U.S. History Review: Gilded Age through World War II

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering the Gilded Age, Progressive Era, World War I, the 1920s, the Great Depression, and World War II based on the provided lecture transcript.

What were the dates of the Gilded Age in U.S. history?

$1877$ to $1900$

Define the economic policy of laissez-faire as described in the notes.

A policy of government non-involvement in the economic process where responsibility is shifted to the consumer (caveat emptor).

Who were the four major 'captains of industry' or 'robber barons' and their respective industries?

John D. Rockefeller (Standard Oil), Andrew Carnegie (Carnegie Steel), J. Pierpont Morgan (Banking), and Cornelius Vanderbilt (Railroads).

What revolutionary steel-making process lowered prices and fueled industrialization?

The Bessemer process

When was the telephone patented by Alexander Graham Bell?

$$1876$$

By the year $1900$, how many telephones were in the United States?

$$1.35\,million$$

What was the main difference between Thomas Edison's and George Westinghouse's electrical power delivery?

Edison used Direct Current (DC), which was limited in range, while Westinghouse used Alternating Current (AC), which could deliver power over greater distances.

What was the outcome of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire on March 25, 1911?

It killed $146$ young immigrant workers, highlighting the vulnerability of workers and the lack of safety regulations.

Define Social Darwinism in the context of Gilded Age society.

The belief that society evolved like a natural organism where success was determined by inherent traits and the ability to adapt ('survival of the fittest').

What organization did Samuel Gompers lead from its inception until his death in 1924?

The American Federation of Labor (AFL)

What was the purpose of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882?

It prohibited Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States for a period of $10$ years.

What is the 'Wisconsin Idea' introduced by Robert La Follette?

A Progressive system where the governor hired experts to research and advise on drafting legislation to improve state conditions.

What event triggered the Spanish-American War in February 1898?

The explosion of the USS Maine off the coast of Cuba, killing over $250$ U.S. sailors.

What were the three strategies suggested by Alfred Thayer Mahan for maintaining an empire?

1. Build a stronger navy. 2. Establish a network of naval bases. 3. Construct a canal across the isthmus of Central America.

What was the purpose of Secretary of State John Hay’s Open Door Notes?

To ensure American access to China's markets by calling for all nations to have equal trading rights and erasing 'spheres of influence'.

Name the two laws passed in 1906 under Theodore Roosevelt to protect public health following the publication of 'The Jungle.'

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

What was the difference between Roosevelt's 'New Nationalism' and Wilson's 'New Freedom' in the 1912 election?

New Nationalism called for a powerful federal government to protect public interests; New Freedom called for a smaller federal government to protect interests from big business.

How did the 19th Amendment change the U.S. electorate in 1920?

It prohibited the denial of the right to vote on the basis of sex, granting formal suffrage to women.

Compare the strategies of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois for African American advancement.

Washington (Atlanta Compromise) focused on self-improvement and vocational skills; Du Bois (Niagara Movement/NAACP) advocated for immediate political, economic, and social equality.

What was the significance of the Zimmermann Telegram during WWI?

It was a German message to Mexico proposing an alliance against the U.S., which served as a final catalyst for U.S. entry into the war.

Under the Revenue Act of 1913, what were the income thresholds for the first federal income tax?

$\$4,000$ for married couples and $\$3,000$ for single people.

What was the total military death toll for the Allies during World War I?

Over $5.7\,million$

What was 'Article X' in the League of Nations covenant?

An agreement that member nations would defend each other against military threats, intended to render all nations equal in power.

What was the effect of Henry Ford's assembly line on the price of a Model T between 1908 and 1924?

The price dropped from $\$850$ to $\$300$.

Who was the 'top box office attraction' of the silent movie era?

Charlie Chaplin

What group of writers in the 1920s expressed disillusionment with middle-class society after WWI?

The Lost Generation (e.g., F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway).

What occurred on October 29, 1929, known as 'Black Tuesday'?

The stock market crashed, with stockholders trading over $16\,million$ shares and losing over $\$14\,billion$ in wealth in one day.

How much value did the stock market lose between September 1 and November 30, 1929?

It dropped from $\$64\,billion$ to approximately $\$30\,billion$.

What was Herbert Hoover's philosophy regarding government aid during the Great Depression?

Rugged Individualism: the belief that individuals should overcome hardships through hard work and volunteerism rather than government 'handouts'.

What were 'Hoovervilles'?

Shanty towns built by unemployed and destitute people during the Great Depression.

How much topsoil blew away during the Dust Bowl in 1935 alone?

$$850\,million\,tons$$

What was the purpose of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA)?

To boost agricultural prices by paying farmers to reduce production (creating artificial scarcity).

What was the 'Brains Trust'?

An unofficial advisory cabinet of academic experts who helped FDR formulate New Deal legislation.

Name the four groups helped by the Social Security Act of 1935.

The elderly, the unemployed, the disabled, and the young.

What was FDR's 'Court Packing Scandal'?

A failed 1937 attempt to increase the Supreme Court to $15$ justices to protect New Deal programs from being ruled unconstitutional.

Who was the first female member of a presidential cabinet?

Frances Perkins (Secretary of Labor).

Define the 'Munich Pact' of 1938.

A policy of appeasement where Britain and France allowed Germany to occupy the Sudetenland in exchange for a promise of no further expansion.

What was 'Cash and Carry' policy established in 1939?

A reversal of neutrality laws allowing nations at war to buy U.S. munitions if they paid cash and used their own ships.

What date did the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor?

December 7, 1941

Who were the 'Code Talkers' and what was their role in WWII?

Navajo (and some Comanche) marines who used their native languages to create unbreakable radio codes for the Allies.

What was the significance of the Battle of Midway (June 1942)?

It was the first true naval victory for the Allies in the Pacific and a turning point that destroyed four Japanese aircraft carriers.

How many Jews were killed during the Holocaust according to the notes?

Approximately $6\,million$

What was the purpose of Executive Order 9066?

It gave the army power to relocate $120,000$ people of Japanese ancestry (mostly U.S. citizens) to internment camps.

What were the names of the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan in August 1945?

'Little Boy' (Hiroshima) and 'Fat Man' (Nagasaki).