HIS111: MIDTERM QUIZZ

Lecture 6 – Flashcards

Card 1
Front: Why does automation not automatically guarantee prosperity?
Back: The First Industrial Revolution showed automation could lead to sweatshop labor and inequality. Early supporters of automation later argued systems needed reform because profits did not automatically benefit workers.

Card 2
Front: What does “territory” mean in today’s technological world?
Back: Territory is increasingly data, meaning control over digital information rather than only physical land.

Card 3
Front: Core technologies in U.S. colonial expansion (1776–1869)
Back:
• Energy: coal, steam, electricity
• Transport: locomotives and steamships
• Extraction/manufacturing: mining tools, firearms
• Networks: telegraph, mass media, transport infrastructure

Card 4
Front: Why is infrastructure important in imperial expansion?
Back: Infrastructure such as transportation and communication networks can be militarized and used to control territory and generate profit.

Card 5
Front: Industrialization in the Americas
Back:
• Shift from agrarian economies to industrial economies
• Americas became sites of extraction and capital generation
• Technological innovation tied to expansion and resource exploitation.

Card 6
Front: Innovation vs Ownership
Back: Innovation alone did not create power. Ownership of capital, access to resources, racial hierarchy, and violence (legal systems) determined who controlled wealth and technology.

Card 7
Front: Role of capital in imperial power
Back: Control of capital allowed elites to dominate extraction, appropriate knowledge and resources, and maintain power over both land and people.

Card 8
Front: Relationship between private industry and the U.S. military
Back: Private companies and the military have historically worked together. Military funding helped develop manufacturing and technology.

Card 9
Front: Eli Whitney (1798)
Back: Invented the interchangeable parts system for military muskets, helping create mass production and strengthening the relationship between industry and military technology.

Card 10
Front: Why might military spending limit innovation?
Back: Resources may go toward profitable military projects rather than other innovations that could benefit society.

Card 11
Front: Parallel between military spending and AI today
Back: Like military contractors in the past, AI companies may exaggerate technological capabilities to secure funding and profit.

Card 12
Front: Monroe Doctrine (1823)
Back: U.S. policy declaring that European powers should not interfere in the Western Hemisphere and asserting U.S. dominance in the Americas.

Card 13
Front: Purpose of the Monroe Doctrine
Back: To establish U.S. diplomatic and political dominance in the Americas and support territorial and commercial expansion.

Card 14
Front: Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
Back: Expanded the doctrine by giving the U.S. the right to intervene in Latin American countries to protect U.S. interests.

Lecture 7 – Flashcards

Card 1
Front: Why is historical education important according to the lecture?
Back: Understanding historical events helps create informed policies and better responses to modern problems.

Card 2
Front: Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) calls related to education
Back: 23 calls to action involve historical education, including 19 focused on protecting Indigenous languages.

Card 3
Front: Why is communication infrastructure linked to sovereignty?
Back: Control over communication systems helps maintain political power, national security, and territorial authority.

Card 4
Front: Maria Ressa’s description of social media
Back: She described social media as “an invisible atomic bomb in the information ecosystem,” highlighting its impact on democracy.

Card 5
Front: Misinformation
Back: False or incorrect information that spreads unintentionally.

Card 6
Front: Disinformation
Back: Deliberately created and spread false information intended to manipulate people or influence politics.

Card 7
Front: Why is disinformation harder to stop than misinformation?
Back: Because it is often funded, organized, and strategically designed to manipulate audiences and influence elections or political systems.

Card 8
Front: I-Frame (Individual Frame)
Back: A way of framing problems that blames individuals rather than systemic causes.

Examples:
• Telling users to “spend less time on social media”
• Blaming individuals for addiction to digital platforms.

Card 9
Front: S-Frame (System Frame)
Back: A framework that focuses on structural causes of problems and calls for systemic solutions like regulation and corporate accountability.

Card 10
Front: Examples of S-Frame solutions
Back:
• Government regulation of addictive technologies
• Transparent terms of service
• Laws against foreign election interference.

Card 11
Front: Active Measures
Back: A form of political warfare using influence campaigns, propaganda, and infiltration to manipulate public opinion.

Card 12
Front: Examples of Active Measures tactics
Back:
• Friendship societies
• Agents of influence
• Deepfakes and forgeries
• Cultural organizations
• Social media campaigns and memes.

Card 13
Front: Nazi propaganda strategy in the U.S. before WWII
Back: Germany produced films and propaganda targeting American audiences to shape public opinion and discourage U.S. involvement in the war.

Card 14
Front: Anti-polarization campaigns during WWII
Back: Canada and the U.S. produced films and media promoting unity and combating racism.

Card 15
Front: Role of the National Film Board (NFB)
Back: Founded in 1939, the NFB produced around 100 wartime films promoting unity, tolerance, and anti-racism.

Card 16
Front: Key takeaway about national security today
Back: Data and communications infrastructure are central to national security and democratic stability.

Lecture 8 – Flashcards

Card 1
Front: Design Thinking
Back: A solution-focused and user-centered innovation process that focuses on developing solutions rather than only analyzing problems.

Card 2
Front: Influence
Back: The ability to affect people’s beliefs, opinions, or behavior.

Card 3
Front: Mary Ann Shadd Cary
Back: A Black abolitionist, journalist, and founder of the newspaper The Provincial Freeman in Toronto in 1853.

Card 4
Front: Public History
Back: The practice of presenting historical knowledge to broad audiences through media, storytelling, and public engagement.

Card 5
Front: Why storytelling matters in history
Back: Human brains naturally retain narrative structures, making storytelling an effective way to communicate historical knowledge.

Card 6
Front: Railroad monopolies in the 19th century
Back: Railroads dominated transportation and expansion but often used corruption, bribery, and unfair pricing to control markets.

Card 7
Front: 1874 Canadian railway spending
Back: About 25% of Canada’s federal budget went to railway construction.

Card 8
Front: 1887 railroad regulation
Back: Railroads became the first industry regulated by the U.S. federal government.

Card 9
Front: Cartel
Back: An arrangement where companies divide markets and avoid competing with each other.

Card 10
Front: Major Robber Barons
Back:
• John D. Rockefeller – Oil
• Andrew Carnegie – Steel
• Cornelius Vanderbilt – Railroads and shipping
• Leland Stanford – Railroads/provisions
• J.P. Morgan – Finance

Card 11
Front: Shareholding Companies / Trusts
Back: Businesses where companies owned shares in each other to control markets and avoid competition.

Card 12
Front: Shell Companies
Back: Companies created to hide profits and evade regulations, common during the robber baron era.

Card 13
Front: Lobbyists
Back: Individuals hired by corporations to influence government policy and legislation.

Card 14
Front: Vertical Integration
Back: A business strategy where a company controls multiple stages of production and distribution.

Example: oil companies controlling drilling, refining, transportation, and sales.

Card 15
Front: Ida Tarbell
Back: Journalist who exposed corruption in Standard Oil, helping reveal monopolistic practices.

Card 16
Front: Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)
Back: U.S. law designed to break up monopolies and prevent anti-competitive business practices.

Card 17
Front: Interoperability
Back: The ability for systems or platforms to work together and allow users to transfer their data between services.