America’s foundations
Natural rights (1600s-1700s) | An idea that everyone is born with life, liberty, and estate (property) These rights inspired the Declaration of Independence, which says governments must protect these rights, and people can change the government if it doesn’t |
Social contract (1600s-1700s) | An agreement where people give up some freedom to a government in exchange for safety and order This idea influenced the US government by making it clear that the government’s power comes from the people |
The articles of confederation Drafted in 1777, ratified in 1781 | The first plan for the US government, which gave most power to the states It was replaced because it made the national government too weak to solve problems like raising money or enforcing laws |
Federalism (1787) | A system where power is shared between the national government and state governments It balances power so neither the states nor the national government has too much control |
Anti federalism (1787-1788) | A movement in the late 1700s where people opposed the US Constitution because they feared a strong central government Anti-federalists wanted a smaller federal government to protect states and individual freedoms §§ |
The constitution Drafted in 1787, ratified in 1788 | The document that sets up the US government and its rules It is the highest law in the country and ensures the government protects people’s rights Established the framework (뼈대) for the United States government |
Popular sovereignty (1787) | The idea that the government gets its power from the people It is the foundation of democracy in the US, where citizens vote to choose their leaders and make decisions |
Separation of power (1787) | Dividing the government into three branches: legislative (makes laws), executive (enforces laws), and judicial (interprets laws) It was included in the US Constitution to prevent tyranny and ensure a system of checks and balances |
Checks and balances (1787) | A system where each branch of government can limit the power of the others It stops any branch from abusing its power. For example, the president can veto laws, but Congress can override the veto |
Bill of Rights (1791) | The first ten amendments to the Constitution protect individual freedoms, like freedom of speech, religion, and the right to a fair trial It guarantees basic rights for all Americans |
Amendment process (1787) | A way to change or add to the Constitution. It needs a proposal by ⅔ of Congress or a convention called by ⅔ of state legislatures, then approval by ¾ of the states. It allows the Constitution to adapt to new ideas and challenges over time. |
How did Enlightenment ideas shape the American government and influence its founding documents?
Enlightenment ideas, such as John Locke’s belief in natural rights (life, liberty, property) and the social contract, inspired the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Montesquieu’s idea of separating powers created the three-branch government to prevent any branch from being too powerful.
What are checks and balances, and how do they work?
Western Expansion
Louisiana Purchase (1803) | The US purchased the Louisiana territory from France, doubling the size of the country. This purchase provided land for westward expansion and set the stage for manifest destiny. |
Andrew Jackson’s Presidency (1829-1837) | He strongly supported westward expansion and signed the Indian Removal Act (1830). This led to the tragic Trail of Tears, where thousands of Native Americans died. |
Indian Removal Act (1830) | A law forcing Native Americans to move west of the Mississippi River for white settlers. Native Americans lost land and culture, and many suffered during the relocations. |
Trail of tears (1838-1839) | The forced journey of native american tribes, especially the Cherokee, to lands west of the thMississippipi River Thousands of native Americans died from hunger, disease, and harsh conditions, making it a tragic event in US history |
Manifest destiny (1840s) | The belief that the U.S. was meant to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It encouraged expansion, gaining new land but causing conflicts with Native Americans and other countries. |
Transcontinental Railroad (1869) | A railroad completed in 1869 that connected the eastern US to the western US It made travel and trade across the country faster and easier, encouraged westward settlement, and boosted the economy. |
What was the impact of westward expansion on native Americans, settlers, and the government?
Native Americans: lost food, culture, and lives
Settlers: got new opportunities through laws like the Homestead Act but faced hardships
Federal government: gained more land and power by enforcing Indian removal policies.s
What was manifest destiny, and what were its effects?
Antebellum Period and Civil War
Missouri compromies (1820) | A law that allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state while banning slavery in certain western territories It temporarily eased tensions over slavery but didn’t solve the larger issue |
Underground Railroad (1830s-1860s) | A secret network of routes and safe houses that helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the north of Canada It saved thousands of lives and symbolized resistance to slavery. |
Fugitive slave act (1850) | A law that required slaves to be returned to their owners, even if they were in free states It angered northerners and increased support for the abolitionist movement. |
Uncle Tom’s Cabin | It was a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and published in 1852. It was important because it exposed the harsh realities of slavery and fueled the abolitionist movement. |
Kansas-Nebraska act (1854) | A law passed in 1857 allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery. It led to violent conflicts (“bleeding Kansas”) and increased tensions between the North and South. |
Dred Scott decision (1857) | A Supreme Court ruling in 1857 that said African Americans were not citizens and that Congress couldn’t ban slavery in territories |
Abolitionism 19th century | A movement to end slavery in the US It was significant in the 19th century because it increased tensions between the North and South and helped lead to the Civil War. |
Sectionalism 19th century | Loyalty to a specific region (north or south) rather than the whole country It caused tension between the North (industrial, anti-slavery) and the South (agricultural, pro-slavery), leading to the Civil War |
Emancipation proclamation (1863) | A document issued by President Lincoln in 1863 that declared all slaves in Confederate states to be free It changed the focus of the Civil War to ending slavery and encouraged enslaved people to escape to Union lines |
What caused sectionalism, and how did it lead to the Civil War?
It came from
Economic differences
Slavery debates
States rights issues
What was the impact of abolitionist movements?
Reconstruction
Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) | The 17th US president after Lincoln’s assassination. He wanted to quickly reunite the country after the civil war and was lenient toward the South. This angered Radical Republicans, who wanted to protect African Americans’ rights. He allowed Southern states to pass Black Codes, restricting freed slaves’ freedoms. |
Reconstruction Amendments (1865-1870) | 13th amendment (1865): abolished slavery in the US, except as a punishment for crimes 14th amendment (1868): gave citizenship to everyone born or naturalized in the US 15th amendment (1870): gave African American men the right to vote |
Freedmen’s bureau (1865) | The Freedmen’s Bureau was a federal agency created in 1865 to help freed slaves and poor whites after the Civil War Its goals were to provide food, housing, education, medical care, and legal assistance + it also helped freedmen negotiate labor contracts and aimed to protect their rights |
Black codes (1865-1866) | Black Codes were laws passed in southern states after the Civil War to restrict African Americans' freedom They limited their ability to own property, vote, and work freely, forcing many into unfair labor contracts and keeping them in poverty |
Radical republicans (1866-1877) | A group of politicians in Congress who wanted to protect Americans' rights and make the South face the consequences of the Civil War They supported strict reconstruction policies |
Sharecropping (1860s-1870s) | A farming system where freed slaves worked the land for a share of the crops Many stayed poor because landowners charged high fees for tools and supplies |
Compromise of 1877 | This ended reconstruction when federal troops left the South so Rutherford B. Hayes could become president could become president. After this, southern democrats took control, and African Americans lost many rights. |
What were reconstruction’s successes and failures?
Successes: the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments ended slavery, gave citizenship, and voting rights
Failures: the rise of black codes, Jim Crow laws, and violence from groups like the that led to continued racial inequality
What did the Freedmen’s Bureau do?
The Freedmen’s Bureau helped freed slaves by providing food, housing, education, and legal support. It also created schools, but funding problems and resistance limited its success. “??
Industrialization and the Gilded Age
Industrial revolution (late 1800s) | A time of fast technological and industrial growth in the late 1800s. The US shifted from farming to factories and new technologies like railroads, steel, and electricity. Cities grew, and the economy boomed, but workers faced challenges like poor conditions and low wages |
Urbanization (late 1800s) | Cities grew as people moved from farms to work in factories. Cities became overcrowded with poor living conditions, but they also created new jobs and cultural opportunities |
Social Darwinism (late 1800s) | The belief that the strongest succeed in business and society. Rich industrialists used this idea to justify wealth inequality, claiming the poor were responsible for their struggles |
Robber barons (late 1800s) | Wealthy business leaders like Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Morgan. They were criticized for exploiting workers and crushing competition but praised for building industries and the economy |
Monopolies and trusts (late 1800s) | Monopolies happen when one company controls an industry. Trusts are agreements between companies to limit competition. Both hurt small businesses, kept prices high, and treated workers and consumers unfairly Monopolies are formed when one company controls an entire industry (전매품) |
Labor union (late 1800s) | Groups of workers fighting for better pay, shorter hours, and safer working conditions. Unions like the Knights of Labor and AFL (American Federation of Labor) grew during this time |
Strike (late 1800s) | Workers protested by refusing to work to demand better pay, hours, or conditions. Strikes were key to labor reforms but often faced violence and strong opposition. |
Sherman Anti-trust Act (1890) | A law to break up monopolies and trusts and encourage fair competition. It was the first major law regulating big businesses, but it wasn’t enforced well at first |
How did industrialization change cities and labor conditions?
Cities grew fast, becoming crowded and unhealthy. Factories offered jobs, but workers faced low pay, long hours, and dangerous conditions.
Why did workers form labor unions?
Workers wanted to fix problems like low wages, unsafe workplaces, and child labor. Unions used strikes and protests to push for reforms, leading to early labor laws.
Progressivism
Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896) | Supreme Court case that said racial segregation was legal as long as facilities were “separate but equal” |
Muckrakers (early 1900s) | Journalists who exposed corruption, bad working conditions, and unfair practices. They helped bring change by making people aware of problems. Ex. Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (about the meat industry) and Ida Tarbell (about standard oil) |
Settlement houses (late 1800s-early 1900s) | Community centers in cities helped immigrants and the poor with education, healthcare, childcare, and jobs. Jane Addam’s Hull House in Chincago is a well-known example |
Labor reforms (early 1900s) | Laws should be passed to improve working conditions, limit child labor, set an 8-hour workday, and create a minimum wage. These changes protected workers from exploitation |
Trust-busting (early 1900s) | Breaking up monopolies to make business fairer and protect consumers. Leaders like Theodore Roosevelt worked to regulate big businesses during this era. |
Women’s suffrage (late 1800s-1920) | The movement to give women the right to vote. It promoted gender equality and got more women involved in politics |
19th amendment (1920) | Gave women the right to vote, a huge win for women’s suffrage and democracy in the US |
Prohibition (1920-1923) | The 18th Amendment banned alcohol to reduce crime and improve behavior. But it to illegal alcohol sales and organized crime, and was repealed by the 21st amendment in 1933 |
How did the progressive movement fight inequality?
Progressives worked to reduce poverty, stop child labor, expand women’s voting rights, and break up monopolies. They succeeded in some areas (like the 19th Amendment and labor laws), but many racial and economic inequalities remained.
What role did muckrakers play in reforms?