U.S. History: Essential Regent Vocabulary and Essential Regents Vocabulary Study Guide

Colonial & Revolutionary America

• Triangular Trade: This was the exchange of goods and slaves between Africa, Europe, the West Indies, and the American colonies.

• House of Burgesses: This represents the first example of a representative form of government established in colonial Virginia.

• Mayflower Compact: An agreement signed by the Pilgrims before their arrival at Plymouth, Massachusetts. In this document, colonists consented to be governed by a government they created, establishing the principle of self-government.

• John Peter Zenger: A journalist whose trial served as an early and pivotal step in establishing the freedom of the press within the colonies.

• Stamp Act ($1765$): A law passed by the British Parliament that imposed taxes on newspapers, legal documents, and various other printed materials. This legislation led to the popular protest phrase "no taxation without representation".

• Declaration of Independence: The $1776$ document stating that the colonies intended to be free and independent from British rule. It provided the formal justification for breaking ties with the parent country, Great Britain.

• Proclamation of $1763$: A British law that prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. The stated purpose of this law was to prevent conflict between Native Americans and colonists following the conclusion of the French and Indian War.

• Salutary Neglect: The British policy of ignoring the colonies, which allowed the colonies to gain increased independence in trade and exercise a larger degree of self-government.

• Common Sense: A famous and influential pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. It persuaded colonists to seek independence and end their relationship with Great Britain.

Constitutional Foundations and U.S. Government

• Articles of Confederation: The first American constitution. It created a weak central (federal) government and reserved more power for the individual states.

• Federalist Papers: A series of essays written by the founding fathers that urged the ratification (approval) of the new U.S. Constitution.

• U.S. Constitution: The supreme law of the land that outlines the functions of the three branches of government.

• Checks and Balances: A system where each branch of the federal government has the power to limit the actions of the other branches to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

• Federalism: A system of government where power and authority are divided between the national (federal) government and the state governments.

• Limited Government: The principle that the government is not all-powerful; it may only perform actions that the people have given it the power to do.

• Popular Sovereignty: A principle of the Constitution stating that the people are the only source of any and all government power.

• Amendments: Modifications or changes made to the Constitution. Currently, there are $27$ amendments in total.

• Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which describe the basic rights of all citizens.

• Executive Branch: The part of the government responsible for carrying out the laws, led by the President.

• Electoral College: An assembly elected by voters that meets every four years to formally elect the President.

• Legislative Branch: The part of the government that makes laws for the nation, known as Congress.

• Judicial Branch: The part of the government that decides if laws are being carried out fairly; this is epitomized by the Supreme Court.

• Unwritten Constitution: Customs and precedents that are accepted as a necessary part of the government, although they are not actually listed in the text of the Constitution.

• Marbury v. Madison ($1803$): A landmark decision of the Marshall Court (Supreme Court) that established the principle of judicial review, which is the power to declare laws unconstitutional.

Growth & Territorial Expansion of the United States

• Louisiana Purchase ($1803$): A land deal with the French that nearly doubled the size of the United States and granted the nation full control of the Mississippi River.

• Monroe Doctrine ($1823$): A presidential declaration warning Western European nations not to interfere with newly independent nations in the Western Hemisphere (Latin America).

• Trail of Tears: The forced removal of Cherokee Indians between $1838$ and $1839$ to lands west of the Mississippi River. This followed the passage of the Indian Removal Act.

• Seneca Falls Convention ($1848$): A women's rights convention where the Declaration of Sentiments was issued.

• Abolitionism: The movement to end slavery in the United States, which led to the establishment of the Underground Railroad.

• Manifest Destiny: The belief that the United States had the right and the duty to expand its borders across the North American continent.

• Homestead Act ($1862$): A law that offered $160\,\text{acres}$ of western land to individuals to help settle the western frontier.

• Reservations: Specific areas of land set aside by the federal government for Native Americans.

• Dawes Act ($1887$): A law that sought to "Americanize" Native Americans by dividing their tribal land into private family plots. It aimed to break up tribes and reservations to assimilate Native Americans into American life.

The Civil War & Reconstruction Era

• Missouri Compromise ($1820$): An agreement made to keep an equal balance of free and slave states. It outlawed slavery in new states and territories north of $36^{\circ}30' \text{ north latitude}$. It is considered one cause of the Civil War.

• Civil War: The conflict between the Union (North) and the Confederacy (South) occurring from $1861$ to $1865$.

• Emancipation Proclamation: A presidential decree effective $\text{January } 1, 1863$ that freed slaves in Confederate (southern) territory; it is considered a turning point of the Civil War.

• Reconstruction: The period lasting from $1865$ to $1877$ characterized by an effort to rebuild the southern states and bring them back into the Union after the Civil War.

• Freedman's Bureau: An agency created during Reconstruction to aid former slaves and help them adjust to freedom by providing education and other basic necessities.

• Ku Klux Klan: A group of white southerners opposed to Radical Reconstruction who challenged attempts at racial equality by intimidating African Americans and promoting white supremacy.

• $13\text{th Amendment}$ ($1865$): Abolished slavery in the United States.

• $14\text{th Amendment}$ ($1868$): Granted U.S. citizenship to African Americans.

• $15\text{th Amendment}$ ($1870$): Gave African American men the right to vote.

• Plessy v. Ferguson: A Supreme Court case that legalized segregation as long as African Americans had access to "separate but equal" facilities.

• Jim Crow Laws: Laws in the southern United States that segregated public facilities by race following the Civil War.

• Compromise of $1877$: An agreement that settled the disputed $\text{Election of } 1876$ by removing federal troops from the southern states.

The Gilded Age: Industrialization, Urbanization, and Immigration

• Social Darwinism: The belief that the evolutionary idea of "survival of the fittest" applied to society and business.

• Monopoly: A type of business that has complete control over a product or service by controlling prices and eliminating competition.

• Laissez-Faire: A government policy of not interfering in private business and minimizing regulation (a "hands-off" approach).

• Sherman Anti-Trust Act ($1890$): A law that prohibited monopolies by declaring illegal any business combination or trust that was in "restraint of trade or commerce".

• Jacob Riis: An author and photographer who wrote How the Other Half Lives. The work documented the harsh living conditions in New York City tenements, which were crowded multi-family apartment buildings with poor standards of sanitation and safety.

• Ellis Island: A processing station in New York Harbor that required immigrants to undergo physical examinations before entering the United States.

• Chinese Exclusion Act ($1882$): A law that sharply limited the number of Chinese immigrants and barred many Chinese from owning property or working certain jobs.

• Gentlemen's Agreement: An informal agreement between the United States and Japan that restricted Japanese immigration.

The Progressive Era ($1890s$–$1920s$)

• Progressive Era: A reform movement that sought to correct various abuses and social conditions within American society.

• Hull House: A settlement house and community center organized and founded by Jane Addams to provide social services to poor and needy neighborhoods.

• NAACP: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, founded in $1910$ by W.E.B. DuBois to advance the cause of African Americans by fighting for equal rights.

• Muckrakers: Journalists who attempted to improve society by exposing corruption, hazards, and social problems.

• Interstate Commerce Act ($1887$): Legislate that regulated railroads and other interstate businesses; it established the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC).

• Upton Sinclair: A journalist who wrote The Jungle, which detailed the dangerous and unsanitary conditions within the meatpacking industry. This work led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act.

• Pure Food and Drug Act: A law that outlawed the interstate transportation of impure or diluted foods and the deliberate mislabeling of foods and drugs.

• Meat Inspection Act: A law requiring federal inspection of meat processing plants to ensure sanitary conditions.

• Federal Reserve System: The central banking system of the U.S., created in $1913$ to control interest rates and the money supply.

• $16\text{th Amendment}$ ($1913$): Granted Congress the power to tax income.

• $17\text{th Amendment}$ ($1913$): Allowed for the direct election of U.S. Senators by the people rather than being appointed by state legislatures.

Imperialism: The United States Becomes a World Power

• Yellow Journalism: A style of reporting that emphasized sensational stories of crime and scandal; it used hyped-up stories to increase newspaper sales and circulation.

• USS Maine: A ship that was sunk by an explosion near Cuba, serving as the primary cause of the Spanish-American War.

• Roosevelt Corollary ($1904$): An extension of the Monroe Doctrine where the United States claimed the right to intervene in Latin American nations to act as an "international police power" to ensure stability in the Western Hemisphere.

• Panama Canal: A canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, allowing for the quick movement of naval and merchant ships between the two.

• "Dollar Diplomacy": The foreign policy of President Taft which encouraged American investment in Latin America.

World War I & the "Roaring" $1920s$

• Schenck v. United States ($1919$): A Supreme Court case that established limits on free speech using the "clear and present danger" test.

• Treaty of Versailles: The treaty that ended World War I and created the League of Nations; it placed the blame for the war on Germany.

• League of Nations: An international organization formed after World War I that aimed to promote security and peace for all members and prevent future foreign conflicts.

• Palmer Raids: The rounding up of several hundred suspected communists by the Attorney General; these raids were conducted to ease the fears of Americans during the "Red Scare" of the $1920s$.

• $18\text{th Amendment}$ ($1919$): Banned the sale, use, and transportation of alcohol. This is also known as Prohibition and was a result of the Temperance Movement.

• $19\text{th Amendment}$ ($1920$): Granted women the right to vote (suffrage).

• Flapper: The name for a young woman during the $1920s$ who was characterized by a fondness for dancing and brash actions.

• Harlem Renaissance: An African American cultural movement of the $1920s$ that focused on African American pride through literature, art, music, and dance.

• Scopes "Monkey" Trial ($1925$): A court case focusing on the issue of teaching evolution in public schools, representing the conflict between science and religion.

• Sacco & Vanzetti: Two Italian immigrants and admitted anarchists who were convicted of murder and executed in $1927$. It is noted that the two men were likely convicted more for their beliefs and Italian origin than for the actual crime.

Great Depression & New Deal Era

• "Hoovervilles": Makeshift homeless shelters built during the early years of the Great Depression.

• Bonus Army: A group of World War I veterans who protested in Washington, D.C. to receive their pensions early because of the economic hardships of the Great Depression.

• Dust Bowl: The name given to the Great Plains during the Depression due to large dust storms of dry topsoil caused by drought and poor farming methods.

• New Deal: The collective name given to the programs of President Franklin Roosevelt designed to help people deal with the effects of the Great Depression.

• $100\text{ Days}$: The name given to the beginning of FDR's presidency when Congress passed a significant number of New Deal programs.

• FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation): A government program that insured bank deposits for up to $\$100,000$ (today, bank deposits are insured up to $\$250,000$).

• Wagner Act ($1935$): A law passed to aid unions by legalizing collective bargaining and establishing the National Labor Relations Board.

• Works Progress Administration (WPA): A New Deal program that provided work for the unemployed in building construction and the arts.

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): A New Deal program that built dams and established schools and health centers.

World War II: At Home & Abroad

• Lend-Lease Act ($1941$): Authorized the president to provide aid to any nation whose defense he believed vital to American security. It allowed the U.S. to send weapons to Britain during the early years of WWII without being formally involved in the war.

• Atlantic Charter: An agreement between Winston Churchill and FDR outlining principles for building a lasting peace and establishing free governments in the world.

• Yalta Conference ($1945$): A meeting between Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt to discuss plans for the post-war world; during this meeting, Stalin promised to allow free elections in Eastern Europe.

• Manhattan Project: The name of the secret program during World War II tasked with developing the atomic bomb.

• "Rosie the Riveter": A symbol representing the many women who worked in defense industries during World War II.

• Executive Order $\#9066$: A presidential order that called for the internment of Japanese-Americans who were considered threats to national security during World War II.

• Korematsu v. U.S.: A Supreme Court decision that justified the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII.

• United Nations: An international organization formed after World War II to promote peace and prevent human rights abuses.

The Cold War Era: $1950s$ & $1960s$

• Truman Doctrine ($1947$): A declaration stating that the U.S. would militarily support nations being threatened by communism; it was initially created to stem the tide of communism in Greece and Turkey.

• Containment: The American foreign policy after World War II focused on resisting the further expansion of communism around the world.

• Marshall Plan: A program that provided economic aid to Western European countries to help them rebuild after World War II.

• $22\text{nd Amendment}$ ($1951$): Limited the president to serving only two terms in office.

• House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC): A committee that investigated un-American and subversive activities during the Red Scare of the $1950s$.

• McCarthyism: The "witch hunt" for suspected communists within the federal government during the Red Scare of the $1950s$, named after Senator Joseph McCarthy.

• Sputnik: The first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in $1957$, which initiated the space race.

• G.I. Bill: A law passed in $1944$ to help returning World War II veterans buy homes and pay for college.

• Cuban Missile Crisis ($1962$): A crisis between the U.S. and the Soviet Union regarding Soviet attempts to deploy nuclear missiles $90\,\text{miles}$ off the coast of Florida.

• Peace Corps: A federal program established by President Kennedy to send volunteers to help developing nations around the world.

The Civil Rights Movement

• Brown v. Board of Education ($1954$): A Supreme Court decision that reversed Plessy v. Ferguson and outlawed racial segregation in public schools.

• Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC): An organization founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to encourage non-violent passive resistance, organized through Christian churches.

• Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC): A student organization that helped organize sit-ins, freedom rides, and voter registration drives in the south during the $1950s$ and $60s$.

• Martin Luther King Jr: A civil rights leader who advocated for civil disobedience and non-violent demonstrations to achieve change; he delivered the "I Have A Dream" speech in $1963$ and was assassinated in $1988$.

• Malcolm X: A civil rights leader of the black power movement who spoke against integration and promoted black nationalism and racial unity; he was a member of the Nation of Islam until $1964$.

• Civil Rights Act of $1964$: A law that prohibited and outlawed racial discrimination in all public facilities.

• $24\text{th Amendment}$ ($1964$): Eliminated and abolished poll taxes (taxes on voting).

Modern America - Great Society to Present

• Roe v. Wade ($1973$): A Supreme Court decision that protected the right to privacy and legalized abortion.

• Détente: The policy of President Richard Nixon to relax or ease tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

• César Chávez: A Latino leader who organized the United Farm Workers (UFW) to help migratory farm workers gain better working conditions and higher pay.

• Great Society: The name of President Lyndon Johnson's domestic program designed to aid public education, provide medical care for the elderly, and eliminate discrimination; it included the "War on Poverty".

• Ho Chi Minh: The leader of the communist party in Indochina after WWII; he led the Vietnamese against the French and then the North Vietnamese against the United States in the Vietnam War.

• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: Empowered the president to take "all necessary measures" for the Vietnam War.

• Tet Offensive ($1968$): An attack by Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces throughout South Vietnam that turned American public opinion against the war.

• My Lai Massacre: The killing of several hundred Vietnamese civilians by American soldiers in $1968$. It demonstrated the brutalities and difficulties faced by American troops in Vietnam.

• $26\text{th Amendment}$ ($1971$): Lowered the voting age from $21$ to $18$ (suffrage for $18 \text{ year olds}$).

• War Powers Act ($1973$): A law that limited the president's power to send American troops abroad.

• Watergate Scandal: A scandal involving illegal activities that ultimately led to the resignation of President Nixon.

• Camp David Accords: A peace treaty between Egypt and Israel brokered by President Jimmy Carter.

• Betty Friedan: A women's rights activist who wrote The Feminine Mystique, which encouraged women to find their own identity outside of marriage; she founded NOW (National Organization of Women).

• Bill Gates: Co-founded Microsoft Corporation with a vision of having a personal computer in every home.

• NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement): An agreement signed by President Clinton that opened trade between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico and broke down trade barriers between the three countries.

• $2000 \text{ Election}$: A disputed presidential election decided by the Supreme Court decision Bush v. Gore; the winner of the popular vote (Al Gore) lost the election to the electoral vote winner (George W. Bush).

• USA Patriot Act: A law enacted after the September $11, 2001$ terrorist attacks. It gave law enforcement agencies more power to search telephone, e-mail, medical, financial, and other records. It eased restrictions on intelligence gathering and gave law enforcement and immigration authorities more power in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism.

The 27 Amendments: Simplified Summary

• $1\text{st Amendment}$: Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition.

• $2\text{nd Amendment}$: Right to bear arms.

• $3\text{rd Amendment}$: Citizens do not have to house soldiers.

• $4\text{th Amendment}$: No unreasonable search or arrest.

• $5\text{th Amendment}$: No double jeopardy or being a witness against yourself.

• $6\text{th Amendment}$: The right to a speedy and public trial.

• $7\text{th Amendment}$: The right to a jury trial in civil matters of $\$20$ and over.

• $8\text{th Amendment}$: No excessive bail or cruel punishment.

• $9\text{th Amendment}$: People get rights not specifically listed in the Constitution.

• $10\text{th Amendment}$: Any rights not given to the federal government are given to the states and people.

• $11\text{th Amendment}$: An individual cannot sue a state in a federal court.

• $12\text{th Amendment}$: Provides for separate ballots for President and Vice President.

• $13\text{th Amendment}$: Abolish slavery.

• $14\text{th Amendment}$: If you are born or naturalized in the U.S., you are a citizen of the U.S.

• $15\text{th Amendment}$: You cannot prevent a person from voting because of race, color, or creed.

• $16\text{th Amendment}$: Income tax.

• $17\text{th Amendment}$: Popular election of U.S. Senators.

• $18\text{th Amendment}$: Prohibition (banning of alcohol).

• $19\text{th Amendment}$: Women get the right to vote.

• $20\text{th Amendment}$: President takes office on January $20\text{th}$ instead of March $4\text{th}$.

• $21\text{st Amendment}$: Repeal of prohibition.

• $22\text{nd Amendment}$: President can only serve two terms.

• $23\text{rd Amendment}$: Washington D.C. residents can vote for president.

• $24\text{th Amendment}$: Anti-poll tax (abolishes taxes on voting).

• $25\text{th Amendment}$: Lays down the rules for who becomes president if the president dies, resigns, etc.

• $26\text{th Amendment}$: $18 \text{ year olds}$ get to vote.

• $27\text{th Amendment}$: Congress cannot accept a pay raise until the next term.