AICE US HISTORY

Emergency Banking Relief Act (1933)

Closed all banks temporarily ('bank holiday') and reopened only those that were financially stable. Restored public confidence in the banking system.

Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)

Gave direct federal aid to states for food, housing, and unemployment support. Helped the poor survive the Depression.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

Gave jobs to young men working on environmental projects like planting trees and building parks. Provided work and reduced youth unemployment.

Public Works Administration (PWA)

Funded large construction projects like schools, roads, and bridges to create jobs and boost the economy.

Civil Works Administration (CWA)

Short-term jobs program during winter 1933–34 for building infrastructure. Ended in spring 1934.

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Created millions of jobs for men and women—built roads, bridges, schools, and supported artists, actors, and writers.

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

Paid farmers to reduce crop and livestock production to raise prices. Helped end overproduction.

National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)

Promoted fair wages and prices, created the NRA and PWA. Struck down by the Supreme Court in 1935.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

Built dams and provided electricity in the rural South. Controlled flooding and created jobs.

Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC)

Helped homeowners refinance mortgages to avoid foreclosure.

Social Security Act (1935)

Created pensions for the elderly, unemployment insurance, and aid for the disabled and needy families.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Regulated the stock market to prevent fraud and crashes. Restored confidence in investing.

Wagner Act (1935)

Protected workers’ rights to join unions and bargain collectively. Strengthened labor rights.

Fair Labor Standards Act (1938)

Established minimum wage, 40-hour work week, and banned child labor in most industries.

Glass-Steagall Act / Banking Act of 1933

Separated commercial and investment banking. Created FDIC to insure bank deposits.

13th Amendment (1865)

Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

14th Amendment (1868)

Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. Guaranteed equal protection under the law and due process.

15th Amendment (1870)

Gave Black men the right to vote by stating that voting rights cannot be denied based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

19th Amendment (1920)

Gave women the right to vote (women’s suffrage).

24th Amendment (1964)

Banned poll taxes, which had been used to keep African Americans and poor people from voting.

26th Amendment (1971)

Lowered the voting age to 18, influenced by the Vietnam War era.

Industrialization

The process of developing industries on a large scale, which drastically changed the economy and society during the Gilded Age.

Monopoly

A company that controls all or nearly all of an industry, limiting competition (e.g., Standard Oil).

Trust

A legal arrangement where several companies are controlled by a single board of trustees, reducing competition (e.g., the Standard Oil Trust).

Laissez-faire

An economic policy where the government does not regulate business, allowing companies to operate with minimal interference.

Political Machine

A political organization that uses patronage, bribery, and other corrupt practices to maintain power, such as Tammany Hall in New York City.

Spoils System

The practice of giving government jobs to political supporters, regardless of their qualifications.

Gilded Age

A term coined by Mark Twain, referring to the period in the late 19th century when the U.S. had outward prosperity but significant social problems and corruption beneath the surface.

Robber Baron

A derogatory term for wealthy and powerful industrialists (e.g., Rockefeller, Carnegie) who were seen as exploiting workers and engaging in unethical business practices.

Social Darwinism

The belief that individuals or groups achieve success because of inherent superiority, often used to justify economic inequality and lack of regulation.

Nativism

A policy or belief favoring the interests of native-born Americans over those of immigrants, often leading to discrimination and exclusion.

Child Labor

The practice of employing young children in factories or mines for long hours and low wages, a significant issue during the Gilded Age.

Union

An organization of workers formed to protect their rights, improve wages, and fight for better working conditions (e.g., American Federation of Labor).

Muckraker

Journalists who exposed corruption, social injustices, and abuses in government, business, and society (e.g., Upton Sinclair, Ida Tarbell).

Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

The first federal law aimed at limiting monopolies and preventing business practices that restricted competition.

Interstate Commerce Act (1887)

A law that regulated railroad rates and practices to prevent price-gouging and ensure fair competition.

Populism

A political movement that sought to represent the common people, particularly farmers, and address issues like economic inequality and the power of big business.

Free Silver Movement

A movement advocating for the use of silver alongside gold to back U.S. currency, to increase money supply and help farmers and debtors.

Immigration Quota

A system that limited the number of immigrants allowed to enter the U.S., based on nationality, especially targeting Southern and Eastern Europeans in the 1920s.

Tenement

Poor, overcrowded apartment buildings, often in urban areas, where many immigrants lived during the Gilded Age.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

A law that prohibited Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S., reflecting growing anti-immigrant sentiments.

Civil Rights Act of 1866

Granted citizenship and equal rights to all males born in the U.S., regardless of race.

Reconstruction Acts (1867)

Divided the South into military districts and outlined how Southern states could rejoin the Union.

Enforcement Acts (1870–1871)

Aimed to stop the KKK and protect Black voters in the South.

Civil Rights Act of 1875

Guaranteed African Americans equal treatment in public accommodations (later struck down by the Supreme Court in 1883).

Bland-Allison Act (1878)

Required the U.S. Treasury to purchase silver and put more money into circulation (silver coinage).

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

Banned Chinese labor immigration for 10 years (renewed and made permanent later).

Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883)

Ended the spoils system by requiring civil service exams for federal jobs.

Interstate Commerce Act (1887)

Regulated railroads and created the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC).

Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

First federal law to outlaw monopolies and trusts that restrained trade.

Geary Act (1892)

Extended the Chinese Exclusion Act and added ID card requirements for Chinese residents.

Gold Standard Act (1900)

Officially placed U.S. currency on the gold standard (backed only by gold, not silver).

Elkins Act (1903)

Strengthened the ICC by banning railroad rebates to favored shippers.

Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)

Required accurate labeling and banned harmful ingredients in food and drugs.

Meat Inspection Act (1906)

Required federal inspection of meatpacking plants for health and safety.

Hepburn Act (1906)

Gave the ICC power to set maximum railroad rates and inspect financial records.

Mann-Elkins Act (1910)

Strengthened ICC further, extended regulation to telegraphs and telephones.

Federal Reserve Act (1913)

Created the Federal Reserve System to manage U.S. monetary policy and prevent banking crises.

Underwood Tariff (1913)

Lowered tariffs and implemented a federal income tax (thanks to the 16th Amendment).

Clayton Antitrust Act (1914)

Strengthened antitrust laws and protected labor unions from being targeted as monopolies.

Federal Trade Commission Act (1914)

Created the FTC to prevent unfair business practices and protect consumers.

Selective Service Act (1917)

Instituted the military draft during World War I.

Espionage Act (1917) & Sedition Act (1918)

Restricted speech critical of the government during wartime.

Volstead Act (1919)

Enforced Prohibition (18th Amendment) by banning alcohol production/sale.

Emergency Quota Act (1921)

Set the first immigration quotas, favoring Western Europeans.

Immigration Act of 1924 (Johnson-Reed Act)

Further restricted immigration; banned Asians and drastically limited Southern/Eastern Europeans.

Revenue Acts (1921, 1924, 1926)

Series of tax cuts during the 1920s, benefiting businesses and the wealthy.

Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)

An international agreement to 'outlaw war' as a national policy—symbolic but unenforceable.

Emergency Banking Relief Act (1933)

Closed all banks for 4 days ('Bank Holiday') and reopened only the stable ones. Restored public trust in the banking system.

Glass-Steagall Act (1933)

Created the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) to insure bank deposits. Separated commercial and investment banking.

Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA) (1933)

Gave direct aid (money, food, work) to states to support the unemployed.

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) (1933)

Paid farmers to reduce production and destroy surplus to raise crop prices.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (1933)

Built dams and power plants to modernize the Tennessee Valley. Provided electricity, flood control, and jobs.

National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) (1933)

Created the NRA (National Recovery Administration) to set fair wages and prices. Also created the Public Works Administration (PWA) to fund large infrastructure projects. Struck down by the Supreme Court in 1935 (Schechter case).

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) (1933)

Gave jobs to young men planting trees, building parks, and conserving natural resources.

Home Owners’ Loan Act (1933)

Created the HOLC to help people refinance mortgages and avoid foreclosure.

Works Progress Administration (WPA) (1935)

Hired millions for public works (roads, bridges, schools) and cultural projects (writers, artists, actors).

Social Security Act (1935)

Created pensions for the elderly, unemployment insurance, and aid to the disabled and dependent children.

Wagner Act (National Labor Relations Act) (1935)

Protected workers’ right to form unions and collectively bargain. Created the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Rural Electrification Act (1935)

Brought electricity to rural areas through government loans and programs.

Banking Act of 1935

Strengthened the Federal Reserve and centralized control over monetary policy.

Resettlement Administration (1935) / Farm Security Administration (1937)

Helped poor farmers relocate and gave loans to improve farming practices.

Revenue Act of 1935 (‘Soak the Rich’ Tax)

Increased taxes on the wealthy and large corporations.

Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act (1936)

Replaced the AAA after it was struck down by the Supreme Court. Paid farmers to conserve soil and prevent erosion.

Fair Labor Standards Act (1938)

Established a national minimum wage, 40-hour work week, and banned most child labor.

CCC

Jobs for young men in conservation.

WPA

Massive public works jobs program.

TVA

Rural electrification in the South.

NRA

Industrial codes and fair practices (struck down).

SSA

Social Security.

FDIC

Insured bank deposits.

SEC

Regulated the stock market (created by the 1934 Securities Exchange Act).