DCUSH

Reconstruction Amendments

The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., and protected voting rights regardless of race, respectively.

Sharecropping

A system of agriculture where a landowner allows a tenant to farm their land in exchange for a share of the crops produced.

Gilded Age

A period in U.S. history from the 1870s to about 1900 characterized by rapid economic growth, industrialization, and a superficial glitter of wealth.

Laissez-Faire Economics

An economic philosophy of free-market capitalism that opposes government intervention in the economy.

Robber Barons/Captains of Industry

Terms used to describe powerful 19th-century industrialists; 'Robber Barons' implies exploitative practices, while 'Captains of Industry' suggests they contributed positively to the economy.

Battle of Wounded Knee

A mass killing of Lakota Indians by U.S. soldiers in 1890, marking the conflict between Native Americans and the U.S. government.

Frontier Thesis

The argument by historian Frederick Jackson Turner that the American frontier was key to the development of American democracy and character.

Populist Party

A political party formed in the late 19th century advocating for the rights of farmers and laborers against the elite.

Muckrakers

Journalists and writers in the early 20th century who exposed corruption and injustices in politics and society.

Ida Tarbell

A leading muckraker known for her investigative journalism on the Standard Oil Company.

W.E.B. DuBois

An African American sociologist, historian, and civil rights activist who co-founded the NAACP and advocated for full civil rights.

Booker T. Washington

An African American educator and leader who promoted vocational education and economic self-reliance for African Americans.

Ida B. Wells

An African American journalist and activist who led an anti-lynching crusade in the United States.

Roosevelt Corollary

An extension of the Monroe Doctrine asserting U.S. intervention in Latin America to maintain stability.

Big Stick Diplomacy

The foreign policy approach of Theodore Roosevelt that emphasized negotiating peacefully while threatening military intervention.

Square Deal

The domestic program of Theodore Roosevelt that focused on consumer protection, health, and fairness for workers.

Dollar Diplomacy

The U.S. policy of using financial power to extend its international influence.

War Industries Board

A U.S. government agency during World War I that coordinated the production of war materials.

Assembly Line

A manufacturing system in which an item is moved from one worker to another, with each person performing a specific task, greatly increasing production efficiency.

Marcus Garvey

A Jamaican political leader known for his pan-Africanism and the Back to Africa movement in the early 20th century.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural movement in the 1920s, centered in Harlem, showcasing African American culture, literature, art, and music.

Great Depression

A severe worldwide economic downturn that lasted from 1929 to the late 1930s, leading to widespread unemployment and poverty.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff

An act passed in 1930 that raised tariffs on many imports, worsening the Great Depression.

New Deal

A series of programs and policies instituted during the Great Depression by President Franklin D. Roosevelt aimed at economic recovery.

Relief, Recovery, and Reform

The three goals of the New Deal aimed at providing immediate relief for the unemployed, promoting economic recovery, and enacting reforms to prevent future depressions.

Pearl Harbor

The site of the Japanese surprise attack on December 7, 1941, leading to the U.S. entry into World War II.

Battle of Midway

A decisive naval battle in World War II in June 1942, marking a turning point in the war in favor of the Allies.

Atomic Bombings

The dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.

Containment

A U.S. foreign policy strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism during the Cold War.

Truman Doctrine

A policy established in 1947 that aimed to contain communism by providing support to countries resisting it.

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program providing aid to Western Europe after World War II to help rebuild economies and prevent the spread of communism.

G.I. Bill

A law providing various benefits to returning World War II veterans, including financial assistance for education and housing.

Baby Boom

A significant increase in birth rates following World War II, particularly in the United States between 1946 and 1964.

Martin Luther King Jr.

A civil rights leader who advocated for nonviolent resistance to achieve racial equality and justice.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and enforced desegregation.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

A landmark piece of federal legislation that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.

American Indian Movement (AIM)

A grassroots organization founded in 1968 to advocate for Native American rights and sovereignty.

Space Race

The Cold War competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union for dominance in space exploration.

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a U.S. government agency responsible for the nation’s civilian space program.

Tet Offensive

A major North Vietnamese offensive during the Vietnam War launched on January 30, 1968, targeting South Vietnam.

Rust Belt to Sunbelt

A demographic shift in the U.S. from the manufacturing-heavy Rust Belt to the more economically vibrant Sunbelt, especially post-1970s.

Just Say No!

A campaign addressing drug abuse, primarily aimed at school-aged children to promote a drug-free lifestyle.

Election of 1992

The U.S. presidential election where Bill Clinton won, marking a shift to a more centrist Democratic platform.

War on Terror

A global campaign launched by the U.S. after the September 11 attacks to combat terrorism.

Bill Gates

Co-founder of Microsoft Corporation and prominent philanthropist known for his work in technology and global health.