US History STAAR EOC Study Guide (2026)

Declaration of Independence

Belief in consent of the governed, other nations recognized the US as a country, inspired other to question their governments. Unalienable rights - rights that cannot be taken away.

Principles of the Constitution

Limits the power of the federal government by separation of powers and checks and balances.

1st Amendment

Freedom of religion, press, speech, assembly, and petition.

5th Amendment

People accused of crimes must be read their rights. (Miranda v. Arizona); eminent domain.

Individualism

Americans were self-sufficient in creating the life they wanted; one of five demographic principles observed by Tocqueville

Populism

Americans of various backgrounds could participate in government, not just the elite; one of five demographic principles observed by Tocqueville

E pluribus unum

"Out of many, one"; colonies were different yet came together to form one country

Civic Responsibilities

voting in elections, serving on a jury, staying informed on government issues

Gilded Age

Businesses became wealthy, and some corrupt government officials supported business first policies.

Electricity

Made manufacturing more efficient; light bulb led to more hours of work = more production.

Railroads

Provided farmers & ranchers access to distant markets, and allowed Americans to settle the West; Bessemer steel provided stronger and cheaper materials to build

Monopolies

Total control of an industry by one company, restricted by laws passed to protest competitors and regulate consumer prices

Andrew Carnegie

Philanthropy to improve society through donations to education and the arts.

Labor Unions

Fought for better pay and working conditions and end of child labor; resulted in increased federal involvement

Urbanization

Rapid industrialization led to people moving to cities for employment; caused sanitation problems; taller buildings built because of cheaper steel

Political Corruption

controlled political parties; exchanged jobs/infrastructure for votes; justified corruption by helping the community

Immigrants

moved to US for better economic opportunities; some worked in factories, while other farmed; forced to assimilate

Irish Immigrants

Persecuted because they were Catholic.

Nativists

Wanted restrictions on immigration; encouraged assimilation; viewed immigrants as competition for jobs

Chinese Exclusion Act

Passed to prevent immigrants from taking jobs for settlers out West

Homestead Act

Resulted in the settling of the frontier by farmers.

Dawes Act

Law intended to assimilate Native Americans into American culture; gave private ownership of land to natives; sold surplus land to white settlers

Assimilation

American Indians forced to adopt US culture through the use of boarding schools, individual land ownership and farming

Populist Party Platform

supported the working-class citizens; a third party which influences and draws votes away from the major political parties; began with small farmers

Upton Sinclair

Wrote "The Jungle", resulting in the government regulating the safety of food products; FDA.

Jane Addams

fought for women's suffrage and started the settlement house movement in the US to help assimilate immigrants

Jim Crow Laws

passed to limit rights gained by African Americans in the 13th(freedom), 14th(citizenship), and 15th(male suffrage) Amendments

W.E.B. DuBois

Helped found NAACP, a civil rights group that fought for the legal rights of African Americans.

State Reforms

Initiative, referendum, recall; increased participation in democracy, made elected officials accountable.

Pure Food and Drug Act

enforced regulations to protect consumers; resulted from the efforts of muckrakers, like Upton Sinclair

National Park Service

created to conserve natural resources and maintain designated areas for public use and enjoyment.

Improved working conditions

Child Labor Act passed and Department of Labor created to ensure safety and well-being of all laborers

18th Amendment

Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages; supported by women; aimed to reduce crime and health problems; resulted in speakeasies and crime

19th Amendment

increased women's political power by granting them suffrage; or the right to vote

Causes of Spanish-American War

Cuban Revolution and sinking of U.S.S. Maine.

Effects of Spanish-American War

US was established as a world power, gained access to new markets, and acquired new territories in the Pacific (Guam & Philippines) and the Caribbean (Puerto Rico)

Hawaii

Forced annexation by the U.S., supported by S.B. Dole; provided US with military presence in the Pacific and access to natural resources

Panama Canal

land obtained by Roosevelt's Big Stick policy; was difficult to build due to climate & terrain; decreased travel time and made trading more efficient

Big Stick policy

the threat of US intervention in Western Hemisphere affairs; part of Roosevelt's Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

WWI

initiated by assassination of Franz Ferdinand & increased tensions in Europe; US was neutral at first but later joined Allies

Trench Warfare

caused by the use of machine guns; resulted in stalemate; tanks & poison gas used to break stalemate

US enters WWI

result of Germany's aggressive actions against U.S.-Zimmermann Telegram, sinking Lusitania, unrestricted submarine warfare

WWI Homefront

U.S. citizens were encouraged to buy bonds to finance the war; women and African Americans worked in war industries

American Expeditionary Force

(AEF) soldiers drafted through the Selective Services Act & commanded by General John J. Pershing; led the counterattack on the western front

Espionage and Sedition Acts

made it a crime to interfere with war effort and limited freedom of speech during wartime; upheld by Supreme Court

Wilson's Fourteen Points

ideas to prevent future global conflicts; League of Nations, freedom of the seas, Poland as an independent nation

Treaty of Versailles

intended to weaken Germany after WWI; created the League of Nations; rejected by US

Isolationism

Post-WWI US policy supported by Henry Cabot Lodge; caused US to refuse League of Nations membership

Teapot Dome Scandal

bribery scandal during Harding's term; resulted in reduced public confidence in the federal government

Mass-manufacturing

Efficient production made products affordable, like the automobile and other household items; Henry Ford

Flappers

Women during the Roaring 20's that challenged traditional and social norms of females, unique fashion.

Great Migration

Limited economic opportunity and discrimination in the South resulted in African Americans migrating north for jobs

Harlem Renaissance

Popularity of African American artists, gospel music, jazz, influenced civil rights movement.

Overspeculation

When a stock becomes worth more than its value; limited government regulation; led to Great Depression

Great Depression

Demand for goods declined -> businesses failed -> unemployment grew -> economic depression -> homeless.

Dust Bowl

Caused by drought and poor farming practices.

New Deal

Federal government took on a new role by playing a larger role in helping the welfare of Americans, protecting economy, help provide jobs and mortgage loans.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

Government guaranteed bank deposits, protects people's savings.

Social Security Act

Created a government benefits program to help elderly/disabled/retired; increased governments responsibility.

Unconstitutional Programs

Supreme Court used 10th Amendment to overturn some New Deal programs stating it infringed on states' powers

Roosevelt's Court Packing Plan

Response to rejection of some New Deal programs, many disliked because it increased power of president.

22nd Amendment

Limited president to only serve two terms, passed in response to FDR serving four terms.

Pearl Harbor

Japanese retaliation for trade embargo, resulted in U.S. entering WWII.

Justification for War

Economic and political interdependence of nations, stop spread of totalitarian governments.

Victory Gardens

Support war effort by increasing food supply.

Women

Took on new roles to support the war effort, joined nurse cadets, and worked in factories to keep up production.

Japanese American internment camps

Violated liberties of Japanese American citizens provided in the 14th Amendment.

Tuskegee Airmen

African American military pilots; overcame discrimination to serve; encouraged integration of armed forces.

Navajo Code Talkers

Transmitted secret military information.

Vernon Baker

African American veteran of WWII, received Medal of Honor.

The Holocaust

The Nazi attempt at the genocide of Jewish people, caused many Jews to migrate to America.

Atomic Bomb

A new strategic weapon developed at Los Alamos, New Mexico; Japan surrendered after bomb dropped on Hiroshima on Nagasaki, resulted in arms race with Soviets.

Berlin Airlift

U.S. flew planes over the Soviet blockade of Berlin to get supplies to West Berlin without military conflict.

Marshall Plan

U.S. provided financial assistance to Western European countries to rebuild after WWII.

Korean War

U.N. and U.S. troops sent to Korea, to stop spread of communism, after North Korea invaded the South.

Arms Race

U.S. and Soviets promote science and technology as both attempt to develop nuclear arsenals.

Sputnik

U.S.S.R. satellite, caused U.S. to invest money in space, science, technology, and weapons programs.

House Un-American Activities Committee

(HUAC) - Looked into individuals in Hollywood who were suspected of being Communist

McCarthyism

Red Scare movement led by Senator Joseph McCarthy that arrested people suspected of being communists.

Suburbs

Resulted from prosperity after WWII, baby boom, and increased demand for housing.

GI Bill

Servicemen's Readjustment Act; government paid for education of military veterans to assist their return to civilian life

Economic Prosperity

Resulted in consumer spending, growth of middle class

Vaccines

limited the spread of infectious diseases; Jonas Salk created to stop polio

Brown v. Board of Education

Required desegregation of schools, NAACP's Thurgood Marshall helped argue case; overturned legal segregation created by Plessy v. Ferguson

Rosa Parks

fought segregation through civil disobedience; bus sit-in led to year-long bus boycotts and inspired others

Martin Luther King Jr.

Important leader of the civil rights movement, believed in civil disobedience instead of violence.

Black Panthers

Civil Rights group that used armed resistance to protest and to defend themselves, Huey Newton was leader.

Little Rock, Arkansas

Governor Orval Faubus challenged the power of the federal government to desegregate schools; President Eisenhower sent troops to enforce ruling

March on Washington

Nonviolent protest aimed to improve political rights and economics opportunities or minorities; resulted in new legislation

Civil Rights Act of 1965

ended segregation and required equal treatment of minorities in the workplace.

Equal Employment Opprotunity

Government agencies could no longer discriminate in their employment practices.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Ended poll taxes and literacy tests as a requirement to vote set up by Jim Crow laws; resulted in increased voting by minorities.

Shirley Chisholm

1st African American woman to serve in Congress.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba to prevent shipment of Soviet nuclear missiles.

Medicare Act of 1965

Provided health care for people 65+.

Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965

(HUD) - part of the Great Society; aimed to provide poor with affordable housing and alleviate poverty

Chicano Workers Movement

Led by Cesar Chavez and Delores Huerta, fought to improve working conditions for migrant workers.

Chicano Mural Movement

Built Hispanic cultural pride.

Countercultural Movement

Youth had district fashion and culture, often used rock and roll (Woodstock) to protest government policies.

Vietnam War

belief in "domino theory" led to US intervention; hoped to stop the spread of communism (containment)