American History Overview: Periods and Themes

A set of flashcards summarizing key periods, movements, and concepts in American history.

Period 1 (1492-1607)

The era of early exploration and contact between Native Americans and European explorers.

American National Identity

The evolution of identity among American citizens often tied to colonization, independence, and ethnic backgrounds.

Sons of Liberty

A group formed to oppose British taxation, playing a crucial role in American independence.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the United States, which proved to be weak in establishing a strong central government.

Manifest Destiny

The 19th-century doctrine that justified American expansion across the continent.

Civil War (1861-1865)

A conflict between the Northern states (Union) and Southern states (Confederacy) primarily over issues of slavery and states' rights.

Expansion of Suffrage

The movement to give voting rights to all white men, initiated during the Jacksonian era.

New Deal

A series of programs and reforms introduced by Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression.

Civil Rights Movement

A struggle for social justice and equality for African Americans, especially notable during the 1950s and 1960s.

Gilded Age

A period of rapid economic growth in the late 19th century marked by industrialization and wealth disparity.

Immigration Quotas (1924)

Laws that limited the number of immigrants allowed into the United States, reflecting nativist sentiments.

First Great Awakening

A religious revival movement in the 18th century that emphasized individual piety and a personal relationship with God.

Social Darwinism

An ideology that applied the concept of natural selection to human societies, often used to justify racial inequality.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local statutes that legalized racial segregation in the United States until the Civil Rights Movement.

Cold War

A state of political hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union, characterized by military buildup and ideological conflict.

Environmental Movement

An organized effort to protect the natural environment, which gained momentum in the late 20th century.