State History Exam - ALL Terms

counterculture

1960s youth rejection of the values and behavior of mainstream American culture—clothing, hairstyles, sexual conduct, work, music, etc. It was due to feelings of alienation caused by the cultural conformity of the 1950s as well as decline in deference to authority caused by Vietnam War. It helped to spark the conservative backlash of the late 1960s and 1970s, and transformed American morals and manners (more casual, questioning of authority more)

installment buying

A consumers buys products by promising to pay small, regular amounts over a period of time. The introduction of this practice allowed more consumers to purchase radios, appliances, and cars in the 1920s.

Black Panthers (1966)

A militant Black political party who rejected nonviolent protest and argued for the use of violence in self-defense. They organized armed citizen patrols to monitor police behavior and challenge police brutality and ended up in numerous fire fights with police. They also engaged in numerous community programs that included health clinics and feeding children.

Jacob Riis

A muckraker and photographer who published How the Other Half Lives an expose on the life of the New York poor.

Upton Sinclair

A muckraker who wrote The Jungle exposing the unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry provoking public outrage leading to the Meat Inspection Act (all meat in interstate must be inspected by the US Department of Agriculture).

Hoovervilles

Depression shantytowns (improvised dwellings made out of scraps were the homeless live), named after the president whom many blamed for their financial distress

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Despite the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law, the Supreme Court allowed states to segregate as long as facilities were "separate but equal." Despite the requirement of "separate but equal," facilities for blacks were either nonexistent or inferior.

17th Amendment (1913)

Direct election of senators (i.e. allow the people of the state to choose that state's US Senators). Populist and progressive reform to make the government more responsive to the will of the people as opposed to big business and political machines.

imperialism

Domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region

Marcus Garvey

He advocated racial pride, separatism ("return" to Africa because people of African descent would never be treated justly in majority white countries), and self-sufficiency (blacks should only buy from blacks). He is an example of increasing black assertiveness following WWI.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (1968)

He was shot by James Earl Ray while standing on a hotel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee. In response, riots broke out through hundreds of cities.

President William ("Bill") Clinton

He was the second president impeached by the House of Representatives. His impeachment was the result of scandal emerging from a relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. He was impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice for lying under oath about the affair. He stayed in office because the Senate did not have enough votes to convict him. The Republican drive to push impeachment backfired. The public viewed the incident as a personal matter not worthy of impeachment, and the president's popularity increased because of the incident.

Persian Gulf War (1991)

Saddam Hussein's Iraq invaded Kuwait. The US under George H.W. Bush (the 1st one) put together an international coalition to liberate Kuwait. It was the first international conflict, the US faced after the end of the Cold War. Thus, the US had to form a new foreign policy to deal with the new situation. Also known as: Operation Desert Storm

poll taxes

Small taxes levied on the right to vote that often fell due at a time of year when poor African-American sharecroppers had the least cash on hand. This method was used by most Southern states to exclude African Americans from voting. Poll taxes were outlawed by the 24th Amendment in 1964.

Sputnik (1957)

Soviets launched this first satellite into space causing Americans to fear that the Soviets were ahead in the race to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). To close the gap, federal government created NASA and provided funding for science, math, and foreign language education.

FDR's Day Which Will Live In Infamy Speech (December 1941)

Speech following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in which FDR asked Congress to declare war on Japan.

Chief Joseph's I Will Fight No More Forever Speech

Speech given by this Nez Perce leader when he surrendered to the US army saying that he would not fight any more because it only resulted in death and destruction.

William Jennings Bryan "Cross of Gold" Speech

Speech in which Bryan, the Democratic candidate for president, endorsed the silver standard. This would allow silver to be used in addition to gold to back up the money supply allowing more money to be printed and creating inflation. This idea was first proposed by the Populist Party. Once the Democrats stole their idea, the Populist endorsed Bryan and ceased to be a major third party.

FDR's 1st Inaugural Address (1933)

Speech in which FDR said "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" in order to build confidence and minimize panic during the Great Depression. He also outlined his plan to fix the Great Depression called the New Deal, in which government would take an active role in ending the depression and helping those hurt by it.

Afghanistan War (2001)

This war began when U.S. intelligence discovered that al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden operated out of the country. George W. Bush (the 2nd one) demanded that the Tablin government of this country surrender the al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. The Taliban refused and the US and its NATO allies launched Operation Enduring Freedom. After American and British cruise missiles and bombers destroyed the country's military installations and al Qaeda training camps, ground troops from the US and NATO forces went into the country to remove the Taliban from power. The war devolved into guerilla fighting by insurgents. It is the longest war in American history.

Brinkmanship

Threatening to go to war in order to get one's enemy to back down (e.g. Eisenhower's MAD policy)

Jim Crow Laws

laws that required racial segregation

Americanization

process of acquiring or causing a person to acquire American traits and characteristics (e.g. by requiring immigrants to send their kids to school)

18th Amendment (1919)

"Prohibition" To keep Americans from drinking alcohol it prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages.

American Indian Movement (AIM)

A Native American civil rights group that fought for enforcement of treaty rights and better conditions and opportunities for Native Americans. The organization was involved in the Occupation of Wounded Knee (1973).

Affordable Care Act (ACA) (2010)

A federal law passed under the Obama administration, which prohibits insurers from denying coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions, sets minimum standards for health insurance policies, includes an individual mandate for individuals to have a health insurance policy, and expands Medicaid eligibility for many individuals and families. Republicans criticized the law as socialized medicine and objected to expansion of Medicaid, requiring insurers to cover pre-existing conditions, and the individual mandate. Americans were persuaded by Republican criticism and the law was unpopular at first, causing Democrats to lose control of both the House and Senate in the 2010 midterm elections. Although parts of the law have been repealed, today the law is popular among the majority of Americans. Also known as Obamacare

Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher

A key figure in the Civil Rights movement in Oklahoma who applied for admission into the University of Oklahoma law school to challenge the state's segregation laws. The Supreme Court ruled that she must be allowed in.

March on Washington (1963)

A large political rally to put pressure on Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act in which Martin Luther King delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech.

Ida Tarbell

A muckraker who wrote the History of the Standard Oil Company covering the shady business practices of Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company. The work contributed helped lead to the breakup of the Standard Oil company and the creation of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to regulate business practices in the US.

Dust Bowl

A nickname for the Great Plains regions hit by drought and dust storms in the early 1930s. The dust storms were caused by low rainfall, unusually high temperatures, and poor agricultural practices. The drought lasted for a decade, leaving many farmers without work. Many migrated to California looking for jobs in the agricultural sector.

civil disobedience

A nonviolent, public refusal to obey allegedly unjust laws.

philanthropist

A person who seeks to promote the welfare of others, especially by the generous donation of money to good causes. Andrew Carnegie engage in philanthropy and encouraged others to do the same.

appeasement

A policy of making concessions to an aggressor in the hopes of avoiding war. European nations followed this policy in response to Hitler's aggression in the 1930s.

Fascism

A political system headed by a dictator that calls for extreme nationalism and racism and no tolerance of opposition. Examples: Germany, Italy, and Japan in WWII

Bessemer Process

A process for making steel by shooting air through molten iron to burn off impurities. The resulting steel is stronger allowing for the construction of taller buildings, longer bridges, and more durable railroad tracks.

Haymarket Riot (1886)

A rally held in Chicago's Haymarket Square to support a strike by workers at the nearby McCormick Reaper factory for an 8-hour workday. When police attempted to break up the rally, a bomb was thrown into their midst and the police resounded with gunfire. In total 11 people were killed and dozens injured. The event led to public outrage against unions who were associated with anarchists. The incident ultimately killed groups like the Knights of Labor.

Nuremburg Trials

A series of court proceedings held in Nuremberg, Germany, after World War II, in which Nazi leaders were tried for violations of the rules of war, and crimes against humanity.

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power (e.g. president can veto a law passed by Congress)

Berlin Wall

A wall built by the communist East German government in 1961 to seal off West Berlin from the rest of East Germany to prevent political dissidents from escaping.

Wounded Knee (1890)

According to a prophet, the performance of this dance would make the whites disappear and bring back the buffalo and deceased loved ones. The Ghost Dance alarmed white settlers who believed that Native Americans who performed the Ghost Dance were preparing to attack. The army was sent out to disarm a group of Sioux Ghost Dancers at Wounded Knee Creek, but the engagement ended in a massacre of 300 Native Americans. Historians often say this event marks the end of Native American resistance (i.e. Native Americans resisting their confinement to reservations).

Black nationalism

Advocacy of or support for unity and political self-determination for black people, especially in the form of a separate black nation. Marcus Garvey was an advocate of black nationalism

Ida B. Wells

African-American muckraker and activist who published statistics about lynching. Whites often justified lynching by claiming that the victims had assaulted white women. She uncovered that this was not true. Instead most victims of lynching were well-to-do blacks in an effort to take out competitors and enforce black second-class status in society.

Gentlemen's Agreement (1907)

Agreement between the United States and Japan in 1907-1908 represented an effort by President Theodore Roosevelt to calm growing tension between the two countries over the immigration of Japanese workers. As the number of Japanese workers in California increased, they were met with growing hostility and racial antagonism fed by inflammatory articles in the press. On October 11, 1906, the San Francisco school board arranged for all Asian children to be placed in a segregated school. Japan was deeply wounded by San Francisco's discriminatory law aimed specifically at its people. President Roosevelt intervened. Japan agreed to deny passports to laborers intending to enter the United States. This was followed by the formal withdrawal of the San Francisco school board segregation order. Enabled US to preserve good relations with Japan as a counter to Russian expansion in the Far East.

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement, 1993)

Agreement signed by President Clinton that removed trade barriers between the US, Mexico, and Canada creating a "free trade zone." Critics claimed it cost American jobs as companies moved production to Mexico, where labor was cheaper; but more jobs were created than lost.

14th Amendment (1868)

All persons born in the US are citizens; reverses the Dred Scott decision saying that African Americans were not citizens of the US States cannot deny the equal protection of the laws (i.e equal treatment); Southern states bypass with segregation States cannot deny a person their life, liberty, or property without due process of law; protects individual rights from states

Lend-Lease (1941)

Allowed the president to lend goods and weapons to countries fighting against aggressors. FDR asked for the law to help Great Britain survive against the Nazis when Britain could no longer afford to buy weapons from the US. It caused the U.S. to become the main supplier of the Allied powers ("the arsenal of democracy")

16th Amendment (1913)

Allows the federal/national government to collect income taxes. In order to get rid of protective tariffs, the government would need this alternative source of money. An amendment was required because the Supreme Court had previously declared a national income tax unconstitutional.

referendum

Allows voters to approve or strike down legislation passed by the legislature. A law passed by the legislature is put on a ballot for voters to decide if they want to keep it or not if enough signature can be obtained. Progressive reform implemented in many states that allows voters to bypass unresponsive state legislatures often controlled by political machines or big business.

1912 Presidential Election

Although a Republican, Teddy Roosevelt because he was angry at his former vice president and successor William Howard Taft, created a third party called the Progressive or Bull Moose Party to challenge Taft, who ran as the Republican candidate for president. Woodrow Wilson ran as the Democratic candidate, and Eugene V. Debs represented the Socialist Party. Although this was a period of Republican dominance, the Democrat, Wilson, was able to win because Roosevelt and Taft split the Republican vote.

Quanah Parker

Although he started off as a warrior resisting white settlement on the plains, he later became an advocate of cooperation with whites, allowing white ranchers to lease reservation land for grazing. He encouraged Native Americans to learn white culture, construct schools, build houses, and plant crops. Yet he did not abandon all of his traditions: engaged in polygamy, never cut his long braids, and was a leading advocate for the Native American Church, a combination of Christianity and traditional Native American beliefs and the use of peyote to communicate with God.

Red Cloud's Cooper Union Speech

Although he successfully went to war against the US to maintain tribal lands in earlier years, in this speech the Sioux leader urged peace with the US government arguing that more wars would only lead to the loss of more Native Americans. He also spoke out against Indian reservation agents (government officials who ran the reservations) who were corrupt and enriched themselves at the expense of the Native Americans.

Annexation of Hawaii (1898)

Although independent, Hawaii already had close economic ties with the U.S. in the late 19th century, and its economy was dominated by American-owned sugar plantations that employed native islanders and Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino laborers. In 1893, a group of American planters organized a rebellion that overthrew the Hawaii government of Queen Liliuokalani, and in 1898, the U.S. annexed the Hawaiian island, reflecting its growing empire during the Age of Imperialism.

capitalism

An economic system in which property is privately owned (i.e. individuals own property) and buyers and sellers competing against each other decide what is produced, who makes it, and who gets it. As opposed to socialism in which the government controls property and decides what is produced, who makes it, and who gets it.

NAACP

An organization founded in 1909 to abolish segregation and discrimination and to achieve political and civil rights for African Americans. It's main tactic was to challenge school segregation in court.

United Nations

An organization of nations created after WWII to promote peace and international cooperation. Unlike the League of Nations after WWI, the US joined the UN out of a desire to avoid another world war and because US sovereignty was preserved through an absolute veto over any UN policy.

Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie's argument that wealth was justified because it was the reward for hard work and superior talents, but the rich should use their money to benefit society.

Jazz Age

Another name for the 1920s or the Roaring Twenties. Jazz, a new genre of music developed by African Americans, became increasingly popular during the period, and the style became synonymous with the decade.

rationing

Approach followed by the US government in WWII in which the amount of food and other goods people may buy was restricted in order to ensure adequate supplies for the military and allies.

Occupation of Wounded Knee (1973)

Approximately 200 Oglala Lakota and followers of the American Indian Movement (AIM) seized and occupied the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to protest the US government's failure to fulfill treaties.

Little Rock Nine (1957)

Arkansas governor called out the National Guard to prevent the court-ordered integration of Little Rock's Central High School. President Eisenhower sent in the army to escort nine black children into school and to guard them throughout the school year. It is an example of massive resistance to school desegregation

Iraq War (2003)

As part of the war on terror (i.e. against terrorism), the US invaded this country on the basis that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Because other nations were skeptical of US intelligence, the US entered the war mostly alone. The US overthrow Saddam Hussein but quickly faced problems restoring order. Conflicts of interest between Shiite and Sunni Muslims as well as Kurds made it difficult to create a stable government, and insurgents began attacking American soldiers. Weapons of mass destruction were never found.

Neutrality Acts (1935-1937)

As war looked more imminent in Europe, a series of laws were passed to avoid the circumstances that led the US into WWI. (1) Prohibited sale of weapons to nations at war to maintain neutrality. (2) Everything else sold on a "cash-and-carry basis" (no loans; must pick it up) to keep US ships from being attacked. (3) Warned Americans not to travel on ships of nations at war to avoid popular outcry over another Lusitania. As Great Britain become the lone hold-out against the Nazis, these rules were loosened to help Great Britain survive. First, allowed sale of munitions on cash-and-carry basis (1939). Then just gave them away under Lend-lease (1941).

World Trade Center Bombing (1993)

Attack by Muslim extremists who condemned American support of Israel and involvement in the Persian Gulf War. The truck bomb was intended to bring down the North tower, but failed only damaging underground levels of both buildings.

Oklahoma City Bombing (1995)

Attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. The bombing killed 168 people including 19 children in the building's daycare. It is the largest act of domestic terror (i.e. committed by an American) in US history and was the largest terrorist event ever until 9/11. McVeigh mad over the federal government's raid on the Branch Davidian complex in Waco, TX, and what he regarded as poor treatment of Persian Gulf War veterans hoped the event would inspire a revolt against the U.S. government. The event brought heightened attention to the growing militia movement: private military organizations often on the far right who armed and trained to defend themselves against government repression.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)

Authorized the president to take all necessary measures to repel an armed attack on US forces in Vietnam. It enabled LBJ to escalate US involvement in Vietnam; not a declaration of war.

Bank Failures

Because of the stock market crash, many banks went out of business when customers who borrowed money couldn't repay their loans. This caused other Americans to believe that their banks would go out of business too. Thus, they rushed to their bank to withdraw their money before the banks could run out. This ultimately led these banks to run out of money and fail causing more people to rush to their banks, etc. As Americans lost their money, they could no longer afford to buy products causing businesses to fail and worsening the Great Depression.

Tulsa Race Massacre (1921)

Began when whites tried to lynch and blacks tried to protect a black man accused of raping a white woman. Whites destroyed Greenwood, the wealthiest black community in US. It is an example of both the significant racial violence in early 1900s as well as growing assertiveness in the African-American community following WWI.

White Man's Burden

Belief that it was the duty of white men to colonize and rule other nations because it benefits the native population by bringing a superior way of life (Christianity, democracy, capitalism). Justification for imperialism

domino theory

Belief that the loss of one country to communism would inevitably lead to the loss of others, potentially the US and the whole world. This fear led to US involvement in Vietnam.

Malcolm X

Black civil rights leader who advocated self-reliance and separatism, racial pride, and achieving justice by any means necessary. He was the intellectual father of the black power movement. He scared whites who believed he endorsed violence

Birmingham Church Bombing (1963)

Bombing of an African American church that had been at the center of desegregation efforts in the city. Four young girls were killed outraging the nation and increasing support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Department of Homeland Security

Cabinet department created after 9/11 to coordinate national security efforts against terrorism. It placed many government agencies (i.e. Customs, Coast Guard, Immigration) in one department to help increase communication to avoid future attacks. It was in response to news that several different agencies had intelligence indicating an attack was possible but did not share that information with other agencies.

Pentagon Papers (1971)

Classified Defense Department report on American involvement in Vietnam that revealed that presidents had mislead the American people about the war. The papers were leaked by Daniel Ellsberg and published by the New York Times. President Nixon sought a court injunction to stop publication claiming it jeopardized national security, but the Supreme Court denied it citing freedom of the press in New York Times v. United States.

NATO

Collective security agreement between US, Canada, and western European countries. It was a historic departure from the traditional US foreign policy Soviets respond with their own collective security agreement for Eastern Europe: Warsaw Pact

Army-McCarthy Hearings (1954)

Congressional hearings called by Senator Joseph McCarthy to accuse members of the army of communist ties. In this widely televised spectacle, McCarthy was challenged by the attorney representing the army who said, "Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator; you've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?" This and McCarthy's actions in the hearing caused him to lose public support ending McCarthy's accusations.

injunction

Court order that forbids a party from performing a certain action. The federal/national government would often obtain these to stop strikes as part of the effort to suppress labor unions in the 1800s.

detente

D: Easing of tensions between the US and USSR that was made possible by Nixon's shrewd playing of the "China card": normalizing relations with China (recognition as a country, etc.) in order to make Soviets fear an American alliance with their main rival the Chinese. It led to a halt in arms race: SALT Treaty froze ICBMS, Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty neither power would install a defensive missile shield in order to keep stakes high preventing nuclear war.

De jure vs. de facto discrimination

De jure: segregation required by law (.e.g state laws requiring school segregation) De facto: segregation that people voluntarily do (e.g. whites moving to suburbs so their children don't have to attend city schools with people of color)

Election of 1932

Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt, beat the Republican, Herbert Hoover, who was running for reelection. FDR promised relief for the unemployed, help for farmers, and a balanced budget. Roosevelt's success ushered in a new era of Democratic dominance.

Tet Offensive (1968)

During a truce to observe Tet (lunar new year) North Vietnamese and southern rebels launched a surprise attack overrunning the major cities of the South and nearly the US embassy in the South's capital of Saigon. Although the US won the battle, from this point on, most Americans oppose the war. Shattered public confidence in LBJ who had repeatedly proclaimed victory to be just around the corner and enemy nearly beaten.

John Maynard Keynes Theory of Deficit Spending

During the Great Depression, he advocated that the government spend money to jumpstart the economy.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

Eisenhower's strategy to contain communism in which the US promised that any Soviet attack on America or one of its allies would be countered by a nuclear assault on the Soviet Union. The goal was to deter Soviet aggression by upping the stakes and reduce defense spending (i.e. save money by decreasing conventional military in favor of nukes). This policy led to widespread fear: bomb shelters, duck-and-cover program

direct primary

Election in which voters choose party nominees (i.e. Democratic voters choose the Democratic nominee for president). Prior to this, political machines and party bosses chose the nominees. This was a progressive reform to decrease the power of political machines and fix political corruption.

21st Amendment (1933)

Ended prohibition by repealing the 18th amendment in 1933 due to its unpopularity.

Dawes Act of 1887

Ended the national government's recognition of tribal sovereignty meaning the US government would no longer interact with Native American tribes as if they were separate nations. Instead, the federal government would now deal with Native Americans on an individual basis. Ended collective tribal ownership of reservation land. Instead, the land was redistributed to individual families and any surplus land was opened to settlement.

Andrew Carnegie

Established the Carnegie Steel Company, which monopolized the steel market.

John D. Rockefeller

Established the Standard Oil Company, which was both horizontally integrated (a monopoly) and vertically integrated (owned all parts of the production process from raw materials to delivery of the finished project).

Watergate Scandal

Fearing he might lose his reelection bid in 1972 Nixon formed the Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP) to spy on and create dissension in the Democratic Party. When they were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters, Nixon abused the power of his office and obstructed justice by ordering a cover-up (coached people on what to say, paid hush money, and promised pardons). Eventually, people broke their silence and implicated the president. Their claims were corroborated by taped conversations in the Oval Office. Nixon resigned in order to avoid impeachment. When ordered to hand over the White House tapes, Nixon refused citing executive privilege. In United States v. Nixon, the Supreme Court recognized the right in some cases, but not in this one. Along with the Vietnam War, it undermined Americans' confidence in government, increased cynicism and decreased political participation. It contributed to the conservative resurgence by undermining the foundation of liberalism (trust in government to promote public good) and reinforcing conservative belief that it was necessary to limit the federal government's power to protect individual liberty.

Japanese internment (1942-1946)

Fearing that they might aid a potential Japanese invasion, FDR ordered the removal of all Japanese-Americans from the West Coast to concentration camps in the interior.

Sacco and Vanzetti Trial (1920)

First Red Scare: Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were Italian immigrants charged with murdering a guard and robbing a shoe factory in Braintree, Massachusetts. The trial lasted from 1920-1927. Convicted on circumstantial evidence; many believed they had been framed for the crime because of their anarchist and pro-union activities.

Palmer Raids (1920)

First Red Scare: The Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer sent out US agents to raid the homes of suspected radicals and the headquarters of radical organizations throughout the US. Thousands of people were arrested and hundreds were deported illegally.

George McLaurin

First black man to attend Oklahoma University, but he was forced to sit outside the classroom and at a segregated table in the library. The Supreme Court declared this method of segregation illegal.

Harlem Renaissance (1920s)

Flowering of African-American art, literature, and music centered in Harlem, NY in the 1920s. An example of the growth of racial pride and assertiveness among African Americans following WWI.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955)

Following Rosa Parks arrest for refusing to surrender her seat on a city bus to a white rider, the black community of Montgomery boycotted public transportation until the law was changed. This was a turning point in the civil rights movement marking shift from legal struggles to mass protest and direct action

Yugoslavia

Following the end of the Cold War the U.S. under President Clinton intervened in Bosnia and Kosovo to stop ethnic cleansing of this former Soviet republic. In both instances, the US intervened not on its own but through an international organization, NATO. American military participation was limited to air strikes because Americans were okay with intervention as long as risk to American lives was limited. It shows the evolvement of foreign policy after the Cold War.

isolationism

Foreign policy of the US during the 1920s and 1930s in which the US did not join alliances but did interact in the world when it benefited US interests. An America First policy or a unilateral foreign policy.

Jane Addams

Founder of the Settlement House Movement. In the late Gilded Age, single, middle-class, college-educated women set out to eradicate poverty by establishing settlement houses in the poorest areas of the nation's major cities. From these headquarters, they not only engaged in relief work but studied the poor to identify the causes of poverty and lobbied government to fix the problems they identified. Addams' settlement house was Hull House in Chicago.

Indian Citizenship Act of 1924

Gave Native Americans citizenship and the right to vote in federal/national elections

19th Amendment (1920)

Gave women the right to vote ("women's suffrage)

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Government agency established in the New Deal to build dams along the Tennessee River to both prevent flooding and provide hydroelectric power. Electricity brought one of the most underdeveloped parts of the country into the economy by allowing consumers to spend money on electric appliances and allowing businesses that needed electricity to open in the area.

Progressive Movement

Grassroots movement to make government more democratic, improve conditions in cities and factories, address poverty, and curb corporate power. Not all progressives agreed on the problems or solutions but they did share faith in expert knowledge and were willing to use government power to implement their reforms. It increased the power of the national government at the expense of the states and increased the power of the presidency (by giving governing power to agencies under the president's authority).

W.E.B. DuBois

He argued that African-Americans should demand legal equality as the first step to ending discrimination. He also believed that blacks should receive the same education as whites because through education, the best of the black community—the "Talented Tenth"— would obtain the skills to lead the race out of discrimination. He was the leading opponent of Booker T. Washington's approach. He later helped found the NAACP.

Admiral Alfred T. Mahan

He argued that due to overproduction, the US had to secure access to overseas trade or in other words the US navy had to provide protection to American merchants engaged in international trade. To do this, the US should colonize small areas to be used for naval bases and coaling stations (places to stop and refuel) on the way to Asia. He also suggested building a canal through central America to provide quicker passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

Booker T. Washington

He argued that racism and discrimination would end when African-Americans proved their economic worth to whites not by obtaining legal equality. He advocated that blacks pursue a practical education that would prepare them for the jobs available. To help them, he established the Tuskegee Institute. His approach is called accommodation because it accepts segregation and legal inequality for the time being.

Thomas Edison

He opened the first research laboratory, Menlo Park, where a team of specialists worked together to invent the phonograph, microphone, motion picture camera, storage battery, incandescent light bulb and a system for generating and distributing electric power and light.. His success led other companies to adopt the practice of research and development (i.e. developing new products to sell).

Reaganomics

Help business by ↓ taxes and ↓ regulations; supply-side economics: create economic growth by ↓ taxes for wealthy b/c will invest it creating jobs; cut welfare programs to offset tax cuts. Consequences: (1) cuts in taxes coupled with increase in defense spending caused national debt to triple, (2) deregulation led to a stock market bubble and the savings and loan crisis, and (3) increasing income inequality. Also known as: Supply-Side Economics

Betty Friedan

Her book, The Feminine Mystique (1963) sparked the 2nd Women's Movement. The opening chapter entitled "The Problem That Has No NAme" painted the devastating picture of talented, educated women trapped in a world that viewed marriage and motherhood as their primary goals. This caused women to realize that they weren't alone and start to organize for their political equality.

Rosenbergs Spy Trial (1951)

Husband (weapons engineer in US Army) and wife tried and executed for treason for giving atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. These allegations contributed to the fear that communists were infiltrating the US government, which gave credence to McCarthy's similar allegations.

Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941)

In a surprise attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Japan crippled the U.S. navy in the Pacific. By showing that American security was threatened by the war in Europe and Asia, it caused a majority of Americans to support US entry into WWII

Roosevelt's Court Packing Plan (1937)

In an attempt to prevent the Supreme Court from overturning parts of the New Deal, FDR proposed that Congress allow him to appoint a new judge to the Court for every judge over the age of 70. This would allow him to appoint enough justices to swing the Court in his favor. American people believed FDR was assuming too much power. Consequently, they elected conservatives to check his authority. These conservatives blocked FDR's new proposals ending the New Deal. The Supreme Court was so threatened by the proposal that they did an about face and began to accept government regulation of the economy, including parts of the New Deal.

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

In response to Cuba's plea for help, Soviet Union installed nuclear missiles in Cuba where they could hit any US target. Kennedy demanded Soviets remove missiles or the US would; blockade/quarantine island to prevent arrival of any new missiles; if any missiles launched at US from Cuba, US would launch missiles at USSR. The world hovered on the brink of nuclear war for several days until Soviets offered to remove missiles in exchange for removal of US missiles in Turkey and a promise to never invade Cuba Results in thaw. US and USSR sign Limited Test Ban Treaty (no atmospheric, space, or underwater nuclear weapons testing) and installed a hot-line to facilitate communication in a crisis.

Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948)

In response to the Western powers unifying their zones into the country of West Germany, Stalin cut off all land transportation to West Berlin. In order keep Berlin/contain communism, the US under Truman flew in goods for almost a year. 1st time cold war almost turned hot

OPEC Oil Embargo (1973)

In retaliation for US support of Israel, OPEC, which is dominated by Arab nations, cut the supply of oil to the international market causing the price of oil to skyrocket. It created stagflation (inflation and unemployment), hurt the American automobile industry as people switched to more fuel efficient foreign cars, led to the development of a national energy policy. Inability of government to fix stagflation throughout the 1970s destroyed the presidencies of the decade and undermined liberalism, which rests on the belief that government can fix problems.

Alexander Graham Bell

Invented the telephone

Henry Ford

Inventor of the continuous assembly line

muckrakers

Investigative journalists who wrote exposes Ii.e. uncovering corruption in politics, unsanitary food process, etc.) in order to shock the public into calling for reform.

speculation

Investments in stocks, property, or other ventures in the hope of profit but with the risk of loss.

War on Poverty

Johnson's (LBJ) attempt to eradicate poverty through many federal programs, such as Head Start (early childhood education), food stamps, Medicare (health care for elderly) and Medicaid (health care for poor). It cut poverty rate nearly in half but did not eradicate. Could have done more but Vietnam diverted attention and funding.

Great Society

Johnson's (LBJ) domestic program consisting of the War on Poverty, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (provided federal funding for education; ↑ federal power b/c traditional area of state power), Immigration Act (ended discriminatory quota system; ↑ immigration from Asia, Africa, and Latin America); Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. It was the largest expansion of the New Deal welfare state

yellow journalism

Journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers. American news coverage of war between Spain and Cuba is an example of yellow journalism. Stories of Spanish atrocities angered Americans and led to calls for war against Spain.

Juneteenth

June 19, 1865: day the last slaves were freed in Texas Today: holiday to celebrate emancipation

Peace Corps

Kennedy's program to send young American volunteers to developing nations to provide education and economic assistance. Goal to win competition for Third World against Soviet Union

Ku Klux Klan (KKK) (1920s or New Klan)

Klan reformed in the 1920s due to a movie called Birth of a Nation which glorified the Klan's role in "saving the South" during Reconstruction. The New Klan saw themselves as enforces of "traditional American values". They targeted all people of color, immigrants, non-Protestants, modern women, and supported prohibition.

Cesar Chavez

Latino civil rights activists who formed the United Farm Workers union and launched a strike to gain better wages for grape pickers in the US.

USA PATRIOT Act (2001)

Law passed in response to 9/11 that strengthened the national government's power to conduct surveillance (increased the ability to search telephone records, email communications, as well as medical and financial records), perform searches (e.g. authorized searches of a home or business without the owner's or the occupant's knowledge), and detain individuals in order to combat terrorism. The breadth of the law led to concerns about individual rights including, especially those regarding privacy.

War Powers Act (1973)

Law requiring the president to consult with Congress whenever possible before using military force and requiring that any military engagement must end within 60 days unless Congress declares war or grants an extension. It was an effort to reign in presidential power, which had grown considerably during the Vietnam War. All presidents claim it unconstitutionally interferes with their power to command the military and refuse to follow it.

Black Codes

Laws denying most legal rights to newly freed slaves; passed by southern states following the Civil War (1865 to 1866). This led to the push to pass the 14th Amendment protecting the rights of newly freed slaves. Examples: Blacks banned from all jobs except servant or laborer. Unemployed blacks could be arrested and hired out to white landowners. Black children could be taken from "unfit" parents and placed under the guardianship of former masters

Alice Paul

Leader of the National Woman's party, she protested outside the White House during WWI condemning President Wilson's hypocrisy of wanting to extend democracy to the world while being against women's suffrage at home. She was arrested for obstructing traffic. In prison, she went on a hunger strike to protest her arrest. Prison authorities forcibly fed her. News of her treatment leaked outside the prison promoting public outrage and pressuring Wilson to endorse the 19th Amendment (i.e. women's right to vote).

Thurgood Marshall

Leading NAACP lawyer on school desegregation cases like Brown v. Board of Education

Eugene V. Debs

Leading socialist and labor activist in the U.S. He ran numerous times as the Socialist Party's candidate for president.

Great Migration

Mass migration of African-Americans out of the South during and after WWI due to job openings due to decreased immigration and the draft during the war. After the war ended, the increased job competition with whites led racial tensions in the North.

26th Amendment (1971)

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. It was a response to protests from young men who could be drafted at the age of 18 but not vote until they turned 21.

Yalta Conference (February 1945)

Meeting of FDR, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin to discuss postwar reorganization of Europe. They agreed on an unconditional surrender, occupation, and demilitarization of Germany. In other occupied areas, they agreed to hold democratic elections. Stalin failed to abide by this agreement leading into the Cold War.

Women's Liberation Movement

Movement led by younger women who took a broader view of sexual inequality than NOW. Legal equality was not enough instead inequality ins exual relations, marriage, standards of beauty, etc. had to be addressed. They hosted "consciousness-raising groups" in which women gathered in small groups to share their experiences and air their grievances. These groups enabled women to understand that their personal, individual problems were in fact shared problems with social causes and political solutions. They advanced the idea that the "personal is political"

September 11th (a.k.a. 9/11) (2001)

Muslim extremist group al Qaeda led by Osama bin Laden hijacked planes and flew them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The fourth plan was intended to hit the Capitol building, but crashed into a field when passengers fought back. Over 3,000 people were killed. Bin Laden planned the attack because he was angry about US military occupation of Saudi Arabia, the holiest area in Islam, during the Persian Gulf War as well as US support for Israel and intervention in the Middle East.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

National government agency that insures people's banks accounts in order to prevent bank runs. Created as a New Deal reform to prevent future bank runs.

NASA

National government agency that is responsible for space exploration. It was established after the launch of Sputnik by the Soviets as part of the "space race."

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

National government program to employ the unemployed, including artists, on public works projects. It eased the burden of the unemployed (relief) while stimulating consumption (recovery) and building infrastructure that increased economic efficiency (reform), but didn't employ enough Americans to end the Great Depression.

Occupation of Alcatraz

Native American activists occupied the island in effort to reclaim it. The occupation was forcibly ended by the US government, but it focused national attention on Native American issues.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

New Deal program that hired unemployed men to work on natural conservation projects, such as developing parks, planting trees, and helping in erosion-control and flood-control projects.

opening of China

Nixon's efforts to normalize relations with China by recognizing it as country and allowing it to take its seat on the UN Security Council, diplomatic visits between the two countries, and ping pong tournaments. The goal was to persuade the Soviet Union that the US was forming an alliance with China (it wasn't) in order to get the Soviet's to come to the negotiating table and agree to reduce tensions.

Korean War (1950-1953)

North Korean government established by the USSR invaded South Korea, which had a government established by the US. US pushed the North out of the South. Despite Chinese warnings not to invade the North, the US invaded in an attempt to unify Korea; US pushed back to 38th parallel. It was a roxy war between US and USSR. Stalemate made Truman unpopular helping Eisenhower become president

DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, 2012)

Obama policy that would provide deportation relief to those brought to this country illegally as children.

Clara Luper

Oklahoma City teacher who led students in a sit-in to desegregate the lunch counter at the Katz department store. The campaign spread and led to the desegregation of several stores across OKC.

Social Security

Old-age pensions (i.e. monthly paycheck to elderly), unemployment insurance (i.e. monthly paycheck to unemployed for a limited time to help them pay bills until they can get a new job), and aid to the disabled. It marked a turning point in the establishment of a limited welfare state in the US. The law established a permanent federal responsibility for ensuring the material well-being of ordinary Americans, but it's limited because not everyone qualifies for aid and people must "earn" their benefits by paying into the system with taxes on their income.

Gerald Ford

Only president never to be elected to either vice president or president. Nixon appointed him to be vice president when Spiro Agnew was forced to resign. He then became president when Nixon was forced to resign. He then pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed before he was every charged or prosecuted for crimes dealing with the Watergate Scandal.

desegregation of the military (1948)

Ordered by Truman and is an example of the Democratic Party embracing Civil Rights

League of Nations

Organization of nations that aimed to achieve peace by upping the risks of war with collective security (if one is attacked, all must defend). Although the League was Wilson's idea, the US did not join out of concern that collective security undermined US sovereignty (ability to conduct its own foreign policy). League didn't carry out collective security in response to Germany, Italy, and Japan's territorial aggression. It instead adopted a policy of appeasement (allowing Axis to take territory in hopes they will be satisfied avoiding war), which only encouraged more aggressive action leading to WWII.

Camp David Accords (1978)

Peace agreement between Israel and Egypt negotiated by President Jimmy Carter. Egypt agreed to never again invade Israel and, ine exchange, Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Outlawed racial and gender discrimination in public facilities and employment thereby ending Jim Crow (legal/de jure segregation). Democratic support of the law alienated the South from the Democratic Party

buying on the margin

People borrowed money to buy stocks in the 1920s causing the stock market to grow/boom. When the market crashed, those who bought stock on the margin were no longer able to get enough money from selling their stock to pay back their loans. This put banks out of businesses beginning the banking crisis.

First Red Scare (1919-1920)

People feared that a socialist revolution would occur in the US because of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia and labor strikes that occurred after WWI. This fear led to the Palmer Raids, Sacco and Vanzetti executions, increased nativism and immigration restrictions, and a decline in unions.

Stock Market Crash of 1929

Plunge in stock market prices that marked the beginning of the Great Depression

laissez-faire

Policy followed by most Gilded Age politicians of helping business (e.g. building railroads, tariffs to protect American businesses) but not regulating business (i.e. telling them what they can and cannot do).

Populist Party/People's Party

Political party formed to address the needs of farmers (subtreasury system, free coinage of silver, replace protective tariffs with a progressive income tax, government regulation or ownership of railroads) and labor (immigration restrictions, 8-hour work day) and to make government more responsive to the will of the people (direct election of senators, initiative, referendum, secret ballot). Its ideas formed the foundation for the Progressive Movement and the New Deal.

Truman Doctrine

President Truman's policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology (i.e. containment)

Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)

President when the Great Depression began. His laissez-faire approach to the depression made the depression worse and cost him the presidency.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Proposed amendment that was not ratified to make the sexes equal. It's an example of the culture wars of the 1970s and the rise of conservatism because the campaign to defeat it was led by a woman who claimed it would undermine traditional family values.

Bonus Army March (1932)

Protest organized by WWI veterans who demanded early payment of their service bonus because of the Great Depression. Hoover refused and sent in the military to break up the demonstration. Images of the military attacking American veterans caused public outrage decreasing Hoover's popularity.

Selma to Montgomery March (1965)

Protesters attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery to deliver their demands for voting rights to the governor. They were brutally attacked outside Selma. National and international coverage of the event sparked outrage and led the national government to pass the Voting Rights Act.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Provided federal oversight of elections in areas with a history of disenfranchisement and outlawed literacy tests. It provided African Americans with an effective right to vote. Along with Civil Rights Act of 1964 provided African Americans with legal equality

Pullman Strike (1894)

Railroad strike that began when the Pullman Palace Car cut wages but not rents in the company town--when the employer also controls all housing and stores in a town. The American Railway Union (ARU) led by Eugene Debs launched a boycott against all trains that carried Pullman Cars, shutting down railroads and the economy throughout the west. The federal/national government obtained an injunction (court order) to end the strike, but Debs refused to call it off. In response, the president sent in the military to break up the strike causing violence in many cities and ending the boycott. For his role in the boycott, Debs was arrested and imprisoned. While in prison he became radicalized adopting socialism (government ownership of the economy) rather than just higher wages and better working conditions for workers.

Reagan's Tear Down This Wall Speech (1987)

Reagan speech delivered in West Berlin where he calls for the Soviet Union to take down the Berlin Wall dividing east and west Berlin. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

Iran-Contra Scandal (1987)

Reagan wanted to overthrow the leftist Sandinista government of Nicaragua, but Congress refused to grant him authority or funding. Despite this, the CIA armed and organized a rebel group called the Contras and raised money to fund them by selling weapons to Iran. It was an unconstitutional usurpation of Congress's authority, but Reagan avoided prosecution, and his reputation survived the scandal leading people to call him the "Teflon president"

Great Recession (2008)

Recession that began with the burst of the housing bubble. Due to the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act and deregulation, banks made extremely risky and unknowingly high cost loans to homeowners. When homeowners began defaulting on the loans, banks went out of business and the stock market crashed. Although the recession began earlier, the bank failures occurred right in the middle of the 2008 presidential election. Although George W. Bush was term limited and could not run again, Americans blamed him and elected Barack Obama president.

Susan B. Anthony

Reformer who campaigned for women's rights, temperance, and helped form the National Woman Suffrage Association. In an act of civil disobedience to protest the lack of women's suffrage (i.e. right to vote), she voted illegal in a presidential election. She also refused to pay the fine for breaking the law.

Immigration Act of 1924 (a.k.a. National Origins Act)

Restricted immigration with a quota system: Largest number allowed from northern and western Europe, very few from southern and eastern Europe, no Asians and no Africans. No restrictions placed on Latin Americans at the request of businesses who wanted a source of cheap labor.

15th Amendment

Right to vote cannot be denied on the basis of race Southern states bypass this with literacy tests, poll taxes, grandfather clause, and intimidation.

FDR's Four Freedoms Speech (January 1941)

Speech in which FDR tried to convince Americans that they needed to help the Allies in WWII. He asserted that "everywhere in the world" people should enjoy four freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. He was imply that the US had a responsibility to help others secure these freedoms.

John F. Kennedy's (JFK) Inaugural Address

Speech in which Kennedy vowed to contain communism: Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. He also called on Americans to contribute: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."

Alger Hiss (1948)

State Department official who was accused by Whittaker Chambers, a former US Communist Party member, before the House Un-American Committee (HUAC) of being a spy for the Soviet Union. These allegations contributed to the fear that communists were infiltrating the US government, which later gave credence to McCarthy's similar allegations.

T. Roosevelt vs. Taft on Trust Busting

T. Roosevelt: differentiated between good and bad trusts. Bad trusts were monopolies that did not benefit the country, and he believed these should be broken up into smaller businesses to compete against each other. Good trusts were monopolies that benefited the country. These monopolies would remain intact but be regulated to make sure they did not take advantage of the American people. Taft: More conservative than Roosevelt, he believed the national government should not be in the position of regulating business. Thus, he believed the national government should just break up all trusts. This disagreement led to the division of the Republican Party in the 1912 election.

D-Day Invasion (June 6, 1944)

Successful Allied invasion of German-controlled France that marked the turning point in the European theater. From this point forward, except for a rally at the Battle of the Bulge, Germany was forced to retreat in the West. The delay in opening this second front caused the Soviets to bear the brunt of the fighting in Europe and increased their distrust and animosity towards the West.

literacy test

Supposedly a test to ensure that someone could read and write before being allowed to vote. However, these tests were usually only given to African Americans and were so difficult that no one could pass them. This was a tactic used to deny black Americans the right to vote. Literacy tests were outlawed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Supreme Court decision that balanced a woman's right to an abortion against the state's right to protect the unborn by adopting a trimester approach in which women have a paramount right to abortion in the first trimester, the state has a paramount right to ban abortion in the last trimester, and the in the second trimester the two rights are balanced allowing the state to make some limitations on abortion. The decision helped contribute to conservative backlash as well as sparked the rise of the Religious Right

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Supreme Court declared school segregation an unconstitutional violation of the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause because dividing children even when done equally stigmatizes one group as inferior The decision overturned Plessy v. Ferguson but ONLY in regard to public schools.

Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

T. Roosevelt asserted the right of the US to intervene in the internal affairs of nations in Western Hemisphere, Although the US claimed this was to protect Latin American nations from European intervention, the true goal was to protect US military and economic domination of these nations.

Dollar Diplomacy

Taft's foreign policy which replaced "bullets with dollars." Instead of forcing other countries to go along with American interests, he encouraged American businesses to invest in foreign countries, particularly in Latin America, to increase US influence in those countries.

T. Roosevelt vs. Taft on Environmental Conservation

Teddy Roosevelt as president was a committed conservationist, who wanted to sustainable use the country's natural resources. To do so he designated some public lands (lands owned by the national government) as closed to business so they could recover. When Taft succeeded Roosevelt, he reopened many of these lands to business exploitation. This disagreement between Roosevelt and Taft led to the division of the Republican Party before the 1912 election.

Big Stick Diplomacy

Teddy Roosevelt's foreign policy strategy in which he "spoke softly but carried a big stick" meaning that he would negotiate with others, but if that didn't work he would use threats of unleashing his big stick or the American navy against others.

Warren Court (1953-1969)

The Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren, which expanded the Constitution's promise of equality and civil rights. It issued landmark decisions in the areas of civil rights, criminal rights, reproductive freedom, and separation of church and state. Some Americans viewed the court as coddling criminals, attacking Christianity, and embracing immoral behavior leading to the conservative resurgence of the 1970s and the emergence of the Christian Right

Korematsu v. United States (1944)

The Supreme Court upheld Japanese internment policy as necessary for national security in Korematsu v. U.S.

Panama Canal

The US offered to build a canal across the isthmus of Panama to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The Columbian government, which controlled the land, said no, so the US aided a group rebels to gain their independence from Columbia and establish the new country of Panama. Instead of asking the leaders of Panama if the US could build the canal, the US asked some random guy from Panama to sign a treaty giving the US the right to build the canal and operate it forever. The US apologized for this incident, and later returned the canal to Panamanian control.

Living Room War

The Vietnam war was the 1st war that was shown on TV every night in America. The daily death count and footage of the war both increased opposition to the war and undermined Lyndon B. Johnson's (LBJ) lies that the US was winning the war.

25th Amendment (1967)

The amendment clarifies that the vice president becomes president if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office, establishes how to fill a vacancy in the office of the vice president. It also provides for the temporary transfer of the president's powers to the vice president, either on the initiative of the president or the vice president together with a majority of the cabinet if the the president is deemed incapable of fulfilling his duty. The Amendment was first used under the Nixon administration to allow Nixon to appoint Gerald Ford as his new vice president once Spiro Agnew was forced to resign and then allowed Gerald Ford to succeed Nixon when he resigned.

Robber barons vs. Captains of Industry

The business leaders of the Gilded Age inspired both admiration and hostility. Depending on one's point of view, men like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller were either "captains of industry," who advanced the economy and benefited the country or "robber barons" who exploited others to accumulate wealth.

Hurricane Katrina (2005)

The costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States, killing nearly 2000 Americans. The storm ravaged the Gulf Coast, particularly the city of New Orleans,where high winds and rain caused the city's levees to break, leading to catastrophic flooding, particularly centered on the city's most impoverished wards. A tardy and feeble response by local and federal authorities exacerbated the damage and led to widespread criticism of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Potsdam Conference (July 1945)

The final wartime meeting of the leaders of the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union. Truman (FDR died before conference), Churchill, and Stalin discussed the future of Europe but their failure to reach meaningful agreements soon led to the onset of the Cold War.

Nixon-Kennedy Debate (1960)

The first televised presidential debate between Democratic candidate John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Republican candidate Richard Nixon. Those who listened to the debate on the radio thought Nixon won. Those who watched it on TV thought Kennedy, the younger, and arguably better looking, opponent who was more prepared for TV (i.e. wore makeup, tanned, and wore a blue suit that would look better in black and white) as opposed to an unshaven Nixon who sweated throughout the debate. Historians credit this debate with giving JFK a boost to win the tight election fo 1960.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional

selective incorporation

The process by which provisions of the Bill of Rights are applied to the states through the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment

Freedom Rides (1961)

To pressure JFK to enforce Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation on interstate transportation, a biracial group rode buses throughout the South in violation of local segregation laws. The goal was to provoke segregationists into an ugly reaction that would put public pressure on JFK to act. National and international attention caused JFK to propose the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to Congress

Marshall Plan (1947)

Truman's containment policy in which US provided money to rebuild European economies after WWII because the lack of food, jobs, etc. was making communism more popular. Western European economies recovered and communism declined. As Western Europeans became better off they bought American goods helping the US economy.

1968 Election

Turbulence of the 1960s reached a climax in this election year when momentous events succeeded each other so rapidly that the foundations of society seemed to be dissolving—Tet Offensive, LBJ drops out of race for Democratic nomination, MLK assassinated, RFK assassinated, riots at Democratic National Convention. Nixon exploited social chaos to win the presidency by appealing to the "silent majority" and employing his "southern strategy" (appealing to southern segregationists). The result was a realigning election: New Deal coalition falls apart; enter a period of divided government in which one party controls the presidency and the other party controls one or both houses of Congress.

Spanish-American War (1898)

US intervened in the civil war between Spain and its colony Cuba due to public indignation aroused by yellow journalism. In addition to "liberating" Cuba, the US acquired the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam from Spain and took the opportunity to formally annex Hawaii. Turning point in which the US became an imperialist nation. Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam became official colonies. Cuba although officially independent was actually controlled by the US.

Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961)

US plot to overthrow Fidel Castro of Cuba. The CIA trained anti-Castro exiles to invade Cuba where it was believed they would set off a popular uprising; failed. It pushed Cuba closer to Soviet Union and led to installation of nuclear missiles in Cuba by the Soviet Union. Planned under Eisenhower; put in action by Kennedy.

island-hopping strategy

US strategy in the Pacific theater: rather than attempting to reconquer all the land taken by Japan, the US targeted only a series of islands leading straight to Japan. The high death rate in these battles led strategists to estimate that hundreds of thousands would be lost in an invasion of Japan causing the U.S. to use the atomic bomb force Japanese surrender instead.

initiative

Voters propose legislation by collecting enough signatures and placing the measure on the ballot to be approved or disapproved by voters. Progressive reform implemented in many states that allows voters to bypass unresponsive state legislatures often controlled by political machines or big business.

recall

Voters vote to keep or remove elected officials prior to the end of their term. Progressive reform adopted in many states as a way to remove officials who did the bidding of big business or political machines.

Zimmerman Telegram (1917)

WWI: Germany in an effort to keep the US out of Europe sent a telegram to Mexico asking Mexico to agree to declare war on the US and keep it fighting at home if the US declared war on Germany. In exchange, Germany would help return Mexico's "lost territories" (i.e. southwestern US). The telegram was intercepted by the US and leaked to the press. Outraged Americans put pressure on the government to abandon its neutrality and declare war on Germany.

unrestricted submarine warfare

WWI: Germany's policy of destroying any ship whether military, merchant, or passenger if it was carrying war material. After the sinking of the Lusitania under this policy, the US demanded that Germany stop or the US would retaliate. Germany stopped for awhile, but once the war in Europe turned from a two front to one front war after the Russia signed a peace treaty with Germany, the Germans calculated that if they resumed this policy, they would be able to cut off supplies to the Allies and defeat them before the US could mobilize its military and get to Europe. As a result of the resumption of this policy, the US abandoned its policy of neutrality and declared war on Germany.

General Douglas MacArthur

WWII: He liberated the Philippines, then oversaw the Japanese surrender and occupation.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower

WWII: Led the Allied invasion of North African and planned and executed the D-Day invasion at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge

Iranian Hostage Crisis (1979-1980)

When President Carter allowed the deposed Shah of Iran to enter the United States for medical treatment, followers of the Ayatollah Khomeini invaded the US embassy and took 58 Americans hostage. Carter's failure to secure their release undermined his presidency and discredited Democrats as being wimpy on foreign affairs. It revealed the extent to which American power had declined in the world.

Second Red Scare (1950s)

Widespread fear of communist infiltration of the US that followed WWII that included McCarthy's accusations against suspected communists in government, Rosenberg Spy trial, and the Alger Hiss controversy. Repression of political dissenters as well as fear of the repercussions (job loss, prison) of being seen as a communist sympathizer or spy resulted in the consensus and conformity of the 1950s

Missionary Diplomacy

Wilson's foreign policy strategy that is also known as Moral Diplomacy. He believed the US should promote peace, democracy, and free trade throughout the world. Examples of this policy would be his Fourteen Points as well apologizing for the Panama Canal, extending citizenship to Puerto Rico, and committing to eventually give the Philippines their independence.

Fourteen Points

Wilson's plan to achieve lasting peace following WWI: free trade (economic opportunity), self-determination (self-government; no colonies), a League of Nations, based on collective security, and no punishment of war losers. Only League adopted and Germany was severely punished (reparations, lost territory) setting up WWII.

Iron Curtain

Winston Churchill's term for the Cold War division between the Soviet-dominated East and the U.S.-dominated West.

National Organization for Women (NOW)

Women's civil rights organization founded in 1966 by Betty Friedan that lobbied for equal opportunity in jobs, education, and political participation. It's actions were modeled on earlier Black civil rights groups.

sit-down strike

Work stoppage in which workers shut down all machines and refuse to leave a factory until their demands are met as opposed to protesting outside the business. Tactic deployed during the Great Depression.

Federalism

a form of government in which power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the states

Ku Klux Klan (KKK) (original)

a secret society who used intimidation to end Reconstruction (i.e. kept blacks and white Republicans from voting so that Democrats could take back power in southern states)

13 Amendment (1865)

abolished slavery Southern states 1st bypassed with Black Codes and then sharecropping system and chain gains (prisoners rented out to employers)

assimilation

absorbed into the main culture of a society

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

banned immigration from China 1st major immigration restriction

24th Amendment (1964)

banned poll taxes (i.e. tax that must be paid before voting)

reservation

lands where American Indians were required to live by the federal government

jingoism

extreme, chauvinistic patriotism, often favoring an aggressive, warlike foreign policy

Popular Sovereignty

governmental authority is derived from the people. Under this principle, government governs with the consent of the governed

Limited Government

holds that a government can only exercise the powers granted to it. Government must be conducted according to the rule of law

Nativism

hostility toward immigrants

Ellis Island and Angel Island

immigration processing centers on the east coast (Ellis) and west coast (Angel) that prevented immigrants with diseases and disabilities from entering the US

Women's Suffrage Movement

movement to grant women the right to vote

Holocaust

the Nazi program of exterminating Jews under Hitler

Separation of Powers

the division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government

Reconstruction

the period after the Civil War in the United States when the southern states were reorganized and reintegrated into the Union

nuclear proliferation

the spread of nuclear weapons