History Vocab Review

Wilson’s 14 Points

A statement of principles for peace used for negotiations to end World War I.

Labor movements of 1919

A series of strikes and protests for workers' rights and better conditions following World War I.

Red Scare

A period of intense fear of communism and radical leftism in the United States during the early 20th century.

Palmer Raids

A series of raids conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice to capture and deport radical leftists, especially anarchists and communists.

Versailles Treaty

The peace treaty that brought World War I to an end, imposing heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany.

League of Nations

An international organization established after World War I to promote peace and cooperation among countries.

Sacco-Vanzetti Case

A controversial murder trial of two Italian immigrants in the 1920s, which highlighted issues of immigrants' rights and the justice system.

Calvin Coolidge

The 30th President of the United States, known for his pro-business policies and the slogan 'The business of America is business'.

American Plan

A policy promoted by business leaders in the 1920s aimed at opposing labor unions and promoting an open shop.

Equal Rights Amendment

A proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution aimed at guaranteeing equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex.

Lost Generation

A term used to describe a group of American writers in the 1920s who were disillusioned with post-World War I society.

Second Ku Klux Klan

A resurgence of the KKK in the 1920s that targeted not just African Americans but also immigrants and other groups.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural, social, and artistic explosion centered in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s, celebrating African American culture.

1929 stock market crash

The dramatic decline in stock prices that led to the Great Depression, marking the start of an economic crisis.

laissez faire economics

An economic philosophy of free-market capitalism that opposes government intervention.

Election of 1932

The presidential election marked by a significant shift in public sentiment toward Franklin D. Roosevelt amidst the Great Depression.

Hundred Days

The first few months of Roosevelt's presidency focused on implementing New Deal programs to address the Great Depression.

Glass-Steagall Act

A law that established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and included banking reforms to control speculation.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

A New Deal program that employed young men to work on public service projects, particularly in land conservation.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

A federally owned corporation created to provide navigation, flood control, irrigation, electricity generation, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley.

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

A New Deal agency that provided jobs for millions of Americans through public works projects.

Wagner Act

A landmark piece of labor legislation that protected workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively.

Dust Bowl

A period of severe dust storms during the 1930s that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the U.S. Great Plains.

Social Security Act

A law enacted in 1935 that established a system of old-age benefits and unemployment insurance.

“fireside chats”

Radio broadcasts made by Franklin D. Roosevelt to communicate directly with the American people.

court packing

A legislative proposal by FDR to add more justices to the Supreme Court to obtain favorable rulings for his New Deal legislation.

Isolationism

A foreign policy approach advocating for minimal involvement in international affairs and conflicts.

Neutrality Acts

Laws passed in the 1930s aimed at keeping the U.S. out of foreign wars by restricting arms sales and loans.

Pearl Harbor

The site of the Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. naval base, leading to the U.S. entering World War II.

D-Day

The Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, which marked a turning point in World War II in Europe.

island hopping

A military strategy used in World War II that involved capturing specific islands to get closer to Japan.

Four Freedoms

A speech by FDR outlining the four fundamental freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.

G.I. Bill of Rights

Legislation that provided educational benefits and housing assistance to returning World War II veterans.

Japanese-American internment

The forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II by the U.S. government.

Korematsu v. United States (1944)

A landmark Supreme Court case that upheld the government's decision to intern Japanese Americans during World War II.

double-V

A term used during World War II advocating for victory against fascism abroad and victory against racial discrimination at home.

Bombing campaign of Japan

A series of military tactics used by the U.S. to target Japanese cities and industrial areas in World War II.

Post-war conferences

Meetings between Allied leaders to discuss the post-war order and the reorganization of Europe.

Bretton Woods

A conference held in 1944 that established a new international monetary order and the International Monetary Fund.

Dumbarton Oaks

A conference in 1944 where the groundwork for the United Nations was laid.

Yalta

A conference in 1945 where Allied leaders discussed the reorganization of post-war Europe.

Potsdam

The 1945 conference where Allied leaders finalized terms for the surrender of Japan and discussed post-war reconstruction.