Chapter 21-22

Major Events of the Early 20th Century

• In 1900, Galveston was hit by a hurricane with 120 mph winds.• It crushed buildings, drowned thousands & is the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.

Hurricane of 1900

Jim Crow Laws (1910)• In 1910, Texas passed the Jim Crow laws, which segregated railroad cars, schools, hospitals & all public places.•Segregate: To separate people according to their race

•Mexican Americans were also victims of Jim Crow laws.• They weren’t allowed into public places & had to attend separate schools.•Many were punished for speaking Spanish in Texas schools.

Mexican Americans

•WWI began in 1914 over old disputes between the Allies & the Central Powers.•Allies: Britain, France, Russia & other nations (U.S. joined later).•Central Powers: Germany, the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria & Austria-Hungary.

World War I (1914-1918)

• In 1917, German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman sent Mexico a secret telegram that was discovered by the Allies.• In this telegram, Germany offered to join forces with Mexico to invade the U.S. & “take back” Texas, New Mexico & Arizona.

Zimmerman Telegram (1917)

• Americans were so angered by the Zimmerman telegram that Congress declared war on Germany on April 1917.• The entry of the U.S. helped the Allies win the war on November 11, 1918.

U.S. Joins WWI

• In 1918, the 18th Amendment prohibited the manufacture and selling of alcohol in the U.S. This was known as Prohibition.•Prohibition: A national movement to ban the sale or use of alcoholic beverages.

18th Amendment (1918)

• In 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified and women finally won the right to vote.•Suffrage: The right to vote

19th Amendment (1920)

• In the 1920s, life in Texas cities became modernized.• Electricity was added to homes as well as radios, telephone & telegraph lines.• Also, the number of automobiles, trucks and buses in Texas increased.

Modernization (1920s)