Key Events, Speeches, and Court Cases in American History

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing major American historical doctrines, speeches, court rulings, and movements from 1823 to 1964.

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

A passive foreign policy act stating the U.S. would stay out of foreign affairs, asserting that the American continents were not subjects for future colonization, America could not interfere with existing colonies or European internal concerns, and America would not be indifferent if broken into.

Emerson's "Self Reliance" (1841)

A transcendentalist work emphasizing that "no law can be sacred but that of our own nature," urging individuals to trust themselves and their nature, and defining genuineness as being self-reliant and thinking for oneself.

Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

The first women's rights meeting organized by Stanton, asserting that women deserve equal political rights—specifically voting rights—rather than demanding social equality.

Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" (1849)

A transcendentalist work arguing that human-made law differs from higher, universal moral justice, and asserting that individuals must decide what is just and practice civil disobedience against unjust laws.

Susan B. Anthony's "Women's Right to Suffrage" (1873)

A speech delivered after Anthony was convicted for illegally voting, defending women's constitutional rights as citizens by citing the preamble's words "we the people" rather than "we the male citizens."

Turner's "Significance of Frontier in American History" (1893)

An essay arguing that American development began on the frontier, progressing from traders following Indians to colonists taking over the wilderness.

Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition Speech (1895)

A speech advocating that newly freed Black individuals receive "vocational education" at institutions like Tuskegee, rather than demanding immediate political or social equality.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

A Supreme Court decision ruling that "separate but equal" was constitutional after a 1/8 Black man was barred from riding in a whites-only railway car.

Square Deal (1901–1909)

Theodore Roosevelt's presidential platform focusing on three main objectives: control of corporations, conservation of natural resources, and consumer protection.

Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine (1904)

A policy shifting American foreign policy from passive non-intervention to active military intervention, asserting "international police power" to intervene in political and financial instability in Latin America.

Ross's "The Causes of Race Superiority" (1907)

A text marking the beginning of the eugenics movement derived from social Darwinism, describing an effort to weed out weak races by having them commit race suicide through a lack of national pride.

New Nationalism (1910)

Theodore Roosevelt's doctrine calling for a strong federal government to regulate the economy and place "public welfare" over property rights.

T. Roosevelt's "Who is a Progressive?" (1912)

An essay defining progressives as individuals who pursue social and political change for society's welfare, advocating for active government in favor of social justice.

Wilson's "What is Progress?" (1913)

A work arguing that the Constitution should be treated as a Darwinian "living organism" that evolves with time, giving modern generations the freedom to undo and redo the government as the Founding Fathers did.

Wilson's Fourteen Points (1918)

A peace proposal advocating for a League of Nations to maintain global security, highlighted by Point 14's principle of collective security: "an attack on one, is an attack on alll."

Buck v. Bell (1927)

A Supreme Court case ruling that the state possesses the authority to enforce the sterilization of an individual deemed mentally insane for the "public wellfare."

Great Depression (1929–1939)

A prolonged economic crisis triggered by the stock market crash, caused by supply exceeding demand.

Commonwealth Club Address (1932)

A speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt outlining the New Deal's three pillars: (1) relief for the unemployed, (2) recovery of the economy, and (3) reform of the financial system through an active federal government.

FDR's First Inaugural Address (1933)

An address famous for stating "we have nothing to fear except fear itself," which advocated expanded government involvement to confront the economic crisis of the Great Depression.

Four Freedoms (1941)

FDR's vision marking the transition from neutrality to supporting the Allies, consisting of freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from fear of foreign invasion, and freedom from economic want.

Pearl Harbor Address (1941)

Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech responding to Japan's attack by asking Congress to declare that a state of war existed between the U.S. and Japan, formally entering the nation into World War II.

D-Day

The major Allied military operation that took place on June 6, 1944, during World War II.

Cold War (1947–1991)

A prolonged economic, ideological, scientific, and international security competition between the West and the USSR (Soviets) and its allies, characterized by the establishment of communist regimes.

Kennan's "Sources of Soviet Conduct" (1947)

A text expounding the containment policy, asserting that if communism is contained, it will eventually fizzle out.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

A landmark Supreme Court decision regarding a Black girl forced to take an unsafe path to a segregated school, ruling that "separate but equal" is unconstitutional when applied to public education.

Eisenhower's Farewell Address (1961)

A presidential address warning against two future domestic threats: the military-industrial complex and the risk of public policy being dictated by funding and experts.

Kennedy's Inaugural Address (1961)

A foreign policy address delivered at the height of the Cold War, notable for the phrase: "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

A confrontation prompted by the discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba 90 miles from U.S. soil, during which Kennedy established a naval blockade and stated, "our goal is not the victory of might but the vindication of right."

MLK's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (1963)

An essay proclaiming that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" and outlining the four steps of nonviolent direct action: collection of facts, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action.

MLK's "I Have a Dream" (1963)

A speech invoking the Gettysburg Address and Emancipation Proclamation, urging nonviolent action and the "urgency of now" to end legalized racism, and envisioning a world where children are judged by character rather than skin color.

Malcolm X's "The Ballot or the Bullet" (1964)

A speech by a Black Muslim leader advocating for the civil rights cause by meeting police brutality with force through "all means necessary," claiming "there was no such thing as a nonviolent revolution," and stating "let your dying be reciprocal."