Human Geography

Irish Potato Famine

a disease (potato blight) devastated potato crops across Europe, hitting Ireland the hardest; approximately one million Irish people died of starvation or disease; major driver of immigration to the U.S. from Ireland in the mid-1800s

Sun Belt

a region in the southern and southwestern U.S. known for its warm climate, economic growth, and cultural diversity including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, portions of California, North Carolina, and Tennessee

Adaptation

humans adjusting their habits and practices in response to the environment

Site

the physical setting of a settlement

Example

on the riverbank

Canal

a man-made waterway made to allow boats to pass through or to transport water for irrigation purposes

Example

Panama Canal

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965

eliminated the national-origin quota system that had discriminated against non-European immigrants; also known as the Hart-Celler Act

Chinese Exclusion Act

federal legislation passed by Congress in 1882 that banned immigration of any Chinese national to the United States

Indian Removal Act of 1830

authorized the removal of Native Americans who lived east of the Mississippi River to lands in the West

Fertility Rate

The average number of children that will be born to 1000 woman in a population per year

Irrigation

The process of moving water from rivers, streams, and aquifers onto drier areas

First Red Scare

a period of anti-communist and anti-socialist popular sentiment in the United States starting in 1917

Situation

how a settlement relates to factors such as available building resources, water supply, food supply, roads, and available natural resources for consumption

Example

ample water supply

Human Migration

the movement of people from one location to another

Mortality Rate

The number of deaths per 1000 individuals in a population per year

Xenophobia

the intense and irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries

The New Deal

A series of policies, public work projects, and financial reforms passed by Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933 and 1936 in an attempt to stimulate the economy

Example

Social Security, unemployment benefis, FDIC

Fertile Crescent

A crescent-shaped area from the Mediterranean Sea on the West to the Persian Gulf on the East and that contained extremely fertile soil. Some of the first agricultural communities were settled there and it is sometimes referred to as "The Cradle of Civilization."

Know-Nothing Party

a political organization that wanted to make it difficult for foreign-born people to become citizens or hold office

Urbanization

the process of a society becoming more urban, with growing populations in dense city centers and a move away from rural living

Bering Land Bridge

an area of land exposed during the last Ice Age in what is now the Bering Strait between modern-day Russia and Alaska, used by prehistoric humans to migrate into the Western Hemisphere

Socio-Economic Status

social and economic standing within a group

Harlem Renaissance

a surge of African American culture, specifically through the arts in the 1920s

Pull Factor

Pull factors are circumstances or conditions that attract or draw individuals to move to a particular destination.

Example

People might want to resettle in another location due to increased economic opportunities or freedoms in the new location.

Push Factor

Circumstances or conditions in a person's home country that motivate or force them to leave.

Example

People might choose to leave their homeland due to political instability or economic hardship.

Ellis Island

located in New York; used as a gateway for immigrants until 1954

Earl Warren

a Supreme Court Justice appointed by President Eisenhower

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

in the modern-day Middle East, bodies of water known for the settlement of Mesopotamia, one of the earliest civilizations

The Great Migration

the migration of approximately six million African Americans from the South to the North during the 20th century

Cesar Chavez

leading advocate for the rights of farm workers, co-founder of the United Farm Workers union in the 1960s, and advocate for Mexican-American civil rights

Democracy

A system of government in which all members of society have a share in decision making

Monsoon

Periods of extended, heavy rainfalls, which occur in Asia and Oceania

Clean Air Act of 1963

gave the federal government the authority to enforce air quality standards throughout the United States

Nativism

the policy of favoring native inhabitants of a country over immigrants

Population Pyramid

Chart that shows the distribution of a population by age (and often by gender as well)

Vedas

the primary text of the Hindu religion

Baby Boomers

the generation born following WWII (1940s), known for their significant population growth and having an on American culture, economy, and politics; their concerns became the primary concerns of the nation

Modification

humans altering the physical environment to meet their needs

Great Depression

an unprecedented period of worldwide economic downturn that began in Oct. 1929 with the United States stock market crash and ended due to a combination of the New Deal and World War II

Gupta Empire

The dynasty that ruled northern India and was known for achievements in art, architecture, science, math, and religion.

Erie Canal

A man-made navigable water route from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean (via New York City's Hudson River)

Fair Deal

a program promoted by President Truman aimed at extending benefits of the New Deal

Telephone

Invented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell. Allowed instantaneous voice communication over a long distance for the first time

Suez Canal

A man made navigable water route from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea

Dust Bowl

A series of extreme droughts and dust storms in the late 1930s. Drove many agricultural migrants from Oklahoma and Texas to California in search of work.

Sanskrit

early writing system of ancient India

Transcontinental Railroad

Built between 1863 and 1869 and connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

Hinduism

Considered one of the world's oldest religions, but sometimes called a way of life; there is a belief in reincarnation and that one can move up or down in their class in their next lives but not their current lives.

Vedic Period

(c. 1500-500 BCE) formative period for ancient India marked by the composition of the sacred Hindu texts the Vedas, the origin of Sanskrit writing, and the varna system of social order

National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956

established the Interstate Highway System, a massive network of highways throughout the United States

White Flight

a term used to refer to the mass migration of affluent white families out of cities following the desegregation of schools and facilities in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s

Isolationism

Nationally abstaining from alliances and international policies and economic relations. Usually involves putting one's countries needs above foreign involvement.

Hart-Celler Act

A 1965 law that ended the quota system used in immigration and replaced it with a system of preferences based on family connection and job skills. This change drastically increased the number of immigrants from Africa, Latin America and Asia who entered California beginning in the 1970s.

Airplane

Invited in 1903 by the Wright Brothers. Sped up travel over long distances.

New Frontier

a name for a number of programs promoted by President Kennedy aimed at expanding New Deal programs

Truman Doctrine

pledge by President Truman to support any nation against communism

Civil Rights Act of 1964

ensured access to voting for African-Americans, desegregated schools, ensured equal access to public housing, and outlawed discrimination in employment

Siddhartha Gautama

The first buddha, founder of the Buddhist religion

Assembly Line

Refined by Henry Ford in 1909 to improve the process of mass production.

Immigration Act of 1917

forced literacy tests on immigrants, created new categories of inadmissible persons, and barred immigration from the Asia-Pacific zone

Buddhism

a religion with its roots in India that teaches life is endless and is marred by suffering and uncertainty

Panama Canal

a man-made waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean

Caste System

Found in India; individuals are born into a socio-economic class and are required to stay in that class their entire life

Harappan Civilization

The first civilization in India; located in the Indus River Valley

Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ)

As a Senator in Texas in the 1950s, he spearheaded the NASA Space program in Houston,Texas. He later became President of the United States after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. Architect of the Great Society programs to combat poverty.