Untitled Flashcards Set

• Key Events & Concepts

  • Abrams v. United States (1919): Supreme Court case upholding the Sedition Act, limiting free speech during wartime.

  • Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) (1933): New Deal law reducing agricultural overproduction to raise crop prices.

  • Allies (WWI): Coalition including Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and the U.S. against the Central Powers.

  • America First Committee: Isolationist group opposing U.S. involvement in WWII.

  • American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Organization defending individual rights and constitutional freedoms.

  • American Expeditionary Forces (AEF): U.S. troops led by General Pershing in WWI.

  • American Plan: Business policy opposing unions, promoting "open shop" workplaces.

  • American Protective League: WWI-era organization spying on suspected anti-war activities.

  • Anti-Imperialist League: Group opposing U.S. annexation of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War.

  • Appeasement: Policy of conceding to aggressive nations to avoid conflict, notably towards Nazi Germany.

  • Atlantic Charter (1941): Agreement between FDR and Churchill outlining post-WWII goals.

  • Attack on Pearl Harbor (1941): Japanese attack leading to U.S. entry into WWII.

  • Battle of the Bulge (1944-45): Germany’s last major offensive in WWII, fought in Belgium.

  • Battle of Iwo Jima (1945): Key Pacific battle where U.S. forces captured the island from Japan.

  • Battle of Midway Island (1942): Turning point in the Pacific, where the U.S. defeated Japan’s navy.

  • Battle of Okinawa (1945): One of WWII’s bloodiest battles, leading to heavy casualties before Japan’s surrender.

  • “Big Stick” Diplomacy: Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy emphasizing military strength.

  • Black Tuesday (1929): Stock market crash marking the start of the Great Depression.

  • Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945): U.S. atomic bombings that led to Japan’s surrender in WWII.

  • Bonus Army (1932): WWI veterans protesting for early bonus payments during the Great Depression.

  • “Bully Pulpit”: Theodore Roosevelt’s idea of using the presidency to influence public opinion.

  • Bureau of Investigation: Early FBI, focused on federal law enforcement.

  • Central Powers (WWI): Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.

  • Civil Works Administration (CWA) (1933): New Deal program providing temporary jobs during the Great Depression.

  • Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) (1933): New Deal program employing young men in environmental projects.

  • Clayton Antitrust Act (1914): Strengthened antitrust laws to prevent monopolies.

  • Committee on Public Information (CPI): WWI propaganda agency promoting U.S. war efforts.

  • Communism: Political ideology advocating collective ownership and classless society.

  • Congress of Racial Equality (CORE): Civil rights organization advocating nonviolent protest.

  • Conservationism: Movement to preserve natural resources and protect the environment.

  • Court-packing plan (1937): FDR’s failed attempt to expand the Supreme Court.

  • D-Day (1944): Allied invasion of Normandy, marking a turning point in WWII.

  • Department of Commerce and Labor (1903): Established to regulate labor and business practices.

  • Dollar Diplomacy: U.S. policy promoting economic investment abroad to influence foreign affairs.

  • Double V Campaign: WWII movement advocating for victory abroad and racial equality at home.

  • Dust Bowl (1930s): Severe drought and dust storms devastating U.S. agriculture.

  • Eighteenth Amendment (1919): Prohibited alcohol (Prohibition).

  • Elkins Act (1903): Strengthened regulation of railroads to prevent unfair pricing.

  • Emergency Banking Act (1933): Stabilized banks during the Great Depression.

  • Espionage Act (1917): Criminalized interference with the U.S. war effort in WWI.

  • Eugenics: Pseudoscience promoting selective breeding to "improve" society.

  • Executive Order 9066 (1942): Authorized internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

  • Fair Labor Standards Act (1938): Established minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor restrictions.

  • Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (1933): Insures bank deposits to prevent failures.

  • Feminist: Advocate for women's rights and gender equality.

  • Food Administration: WWI agency managing food production and conservation.

  • Fourteen Points (1918): Wilson’s post-WWI peace proposal, including the League of Nations.

  • Fuel Administration: WWI agency regulating coal and oil consumption.

  • Glass-Steagall Act (1933): Separated commercial and investment banking.

  • Great Depression (1929-1940s): Economic collapse leading to mass unemployment.

  • Great Migration: Movement of African Americans from the South to Northern cities.

  • Harlem Renaissance: Cultural and artistic movement celebrating Black identity.

  • Hawley-Smoot Act (1930): Tariff worsening the Great Depression.

  • Hay-Pauncefote Treaty (1901): Gave the U.S. rights to build the Panama Canal.

  • Hetch Hetchy Valley: Controversial site dammed for San Francisco’s water supply.

  • Holocaust: Nazi genocide of six million Jews and other groups during WWII.

  • Hull House: Settlement house founded by Jane Addams to help immigrants.

  • Indian Citizenship Act (1924): Granted U.S. citizenship to Native Americans.

  • Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) (1934): Reversed assimilation policies, promoting tribal self-governance.

  • Influenza pandemic (1918): Global flu outbreak killing millions.

  • “Internment”: Forced relocation of Japanese Americans during WWII.

  • Island-hopping: U.S. military strategy in the Pacific during WWII.

  • Isolationism: U.S. policy of avoiding foreign entanglements.

  • Jingoists: Extreme nationalists favoring aggressive foreign policy.

  • The Jungle (1906): Upton Sinclair’s novel exposing the meatpacking industry.

  • Keating-Owen Act (1916): First federal law regulating child labor.

  • Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928): Treaty outlawing war (ineffective).

  • League of Nations: Post-WWI international peace organization (U.S. never joined).

  • Lend-Lease Act (1941): Supplied Allied nations before U.S. entered WWII.

  • Lost Generation: Disillusioned writers after WWI.

  • Lusitania (1915): British ship sunk by Germany, killing Americans, pushing U.S. toward WWI.

  • Manhattan Project: Secret U.S. project developing the atomic bomb.

  • Mann Act (1910): Law prohibiting transportation of women for "immoral" purposes.

  • Meat Inspection Act (1906): Required federal inspection of meatpacking plants.

  • Mexican Revolution (1910-1920): Conflict leading to social and political reforms in Mexico.

  • Military-industrial complex: Eisenhower’s warning about the defense industry’s influence on policy.

  • Muckrakers: Investigative journalists exposing corruption and abuses.

• Muller v. Oregon (1908): Supreme Court case upholding limits on women’s work hours.

• Munich Accord (1938): Agreement allowing Nazi Germany to annex Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland in an act of appeasement.

• National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA): Organization advocating for women’s voting rights, led by Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Chapman Catt.

• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (1909): Civil rights organization fighting racial discrimination and segregation.

• National Association of Colored Women (NACW): Group promoting African American women’s rights and social welfare.

• National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) (1933): New Deal law promoting business recovery and labor rights; declared unconstitutional.

• National Labor Relations Act (1935): Guaranteed workers' rights to unionize and bargain collectively.

• National Labor Relations Board (NLRB): Agency enforcing labor rights and union protections.

• National Origins Act (1924): Restricted immigration, favoring Northern and Western Europeans.

• National Recovery Administration (NRA): New Deal agency regulating business practices; declared unconstitutional.

• National War Labor Board (NWLB): Mediated labor disputes during WWI and WWII.

• National Woman’s Party: Radical women’s suffrage group led by Alice Paul, advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment.

• Nazism: Ideology of Hitler’s Germany emphasizing totalitarianism, racism, and nationalism.

• Neutrality Acts (1935-1939): Laws aimed at keeping the U.S. out of foreign wars.

• New Deal: FDR’s programs to combat the Great Depression.

• New Freedom: Woodrow Wilson’s policy promoting business competition and anti-monopoly measures.

• New Nationalism: Theodore Roosevelt’s progressive political philosophy advocating federal regulation of industry.

• New Negro: Harlem Renaissance concept emphasizing Black pride and activism.

• New Woman: Term for modern, independent women challenging traditional roles in the early 20th century.

• Nineteenth Amendment (1920): Granted women the right to vote.

• Nye Committee (1934-1936): Investigated U.S. involvement in WWI, fueling isolationism.

• Office of War Information: WWII agency coordinating propaganda efforts.

• Old-Age Revolving Pensions Corporation: Proposed pension system influencing Social Security.

• Open Door Policy (1899): U.S. policy ensuring equal trade access in China.

• Palmer Raids (1919-1920): Crackdown on suspected communists and anarchists during the Red Scare.

• Payne-Aldrich Tariff (1909): Controversial tariff law angering progressives.

• Platt Amendment (1901): Gave the U.S. control over Cuban foreign policy.

• Pragmatism: Philosophy emphasizing practical consequences in decision-making.

• Progressive Party: Political party supporting reforms and led by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.

• Progressivism: Early 20th-century movement advocating government action for social justice and economic reform.

• Public Works Administration (PWA): New Deal program funding infrastructure projects.

• Pure Food and Drug Act (1906): Required labeling and regulation of food and medicine.

• Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC): Hoover’s agency lending money to struggling businesses during the Great Depression.

• Red Scare (1919-1920): Fear of communism leading to government crackdowns on radicals.

• Roosevelt Corollary (1904): Addition to the Monroe Doctrine asserting U.S. intervention in Latin America.

• “Rough Riders”: Theodore Roosevelt’s volunteer cavalry unit in the Spanish-American War.

• Russian Revolution (1917): Overthrow of the Russian monarchy, leading to the Soviet Union.

• Sacco and Vanzetti Case: Trial of two Italian anarchists, highlighting anti-immigrant bias.

• Schenck v. United States (1919): Supreme Court ruling limiting free speech during wartime (“clear and present danger”).

• Scottsboro Nine: Nine Black teenagers falsely accused of rape in the 1930s.

• Second front: Western Allies’ delayed invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe in WWII.

• Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (1934): Regulates the stock market.

• Sedition Act (1918): Law limiting speech critical of the government during WWI.

• Segregation: Racial separation upheld by Jim Crow laws.

• Selective Service Act (1917): Established the WWI military draft.

• Selective Training and Service Act of 1940: First U.S. peacetime draft.

• Share Our Wealth society: Huey Long’s plan for wealth redistribution during the Great Depression.

• Shepherd-Towner Act (1921): Provided federal funding for maternal and child health care.

• Sit-down strike: Union tactic where workers occupy factories to protest conditions.

• Sixteenth Amendment (1913): Allowed federal income tax.

• Social Security Act (1935): Established pensions and welfare programs.

• Spanish-American War (1898): U.S. war against Spain, leading to control of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

• “Square Deal”: Theodore Roosevelt’s domestic policy focusing on fairness in business and labor.

• Suffragists: Advocates for women’s right to vote.

• Teapot Dome Scandal (1920s): Corruption scandal involving federal oil reserves.

• Teller Amendment (1898): Promised Cuba independence after the Spanish-American War.

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (1933): New Deal program bringing electricity and development to the rural South.

• Third Reich: Nazi Germany (1933-1945).

• Treaty of Versailles (1919): Ended WWI, imposing harsh penalties on Germany.

• Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire (1911): Industrial disaster leading to labor reforms.

• Tripartite Pact (1940): Alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan in WWII.

• Tuskegee Airmen: African American WWII fighter pilots.

• Twenty-first Amendment (1933): Repealed Prohibition.

• Tydings-McDuffie Act (1934): Promised Philippine independence.

• Underwood Act (1913): Reduced tariffs and introduced an income tax.

• Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA): Marcus Garvey’s movement promoting Black pride and self-reliance.

• War Industries Board (WIB): WWI agency regulating industry for the war effort.

• War Powers Act (1942): Expanded presidential powers during WWII.

• War Production Board: WWII agency managing war materials and manufacturing.

• Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES): WWII women’s naval service.

• Women’s Army Corps (WACs): Women’s military branch during WWII.

• Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU): Group advocating for Prohibition.

• Workmen’s Compensation Act: Law providing benefits to injured workers.

• Works Progress Administration (WPA) (1935): Major New Deal job program.

• World War I (Great War) (1914-1918): Global conflict involving the Allies and Central Powers.

• Yalta Agreement (1945): WWII conference determining postwar Europe’s division.

• Yellow Journalism: Sensationalist reporting to influence public opinion.

• Zimmerman Telegram (1917): German proposal for a Mexico-Germany alliance, pushing the U.S. into WWI.

• Zoot Suit Riots (1943): Clashes between Mexican American youth and U.S. servicemen.

Key People

• Jane Addams: Social reformer, founded Hull House and worked for women’s suffrage.

• Emilio Aguinaldo: Leader of the Filipino independence movement against Spain and later the U.S.

• Susan B. Anthony: Women’s suffrage activist and co-founder of the National Woman Suffrage Association.

• Louis Armstrong: Influential jazz musician and trumpeter during the Harlem Renaissance.

• William Jennings Bryan: Three-time presidential candidate, advocate of free silver, and prosecutor in the Scopes Trial.

• Carrie Chapman Catt: Women’s suffrage leader, helped secure the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment.

• Winston Churchill: British Prime Minister during WWII, famous for his leadership and oratory skills.

• Calvin Coolidge: U.S. president (1923-1929), known for his pro-business policies and limited government approach.

• Charles E. Coughlin: Catholic priest and radio broadcaster who criticized FDR and promoted populist, anti-Semitic views.

• George Creel: Head of the Committee on Public Information (CPI) during WWI, managing propaganda efforts.

• Clarence Darrow: Defense attorney in the Scopes Trial, argued for the teaching of evolution.

• Eugene V. Debs: Socialist leader, five-time presidential candidate, jailed for anti-war speeches during WWI.

• W.E.B. DuBois: Civil rights activist, co-founder of the NAACP, and advocate for immediate racial equality.

• Dwight D. Eisenhower: Supreme Allied Commander in WWII, later U.S. president (1953-1961).

• Edward “Duke” Ellington: Jazz composer and bandleader, key figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

• Henry Ford: Industrialist, revolutionized automobile production with assembly lines, founder of Ford Motor Company.

• Marcus Garvey: Black nationalist leader, founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), promoted Pan-Africanism.

• Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Feminist writer, author of The Yellow Wallpaper, advocate for women’s economic independence.

• Emma Goldman: Anarchist and feminist, opposed U.S. involvement in WWI.

• Warren G. Harding: U.S. president (1921-1923), known for scandals such as Teapot Dome.

• William Randolph Hearst: Newspaper tycoon, used yellow journalism to influence public opinion, especially during the Spanish-American War.

• Oliver Wendell Holmes: Supreme Court justice, known for upholding free speech restrictions in Schenck v. United States.

• Herbert Hoover: U.S. president (1929-1933), widely blamed for the Great Depression.

• J. Edgar Hoover: Longtime FBI director, known for aggressive anti-communist investigations.

• Harry Hopkins: Key New Deal advisor to FDR, helped create the WPA.

• Julia Ward Howe: Abolitionist and poet, wrote The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

• Langston Hughes: Harlem Renaissance poet and writer, celebrated African American culture.

• Zora Neale Hurston: Author of Their Eyes Were Watching God, key figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

• Robert M. La Follette: Progressive politician, advocate for government regulation and labor rights.

• Curtis LeMay: U.S. general, led bombing campaigns during WWII.

• John L. Lewis: Labor leader, led the United Mine Workers and advocated for worker rights.

• Queen Liliuokalani: Last monarch of Hawaii, overthrown by American businessmen.

• Henry Cabot Lodge: Senator who opposed U.S. entry into the League of Nations.

• Huey Long: Louisiana politician, proposed the “Share Our Wealth” program, assassinated in 1935.

• Douglas MacArthur: U.S. general, led Pacific forces in WWII and oversaw Japan’s occupation.

• Alfred Thayer Mahan: Naval strategist, wrote The Influence of Sea Power upon History, influencing U.S. imperialism.

• Jose Marti: Cuban revolutionary and poet, fought for Cuban independence from Spain.

• William McKinley: U.S. president (1897-1901), led the U.S. in the Spanish-American War, assassinated in 1901.

• Andrew Mellon: Secretary of the Treasury, promoted tax cuts for the wealthy and laissez-faire policies.

• John Muir: Environmentalist and founder of the Sierra Club, advocated for national parks.

• Chester Nimitz: U.S. admiral, led naval forces in the Pacific during WWII.

• J. Robert Oppenheimer: Scientist leading the Manhattan Project, known as the “father of the atomic bomb.”

• A. Mitchell Palmer: Attorney General, led the Palmer Raids against suspected radicals.

• George S. Patton: U.S. general, played a key role in WWII’s European campaign.

• Alice Paul: Suffragist, led the National Woman’s Party, pushed for the Equal Rights Amendment.

• Frances Perkins: First female U.S. Cabinet member, Secretary of Labor, architect of Social Security.

• Gifford Pinchot: Conservationist, helped establish national forests, first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service.

• Joseph Pulitzer: Newspaper publisher, known for yellow journalism and the Pulitzer Prizes.

• A. Philip Randolph: Civil rights leader, organized the first Black labor union and the 1941 March on Washington movement.

• Eleanor Roosevelt: First Lady, advocate for human rights, played a key role in the United Nations.

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR): U.S. president (1933-1945), led the nation through the Great Depression and WWII.

• Theodore Roosevelt: U.S. president (1901-1909), promoted progressive reforms and imperialist policies.

• Nicola Sacco: Italian anarchist executed for robbery and murder in a controversial case.

• Margaret Sanger: Birth control activist, founded Planned Parenthood.

• Upton Sinclair: Muckraking journalist, wrote The Jungle, leading to food safety reforms.

• Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Early women’s rights activist, co-organized the Seneca Falls Convention.

• Lincoln Steffens: Muckraking journalist, exposed corruption in city governments.

• Lucy Stone: Women’s rights activist, early advocate for suffrage and abolition.

• Josiah Strong: Protestant minister, supported imperialism and the idea of Anglo-Saxon superiority.

• William Howard Taft: U.S. president (1909-1913), later Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

• Ida Tarbell: Muckraker, wrote The History of the Standard Oil Company, exposing monopolies.

• Francis Townsend: Proposed an old-age pension plan, influencing Social Security.

• Harry S. Truman: U.S. president (1945-1953), ordered the atomic bombings and led the U.S. into the Cold War.

• Bartolomeo Vanzetti: Italian anarchist executed alongside Sacco in a controversial trial.

• Francisco “Pancho” Villa: Mexican revolutionary leader, fought against U.S. forces in 1916.

• Booker T. Washington: African American leader, promoted vocational education and economic self-reliance.

• Ida B. Wells: Journalist and activist, led an anti-lynching campaign.

Frances Willard: Leader of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), advocated for Prohibition.