Period 7: 1890-1945

An increasingly pluralistic United States faced profound domestic and global challenges, debated the proper degree of government activism, and sought to define its international role.

Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)

An organization dedicated to the promotion of temperance and the prohibition of alcohol.

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

A tragic industrial disaster in 1911 that resulted in the deaths of 146 garment workers, highlighting safety and labor rights issues.

Progressivism

A movement aimed at addressing social inequalities and promoting reforms in various areas of society.

muckraking

Investigative journalism focused on exposing corruption, social injustices, and abuses of power.

scientific management

A theory of management that analyzes and synthesizes workflows to improve economic efficiency.

Socialist Party

A political party that advocates for social ownership and democratic control of the means of production.

Eugene V. Debs

A prominent leader of the Socialist Party and a five-time presidential candidate.

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

A radical labor union advocating for worker control over industry.

collective bargaining

The negotiation process between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working conditions.

birth-control movement

A social movement advocating for women's rights to access contraception and reproductive health.

Margaret Sanger

A pioneer of the birth-control movement in the United States.

initiative, referendum, and recall

Political processes allowing citizens to propose legislation, vote on legislation, or remove elected officials from office.

direct primaries

Elections in which voters directly select candidates for office.

Robert La Follette

A prominent Progressive politician who served as Governor of Wisconsin and was a reform leader.

17th Amendment

Constitutional amendment that established the direct election of U.S. Senators.

Jane Addams

Social reformer and leader in the settlement house movement aimed at improving the lives of the urban poor.

National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)

An organization that played a pivotal role in advocating for women's right to vote.

Square Deal

President Theodore Roosevelt’s domestic program focusing on consumer protection, natural resource conservation, and curbing corporate excess.

trust busting

Government activities aimed at breaking up monopolies and trusts that limit competition.

Pure Food and Drug Act

A 1906 law aimed at halting the sale of contaminated food and drugs.

Yellowstone National Park

The first national park in the U.S. and widely considered the first national park in the world.

John Muir

A naturalist and environmentalist who played a key role in the conservation movement.

conservation movement

A social and political movement aimed at protecting natural resources and the environment.

16th Amendment

Constitutional amendment that authorized the federal government to impose an income tax.

Progressive Party

A political party formed to promote progressive reforms in response to the issues of the early 20th century.

Progressive Presidents

Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson who advanced progressive reforms.

Federal Reserve System

The central banking system of the United States, established to provide financial stability.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

A federal agency established to protect consumers and prevent anti-competitive business practices.

Spanish-American War of 1898

A conflict between the U.S. and Spain, resulting in U.S. territorial gains.

Platt Amendment

Legislation that restricted Cuba's sovereignty and provided for U.S. intervention.

Open Door Policy

A U.S. policy aimed at ensuring equal trading rights for all nations in China.

Philippine War

A conflict between the United States and Filipino revolutionaries following the Spanish-American War.

Anti-Imperialist League

An organization opposed to U.S. annexation of the Philippines and imperialism.

Panama Canal

A man-made waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, completed by the U.S. in 1914.

Roosevelt Corollary

A policy asserting that the U.S. could intervene in Latin America to stabilize economic affairs.

Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907

An informal agreement between the U.S. and Japan regulating Japanese immigration.

TR’s “Big Stick Diplomacy”

The foreign policy approach of Theodore Roosevelt that emphasized military strength.

Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy”

A foreign policy approach that aimed to promote U.S. interests overseas through economic investment.

Wilson’s “Moral Diplomacy”

A foreign policy that encouraged the U.S. to promote democratic ideals abroad.

Allies

Countries that opposed the Central Powers during World War I, including France, Britain, and Russia.

Central Powers

Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria during World War I.

trench warfare

A type of combat where opposing troops fight from trenches facing each other.

Lusitania

A British ocean liner sunk by a German U-boat, influencing public opinion against Germany.

submarine warfare

Naval warfare in which submarines attack ships without warnings.

Zimmerman Telegram

A secret communication from Germany to Mexico proposing a military alliance against the U.S.

Western Front

The main theater of war during World War I, characterized by trench warfare.

Fourteen Points

President Wilson's proposed plan for peace following World War I.

1918 Influenza

A worldwide pandemic that killed millions shortly after World War I.

Selective Service Act

Legislation that authorized the draft for military service during WWI.

War Industries Board

U.S. government agency that coordinated the production of war materials during WWI.

Liberty Bonds

War bonds sold in the U.S. to support Allied forces during WWI.

Committee on Public Information

An agency created to influence public opinion about World War I through propaganda.

Great Migration

The movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North during WWI.

Marcus Garvey

A leader of the Black Nationalism movement who promoted the idea of a separate African American nation.

Russian Revolution

The 1917 revolution that led to the rise of the Soviet Union.

1919 strikes

A series of labor strikes in the U.S. following WWI demanding better working conditions and pay.

Red Scare of 1919-1920

A period of intense fear of communism and radical leftism in the U.S.

Palmer Raids

A series of government actions to capture and deport suspected radical leftists.

Versailles Treaty of 1919

The peace treaty that ended World War I and imposed heavy reparations on Germany.

League of Nations

An international organization formed after WWI to promote peace and cooperation.

1919 race riots

Violent racial clashes that erupted in cities across the U.S. in 1919.

Sacco and Vanzetti trial

The trial of two Italian immigrants accused of murder, seen as a symbol of injustice.

Henry Ford

The founder of the Ford Motor Company, known for revolutionizing automobile production.

installment plans

A method of paying for goods by making regular payments over time.

radio and movies

Forms of mass media that gained popularity in the 1920s.

flappers

Young women in the 1920s who challenged traditional norms of behavior.

18th Amendment - Prohibition

Constitutional amendment that prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol.

19th Amendment - women’s suffrage

Constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote.

“Roaring Twenties”

A decade characterized by economic prosperity, cultural dynamism, and political conservatism.

mass consumption

A culture characterized by the buying of goods in large quantities.

Fordism

The system of mass production pioneered by Henry Ford, relying on assembly lines.

“Return to normalcy”

Warren Harding's campaign promise to return the U.S. to pre-WWI conditions.

Teapot Dome Scandal

A bribery scandal involving the leasing of federal oil reserves during the 1920s.

Lost Generation

A term used to refer to a group of American writers who were disillusioned with the aftermath of WWI.

fundamentalism

A conservative religious movement that emerged in reaction to modernism.

Scopes trial

A legal case in 1925 that challenged a Tennessee law banning the teaching of evolution.

Second Klan

The resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s, promoting white supremacy.

Immigration Act of 1924

A law establishing quotas that severely restricted immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe.

Indian Citizenship Act

Legislation that granted U.S. citizenship to Native Americans.

Harlem Renaissance

An African American cultural movement that celebrated black traditions, arts, and literature.

“New Negro”

A term describing the evolving identity and expressions of African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance.

Herbert Hoover

The 31st President of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933 during the Great Depression.

Great Depression

A severe worldwide economic downturn that lasted throughout the 1930s.

1929 stock market crash

The major financial collapse that marked the beginning of the Great Depression.

unemployment

The state of being jobless and actively seeking work.

Bonus Army

A group of veterans who marched to Washington D.C. in 1932 demanding early payment of bonuses.

direct relief

Immediate financial assistance provided to individuals in need.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff

A tariff act that raised duties on imports to record levels, worsening the Depression.

Reconstruction Finance Corporation

A government agency established to provide financial aid to banks and industries.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The 32nd President of the United States, known for his New Deal policies.

New Deal

A series of programs and policies designed to promote economic recovery during the Great Depression.

Emergency Banking Act

An act that allowed the government to inspect and reorganize failing banks.

First Hundred Days

The initial phase of Roosevelt's presidency characterized by rapid legislative activity.

Dust Bowl

A period of severe dust storms in the Great Plains during the 1930s that devastated agriculture.

“Alphabet Soup” Agencies

Various New Deal programs by their acronyms, such as FDIC and NRA.

Second New Deal

A phase of Roosevelt's New Deal in 1935 focusing on social reform.

Works Progress Administration

A New Deal agency that provided jobs for millions of unemployed Americans.

Social Security Act

Legislation that established a system of old-age benefits and unemployment insurance.

welfare state

A government that assumes responsibility for the welfare of its citizens.

fireside chats

Radio broadcasts by Franklin D. Roosevelt to communicate directly with the public.