US History

Black Codes

Laws passed in the South post-Civil War to restrict African American freedoms and force them into labor contracts.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States, lasting until the Civil Rights Movement.

Civil Rights Acts of 1866

Granted citizenship and equal rights to African Americans; vetoed by President Johnson, but overridden by Congress.

13th Amendment (1865)

Abolished slavery in the U.S.

14th Amendment (1868)

Granted citizenship to all born or naturalized in the U.S. and ensured equal protection under the law.

15th Amendment (1870)

Gave African American men the right to vote.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Established the 'separate but equal' doctrine, upholding racial segregation.

W.E.B. DuBois

Advocated for higher education for African Americans and founded the NAACP; supported the 'Talented Tenth' concept.

Booker T. Washington

Advocated for vocational training and economic self-reliance for African Americans; believed in gradual progress.

Ida B. Wells

Crusaded against lynching and racism; fought for women’s rights and was an early civil rights leader.

The Dawes Act (1887)

Broke up Native American reservations into individual plots of land to encourage assimilation into American farming practices.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

Banned Chinese immigration, reflecting widespread anti-immigrant sentiment.

Settlement Houses

Helped immigrants adjust to life in America, providing services like education and healthcare.

Jacob Riis – 'How the Other Half Lives' (1890)

Documented poor living conditions of immigrants in NYC, advocating for social reform.

Child Labor

Used because children could be paid less and were seen as less likely to organize for better working conditions.

Knights of Labor

Welcomed all workers, including African Americans and women, advocating for broad social reforms.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

Focused on skilled workers, higher wages, and better working conditions.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911)

A deadly fire that highlighted the need for workplace safety reforms.

Monopoly/Trust

Big businesses controlled entire industries, leading to calls for anti-trust legislation.

Rockefeller's Standard Oil

Used aggressive business tactics to eliminate competition.

Assembly Line

Introduced by Henry Ford; revolutionized mass production and made goods more affordable.

Upton Sinclair – 'The Jungle' (1906)

Exposed unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry, leading to food safety reforms.

Muckrakers

Journalists who exposed corruption, poverty, and abuse in society.

Spanish-American War (1898)

The U.S. gained territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

League of Nations

International organization intended to maintain peace, though the U.S. did not join.

19th Amendment (1920)

Gave women the right to vote.

The Great Migration

Movement of African Americans from the South to the North for better job opportunities and less racial discrimination.