Gilded Age to WWII Review Cards

Comprehensive practice questions covering the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, American Imperialism, World War I, and World War II based on lecture notes.

What business did John D. Rockefeller create and how did he control the industry?

He created the Standard Oil Company and controlled oil refining through horizontal integration and trust agreements.

In which industries did the robber baron Cornelius Vanderbilt make his fortune?

The shipping and railroad industries, famously consolidating lines like the New York Central Railroad.

What is bimetallism?

A monetary system recognizing both gold and silver as legal tender at a fixed ratio, supported by farmers to increase the money supply.

Who was William Jennings Bryan and what was his most famous speech?

A Democratic presidential nominee famous for his "Cross of Gold" speech in $1896$, which defended bimetallism.

Who were the Exodusters?

African Americans who migrated from the South to Kansas in the late $1870s$ to escape racial violence and seek economic independence.

Why were Oklahoman’s called “Sooners” during the Land Rush of $1889$?

They were settlers who sneaked into the territory early to claim land before the official opening signal.

What was the Trail of Tears?

The forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation and other tribes to Indian Territory following the Indian Removal Act of $1830$, resulting in thousands of deaths.

What was the Haymarket Incident of $1886$?

A labor protest rally in Chicago where a bomb was thrown at police, leading to the conviction of anarchists and damaging the reputation of the Knights of Labor.

What was the Chinese Exclusion Act of $1882$?

The first significant federal law to restrict immigration based on race, banning Chinese laborers for $10$ years and denying them citizenship.

What was the role of Ellis Island from $1892$ to $1954$?

It served as the premier immigration inspection station in New York Harbor for millions of European immigrants.

What industry did Upton Sinclair expose in his book "The Jungle"?

The meatpacking industry; the book led to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act of $1906$.

What was the goal of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)?

They advocated for total abstinence from alcohol (prohibition) to combat domestic abuse, poverty, and social decay.

Which constitutional amendment established Prohibition?

The $18th$ Amendment, ratified in $1919$, which banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors.

What is a speakeasy?

An illegal, hidden bar or nightclub where alcoholic beverages were sold during the Prohibition era.

What is urban expansion?

The growth and physical spread of cities as populations shift from rural areas to urban centers due to industrialization and immigration.

How did Henry Ford revolutionize the auto industry?

He introduced the moving assembly line for the Model T, which reduced production costs and made cars affordable for average Americans.

What were Jim Crow laws?

State and local laws in the Southern United States that enforced racial segregation and disenfranchised Black Americans.

What is the definition of Imperialism?

A policy where a stronger nation extends power over weaker countries via military force, political control, or economic dominance.

What was the Monroe Doctrine issued in $1823$?

A U.S. policy stating that European nations should not colonize or interfere with the affairs of the Western Hemisphere.

Which president led the "Rough Riders" during the Spanish-American War?

Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt.

Why did Theodore Roosevelt win the Nobel Peace Prize in $1906$?

For mediating the peace treaty (Treaty of Portsmouth) that ended the Russo-Japanese War.

Who succeeded Theodore Roosevelt as President of the United States?

William Howard Taft, who served from $1909$ to $1913$.

What political party did Teddy Roosevelt form in $1912$?

The Progressive Party, commonly known as the "Bull Moose Party."

Which wars were fought for the control of Korea in the late $19th$ and early $20th$ centuries?

The First Sino-Japanese War ($1894$-$1895$) and the Russo-Japanese War ($1904$-$1905$).

What canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was completed in $1914$?

The Panama Canal.

What is Social Darwinism?

The application of "survival of the fittest" to human societies to justify the domination of weaker nations or poorer classes.

What is "Moral Diplomacy" and who pushed this agenda?

A foreign policy system providing aid only to nations with moral and democratic values aligned with the U.S., pushed by President Woodrow Wilson.

What was the poem “Brown Man’s Burden” by Henry Labouchère about?

A satirical response to "The White Man's Burden" that criticized the hypocrisy and greed of Western imperialism.

Which crop accounted for $\frac{3}{4}$ of Hawaii's income when the U.S. acquired the islands?

Sugar cane (sugar).

What is American Isolationism?

A national foreign policy of avoiding political, military, or economic entanglements with other countries, particularly European conflicts.

Whose assassination contributed to the start of World War I?

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, killed by a Serbian nationalist in June $1914$.

Which countries initially formed the Triple Alliance?

Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

Which nations were the main Allied Powers at the start of World War I?

Great Britain, France, and Russia.

What was revealed in the Zimmerman Telegram?

A German proposal for Mexico to attack the U.S. in exchange for reclaiming lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

The sinking of which British ocean liner in $1915$ pushed the U.S. toward World War I?

The Lusitania.

How did the U.S. naval warships protect merchant ships from German U-boats?

By using a convoy system where ships traveled in large groups escorted by warships.

What was the purpose of the Liberty Loan Campaign?

To sell government-backed war bonds to citizens to finance U.S. military operations in World War I.

What is meant by Total Warfare?

A conflict where nations mobilize all civilian and military resources, blurring the boundary between combatants and non-combatants.

What is the concept of "Civilized War"?

An old-fashioned theory that warfare should follow international laws and codes of honor, which was shattered by World War I.

What were the major terms of the Treaty of Versailles?

Germany had to accept the War Guilt Clause, pay reparations, surrender colonies, dismantle its military, and the League of Nations was established.

Which countries were the major Axis Powers of World War II?

Germany, Italy, and Japan.

What was the name of the book written by Adolf Hitler?

Mein Kampf (My Struggle).

What was the goal of Hitler’s “Lebensraum” movement?

To expand German territory eastward to provide "living space" for the Aryan race by displacing native Slavic populations.

What was Operation Barbarossa?

Germany's code name for the surprise invasion of the Soviet Union in June $1941$.

Which country attacked Pearl Harbor on December $7$, $1941$?

Japan.

What was the goal of the “Lend-Lease” program?

To supply Allied nations with war materials while keeping the U.S. technically neutral as the "arsenal of democracy."

Why were Japanese Americans placed in internment camps during World War II?

Due to Executive Order $9066$, driven by wartime hysteria, racial prejudice, and fears of sabotage following Pearl Harbor.

What did the GI Bill of $1944$ provide for veterans?

Low-interest mortgages, loans to start businesses, and paid tuition/living expenses for education.

What does the term "Genocide" mean?

The deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, ethnic, religious, or national group.

What was the significance of the Nuremberg Trials?

They prosecuted Nazi leaders for war crimes and established that individuals are legally accountable for actions ordered by their government.