US History Second Semester Exam Review

These flashcards cover key concepts and terms from US History relevant to the second-semester exam.

Social Contract

John Locke's idea that a ruler must protect the natural rights of citizens, and if not, the citizens have the right to establish a new government.

Natural Rights

The unalienable rights referred to in the Declaration of Independence, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Federalism

The division of power among federal and state governments.

Separation of Powers

A principle that prevents any one branch of government from becoming too powerful by dividing government responsibilities among three branches.

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which were demanded by the Anti-Federalists to protect individual liberties.

Compromise of 1877

An agreement that ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South.

Jim Crow Laws

State laws passed throughout the South enforcing racial segregation in public facilities.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

A Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Assimilation

The process by which individuals or groups adopt the culture of another group, often losing their original culture.

The Jungle

A novel by Upton Sinclair that exposed unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry, leading to food safety laws.

1920s Great Migration

The movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North for better job prospects.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural movement in the 1920s centered in Harlem that celebrated Black cultural expressions and arts.

McCarthyism

An anti-communist campaign in the early 1950s characterized by reckless accusations and a climate of fear.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. foreign policy to prevent the spread of communism by providing political, military, and economic assistance to nations threatened by communism.

Marshall Plan

An American initiative to provide economic aid to Western Europe to rebuild post-World War II economies.

Atomic Bomb Detonation

The 1949 event by the Soviet Union that instigated fear in the U.S. and prompted a policy of containment.

Korean War

A conflict between North and South Korea where a truce was established but no official peace treaty was signed.

Civil Rights Movement

A decades-long movement to secure equal rights for African Americans and end racial discrimination, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation that aimed to eliminate barriers to voting for African Americans, including poll taxes and literacy tests.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

A landmark Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

Women's Suffrage Movement

The movement that fought for women's right to vote, culminating in the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920.

Great Society

A set of domestic programs launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson aiming to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.

Watergate Scandal

A political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and the subsequent cover-up by the Nixon administration.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

A U.S. federal agency established in 1970 to protect human health and the environment by enforcing regulations.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

A landmark piece of legislation that prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Détente

The easing of strained relations, especially during the Cold War, between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1970s.

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

An agreement among Canada, Mexico, and the United States designed to remove tariff barriers between the three countries.