1915

The first “Great Migration” begins; blacks move from the rural South to the urban North.

D. W. Griffith’s film Birth of a Nation traces an idealized version of the development of the Ku Klux Klan and the white supremacy movement in the U. S. South. It is considered a milestone in the development of movies as an art form.

German submarines sink the British passenger ship Lusitania. One hundred twenty-eight U. S. citizens lose their lives in the attack.

In Coppage v. Kansas, the U. S. Supreme Court prohibits employers from forcing employees to sign contracts requiring that workers not join unions.

The U. S. Supreme Court declares the “grandfather clause” unconstitutional. The clause had restricted voting to those whose fathers or grandfathers had voted before 1867.

Eleven hundred women from around the world, including American social reformer and peace activist Jane Addams, convene in Holland to try to help bring an end to World War I.

The Wilson administration sends U. S. Marines to Haiti to suppress a revolution. Troops remain until 1934.

The Industrial Relations Commission delivers its report to President Wilson condemning industry’s violent antiunion tactics.

Withdrawing U. S. military support for Pancho Villa, the Wilson administration recognizes the government of Venustiano Carranza of Mexico.

American Telephone and Telegraph sends the first transatlantic voice transmission.