US History

1. Freedmen’s Bureau

Who did it help? Formerly enslaved African Americans.
What was it? A U.S. government agency.
When? 1865–1872.
Where? The South.
What did it provide? Food, schools, jobs, medical care, and legal help.
Why was it created? To help freed people after slavery and the Civil War.

2. W.E.B. Du Bois

Who was he? Black civil rights leader and scholar.
When was he influential? Late 1800s–early 1900s.
Where? United States.
What did he fight for? Full racial equality.
What organization did he help found? NAACP.
When was the NAACP founded? 1909.
Why was he important? He fought racism and demanded equal rights.

3. Hull House

Who founded it? Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr.
What was it? A settlement house.
Where? Chicago.
When? 1889.
Who did it help? Immigrants and poor families.
What did it provide? Education, childcare, and social services.
Why was it important? It helped people struggling with poverty and city life.

4. Remember the Maine

What was the Maine? A U.S. battleship.
What happened? It exploded.
Where? Havana, Cuba.
When? 1898.
Who did Americans blame? Spain.
What was the slogan? “Remember the Maine.”
Why was it important? Increased support for the Spanish-American War.

5. Zimmermann Telegram

Who sent it? Germany.
Who received it? Mexico.
When? 1917.
What did Germany want? Mexico to fight the U.S.
What did Germany promise? Help Mexico regain lost land.
What land? Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Who intercepted it? British intelligence.
Why was it important? Angered Americans and helped push the U.S. into WWI.

Essay 3

What was America before industrialization? Mainly agricultural.
What did it become? A major industrial power.
What years? 1865–1920.
What helped cause this? Technology, railroads, immigration, resources, and big business.
What did railroads connect? Farms, factories, cities, and markets.
What major industries grew? Steel, oil, coal, and manufacturing.
Who controlled steel? Andrew Carnegie.
Who controlled oil? John D. Rockefeller.
How did immigrants help? Provided millions of workers.
What happened to cities? They grew rapidly.
What problems did workers face? Low pay, long hours, and unsafe conditions.
How did workers fight back? Unions and strikes.
What did they demand? Better pay, shorter hours, and safer workplaces.
What did Progressives want? Government regulation and better conditions.
Final result? America became an industrial/economic giant.

Essay 4

What did America become? A major world power.
What years? 1890–1920.
Why did America expand? Markets, resources, military power, and influence.
What major war happened in 1898? Spanish-American War.
Who did America defeat? Spain.
What did America gain? Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.
What was annexed in 1898? Hawaii.
Where else did U.S. influence grow? Cuba.
Why did people support imperialism? Trade, markets, resources, power, and American ideas.
Why did people oppose it? It went against freedom and self-government.
What German message angered Americans? Zimmermann Telegram.
What else angered America? German unrestricted submarine warfare.
When did America enter WWI? 1917.
Final result? America became a major economic and military world power.