AMH2020 Final Exam Study Guide

The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

First major law to restrict immigration to the U.S., targeting Chinese laborers.

The Dawes Act (1887)

Broke up Native American land; aimed to assimilate Native Americans into U.S. culture.

Haymarket Riot (1886)

Violent labor protest in Chicago; led to decline of the Knights of Labor.

Homestead Strike (1892)

Violent strike at Carnegie Steel; showed tensions between labor and management.

Pullman Strike (1894)

National railway strike led by Eugene V. Debs; federal troops broke it up.

Muckrakers

Investigative journalists who exposed corruption and social issues in the early 1900s.

Ida Tarbell

Muckraker who exposed Standard Oil's monopolistic practices.

Jacob Riis

Muckraker who used photography to reveal poor living conditions in NYC ("How the Other Half Lives").

Cross of Gold Speech (1896)

Speech by William Jennings Bryan supporting silver currency to help farmers.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

Naval strategist who argued for sea power as the key to national greatness.

Treaty of Paris (1898)

Ended the Spanish-American War; U.S. gained control of Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Open Door Notes (1899-1900)

U.S. policy promoting equal trade in China and protection of Chinese territorial integrity.

Zimmerman Telegram (1917)

Secret message from Germany to Mexico proposing an alliance against the U.S.; helped push the U.S. into WWI.

Washington Naval Conference (1921-1922)

An international meeting to limit naval arms and prevent another arms race after WWI.

Scopes Trial (1925)

Trial of teacher John Scopes for teaching evolution; symbolized clash between science and religion.

FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)

New Deal agency that protects bank deposits to prevent loss in bank failures.

TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)

New Deal program that built dams and brought electricity and jobs to the rural South.

Social Security (1935)

Created a safety net for the elderly, disabled, and unemployed.

Neutrality Acts (1930s)

U.S. laws aimed at keeping the country out of foreign wars by banning arms sales and loans to warring nations.

Lend-Lease Act (1941)

Allowed the U.S. to send military aid to Allies before officially entering WWII.

Atlantic Charter (1941)

Agreement between FDR and Churchill outlining goals for the post-WWII world, like self-determination and peace.

Marshall Plan (1947)

U.S. program that gave money to rebuild European countries after WWII to prevent the spread of communism.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) (1949)

Military alliance formed to counter Soviet aggression in Europe.

Apollo Program (1960s-70s)

U.S. space program that landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969 during the Space Race.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56)

Sparked by Rosa Parks' arrest, African Americans in Montgomery, AL, boycotted buses for over a year, leading to the end of bus segregation.

Medicare (1965)

Government health insurance program for people over 65, part of LBJ's Great Society.

Great Society (1964-65)

President Lyndon B. Johnson's plan to end poverty and racial injustice with programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and education reform.

Affirmative Action (1960s-today)

Policies aimed at increasing opportunities for minorities and women in education and employment.

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

A 13-day standoff between the U.S. and USSR over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba; ended peacefully when Soviets agreed to remove missiles.

Counterculture (1960s-70s)

Youth-led movement rejecting traditional norms; associated with anti-war protests, hippies, drugs, and rock music.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide based on a woman's right to privacy.

Engle v. Vitale (1962)

Supreme Court ruled school-sponsored prayer in public schools is unconstitutional.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Supreme Court ruled that states must provide an attorney to defendants who can't afford one.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Supreme Court ruled that suspects must be informed of their rights before police questioning.

Watergate (1972-1974)

Political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee HQ and Nixon's cover-up. Led to Nixon's resignation.

Iran Hostage Crisis (1979-1981)

52 Americans were held hostage at the U.S. embassy in Tehran for 444 days by Iranian revolutionaries.

Reagan Doctrine (1980s)

Policy of providing aid to anti-communist movements around the world during the Cold War.

Fourteenth Amendment (1868)

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

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court upheld racial segregation under "separate but equal" doctrine.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)

Gave President Lyndon B. Johnson authority to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war.