AP US History Notes: Period 7 (1890-1945)

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to the AP US History exam, particularly focused on the period of 1890-1945.

Gilded Age

A period from the 1870s to 1900 marked by massive economic growth and significant economic inequality.

Progressive Era

An era of social and political reform in the United States that lasted from 1901 until the beginning of U.S. involvement in World War I in 1917.

Muckrakers

Investigative journalists who sought to spur reform and expose corruption during the Progressive Era.

New Deal

A series of domestic policy initiatives and social welfare programs proposed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt to alleviate the suffering of the Great Depression.

Panic of 1893

An economic depression caused by the failure of the Reading Railroad company and by over-speculation, leading to a severe market downturn.

Bull Moose Party

A short-lived third party formed by Theodore Roosevelt in support of his 1912 run for President, officially named the Progressive Party.

Social Gospel

A Protestant social justice movement encouraging middle-class Protestants to join reform efforts to improve the lives of the less fortunate.

Seventeenth Amendment

A Progressive Era reform that required the direct election of U.S. senators by the people.

Clayton Antitrust Act

A 1914 law that strengthened provisions for breaking up trusts and protected labor unions from prosecution under the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Spanish-American War

A conflict in 1898 between the United States and Spain, resulting in U.S. control over Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

Zimmermann Telegram

A diplomatic communication from Germany to Mexico proposing a military alliance against the United States, contributing to U.S. entry into World War I.

Emergency Banking Relief Act

A law passed in 1933 to reopen solvent banks after the nationwide Bank Holiday announced by FDR.

Hawley-Smoot Tariff

A 1930 tariff that raised duties on imported goods, leading to a global trade war and worsening the economic crisis of the Great Depression.

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

A program of the Second New Deal that employed millions of Americans in various public works projects.

Final Solution

The Nazi plan for the extermination of the Jewish people, which resulted in the Holocaust.

Rosie the Riveter

A propaganda character representing women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II.

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns built by the homeless during the Great Depression, named mockingly after President Herbert Hoover.

Black Tuesday

The day of the worst stock market crash in U.S. history, which occurred on October 29, 1929, marking the start of the Great Depression.