History note cards

Monarchy

A system of government headed by a person such as a king, queen, shah, or sultan whose position is usually inherited.

Absolute Monarchy

A system of government headed by a king or queen as the only source of power controlling all functions of state.

Limited Monarchy

A system of government in which the monarch's powers are limited by a constitution or legislative body.

Dictator

A system of government in which those who rule usually acquire and maintain authority by force and cannot be held responsible to the will of the people.

Democracy

A form of government in which the people have the authority to choose their governing legislators.

Direct Democracy

A system in which citizens participate in government decisions by voting directly on issues.

Representative Democracy

A democratic system of government in which the people exercise political control and participate through elected officials.

Theocracy

A system of government headed by one or more religious leaders who claim to rule by divine authority.

Amendment

An addition to the text of the U.S. Constitution.

15th Amendment

Prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on 'race, color, or previous condition of servitude'.

19th Amendment

Guaranteed women the right to vote.

Brown v. Board of Education

Supreme Court decision that ordered racially segregated public schools to be integrated.

Bakke v. University of California

Supreme Court ruling that stated that universities could not use racial quotas for admission.

Tariff

A tax imposed on goods from foreign countries.

Progressive Tax

A tax for which the percent of income paid increases as income increases.

Federal Reserve

This government agency oversees the nation’s money supply.

Region

A geographical area with common characteristics.

Primary Source

An account of an event by someone who was present at the event.

Secondary Source

An account of an event by someone who was not present at the event.

Credible Source

A source that is believable and trustworthy.

Reliable Source

A source that consistently provides accurate and trustworthy information.

Propaganda

One-sided information and ideas spread in order to gain public support for a cause or to damage an opposing cause.

Thesis Statement

An argument that is presented in a report, stating the main idea of the report in one sentence.

Industrial Revolution

A basic change in the way goods were made, involving factories and large machines.

Urbanization

The movement of large numbers of people from rural areas to cities in search of jobs.

Populism

A political approach that seeks to represent the interests of ordinary people.

Progressivism

A political movement that aimed to address issues caused by industrialization, urbanization, and corruption.

Pull Factor

A social, political, economic, or environmental attraction of a new area that drew people away from their previous location.

Manifest Destiny

The fate of the U.S., implying that the U.S. would extend its boundaries beyond the seas.

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

Boxer Rebellion

A popular uprising that sought to remove foreigners and foreign influence in China in reaction to imperialism.

Great Migration

The wave of African Americans that migrated from the South to the North during the early 20th century. Jim crow laws

Fourteen Points

The peace program proposed by President Wilson.

Treaty of Versailles

This document ended WWI.

League of Nations

An organization set up at the end of WWI to prevent future wars.

Russian Revolution

This event overthrew the Czar and established the world’s first communist government.

Cold War

Conflict between the Soviet Union and the U.S. that began after WWII and lasted until the 1980’s.

Iron Curtain

A term coined by Winston Churchill for the political barrier isolating Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe from Western Europe.

Truman Doctrine

This Cold War policy named after a president pledged to assist the governments of Greece and Turkey against the threat of communism.

Communism

An economic system based on eliminating private property to end class struggles and create an ideal society.

NATO

A military alliance between the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations to defend against communism and protect democracy.

Isolationism

A policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other groups, especially the political affairs of other countries.

Red Scare

The fear of Communism in America in the 1920’s.

Harlem Renaissance

The flourishing literary, musical, and artistic expression of African Americans in the 1920’s.

Great Depression

A major economic crisis that began in the United States in 1929 and affected the world.

Stock Market Crash of 1929

Thousands of investors panicked and tried to sell their stocks at any price, causing the stock prices to collapse.

World War II

The most destructive war in world history.

Internment of Japanese Americans

The confinement of Japanese Americans in camps during World War II.

United Nations

An international peacekeeping organization formed after WWII.

Nazism

The German political movement led by Adolf Hitler based on the principles of violence and aggression.

Appeasement

The policy of granting concessions to a potential aggressor to avoid conflict.

Holocaust

What happened when Jews were sent to concentration camps where millions were gassed.

Jim Crow Laws

System in the Southern states during the late 1800’s that segregated African Americans and forced them to use separate, inferior facilities.

Cuban Missile Crisis

U.S.–Soviet confrontation over weapons in Cuba during the 1960’s.

oligarchy

like a dictatorship except a small group rules instead of a single person

command

all economic decisions made by the government.

market

Nusinesses privately owned

mixed (economy)

combination of privately owned and government controlled businesses

Schenck vs us

established clear and present danger

Checks and balances

The three branches of government operate on a system of…

Supreme law of the land

Constitiution known as the….

1st amendment

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

13th amendment

Abolished slavery

14th amendment

Citizenship to everyone born in the us

16th amendment

governemnt can collect income tax

17th amendment

direct election of senators

24th amendment

outlaws literacy test and poll taxes as requirements for voting

26th amendment

lowers voting age to 18

Plessey v Ferguson

declared segregation legal

globalization

the act, process, or policy of making something worldwide in scope or application

Locke

Natural rights

Montesquieu

seperation of powers

Voltaire

freedom of speech

Enlightenment

17th century intellectual movement. Worked to limit power of government and church.

City life

Poor living conditions-slums. Working conditions in factories, dangerous, long hours, little pay

Big stick policy

Builds panama canal and intervenes in Latin America (president teddy rosevelts)

Open door policy in China

Us supports, struggles in African nations directly linked to past imperialist policy’s.

spanish-american war

Aquired Guam, Puerto Rico, and Philippines( us becomes imperialist after spanish American war)

reasons for imperialism

Fueled by the need for markets and resources for industrialization

causes for great depression

Bank failures, overproduction, overspending, stock market crash.

M.A.I.N

Militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism

Modern war weapons

Submarines, machine guns, tanks, planes, gas

Baby boomers

Large increase in birthrate following wwll

McCarthyism

Campaign to root at communism in U.S (red scare)

Axis powers

Germnay Italy Japan

allied powers

Great Britain, us, Soviet union

Civil disobedience

legal form of protest to bring about government change

containment

us foreign policy

berlin airlift

Soviet union and U.S disagree over Berlin

vietnam war begins

when communist North Vietnam invades south Vietnam

domino theory

U.S aids south Vietnam because of the domino theory

Muckrakers