American History Final Study Guide

Imperialism

The political, military, and economic domination of strong nations over weaker nations or territories.

Turner Thesis

The argument that the conquest of the western frontier was the nation's formative experience, shaping its character and values.

Extractive Economy

A capitalist system of exploitation and oppression that values consumerism, colonialism, and money over people and the planet.

Social Darwinism

A new interpretation of Herbert Spencer's theory that would inspire the nation, 'survival of the fittest'.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

The author of The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, which influenced the U.S. to expand its naval power.

Matthew Perry

In 1853, he led the U.S. to take its first steps toward becoming a world power by arriving in Tokyo Bay with the 'Great White Fleet'.

Albert Beveridge

A senator from Indiana who proposed that America had a duty to expand based on its history and uniqueness.

Josiah Strong

He brought religion into the argument of westward expansion.

Teller Amendment

An amendment signed when the war was declared, stating the U.S. was unable to keep Cuba, but the Philippines were not mentioned.

MAIN

The four causes of WWI: Militarism, the Alliance System, Imperialism, and Nationalism.

Isolationist

A group that believed the war was none of America's business and that the country should not get involved.

Interventionist

A group that believed American interests were tied to an Allied victory and therefore the country should get involved.

Internationalists

A group that believed the U.S. should play an active role in bringing the war to a just and peaceful end without military involvement.

Black Hand

A secret organization formed by Serbian military members.

Lusitania

A ship that was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, killing 128 Americans.

Arms Race

A race to develop more powerful, advanced weapons and troops than potential enemies.

Zimmerman Note

A telegram from a German foreign minister to Mexico, intercepted by Britain, proposing that Mexico declare war on the U.S.

Selective Service Act

An act that forced men 21-30 to register for the draft.

Sedition Act

An act that made it a crime to use disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the American government.

Committee on Public Info

A government agency that hired speakers to discuss the reasons for the war and how citizens could help.

Schenck v. United States

The case that established the clear and present danger test.

14 Points

A treaty proposed by President Wilson, consisting of fourteen parts to secure peace without victory.

Espionage Act

An act that allowed the postal service to ban treasonable and seditious materials and prosecute obstructing military recruitment.

Irreconcilables

A group of senators who believed the U.S. should not become involved in world politics and refused to support the Treaty.

Clause 231

A clause in the Treaty of Versailles that made Germany admit to starting the war to justify the punishments given to them.

Reparation

Payments made to make up for wrongdoing and damages usually during war.

What was the Battle of Midway?

A significant battle in the Pacific Ocean on June 4, 1942, where America sank 4 Japanese aircraft carriers and forced Japan to retreat.

What were the consequences of the Battle of Midway?

America maintained power in the Pacific, ended the Japanese advance, and shifted Japan to a defensive position.

What was D-Day?

The Allied invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, aimed at destroying German transportation and communication.

What were the consequences of D-Day?

Led to Europe's liberation, a significant win for the Allies, and opened the Western Front.

What was the Battle of the Bulge?

A surprise German counter-attack in the Ardennes Forest from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945.

What were the consequences of the Battle of the Bulge?

Germany was demoralized, lost thousands of troops and tanks, and was pushed back to their starting line.

What was the Battle of Okinawa?

A battle that started on April 1, 1945, where the U.S. sought to control Okinawa Island to establish an air base.

What were the consequences of the Battle of Okinawa?

It was a turning point for the Allies, resulted in over 12,150 American deaths, and killed over 83,000 Japanese soldiers.

Stock Market Crash

A sudden, severe collapse of U.S. stock prices in October 1929, particularly on 'Black Thursday' (Oct. 24) and 'Black Tuesday' (Oct. 29), wiping out billions in wealth and triggering the Great Depression due to rampant speculation, easy credit (margin buying), and underlying economic weaknesses like overproduction, low wages, and weak banking regulations.

Taylorism

When you simplify a process to as few steps as possible.

Speculation

Speculation is making an educated guess on whether stock prices will go up or down.

Bonus Army

A bonus army is an army who fought for a bonus offered in 1924 to be given in 1945, but wanted the bonus early due to the effects of the Great Depression.

Consumer Revolution

The consumer revolution is a period in the 1900s where businesses innovate new and great products, fueled by the more widespread availability of electricity.

Overproduction

Overproduction is when businesses produce more products that consumers do not demand. Businesses may have to discount products to sell all of the overstock. This made businesses lose stock prices.

Laissez-faire Economics

Laissez-faire economics is a belief based on the government not getting involved in economics and just letting it be.

Buying on Margin

Buying on Margin is a program by banks to loan money to consumers typically for stocks. They would make consumers pay 10% of the loan money and the 90% would be paid off later.

Bank Holiday

An event called by Roosevelt to stop the rush on banks and restore confidence in the system by approving banks with high success rates, and offering insurance for money.

Relief

Programs set up to bring help to those who needed it as soon as possible.

FDIC

Insurance system set up to give money back to those with money saved in banks that would fail or go bankrupt.

Hooverville

A Hooverville is a small area containing a homeless population that built dwellings (or settlements) out of whatever they could find.

Reform

Programs set up to fix what is broken with the economy.

SEC

Securities and Exchange Commission, a government agency responsible for regulating the securities markets and protecting investors.

First 100 Days

A program set up by Roosevelt and Congress to pass 15 laws in record time. It is also referring to when the first 100 days of a presidency are judged by the success and count of laws passed.

Recovery

Programs set up to restore the economy to normal levels.

Social Security Act

The social security act ensured money to retired people by taxing working Americans, and allowing the retired to consume.

Court Packing

Court Packing was a Roosevelt idea to add a Justice to the Supreme Court for every Justice over the age of 70, proposed to help him pass the New Deal.

Bank Crisis

The bank crisis was when lots of banks went out of business from people not paying back loans and Buying on Margin payments, and also from crop prices dropping.

Opposition to the New Deal

Examples include Huey Long's idea to tax the rich and give money to the poor, Francis Townsend's idea to create social security, and Father Charles Coughlin idea to have the government control the banks and run it for the benefit of all people.

New Deal

The New Deal would fix the economy by setting up 3 divisions to target different problems, create jobs, pay people to let them consume, and then this consumption would stimulate the economy.

Pros and Cons of the New Deal

Pros include that it helped the economy greatly, but cons include that many say it goes against the founding fathers intents.

Legacy of the New Deal

The legacy of the New Deal is programs like the FDIC and limitations on the Stock Market and truth in stock reporting. It also established workers rights, like from the Wagner Act.

Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism is a new type of governing, where the government takes all power over political, social, and economic parts of society.

Appeasement

A foreign policy based on giving in to the demands of an aggressor in order to avoid war.

Fascism

A totalitarian government that emphasizes militant nationalism and frequent racism, brutally suppresses criticism and dissent, and regulates all business, industry, etc.

Benito Mussolini

The founder of the Fascist party, and the Italian leader.

Adolf Hitler

The leader of the Nazi's in Germany.

Joseph Stalin

The leader of the Communist party in the Soviet Union.

Neville Chamberlain

The British prime minister before Winston Churchill.

Winston Churchill

The British prime minister during WWII.

Munich Pact

The pact formed between Italy, England, Germany, France, and Italy that reinforced the following ideas: The Sudetenland will be turned over to Germany. Germany promised to not claim any more territory in Europe. England, France, Italy, and Germany promised to protect what is left of Czechoslovakia.

Nazi-Soviet Pact

A pact between Germany and Russia, that says the following points: When Germany attacks Poland, Russia will remain neutral. Russia will receive half of Poland. Germany and Russia will not go to war for 10 years.

Battle of Britain

The Battle of Britain was the first major battle fought entirely in the air. The German air force had to destroy the RAF (Royal Air Force).

Neutrality Acts

The Neutrality Acts made the U.S. avoid military/security alliances with other nations (collective security).

Czechoslovakia Crisis

In September 1938, Hitler sought to expand Germany by demanding the Sudetenland, a region of Czechoslovakia with a large German population, threatening to take it by force if necessary.

Lend-Lease Act

Britain ran out money and needed supplies. Congress passed this act to give money to Allies who needed it, to avoid the U.S. entering the war.

Cash and Carry

The Cash and Carry program was created to be able to stay neutral and not have to send ships and soldiers to the U.K. to avoid deaths and costs of transportations.

Examples of appeasement

Examples of appeasement are when Germany annexed Sudentan (part of Czechoslovakia), and the Allies just let them but told them to not do it again.

Significance of Dunkirk

The significance of Dunkirk is that even though Britain lost the battle, they salvaged the Britain Expeditionary Force which ultimately kept Britain in the war.

Significance of the Battle of Britain

Because it was fought on homeland the British were able to go back up in the air without many soldier deaths.

Significance of the German invasion of Russia

When temperatures were cold in Russia they were able to fight back against the German and push them back farther than their original frontlines.

Any country could buy war supplies

As long as they paid cash and carried the material home on their own ships.

Atlantic Charter

A meeting between Churchill and Roosevelt expressing their goals for the war, emphasizing self-determination for all nations.

Charles Lindberg

A famous aviator who founded the America First Committee.

America First Committee

An anti-war club that opposed U.S. involvement in WWII, blaming big business and banks for pushing the country into war.

Shoot on Site Order

An order given by Roosevelt allowing the Navy to shoot at U-boats upon sighting them.

Destroyers for Bases

The exchange of 50 old destroyer ships to England for 8 military bases in the Atlantic and Caribbean.

Pearl Harbor

An island and military base in Hawaii, bombed by Japan on December 7, 1941.

Bataan Death March

A brutal, forced transfer of approximately 60,000-80,000 American and Filipino POWs by the Imperial Japanese Army.

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor

To destroy the U.S. Navy and take control of U.S. colonies in Asia for raw materials.

Argument between isolationists and interventionists

Interventionists, led by Roosevelt, wanted to amend Neutrality Acts to help Allies; isolationists, led by Lindbergh, wanted to avoid war.

Leslie Groves

Leader of the Manhattan Project, responsible for the project's security.

Robert Oppenheimer

Leader of the Manhattan Project, overseeing the scientists needed to complete the project.

Potsdam Ultimatum

Truman's demand for Japan to surrender or face utter destruction.

Hiroshima/Nagasaki

The two cities bombed by nuclear bombs in August 1945.

Interim Committee

A committee formed to advise Truman on the use of the atomic bomb, consisting of scientists, politicians, and military members.

Reasons for using the atomic bomb

To avoid massive American casualties from an invasion of Japan and justify the $2 billion cost of the Manhattan Project.

Alternatives to using the atomic bomb

Included allowing Japan to keep their Emperor, demonstrating the bomb, or continuing a naval blockade.

Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb

To save American lives and end the war as soon as possible.

Date of Pearl Harbor attack

December 7, 1941.

Date of Hiroshima bombing

August 6, 1945.

Date of Nagasaki bombing

August 9, 1945.

Spanish Flu

A mutated bird flu that was most popular in 1918-1920. It affected the war effort in WW1, because historians believe American soldiers brought it to Europe.

Red Summer

A period in the summer of 1919 that saw many white supremacy attacks, and race riots.

Anarchist

Someone who believes that there should be no rulers or government.