Untitled Flashcards Set

50 APUSH Flashcards (1890-1945)

Women's History

1. Florence Kelley & National Consumers' League (1899) - First general secretary of organization advocating for women workers' protection; gained momentum after 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire that killed 146 workers.

2. Muller v. Oregon (1908) - Supreme Court upheld law limiting female factory workers to 10-hour days based on health and maternal functions; used "Brandeis Brief" with sociological data.

3. 19th Amendment (1920) - Granted women nationwide suffrage after decades of activism by NAWSA and National Woman's Party; Carrie Chapman Catt's "winning plan" combined state and federal approaches.

4. Flappers (1920s) - Young women who challenged traditional gender norms with bobbed hair, short skirts, public smoking/drinking; symbolized the "New Woman" with greater social and sexual freedom.

5. Margaret Sanger & Birth Control (1920s) - Founded American Birth Control League (later Planned Parenthood) in 1921; opened first legal birth control clinic in 1923, challenging Comstock Laws.

African American History

6. Great Migration (1916-1930) - Mass movement of 1.6 million African Americans from rural South to Northern industrial cities; triggered by Southern lynchings, Northern job opportunities, and boll weevil infestation.

7. Marcus Garvey & UNIA (1914-1925) - Promoted black separatism, economic self-sufficiency, and "Back to Africa" movement; created Black Star Line shipping company; convicted of mail fraud (1923) and deported (1927).

8. Harlem Renaissance (1918-mid 1930s) - Cultural flowering of African American art, literature, and music in Harlem, NY; key figures included Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington.

9. Race Riots (1917-1921) - Major conflicts in East St. Louis (1917), Chicago (1919, part of "Red Summer"), and Tulsa (1921); Tulsa Race Massacre destroyed prosperous "Black Wall Street" district, killing 100-300 people.

10. NAACP Growth (1920s) - Under James Weldon Johnson, membership grew from 9,000 in 1917 to 90,000 by 1920; pursued legal challenges to segregation while campaigning against lynching.

Labor Movement

11. Square Deal for Labor (1902-1908) - Theodore Roosevelt's policy ensuring fair treatment for workers while protecting business interests; demonstrated in 1902 anthracite coal strike arbitration.

12. National War Labor Board (1918-1919) - Created under William Howard Taft to resolve labor disputes during WWI; established 8-hour workday and equal pay for women, though gains often reversed post-war.

13. Economic Transition (1890-1920) - Period marked shift from rural, agricultural economy to urban industrial economy; by 1920, more Americans lived in urban areas than rural ones; manufacturing output increased 96% between 1900-1916.

14. Welfare Capitalism (1920s) - Company-provided benefits (health care, profit sharing, recreation facilities); contributed to union decline as alternatives to union benefits; examples included Ford's Five Dollar Day (1914).

Foreign Policy & Imperialism

15. Hawaiian Annexation (1898) - American planters led by Sanford Dole overthrew Queen Liliuokalani (1893); Hawaii annexed during McKinley administration due to strategic importance during Spanish-American War.

16. Open Door Policy (1899-1900) - Secretary of State John Hay's notes urging nations with influence in China to maintain free trade; established U.S. interest in Chinese territorial integrity and equal commercial access.

17. Roosevelt Corollary (1904) - Addition to Monroe Doctrine asserting U.S. right to intervene in Latin America to maintain stability and prevent European intervention; justified interventions in Caribbean nations.

18. Russo-Japanese War Mediation (1904-1905) - Roosevelt helped negotiate war's end through Treaty of Portsmouth; earned Nobel Peace Prize (1906); sought balance of power in Asia against Japanese expansion.

Spanish-American War

19. Yellow Journalism (1895-1898) - Sensationalist newspapers (Hearst's New York Journal, Pulitzer's New York World) exaggerated Cuban suffering under Spain; increased public support for war.

20. USS Maine Explosion (February 15, 1898) - U.S. battleship exploded in Havana harbor, killing 266 sailors; yellow journalism blamed Spain ("Remember the Maine, to Hell with Spain!"); modern analysis suggests accidental internal explosion.

21. Philippine Acquisition Controversy (1898-1902) - U.S. purchased Philippines from Spain for $20 million in Treaty of Paris; provoked debate as it violated principles of consent and involved U.S. in potential Asian conflicts.

22. Philippine-American War (1899-1902) - Filipino nationalists under Emilio Aguinaldo waged guerrilla warfare against U.S. occupation; estimated 200,000-250,000 Filipino civilians died along with 4,200 American soldiers.

Progressive Era

23. Progressive Movement Accomplishments (1900-1920) - Established income tax (16th Amendment), direct election of senators (17th Amendment), women's suffrage (19th Amendment), prohibition (18th Amendment), food safety regulations, and antitrust enforcement.

24. Pragmatism (1900s-1910s) - Philosophy led by William James and John Dewey advocating testing ideas by practical consequences rather than abstract principles; emphasized experimentation in democracy.

25. Scientific Management (1911) - Frederick W. Taylor's efficiency approach using time-motion studies, standardization of tools/tasks, and differential pay scales; influenced industry and government administration.

World War I

26. U.S. Neutrality (1914-1917) - Wilson declared neutrality when WWI began in Europe; economic ties to Britain and propaganda gradually pulled American opinion toward Allies.

27. Lusitania Sinking (May 7, 1915) - German U-boat sank British passenger liner, killing 1,198 people including 128 Americans; Wilson warned Germany would be held to "strict accountability"; shifted American opinion against Germany.

28. Zimmermann Telegram (January 1917) - Secret German diplomatic message proposing alliance with Mexico if U.S. entered war; intercepted by British intelligence; publication in March 1917 outraged Americans.

29. Fourteen Points (January 8, 1918) - Wilson's peace plan including freedom of seas, open diplomacy, arms reduction, self-determination, and League of Nations; represented American idealism for new world order.

30. League of Nations Rejection (1919-1920) - Despite Wilson's advocacy, U.S. Senate rejected Versailles Treaty largely due to Article X obligating collective defense; Wilson refused to compromise with Republicans led by Henry Cabot Lodge.

1920s Politics & Culture

31. "Return to Normalcy" (1920-1923) - Warren G. Harding's campaign slogan promising return to pre-war conditions; administration marked by conservative economic policies, high tariffs, tax cuts for wealthy, and corruption scandals.

32. Teapot Dome Scandal (1921-1923) - Secretary of Interior Albert Fall secretly leased naval oil reserves for bribes; exposed after Harding's death; Fall became first Cabinet member imprisoned for crimes in office.

33. Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) - Known as "Silent Cal"; embraced laissez-faire economics: "The business of America is business"; reduced national debt and cut taxes; chose not to run for reelection.

34. Immigration Restriction Acts - Emergency Quota Act (1921) limited immigration to 3% of each nationality present in 1910; National Origins Act (1924) reduced quota to 2% based on 1890 census, favoring Northern/Western Europeans.

35. Prohibition (1920-1933) - 18th Amendment prohibited manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol; Volstead Act defined enforcement; led to widespread lawbreaking, organized crime growth, and law enforcement corruption.

1920s Economy

36. Prosperity and Consumerism (1922-1929) - Economy boomed with 40% GNP growth; new consumer goods widely available through installment buying; by 1929, 60% of households had automobiles and 40% had radios.

37. Income Inequality (1920s) - Wealthiest 1% owned 40% of nation's wealth by 1929; average worker's wages rose only 8% while corporate profits increased 62%; contributed to economic instability.

38. Agricultural Depression (1920s) - Farm income fell from $16 billion (1919) to $10 billion (1921) and never recovered; overproduction, falling prices, and high mortgage debt plagued farmers; McNary-Haugen Bill vetoed twice by Coolidge.

39. Stock Market Speculation (1927-1929) - Speculative bubble formed with prices rising 218% (1922-1929); buying stocks "on margin" common; Federal Reserve failed to curb speculation; bubble burst on "Black Tuesday" (October 29, 1929).

International Relations

40. Washington Naval Conference (1921-1922) - Established Five-Power Treaty limiting naval construction among major powers at ratio of 5:5:3:1.75:1.75 (US:Britain:Japan:France:Italy); represented disarmament effort.

41. Dawes Plan (1924) - Restructured German reparations payments after inflation; provided American loans to Germany, creating cycle of dependency on U.S. capital.

42. Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) - International agreement to "outlaw war" as instrument of national policy; signed by 62 nations but lacked enforcement mechanisms; demonstrated American idealism and isolationism.

43. Good Neighbor Policy Beginnings (late 1920s) - Under Coolidge and Hoover, U.S. began withdrawing troops from Caribbean nations; Hoover's Latin American tour (1928) and Clark Memorandum (1930) renounced Roosevelt Corollary interventionism.

War Legislation & Civil Liberties

44. Espionage Act (1917) - Prohibited interference with military operations/recruitment, supporting U.S. enemies, or promoting military insubordination; used to prosecute over 1,000 people including Eugene V. Debs.

45. Sedition Act (1918) - Amended Espionage Act to prohibit "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about U.S. government, flag, or armed forces; effectively criminalized war dissent.

46. Schenck v. United States (1919) - Supreme Court upheld Espionage Act constitutionality; Justice Holmes established "clear and present danger" test for restricting free speech; "falsely shouting fire in a theatre" analogy.

Additional Key Events

47. Panama Canal (1904-1914) - Major engineering project connecting Atlantic and Pacific oceans; construction overcame yellow fever, malaria, and engineering challenges; completed at cost of $375 million.

48. Gentlemen's Agreement (1907-1908) - Informal U.S.-Japan agreement restricting Japanese laborer emigration to America in exchange for ending San Francisco Japanese student segregation; addressed anti-Japanese sentiment while avoiding formal exclusion.

49. Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) - Chinese uprising against foreigners led by "Righteous and Harmonious Fists"; eight-nation alliance (including U.S.) defeated Boxers; China forced to pay $333 million indemnity; U.S. later returned its portion to fund Chinese students in America.

50. Herbert Hoover and Food Administration (1917-1919) - Led U.S. Food Administration during WWI; implemented voluntary rationing ("Meatless Mondays," "Wheatless Wednesdays"); success enhanced reputation for later political roles.