The 1900s: The Roller Coaster Like Start of the Century

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The 1900s

The Roller Coaster Like Start of the Century

It is in the unsteady and volatile first decade of the twentieth century in which we see how the United States of America has fought through massive adversity and transformed the world for the better. According to Time’s article The 1900 Galveston Hurricane, “That storm killed about 8,000 Americans and leveled what had been the largest city in Texas” (Ripley 1). This quote is referring to the deadliest hurricane that ever hit the United States. As a relatively new nation, this was an absolutely tragic and horrifying start to the century. Despite taking away precious lives and weakening the spirits of the American people, the patriotic incentive for exploration and innovation only strengthened. Only three years later, two proud brothers made what is quite possibly one of the most important and world-changing inventions. “On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright piloted the first powered airplane 20 feet above a wind-swept beach in North Carolina” (“Eyewitness to History” 1). This historic day in the city of Kitty Hawk marked the commencement of a new era. Due to this marvelous invention and vast advancements in technology, people can travel internationally at an exponentially faster rate. This really did put America back where it belonged, standing as the true world leader in innovation. Even though this marked tremendous progress for the country this decade, it was not done yet. “On September 7, 1909, readers of the New York Times awakened to a stunning front page headline: ‘Peary Discovers the North Pole After Eight Trials in 23 Years’” (Henderson 1). American scholar Robert Peary took his spirit for exploration and combined it with hard work to make a miracle happen. A...

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...orth-pole-116633746/?no-ist>.

"Newspaper Coverage of the First Flight." Norfolk Virginian-Pilot 18 Dec. 1903. Web. 5 Apr. 2014. .

Ousley, Clarence. Galveston in 1900. San Diego: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. .

Ripley, Amanda. "The 1900 Galveston Hurricane." TIME. N.p., 15 Sept. 2008. Web. 5 Apr. 2014. .

"Robert Peary: To the Top of the World." PBS Home. American Experience, n.d. Web. 5 Apr. 2014. .

"The Galveston Hurricane of 1900" EyeWitness to History, (2005).

“The Wright Brothers - First Flight, 1903", EyeWitness to History, (2003).

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