U.S. History – Regents Review Packet

Flashcards for U.S. History Regents Review

What was the main goal of the British policy of mercantilism toward the American colonies?

To obtain raw materials and create new markets for the mother country.

What were the main differences between the Massachusetts and Virginia colonies?

Massachusetts was settled by Puritans seeking religious freedom and building towns with small farms, while Virginia was settled by businessmen growing tobacco on large plantations using slave labor.

In what way was the Mayflower Compact an early example of democracy in America?

An agreement made by the first Puritan settlers which established the idea of self-government.

What was the House of Burgesses?

The first elected legislature in the American colonies.

Who did the work on the early plantations in Virginia?

Slaves.

How was the British policy of salutary neglect good for both the British king and the American colonies?

The British received raw materials and the Americans bought British products; the Americans were left alone in their day-to-day lives.

Why did the British decide to raise taxes on the American colonists? How did the Americans react? Give specific examples for both questions.

The British felt that the Americans should pay the cost of the French and Indian War; the Americans reacted by protesting.

How did Enlightenment ideas influence the Declaration of Independence?

Natural rights, social contract, and consent of the governed.

What are natural rights and what do they have to do with government?

Rights that all humans are born with and which can't be taken away, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; government is responsible for protecting these rights.

Where does the government get its power from, according to the Declaration?

The consent of the governed (the people).

According to the Declaration, what is the primary responsibility of the government? What do people have the right to do if the government fails to live up to this responsibility?

To protect people’s natural rights; the people have the right to alter or abolish the government.

What were the main weaknesses of the government under the Articles of Confederation?

It was weak because there was only one branch, Congress had no power to collect taxes, and the states had most of the power.

The Northwest Ordinance was the one positive achievement of the Articles of Confederation. What did it do?

Defined the procedure for adding new states into the nation.

Why did the Framers decide to write a new Constitution?

The government they had created was too weak.

What were the main differences between the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation?

The Constitution created a stronger central government than the Articles of Confederation.

What issue did the Great Compromise resolve? How did it do so?

Representation in Congress; by creating a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives (proportionate representation) and a Senate (equal representation).

What are the ways that the Constitution prevents the government from becoming too powerful?

Limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, flexibility, and federalism.

What are the three branches of government? Explain the main job of each.

Executive (enforces laws), Legislative (makes laws), and Judicial (interprets laws).

Name and explain some examples of checks and balances.

The President can veto laws passed by Congress; the Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional.

What are the different ways that the Constitution provides for flexibility (ability to change) in the government?

The elastic clause and amendments.

How does the Bill of Rights guarantee people’s civil liberties? Name at least five rights guaranteed to people by the Bill of Rights.

By guaranteeing individual rights and liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

How do you think George Washington reacted to a conflict between England and France?

He would have advocated for isolationism and staying out of the conflict.

What does the power of judicial review allow the Supreme Court to do?

Declare laws unconstitutional.

The two-party system, lobbying, and the president’s two-term tradition are examples of what idea?

Unwritten Constitution.

Why was Thomas Jefferson against Alexander Hamilton’s proposal for a National Bank?

It's not mentioned in the Constitution.

What was a main result of the fighting between Jefferson and Hamilton?

The creation of the first political parties.

How did the actions of Chief Justice John Marshall change the US government?

Increase the supreme court and the federal government power.

What were the main steps in U.S. territorial growth during the 1800s?

Louisiana Purchase, Texas Annexation, and the Mexican Cession.

In what ways did the US government encourage westward expansion in the 1800s?

Erie Canal, Indian Removal Act, Homestead Act, transcontinental railroad, and the California Gold Rush.

How was the idea of manifest destiny used to justify US westward expansion?

It said that God had given the US the right to expand all the way to the Pacific Ocean, even if it meant taking the territory of other people.

What advantages did the US gain with the Louisiana Purchase?

New territory, New Orleans, and control of the Mississippi River.

What was Andrew Jackson’s policy of Indian removal, and how did it affect Native Americans during the period of westward expansion?

Forcing Native Americans off their land and onto reservations.

Why did westward expansion lead to increased tensions over slavery in the US?

The North and South began to fight more and more over whether or not to allow slavery in the new territories of the United States.

What compromises did the North and South try to make over the issue of slavery? Why didn’t they work?

Failed to prevent civil war.

How did the Dred Scott case and the election of Lincoln help lead to the Civil War?

The Dred Scott case said that slaves were not citizens and the election of Lincoln led to secession.

What reason did the Southern states give for secession?

They feared that he would try to get rid of slavery.

How did the Civil War Amendments attempt to protect the rights of newly freed slaves?

The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments.

What were the main methods used by state governments in the South to deny African Americans their constitutional rights?

Jim Crow laws, literacy tests, the "grandfather clause", and the poll tax.

How did most former slaves in the South make a living in the years following the Civil War?

Sharecropping.

What did the Supreme Court say about segregation in the Plessy v. Ferguson case?

"Separate but equal" facilities were legal.

What were the main causes and results of industrial growth in the mid- to late-1800s?

Increasing population, advances in transportation and communication, new energy sources, the rise of corporations, and an open immigration policy.

Why was the late 1800s in the US sometimes called the “Gilded Age”?

The late 1800s in the US was sometimes called the "Gilded Age" because wealth was concentrated in a few persons hands, as if covered in Gilded gold

What were some of the results of the idea of laissez-faire capitalism?

Monopolies.

How did the philosophy of Social Darwinism justify economic inequalities?

It said that the rich were rich because they deserved to be rich (they were the “fittest”), while the poor were blamed for being poor (it was their own fault).

Why were some industrial leaders of the late 1800s called “robber barons”?

Because of their unfair business practices.

Why are monopolies bad for the economy? What were early examples of US monopolies?

Consumers suffer from high prices and low-quality products; Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller

How did the government finally try to control monopolies? Were they successful?

The Interstate Commerce Act and the Sherman Antitrust Act.

What were the problems that labor unions were most concerned with fixing?

Low pay, dangerous conditions, and long hours.

What were some examples of conflict between corporations and workers in the late 1800s?

The Railroad Strike of 1877, the Haymarket Riot, the Homestead Strike, and the Pullman Strike.

Why did the US follow a policy of open immigration during most of the 1800s?

To feed industry’s need for labor.

What was the difference between “old” and “new” immigrants?

Old immigrants were from Northern and Western Europe, while new immigrants were from Southern and Eastern Europe.

Where did most immigrants to the US settle in the late 1800s and early 1900s? Why?

Cities, because of the availability of jobs.

What were the main social problems that reformers of the Progressive Era cared about?

Social, economic, and political problems caused by Industrialization and Urbanization

What was a “muckraker” and who were some important examples of muckrakers?

A journalist who exposed corruption and social problems; Upton Sinclair, Jacob Riis, and Lincoln Steffens.

How did Jacob Riis and Jane Addams try to help the urban poor?

They tried to expose the problems of child labor and living condidtions of the urban poor

Which consumer protection laws were inspired by the muckraking of Upton Sinclair?

The Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act.

Which Progressive laws were passed by the federal government to regulate big business?

Clayton Antitrust Act, Federal Trade Commission Act, Federal Reserve Act.

How did the 17th Amendment attempt to reduce corruption in government? What other changes in government helped to expand democracy?

Direct Election of the Senators

Why did the Progressive Era US government create the Federal Reserve system?

To regulate the money supply and prevent economic panics.

Which President is remembered for conservation and the creation of national forests?

Theodore Roosevelt.

How was US imperialism related to industrialization and the rise of big business?

US demand for raw materials and new markets to sell products increased dramatically.

What did the Roosevelt Corollary say the US had the right to do?

The US had the right to be the “policeman” in the Western Hemisphere.

Which territories did the US gain after victory in the Spanish-American War?

Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

How did America’s role in the world change after the Spanish-American War?

The US became a world power and began a long period of intervention in Latin America.

Why was the US interested in building a canal across Panama?

To connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

At the beginning, what was the US attitude toward World War I?

Neutrality.

What factors drew the US into entering World War I?

British propaganda, German submarine warfare, the Zimmerman Note.

What did Wilson’s “14 Points” say about the League of Nations? Did Congress agree?

The US should join the newly-created League of Nations; the Senate rejected this.

What effect did the Schenck v. United States case and its “clear and present danger” test have on the Bill of Rights’ protection of freedom of speech?

Speech could be a crime if it presented a “clear and present danger” to national security.

What new kinds of consumer products were introduced in the 1920s? How did the production of new consumer goods affect the economy in the 1920s?

Mass Markets, Mass Media and Mass entertainment

How were the Sacco and Vanzetti case, the Scopes Trial, and the debate about “flappers” examples of a conflict between traditional and modern cultures in the 1920s?

Because they symbolize conflict between traditional and modern cultures in the 1920s.

Why did Prohibition fail? What were the main effects of its failure?

It did not end the desire and consumption for alcohol

What were the main results of the rise in nativism during the 1920s?

Rise in nativism, prejudice against immigrants

What were the goals of the immigration laws of 1921 and 1924?

Restricted immigration and established and maintained distinct system

How did the Red Scare threaten the civil liberties of American citizens?

People were worried about communist revolution and the need to protect the american soceity

What was the Harlem Renaissance and how did it reflect the experiences of African- Americans in the 1920s? Who were the main figures of the Harlem Renaissance?

Growth of African American arts and culture; Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington.

During the 1920s farm crops were overproduced. What affect did this have on farmers?

Farmers struggled.

Explain how the “boom” economy of the ‘20s was actually an example of “false prosperity.”

People were in debt and bought too many goods.

What did overproduction of consumer goods and farm products have to do with the beginning of the Great Depression?

Overproduction of consumer goods and farm crops, too much credit, and speculation on the stock market.

What were other main causes of the Great Depression?

Too Much credit, speculation on the stock market.

How did the Depression affect the everyday lives of Americans?

Many people were hungry and homeless.

What was the Dust Bowl? How did it affect farmers in the Great Plains?

Drought combined with over farming; many farmers had to leave their farms and flee.

How was FDR’s response to the Depression different from that of Herbert Hoover?

FDR responded with the New Deal; Hoover ignored people’s suffering.

What was the New Deal? What has been a major lasting effect of the New Deal?

New program with work relief, direct relief, and bank reform; Social Security.

Give some examples of New Deal programs and how they tried to help Americans survive the Great Depression.

Social Security .

Why did some people think that the New Deal went too far in the direction of socialism?

The New Deal programs promoted welfare states which was regarded as the first step in creating a communist society

Why did FDR try to “pack” the Supreme Court, and how did this action challenge the principle of checks and balances?

To appoint new justices who would be more friendly to his New Deal programs; it challenged the principle of checks and balances.

Why and how did the US seek to remain neutral at the beginning of World War II?

To stay neutral and avoid taking sides in the war. by enforcing NEutrality act.

How were the Lend-Lease Act and the idea of “cash and carry” the first steps toward US involvement in World War II?

The first steps toward U.S involvement in World War II were the Lend-Lease Act and the idea of cash and carry by providing supplies to England and western Europe

What event led America directly into involvement in World War II?

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

What was rationing and how did it help the war effort?

Limited supplies of most products so there was more for soldiers.

Who was Rosie the Riveter and what did she represent during World War II?

A symbol of the woman wartime worker.

What happened to Japanese Americans during World War II? What did the Supreme Court say about this?

They were placed in internment camps; the Supreme Court said that this was legal in the Korematsu v. United States case.

How did President Harry Truman justify the use of atomic bombs against Japan?

To end the war quickly.

How did World War II lead to the Cold War?

At the end of WW II there were two superpowers: the US and the Soviet Union.

What was the primary US foreign policy during the Cold War? What was the main goal of this policy?

Containment; to stop the spread of communism.

What was the Marshall Plan? What was its main purpose?

The US gave economic aid to the countries of Europe (including Germany).

What did the Truman Doctrine say and where was it first implemented [used]?

Contain communism.

Describe the events of the incident known as the Berlin Airlift.

The US, Britain and friends air dropped vital supplies to countries and people against communist Soviet Union

Name and describe the two examples where the US got caught up in a Cold War conflict involving Cuba.

Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis.