US History Final Exam Study Guide: Reconstruction to the Modern Era

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering major topics from Reconstruction through the Modern Era for the SS8 Final Exam.

Reconstruction

The time period after the Civil War intended to bring the North and South back together and protect the rights of former slaves.

Lincoln's Plan

A very lenient plan for Reconstruction known as the $10\%$ Plan.

Radical Republicans Plan

A very strict Reconstruction plan that aimed to punish the South and allow for voting rights.

13th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that freed the slaves and abolished slavery.

14th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that granted citizenship to former slaves.

15th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that allowed former male slaves the right to vote.

Jim Crow Laws

Segregation laws in Southern States that divided black and white citizens in all levels of society.

Sharecropping

A system that replaced slavery where former slaves rented land from former owners, keeping a small portion of crops while the owners took the rest.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court case that established the 'separate but equal' doctrine, legalizing segregation in the USA.

Robber Baron

A negative view of business leaders who use unethical practices, treat workers poorly, and form monopolies to eliminate competition.

Captain of Industry

A positive view of business leaders who use their wealth to help those in need, build public facilities like libraries, and donate to charity.

John D. Rockefeller

Business leader who controlled the oil industry through the Standard Oil Company.

Andrew Carnegie

Business leader who controlled the steel industry through US Steel.

Urbanization

The growth of cities in terms of population and buildings during the Industrial Revolution.

Muckraker

Someone who exposes existing problems in society and attempts to fix them.

Jacob Riis

Muckraker who exposed poor living conditions of immigrants in NYC through the photo-book 'How the Other Half Lives'.

Upton Sinclair

Muckraker who wrote 'The Jungle', a novel exposing dangerous and gross conditions in Chicago's meatpacking industry.

Hull House

A settlement house in Chicago founded by Jane Addams to help immigrants find work, learn English, and adapt to the USA.

19th Amendment

The amendment granted in $1920$ that provided women the right to vote (suffrage).

18th Amendment

The amendment that made the sale, manufacturing, or transportation of intoxicating liquors (alcohol) illegal.

Square Deal

Teddy Roosevelt's program focused on Conservation, Consumer Protection, and Controlling Trusts.

Lusitania

A ship that sank due to Germany's 'Unrestricted Sub Warfare', leading to the death of US citizens and contributing to the US entry into WWI.

Zimmerman Note

A telegram from Germany asking Mexico to attack the US, which was intercepted by England and given to the USA.

League of Nations

An international organization created after WWI that the US Congress refused to join due to concerns over foreign conflicts.

Seneca Falls Convention 1848

The early convention that marked the beginning of the Women's Suffrage Movement.

Buying on Margin

The practice of paying a small percentage of a stock's price and borrowing the rest, which contributed to the Stock Market Crash of $1929$.

Dust Bowl

A period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American prairies during the Great Depression.

New Deal

FDR’s program to fight the Great Depression, characterized by the '3R’s': Relief, Recovery, and Reform.

F.D.I.C.

The Federal Depository Insurance Corporation, which guarantees bank deposits to prevent loss of life savings.

Manhattan Project

The secret project during WWII to develop the nuclear bomb.

D-Day

The Allied invasion of Normandy, France, which established a foothold in Europe and forced Germany to fight a two-front war.

Korematsu v. USA

Supreme Court case that declared the internment of Japanese-Americans constitutional as a matter of national security.

Truman Doctrine

Policy of providing millions in aid to Greece and Turkey to prevent the spread of Communism.

Containment

The US Cold War policy aimed at stopping the spread of Communism.

Brown v. Board of Ed.

The landmark Supreme Court case that overturned Plessy and ended segregation in schools.

Civil Rights Act 1964

Law that ended segregation in all public spots and banned discrimination in businesses.

USA Patriot Act

Law passed in response to the major event of $9-11$.