Test #2 (U.S. History) Sample Essay Questions

Omaha Platform

The Populist Party's statement of policies that included reforms such as direct election of senators and government regulation of big businesses.

Direct election of senators

A reform advocated by the Populist Party allowing voters to directly elect their senators instead of state legislatures.

Income tax

A tax imposed on individuals or entities based on income, supported by the Populist Party as part of their reform agenda.

Progressive Era

A period of social activism and political reform in the United States, roughly from the 1890s to the 1920s.

Wilson's Fourteen Points

A statement of principles for peace used for peace negotiations to end World War I, emphasizing self-determination and the League of Nations.

Spanish-American War

A conflict in 1898 between the United States and Spain, resulting in U.S. territorial gains and increased involvement in world affairs.

Nativism

A policy or belief that favors the interests of native-born or established inhabitants over those of immigrants.

Prohibition

A nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933.

Scopes Trial

A 1925 legal case in which a teacher was prosecuted for violating a Tennessee law against the teaching of evolution in schools.

National Origins Act of 1924

A law that established quotas that discriminated against immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, reflecting nativist sentiments.