Today we watched a video on World War I. Mr. Gottschalk wanted everyone to take note of the Civil Service Act and the Great Migration during the movie.

• Civil Service Act: passed in 1883, it established the first federal regulatory commission. It marked the end of the "spoils system" because now office holders were assessed on amerit basis. Garfield's assination by an angry immigrant, who was unable to get a government job, ultimately led to the passage of this act.
• Great Migration: refers to the migration of nearly 7 million African Americans from southern U.S. to the North, Midwest, and West from 1916-1930. Most of the African Americans moved to Northern cities, particularly Chicago. About 500,000 AFrican Americans migrated to Chicago alone.