U.S. History Midterm Study Guide

These flashcards encompass key concepts from the U.S. History Midterm study guide, covering essential events, policies, and societal changes during the Civil War, Reconstruction, and World War I.

What percentage of Civil War soldiers died from disease, infection, and malnutrition?

65% of soldiers died from diseases, infections, and malnutrition.

What were the conditions like in Prisoner of War camps during the Civil War?

Conditions were horrible; at Andersonville Prison, there was a rate of 100 dead prisoners each day.

What roles did women play during the Civil War?

Women worked in factories, on farms, as nurses, disguised as men to fight, and served as spies.

Why did people oppose the Confederacy’s conscription policies?

Many believed it was unfair because rich plantation owners were exempt from conscription.

What is the Emancipation Proclamation?

It declared that all slaves were free and was announced after the North's victory at the Battle of Antietam.

What was significant about the 54th Massachusetts regiment?

It was a regiment of mostly African Americans that became the most decorated unit during the Civil War.

What key role did the 20th Maine play in the Battle of Gettysburg?

They held their ground on Little Roundtop and charged the Confederates, leading to their retreat.

What was the purpose of the Gettysburg Address?

Lincoln emphasized the principles on which the nation was founded and the importance of uniting the country.

What was Grant's strategy known as ‘War of Attrition’?

Grant planned to fight until the South ran out of men and supplies at all costs.

What was Sherman’s March to the Sea known for?

It exemplified 'total warfare' as Sherman burned cities and towns from Atlanta to the sea.

What event is marked by Juneteenth?

Juneteenth marks when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to free the slaves on June 19, 1865.

How did Lincoln's assassination impact Reconstruction?

It led to Vice President Andrew Johnson taking over, who was seen as a poor fit for the moment.

What were Black Codes?

Laws limiting the freedoms of former slaves, similar to pre-Civil War slave codes.

What was the role of the Freedmen's Bureau?

It distributed food, clothing, provided education, and served as an employment agency for African Americans.

What is sharecropping?

A system in which freedmen rented land from landowners and paid with crops, often keeping them in debt.

What were literacy tests?

Tests used to prevent people, mainly African Americans, from voting, as many were not educated.

What are poll taxes?

Taxes required to vote during Reconstruction, intended to discourage Freedmen from voting.

What did Jim Crow Laws enforce?

Laws that enforced racial segregation in the South.

What was the significance of Plessy v. Ferguson?

It upheld the ‘separate but equal’ doctrine that allowed segregation.

What was the Bessemer Process?

An efficient method of making steel that increased production speed significantly.

What does Social Darwinism relate to?

It applies the idea of 'survival of the fittest' from nature to business competition.

What were political machines?

Well-organized political parties that dominated local and state governments.

What is trust busting?

The act of breaking up monopolies or trusts that control industries unfairly.

What was the Pure Food and Drug Act?

A law prohibiting harmful ingredients in food and medicine.

What were the causes of World War I?

Militarism, alliance system, nationalism, and imperialism.

What was the ‘powder keg’ of Europe?

The volatile situation in Europe with two major alliances that could spark war.

Who was assassinated as a catalyst for World War I?

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary.

What were the Central Powers in WWI?

The alliance including the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria, Germany, and Austria-Hungary.

What is trench warfare?

A type of battle involving fighting from dug trenches.

What new weapons were introduced in WWI?

Machine guns, tanks, planes, and chemical weapons.

What contributed to U.S. entry into WWI?

The sinking of the Lusitania, the Zimmerman Telegram, and loans to England and France.

What was the Food Administration's role during WWI?

To encourage increased agricultural production and conserve food supplies.

What was the Great Migration?

The movement of African Americans from the South to the North for job opportunities.

What did the Espionage Act aim to do?

To cut down on wartime activities seen as dangerous or disloyal.

What did the Sedition Act prohibit?

It prevented criticism of the war, with severe penalties for violations.

What was the significance of the Battle of the Argonne Forest?

It helped save France from falling to Germany despite heavy U.S. casualties.

What were Wilson's 14 Points?

A proposal by Wilson aimed at peace, with self-determination being a major theme.

What was the League of Nations?

An international body proposed by Wilson to prevent offensive wars.

What was the impact of WWI on the U.S. economy?

It caused a short-term recession but positioned the U.S. as a stronger economic power.

What historical change did the Bolshevik Revolution signify?

It marked a revolution in Russia resulting from WWI.

What were the global consequences of WWI?

Collapse of empires, high casualties and debts, as well as ruined industries in Europe.