US HISTORY

the mayflower compact

drafted in 1620 in plymouth and provided a framework for self-government in new england

trail of tears

the forced removal of cherokees and their transportation to oklahoma

george washington

1st president of the united states; commander-in-chief of the continental army during the american revolution

thomas jefferson

author of the declaration of independence; 3rd president of the united states

"taxation without representation"

reason why colonists went to war with england; colonists thought it was unfair to be taxed by a government that they didn't have a voice in

declaration of independence

1776 statement, issued by the second continental congress and written by thomas jefferson, explaining why the colonies wanted independence from great britain

john locke

english philosopher that applied reason to government and politics; believed everyone had natural rights

articles of confederation

the first constitution of the united states

natural rights

the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and property

constitution

a document which spells out the principles by which a government runs and the fundamental laws that govern a society

federalists

wanted ratification and for the US to have a strong national government

anti-federalists

opposed ratification of the constitution; thought the national government would have too much power at expense of the states

english bill of rights (1689)

king william and queen mary established this written list fo freedoms; many of these same rights are included in the US constitution; established freedom from taxation without representation; outlawed cruel and unusual punishment, guaranteed the right to bear arms, etc.

bill of rights (1791)

this legislation is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the US constitution; proposed to assuage the fears of anti-federalists

black codes

southern laws designed to restrict the rights of the newly freed black slaves

abolitionists

anti-slavery activists who demanded the immediate end of slavery

poll tax

a requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

literacy test

a test given to persons to prove they can read and write before being allowed to register to vote

grandfather clause

allowed people to vote if their father or grandfather had voted before reconstruction

underground railroad

a system of secret routes used by escaping slaves to reach freedom in the north or in canada

harriet tubman

american abolitionist; born a slave on a maryland plantation; most renowned conductor on the underground railroad, leading more than 300 slaves to freedom

manifest destiny

the 19th-century belief that the expansion of the US throughout the american continents was both justified and inevitable

mexican-american war (1845)

main cause of this war was the annexation of texas into the US; mexico had lost about one-third of its territory, including nearly all of present-day california, utah, nevada, arizona and new mexico

western expansion (1846)

americans expanded over north america and took over indian land / developed new states into the union west of the mississippi river

reservations

native americans were forced onto these extremely tiny areas as a result of the western expansion

abraham lincoln

16th President of the US; saved the union during the civil war and emancipated the slaves; assassinated by booth

civil war

war between north (union states) and south (confederate states) over slavery and succeeding (1861-1865)

emancipation proclamation

issued by abraham lincoln on september 22, 1862 it declared that all slaves in the confederate states would be free

battle of vicksburg

this civil war battle split the confederacy in two and gave the north control of the mississippi river

battle of gettysburg

this three day battle was the bloodiest of the entire civil war; it ended in a union victory, and is considered the turning point of the war; last confederate attempt to invade the north

reconstruction

the period after the civil war in the US when the southern states were reorganized and reintegrated into the union; "rebuilding the south"

13th amendment (1865)

amendment that abolished slavery

14th amendment (1868)

amendment that guarantees citizenship to african americans and prohibits states from passing laws to take away a citizen's rights

15th amendment (1870)

amendment that allowed african american males the right to vote; said no one can be denied right because of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude"

jim crow laws

laws designed to enforce segregation of blacks from whites

plessy vs. ferguson

a case that was brought to supreme court by blacks to challenge the legality of segregation; the court ruled that segregation under the 14th amendment was legal as long as states maintained "separate but equal" facilities

thomas edison

inventor of light bulb, phonograph and numerous other innovations

monopoly

complete control of a product or business by one person or group

john d. rockefeller

established the standard oil company, the greatest, wisest, and meanest monopoly known in history

homestead strike (1892)

steelworker strike near pittsburgh against the carnegie steel company; ten workers were killed in a riot when "scab" labor was brought in to force an end to the strike

industrialization

the development of industries for the machine production of goods

immigration

movement of individuals into a population

urbanization

an increase in the percentage and in the number of people living in urban settlements

tenements

urban apartment buildings that served as housing for poor factory workers; often poorly constructed and overcrowded

sherman antitrust act (1890)

outlawed monopolies and practices that restrained trade, such as price fixing

capitalism

an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state; free enterprise

transcontinental railroad

railroad connecting the east and west coasts of the continental US; congress supported because it provided money in the form of loans and made land grants on each side of the track route

central pacific railroad

started in sacramento, california, and pushed eastward; eventually connected with the union pacific railroad in promentary point, utah

union pacific railroad

a railroad that started in omaha; it connected with the central pacific railroad in promentary point, utah

battle of little big horn (1876)

gold was discovered in black hills of south dakota; sitting bull led sioux to drive out white invaders; george custer and 250 men were destroyed by sitting bull and 2,000 indians; sitting bull escaped to canada

battle of wounded knee (1890)

the last major armed conflict between the lakota sioux and the US; some of the natives broke out into the ghost dance (revival said to restore buffalo to the plains) and the americans took it as violence; they massacred all of them

homestead act (1862)

the government offered farm plots of 160 acres to anyone willing to live on the land for 5 years, dig a well, and build a road

progressivism

the political orientation of those who favor progress toward better conditions in government and society; mostly middle class people and city-dwellers who used modern ideas and scientific techniques to improve society

populism

the political orientation that supports the rights and powers of the common people / farmers in their struggle with the privileged elite

similarities of progressives and populists

both reform movements, both wanted to get rid of corrupt government officials, both wanted to eliminate the abuses of big business

pure food and drug act

legislation that halted the sale of contaminated foods and medicines and called for truth in labeling; added inspection measures; formulated under president teddy roosevelt

assassination of archduke franz ferdinand

this event sparked the first declaration of war in wwi

lusitania

american boat that was sunk by the german u-boats; made america consider entering wwi

zimmerman note

germany sent this to mexico instructing an ambassador to convince mexico to go to war with the US; was intercepted and caused the US to declare war on germany

allies (wwi)

great britain, france, russia (triple entente at beginning of war), italy, japan, and later the US

central powers (wwi)

germany, austria-hungary, italy (triple alliance at beginning of war, then italy switched), ottoman empire (turkey)

woodrow wilson

28th president of the united states; slogan was "he kept us out of war" in the 1916 election, but later would join the war

14 points

woodrow wilson's peace plan, set out before war ended; helped germans look forward to peace and be willing to surrender because it was easy on the germans punishment for war; points included: people all over the world are to determine their own fate (self-determination), no colonial powers grabbing nations, free trade, no secret pacts, freedom of the seas, arms reduction, creation of world organization (league of nations)

league of nations (1919)

part of woodrow wilson's plan for lasting peace; first international organization founded in to promote world peace and cooperation, but was weakened when the US refused to join; laid the foundation for the creation of the united nations after wwii

the great migration

movement of over 300,000 african americans from the south to the north for jobs and a better life away from slavery

scopes monkey trial (1925)

tennessee schoolteacher john scopes was arrested for teaching the theory of evolution despite a state law banning it; the legal battle was fought by clarence darrow and william jennings bryan, two of the nation's most famous lawyers

henry ford

american businessman, founder of ford motor company and the father of modern assembly lines; did NOT create the first automobile; instead, created the first affordable one

economic boom

"roaring twenties;" a period of economic growth that was marked by rapid industrial growth and advances in technology; US saw increases in productivity, sales and wages accompanied by a rising demand for consumer products leading to massive profits for businesses and corporations

economic bust

during this time period, people buy and invent less, and businesses close, the number of more unemployed people rises; an extreme downturn in the US

herbert hoover

republican candidate who assumed the presidency in march 1929 promising the american people prosperity; attempted to first deal with the depression by trying to restore public faith in the community and by "trickle down economics," which gave big businesses more money in hopes of it "trickling down" to banks and the common people

buying on credit

people would purchase things and make partial payments on set intervals called installment plans; led to a lot of debt

stock market crash (1929)

plunge in stock market prices that marked the beginning of the great depression

the great depression

a time of utter economic disaster; started in the US

"run" on banks

when people suspect their banks are in trouble, they may "run" to the bank to withdraw their funds, holding more currency and less deposits

franklin d. roosevelt

32nd US president; began new deal programs to help the nation out of the great depression, and he was the nation's leader during most of wwii

social security

federal program of disability and retirement benefits that covers most working people