American History Review

Flashcards covering topics from American History lectures.

Justifications for slavery

Beliefs used to defend the institution of slavery.

Abolitionist movement

Movement dedicated to abolishing slavery.

Types of slaves and experiences

Varied greatly, from field work to domestic service.

Slave rebellions

Uprisings against slaveholders and the system of slavery.

Frederick Douglass

Prominent abolitionist and former slave.

Tejas

The name for Texas when it was under Mexican rule.

The Alamo

A pivotal battle in the Texas Revolution.

James Polk

U.S. President during the Mexican War.

The Mexican War Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Ended the Mexican-American War; U.S. gained vast territory

Wilmot Proviso

Proposed to ban slavery in lands acquired from Mexico.

Free Labor vs. Free Soil

The idea of individuals having the right to the fruits of their labor vs. the ability to move freely and gain land for economic advancement.

California Gold Rush

Led to a surge in population and statehood application.

The Compromise of 1850

Series of laws aimed to resolve disputes over slavery.

Popular Sovereignty

Allowed residents of territories to decide on slavery.

The Fugitive Slave Law

Required the return of runaway slaves to their owners.

Harriett Tubman

Conductor on the Underground Railroad, she helped slaves escape to freedom.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Anti-slavery novel that fueled abolitionist sentiment.

Kansas Nebraska Act

Allowed territories to decide on slavery, repealing the Missouri Compromise.

Bleeding Kansas

Period of violence over slavery in Kansas.

John Brown

Abolitionist who used violence to combat slavery.

Bleeding Sumner

Attack on Senator Charles Sumner over the issue of slavery.

Dred Scott Decision

Ruled that slaves were not citizens and could not sue in federal court.

Lincoln Douglas debates

Series of debates on slavery between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.

Harper’s Ferry raid

John Brown's raid on a federal arsenal, it increased tensions over slavery.

Election of 1860

Abraham Lincoln's election triggered secession of southern states.

Fort Sumter

Confederate attack that began the Civil War.

Border states

Slave states that did not secede from the Union.

Strengths and weaknesses

Advantages and disadvantages of the Union and Confederacy.

First Battle of Bull Run

First major battle of the Civil War.

The strategies of both sides

The overall military approach of the North and South during the Civil War.

McClellan

Union general known for his caution.

Antietam

Bloodiest single-day battle in American history.

Chancellorsville

Confederate victory led by Lee, but a costly one.

Vicksburg

Union victory that gave the North control of the Mississippi River.

Gettysburg

Turning point of the Civil War; Union victory in Pennsylvania.

Chattanooga

Important Union victory in Tennessee.

Chickamauga

Confederate victory in Georgia.

Drafts and draft riots

Conscription policies in the North and South; sparked resistance.

Lee, Grant, Sherman, McClellan

Key Union and Confederate generals and military leaders.

Burning of Atlanta and “Total war”

Sherman's march through Georgia, destroying infrastructure.

Appomattox Court

Site of Confederate surrender.

Emancipation Proclamation

Freed slaves in Confederate territory.

Suspension of habeas corpus

Suspension of legal right protecting against unlawful imprisonment.

Election of 1864

Lincoln's re-election during the Civil War.

Reconstruction

The period after the Civil War focused on rebuilding the South.

Radical republicans, Copperheads Congressional reconstruction

Members of Congress who wanted to punish the South.

13th, 14th, 15th amendments

Constitutional amendments passed during Reconstruction.

Freedmen's Bureau

Organization created to aid newly freed slaves.

Black codes

Laws passed in the South to restrict the rights of African Americans.

KKK

White supremacist terrorist group.

Southern intransigence

Southern resistance to Reconstruction efforts.

Thomas Nast

Political cartoonist who exposed corruption.

New technologies and tactics

Weapons and strategies used in the Civil War.

Legacies of the war

Long-term effects of the Civil War.

Gilded Age and Progressivism

Era of rapid industrial growth and corruption.

Gilded Age/Industrial Era

Era characterized by rapid industrial growth and significant wealth disparity.

Economic conditions before and during the age

Economic conditions before and during the Gilded Age.

Significant social, political, economic issues issues

Social, political, and economic challenges of the Gilded Age.

Driving innovations and their impact on economy, employment and experience

Railroads, steel, oil, kerosene, electricity, automobile, banking services.

How do the above intersect and interact to create even greater growth

Interconnectedness of industries to fuel growth.

Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie, JP Morgan, Edison, Ford and their business models

Industrialists and their business models.

Vertical vs. horizontal integration

Control of production at all levels vs. control of one stage of production.

Working conditions and wages Growth of strikes and unions (people)

Poor conditions led to labor activism and unions.

Tariff policy and other growing concerns and issues of discontent

Tariff and other problems.

Social Darwinism

Survival of the fittest applied to society.

Social Gospel

Applying Christian ethics to social problems.

The Gospel of Wealth (Carnegie)

Carnegie's belief that the wealthy should give back to society.

Sky scrapers (innovation and significance)

Technological achievement and symbol of progress.

Progressivism 1900-1920

Early 20th-century reform movement.

Populist party and origin of Progressivism

Political movement advocating for the common people.

Progressive Legislation examples

Laws passed to address social and economic problems.

Parties of Progressive Era and why. Where did it come from?

Political parties supporting progressive reforms.

Teddy Roosevelt, William Taft Woodrow Wilson and their legislative legacies

Progressive presidents and their legislative accomplishments.

16th, 17th, 18th, 19th amendments

Amendments enacted during the Progressive Era.

Progressive change made on private, municipal, state, and federal levels of government

Changes at various levels of government.

Who was the most progressive president and why?

Most impactful president and the reasoning behind it.

What core issues drove progressive changes and why?

The core of progressive ideals and their impacts.

Triangle Shirtwaist fire

Deadly industrial fire that prompted reform.

Muckrakers

Journalists who exposed corruption and social problems.

Hull House

Settlement house to aid immigrants.

Chicago Fire

Led to changes in building codes and fire safety.

Perceptions of progressivism from different groups ie. women, middle class, poor

Differing views of the changes happening.

18th amendment, Prohibition, volstead act, Al Capone

Prohibition of alcohol.

Jazz music, Louis Armstrong

Music style that originated in the African-American communities.

Flappers (newness, behaviors and social trends)

Challenged traditional norms.

Clara Bow

Icon of the Roaring Twenties.

Hollywood and movies

Boom in film production and culture.

Republican presidents (Harding “Return to Normalcy”, Coolidge “Chief business of America is business”, Hoover) and new conservatism

Republican presidencies in the 1920s.

Jim Crow, lynchings and the rise of the KKK

Segregation and discrimination in the South.

Fundamentalism and modernism, Scopes Monkey trial in Dayton TN, WJ Bryant vs Clarence Darrow

Conflict between traditional and modern values.

Consumption patterns and advertising trends

Increased spending and advertising.

Laissez Faire and trickle down economics

Little government regulation.

Hoover the man, resume, philosophy and presidency

President blamed for the Great Depression.

What did he inherit? What did he do to stop the depression?

What did he inherit? What did he do to stop the depression?

Wheat, drought and the Dust Bowl

Ecological disaster that devastated the Midwest.

Causes and compounding pressures of economic depression 1929

Factors that led to economic collapse.

Unemployment statistics, stock market losses, bank failures

Loss of jobs and wealth.

The Bonus Army

Protest by WWI veterans seeking early payment.

Roosevelt’s resume and past “The New Deal”

President who implemented the New Deal.

“The Bank Holiday”

Roosevelt declared this to address the financial crisis.