U.S. History: Key Events and Themes from 1844 to 1980

What is Manifest Destiny?

The belief that the United States was destined by God to expand across North America, justifying westward migration and the annexation of territories like Texas and Oregon.

What triggered the Mexican-American War (1846-1848)?

Disputes over Texas and the U.S. desire for California.

What was the outcome of the Mexican-American War?

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which resulted in the U.S. gaining the Mexican Cession, increasing sectional tensions over slavery.

What did the Homestead Act of 1862 accomplish?

It encouraged migration by offering settlers 160 acres of free land, promoting agricultural development in the Great Plains.

What was the significance of the Transcontinental Railroad completed in 1869?

It facilitated the movement of people and goods, promoted economic growth, and led to increased conflict and displacement of Native American tribes.

How were Native Americans impacted by westward expansion?

They were forcibly removed from their lands, suffered from warfare and broken treaties, leading to loss of land and cultural autonomy.

What were the key provisions of the Compromise of 1850?

It allowed Utah and New Mexico to decide on slavery through popular sovereignty and included the Fugitive Slave Act.

What was the purpose of the Fugitive Slave Act?

To force runaway slaves to be returned to their owners.

What were the Black Codes?

Laws passed around 1865 to limit economic opportunities for blacks and restrict their rights.

What assistance did the Freedmen's Bureau provide?

It offered basic necessities like food, shelter, clothing, and medical services to thousands of former slaves in the Southern states.

What caused increased immigration from Ireland and Germany during this period?

The Irish Potato Famine and various factors in Germany led to large numbers of immigrants arriving in the U.S.

How did immigration from Ireland and Germany affect American culture?

It contributed to the growth of urban centers and introduced new languages, religions (especially Catholicism), and customs.

What was the Know-Nothing Party?

A political party formed in response to nativist attitudes, opposing immigration and Catholic influence.

What role did immigrants play in the labor force during this period?

They provided essential labor in factories, railroads, and canals, fueling the Industrial Revolution despite facing exploitation and low wages.

What are ethnic enclaves?

Neighborhoods where immigrant groups settled to preserve their languages, foods, and traditions, contributing to the cultural diversity of cities.

How did immigrants influence urban politics?

Many, especially the Irish, became active in politics, shaping political machines like Tammany Hall and advocating for workers' rights.

What were some factors that contributed to the Union's victory in the Civil War?

Factors include superior industrial resources, a larger population, effective military leadership, and strategic advantages.

What was a key victory for the Union that connected to the lower South?

The Battle of Chattanooga.

What did the Emancipation Proclamation reveal about the focus of the Civil War?

It highlighted that the war was centered on the freedom of slaves.

How did the Emancipation Proclamation affect foreign support for the Confederacy?

It led many nations to not support the Confederacy, which was in favor of slavery.

What amendments followed the Civil War to further rights for black people?

The 14th and 15th Amendments.

How did the Union's access to railroads impact their strategy during the Civil War?

It allowed the Union to control major railroads in the South, enhancing their transport capabilities.

What was the significance of the Battle of Gettysburg for the Union?

It resulted in a major victory and led to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

What was the primary emphasis of Lincoln's leadership during the Civil War?

The preservation of the Union.

What shift in purpose did the Emancipation Proclamation represent?

It shifted the war's purpose to include the abolition of slavery.

What did Lincoln's Gettysburg Address emphasize about American ideals?

It emphasized a 'new birth of freedom' and the belief that all men are created equal.

How did Lincoln expand presidential power during the Civil War?

He used war powers to suspend habeas corpus and take other executive actions.

What did the 13th Amendment achieve?

It abolished slavery, enshrining the ideal of freedom in the Constitution.

What was the purpose of the Homestead Act?

To give land to immigrants to encourage western migration.

How did the Transcontinental Railroad impact the United States?

It connected states, promoted trade and cultural exchange, and boosted economic growth.

What was the impact of the Chinese Exclusion Acts?

They restricted Chinese immigrants from entering the United States.

What technological advancement helped improve communication among states?

The invention of the telegraph.

What was a major outcome of the Industrial Revolution in the North?

The rise of factories and mass production.

How did transportation improvements contribute to the economy?

They connected regions, promoted westward expansion, and created a national market economy.

What role did the telegraph play during the Civil War?

It revolutionized communication, allowing instant long-distance messaging.

What agricultural innovations increased farm productivity?

The mechanical reaper by Cyrus McCormick and the steel plow by John Deere.

What social changes did new technologies lead to in the United States?

The growth of wage labor, child labor, and factory work, prompting movements for labor reform.

What socioeconomic changes occurred with the growth of industrial capitalism from 1865 to 1898?

Changes in labor structures, increased competition, and shifts in social dynamics.

What was one effect of the rise of factories during the Industrial Revolution?

Urbanization and the growth of manufacturing economies.

How did the rise of industrial capitalism affect American society?

It changed social structures and sparked movements for better working conditions.

What was a major continuity in wealth during the period discussed?

The gap between the rich and the poor continued to increase.

What economic struggles did farmers face during this period?

Farmers faced economic challenges due to falling crop prices, debt, and monopolies.

What technological innovations transformed industry and everyday life?

New technologies like the telephone, electricity, and factory production.

How did the rise of big business affect small businesses?

Large corporations replaced small businesses, leading to the formation of trusts and monopolies.

What demographic changes fueled the industrial labor force?

Massive growth of cities and a surge of immigration.

What is American exceptionalism?

The belief that the United States has a unique mission to spread democracy and freedom.

How did the idea of Manifest Destiny relate to American foreign policy?

It justified territorial expansion and influenced later policies like President Wilson's Fourteen Points.

What consistent theme has influenced American foreign policy?

The prioritization of national interest, whether through isolationist or interventionist policies.

What was one goal of the Progressive reform movement?

To fight for better working conditions and to ban child labor in factories.

What was another goal of the Progressive reform movement?

To break up monopolies through antitrust laws like the Sherman Antitrust Act.

What was one effect of fighting for better working conditions during the Progressive Era?

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire highlighted the need for reform.

What was one effect of breaking up monopolies?

It led to stricter regulations of the Federal Reserve.

When did innovations in communication and technology originate?

During the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s.

What was a consequence of increased dependency on manufactured goods during the Progressive Era?

It led to consumerism and advancements in production.

What was the impact of increased demand for manufactured goods on jobs?

It decreased the number of jobs in the workplace and brought attention to workers' rights.

What program was created to address labor shortages during World War II?

The Bracero Program.

How did World War II affect women's roles in the workforce?

Women and minorities took jobs previously unavailable to them, challenging old stereotypes.

What was the significance of Korematsu v. US during World War II?

The Supreme Court allowed Japanese-American internment camps, reflecting different treatments of cultural groups.

What technological advancements were accelerated by World War II?

Inventions like radar and new medicines improved daily life.

What was the outcome of U.S. participation in World War II for the economy?

It created many factories/jobs that boosted the economy and helped end the Great Depression.

What was the Truman Doctrine?

A post-World War II policy to contain communism, marking America's new global role.

What was one consequence of the victory of the United States and its allies over the Axis powers?

The U.S. became a top world power alongside the USSR, fueling the Cold War.

What was the purpose of the United Nations created after World War II?

To prevent future world wars and protect Allied forces.

What event initiated an arms race with the Soviet Union?

The use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

How did World War II impact the U.S. economy?

It boosted the economy after the Great Depression by creating many new jobs during wartime production.

What alliance did the U.S. help form to oppose Soviet expansion?

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

What social changes occurred in the U.S. due to World War II?

Women took jobs in factories and other roles while men were away at war, and minority groups like the Tuskegee Airmen volunteered to fight.

What was the primary goal of U.S. Cold War policy from 1945 to 1980?

Containment of Communism.

What was the significance of the Truman Doctrine?

It was a foreign strategy policy aimed at containing the spread of communism during the early Cold War.

What characterized the nuclear arms race during the Cold War?

Both the U.S. and USSR maintained and expanded their nuclear arsenals, using the threat of Mutually Assured Destruction as a deterrent.

How did U.S. Cold War policy shift from the 1950s to the 1970s?

It shifted from brinkmanship and massive retaliation to détente, promoting diplomacy and arms control.

What was the significance of Nixon's visit to China in 1972?

It opened diplomatic relations with communist China and changed the Cold War dynamic.

What was the Long Telegram?

A communication from the U.S. embassy in Moscow denouncing the USSR and stating that Russian nationalism is highly dangerous.

What did the Atlantic Charter establish?

The goals for postwar peace and the creation of the United Nations.

What was the Red Scare?

An intense fear of communism and communist influence in the United States.

Who were key figures in the abolitionist movement?

Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman.

What did the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments achieve for African Americans?

They granted freedom, citizenship, and voting rights during Reconstruction.

What was the role of the NAACP in the Civil Rights Movement?

It worked alongside leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks to push for desegregation, voting rights, and equal protection.

What was the Seneca Falls Convention?

An 1848 meeting organized by leaders like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony to demand women's suffrage.

What did the 19th Amendment accomplish?

It granted women the right to vote.

What was the focus of Second Wave Feminism?

Workplace equality, reproductive rights, and gender discrimination.

What did Native Americans resist in the 20th century?

Forced removal, assimilation, and fought for land rights.

Who were key activists in the Latino American civil rights movement?

César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, who led the United Farm Workers (UFW).

What was the Chicano Movement?

A movement that promoted cultural pride and fought for educational and voting rights for Latino Americans.

What discriminatory laws did Asian Americans face?

Exclusionary laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act.

What was the impact of the Vietnam War on U.S. foreign policy?

It originated in the Cold War context, with the U.S. attempting to prevent the spread of communism through containment.

What military advancements were made during the Vietnam War?

Strong advancements in chemical warfare.

What was a significant military event during the Vietnam War that demonstrated a violent side of the U.S. military?

The Tet Offensive.

What policy aimed to withdraw the U.S. from the Vietnam War?

Vietnamization.

How did the American public sentiment change regarding the Vietnam War?

The American people and government grew tired of U.S. involvement, leading to increased opposition to the war.

What major societal shift occurred in the U.S. following the Russian Revolution?

The Red Scare, which made people fearful of communism.

What was the public sentiment towards foreign conflicts after World War I?

People wanted to focus more on isolationism due to the impact of the war.

What laws were protested against that targeted African Americans?

Jim Crow laws.

How did the flappers influence societal norms in the 1920s?

They embraced new ways of dancing and dressing, moving away from traditional values.

Who was a wealthy businessman that gained significant influence over government policies?

Andrew Carnegie.

What was a major cause of the Cold War?

The increasing spread of communism.

What was a notable effect of the Cold War on American society?

Spikes of the Red Scare, leading to paranoia about communist spies.

What were the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)?

Negotiations between the U.S. and USSR to limit nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

What were the New Deal policies and Great Society ideals known for?

They helped some people but raised concerns about government involvement in daily lives.

What economic issues contributed to the desire for Reagan's policies?

Stagnation, rising inflation, unemployment, and high taxes from welfare programs.