US History 11: Reconstruction, Industrialization, WWI, and the New Deal

How was slavery officially ended across the country?

The 13th Amendment abolished slavery everywhere.

How did Southern states attempt to keep control of freed slaves after the 13th Amendment?

They passed Black Codes to restrict rights and maintain cheap labor.

What did the 14th Amendment do?

It granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all born in the U.S.

What is sharecropping?

Sharecropping let freedmen farm for a share of crops but kept them in debt, similar to slavery.

How did Republicans tighten control of Southern states with their new Reconstruction plan in 1867?

They put the South under military rule and required new constitutions with Black male suffrage.

Why was it difficult to crack down on the Ku Klux Klan?

The Klan used secret violence and intimidation, and local authorities often refused to act.

How did Southern Democrats undermine Republican rule during Reconstruction?

They used violence, voter intimidation, and political resistance to regain power.

Why did Northern states abandon Reconstruction?

Northern fatigue, economic concerns, and waning interest in Southern issues led them to withdraw support.

How did railroads help kick-off the rapid industrial growth of the late 1800s?

Railroads connected markets and resources, fueling industry and mass production.

How did John D. Rockefeller come to dominate the oil industry?

He used trusts and integration to eliminate rivals and control oil refining.

Why was Chinese immigration restricted by Congress in 1882?

Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act due to racism and job competition fears.

How did proponents of Social Darwinism justify the wealth gap?

They claimed the rich were 'fittest' and the poor were naturally inferior.

How did immigration change in the late 1800s?

New immigrants came from Southern and Eastern Europe, often poorer and less assimilated.

How did many Americans respond to new waves of immigration?

Many showed nativism, pushing restrictions, while reformers offered aid and assimilation.

What role did immigrants play in urban political machines?

Immigrants gave votes in exchange for jobs, housing, and favors from machines.

What enabled the rapid settlement of the Midwest and West in the late nineteenth century?

The Homestead Act, railroads, and new farming technology encouraged settlement.

What challenges did farmers face on the plains of the Midwest?

Farmers struggled with droughts, debt, low crop prices, and isolation.

What was the goal of the Indian School movement?

It aimed to assimilate Native children by erasing their culture and teaching white ways.

What challenges did labor unions encounter in their efforts to negotiate for better conditions?

They faced hostile courts, strikebreaking violence, and accusations of radicalism.

What was the core message of the social gospel?

The social gospel urged Christians to apply faith to social reform and help the poor.

What were the underlying assumptions of the Progressive movement?

Progressives believed the government could solve social problems and regulate business for fairness.

What prompted the Spanish-American War?

The explosion of the USS Maine.

Why did many Americans want to stay out of WW1?

Americans feared foreign entanglements, high costs, and loss of lives in a European conflict.

What was the immediate cause of American entry into WW1?

Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmermann Telegram pushed the U.S. into war.

How did domestic affairs during WW1 contradict Wilson's vision of 'making the world safe for democracy'?

We were restricted through censorship, propaganda, and suppression of dissent at home.

What changes occurred in the 1920s that made it seem like America was entering a 'New Era' of unrivaled prosperity?

Mass production, consumer goods, rising wages, and urban cultural shifts made prosperity seem unstoppable.

Why was the Ku Klux Klan revived in the 1920s?

Revived by racism and nativism, it expanded hate to immigrants, Catholics, Jews, and became more public.

What were the underlying causes of the Great Depression?

Over-speculation, weak banks, farm overproduction, unequal wealth, and tariffs hurt the economy.

How did the crash of 1929 become a full-scale economic depression?

The crash killed confidence, banks failed, savings vanished, jobs collapsed, and trade fell.

How did the New Deal attempt to recover the American economy?

Relief gave help (CCC), Recovery restarted demand (AAA), Reform made lasting changes (Social Security, FDIC).

How did Roosevelt stop the cycle of collapsing banks?

He declared a bank holiday, passed the Emergency Banking Act, and reassured people with fireside chats.

How did Huey Long, Francis Townsend, and Father Coughlin criticize the New Deal?

Long wanted wealth redistribution, Townsend demanded pensions, Coughlin attacked FDR for not going far enough.

How did Roosevelt respond and adapt to his critics in the second New Deal?

He created Social Security, strengthened labor rights, and expanded jobs with the WPA.

What were the achievements of Reconstruction?

Reconstruction achieved major changes like abolishing slavery and granting citizenship and voting rights.

What caused the collapse of Reconstruction?

Violent resistance and discriminatory laws in the South, including the actions of the Ku Klux Klan.

How did industrialization, urbanization, and immigration influence each other?

Industrialization created jobs attracting immigrants, leading to urbanization, which fueled more industrial production.

How did daily life during WW1 reflect government control?

Citizens rationed food, bought Liberty Bonds, and dissent was limited by laws like the Espionage and Sedition Acts.

What was the efficacy of the New Deal?

The New Deal restored confidence in the economy but did not fully end unemployment; true recovery came with WWII.