Key Concepts US history

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Declaration of Independence

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Unalienable rights - rights that cannot be taken away; belief in consent of the governed; other nations recognized U.S. as a country; inspired others to question their governments.

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2 Principles of the Constitution

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Limits the power of the federal government by separation of powers and checks and balances.

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These flashcards cover important vocabulary and concepts from U.S. history, including major events, legislative acts, and cultural movements.

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130 Terms

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Declaration of Independence

Unalienable rights - rights that cannot be taken away; belief in consent of the governed; other nations recognized U.S. as a country; inspired others to question their governments.

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2 Principles of the Constitution

Limits the power of the federal government by separation of powers and checks and balances.

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1st Amendment

Freedom of religion, assembly, petition, press, speech.

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5th Amendment

People accused of crimes must be read their rights (Miranda v. Arizona); eminent domain.

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Alexis de Tocqueville

Wrote 'Democracy in America': liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, populism, and laissez-faire.

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E Pluribus Unum

'Out of many, one'; colonies were different yet came together to form one country.

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Civic responsibilities

Voting in elections, serving on a jury, staying informed on government issues.

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Gilded Age

Period where America grew in wealth; businesses became wealthy; corrupt government officials supported business-first policies.

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Electricity

Made manufacturing more efficient; light bulb led to more hours of work, increasing production.

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Railroads

Provided farmers access to distant markets and allowed Americans to settle the West; Bessemer steel provided stronger and cheaper materials to build.

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Monopolies

Total control of an industry by one company; laws were passed to stop and protect consumer prices.

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Andrew Carnegie

Philanthropist; improved society by donating to education and the arts.

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Labor unions

Fought for better pay, improved working conditions, and the end of child labor; resulted in increased federal involvement.

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Urbanization

Rapid industrialization led people to move to cities for employment; caused sanitation problems; taller buildings built due to cheaper steel.

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Political corruption

Government officials took bribes; political machines promised infrastructure and jobs in exchange for votes.

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Immigrants

Moved to U.S. for better economic opportunities; some worked in factories, others farmed; forced to assimilate.

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Nativists

Wanted restrictions on immigration; encouraged assimilation; viewed immigrants as competition for jobs.

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Chinese Exclusion Act

Passed to prevent immigrants from taking jobs from settlers out West.

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Homestead Act

Resulted in farmers settling the Great Plains.

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Dawes Act

Intended to assimilate Native Americans into American culture; divided tribal land into farm plots.

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Progressive Era

Americans passed laws to improve society.

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Populist Party Platform

Coined silver to increase money in circulation, graduated income tax, regulated railroad shipping charges.

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Upton Sinclair

Wrote 'The Jungle'; resulted in government regulation of food products.

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Jane Addams

Started the settlement house movement to help assimilate immigrants.

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W. E. B. DuBois

Founded NAACP, a civil rights group that fought for the legal rights of African Americans.

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State reforms

Initiative, referendum, recall; increased participation in democracy; made elected officials accountable.

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Pure Food and Drug Act

(FDA) Government policies protecting consumers; resulted from Muckrakers, like Upton Sinclair.

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National Park Service

Created by Roosevelt to conserve land.

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19th Amendment

Allowed women's suffrage, giving women the right to vote.

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Prohibition

Supported by women; established by the 18th Amendment, prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcohol; aimed to decrease crime and health problems, but resulted in increased crime and speakeasies.

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Causes of Spanish-American War

Cuban Revolution, sinking of USS Maine.

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Effects of Spanish-American War

Established America as a world power.

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Reasons for expansionism

To gain access to natural resources and overseas markets; expansion of trade.

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Alfred Thayer Mahan

Advocated for overseas expansion by growing naval power.

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Hawaii

Forced annexation by the U.S.; supported by S.B. Dole; along with Guam, provided a military presence in the Pacific.

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Puerto Rico

Territory gained after the Spanish-American War.

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Panama Canal

U.S. saw a need for its creation during the Spanish-American War; obtained land through Roosevelt's 'Big Stick' policy; allowed more efficient travel for the navy and businesses.

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Big Stick Policy

Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine; U.S. would defend the Western Hemisphere from European intervention.

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Causes of WWI

Rise of militarism, assassination of Franz Ferdinand, sinking of the Lusitania.

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Trench warfare

Fighting in trenches with machine guns; led to stalemate; tanks and poison gas used to attempt to break the stalemate.

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Zimmermann Telegram

Germany attempted to ally with Mexico; resulted in U.S. abandoning neutrality.

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Unrestricted submarine warfare

Germans attacked U.S. merchant ships; led to U.S. declaring war on Germany.

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American Expeditionary Force (AEF)

Led by John F. Pershing; trained soldiers for a major counterattack on the Western Front.

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Espionage Act

Limited Americans' freedom of speech.

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Wilson's Fourteen Points

Proposed to prevent further conflicts; included the League of Nations, freedom of the seas, and Poland as an independent nation.

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Roaring '20s

Period of economic prosperity for many Americans.

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Teapot Dome Scandal

Bribery scandal during Harding's term; reduced public confidence in the federal government.

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Mass-manufacturing

Efficient production processes made goods affordable, notably automobiles and household items; pioneered by Henry Ford.

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Flappers

Women in the Roaring '20s who challenged traditional roles and social norms, characterized by unique fashion.

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Great Migration

Limited economic opportunities and discrimination in the South led to African Americans migrating north for jobs.

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Harlem Renaissance

Cultural movement highlighting African American artists, gospel music, and jazz; influenced the civil rights movement.

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Overspeculation

When a stock's market value exceeds its intrinsic value; limited government regulation contributed to the Great Depression.

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Great Depression

Decline in demand for goods due to business failures, high unemployment, and resulting homelessness.

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Dust Bowl

Environmental disaster caused by drought and poor farming practices.

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New Deal

Federal government initiative to enhance welfare and protect the economy; aimed at providing jobs and relief.

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Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

Government-backed insurance for bank deposits to protect citizens' savings.

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Social Security Act

Established government benefits for the elderly, disabled, and retired, increasing government responsibilities.

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Unconstitutional programs

Supreme Court invalidated some New Deal programs under the 10th Amendment, citing infringement on states' rights.

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Roosevelt's court packing plan

Proposal to increase the number of Supreme Court justices; met with public disapproval for increasing presidential power.

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22nd Amendment

Limited a president to two terms; passed in response to FDR serving four terms

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Pearl Harbor

Japanese retaliation for a trade embargo; resulted in U.S. entering WWII.

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Justification for war

Economic and political interdependence of nations; stop spread of totalitarian governments.

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Victory gardens

Support war effort by increasing food supply.

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Women during WWII

Took on new roles to support war effort; joined nurse cadets and worked in factories to keep up production.

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Japanese American internment camps

Violated liberties of Japanese American citizens provided in the 14th Amendment.

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Tuskegee Airmen

African American military pilots; overcame discrimination to serve; encouraged integration of armed forces.

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Navajo Code Talkers

Transmitted secret military information.

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Vernon Baker

African American veteran of WWII; received Medal of Honor.

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The Holocaust

Nazi attempt at the genocide of Jewish people; caused many Jews to migrate to America.

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Atomic bomb

A new strategic weapon developed at Los Alamos, New Mexico; used to quickly end WWII; Japan surrendered after bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; resulted in arms race with Soviets.

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Berlin Airlift

U.S. flew planes over the Soviet blockade of Berlin to get supplies to West Berlin without military conflict.

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Marshall Plan

U.S. provided financial assistance to Western European countries to rebuild after WWII.

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Korean War

U.N. and U.S. sent troops to Korea to contain the spread of communism after North Korea invaded South Korea.

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Arms race

U.S. and Soviets promoted science and technology as both attempted to develop nuclear arsenals.

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Sputnik

U.S.S.R. satellite; caused U.S. to invest money in space, science, technology, and weapons programs.

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House Un-American Activities Committee

(HUAC) Looked into individuals in Hollywood who were suspected of being communists.

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McCarthyism

Red Scare movement led by Senator Joseph McCarthy; arrested people suspected of being communists.

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Suburbs

Created after WWII; result of baby boom and increased demand for housing.

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G.I. Bill

Servicemen's Readjustment Act; government paid for education of military veterans to assist their return to civilian life.

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Economic prosperity post-WWII

Resulted in consumer spending; expanded the middle class.

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Vaccines

Limited the spread of infectious diseases; Jonas Salk created to stop polio.

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Brown v. Board of Education

Required desegregation of schools; NAACP's Thurgood Marshall helped argue case; overturned legal segregation created by Plessy v. Ferguson.

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Rosa Parks

Fought segregation through civil disobedience; bus sit-in led to year-long bus boycotts and inspired others.

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Martin Luther King, Jr.

Important leader of the civil rights movement; believed in civil disobedience instead of violence.

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Black Panthers

Civil rights group that used armed resistance to protest and to defend themselves; founded by Huey Newton.

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Little Rock, Arkansas

Governor Orval Faubus challenged the power of the federal government to desegregate schools; President Eisenhower sent troops to enforce ruling.

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March on Washington

Non-violent protest aimed to improve political rights and economic opportunities for minorities; resulted in new legislation.

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Civil Rights Act of 1964

Ended segregation and required equal treatment of minorities in the workplace.

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Equal Employment Opportunity

Government agencies could no longer discriminate in their employment practices.

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Voting Rights Act of 1965

Ended poll taxes and literacy tests set up by Jim Crow laws; supported 15th Amendment - African American men could vote; resulted in increased voting by minorities

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Cuban Missile Crisis

Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba to prevent shipment of Soviet nuclear missiles.

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Medicare Act of 1965

Provided health care for people 65 and older.

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Housing and Urban Development Act

(HUD) Part of the Great Society; aimed to provide the poor with affordable housing and alleviate poverty.

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Chicano Workers Movement

Led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta; fought to improve working conditions for migrant workers.

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Chicano Mural Movement

Built Hispanic cultural pride.

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Countercultural Movement

Youth had distinct fashion and culture; often used rock and roll (Woodstock) to protest government policies.

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Vietnam War

Belief in 'domino theory' led to U.S. intervention; hoped to stop the spread of communism (containment).

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Tonkin Resolution

Allowed a president to take military action without a declaration of war from Congress.

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26th Amendment

Decreased voting age to 18; citizens believed if old enough to be drafted into war, then should have right to vote.

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Anti-war movement

As more troops were sent to Vietnam and the media reported setbacks, the U.S. was viewed as the aggressor; people protested at mass demonstrations; violence erupted at Kent State.