Context for dbq

Washington's Farewell Address/Neutrality

In 1796, President George Washington warned against permanent foreign alliances and political factions in his farewell address, shaping U.S. foreign policy for decades.

Closing of the Frontier/Turner Thesis

In 1893, historian Frederick Jackson Turner argued that the American frontier had closed, shaping national character by fostering individualism and democracy.

Social Darwinism

The application of Charles Darwin's theories of natural selection to human societies, justifying economic inequality, imperialism, and racism by suggesting that competition ensured the 'survival of the fittest.'

Spanish-American War

A conflict in 1898 between the U.S. and Spain, sparked by Cuban independence struggles, yellow journalism, and the sinking of the USS Maine.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

The first major U.S. law restricting immigration based on nationality, banning Chinese laborers from entering the country and reflecting widespread nativism and anti-Asian sentiment.

Sinking of the Lusitania (1915)

The German U-boat attack on the British passenger liner Lusitania, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans.

Cold War

A geopolitical struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from 1945 to 1991, characterized by ideological conflict, nuclear arms races, proxy wars, and competition for global influence.

Second Red Scare

A period of intense fear of communist influence in the U.S. during the late 1940s and 1950s, driven by events like the Soviet Union's nuclear development and the rise of McCarthyism.

Civil Rights Movement

A decades-long struggle, peaking in the 1950s and 60s, to end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans.