U.S. History: Gilded Age to Cold War Overview

Dawes Act (1887)

Federal law that aimed to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal lands into individual plots.

Gilded Age (1870s-1900)

Era marked by rapid economic growth, industrialization, and political corruption.

Old Immigrants (pre-1880)

Mainly from Northern and Western Europe.

New Immigrants (1880-1920)

Primarily from Southern and Eastern Europe.

Social Darwinism (late 19th century)

Belief that natural selection applies to societies and economies, justifying inequality.

Patronage

Practice of giving government jobs to political supporters.

Party Boss

Leader who controls a political machine; Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall is a notable example.

Granger Movement (1870s)

Farmers' organization advocating for railroad regulation and cooperative buying.

Farmers' Alliance (1880s)

Agrarian movement pushing for economic reforms and leading to the Populist Party.

Imperialism (1890s-1910s)

U.S. expansion of influence through territorial acquisitions and diplomacy.

Yellow Journalism (1890s)

Sensationalized news reporting to attract readers and influence public opinion.

U.S.S. Maine (1898)

U.S. battleship that exploded in Havana Harbor, sparking the Spanish-American War.

Teller Amendment (1898)

Declared U.S. intention not to annex Cuba after the Spanish-American War.

Rough Riders (1898)

Volunteer cavalry led by Theodore Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War.

Open Door Policy (1899)

U.S. proposal for equal trading rights in China.

Roosevelt Corollary (1904)

Extension of the Monroe Doctrine asserting U.S. right to intervene in Latin America.

De Lôme Letter (1898)

Spanish diplomat's letter criticizing President McKinley, fueling war sentiment.

16th Amendment (1913)

Authorized federal income tax.

17th Amendment (1913)

Established direct election of U.S. Senators.

Square Deal (1901-1909)

Theodore Roosevelt's domestic program focusing on conservation, control of corporations, and consumer protection.

Muckraker

Journalist exposing corruption and social injustices; e.g., Upton Sinclair.

Settlement House

Community center providing services to immigrants and the poor; e.g., Jane Addams' Hull House.

Central Powers

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.

Allied Powers

France, Britain, Russia, Italy, and later the U.S.

Lusitania (1915)

British ship sunk by German U-boat, killing 128 Americans.

Zimmermann Telegram (1917)

German proposal for Mexico to join war against the U.S.

New Weapons

Machine guns, tanks, poison gas, and airplanes.

Great Migration (1916-1970)

Movement of African Americans from the South to Northern cities.

Fourteen Points (1918)

President Wilson's plan for postwar peace.

League of Nations (1919)

International organization aimed at maintaining peace.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

Peace treaty ending WWI, imposing harsh terms on Germany.

19th Amendment (1920)

Granted women the right to vote.

First Red Scare (1919-1920)

Fear of communism leading to widespread suspicion and arrests.

Jazz Age (1920s)

Era of cultural flourishing; F. Scott Fitzgerald depicted its themes in literature.

Flappers

Young women challenging traditional norms with new fashions and behaviors.

Harlem Renaissance (1920s)

African American cultural revival; figures include Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston.

Nativism

Policy favoring native-born citizens over immigrants.

Sacco and Vanzetti (1920s)

Italian immigrants controversially executed for murder amid anti-immigrant sentiment.

Prohibition (1920-1933)

Nationwide ban on alcohol production and sale.

Scopes Monkey Trial (1925)

Legal case debating evolution vs. creationism in schools.

Dust Bowl (1930s)

Severe drought and soil erosion in the Great Plains.

Great Depression (1929-1939)

Economic downturn with massive unemployment and poverty.

FDIC (1933)

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insuring bank deposits.

AAA (1933)

Agricultural Adjustment Act aimed at boosting crop prices by reducing supply.

New Deal (1933-1939)

FDR's programs to combat the Great Depression.

Wagner Act (1935)

Law protecting workers' rights to unionize.

Social Security Act (1935)

Established pensions and unemployment insurance.

Bank Holiday (1933)

Temporary closure of banks to prevent runs.

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns named after President Hoover, blamed for the Depression.

Court Packing (1937)

FDR's failed plan to expand the Supreme Court.

Blitzkrieg (1939-1940)

German 'lightning war' strategy using rapid attacks.

Pearl Harbor (1941)

Japanese attack on U.S. naval base, leading to U.S. entry into WWII.

War Relocation Camps (1942-1945)

Internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

Holocaust (1941-1945)

Genocide of six million Jews by Nazi Germany.

Hiroshima/Nagasaki (1945)

Japanese cities destroyed by U.S. atomic bombs, leading to Japan's surrender.

Iron Curtain (1946)

Term describing the division between Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe and the West.

Containment (1947)

U.S. policy to prevent the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine (1947)

U.S. support for countries resisting communism.

Berlin Airlift (1948-1949)

U.S. and allies supplied West Berlin during Soviet blockade.

NATO (1949)

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance against Soviet aggression.

McCarthyism (1950s)

Campaign against alleged communists in the U.S. government and other institutions.