American Revolution through Civil Rights Final Exam Study Guide

Flashcards covering key historical events from the American Revolution to the modern Civil Rights era.

Before achieving independence, which country was the United States a colony of?

Great Britain

What specific British tax on paper products was disliked by the American colonists?

The Stamp Act

Who was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

What are the three unalienable rights stated in the Declaration of Independence?

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

What is the term for the U.S. government structure designed to prevent one person or group from having too much power?

Tyranny prevention through checks and balances

In whom does the federal/national government share governing power?

State governments

Which branch of government must approve the President’s hires for important jobs?

The Senate (Legislative)

How is the number of representatives determined for each state in the House of Representatives?

It is based on a state’s population

What organization used various ways, including the Underground Railroad, to fight against slavery?

Abolitionists

What country did the Southern states form to keep slavery legal?

The Confederate States of America

Who led the United States through the Civil War to restore the country and end slavery?

Abraham Lincoln

What was the name of the era following the Civil War where slavery was illegal but discrimination remained heavy?

Reconstruction

Which amendment, passed in $1920$, gave women the right to vote?

The $19th$ Amendment

What was the primary goal for forming Labor Unions in large cities?

To create better working conditions for factory workers

List five benefits won by labor unions through strikes and negotiations.

Higher pay, $2$-day weekends, limits to child labor, minimum wages, and $40$-hour work weeks

What period was characterized by very high unemployment during the $1930s$ and $1940s$?

The Great Depression

What was the name of Franklin Roosevelt’s program to address the Great Depression?

The New Deal

Which modern program was part of the New Deal and remains a lasting legacy?

Social Security

What event during WWI led to the start of communism and the formation of the Soviet Union?

The Russian Revolution

What factors led to the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany after WWI?

Germany having to accept full responsibility for WWI and paying crippling damages

In what year did the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, leading to American involvement in WWII?

$$1941$$

What event established a strong foothold in mainland Europe for the Allies?

D-Day

Which two Japanese cities were destroyed by atomic bombs?

Nagasaki and Hiroshima

What is the difference between Communism and Capitalism?

In Communism, the government owns everything and shares it, while in Capitalism, individuals own things themselves

Name three countries where the U.S. was involved in overseas conflicts during the Cold War.

Korea, Vietnam, and Cuba

Who were the first person in space and the first person on the moon?

Yuri Gagarin was the first in space and Neil Armstrong was the first on the moon

What were the Jim Crow laws?

Laws that enforced racial segregation in the U.S.

What specific murder sparked outrage over the treatment of Black Americans during the Civil Rights movement?

Emmett Till’s murder

Where were Black Americans brutally attacked by police during a voting rights march, an event known as Bloody Sunday?

Selma, Alabama