APUSH Unit 6 AMSCO quiz



  • Pacific Railway Act (1862) authorized the construction of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States

  • Homestead Act (1862) allowed citizens to claim 160 acres of public land in exchange for living on and improving it

  • Cowboys played a crucial role in the American West, driving cattle herds along the trails and contributing to the economy as ranching became a significant industry.

  • Comstock Lode a valuable silver ore deposit in Virginia City, Nevada, that was discovered in 1859

  • Turner’s Frontier Thesis posits that the American democracy was shaped by the experience of westward expansion, emphasizing how the frontier promoted individualism and innovation.

  • Sand Creek Massacre a violent attack on Cheyenne and Arapaho people by the U.S. Army during the American Indian Wars

  • Wounded Knee Massacre a tragic event where U.S. Army troops killed a large number of Lakota Sioux Native Americans, mostly women and children, near Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota

  • Indigenous Resistance Leaders

    • Red Cloud was a leader of the Oglala Lakota from 1865 to 1909. He was one of the most capable Native American opponents whom the United States Army faced in the western territorie

    • Sitting Bull was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies

  • “Indian Wars”

    • Sioux Wars a series of conflicts between the United States government and various subgroups of the Sioux people

    • Battle of Little Bighorn (Custer’s Last Stand) a fight between the U.S. 7th Cavalry and Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors that took place on June 25–26, 1876

  • Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) a federal law that prohibited Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States for 10 years

  • Dawes Act (1887) a law passed in 1887 that broke up tribal lands into individual allotments

  • Reservations / Assimilation The U.S. government implemented policies that promoted the establishment of reservations for Native American tribes, while also pushing for the assimilation of Indigenous peoples into American society through education and the adoption of Western customs.

  • Jim Crow laws were state and local statutes enacted in the South that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans, further entrenching systemic racism in the United States.

  • Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) was a landmark Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine, effectively legitimizing Jim Crow laws and allowing racial discrimination to persist.

    • Booker T. Washington (Atlanta Compromise) advocated for a gradual approach to racial uplift, emphasizing vocational education and economic self-reliance for African Americans as a means to gain respect and improve their social status within a segregated society.

    • Ida B. Wells was a prominent journalist and activist who fought against lynching and racial violence, advocating for civil rights and social justice through her writings and public speaking.

    • W.E.B Dubois was a co-founder of the NAACP and a leading figure in the fight for immediate civil rights, advocating for higher education and political activism as essential tools for African Americans to challenge systemic oppression and achieve equality.

  • NAACP

  • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, an organization founded in 1909 to combat racial discrimination and promote civil rights through legal challenges, advocacy, and education.

  • National Woman Suffrage Association a women's rights organization that fought for women's right to vote. It was founded in 1869 by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. 

  • Voter Disenfranchisement is a significant issue that the NAACP addresses, as it disproportionately affects African American communities and undermines their ability to participate fully in the democratic process. (Literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses)

  • Conservative Economic Theories

    • Laissez-Faire is an economic philosophy advocating minimal government intervention in the economy, allowing individuals and businesses to operate freely in a competitive market.

    • Social Darwinism is a theory that applies the concept of natural selection to social and economic issues, often used to justify laissez-faire policies by suggesting that competition leads to the survival of the fittest in society.

    • “Gospel of Wealth” asserts that hard work and perseverance lead to wealth

    • Horatio Alger Myth idea that anyone can become wealthy and successful through hard work and self-reliance

  • Organized Labor (know at least one union and strike)

  • The American Federation of Labor (AFL): Founded in 1886, it focused on skilled workers and advocated for better wages, working conditions, and hours.

  • The Homestead Strike (1892): A significant labor dispute at the Carnegie Steel Company, which resulted in a violent confrontation between strikers and private security agents.

  • Populism emerged as a political movement in the late 19th century, advocating for the rights of workers and farmers, and often intersected with labor movements, pushing for reforms such as the eight-hour workday and the regulation of monopolies.

    • People’s Party (also known as the Populist Party): Founded in 1891, it aimed to represent the interests of farmers and laborers, advocating for policies such as the regulation of railroads, income tax reform, and the direct election of senators.