American History Acp final

1. Contrast society and settlement patterns in Virginia and New England:

1. Virginia (jamestown)

   1. Society: Hierarchical, wealth determined status, less emphasis on religion

   2. Settlement: Rural, plantation-based society with dispersed settlements

2. New England (plymouth)

   1. Society: Religious, Puritan values emphasized education and civic participation

   2. Settlement: Compact towns and villages

1. Why were the colonists mad at GB after the French and Indian War (2)?

1. Excessive taxes (no taxation without representation)

2. Blocking westward expansion (Proclamation of 1763)

1. What was the a) purpose and b) main points of the Declaration of Independence?

1. Purpose: why we declare independence

2. Points:  Listing of grievances against King/Parliament; Entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; Popular sovereignty and the people have the right to rebel against coercive govs

How did Congress function under the Articles (powers it had/ didn’t have)?

1. Function: One house, each state has one vote, mainly foreign policy

2. Powers: No power to tax, regulate commerce, executive branch, judicial branch, enforce laws, national military 

1. Why was the Louisiana Purchase controversial?

1. The Constitution didn’t explicitly authorize land purchases

2. Critics questioned how the U.S. could manage and govern such a vast, sparsely populated area.

3. $15 million spent, nation already in debt.

4. purchase might provoke Spain or Native American nations.

Contrast Marbury v. Madison (1803) and McCulloch v. MD (1819):

1. Marbury v. Madison: 

   1. Judiciary Review: Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional 

2. McCulloch v. MD: 

   1. The Bank is constitutional

   2. Federal supremacy

   3. States cannot tax federal products; Maryland’s tax law was unconstitutional

1. Use the Treaty of Ghent to explain why the War of 1812 seems unimportant:

1. No government or territory changes

2. Did not have to pay reparations

3. No occupation by Britain

1. Relate the Nullification Crisis and Jackson’s response:

1. South Carolina: Declared federal tariffs unconstitutional and claimed states could nullify laws, threatening secession 

2. Jackson’s Response: Defended the Union, authorizing military action, while supporting a compromise tariff to ease tensions 

3. Outcome: South Carolina backed down, and federal supremacy 

1. After the Bank War, why was the creation of Pet Banks disastrous?

1. State banks did not know what they were doing

2. Printed too much money, causing very high inflation, Depression 

1. Why did so many die on the Trail of Tears/ describe conditions? Why removed?

1. Walking hundreds of miles in the winter

2. Disease and exhaustion

3. Starvation 

1. Why: 

   1. Settlers wanted more land

   2. Racist beliefs, Natives were savages who could not live in society

   3. Indian Removal Act 

1. What were the causes and gains of the war with Mexico?

1. U.S. annexation of Texas angered Mexico, which still claimed it

2. Border dispute over the Rio Grande vs. Nueces River

3. Manifest Destiny, we had tried to buy Southwest America 

2. Gains

   1. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) gave U.S. vast lands in Mexican Cession (SW US)

   2. Established Rio Grande as the Texas-Mexico border

   3. Give them $15 million instead of $30 million 

1. What were reasons voters supported or opposed the Compromise of 1850?

1. Supported: Allowed California to enter as a free state; Promised popular sovereignty in new territories (letting settlers decide on slavery), slave trade banned in D.C. 

2. Opposed: Northerners disliked the Fugitive Slave Act, which forced them to aid in returning escaped slaves; Southerners feared losing balance of power in Congress with California as a free state 

3. Could go either way: popular sovereignty in Utah and NM 

1. Relate the Kansas-Nebraska Act and Bleeding Kansas:

1. Act: Allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide slavery by popular sovereignty; Effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise line (36°30′).

2. Bleeding KS: Pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers rushed into Kansas to influence the vote, which led to violent clashes, raids, and killings

1. Compare/ contrast the actions of Garrison, Douglass, and Brown:

1. Garrison: Radical abolitionist, published The Liberator; advocated immediate emancipation through moral persuasion and nonviolence

2. Douglass: Former enslaved man, powerful speaker and writer; Worked within political system, supported practical reforms, and used personal testimony to sway opinion, published The North Star

3. Brown: Militant abolitionist, believed violence was necessary; Led armed actions (e.g., Harpers Ferry raid) to spark slave uprisings

1. What did the Court say about slaves and territories in the Scott decision? Impact?

1. Decision: 

   1. They were not citizens so they did not have any legal rights; Slaves were property

   2. Property(slaves) can be brought anywhere without restriction, including the territories; 5th Amendment right to property, and Congress cannot deny the right to property

2. Impact: 

   1. There are no free states

   2. MO Compromise was unconstitutional and therefore void 

1. Compare Northern and Southern strengths before the Civil War and their plans:

1. North

   1. Strengths: most banks, factories, and ships are there; population twice as large as the South; more railroads; larger navy; their gov institutions have been tried and tested over time; more states stayed than left

   2. Plan: Anaconda: Blockade Southern ports, control rivers to get into the deep South, capture Richmond, and destroy their ability/will to fight 

2. South

   1. Strengths: excellent group of military officers; Britain and France sympathize with them; soldiers convinced of the rightness of the Cause; Confederacy fighting for independence

   2. Plan: Don’t Lose 

What were the two military turning points of the war in Union territory?

1. Gettysburg

2. Antietam 

1. What were the effects of a Union victory?

1. Slavery was abolished

2. Federal supremacy

3. Union preserved 

Contrast the three Civil War amendments and why some would oppose them:

1. 13th: abolished slavery

2. 14th: equal rights, due process, and citizenship 

3. 15th: male suffrage 

   1. Oppose: white women had not yet received voting rights, and some concerns about literacy skills 

1. List several problems for Freedmen immediately following the War:

1. Economic hardship

2. Lack of education

3. Violence and intimidation

4. Legal discrimination: Black Codes, literacy tests, poll taxes 

5. Political exclusion 

1. What were the big problems of industrialization for labor (work issues)?

1. Long hours (10–12 hour days).

2. Low wages.

3. Unsafe working conditions.

4. Child labor.

5. No job security or benefits.

1. Describe the New Immigrants who came to the US for jobs:

1. From Southern & Eastern Europe (Italy, Poland, Russia).

2. Often Catholic, Jewish, Orthodox (different from Protestant majority).

3. Poor, unskilled, spoke little English.

4. Different customs, languages, religions

1. What were several solutions to farmers’ problems and results

1. Dry framing techniques → adapted to low rainfall

2. Windmills → pumped water for irrigation

3. Steel plows → broke tough prairie sod

4. Barbed wire → kept crops safe from grazing 

1. Relate the Homestead Act and the Dawes Act.

1. Homestead: granted 160 acres of free land to settlers who farmed it for 5 years

2. Dawes: gave 160 acres of land to individual Native families 

   1. Shrunk reservations to give more land to white settlers 

1. What worst problem for Great Plains Indians most helped lead to their removal?

Destruction of the buffalo herds

1. For some, what was the goal of reservations and schools?

1. Assimilate Native Americans into white civilization 

Recurring Themes

• Natives continuously lost land, population, and culture

• The North was always different from the South

• Go west for opportunity/ land

• “Don’t lose” is powerful military strategy

• State vs Federal power// loose vs strict interpretation

• Presidents sends troops as a last resort-- precedent

• Contested elections (problems or unusual outcomes)

• Peaceful transfer of power

• Economic conditions impact politics/ voting

• Supreme Court decisions make some people mad

• Slavery stinks-- conditions, rights, pol- balance in Senate… 

• Problems with/ for immigrants- nativism, nat’l security, etc.

• Responses to attacks on Americans (public and gov’t)

• Change/ reform can be slow- new laws don’t change personal opinions

• Farming is hard

• Active presidents

1. What was politically typical of US presidents in this period (3)?

1. Job: not very popular; one term each

2. Politics: inactive presidents/passive role; let Congress do the work; not a party leader

3. Same Party: all but one were Republicans

1. Which president was most unusual, why?

1. Grover Cleveland was unusual because he was a Democrat in a period dominated by Republicans, and he served two non-consecutive terms (1884 and 1892)

1. Contrast business regulation and laissez- faire:

1. Laissez-faire: Government should not interfere in the economy; businesses operate freely.

2. Business regulation: Government steps in to curb abuses, monopolies, and unfair practices (e.g., railroads, trusts).

1. Relate the ICC and the Sherman Antitrust Act:

1. Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC, 1887): First federal regulatory agency, created to oversee railroads and ensure fair rates.

2. Sherman Antitrust Act (1890): first federal law, outlawed monopolistic business practices and “restraints of trade.”

3. Connection: Both were early attempts to regulate big business and protect competition

1. Terms-  political machine, spoils system, and Solid South

1. Political machine: Party organizations that controlled local politics through patronage and favors (e.g., Tammany Hall).

2. Spoils system: Practice of rewarding loyal party supporters with government jobs.

3. Solid South: The South’s consistent loyalty to the Democratic Party after Reconstruction.

1. What procedure was begun by the Pendleton Act to reform civil service?

1. Began civil service reform by requiring government jobs to be awarded based on merit exams rather than political patronage.

1. Relate the goals of the Grange and Granger laws:

1. Grange (farmers’ organization): Wanted to improve farmers’ social, economic, and political conditions.

2. Granger laws: State laws regulating railroad rates and grain storage fees to protect farmers.

1. Omaha Platform: how did Populists want to expand democracy (pol)?

1. Called for direct election of senators, secret ballot, and more direct democracy

1. Omaha Platform: what were Populist solutions to farmers’ problems (econ)? 

1. Demanded government ownership of railroads, graduated income tax, and subtreasury plan (government warehouses for crops)

1. Why would Bryan, farmers, and others support Free Silver (2+)?  

1. Inflationary policy: More money in circulation would raise crop prices.

2. Debt relief: Easier for farmers and debtors to repay loans.

3. Economic fairness: Seen as a way to counter the power of Eastern bankers who favored the gold standard.

1. What were two successes of the Populist party?

1. Won city, state, and Congressional elections

2. Raised awareness of farmers’ struggles and shaped Progressive Era reforms.

1. How was the election of 1896 the end of the Populist Party?

1. William Jennings Bryan (Democrat) adopted Populist ideas (Free Silver), merging their cause with Democrats.

2. After Bryan’s defeat by McKinley, the Populist Party lost independent influence

1. How was the election of 1896 different from previous campaigns?

1. First modern campaign: McKinley used mass fundraising, advertising, and a “front porch campaign.” Bryan toured the country giving hundreds of speeches — unprecedented direct voter engagement.

2. McKinley spends a biligen dollars to help get him elected

1. What was the focus of the Progressive movement (define)? 

1.  Reform movement (1890s–1920s) aimed at addressing problems of industrialization, urbanization, and corruption.

2. Focused on social justice, political reform, and economic regulation (e.g., child labor laws, antitrust enforcement, women’s suffrage).

Contrast the ideas of Booker T. Washington and WEB du Bois (approach/ and why):

1. Booker T. Washington: Advocated vocational training and gradual economic progress; believed social equality would follow economic success.

2. W.E.B. Du Bois: Demanded immediate civil rights, higher education, and political activism; helped found the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).

3. Contrast: Washington emphasized accommodation and self-help, while Du Bois pushed for direct confrontation of racial inequality.

4. Why: civil rights reform, it’s gonna take time: South is very stubborn

1. What was the main industry of each industrialist?

1. Vanderbilt: shipping and railroads

2. Carnegie: steel

3. J.P. Morgan: banking and finance 

4. Rockefeller: oil 

1. In what two “new” technologies did Vanderbilt invest?

1. Steamships

2. Railroads 

1. Expanding into railroads, what else did Vanderbilt build/ organize (2)?

1. A vast railroad network (consolidated smaller lines into major systems)

2. Grand Central Station, NYC

1. What 1) manufacturing process and 2) business method did Carnegie utilize?

1. Manufacturing process: The Bessemer process (efficient steel production)

2. Business method: Vertical integration (controlling all steps of production from raw materials to distribution)

1. To demonstrate the uses of steel, what did Carnegie help build?

1. Eads Bridge 

1. What was the Gospel of Wealth?

1. Carnegie’s philosophy that the wealthy had a moral obligation to use their riches for the public good, funding libraries, schools, and cultural institutions rather than personal luxury

In what two industries was Morgan first prominent?

1. Banking

2. Railroads 

1. What two other industries does Morgan take over?  New companies he created?

1. Steel: created U.S. Steel Corporation

2. Electricity: organized General Electric

1. What action (twice!) illustrates Morgan’s wealth and power?

1. Bailed out the U.S. government during financial crises (1895 and 1907), stabilizing the economy with his personal funds

1. Against what business was the first federal anti-trust investigation?

1. Northern Securities Co

Owning what one company made Rockefeller the richest?

Standard Oil Company

1. How did Rockefeller create a near monopoly (business method)?

Horizontal integration (buying out competitors and consolidating the oil industry)

1. What new technology led Rockefeller to revolutionize another industry?

1. Petroleum refining for kerosene and later gasoline, fueling the automobile industry

1. How was Rockefeller criticized for buying out competitors?

Accused of ruthless tactics—undercutting prices, secret railroad rebates, and forcing rivals to sell

1. For violating antitrust laws, what did the Court do to Standard Oil?

1. In 1911, the Supreme Court ordered Standard Oil to be broken up into 34 smaller companies under the Sherman Antitrust Act

1. The Father of American Lit: Who was the most successful writer of the Gilded Age?

1. Mark Twain

1. Why did Mark Twain choose his pen name?

1. Samuel Clemens adopted Mark Twain in 1863, a riverboat term meaning “two fathoms deep” (safe water for navigation). It reflected his Mississippi riverboat pilot past

Twain- titles and describe his many writing styles:

1. Titles

   1. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)

   2. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884)

2. Styles

   1. vernacular speech and regional dialects

   2. Humor and satire

   3. Conversational 

   4. Blended realism 

1. Written much later, whose books most helped shape modern ideas of frontier life?

1. Laura Ingalls Wilder

Why did Wilder get into education? Into writing?

1. Education: her family needed financial support, and teaching was one of the few respectable jobs available to young women on the frontier

2. Writing: first at small local newspapers, then as a storyteller of pioneer life

1. Wilder- titles and writing styles:

1. Titles:

   1. Little House on the Prairie (series)

   2. Little House on the Big Woods

   3. On the Banks of Plum Creek

   4. The Long Winter

2. Styles:

   1. Autobiographical

   2. Focus on family, survival, and pioneer values

1. Titles- What two books did Cather also write about immigrant/ pioneer life in NE?

1. O Pioneers!

2. My Antonia 

Styles- With a degree in journalism, what popular magazine did Cather also edit?

1. McClure’s Magazine

Which novelist criticized the conformity of high-society life in the Gilded Age?

1. Edith Wharton

1. Titles- For what later book was Wharton the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize?

1. The Age of Innocence

1. What did Edison establish first in Menlo Park, NJ?   

1. The first industrial research laboratory 

Edison competed with Tesla for contracts to standardize, what system? 

1. Alternating Current, Niagara Falls power station 

1. Edison’s 3 major inventions- Other improvements-

1. Phonograph: First device to record and reproduce sound

2. Incandescent Light Bulb: Practical, long-lasting electric light for homes and businesses

3. Kinetoscope/Kinetograph: Early system for recording and viewing moving images

1. Who was the most prominent African American scientist of the 20th Century?

1. George Washington Carver

1. Carver used ag. science to support and promote what method for preserving soil?

1. Crop rotation 

1. At Tuskegee, why did Carver work to develop uses for many crops?

1. to help poor farmers, especially in the South, gain financial independence and reduce reliance on cotton

1. Carver came up with hundreds of uses for what types of crops?

1. Peanuts and Sweet Potatoes 

1. What jobs did the Wright Bros have before flight (what else did they do in OH)?  

1. Wright & Wright Printers

2. Wright & Wright Cycling Co. 

1903- After working with kites and gliders, where was the first flight?  Why cool?

1. Kill Devil Hills near Kittyhawk, NC

2. It was the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air machine—a breakthrough in human history

1. What was Ford’s first gas-powered “horseless carriage?”

1. Quadricycle 

1. 1908- What was the Ford Motor Company’s “best seller,” why, + how made (2):

1. Model T 

2. Why: 

   1. Affordable for middle-class Americans

3. How: 

   1. Assembly Line Production

   2. Standardized, Interchangeable Parts

1. How did Ford retain his workers and shock the industry?

1. $5 workday