 4 O	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	Indian General Allotment Act (Dawes Act) Interstate Commerce Act
1888			Department of Labor established
1889	Benjamin Harrison: 1889–1893 (Republican)	51st 1889–1891 Senate: 39 R; 37 D House: 166 R; 159 D	Carnegie Steel Co. organized by Andrew Carnegie
1890			11th census: U.S. population 62,979,766 Sioux Indians are defeated at Wounded Knee; last major battle of Indian wars	Sherman Antitrust Act
1891		52d 1891–1893 Senate: 47 R; 39 D; 2 O House: 235 D; 88 R; 9 O	Immigration and Naturalization Service is established
1892			Ellis Island opens as an immigration receiving station
1893	Grover Cleveland:1893–1897 (Democratic)	53d 1893–1895 Senate: 44 D; 38 R; 3 O House: 218 D; 127 R; 11 O	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
1894			American Railway Union strikes at Pullman plant in Chicago; federal injunction breaks strike	1894 Income Tax and the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act
1895		54th 1895–1897 Senate: 43 R; 39 D; 6 O House: 244 R; 105 D; 7 O	Internal combustion engine patented; first automobile company started
1896			Supreme Court upholds Louisiana law calling for "separate but equal" accommodations on public transportation in Plessy v. Ferguson
1897	William McKinley: 1897–1901 (Republican)	55th 1897–1899 Senate: 47 R; 34 D; 7 O House: 204 R; 113 D; 40 O	Thomas Edison patents a movie camera First section of a U.S. subway opens, in Boston

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1898			Spanish-American War begins and ends; Spain cedes Puerto Rico, Philippines, and Guam to U.S. and relinquishes all claims to Cuba
1899		56th 1899–1901 Senate: 53 R; 26 D; 8 O House: 197 R; 151 D; 9 O	Filipino nationalists revolt against U.S. First Hague Conference held; 26 nations participate
1900			12th census: U.S. population 76,212,168 U.S. announces Open Door Policy in China (opens Chinese markets to all nations)	Gold Standard Act
1901	Theodore Roosevelt: 1901–1909 (Republican)	57th 1901–1903 Senate: 55 R; 31 D; 4 O House: 197 R; 151 D; 9 O	Pres. McKinley assassinated in Buffalo, NY, by an anarchist
1902			Pres. Roosevelt asks attorney general to bring first antitrust suit to dissolve a railroad holding company	National Reclamation Act Panama Canal Purchase Act
1903		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
1904			Muckraker Ida Tarbell publishes The History of the Standard Oil Company First section of New York City subway opens
1905		59th 1905–1907 Senate: 57 R; 33 D House: 250 R; 136 D
1906			Upton Sinclair publishes The Jungle, muckraking account of the meat-packing industry Dow Jones Industrial Average closes over 100 for the first time	Antiquities Act Pure Food and Drug Act
1907		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

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1908			Bureau of Investigation formed (later to become FBI) Model T automobile introduced by Henry Ford, sells for $850	Federal Employers' Liability Act
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
1910			13th Census: U.S. population 92,228,496	Mann Act
1911		62d 1911–1913 Senate: 51 R; 41 D House: 228 D; 161 R; 1 O	Supreme Court orders dissolution of Standard Oil Co. as a monopoly; same goes for the American Tobacco Co. and the DuPont Co.
1912
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	Federal Income Tax Act of 1913 Federal Reserve Act
1914			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)	Clayton Act Federal Trade Commission Act Narcotics Act
1915		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

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
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
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	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.	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)
1922
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
1924			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)	Bonus Bill (Adjusted Compensation Act)
1925		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
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	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1931		72d 1931–1933 Senate: 48 R; 47 D; 1 O House: 220 R; 214 D; 1 O
1932			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.	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	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	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	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	Federal Unemployment Tax Act Hatch Act
1940			16th census: U.S. population 132,164,569 Congress approves first peacetime draft
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
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 $1 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 $1.25 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
1976			Homestead Act of 1862 repealed for all states except Alaska Apple I desktop computer introduced Minimum wage raised to $2.30 per hour	Copyright Act of 1976 Federal Land Policy and Management Act Government in the Sunshine Act National Forest Management Act Toxic Substances Control Act
1977	James E. Carter: 1977–1981 (Democratic)	95th 1977–1979 Senate: 61 D; 38 R; 1 O House: 292 D; 143 R	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	Community Reinvestment Act Department of Energy Organization Act Foreign Corrupt Practices Act International Emergency Economic Powers Act Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
1978			Deregulation of the airline industry Minimum wage raised to $2.65 per hour	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
1979		96th 1979–1981 Senate: 58 D; 41 R; 1 O House: 276 D; 157 R	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

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1980			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	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
1981	Ronald W. Reagan: 1981–1989 (Republican)	97th 1981–1983 Senate: 53 R; 46 D; 1 O House: 242 D; 189 R	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
1982			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	Nuclear Waste Policy Act
1983		98th 1983–1985 Senate: 54 R; 46 D House: 268 D; 167 R	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
1984			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	Counterfeit Access Device and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments Sentencing Reform Act

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1985		99th 1985–1987 Senate: 53 R; 47 D House: 253 D; 182 R	U.S. and Soviet Union hold arms control talks in Geneva	Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act)
1986			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	Anti-Drug Abuse Act Electronic Communications Privacy Act Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act Immigration Reform and Control Act Tax Reform Act
1987		100th 1987–1989 Senate: 55 D; 45 R House: 258 D; 177 R	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	Computer Security Act McKinney-Vento Act
1988			Senate approves free trade agreement made with Canada (1987), all tariffs between the two countries will be eliminated by 1999	Civil Liberties Act Indian Gaming Regulatory Act
1989	George H. W. Bush: 1989–1993 (Republican)	101st 1989–1991 Senate: 55 D; 45 R House: 260 D; 175 R	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	Flag Protection Act
1990			21st census: U.S. population 249,632,692 U.N. forces begin air attacks on Iraq, after Iraq invades Kuwait	Administrative Dispute Resolution Act Americans with Disabilities Act Negotiated Rulemaking Act Oil Pollution Act

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1991		102d 1991–1993 Senate: 56 D; 44 R House: 267 D; 167 R; 1 O	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
1992			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)	Weapons of Mass Destruction Control Act
1993	William J. Clinton: 1993–2001 (Democratic)	103d 1993–1995 Senate: 56 D; 44 R House: 258 D; 176 R; 1 O	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	Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act Family and Medical Leave Act NAFTA Implementation Act Religious Freedom Restoration Act
1994			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)	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	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	Lobbying Disclosure Act
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	Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act Communications Decency Act Defense of Marriage Act Food Quality Protection Act Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
1997		105th 1997–1999 Senate: 55 R; 45 D House: 226 R; 208 D; 1 O	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
1998			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	Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Taxpayer Bill of Rights III

YEAR	PRESIDENT	CONGRESS	US HISTORY	LEGISLATION
1999		106th 1999–2001 Senate: 54 R; 46 D House: 222 R; 208 D; 1 O	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
2000			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)	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	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