Key Historical Terms and Concepts

A collection of key historical terms and concepts from the early 20th century, particularly focused on U.S. history, World War I, and the Great Depression.

Theodore Roosevelt

26th President of the United States, known for his progressive reforms and conservation efforts.

Bully Pulpit

A prominent public position that provides an opportunity to advocate for an agenda.

The Great White Fleet

A group of U.S. Navy ships that completed a journey around the world from 1907 to 1909 to showcase American naval power.

Panama Canal

A canal built across Panama, completed in 1914, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

An addition to the Monroe Doctrine asserting the U.S. right to intervene in Latin American nations.

Dollar Diplomacy

U.S. foreign policy aimed at furthering its interests in Latin America and East Asia through economic power.

Bull Moose Party

A political party formed by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 to support progressive reforms.

Woodrow Wilson

28th President of the United States, known for leading the country during World War I and his 14 Points.

16th Amendment

Constitutional amendment that allowed Congress to levy an income tax.

Federal Reserve Act

Legislation that created the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the U.S.

World War I

A global war centered in Europe that lasted from 1914 to 1918.

Franz Ferdinand

Archduke of Austria-Hungary whose assassination triggered World War I.

The Western Front

The main theater of combat during World War I, characterized by trench warfare.

U-boats

German submarines used during World War I and II.

Lusitania

A British ocean liner sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, influencing U.S. entry into WWI.

Zimmerman Telegram

A secret diplomatic communication from Germany proposing a military alliance with Mexico.

Selective Service Act

Law enacted in 1917 to authorize the Federal Government to enlist U.S. citizens for military service.

AEF

American Expeditionary Forces, the U.S. forces that fought in World War I.

John Pershing

A general in the U.S. Army who led the American forces in World War I.

Battle of the Somme

One of the largest battles of World War I fought in 1916, notable for its high casualties.

The Armistice

An agreement to stop fighting, signed on November 11, 1918, ending World War I.

14 Points

A statement of principles for peace outlined by President Woodrow Wilson in 1918.

Great Migration

The movement of over one million African Americans from the rural South to the urban North from 1916 to 1970.

Chicago Race Riot

A violent racial conflict in Chicago in 1919 sparked by the drowning of a Black youth.

Palmer Raids

A series of raids conducted during the Red Scare to capture and deport suspected radicals.

19th amendment

Constitutional amendment that granted women the right to vote in 1920.

Warren Gamaliel Harding

29th President of the United States from 1921 until his death in 1923.

The Immigration Act of 1924

Law that restricted immigration by establishing national quotas.

18th Amendment

Constitutional amendment that prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol.

Volstead Act

Law enacted to provide for the enforcement of the 18th Amendment.

Dawes Plan of 1924

A plan to ensure payment of reparations by Germany after World War I.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

An international agreement signed in 1928 that condemned war as a means of resolving disputes.

Herbert Hoover

31st President of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933 during the Great Depression.

The Great Depression

A severe worldwide economic downturn that lasted from 1929 to the late 1930s.

Dust Bowl

A period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the U.S. prairies during the 1930s.

Bonus Army

A group of World War I veterans who march on Washington, D.C. in 1932 to demand early payment of a bonus.

Franklin Roosevelt

32nd President of the United States, who led the nation during the Great Depression and most of World War II.

The New Deal

A series of programs and reforms implemented by Franklin Roosevelt to combat the Great Depression.

Emergency Banking Act

A law passed in 1933 that allowed only solid banks to operate, stabilizing the banking system.

FDIC

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which insures bank deposits in the U.S.

Securities Exchange Commission

A government agency created to regulate the securities markets and protect investors.

Public Works Administration

A New Deal agency that funded large public works projects to provide jobs and improve infrastructure.

Civilian Conservation Corps

A New Deal program that provided jobs in natural resource conservation.

Eleanor Roosevelt

First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945 and a politician and activist.

Soviet Union

A socialist state that existed from 1922 to 1991, now split into 15 independent countries.

Totalitarian

A form of government that prohibits opposition parties and has total control over public and private life.

Fascism

An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.

Benito Mussolini/Partito Nazionale Fascista

Italian political leader who founded the Italian Fascist Party and ruled as Prime Minister.

Adolph Hitler/National Socialist Party

Leader of Germany from 1933 to 1945, head of the National Socialist German Workers' Party.

Munich Agreement

Settlement permitting Nazi Germany's annexation of portions of Czechoslovakia.

Neville Chamberlain

British Prime Minister known for his policy of appeasement towards Hitler.

Winston Churchill

British Prime Minister during World War II, renowned for his leadership and speeches.

Lend Lease Act

U.S. program during WWII providing allied nations with vast military supplies.