Key Events from the Gilded Age to the Cold War

Gilded Age

Period marked by economic growth and inequality.

Robber Barons

Wealthy industrialists exploiting workers and resources.

Captains of Industry

Business leaders contributing positively to society.

Monopolies

Single companies dominate entire industries.

Trusts

Legal arrangements to control multiple companies.

Immigration

Mass movement of people to the United States.

Progressive Era

Time of social reform and activism.

Labor Unions

Organizations advocating for workers' rights.

Muckrakers

Journalists exposing corruption and social issues.

Suffrage

Movement for women's right to vote.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act

Law to combat monopolistic practices.

Imperialism

Policy of extending a nation's power and influence.

Spanish-American War

Conflict leading to U.S. territorial expansion.

Panama Canal

Waterway connecting Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Big Stick Diplomacy

Teddy Roosevelt's foreign policy approach.

MAIN Causes of WWI

Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism.

Lusitania

British ship sunk by German U-boats.

Selective Service Act

Law establishing a military draft in WWI.

New Deal

FDR's programs to combat the Great Depression.

Alphabet Soup Agencies

Government programs like WPA and CCC.

Pearl Harbor

Japanese attack leading to U.S. entry in WWII.

Cold War

Political tension between the U.S. and USSR.

Rise of Dictators

Authoritarian regimes emerge in Europe and Asia.

Invasion of Poland

1939 event triggering World War II.

Holocaust

Systematic genocide of Jews during WWII.

Pearl Harbor

1941 attack leading to US entering WWII.

Homefront Rationing

Resource conservation efforts during wartime.

G.I. Bill

Financial aid for returning WWII soldiers.

Turning Points

Crucial battles: Midway, D-Day, Stalingrad.

Cold War

Geopolitical tension from 1946 to 1989.

Marshall Plan

US aid for European post-war recovery.

Iron Curtain

Division between Eastern and Western Europe.

Containment

US policy to prevent communism's spread.

2nd Red Scare

Fear of communism in the US post-WWII.

McCarthyism

Anti-communist campaign led by Senator McCarthy.

Nuclear Arms Race

Competition for nuclear weapons between superpowers.

Space Race

Competition for space exploration dominance.

Civil Rights Movement

Efforts for minority rights in 1950s-1960s.

Civil Disobedience

Nonviolent protest against unjust laws.

Title IX

Prohibits sex discrimination in education.

Vietnam War

Conflict between US/South Vietnam and North Vietnam.

Détente

Easing of tensions between US and USSR.

Reaganomics

Economic policies promoting tax cuts and deregulation.

13th Amendment

Abolishes slavery in the United States.

19th Amendment

Grants women the right to vote.

Ronald Reagan

40th U.S. President known for conservatism.

Reaganomics

Economic policies emphasizing tax cuts and deregulation.

Peace through Strength

Military strategy promoting national security.

Iran-Contra Affair

Political scandal involving arms sales to Iran.

George H.W. Bush

41st U.S. President, Gulf War leader.

Americans with Disabilities Act

1990 law prohibiting discrimination against disabled.

Bill Clinton

42nd U.S. President, known for economic growth.

NAFTA

Trade agreement between U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

George W. Bush

43rd U.S. President, led post-9/11 actions.

War on Terror

U.S. military campaign against terrorism.

Barack Obama

44th U.S. President, first African American elected.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

2009 stimulus package to combat recession.

Progressive Amendments

Constitutional amendments promoting social reforms.

Nationalism

Extreme pride in one's country.

Temperance Movement

Campaign to ban alcohol, leading to Prohibition.

D-Day

1944 Allied invasion of Normandy, France.

Flapper

1920s women challenging traditional gender roles.

Nativism

Fear and opposition towards immigrants.

Trusts

Monopolies eliminating competition in industries.

Rural

Related to country life.

Urban

Related to city life.

Trench Warfare

WWI combat style causing stalemate.

Primary Source

Firsthand account of historical events.

Secondary Source

Analysis or interpretation of historical events.

Ration

To limit or conserve resources.

Industrialization

Shift from handmade to machine-made goods.

Free Enterprise

Economic system of private ownership and competition.

Tariff

Tax on imported goods.

Embargo

Official ban on trade with specific countries.

Boycott

Refusal to buy goods from specific sources.

Laissez-Faire

Economic policy of minimal government intervention.

Andrew Carnegie

Steel industry magnate, Bessemer Process innovator.

John D. Rockefeller

Oil industry monopolist, founder of Standard Oil.

Susan B. Anthony

Leader in women's suffrage movement.

Jane Addams

Social reformer, established Hull House for immigrants.

Upton Sinclair

Muckraker, wrote The Jungle exposing meat industry.

Jacob Riis

Photographer documenting tenement living conditions.

Frances Willard

Leader of the Temperance Movement.

W.E.B. Du Bois

Civil rights activist, co-founder of NAACP.

Booker T. Washington

Advocate for African American rights and education.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

Naval officer advocating for U.S. naval power.

Henry Cabot Lodge

Isolationist opposing League of Nations.

John J. Pershing

Led AEF troops in WWI.

Clarence Darrow

Defense attorney in the Scopes Trial.

William Jennings Bryan

Populist candidate, prosecutor in Scopes Trial.

Douglas MacArthur

Commander of U.S. forces in Pacific WWII.

Chester Nimitz

Navy commander in Pacific during WWII.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Rights leader advocating non-violent protest.

Orval Faubus

Governor supporting segregation in Arkansas.

Thurgood Marshall

NAACP lawyer, first African American Supreme Court Justice.

Sandra Day O'Connor

First female Supreme Court Justice.

Sonia Sotomayor

First Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.

Alvin York

WWI Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.

Vernon Baker

WWII Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.

Roy Benavidez

Vietnam War Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.