STAAR US History 11th

Declaration of Independence

Document asserting American independence that established key principles including natural rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness) influenced by John Locke's philosophy.

Consent of the Governed

Principle that government derives its power from the consent of the people, fundamental to American democracy.

Federalism

Constitutional system dividing power between federal and state governments to balance control.

Checks and Balances

Constitutional principle where each branch of government (executive, legislative, judicial) has powers to limit the others, preventing any single branch from becoming too powerful.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution protecting individual freedoms including speech, religion, and press.

E Pluribus Unum

Latin phrase meaning 'Out of many, one,' symbolizing the union of states into a single nation.

In God We Trust

National motto added to U.S. currency in the 1950s, reinforcing religious influence in American identity.

Gilded Age (1877-1900)

Era marked by rapid industrialization and economic growth alongside significant inequality, labor strikes, and political corruption.

Progressive Era (1900-1920)

Period of reform movements addressing industrial excesses, labor rights, and women's suffrage.

Great Depression (1929-1941)

Severe economic collapse following the stock market crash, resulting in mass unemployment and the New Deal reforms.

Spanish-American War (1898)

Conflict that marked the U.S. emergence as a world power.

Stock Market Crash (1929)

Year when the stock market crash precipitated the Great Depression.

Moon Landing (1969)

Event symbolizing U.S. victory in the Space Race during the Cold War.

Political Machines

Corrupt political organizations that used patronage to maintain power through bribery and election manipulation.

Andrew Carnegie

Industrialist who built a massive steel empire representing American industrial might.

John D. Rockefeller

Founder of Standard Oil who controlled the oil industry and became a symbol of monopolistic practices.

Homestead Strike (1892)

Major labor conflict highlighting tensions between workers and industrial management.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

First federal law restricting immigration, specifically targeting Chinese laborers.

Jane Addams

Social reformer who established Hull House to aid immigrants by providing services.

Roosevelt Corollary

Policy claiming U.S. right to intervene in Latin American countries, positioning America as the 'police' of the Western Hemisphere.

Hawaii Annexation (1898)

U.S. annexation of Hawaii, expanding Pacific influence and establishing the military base at Pearl Harbor.

Zimmerman Telegram (1917)

Secret German proposal to Mexico to join the war against the U.S., contributing to America's entry into World War I.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

Peace treaty ending World War I that the U.S. refused to ratify.

16th Amendment

Constitutional amendment enabling the federal government to tax citizens' incomes.

17th Amendment

Amendment allowing voters to directly elect U.S. Senators.

19th Amendment

Constitutional change granting women the right to vote.

Upton Sinclair

Muckraking author whose novel The Jungle exposed unsanitary conditions in meatpacking plants.

Scopes Trial (1925)

Legal battle over teaching evolution in public schools.

Prohibition (18th Amendment)

Nationwide ban on alcohol that led to organized crime.

Henry Ford

Industrialist who revolutionized manufacturing with the assembly line.

Pearl Harbor (1941)

Surprise Japanese attack that led to the U.S. declaring war and entering WWII.

Hiroshima/Nagasaki (1945)

Cities where the U.S. dropped atomic bombs, leading to Japan's surrender.

Japanese Internment (1942)

Forced relocation of Japanese Americans, violating civil liberties.

D-Day (1944)

Allied forces' invasion of Normandy that began the liberation of Western Europe.

Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy to contain communism by supporting countries resisting Soviet influence.

McCarthyism

Period of intense anti-communist suspicion led by Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Korean War (1950-1953)

Conflict where the U.S. intervened to prevent communist expansion to South Korea.

Gulf of Tonkin

Incident that escalated U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Supreme Court ruling declaring state-sponsored school segregation unconstitutional.

I Have a Dream Speech

Martin Luther King Jr.'s address calling for an end to racial inequality.

Civil Rights Act (1964)

Legislation outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin.

Voting Rights Act (1965)

Law that outlawed literacy tests preventing African Americans from voting.

Watergate (1974)

Political scandal leading to President Nixon's resignation.

Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)

Event symbolizing the end of the Cold War.

9/11 Attacks (2001)

Terrorist attacks that prompted the creation of the Patriot Act.

Obama's Election (2008)

Historic election of Barack Obama as the first African American president.

Dust Bowl (1930s)

Severe drought leading to massive dust storms and migration to California.

Great Migration (1916-1970)

Movement of African Americans to northern cities for job opportunities.

Harlem Renaissance (1920s)

Cultural movement celebrating Black culture through art, literature, and music.

Social Security (1935)

New Deal program establishing a federal safety net for elderly Americans.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court case establishing the 'separate but equal' doctrine.