History 108 Midterm ID

Spoils System

Spoils System

It involved favoritism and nepotism and it was when the political leaders had all they say. Andrew Johnson was also a president known for doing this type of system

Civil System

The civil system was when the cabinets were based on merit and overall just the opposite of the Spoils System. George Washington is also the president known for using this type of system.

Eugenics

Eugenics is a pseudo science and it is the idea that the good and bad traits were passed down and this science was specifically applied to immigrants. People like Rockefeller and JP Morgan were also big supporters of this science, even Margaret Sauger who created birth control.

Emancipation Proclamation

This freed slaves and allowed them to work under the union army and be paid for it. This Proclamation involved President Lincoln and while it did free slaves the Radical Republicans believed it did not do enough.

President Vicente Ramon Guerrero

He was the president who abolished slavery in Mexico but was unfortunately killed.

Zimmerman Telegram

This was a telegram sent by Zimmerman and it was intercepted by the British and sent to America. The telegram was Germany basically asking Mexico to fight America. This was because they hoped that if Mexico was at War with America than America wouldn’t join the current war. They also promised Mexico the land back that was taken during Manifest destiny.

Manifest Destiny.

This term was coined by O’Sullivan and it encouraged Americans to Migrate West because it was their divine right to do so.

Social Darwinism.

This idea was supported by many rich businessmen. The term associated with Social Darwinism, Survival of the Fittest was also coined by Herbert Spencer. It was basically saying that the rich will pass down these traits while the poor will not flourish. Rockefeller was also a supporter of Social DarwinismTr

Andrew Carnegie

He was a major player in the Steel industry and he was one of the richest in the world. He was also one of the first people to be open 24 hours a day and unlike other business men in invested in education.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

This treaty ends the war with Mexico and it is important because this treaty also leads to America befriending Mexico by paying 15 million for Texas and granting citizenship in certain areas.

California Gold Rush

Marshall and Sutter were the first to find the gold and this led to a number of people migrating there and a growing number in Chinese immigrants. People would go there in hopes of making it good but the reality was much harsher.

Homestead Act

This act was sighed by Lincoln and it offered 160 acres of land that you could keep if you made good use of the land. This led to large waves of migration and overproduction of crops but it lasted over 124 years.

The Reconstruction Amendments

They were the 13th, 14th and 15th.

The 13th was the abolition of slavery.

The 14th was the protection of citizen rights.

The 15th allowed everyone to vote (except for women)

Americanization

It involved the Native Americans or rather to handle them. They would either have to be assimilated, killed or displaced on a reservation.

Women’s Suffrage

There were women such as Chopin, Willard and Stanton who were advocates for women’s suffrage. They fought for home protection and the Temperance movement which fought to have alcohol in moderation. There was also the Declaration of Sentiment that used the first sentence of the declaration of independence but added women into the sentence as well.

Spanish American War

This war involves President Mckinley and is the first US president to declare war without formally asking congress. This war happened because the sinking of the ship maine and America wanting to help the Cubans. At the end of the War, American gained Puerto Rico, Cuba, Philippines and Guam.

Chinese Exclusion Act

It prevented Chinese laborers from migrating to America, this especially began when a huge number of people were migrating from China.

Louisiana Purchase

This involved Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon who sold him the land because he was too busy with his other wars. This will lead Thomas Jefferson on the search for the Northwest Passage.

Yellow Journalism

Yellow Journalism exaggerated the news and this is what created support for the Spanish American War.

Thomas Edison

He is the man credited with the invention of the light bulb and was a pretty good business man which is why he was so successful.

Dawes Act

The Dawes Act was the split up the land among the Native Americans and distributed it to them.

Lewis and Clark

These were the two men that Jefferson sent to explore the Louisiana territory and they were aided by Native Americans. They had kept a journal of all the new species they discovered but didn’t discover the route to the pacific ocean because it did not exist.

Homestead strike

This involved Andrew Carnegie and his steel workers who went on strike. Twelve people end up dying and public opinion goes towards Carnegie. The National guard also shows up and this event is what sets the tone for other corperations

General Santa Anna

He doubled crossed a US president, signed a treaty that Mexico itself didn’t agree with and was also exiled to Cuba for a period of time. He’s important because in played a huge part in the War with Mexico.

Black Codes

These were specifically reactionary laws that states had toward the new amendments. Black people could not testify against white people and there was no due process. These laws eventually turned into Jim Crow laws.

Urbanization

During Urbanization there was the creation of tenements which housed the working class. Then there was also Nikola Tesla who created Alternating currents and that allowed places to stay open 24/7. Presidents at this time also had very little political power. Overall during urbanization there was a growth

Mexican-American War.

Tensions were already high with Mexico but the war begins when the US annexes Texas. During this war General Santa Anna tricks President Polk but in the end this war embarrasses Mexico because of the invasion of the capital.

Radical Republicans

This group of people felt that Abraham Lincoln was not doing enough to free the slaves and not quick enough. They were progressive and wanted equality for everyone and they were also constantly at odds with president Andrew Johnson.

Freedman’s Bureau

It was ran by Otis Howard, it helped aid former slaves but it specifically helped establish schools for them.

Texas Independence

During this time Mexico gains Independence from Spain and when they encourage migration, many people from the slave states move there. This becomes a problem when Mexico abolishes Slavery in 1829. (The tejanos are also the Mexican residents of this area.)

Frederick Douglass

He was everything that the south feared, (An educated African American.) he strongly supported that education was important, he had also taught himself. He was the figure head of the Abolishment movement and supported women’s rights

Missouri Compromise

The compromise was deciding if Maine and Missouri would be slave states or not. This compromise ended an equal amount of free and slave states. (Missouri being the slave state and Maine being the free state.)

Big Stick Diplomacy

It was a saying started by Teddy Roosevelt, “speak quietly but keep a big stick.” The big stick is the military, that would keep the peace.

Nikola Tesla

He originally worked for Thomas Edison and he created the AC or the alternating current system which allowed for electricity to travel further. This allowed factories to remain open longer and leisure activities such as theaters to open up.

Flu Pandemic

675,000 died from this new strain of influenza and people avoided public areas and even avoided welcoming the soldiers back due to the hysteria. This pandemic is important because it demonstrated how limited American technology was and vulnerable they still were.

Settlement Houses

They were clubs but for adults but mostly teachers or educated people ran it. Unions met up there and so did the immigrant workers. Middle class and Upper class reformers also supported these homes.