Period 7 Terms

im tryna pass the exam again (oh no)

Annexation of Hawaii

In the age of imperialism, the US decided to gain control through islands in the Pacific—this being no exception. In 1898, this extended US territory into the Pacific Ocean and gave the US new opportunities for farming and sugarcane production.

Jingoism

An extreme, aggressive form of nationalism which believed in a strict foreign policy. This was the war-mania version of nationalism that encouraged military force over diplomacy due to belief in one’s own country’s superiority.

Big Stick Diplomacy

Associated with Theodore Roosevelt, this diplomacy used threats of potential military force while still using peace, essentially intimidating countries into a deal. Meant to intimidate and show off the power of the US military.

Theodore Roosevelt

This president was best known for his trust-busting behaviors, encouraging environmental conservation, building the Panama Canal, negotiating the Russo-Japanese War and winning a Nobel Peace Prize.

Roosevelt Corollary

An addition to the Monroe Doctrine in 1904, this stated additionally that the US would help Latin American countries and intervene as a police power to prevent European intervention. This also justified US military growth and usage.

Spanish American War

Fueled by yellow press encouraging war, the explosion of the USS Maine, and Cuba’s fight for independence, the war was very short and ended in the US gaining territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam.

Federal Reserve Act

Woodrow Wilson signed this into effect in 1913, meant to create a safer, more secure banking system. Supervising the bank system and providing security, it was meant to address the past financial panics.

17th Amendment

This Amendment allowed for the people of the US to vote for their senators—as before the vote had been done by legislators. This encouraged a general ballot and made voting more public and open to everyone.

Prohibition

Caused by an upscale in religion, this movement called for the ban of alcohol due to it causing “sinful behaviors”. Women who fought for this also fought for women’s suffrage.

New Nationalism

Roosevelt’s ideals, promoting a social reform era with a large federal government. Advocated for labor reforms, conservation, and corporal regulations for all citizens, not just the rich.

New Freedom

Wilson’s platform to decrease corporate power, increase market competition, and regulating corporations. This focused on reform for the economy, government intervention, and trust-busting.

Underwood Tariff

This significantly reduced import taxes while also simultaneously raising income taxes—especially for the wealthy—to make up for lost revenue. Aimed to lower consumer prices and increase market competition.

Muckrakers

These people were activists for reform, such as journalists, photographers, and novelists who exposed corruption in big business, government, and social injustice in order to spark a reform. They raked up dirt/scandal to outrage readers, believing this was the one true way to create change.

Pure Food and Drug Act

Laid into place by a public outcry of unsanitary meat packaging conditions, this act prohibited the sale of adulterated or misbranded food or drugs. Required accurate labeling to increase safety.

Meat Inspection Act

This Act mandated that the USDA inspect all meat processing plants, livestock, and carcasses to ensure that products were safe, sanitary, and accurately labeled. This also increased sanitation within the meat industry.

19th Amendment

This amendment prohibited gender discrimination for voting, granting women the official right to vote. This allowed women to be entered and accepted into political spaces.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Unrestricted submarine warfare is a naval strategy, primarily used by Germany in both World Wars, where submarines sink merchant and civilian vessels without warning, violating traditional "cruiser rules". This tactic aimed to sever Allied supply lines, notably starving Britain, but caused significant diplomatic crises, direct American involvement in WWI, and massive shipping losses.

Lusitania

A British luxury ocean liner and former holder of the Blue Riband for speed. On May 7, 1915, during WWI, it was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the Irish coast and sank in just 20 minutes, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans. The disaster was a major factor in turning U.S. public opinion against Germany, significantly impacting the eventual U.S. entry into the war.

Zimmerman Telegram

A secret German telegram in 1917 proposing a military alliance with Mexico against the U.S., promising to help Mexico regain Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona; intercepted and decoded by the British, its public release outraged Americans and was a major factor in the U.S. declaring war on Germany in World War I.  

Fourteen Points

A speech by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson on January 8, 1918, outlining a vision for a just and lasting peace after World War I, focusing on principles like open diplomacy, free trade, arms reduction, and self-determination, and proposing a League of Nations to guarantee political independence. It served as the basis for peace negotiations, particularly the Treaty of Versailles, and aimed to prevent future conflicts by addressing the causes of the war. 

Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson (28th U.S. President) is known for leading America through World War I, championing the creation of the League of Nations, and enacting major Progressive Era reforms, including establishing the Federal Reserve, lowering tariffs, and supporting women's suffrage (19th Amendment). He advocated for "making the world safe for democracy" and proposed his "Fourteen Points" for lasting peace, though his presidency also faces criticism for his racial policies. 

Treaty of Versailles

This officially ended World War I between the Allied Powers and Germany. It imposed harsh penalties on Germany, including significant territorial losses (13% of European territory), severe military restrictions (limited to 100,000 troops), and massive financial reparations. The treaty’s "war guilt clause" (Article 231) forced Germany to accept full responsibility for initiating the conflict.

League of Nations

The first intergovernmental organization established on January 10, 1920, following World War I to maintain world peace, promote international cooperation, and resolve disputes through diplomacy. Headquartered in Geneva, it was created by the Paris Peace Conference and aimed to prevent future conflicts, but it ultimately failed to prevent WWII and was replaced by the UN in 1946.

National War Labor Board

A U.S. government agency established during both World War I (1918) and World War II (1942) to mediate labor-management disputes, prevent strikes, and stabilize wages. Composed of tripartite members representing labor, employers, and the public, it ensured uninterrupted wartime production.

Liberty Bonds

War bonds issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury between 1917 and 1919 to finance World War I. Sold in five, largely oversubscribed, loan drives to banks, corporations, and individuals, they raised over $21 billion (covering roughly two-thirds of the war cost) and introduced the public to government securities.

Selective Service Act

Authorized the U.S. government to raise a national army through conscription for World War I. It required men aged 21–30 to register, expanding the military to 2.8 million drafted men. The current iteration, the Military Selective Service Act, requires men aged 18–25 to register.

Espionage Act

Passed shortly after the U.S. entered World War I, it is a federal law enacted to criminalize interference with military operations, recruitment, and the support of U.S. enemies. It authorized severe penalties—up to 20 years in prison—for conveying information with intent to harm national defense or causing insubordination.

Sedition Act

A controversial U.S. law allowing imprisonment or fines for publishing "false, scandalous, or malicious" writing against the government. Primarily targeting Democratic-Republican critics of the Adams administration, it limited free speech, was deemed unconstitutional by many, and contributed to the Federalists' 1800 election defeat.

Great Migration

The mass movement of about six million African Americans from the rural South to cities in the North, Midwest, and West between 1910 and 1970, driven by a search for economic opportunity, better education, and escape from racial violence, Jim Crow laws, and economic oppression in the South.

21st Amendment

Repealed the 18th Amendment and officially ended nationwide Prohibition in the United States. It returned the regulation of alcoholic beverages to individual states, allowing them to permit, control, or prohibit its sale and importation.

H*rbert Hoover (censored for pure hatred)

U.S. President whose term coincided with the start of the Great Depression, but he was also renowned as "The Great Humanitarian" for his massive relief efforts in war-torn Europe during and after World War I, and for his extensive public service as an engineer and administrator before his presidency, particularly as Commerce Secretary.  He also did absolutely nothing for the Great Depression until it was too late, encouraging charities to step up instead.

Black Tuesday

The day the U.S. stock market crashed, with panicked selling wiping out billions in value, marking the definitive end of the speculative boom of the 1920s and triggering the Great Depression. An unprecedented 16.4 million shares were traded, the Dow Jones fell dramatically, and countless investors were ruined, setting off a decade of severe economic hardship, bank failures, and mass unemployment.  

Great Depression

The deepest, most widespread economic collapse of the 20th century, triggered by the October 1929 stock market crash and marked by a 25% US unemployment rate, massive bank failures, and global industrial decline. It caused profound suffering, leading to the New Deal, a shift toward government intervention, and economic recovery only with the onset of WWII.

Dust Bowl

Caused by a combination of severe drought and unsustainable farming practices, primarily the removal of native prairie grasses that once anchored the soil, leaving it exposed to high winds during the 1930s. This led to massive dust storms, known as "black blizzards," which destroyed farmland, forced mass migrations (often to California), and intensified the economic hardship of the Great Depression.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

He restored American hope during the Great Depression with his optimistic leadership and the transformative New Deal programs, provided reassurance through his famous "Fireside Chats," successfully guided the nation through World War II, and built a strong coalition by making the government more responsive to average citizens and minorities, solidifying his image as a powerful, empathetic leader. 

New Deal

A series of U.S. federal programs, public work projects, and financial reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933 and 1939. Aimed at providing Relief, Recovery, and Reform (the "3 Rs") to combat the Great Depression, it significantly expanded the government's role in the economy.

Public Works Administration

Created in 1933 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, it was a major federal program designed to combat the Great Depression by creating jobs through large-scale construction projects. Led by Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes, it aimed to stimulate the economy by building public infrastructure, including schools, dams, bridges, and hospitals, ultimately spending roughly $4 billion to $6 billion on thousands of projects.

Reparations

Following World War I, the 1919 Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to accept "war guilt" (Article 231) and pay massive amounts of money, finalized at 132 billion gold marks ($33 billion USD in 1921, roughly equivalent to hundreds of billions today) to the Allied Powers. Payments caused severe economic crises, including the 1923 hyperinflation.

Good Neighbor Policy

Aimed to improve relations with Latin America by replacing U.S. armed intervention with non-interference, mutual respect, and economic cooperation. Key goals included fostering hemispheric solidarity, securing regional trade, and countering Axis influence. The policy featured the withdrawal of troops from Haiti and Nicaragua, the abrogation of the Platt Amendment in Cuba, and reduced tariffs.

Neutrality Acts

A series of U.S. Congressional acts passed between 1935 and 1939, driven by isolationist sentiment to prevent involvement in foreign wars. They banned arms sales, loans, and travel on belligerent ships, later introducing "cash-and-carry" to allow some trade, but proved ineffective at stopping WWII involvement.

Isolationism

The foreign policy of avoiding permanent military alliances and political entanglements with other countries, advocating for neutrality and focusing on domestic affairs, rooted in George Washington's farewell advice, strong during the 1930s due to WWI disillusionment, and gradually replaced by international engagement after WWII.

Land-Lease Act

Authorized the U.S. President to lend or lease weapons, food, and equipment to any nation deemed vital to U.S. defense during WWII. It allowed the U.S. to support Allied powers (mainly Britain, later the USSR) without immediately entering the war, acting as the "Arsenal of Democracy".

Pearl Harbor

On December 7, 1941, Japan sent 390 aircraft to surprise attack and bomb this military base in Hawaii. This attack, which destroyed or damaged 19 ships and over 300 aircraft, caused the United States to abandon neutrality and immediately enter World War II

Manhattan Project

A top-secret World War II U.S. government program (with UK/Canada help) to develop the first atomic bombs, involving massive scientific, industrial, and military efforts to harness nuclear fission into a weapon. It succeeded in creating the atomic bomb, leading to its use against Japan, ushering in the nuclear age, and creating new "big science" models for future large-scale research.

Internment Camps

Designated, secure facilities used by governments to confine large groups of people—primarily enemy aliens, ethnic minorities, or civilians deemed threats—without trial or due process. These camps involved forced relocation, often based on race, nationality, or suspected loyalty, such as the incarceration of Japanese Americans.

Korematsu vs US

A landmark Supreme Court case ruling that the forced exclusion and detention of Japanese-Americans during World War II was constitutional. The 6-3 decision argued that national security ("military necessity") outweighed individual civil rights, despite the discriminatory nature of the orders.

Harry Truman

He is best known for his pivotal decisions at the end of World War II, including authorizing the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and for shaping post-war American foreign policy. He followed FDR’s death into presidency, having to make important decisions that he had no clue existed.