U.S. History Early America - Birth of a New Government

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts from U.S. history, focusing on governmental principles, social changes, and significant events.

Declaration of Independence

Emphasized consent of the governed and citizens' unalienable rights; declared American colonies free from British control.

Principles of the Constitution

Limited the power of the federal government through separation of powers and checks and balances.

Bill of Rights

Lists guaranteed freedoms and rights of all U.S. citizens including religion, speech, and due process.

Laissez-faire

A policy where the government has a limited role in the economy.

Populism

A belief that all Americans, not just elites, can participate in government.

E Pluribus Unum

Latin for 'out of many, one'; symbolizes the unity of the original thirteen colonies.

Civic Responsibilities

Duties of U.S. citizens to participate in government such as voting and serving on juries.

Gilded Age

A period characterized by wealth for business and corruption in government.

Bessemer steel process

An efficient method for producing stronger, cheaper steel.

Electricity

Increased manufacturing efficiency and enabled longer workdays.

Transcontinental Railroad

Linked distant markets and contributed to the settlement of the West.

Monopoly

Total control of an industry by a single company.

Labor unions

Organizations advocating for workers' rights and better working conditions.

Urbanization

Rapid growth of cities due to migration for industrial jobs.

Political machines

Organizations that controlled political parties and traded jobs for votes.

Immigrants

People who moved to the U.S. for better economic opportunities and were often forced to assimilate.

Nativists

Individuals opposing immigration, viewing immigrants as job competitors.

Chinese Exclusion Act

Legislation aimed at restricting Chinese immigration.

Homestead Act

Encouraged rapid settlement of the Great Plains.

Assimilation

Forcing American Indians to adopt U.S. culture.

Populist Party

A third party advocating for working-class citizens.

Jane Addams

A leader in women's suffrage and the Settlement House movement.

Jim Crow laws

Laws that enforced racial segregation and limited African American rights.

W. E. B. DuBois

Civil rights leader who founded the NAACP.

State reforms

Policies like initiative, referendum, and recall promoting citizen involvement in democracy.

Upton Sinclair

Author of 'The Jungle,' which led to food regulation.

Pure Food and Drug Act

Legislation ensuring consumer health and safety.

National Park Service

Agency dedicated to conserving natural resources.

Improved working conditions

Legislation aimed at increasing labor safety and rights.

Eighteenth Amendment

Prohibited the sale of alcohol.

Nineteenth Amendment

Granted women the right to vote.

Spanish-American War

Conflict that elevated the U.S. to world power status.

Hawaii

Annexed territory providing military presence and resources.

Big Stick policy

Diplomatic policy emphasizing U.S. intervention in the Western Hemisphere.

Panama Canal

Transcontinental waterway that facilitated trade.

World War I

Global conflict that involved the U.S. due to multiple factors including aggressions by Germany.

Trench warfare

Combat method causing stalemates during WWI.

U.S. enters WWI

Triggered by German actions affecting American interests.

World War I Homefront

Mobilization of U.S. citizens to support the war effort.

American Expeditionary Forces

U.S. military troops who fought in World War I.

Espionage & Sedition Acts

Legislation limiting free speech during wartime.

Wilson’s Fourteen Points

Proposal for post-war peace including a League of Nations.

Treaty of Versailles

Agreement intended to weaken Germany after WWI.

Isolationism

Post-WWI policy avoiding international involvement.

Teapot Dome Scandal

Bribery scandal leading to distrust in government.

Mass manufacturing

Production technique allowing for cheaper goods.

Flappers

Women challenging social norms in the 1920s.

Great Migration

Movement of African Americans seeking better opportunities in northern states.

Harlem Renaissance

Cultural revival celebrating African American heritage.

Overspeculation

Excessive stock trading leading to the Great Depression.

Great Depression

A severe economic downturn causing widespread hardship.

Dust Bowl

Environmental disaster worsening the Great Depression.

New Deal

Roosevelt's plan for economic recovery during the Great Depression.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

Agency ensuring bank deposit safety.

Social Security Administration

Program providing assistance to the elderly and disabled.

Tenth Amendment

Constitutional provision that reserves powers to the states.

Roosevelt’s court-packing plan

Failed proposal to expand Supreme Court power.

Twenty-Second Amendment

Limits presidential terms to two.

Pearl Harbor

U.S. naval base attacked, leading to WWII involvement.

World War II Homefront

U.S. citizens' contributions to the war effort.

Women in WWII

Took on roles previously held by men to support the war.

Japanese American internment camps

Concentration camps for Japanese-Americans during WWII.

Tuskegee Airmen

Trailblazing African American pilots in WWII.

Navajo Code Talkers

Used native language to aid military communications.

The Holocaust

Genocide of Jews during WWII leading to migration and liberation.

Atomic bomb

Weapon that ended WWII by targeting Japan.

Berlin Airlift

U.S. response to the Soviet blockade of Berlin.

Marshall Plan

U.S. initiative aiding European economic recovery post-WWII.

Containment

U.S. policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Investigative committee targeting suspected communists.

McCarthyism

Anti-communist campaign led by Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Sputnik I

Soviet satellite igniting space race.

GI Bill

Legislation assisting veterans post-WWII.

Economic prosperity

Increased prosperity leading to middle-class growth.

Suburbs

Residential areas expanding due to post-WWII population growth.

Vaccines

Medical advancements preventing the spread of disease.

Brown v. Board of Education

Landmark case enforcing school desegregation.

Rosa Parks

Civil rights figure whose actions sparked a boycott.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Civil rights leader advocating for nonviolent protests.

Black Panthers

Militant group fighting for racial equality.

Little Rock Crisis

Federal intervention required to enforce school desegregation.

March on Washington

Protest advocating for civil rights legislation.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation ending public segregation.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Agency preventing workplace discrimination.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation removing voting barriers for African Americans.

Great Society

Program aimed at eliminating poverty and social injustice.

Women’s movement

Fight for gender equality and women's rights.

Chicano movement

Advocacy for Mexican American rights.

Chicano Mural Movement

Artistic expression that fostered cultural pride.

Domino theory

Justification for U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Authorized military action without congressional consent.

Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Lowered voting age to eighteen.

Anti-war movement

Protests against U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

War Powers Resolution

Legislation limiting presidential military powers.

Environmental reforms

Actions addressing ecological concerns following Silent Spring.

Nixon’s foreign policies

Diplomatic strategies normalizing relations with China.

Watergate scandal

Political scandal leading to Nixon's resignation.

OPEC

Organization that imposed oil embargo on the U.S.

Alternative energy sources

Renewable energies encouraged by the government.

Camp David Accords

Peace treaty negotiated by President Carter.