US History 1877-1929

Panama Canal

A man-made waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.

Suffrage / Franchise

The right to vote in political elections.

Theodore Roosevelt / Teddy Roosevelt

26th President of the United States; known for his leadership in the Progressive Movement

Populism

a political viewpoint that focuses on empowering ordinary working people and challenging financial and political elites

Progressive Era

The rapid economic expansion of the Second Industrial Revolution also led to an increase in the difference between the haves and the have-nots, as well as the growth of oligopolies and monopolies

18th Amendment

Ratified in 1917 and established the prohibition of alcohol. (Remember with: you can't drink at 18) Was repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933

Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890

a compromise in the free silver movement that depleted US gold reserves

Abby Kelley Foster

Feminist, abolitionist, and speaker. Worked with abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison and was a spokesperson for the Anti-Slavery society and the women's rights movement.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act

Regulated business practices.

Sojourner Truth

A former slave who argued for abolition of slavery and women's rights.

Father Coughlin

Catholic priest who promoted anti-Semitic and pro-fascist viewpoints via his popular radio program

The Jungle

Novel by Upton Sinclair; exposed horrors of meatpacking industry; prompted federal regulation of food.

Tenement Housing

small, low-quality apartments built to house workers and immigrants in New York City and other large cities; lacked amenities or enough space for the large families who occupied the units;

Example.

wealthy female activists advocated for better living conditions for immigrants as a labor and child welfare issue

Huey Long

Louisiana populist politician who served as governor and US senator

19th Amendment

Ratified in 1920, it gave women the right to vote (known as women's suffrage).

American Imperialism

The desire to extend America's political, economic, and cultural influence beyond the boundaries of the US

Jane Addams

Created settlement houses in Chicago to serve poor urban immigrant communities.

Progressive Movement

A middle-class movement to correct changes in a system that had been corrupted by an abuse of power by the wealthy.

Bimetallism

a monetary system where both gold and silver were used as the basis for currency, popular in the late 1800s with populists like William Jennings Bryan

USS Maine

A battleship that was sunk in the port of Havana; the US blamed the Spanish and declared war.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Women's rights advocate; created the Seneca Falls Convention and the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments with Lucretia Mott.

Matilda Joslyn Gage

Co-founder, along with Anthony and Stanton, of the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869.

Queen Lili‘uokalani

Queen of Hawaii prior to U.S. takeover of the islands; she was the last Hawaiian queen

Lucretia Mott

Women's rights advocate; created the Seneca Falls Convention and the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments with Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Lucy Stone

Gifted speaker; a spokesperson for the women's rights movement and the Anti-Slavery society.

William Jennings Bryan

populist politician who was the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party in 1896, 1900, and 1908

The Federal Reserve (The Fed)

The central bank of the United States; responsible for setting interest rates, other monetary policy and regulating private banks and financial institutions

Sarah Grimke

Argued for equal educational opportunities and equal pay for women.

Susan B. Anthony

Advocated for women's rights, specifically suffrage and property rights.

Annexation

the formal incorporation of one territory or region into another, often through political, legal, or military means

Temperance

A movement that began in the 1840's, dedicated to promoting moderation and even abstinence in the consumption of alcohol.

National Park system

President Theodore Roosevelt doubled the size of the National Park system. He also passed legislation allowing himself and future presidents to declare sites and structures as historical landmarks that would then be owned and protected by the federal government.

Women's Rights Movement

Focused on women's right to vote, own property, retain their earnings, and participate in labor organizations.

Declaration of Rights and Sentiments

Created at the Seneca Falls Convention, detailed social injustices toward women and resolutions to fight for, including the right to vote.

Big Stick Diplomacy

Foreign policy of US president Theodore Roosevelt: "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

Women's Suffrage

The right of women to vote in political elections.

Seneca Falls Convention

Held in New York in 1848, this convention is seen as the first organized step in the women’s suffrage movement

Panic of 1893

global economic depression that impacted America's economy and politics significantly

Spanish-American War

Conflict in 1898 that ended Spanish colonial rule in American territories, also resulted in the US acquiring territories in Latin America and the western Pacific

Treaty of Paris (1898)

Ended the Spanish American War in 1898