HIST 15 Midterm #2 ALL TERMS

Jane Addams

A Progressive reformer who helped lead the settlement house movement by founding Hull House in Chicago, which provided education, childcare, healthcare, and job training to immigrants and the urban poor. Her work reflected Progressive beliefs that poverty resulted from environmental and social conditions and influenced labor reform, child welfare laws, and women’s political activism.

Wilson’s Fourteen Points

A World War I peace proposal outlining principles such as open diplomacy, freedom of the seas, reduced armaments, national self-determination, and the creation of an international organization to prevent future wars, reflecting idealistic goals that were only partially adopted after the war.

W.E.B. Du Bois

An African American intellectual and activist who rejected accommodation to segregation and argued for immediate political, social, and economic equality, emphasizing higher education, political activism, and legal challenges to racism, and helping found a national civil rights organization.

The Red Scare

A period after World War I marked by widespread fear of radical political movements, leading to government raids, mass arrests, deportations, and suppression of civil liberties, particularly targeting immigrants and labor activists.

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

A deadly factory fire caused by unsafe working conditions, locked exits, and lack of fire safety measures, which exposed the dangers of industrial labor and led to major reforms in workplace safety and labor regulations.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural and intellectual movement centered in New York City that celebrated African American artistic expression through literature, music, and art, promoting racial pride, cultural independence, and Black identity.

Direct Democracy

Progressive political reforms designed to increase citizen participation in government by allowing voters to directly influence legislation and political accountability rather than relying solely on elected representatives.

The Scottsboro Court Case

A series of trials involving African American youths falsely accused of rape, demonstrating racial prejudice, denial of due process, and systemic injustice within the legal system.

Teddy Roosevelt as “Trust Buster”

A presidential approach that accepted large corporations but used federal authority to regulate or break up monopolies that harmed the public interest, expanding the federal government’s role in economic regulation.

The Bonus March

A protest in which World War I veterans marched on Washington demanding early payment of promised bonuses during the Great Depression and were forcibly removed by the federal government, highlighting economic desperation and political failure.

Election of 1912

A presidential election marked by a split in the Republican Party that allowed a Democratic candidate to win with a minority of the popular vote, reflecting widespread support for Progressive reform.

Fireside Chats

Radio addresses used by the president to communicate directly with the public in clear, simple language, explaining government policies and restoring confidence during the Great Depression.

Trench Warfare

A form of combat during World War I characterized by opposing armies occupying fortified trenches, resulting in prolonged stalemates, massive casualties, and minimal territorial gains.

Huey Long

A populist political leader during the Great Depression who criticized economic inequality and proposed wealth redistribution programs, gaining strong support from working-class Americans.

War Industries Board

A federal agency created during World War I to coordinate industrial production, allocate raw materials, and standardize manufacturing to support the war effort, increasing government control over the economy.

Tennessee Valley Authority

A New Deal program that addressed regional poverty through dam construction, flood control, electrification, and economic development, significantly expanding federal involvement in regional planning.

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

An agreement that ended Russia’s participation in World War I by withdrawing from the conflict in exchange for territorial concessions, allowing Germany to focus on the Western Front.

Court Packing

A proposal to expand the Supreme Court by adding justices to secure favorable rulings for New Deal legislation, raising serious concerns about judicial independence and separation of powers.

The Social Justice Movement

Progressive-era reform efforts aimed at addressing inequality, poverty, and exploitation through government action, education, and social services to protect vulnerable populations.

Settlement House Movement

A reform movement that established community centers in urban neighborhoods to provide education, healthcare, childcare, and job assistance to immigrants and the working poor, emphasizing environmental causes of poverty.

Women’s Christian Temperance Union

A reform organization that argued alcohol consumption caused social problems such as poverty and domestic violence and linked temperance to women’s suffrage and moral reform.

Muckrakers

Investigative journalists who exposed corruption, unsafe working conditions, and social injustice through detailed reporting, increasing public awareness and pressuring lawmakers to enact reforms.

Prohibition

A nationwide ban on the manufacture and sale of alcohol intended to improve public morality, which instead contributed to organized crime and widespread illegal activity.

Pragmatism

A philosophy embraced by Progressives that emphasized practical solutions, experimentation, and results over rigid ideology in addressing social problems.

Brandeis Brief

A legal argument that relied on social science and statistical evidence rather than legal precedent alone, influencing how courts evaluated labor and social legislation.

Muller v. Oregon

A Supreme Court decision that upheld labor regulations for women by accepting social science evidence about working conditions, demonstrating Progressive influence on judicial rulings.

Alice Paul

A suffrage leader who used confrontational tactics such as protests and hunger strikes to demand a constitutional amendment guaranteeing women’s right to vote.

Carrie Chapman Catt

A suffrage leader who used a pragmatic strategy combining state-level campaigns with support for a federal amendment to achieve nationwide women’s suffrage.

17th, 18th, 19th Amendments

Constitutional amendments that expanded democracy by mandating direct election of senators, banning alcohol, and granting women the right to vote.

Booker T. Washington

An African American leader who promoted vocational education and economic self-reliance as a strategy for racial advancement within a segregated society.

N.A.A.C.P.

A civil rights organization founded to combat racial discrimination through legal challenges, lobbying, and public advocacy.

Robert LaFollette

A Progressive political leader who championed regulation of corporations, labor protections, and expanded democratic participation at the state and national levels.

Secret Ballot

An electoral reform designed to reduce corruption and voter intimidation by ensuring privacy during elections.

Initiative, Referendum, Recall

Progressive political mechanisms allowing citizens to propose laws, vote on legislation, and remove elected officials from office.

Teddy Roosevelt’s “Square Deal”

A reform agenda seeking fairness for workers, consumers, and businesses through regulation, conservation, and federal oversight.

1902 United Mine Workers’ Strike

A labor dispute in which federal mediation helped resolve conflict between workers and mine owners, establishing a precedent for government involvement in labor relations.

Eugene V. Debs

A labor leader and socialist who opposed World War I and criticized industrial capitalism, representing growing political radicalism.

Federal Reserve Act

Legislation that created a central banking system to regulate currency, manage credit, and stabilize the economy.

Upton Sinclair

A writer whose exposure of unsafe industrial working conditions revealed public health dangers and led to federal regulation of food and drugs.

The Panama Canal

A major infrastructure project that facilitated global trade and strengthened American economic and strategic power.

Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy”

A foreign policy that promoted American economic investment abroad to extend influence without direct military intervention.

Wilson’s “Moral Diplomacy”

A foreign policy emphasizing democratic principles and moral judgment rather than economic or military pressure.

Pancho Villa

A revolutionary leader whose actions against U.S. interests increased tensions and demonstrated the limits of American intervention.

Triple Entente and Triple Alliance

Opposing alliance systems that structured European power relationships leading into World War I.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

A political assassination that triggered World War I by activating alliance commitments among European powers.

Wilson’s Neutrality Policy

An effort to keep the United States out of World War I while maintaining economic ties with warring nations.

Sinking of the Lusitania

A German submarine attack on a civilian passenger ship that killed American citizens and shifted public opinion toward war.

The Election of 1916

A close presidential election focused on maintaining neutrality during World War I.

Zimmerman Telegram

A secret diplomatic proposal encouraging Mexico to ally against the United States, helping push the nation toward entering World War I.

National War Labor Board

A wartime agency that mediated labor disputes and promoted industrial stability by recognizing workers’ rights.

John J. Pershing and the AEF

The leadership and organization of American Expeditionary Forces sent to Europe during World War I.

The Sedition and Espionage Acts

Wartime laws that restricted speech and punished dissent, reflecting fears of disloyalty and radical political movements.

World War I chemical warfare

The use of poison gas that caused widespread suffering and demonstrated the brutal and industrial nature of modern warfare.

World War I Casualty numbers

The unprecedented military and civilian death toll of the war, highlighting its massive human cost.

Treaty of Versailles

The postwar peace settlement that imposed territorial losses, military restrictions, and reparations, contributing to political instability in Europe.

League of Nations

An international organization proposed to prevent future wars through collective security and diplomacy.

U.S. Economy after the Great War

A postwar period marked by recession, labor unrest, inflation, and uneven economic adjustment before the prosperity of the 1920s.

The 1920 U.S. Census

A population count showing urban residents outnumbered rural Americans for the first time, reflecting major demographic change.

Ku Klux Klan

A white supremacist organization that gained influence during the 1920s by opposing racial equality, immigration, and religious diversity.

Teapot Dome Scandal

A political corruption scandal involving bribery and illegal leasing of federal oil reserves that undermined public trust in government.

Scopes Monkey Trial

A courtroom battle over the teaching of evolution that symbolized conflict between modern science and religious fundamentalism.

Sacco and Vanzetti

A controversial criminal case involving immigrant defendants that reflected fears of radicalism, anti-immigrant prejudice, and doubts about judicial fairness.

Marcus Garvey

A Black nationalist leader who promoted racial pride, economic independence, and global unity among people of African descent.

Flappers

Young women in the 1920s who challenged traditional gender norms through fashion, behavior, and social independence.

National Origins Act of 1924

Immigration legislation that sharply restricted entry based on national origin, reflecting nativist and racist attitudes.

Agrarian Decline in the 1920s

Economic hardship faced by farmers due to overproduction and falling prices despite overall national prosperity.

Stock Market Speculation

Risky investment practices driven by optimism and easy credit that contributed to economic instability.

Buying on Margin

The practice of purchasing stocks with borrowed money, increasing financial risk and magnifying losses.

Black Tuesday

The day of massive stock sell-offs that marked the collapse of the stock market and triggered the Great Depression.

The Dust Bowl

A severe environmental disaster caused by drought and poor farming practices that displaced rural populations and worsened the Great Depression.

Herbert Hoover

A president whose belief in limited government intervention shaped early responses to the Great Depression.

Hoover’s “Voluntary Cooperation”

An approach that relied on businesses and individuals to stabilize the economy without direct federal mandates.

Depression Era Black Migration

The movement of African Americans to urban areas in search of employment and relief from rural hardship.

The Glass-Steagall Act of 1933

Banking legislation separating commercial and investment banking to restore financial stability and public confidence.

Securities & Exchange Commission

A federal agency created to regulate the stock market and prevent fraud.

Emergency Banking Relief Act

Legislation that stabilized the banking system through emergency federal oversight.

Federal Emergency Relief Act

A program providing direct federal aid to states for relief efforts.

Civilian Conservation Corps

A New Deal program employing young men in conservation and environmental projects.

Agricultural Adjustment Act

A policy designed to raise farm prices by limiting production and providing subsidies.

Dr. Francis Townsend

A reform advocate who proposed old-age pensions to address poverty among the elderly.

Fr. Charles Coughlin

A radio priest who used mass communication to criticize economic inequality and federal policy.

Roosevelt’s “Second New Deal”

A later phase of New Deal reforms that expanded social welfare programs and labor protections.

Natl. Labor Relations (Wagner) Act

Legislation protecting workers’ rights to unionize and bargain collectively.

Works Progress Administration

A large-scale employment program that provided jobs through public works projects.

Social Security Act

A law establishing retirement pensions and unemployment insurance.

Eleanor Roosevelt

A First Lady who actively promoted civil rights, social welfare, and political engagement.

Frances Perkins

A cabinet member who played a central role in shaping labor and social welfare legislation.

The “Roosevelt Recession”

An economic downturn during the New Deal caused by reduced federal spending.