20th Century US History Study Guide Unit 4

Frederick Douglas

-Born into slavery in Maryland, escaped in 1838 at the age of 15

-Publisher of The North Star, an abolitionist newspaper

-Awesome orator, traveled around the North speaking of Black freedom

Reconstruction Period (1866-1876)

-Period of US history from roughly 1865-1876, an attempt by the federal government to “reconstruct” the country after the Civil War 

-For Black Americans, this meant three things: the end of slavery, citizenship, and the right to vote (male only) 

-The federal government essentially occupied the South, forcing them to comply with the new policies…how do you think that went? When it ends, what might happen?

JIm Crow Era (1877-1954)

-Period of US history post reconstruction, where newly freed blacks Americans were subjected to discrimination and harsh treatment in the American South 

-Slavery was gone, but that did not mean large scale progress was going to occur 

-Many in the American South attempted to “make things like they were” by restricting the employment and social opportunities available to blacks

Klu Klux Klan

-Red Scare and Nativism caused the rise of bigot groups who opposed minorities 

-Ku Klux Klan “Keep America American” 

-4.5 million members by 1924 

-White, native born, protestant men 

-Opposed African-American rights, wanted foreign people, Jews, and Catholics out 

-Very violent, caused a decrease in their numbers by the end of the decade

Segregation

the systematic separation, isolation, or setting apart of individuals or groups—most commonly based on race, sex, or religion—treating them differently from the rest of society.

In this time period, it was used to separate Black or people of color from Whites, mostly in the south.

Plessy v. Ferguson,

Was a landmark United States Supreme Court decision ruling that racial segregation laws did not violate the U.S. Constitution as long as the facilities for each race were equal in quality, a doctrine that came to be known as "separate but equal".

Due Process

Due process is a fundamental constitutional guarantee (5th and 14th Amendments) that prohibits all levels of U.S. government from arbitrarily depriving individuals of "life, liberty, or property" without following fair, established legal procedures. It ensures notice, a hearing, and a neutral decision-maker, applicable to both citizens and non-citizens.

Totalitarianism

a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public sphere and the private sphere of society.

Josef Stalin

Soviet dictator who came to power in 1925

-Ruled through fear, intimidation, imprisonment and murder

-Feared German attack → Non-aggression Pact

-Annexed surrounding areas for Soviet Union 

Benito Mussolini

• Originally a journalist who turned to politics

• Served in WWI

• Advocated Italian nationalism after the war

• Appointed prime minister by King Victor Emmanuel in 1922

• Consolidated power through removal of his “enemies” using the secret police

• Created a one-party totalitarian dictatorship

• Allied with Hitler in 1936

Appeasement

-Essentially leaving Hitler alone as long as war with Britain could be avoided 

-Many proponents at the time, including father of future president John F. Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy, who was ambassador to GB at the time

Facism

-Intense government control of a country by a strong nationalistic leader 

-Far right end of the social political spectrum, intolerant of any type of criticism whatsoever, often far left end of economic spectrum

-Opposition crushed immediately  

-Arose out of nationalism and WWI, people wanted a strong leader to look to and many were able to rise  

-People were expected to work hard for the government and support all of its actions

Adolf Hitler

Nazism

Manchurian Invasion

Ra*e of Nanjing

Lebensraum

Munich Pact

Blitzkrieg

Axis Powers

Allied Powers

Hideki Tojo

Neutrality Act of 1939

Isolationism

Selective Service

Lend-Lease Act

Atlantic Charter

Pearl Harbor

War Production Board

War Bonds

Inflation

Office of Price Administration

Rationing

Total War

Office of War Information

Office of Civilian Defense

WAC (WAAC)

Double V Campaign

Japanese Internment Camps

Korematsu vs. United State

"Europe First"

Battle of Midway

Invasion of Normandy (D-Day)

Battle of the Bulge

Island-Hopping

Kamikaze

Unconditional Su