APUSH MULTIPLE CHOICE
"big stick" diplomacy
a diplomatic philosophy proposed and used by Theodore Roosevelt that suggested a compromise between subtle diplomatic efforts and the use of military force to achieve U.S. goals
activist judge
a judge who makes rulings based on personal beliefs, or which are meant to have political consequences
AIDS
a disease of the human immune system
al-Qaeda
a terrorist group led by a rich Saudi, Osama bin Laden
Allies
the alliance of Russia, France, and Great Britain during World War I
America First Committee
committee launched in 1940 that argued for American neutrality and for staying out of World War II
American Federation of Labor
labor organization formed in 1886 as a federation of smaller elite craft unions
American Indian Movement (AIM)
the most widely recognized of several Native American civil rights organizations in the 1970s
American Liberty League
launched in 1934, the group was one of the largest and most well-funded of several organizations opposed to the New Deal, which it considered socialistic
American Railway Union
a union of railroad workers established by Eugene V. Debs that included all railroad workers regardless of their specific job
Americanization
to cause something or someone to have characteristics of American culture
Americans with Disabilities Act
legislation that significantly expanded physical access and improved legal options for people with disabilities
Angel Island
location in San Francisco Bay that served as the port of entry for most immigrants arriving in the United States from Asia
annexation
the addition of an area or region to a country, state, etc.
Anti-Imperialist League
founded in Boston in June 1898, this group organized a broad-based opposition to the war in the Philippines
assembly line
an arrangement of machines, equipment, and workers in which work passes from operation to operation in a direct line until the product is assembled
Atlanta Compromise
1895 proposal from Booker T. Washington that African Americans remain separate from whites while focusing on economic self-help
Atlantic Charter
statement of common principles and war aims developed by President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at a meeting in August 1941
atomic bomb
a bomb whose violent explosive power is due to the sudden release of energy resulting from the splitting of nuclei of a heavy chemical element (such as plutonium or uranium) by neutrons in a very rapid chain reaction
baby boomers
the name given to the generation of children born to the families of returning World War II veterans between 1945 and 1960
barbed wire
twisted wires armed with barbs or sharp points
Battle of Berlin
the Soviet offensive on Berlin in 1945, resulting in the suicide of Adolph Hitler and the end of the war in Europe
Battle of Britain
the German air campaign against Great Britain with the Luftwaffe, fought by Great Britain's Royal Air Force
Battle of the Bulge
the final German military campaign (1944–1945) on the Western Front during World War II
Bay of Pigs invasion
a 1961 invasion of Cuba by anti-Castro rebels, backed by the Kennedy administration, that was quickly defeated, much to Kennedy's embarrassment
Bayonet Constitution
the derisive name for the constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii imposed on the king by force in 1887
beatnik
a person who participated in a social movement of the 1950s and early 1960s which stressed artistic self-expression and the rejection of the mores of conventional society
Berlin Airlift
in 1948 and 1949, food and supplies delivered by air into Berlin to keep the city attached to Western Europe
Berlin Blockade
in 1948 and 1949, a blockade by the Soviet Union preventing the Allies from reaching West Berlin by railway, road, or canal
Berlin Wall
a substantive partition built by East Germany on instructions from the Soviet Union that cut off all travel between East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989
Big Three
the colloquial name for the major Allied leaders: Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin
Black Cabinet
an informal network of high-level African American officials and advisors to the Roosevelt administration who worked together to influence government policy
Black Panthers
a civil rights group begun in California in response to police brutality, organizing armed citizen patrols
Bonus Army
a protest movement of World War I veterans in 1932 demanding early payment of service bonuses not due until 1945 to help them through the Great Depression and to provide a stimulus for the economy
boomtown
a town enjoying a business and population boom
bracero program
a federal government program to bring Mexican manual laborers to the United States during World War II
Braceros
Mexican farm workers allowed temporary entry into the United States during and after World War II
Brain Trust
the group of scholars that advised President Roosevelt on economic and social policies during his presidency
Bread and Roses strike
a spontaneous strike of workers in the mills of Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1912
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West
show owned by William Cody that presented a stereotypical depiction of life in the West
Buffalo Soldiers
the name for an African American cavalry group that fought in the Indian Wars after the Civil War
Bureau of Indian Affairs
agency that serves as the principal link between federally recognized Native American populations (officially, American Indian tribes) and the U.S. government
Casablanca Conference
a conference held in Casablanca in January of 1943 and attended by Roosevelt and Churchill in which they discussed war planning and the future of Europe
Central Powers
the alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Turkish Ottoman Empire in World War I
Chinese Exclusion Act
federal legislation that suspended Chinese immigration, limited the civil rights of resident Chinese, and forbade their naturalization
Christian Coalition
a key organization of the religious right, mobilizing conservative Christians
Clean Air Act
passed by Congress in 1990 as amendments to an earlier act; required substantial restrictions on air pollution
Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA)
the temporary governing authority for Iraq set up after the U.S. invasion in March and April 2003
Committee on Public Information
government agency during World War I that sought to shape public opinion in support of the war effort through newspapers, pamphlets, speeches, films, and other media
Comstock Lode
gold and silver lode at Virginia City, Nevada
containment
the policy of resisting further expansion of the Soviet bloc through diplomacy and, if necessary, military action, developed in 1947–1948
corporation
a body formed and authorized by law to act as a single person although constituted by one or more persons and legally endowed with various rights and duties including the capacity of succession
cowboy
one who tends cattle or horses
Coxey’s Army
a protest march of unemployed workers, led by businessman Jacob Coxey, demanding a public works highway program and guaranteed jobs during the depression of the 1890s
Cuban Missile Crisis
a tense standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union in October 1962 during which each country stood on the brink of nuclear war over the placement of Soviet missiles in Cuba
culture wars
conflicts between groups with different beliefs and ideologies
D-Day
June 6, 1944, the day of the first paratroop drops and amphibious landings on the coast of Normandy, France, in the first stage of Operation Overlord during World War II
Dawes Act
an 1887 law terminating tribal ownership of most reservation land and allocating some parcels to individual Indians while the remainder was opened for white settlement
Dayton Peace Accords
a November 1995 agreement that began the process to bring peace to the former Yugoslavia
détente
the policy of building better understanding and a more peaceful relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union
dollar diplomacy
the U.S. policy urged by President William Howard Taft of using private investment in other nations to promote American diplomatic goals and business interests
dollar diplomacy
the U.S. policy urged by President Taft of using private investment in other nations to promote American diplomatic goals and business interests
dot-com
a company that markets its products or services usually exclusively online via a website
Double V Campaign
an ad campaign and slogan promoting both democracy abroad and civil rights for African Americans during World War II
Dust Bowl
an area of the Great Plains, centered in Oklahoma, where dust storms from 1932–1935 blew away most of the topsoil, making life there impossible for farm families
Eighteenth Amendment
an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that declared the sale, transportation, and production of alcohol to be illegal
Ellis Island
island in southeastern New York in Upper New York Bay; served as immigration station from 1892–1954
Employment Practices Committee
federal agency established in 1941 to curb racial discrimination in war production jobs and government employment
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving women equal rights with men; ratified by 35 states, 3 short of the needed number
Espionage Act
law whose vague prohibition against obstructing the nation’s war effort was used to stop dissent and criticism during World War I
ethnic enclave
an urban area inhabited by members of the same ethnic group
Executive Order 8802
an executive order issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 5, 1941, to "provide for the full and equitable participation of all workers in defense industries, without discrimination because of race, creed, color, or national origin"
Executive Order 9066
an executive order issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, ordering the War Department to create "military areas . . . from which any and all persons may be excluded," leading to the exclusion of people of Japanese heritage from three western states
executive privilege
the right of the president to keep White House deliberations confidential
exoduster
African American settler who claimed land in the West after the Civil War
Family and Medical Leave Act
the law guaranteeing up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family medical emergencies and pregnancy
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
federal agency created during the Carter administration to coordinate the diverse federal agencies that might be needed in the case of a natural disaster
Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
an agency within the Department of Housing and Urban Development charged with assisting lower income and nontraditional home buyers in financing home purchases. The FHA was created in 1934 to help out home buyers and the housing industry, which was devastated by the onset of the Great Depression. Today, the FHA fulfills its mission primarily through programs that provide, guarantee, or insure loans to first-time, lower income, or nontraditional home buyers
fireside chats
radio addresses to the nation featuring President Roosevelt where he gave his thoughts and advice to the nation
first one hundred days
the first 100 days of the Roosevelt administration, beginning with his inauguration on March 4, 1933, in which the Democratic Congress passed several important pieces of legislation designed to put Americans back to work and undercut the effect of the Great Depression
Four Freedoms
freedoms announced by President Roosevelt in December 1940 that became a rallying point for the causes the United States would fight for
Fourteen Points
the proposed points outlining peace offered by President Woodrow Wilson in 1918 as the United States entered World War I; the treaty agreed to at the Versailles peace conference did not, however, include all fourteen
free trade
trade based on the unrestricted international exchange of goods with tariffs used only as a source of revenue
Gentlemen's Agreement
a diplomatic agreement in 1907 between Japan and the United States curtailing, but not abolishing, Japanese immigration
Ghost Dance
part of a religious awakening among the Lakota Sioux in 1890 in which they believed that if they returned to their traditional ways and ceremonies, the whites would be driven from their land
GI Bill of Rights
legislation in June 1944 that eased the return of veterans into American society by providing educational and employment benefits
Gilded Age
term applied to America in the late 1800s that refers to the shallow display and worship of wealth characteristic of the period
glasnost
Russian for “openness,” encouragement of new ideas and easing of political repression in the Soviet Union
Glass–Steagall Act
passed at the height of the Great Depression, this act created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to provide federal insurance for bank accounts, but also required that insured banks not use their money to make risky investments
Goals 2000
legislation that set tough new goals over the coming decades to improve the quality of American schooling
gold rush
a rush to newly discovered goldfields in pursuit of riches
gold standard
a monetary standard under which the basic unit of currency is defined by a stated quantity of gold and which is usually characterized by the coinage and circulation of gold, unrestricted convertibility of other money into gold, and the free export and import of gold for settling of international obligations
Good Friday Accords
a 1998 peace agreement to bring a peaceful settlement to the long-standing battles between Catholic and Protestant factions in Northern Ireland
a technology company that began with a powerful search engine and has since expanded into hardware and software creation
Grant’s Peace Policy
a new effort by President Grant to end the Plains Indian Wars by creating a series of reservations on which tribes could maintain their traditional ways
Great Migration
the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North, spurred especially by new job opportunities that began during World War I and the 1920s
Great Migration
the move of many African Americans from the South to the North during and after World War II
Great Society
the name Lyndon Johnson gave to his far-reaching domestic program, which included federal aid to education, Medicare and Medicaid health insurance, immigration reform, and the Voting Rights Act
Great White Fleet
a U.S. Navy fleet sent around the world from December 1907– February 1909 by President Theodore Roosevelt to show American strength and to promote goodwill
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
legislation passed by Congress in 1964 that allowed the United States to use force to protect U.S. interests in Vietnam
Harlem Renaissance
a new African American cultural awareness that flourished in literature, art, and music in the 1920s
health care reform
the top priority of the Obama administration to provide universal health care for all Americans
HIV
either of two retroviruses that infect and destroy helper T cells of the immune system causing the marked reduction in their numbers that is diagnostic of AIDS
Homestead Act
law passed by Congress in 1862 providing 160 acres of land free to anyone who would live on the plot and farm it for five years
Hoovervilles
shantytowns, sarcastically named after President Hoover, in which unemployed and homeless people lived in makeshift shacks, tents, and boxes. Hoovervilles cropped up in many cities in 1930 and 1931
horizontal integration
the merger of competitors in the same industry
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
congressional committee (1938–1975) that investigated suspected Nazi and communist sympathizers
Hull House
the settlement house Jane Addams established in Chicago to help the city’s poor and underserved
Hurricane Katrina
a massive storm that hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in August 2005, leading to widespread death and destruction
Hurricane Rita
the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane in history that followed on the heels of Katrina in September 2005
impeachment
the official method by which the U.S. Congress can sanction and remove a president from office
Indian New Deal
a series of policy changes, including the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 that transformed government Indian policy and strengthened Indian tribal government of the reservations
Indian Peace Commission
Congressional commission created to make treaties with the Plains Indian tribes
INF Treaty
a treaty between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. dramatically reducing intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF)
International Workers of the World (IWW)
an international labor union created in 1905 with representation in the United States to protect workers and organize labor
internet
the system of interconnected computers and servers that allows the exchange of email, posting of websites, and other means of instant communication
Interstate Highway System
a national system of superhighways that Congress approved at the urging of President Eisenhower in 1956 to improve car and truck travel across the United States
Iran-Contra Scandal
the scandal that erupted from revelations about a plan to secretly sell arms to Iran in exchange for the release of hostages held in Lebanon and to use the profits to provide aid to the Contra forces of Nicaragua
Iron Curtain
a phrase coined by formal British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1946 when describing the post–World War II division of Europe into two hostile segments
island-hop
U.S. military leadership’s decision to skip some Japanese-held islands in the Pacific and “hop” from strategic island to strategic island to get closer to Japan itself with minimal fighting and maximum speed
Issei
first-generation Japanese immigrants who had arrived before 1924 and were legally "aliens ineligible for citizenship"
Jim Crow
ethnic discrimination especially against blacks by legal enforcement or traditional sanctions
Knights of Labor
labor union that included skilled and unskilled workers irrespective of race or gender; founded in 1869
Korematsu v. United States
a U.S. Supreme Court case concerning the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, holding that the Japanese American internment camps were legal
Ku Klux Klan
one of several vigilante groups that terrorized black people in the South during the Reconstruction era, founded by Confederate veterans in 1866
labor union
an organization of workers formed for the purpose of advancing its members' interests in respect to wages, benefits, and working conditions
Land Rush of 1889
sudden migration to claim land in Oklahoma after part of Indian Territory was opened to white settlement
Latino
a person of Latin American origin living in the U.S.
Lend-Lease Act
legislation passed in 1941 for a program through which the United States "loaned" or leased military equipment to Britain and other World War II allies for the duration of the war
LGBTQ
an acronym standing for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer
Little Rock Nine
nine African American students who were integrated into Little Rock High School
Ludlow Massacre
violence during a coal strike in Ludlow, Colorado, in 1914 in which at least 30 people, including 11 children, were killed
Lusitania
the grandest and fastest cruiseliner then in service, which was sunk by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915
Manhattan Project
the effort, using the code name Manhattan Engineer District, to develop an atomic bomb during World War II
March on Washington
a movement organized to create a mass march on Washington, D.C., to encourage lawmakers to desegregate the military and promote civil rights domestically
Marshall Plan
the European Recovery Program (1949), which provided U.S. economic assistance to European nations in large part to keep them out of the Soviet Union's sphere of influence
mass production
to produce in quantity, usually by machinery
Medicine Lodge Creek Treaty
an 1867 treaty between the Comanche and the U.S. Army in which the Comanche agreed to settle on a reservation
Mexican Revolution
a popular struggle that began in 1910 and brought down the 30-year-long dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz
Mexicano
a person of Mexican ancestry
middle class
social group characterized by a high material standard of living, sexual morality, and respect for property
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
a 1939 neutrality act between Germany and the Soviet Union
moral diplomacy
a foreign policy approach pursued by President Woodrow Wilson by which the United States bases its support to other countries on whether they share similar principles and values as the United States
Moral Majority
one of the first large-scale organizations of the emerging "religious right," which organized support for conservative candidates and was a major force in American politics in the early 1980s
Ms. Magazine
a feminist magazine founded by Gloria Steinem
muckraking journalism
journalism exposing economic, social, and political evils, so named by Theodore Roosevelt for its "raking the muck" from the bottom of American society
Mugwumps
a reform faction of the Republican Party who supported Cleveland, the Democratic nominee over the Republican Blaine in the 1884 election
Munich Agreement
an agreement among Germany, France, Italy, and Great Britain that permitted the German annexation of the Sudetenland in return for a promise of future peace
Nation of Islam
an African American organization that blends Islam with African American advocacy and black nationalist ideas
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
a new government agency created in 1958 in response to Sputnik and specifically charged with fostering American space efforts; eventually led to the first manned moon landing and the space shuttle
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
interracial organization founded in 1910 dedicated to restoring African American political and social rights
National Defense Education Act (NDEA)
federal aid to improve education, especially science and math education, approved by Congress in 1958
National Organization for Women (NOW)
a women's rights group working for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
Neutrality Act
American laws passed in 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1939 to limit American involvement in wars not on U.S. territory
New Deal
a term for the programs and legislation developed during Franklin Roosevelt’s administration aimed at ending the Great Depression
New Democrats
a group of moderate and centrist democrats that emerged after the election of George Bush in 1989
New Federalism
a policy of giving more power to the states in matters of domestic policy through a series of block grants
New Freedom
Woodrow Wilson’s 1912 program for government intervention in the economy to restore competition by curtailing the business monopolies, thereby providing opportunities for individual achievement
New Frontier
the name given to the domestic programs of the Kennedy administration (1961–1963)
New Nationalism
Theodore Roosevelt’s idea that the government should take the lead in protecting human welfare and property rights
New South
ideology developed by some elite Southerners that declared an end to the nostalgia for slavery and plantation life and a beginning of economic development of the South while protecting the growing racial segregation of the region from any Northern interference
New York Stock Exchange
market for buying and selling shares in companies, located in Manhattan
Niagara Movement
African American group organized in 1905 to promote racial integration, civil and political rights, and equal access to economic opportunity; the movement later helped organize the NAACP
Nineteenth Amendment
an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that gave women the right to vote
Nisei
people who are ethnically Japanese but born to immigrants from Japan
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
agreement reached in 1993 by Canada, Mexico, and the United States to substantially reduce barriers to trade
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
an organization created in 1949 by the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations to protect against the threat of the Soviet Union
Nuremberg Trials
trials held in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1945 and 1946 with the purpose of trying and bringing Nazi war criminals to justice
Occupy Wall Street
a protest group that rallied against the rising level of student debt, the lack of job opportunities, and the fact that the economy seemed stacked in favor of the rich
Open Door policy
a policy giving opportunity for commercial relations with a country to all nations on equal terms; applied to China in the early 1900s to secure U.S. and British equal access to trade
open range
unfenced grassland
Operation Desert Storm
code name for the successful offensive against Iraq by the United States and its allies in the 1991 Persian Gulf War
Operation Overlord
U.S. and British invasion of France in June 1944 during World War II
Operation Torch
the U.S.-British invasion of French North Africa during the North African Campaign in 1942
Oslo Accords
a 1993 agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in which Israel agreed that the PLO could govern the West Bank and Gaza Strip in exchange for PLO recognition of Israel’s right to exist
outlaw
a lawless person or a fugitive from the law
Panic of 1873
a major economic downturn—launched when the country’s leading financier, Jay Cooke, went bankrupt—during which thousands lost their jobs and from which the country took years to recover
Panic of 1893
a serious economic downturn caused by the collapse of investment in railroads
perestroika
Russian for “restructuring,” efforts to make the Soviet economic and political systems more modern, flexible, and innovative
personal computer
a general-purpose computer equipped with a microprocessor and designed to run especially commercial software (such as a word processor or Internet browser) for an individual user
Plessy v. Ferguson
1896 Supreme Court case that established the legality of racial segregation as long as facilities were kept “separate but equal”
pogroms
government-directed attacks against Jewish citizens, property, and villages in tsarist Russia beginning in the 1880s; a primary reason for Russian Jewish migration to the United States
political machine
a type of political organization that emerged in the late nineteenth-century American cities, which sought to use patronage and benefits to stay in power, but which were also very corrupt
populism
the belief in the rights, wisdom, and virtue of common people
Populist Party (People’s Party)
a major third party of the 1890s formed to fight for the rights of working people
Potsdam Conference
the meeting of Allied leaders in Potsdam, Germany, to discuss the administration of post-war Germany, in July and August 1945
Prohibition
the forbidding by law of the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic liquors except for medicinal and sacramental purposes
protectorate
the relationship of superior authority assumed by one power or state over a dependent one
pull factor
condition in a country that attracts immigrants to settle in that country
Pullman Strike
a strike by workers at the Pullman Factory in 1894 that led the American Railway Union to refuse to handle trains hauling Pullman cars
push factor
condition in a country that encourages someone to leave that country and to move to another one
Reaganomics
economic policies associated with Reagan, including unrestricted free-market activity, supply-side economics, and tax cuts
realpolitik
policies based on realities rather than ideals
Red Army
a term used for the Russian military forces from 1918 until 1946
Rehabilitation Act
the first legislation to guarantee equal rights for people with disabilities
reparations
compensation in money or materials payable by a defeated nation for damages to or expenditures sustained by another nation as a result of hostilities with the defeated nation
robber baron
an American capitalist of the latter part of the nineteenth century who became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, governmental influence, or low wage scales)
Roe v. Wade
the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1973 decision declaring antiabortion laws unconstitutional and protecting a woman's right to choose
Roosevelt Corollary
President Theodore Roosevelt’s policy asserting U.S. authority to intervene in the affairs of Latin American nations; an expansion of the Monroe Doctrine
Rough Riders
a nickname given to the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry assembled and led by Theodore Roosevelt in Cuba during the Spanish-American War
savings and loan crisis
a 1987 crisis in the savings and loan industry created by deregulation of that industry
Scopes Monkey Trial
an American legal case in July 1925 between a substitute high school teacher, John T. Scopes, and the state of Tennessee, where Scopes was accused of illegally teaching human evolution in a state school
Sedition Act
broad law restricting criticism of America’s involvement in World War I or its government, flag, military, taxes, or officials
Selective Service System
federal agency that coordinated military conscription (the draft) beginning in World War II
self-determination
determination by the people of a territorial unit of their own future political status
silent majority
an assumed group of traditional middle-class voters who favored conformity over the counterculture
Silicon Valley
region of western California between San Jose and Palo Alto; a center of high-tech industries
single tax movement
proposed by Henry George in 1879, the single tax—a 100 percent tax on any increase in the value of real estate—was designed to keep property values low to limit the accumulation of wealth while spreading opportunity more broadly across society
Smoot-Hawley Tariff
raised import duties by as much as 50 percent, greatly adding to the downward spiral of the world economy in the 1930s
Social Darwinism
application of Charles Darwin's theory of biological evolution to society, holding that the fittest and the wealthiest should thrive and lead, the weak and the poor "deserve" their fate, and government action is unable to alter this "natural" process
Social Gospel
application of religious ethics to industrial conditions to alleviate poverty, slums, and labor exploitation
Socialist Party
a new political party that was organized after the defeat of the railroad strikes in the 1890s. It nominated candidates for president in 1904 and many following elections, and although they lost, it won some lesser offices
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
the leading clergy-led voice of the Southern, nonviolent civil rights movement, founded in 1957 by Martin Luther King, Jr., and some 60 other black ministers, many of whom were veterans of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Space Race
the competition, primarily between the United States and the Soviet Union, for space exploration
sphere of influence
a territorial area within which the political influence or the interests of one nation are held to be more or less paramount
Square Deal
Theodore Roosevelt’s policy goals of conserving natural resources, control of corporations, and protection of consumers
stagflation
the combination of high unemployment and high inflation
Stalwarts
a faction of the Republican Party in the 1870s and 1880s who wanted the party to stay true to its earlier support for Reconstruction in the South and who were less connected to the emerging big-business interests than others
Stonewall Riot
a riot that occurred in 1969 at a New York City tavern when police tried to arrest a number of gay patrons, thinking they would come quietly rather than reveal their sexuality, but the patrons rioted rather than stay silent
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
President Reagan’s program to defend the United States with sophisticated technologies that some thought was unworkable, also known as “Star Wars”
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
black civil rights organization founded in 1960 that drew heavily on younger activists and college students
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
a student organization, founded in 1960, to give voice to a new wave of student protest
suburb
an outlying part of a city or town
Sudetenland
a region in the northern part of the (present-day) Czech Republic in the Sudety Mountains
supply-side economics
an economic theory arguing that, to stimulate the economy, the best intervention is a tax cut that would stimulate the “supply side”
sweatshops
small, poorly ventilated shops or apartments crammed with workers, often family members, who pieced together garments
Tammany Hall
dating from well before the Civil War, New York City’s Democratic Party organization, which evolved into a powerful political machine after 1860, using patronage and bribes to maintain control of the city administration
Tea Party
a protest group whose members sometimes modeled themselves on the Boston Tea Party of the American Revolution and objected to the rising federal debt, the Affordable Care Act, and most government regulation
Teapot Dome Scandal
the name given to a major scandal of the Harding presidency in which U.S. Navy oil reserves, including those at Teapot Dome, Wyoming, were used to enrich the secretary of the interior and his friends
Teheran Conference
Meeting in Tehran, Iran, in late November 1943 between Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill, and Chiang Kai-shek. The four leaders coordinated wartime strategy, including an eventual invasion of the French coast by the United States and Britain and later Soviet involvement in the war against Japan.
televangelist
an evangelist who conducts regularly televised religious programs
tenement
apartment house, usually located in a city, that meets minimum standards of sanitation, safety, and comfort
the second Klan
the name for the reinvigorated Ku Klux Klan that emerged in 1915 and persisted until near the end of the Second World War
the surge
in January 2007, a new American commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, led an additional 30,000 troops to take control of the countryside and create a level of stability and public trust in the United States, not seen since the invasion of 2003
Tiananmen Square
the site of 1989 student-led protests in China for democracy, government accountability, and new freedoms
Tiananmen Square
prodemocracy demonstrations involving thousands of young Chinese students
Treaty of Paris
treaty in December 1898 in which Spain ceded control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States for a payment of $20 million
trench warfare
warfare in which the opposing forces attack and counterattack from a relatively permanent system of trenches protected by barbed-wire entanglements
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire
a fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City in 1911 that killed 146 workers and that later led to new factory inspection and safety laws
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)
legislation passed in October 2008 that created a fund to buy troubled assets from banks to stop the continuing financial collapse and stabilize the system
Truman Doctrine
President Harry Truman's statement in 1947 that the United States should assist other nations that were facing external pressure or internal revolution
U-boat
a German submarine
U.S. imperialism
a term used to describe the U.S. acquisition of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Philippine Islands in 1898
U.S.S. Missouri
the American battleship upon which Japan signed its surrender at the end of World War II
United Daughters of the Confederacy
group formed by white Southern women to care for Confederate cemeteries and to erect and preserve Confederate monuments
United Farm Workers
a union of migrant workers of California, which bargained for better wages and working conditions
United Nations
an international organization created in 1945 to promote international cooperation
urbanization
the process by which cities are formed and become larger as more people begin living and working in an urban area
USA PATRIOT Act
legislation that sought to protect Americans by authorizing significant new data gathering by the federal government
USS Maine
an armored cruiser built in 1895 as a response to the growing navies of Latin America and best known for exploding in Havana Harbor in February 1898
V-E Day
the day World War II ended in the European theater: May 8, 1945
V-J Day
the day World War II ended in the Pacific theater: September 2, 1945
vertical integration
the consolidation of numerous production functions, from the extraction of the raw materials to the distribution and marketing of the finished products, under the direction of one firm
War Powers Act
legislation passed after the Vietnam War that limited the president's military powers
Western Front
a 400-plus-mile stretch of land through France and Belgium from the Swiss border to the North Sea, which was the decisive front during World War I
Williams v. Mississippi
1898 Supreme Court case upholding the constitutionality of poll taxes and literacy tests
Woman’s Christian Temperance Union
national organization formed after the Civil War dedicated to prohibiting the sale and distribution of alcohol
Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES)
a women’s branch of the U.S. Navy during World War II
Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAACs)
a branch of the U.S. Army that employed women in noncombatant service jobs
Women’s Auxiliary Service Pilots (WASPs)
a branch of the U.S. Air Force in which women tested planes for combat
World Wide Web
since 1991, a protocol for information use on the internet
Wounded Knee
the location of an 1890 federal massacre of Native Americans that a group of Sioux traditionalists occupied in 1973
Y2K
the name for a problem in the coding of computerized systems that was projected to create havoc around the world at the beginning of the year 2000
Yalta Conference
the meeting of Allied leaders in February 1945 to discuss the organization and governance of post-war Europe
yellow journalism
a style of newspaper reporting that originated in New York City and emphasized sensationalism
Zimmermann Telegram
a secret cable to the German embassy in Mexico with an offer to the Carranza government that if it would attack the United States, Germany would see to the restoration of the territory from Texas to California that had been taken from Mexico in 1848
zoot suit riots
race riots in June 1943, primarily centered in Los Angeles, in which American military personnel attacked Latinos
zoot suit riots
race riots in June 1943, primarily centered in Los Angeles, in which American military personnel attacked Latinos