history midterms

a law that gave away 160 free acres to U.S. citizens, people over 21 (taking care of a family), and even those who were not a citizen,. For those who were not a citizen, all they had to do was announce that they would become a U.S. citizen. The historical significance of the act was that this act played a great part in forming the growth of the American west. The whole point of the act was to promote the idea of living in the west and helping farming flourish more. So, this act greatly strengthened the U.S. economy.

Homestead Act

The Freedmen's Bureau was a bureau created to help past enslaved people and poor white people in the south, The historical significance of the bureau was that it greatly helped improve education for African Americans. The Bureau even helped reunite families. The main importance was that this was really the first federal agency to help with civil rights

Freedmen's Bureau

stated that any person born or naturalized in the U.S., besides women, were to be granted Citizenship in the U.S. This even included people of color. The historical significance of this amendment, was that anyone born in the use, or naturalized (enslaved people), were to be protected under the same law. This amendment was the foundation for later movements as well. Movements like the fight for women's rights. 

Fourteenth Amendment

an unwritten or undocumented deal that resolved a presidential election between Samuel Tilden and Rutherford Hayes. Rutherford Hayes eventually became president. The historical significance of this compromise was that reconstruction in the south pretty much ended due to republicans calling back troops from the south. These events cause southern democrats to gain back power, which in turn lead to the Jim Crow laws.

Compromise of 1877

an American inventor best known for his early works on trains. He is best know for his creation of the air brake for trains. This greatly improved safety for railroad travel. He was also known for many other things like his company called Westinghouse Electric, which helped AC power become more popular around the U.S. The historical significance of this was that his inventions played a big part in the industrial growth of the United States between the late 19th century to the early beginnings of the 20th century. 

George Westinghouse

an event that happen in Chicago on May 4th, 1886. The event was a labor movement in support of an eight hour work week. The event ended horribly due to the fact that an unknown person threw a bomb in the crowd causing multiple deaths. The deaths came from policemen that had to control the violence and even civilians. The historical significance of this event is that it caused much more fear about labor unions/political movements, and caused a decrease in union membership.

Hay market square riot

an American industrialist that founded the Stanford Oil Company. Rockefeller evolved the business landscape with his monopolistic tactics. These types of practices eventually led to the creation of anti-trust laws. That is the historical significance.

John D. Rockefeller

a social theory that basically said the fittest (strongest)  individuals/groups would survive/succeed. The historical significance was that it was used to give grounds for things like inequality and imperialism. It tried to strengthen the idea of social classes and systems. It helped shape many peoples' political ideas in this time period.

Social Darwinism

an African American who has migrated from the South, to the Great Plains (Mostly Kansas). The name could also mean hope for a new and free life. The historical significance from this is that these exodusters were part of one of the first African American mass migrations in the U.S. It was after the Civil war and could be seen as their resistance to all the racial discrimination/opposition they have faced. The movement could also be seen as an antecedent to future movements like the Great Migration.

Exoduster

created and launched by former President Ulysses Grant to mend the management of Native American affairs. It was really created to achieve "permanent peace" with the Native Americans by switching out corrupt Indian agents with Christian Missionaries. The historical significance from this was that it led to the creation of the Board of Indian Commissioners. Also, it just showed how there was many different ways of trying to assimilate the Native Americans.

Grants peace policy

an event that ended in the death of about 250 Native Americans. The U.S. were trying to suppress the Ghost dance movement from the Native Americans, so they tried to demilitarize the group of Lakota. However, a shot was fired, unknown by who, then U.S. soldiers retaliated and then all the deaths happen. The historical significance is that it is a constant reminder of the injustices the U.S. has done to the Indigenous groups and a became an example of all the suppression Native Americans had to go through.

Wounded Knee massacre

the first off-reservation boarding school for Native American children. The main reason for the creation of this school was to of course assimilate Native American kids. They wanted to "Kill the Indian, save the man." What I mean is they wanted to strip away all the things that made the kid a Native American, and just make another normal American kid. The historical significance is that it led to dozens of other schools like this, took away a lot of cultural identity, and played a big part in the government's assimilation of Native Americans.

Carlisle Indian industrial school

was a religious/communal betterment movement that started near the end of the 19th century. The historical significance of the movement is that it inspired and influenced plenty of things like Progressive era reforms, labor laws, education refinement, and set up the ground work for social welfare programs (like the YMCA, Salvation Army, etc.). It did all this by encouraging the use of Christian morals on social problems issues. 

Social gospel movement

was a credit system that many farmers would use post-Civil War (mainly in the South). Farmers would borrow tools from vendors in compensation for a piece of the farmer's future crops. The historical significance behind this is that it put many farmers into debt that would not go away anytime soon. The system kept southern agricultural to be the same stuff, mainly relying on cotton. Also, other things like the start of political movements like the Farmers' Alliance happen because of how angry some farmers became.

Crop-lien system

was a plane made by White Democrats to make sure that they had control over the state government by stopping African Americans from their right to vote. The plan instituted literacy tests, poll taxes, and residency requirements all to just make it harder for African Americans to vote. The historical significance behind this plan was that it set the groundwork for the Jim Crow system. Also, of course taking away the political power that African Americans could have.

Mississippi plan

was a  Supreme Court case that endorsed the constitutionality of racial segregation under the belief of "separate but equal". The case started because Homer Plessy sat in a whites-only railroad car, which he did purposefully. The historical significance from this case is that it legalized racial discrimination. More and more places started following the belief of "separate but equal", causing many changes in day-to-day life.

Please v. Furguson

originated from Frederick Turner, was a discussion that the American frontier was a vital role in creating the nation's the arts of American democracy. Turner tries to argue in the essay that the frontier thesis originates from, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" that free land/westward expansion played a big part in making America's distinctive identity. The historical significance of it is that it molded the idea of American history being unique from everyone else, gave reasons for American expansionism, etc. 

Frontier thesis

is a type of work that is exaggerated, usually inaccurate, sensationalized, and tries to grab attention instead of properly informing someone on a topic.  It was just a tactic to boost sales, you know more money. So, pretty much like clickbait for a YouTube video. The historical significance is that yellow journalism shows the influence that the press has to make people think a certain way. Yellow Journalism could change how many people think and act on many things like policies, practices, etc. 

Yellow Journalism

was a war fought between the U.S. and the Philippines from 1899-1902. The Filipinos were fighting for their independence, but ended with the U.S. taking control of the Philippines. There were of course many casualties. The historical significance was that it presented the U.S. being and imperial power and created debates on imperialism.

Philippine insurrection

was an institution created against the United States' annexation of the Philippines/other territories after the Spanish-American War. The league had members such as Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, William Bryan etc. The league and the whole idea of it as whole argued that what the U.S. was doing (the imperialism/expansion/controlling other nations) was the exact opposite of the United State's principles of freedom/self-government. The historical significance is that it helped mold the public's opinion on the whole idea of expansion and confronted the United States imperial policies.

Anti-imperialist league

progressive and investigative journalists in the early twentieth century that shunned light on social injustices and corruption in society.  Roosevelt actually popularizes the name, because he saw that they uncovered the "muck" of American society. The historical significance of muckrakers is that they were a vital role in advocating for accountability/transparency through press during the Progressive Era. 

Muckrakers

was a Supreme Court case where the court validated an Oregon law restricting some to a 10 hour workday in laundries and/or factories. The case tried to protect women. The historical significance is that the case was the starting point for protective labor legislation. Also, it highlighted the clear differences that men and women have, which would be used as a talking point for gender equality

Muller v. Oregon

banned selling of misbranded/contaminated food and drugs across state lines. The act was passed due to public concern over unsafe/dirty conditions in food/drug companies. The historical significance is that the act led to the creation of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Also, the act showed government trying to protect the health of people 

Pure Food and Drug Act

The presidential election of 1912

was a four-way battle between William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Eugene Debs. The election notably saw a split in the Republican Party after Roosevelt left it. These actions helped Woodrow Wilson win the election with little struggle.  The historical significance of this election is that it showed a big change in American politics and was the peak of the Progressive movement.

was a message sent to Mexico in January 1917 during World War I, which was sent by German Foreign Minister. The telegram was asking for a military alliance between Germany and Mexico. Germany promised Mexico its taken territories back if they helped them in the war. The historical significance is that this event ultimately led to the U.S. joining the war. 

Zimmerman telegram

was a group of peace terms made by Woodrow Wilson in 1918 in order to conclude World War I/stop future battles. The fourteen points were made up of ideas like freedom of the seas, open diplomacy, free trade, etc. The historical significance is that these points were the basis of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I. It also led to the creation of the League of Nations. 

Fourteen points

was the summer of 1919, when an outbreak of racial violence took place. The red summer affected a minimum of 26 cities across the U.S. This event was after the War, when many African Americans returned back to the U.S. hoping for some more equality due to the better treatment they received in Europe. Also, the Great Migration occurred, where many African Americans moved from the rural South to the Northern/Midwestern cities, which added to the racial violence. There were over 100 African American deaths due to mobs/authorities. The historical significance is that it only gave more reasons to fight for the civil rights movement. 

Red summer

happen right after World War I and was a time of extreme fear of communism, radical leftist ideologies, and anarchism in the U.S. The red scare was mostly caused by the Russian Revolution. The historical significance of it wast that it led to anti-immigrant views and led the way for immigration policies like the Quota Acts. Also, a lot of violations of civil liberties happen because of it.

First red scare

was a federal law that created harsh immigration quotas that were based off of national origin. The act pretty much banned immigration from Asia and made it a lot harder to immigrate from Eastern Europe. The historical significance of the act was that it significantly lessened immigration, and molded U.S. immigration policies for the foreseeable future. The act limited a lot of diversity and what makes the United States the United States.

Immigration act of 1924

happen in 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee, and it revolved around a high schooll teacher. He was teaching his class about evolution, which violated state laws. He was found guilty and fined as well. The historical significance of the trial is that it caused a nationwide debate on education, science, and religion. The trial showed the cultural conflicts  of modernism and fundamentalism. 

Scopes trial

a movement in the 1920s that revolved in New York City's Harlem. It was an era of creativity, innovation, and new ideas in African American art, music, literature, etc. The likes of Langston Hughs and Duke Ellington were recognized at this time. The historical significance is that the renaissance molded American culture and made African American voices heard in society. It of course also was a key role in the Civil Rights Movement. 

Harlem Renaissance

was coined by Warren Harding during his 1920 presidential campaign. It meant to the hope of returning to how life was before World War I. Normalcy was meant for any American that was drained from the  1910s. He had a call for "return to normalcy", which meant backing away from international involvement, the government getting involved in the economy less, honing in on domestic issues, etc. The historical significance is that it formed American attitudes after World War I, and set the stage for the next decade of the Republican-led decade that the 1920s was.

normalcy