US History Midterm Studyguide

Hiram Revels

The first African American U.S. Senator, served Mississippi during Reconstruction (1870-1871).

Reconstruction

The post-Civil War period focusing on rebuilding the South, integrating freed slaves, and restoring Southern states to the Union (1865-1877).

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment

Granted citizenship and equal protection under the law.

15th Amendment

Granted Black men the right to vote.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

A tragic event in 1911 resulting in 146 worker deaths, prompting labor and safety reforms.

Scabs

Workers who replace striking employees, often viewed negatively by unions.

Ellis Island

Immigration processing center in NYC for European immigrants from 1892 to 1954.

Angel Island

Immigration station in California processing Asian immigrants, often subjected to stricter scrutiny.

Chinese Exclusion Act

1882 law banning Chinese labor immigration due to anti-Chinese sentiment.

Americanization Movement

Efforts to assimilate immigrants into American culture through education and social programs.

Nativism

Favoring native-born citizens and promoting anti-immigrant policies.

Melting Pot

Metaphor for cultural assimilation in the U.S.

Plessy v. Ferguson

1896 Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation under 'separate but equal'.

Poll Tax

A voting fee targeting poor African Americans, used to disenfranchise them.

Grandfather Clause

Exempting voting restrictions for whites based on their ancestors.

Jim Crow Laws

State laws enforcing racial segregation in the South.

NAACP

Founded in 1909 to fight racial discrimination and promote civil rights.

Bull Moose Party

Progressive Party led by Theodore Roosevelt in the 1912 presidential election advocating reforms like women’s suffrage and labor rights.

Prohibition

Aims to ban alcohol production, sale, and consumption to reduce social problems like crime and alcoholism.

19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote, ratified in 1920.

Seward’s Icebox

Nickname for the U.S. purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, initially seen as a foolish investment.

Yellow Journalism

Sensationalized, exaggerated news reporting to attract readers and influence public opinion.

Casualties in WWI

The United States had the fewest casualties due to its late entry into the war in 1917.

Neutrality

Policy of staying out of conflicts, initially adopted by the U.S. during WWI.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne; his assassination in 1914 sparked WWI.

Allied Powers in WWI

Primarily comprised of France, Britain, Russia, Italy, and later the United States.

Selective Service Act

1917 U.S. law requiring men to register for military draft.

No Man’s Land

The deadly, unoccupied area between opposing trenches during WWI.

Treaty of Versailles

1919 treaty ending WWI that imposed harsh penalties on Germany and redrew European borders.