STAAR US History 11th

U.S. History Terms and Definitions

Founding Documents

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.

Historical Eras

Gilded Age (1877-1900): Era marked by rapid industrialization and economic growth alongside significant inequality, labor strikes (e.g., Pullman Strike), and political corruption (e.g., Tammany Hall).

Progressive Era (1900-1920): Period of reform movements addressing industrial excesses, labor rights, and women's suffrage (19th Amendment).

Great Depression (1929-1941): Severe economic collapse following the stock market crash, resulting in mass unemployment and the New Deal reforms.

Key Historical Dates

1898: Spanish-American War that marked the U.S. emergence as a world power.

1929: Year of the stock market crash that precipitated the Great Depression.

1969: Year of the moon landing, symbolizing U.S. victory in the Space Race during the Cold War.

Industrialization

Political Machines: Corrupt political organizations like Tammany Hall 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 in Chicago by providing services including daycare, education, and health care.

U.S. as World Power

Roosevelt Corollary: Policy extension of the Monroe Doctrine 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 strategic 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, declining to join the League of Nations and marking an isolationist turn in American foreign policy.

Progressive Reforms

16th Amendment: Constitutional amendment enabling the federal government to tax citizens' incomes, shifting financial responsibility.

17th Amendment: Amendment allowing voters to directly elect U.S. Senators, reducing corruption in the selection process.

19th Amendment: Constitutional change granting women the right to vote, marking a major victory for the women's rights movement.

Upton Sinclair: Muckraking author whose novel The Jungle exposed unsanitary conditions in meatpacking plants, leading to the creation of the FDA and Meat Inspection Act.

1920s

Scopes Trial (1925): Legal battle over teaching evolution in public schools, highlighting the conflict between science and religious fundamentalism.

Prohibition (18th Amendment): Nationwide ban on alcohol that led to the rise of organized crime and underground speakeasies.

Henry Ford: Industrialist who revolutionized manufacturing with the assembly line, drastically lowering car prices and increasing worker wages with the $5 workday.

World War II

Pearl Harbor (1941): Surprise Japanese attack on December 7 that led to the U.S. declaring war and officially entering World War II.

Hiroshima/Nagasaki (1945): Cities where the U.S. dropped atomic bombs, leading to Japan's surrender and ending World War II.

Japanese Internment (1942): Forced relocation and incarceration of Japanese Americans through Executive Order 9066, violating civil liberties.

D-Day (1944): Allied forces' invasion of Normandy that began the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.

Cold War

Truman Doctrine: U.S. policy to contain communism by providing economic and military support to countries resisting Soviet influence.

McCarthyism: Period of intense anti-communist suspicion led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, resulting in widespread fear and false accusations.

Korean War (1950-1953): Conflict in which the U.S. intervened to prevent communist expansion to South Korea, resulting in a stalemate at the 38th parallel.

Gulf of Tonkin: Incident that escalated U.S. involvement in Vietnam, ultimately leading to a prolonged and controversial war.

Civil Rights

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 famous address during the 1963 March on Washington calling for an end to racial inequality.

Civil Rights Act (1964): Landmark legislation outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, or national origin.

Voting Rights Act (1965): Law that outlawed literacy tests and other discriminatory practices that prevented African Americans from voting.

1970s-1990s

Watergate (1974): Political scandal resulting in President Nixon's resignation following the break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters.

Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989): Event symbolizing the end of the Cold War, following Reagan's challenge to Gorbachev to "tear down this wall."

Modern Era

9/11 Attacks (2001): Terrorist attacks that prompted the creation of the Patriot Act and initiated the War on Terror.

Obama's Election (2008): Historic election of Barack Obama as the first African American president of the United States.

Geography & Culture

Dust Bowl (1930s): Severe drought and poor farming practices that led to massive dust storms, forcing thousands of "Okies" to migrate to California.

Great Migration (1916-1970): Movement of African Americans from the rural South to northern cities seeking better job opportunities and escape from racial segregation.

Harlem Renaissance (1920s): Cultural movement celebrating Black culture through art, literature, and music, featuring figures like Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington.

Government

Social Security (1935): New Deal program establishing a federal safety net for elderly Americans, offering pensions to retired workers and supporting disabled individuals.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): Supreme Court case that established the "separate but equal" doctrine upholding racial segregation, later overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.