APUSH Themes: WOR, NAT, ARC, GEO, MIG, PCE, SOC, and WXT

WOR: America in the World ~ Foreign Policy

Unit 1: 1491-1607

•  Summary: Discovery of America caused European nations to compete for land/resource. Native Americans were often caught in conflict. Lead to competition and alliances.

• 1492: Columbus Arrived in the Americas: voyaged with patronage from Ferdinand and Isabella. Marked the beginning of widespread European exploration.

Unit 2: 1607-1754

• Summary: Competition with Native Americans for land: King Phillip’s War. Conflict between European countries for land.

• Dominion of New England: administrative union created by the British (New England colonies, then NY and New Jersey).

  • Enforce Navigation Acts, highly unpopular

Unit 3: 1754-1800

• Summary: USA becomes independent power. Wins Revolution thanks to France. Policy of Neutrality is established (Proclamation of Neutrality, Washington’s Farewell Address.)

• French & Indian War (anchor event, 1754-1763): conflict between British and French over the Ohio River Valley. Both sides were supported by respective colonies and Native American allies.

  • Ended with the Treaty of Paris, significant British territory gains

• American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

  • Battle of Saratoga (1777): turning point, convinced France to support the American cause.

  • Treaty of Paris 1783: ended the war, recognizing the sovereignty of the US.

    • Established US as an independent nation!

• French Revolution (1789-1799): Inspired by America, French people revolted and toppled the monarchy. US was torn between helping the crown or the people.

  • Proclamation of Neutrality (1793): issued by George Washington, declared the United States neutral in the French Revolution.

  • Set a precedent for American foreign relations by avoiding foreign entanglements.    

Unit 4: 1800-1848

• Summary: Main focus was Native Americans: taking their land. War of 1812 ends British presence in North America. America asserts itself on the western hemisphere with the Monroe Doctrine.

• Barbary Wars (1810): US v. Barbary States in N Africa. Established US Naval Power.

• Embargo Act of 1807: Thomas Jefferson tried to pressure Britain/France by closing ports, backfired economically.

• Adam-Onis Treaty (1819): Spain ceded Florida to US. Defined US-Mexico border.

• Monroe Doctrine (1823): America should be free from European influence. Cornerstone of American foreign policy.

Unit 5: 1844-1877

• Summary: Continued expansion west (Mexican-American War and Mexican Cession), Oregon Treaty with Great Britain. Mostly isolationist after Mexican war. Lincoln feared Britain or France would interfere in Civil War, leading to the Emancipation Proclamation.

• Annexation of Texas (1845): US incorporated Texas into the Union as 28th state, following a decade of independent Texas. Worsened tensions between N and S over slavery. Lead to Mexican-American War.

• Mexican-American War (1846-1848): Disputes over Texas. Ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, giving the US a lot of land.

  • Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848): Mexico ceded present day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and more. Deepened national debate over expansion of slavery.

• Gadsden Purchase (1853)

• Purchase of Alaska (1868)

Unit 6: 1865-1898

• Summary: Dominated with conflicts with Native Americans. Largely isolationists during industrialization.

• Our Country: Its Possible Future and Present Crisis (1885) was published

• Pan-American Conference (1889): strengthened diplomatic relations among nations in the Americas.

• Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1890) was published.

Unit 7: 1890-1945

• Summary: End of Spanish-American War kicks of American Imperialism. Zimmerman Telegram led WWI involvement. America returns to isolationism after WWI, refuses to join league of Nations. US emerges as global superpower after WWII.

• Sinking of USS Maine (1898): The naval ship mysteriously exploded, killing many. Yellow journalism incorrectly attributed to Spanish sabotage. Caused Spanish-American War.

• Spanish American War (1898, 7 months long): US acquired territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, and more.

  • Treaty of Paris (1898): ended the war.

• Philippine-American War (1899-1902): Filipino revolutionaries sought independence from US. US won, retaining control until 1946.

• Open Door Policy (1899): Secretary of State John Hay attempted to secure trading rights for all nations in China. Reflected US interest in free trade.

• Panama Canal Started (1904): Massive engineering project, completed in 1914. Connected Atlantic and Pacific, boosting trade routes.

• Roosevelt Corollary (1904): US had the right to intervene in Latin American affairs to maintain stability in the Western Hemisphere, boosting US influence in Latin America.

• World War I (1914-1918): Allies vs Central Powers. US joined allies in 1917. Conflict was characterized by trench warfare, chemical weapons, immense casualties. Led to major global changes, including the redrawing of borders.

  • Sinking of the Lusitania (1915): German U-boat sank Lusitania (passenger), killing 128 Americans. Outraged American public.

  • US entry into WWI (1917): Following Zimmermann Telegram, Woodrow Wilson asked congress to declare war.

  • Treaty of Versailles ends WWI (1919): heavy reparations and territorial losses for Germany. Established League of Nations. Reshaped Europe.

• World War II (1939-1945): Allies v. Axis, resulted in massive civilian and military casualties: Holocaust and only use of nuclear weapons in war.

  • Cash and Carry (1939): allowed (basically only Britain) belligerent nations to purchase arms (as long as they paid in cash and transported the materials themselves).

  • Lend-Lease Act (1941)

  • Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor (1941): Surprise attack on naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. US formally entered WWII the next day.

  • D-Day (1944): Allied invasion of Normandy, France. Pivotal operation, marked beginning of end. Amphibious assault, leading to liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.

  • Yalta Conference (1945): Meeting between FDR, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin. Planned post-war peace.

  • Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945): US dropped the bombs, leading to Japan’s unconditional surrender.

  • United Nations Founded (1945, anchor event): conference in San Francisco, signed UN Charter. Goals were to promote peace, security, and cooperation. Stronger than League of Nations.

Unit 8: 1945-1980

• Summary: Cold war influences most foreign policy: containment leads to Korean War and Vietnam War. Nixon’s détente begins to ease relations. US involvement in Middle East in 1970s.

• Long Telegram (1946): Suggested containment to counter Soviet expansion. Significantly influenced US foreign policy during the Cold War.

• Truman Doctrine (1947): US would support countries resisting communism. Containment: starting with Greece and Turkey.

• Marshall Plan (1948): large economic assistance to European nations (post WW2) to rebuild economies, preventing the spread of communism.

• Berlin Airlift Begins (1948): US flew almost 200,000 flights of food, fuel, and supplies to West Berlin, countering Soviet pressures.

• NATO formed (1949): military alliance of Western European countries, the US, and Canada. Provide collective security against Soviet Union, deterring Soviet expansion.

• Sputnik Satellite Launched (1957)

• Eisenhower’s Farewell Address (1961): warned about military industrial complex.

• Bay of Pigs Invasion (1961): US CIA supported Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro: failed.

• Berlin Wall Constructed (1961)

• Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): US and USSR came close to nuclear war.

• Golf of Tonkin Resolution: Congress allowed President to take military action in Vietnam without formal declaration of war.

• OPEC Oil Embargo (1973): Cause shortages, oil prices rose by 40%

• Camp David Accords (1978): Egyptian and Israeli leaders, led by President Jimmy Carter, established a framework for peace in the Middle East.

NAT: American National Identity

Unit 1: 1491-1607

• Summary: Great diversity among Native tribes. Not a single national identity like how it is today. Europeans did not plan on staying long.

• Protestant Reformation (1517): Martin Luther challenged Catholic Church, leading to Protestant denominations.

Unit 2: 1607-1754

• Summary: English settlers considered themselves British not American. Identity is region based (New England, Middle Colonies, Chesapeake, Southern) and class based.

• John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government (1689): government based on natural rights and the consent of the governed.

Unit 3: 1754-1800

• Summary: Started the development of a unique American identity, encouraged independence.

• Stamp Act Congress (1765): First time colonies acted together in response to British policy.

• Boston Massacre (1770)

• First Continental Congress (1774): Response to Coercive Acts

• Olive Branch Petition (1775): Sent to King George III, rejected and declared colonies in rebellion.

• Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (1776): argued for American independence. Persuasive arguments resonated widely with the public, encouraging support for the revolutionary cause.

• Declaration of Independence (1776): Drafted by Thomas Jefferson: natural rights and self-governance.

• Second Continental Congress (1775): oversaw American war effort

• Federalist Papers (1787): many essays that advocated for US constitution ratification. Supported strong federal government.

• Ratification of the Bill of Rights (1791): first 10 amendments that guaranteed essential rights.

• Washington’s Farewell Address (1796): warned against foreign alliances and political parties, emphasizing the importance of national unity.

Unit 4: 1800-1848

• Summary: American Dictionary helped grow national identity. Unity threatened over sectional tensions like slavery, tariffs, and role of federal government.

• Era of Good Feelings (1814-1824): Sense of national purpose and unity post War of 1812. Temporary decline in partisan politics.

Unit 5: 1844-1877

• Summary: sectional tension led to Civil War. Union Victory. During Reconstruction, Black men were afforded rights despite Southern opposition.

• South Carolina Secedes from the Union (1860)

• American Civil War (1861-1865)

  • Gettysburg Address (1863)

• The 14th Amendment (1865): formally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except punishment for a crime.

• The 14th Amendment (1868): granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States

• The 15th Amendment (1870): prohibits denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen’s "race, color, or pervious condition of servitude.”

Unit 6: 1865-1898

• Summary: The American identity was strengthened as the US becomes an industrial power.

• Civil Rights Act of 1866: defined citizenship.

• Civil Rights Act of 1875: attempted to grant blacks equal treatment in public (accommodations, public transport, and more) but failed.

Unit 7: 1890-1945

• Summary: New immigrants from E + S Europe. US gains status as global superpower. New era of big government.

• 19th Amendment Ratified (1920): granted American women the right to vote. Culmination of decades of activism.

• The Great Depression (1929-1941)

• Indian Reorganization Act (1938): increased tribal self-governance, restored some tribal lands.

• Smith Act (1940)

Unit 8: 1945-1980

• Summary: continued growth of federal power. Civil Rights Movement. Cold war pits American Capitalism (Christianity) v. Soviet Communism (Atheism).

• Alger Hiss Case (1949): espionage case. Convicted of being a soviet spy.

• Rosenbergs Convicted (1951): accused about leaking nuclear program secrets.

• Army-McCarthy Hearings (1952): Senator Joseph McCarthy accused gov workers of being communist. He went to war.

ARC: American and Regional Culture

Unit 1: 1491-1607

• Summary: Native American and European cultures blended. Spanish established the Casta system. Exploration was driven by Christianity.

• Iroquois Confederacy (1570)

• Founding of Roanoke (1587)

• Founding of St. Augustine (1588)

Unit 2:1607-1754

• Summary: New England life was based around Puritan Christianity (mostly British). Middle Colonies were the most ethnically/religiously diverse (Quakers in Penn). Southern colonies had a plantation hierarchy (slave codes). First Great Awakening.

• Founding of Jamestown (1607, Anchor event): first permanent English settlement in NA. Tobacco cultivation saved the colony.

• Founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1628): Puritan settlers fleeing persecution. Led by John Winthrop. “City upon a hill”

• Founding of Pennsylvania Colony (1681): refuge for Quakers and religious minorities. Penn played a significant role in the later US.

Unit 3: 1754-1800

• Summary: Enlightenment heavily influenced the Revolution — initially with rich, then to everyone via Common Sense by Thomas Paine. Women help in Revolution, but do not have rights. Republican motherhood tells mothers to educate their sons to be good.

• Constitutional Convention (1787)

• Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1789): James Madison and Thomas Jefferson (Virginia and Kentucky legislatures) argued that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. Introduced nullification.

Unit 4: 1800-1848

• Summary: Second Great Awakening led to Temperance, Abolitionism, Women’s Rights activism. Middle and upper class was “cult of domesticity,” lower class was women working.

• Missouri Compromise (1820)

• Tariff of 1828, or Tariff of Abominations (1832): high protective tariffs passed by Congress to protect Northern industries. Extremely unpopular in Southern states since they depended on imported goods. Led to nullification crisis.

Unit 5: 1844-1877

• Summary: conflict between abolitionism and pro-slavery views. Rise of anti-Catholic, anti-migrant nativism.

• California Gold Rush (1848-1855): influx of people arrived in California.

• Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad (1849): led many slaves to freedom over several missions.

• Compromise of 1850

• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

• Dredd Scott v. Sanford (1857)

• Lincoln Douglas Debates (1858)

• Reconstruction (1865-1877)

  • Freedmen’s Bureau (1865)

  • KKK Founded (1865)

Unit 6: 1865-1898

• Summary: Social Darwinism dominated. Carnegie’s Gospel of wealth encourages wealthy give back via philanthropic works. Social Gospel called Christians to do charity work for the urban poor.

Unit 7: 1890-1945

• Summary: Xenophobia and Racism (of blacks) led to second KKK. Great Migration led to the Harlem Renaissance. Post WW1, lost generation critiques American consumerism.

• Harlem Renaissance (1920-1929)

• First Commercial Radio Station (1920): made history with live broadcast of Presidential election results. Beginning of mass media.

• Scopes Monkey Trial (1925): Modernist vs Fundamentalists, highlighting a deep cultural divide.

• Sacco and Vanzetti Executed (1927): convicted of robber/murder in a highly controversial trial. Biased since they were Italian.

Unit 8: 1945-1980

• Summary: Religious revival in response to Soviet Atheism. Conformist culture caused by Second Red Scare. Social Rights movement. Protests against US government (Vietnam) by students.

• The Cather in the Rye published in 1951

GEO: Geography and Environment

Unit 1: 1491-1607

• Summary: European diseases (smallpox) kills ~90% of Native Americans. Wealth-extraction via mining (gold/silver) and agriculture (sugar/tobacco).

• Columbian Exchange (1498-1506)

• The Great Dying (1520-1700)

• Tobacco Arrives in Europe (1555): Tobacco was labor-intensive (coupled with high demand) led to an increase in indentured servitude and slavery.

Unit 2: 1607-1754

• Summary: climate/soil differences led to subsistence farming in N, plantations in S. Illness was common in S.

• First Enslaved Africans Brought to British Colonies (1619)

• Albany Plan on Union (1754)

Unit 3: 1754-1800

• Summary: All of the East Coast land was taken, pushing lower classes west. Growing divide between coastal elite (Federalists) v. poorer westerners (Democratic-Republicans)

• French and Indian War (1763)

• Coercive (Intolerable) Acts (1774)

Unit 4: 1800-1848

• Summary: Spread of cotton leads to more slavery in S. Louisiana Purchase pushes Western frontier: Manifest Destiny

• Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804)

Unit 5: 1844-1877

• Summary: Discovery of Gold leads to California Gold Rush. “Breadbasket” in N, much larger Union population leads to victory. South continues to grow cotton.

• California Gold Rush (1855)

• American Civil War (1861)

  • Sherman’s March to the Sea (1864)

Unit 6: 1865-1898

• Summary: crowded cities with bad sanitation, lots of illness. West is “conquered” with barbed wire, mass slaughter of buffalo.

Unit 7: 1890-1945

• Summary: New tech makes world smaller: globalization. Conservation movement begins. Atlantic/Pacific oceans protect US from damage during WW1 and WW2. Atomic Bomb

• Forest Reserve Act (1891)

• The Dust Bowl (1930-1940)

Unit 8: 1945-1980

• Summary: LARGE industrial pollution from 1945-1970. EPA begins to address pollution: Clean Air Act, Clear Water Act. Dependence on foreign oil leads to conflict.

• Silent Spring published in 1962: brought awareness of pesticides on the influenced the creation of the EPA

MIG: Migration and Settlement

Unit 1: 1491-1607

• Summary: humans come to Americas via the Bering Land Bridge. Europeans began exploration looking for trade routes to Asia. Europeans began extracting resources.

• Columbus Arrived in the Americas (1492)

• Columbian Exchange (1498): with support from Ferdinand and Isabella, Christopher Columbus began his exploration. Start of European influence.

• Beginning of Transatlantic Slave Trade (1525): millions of slaves were forcibly transported. Lasting effects that still ripple today.

Unit 2: 1607-1754

• Summary: Puritans migrate to North for religious freedom. People migrate South for economic opportunity. Massive importation of slaves.

• First Enslaved Africans Brought to British Colonies (1619): marked practice of chattel slavery in NA.

• King Phillip’s War (1675-1678): Metacom led Wampanoags. Decisive English victory, reducing Native American power in the region.

• Virginia Slave Codes (1705): regulating slaves: property rights for slave owners and punishment for runaway slaves.

Unit 3: 1754-1800

• Summary: Continued push westward, conflict with Natives and British government (Proclamation of 1763). Continued importation of slaves.

• Proclamation of 1763: King George III declared forbade settlement past Appalachian Mountains. COLONIST ANGRY.

• Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Unit 4: 1800-1848

• Summary: White Americans pushed westward, sectional conflict over slavery. Native Americans forced west via Trail of Tears. End of international slave trade.

• End of Slave Trade (1808)

• Indian Removal Act (1830): forced Native Americans to relocate west. Trail of Tears.

• Worcester v. Georgia (1832): supported Cherokee Nation, President Andrew Jackson refused to support the decision.

Unit 5: 1844-1877

• Summary: Lots of Catholic immigrants from Ireland/Germany. Continued westward migration. Conflicts with Native Americans: reservation system.

• John L. O’Sullivan Coins “Manifest Destiny” (1845, Anchor): US was divinely ordained to expand across North America.

• California Gold Rush (1848): massive influx of people. Rapid admission as a state.

• Massacre at Pottawatomie Creek (1856): bleeding kansas

• Homestead Act (1862): signed by Abraham Lincoln, provided 160 acres of public land as long as they stayed for five years.

Unit 6: 1865-1898

• Summary: continued western migration among whites and blacks. Completion of Manifest Density: closing frontier. End of “old immigrants” from N and W Europe. New immigrant from E and S Europe. Chinese Exclusion Act. Settlement Houses to help immigrants.

• Transcontinental Railroad Complete (1869): reducing travel time.

• Barb Wire Invented (1874): fence vast areas quickly and cheaply.

• Battle of Little Bighorn (1877): Native American tensions

• Chinese Exclusion Act (1882): banned Chinese immigrants.

• Dawes Severalty Act (1887): assimilate Native Americans.

• Hull House opened (1889)

• Battle of Wounded Knee (1890): death of many Sioux

Unit 7: 1890-1945

• Summary: increases in immigration lead to quotas. Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the North to escape racial discrimination/economic opportunity.

• Fredrick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis (1893): closing of frontier marked the end of a crucial American era.

• The Great Migration (1916-1970): African Americans moved out of the South to urban centers. Due to escaping Jim Crow laws, seeking economic opportunities, and social equality. Significantly altered demographic landscape of the US.

• Emergency Quota Act (1921): restrict immigration to 3%, reducing immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe. Nativist sentiments.

• National Origins Act (1924): further excluded immigration, basically excluded Asians.

• The Dust Bowl (1930): severe environmental disaster, exacerbated Great Depression. Forced families to abandon farms.

• Bracero Program (1942): allowed Mexicans to come temporarily to the US for farming.

Unit 8: 1945-1980

• Summary: people moved from urban cities to suburbs thanks to cars. Nativist laws limit immigration until 1965, then we begin accepting immigrants.

• Levittown opens (1947): first mass-produced suburb. Affordable, standardized single-family homes.

• Immigration Act of 1965: eliminated National Origins Quota. Focused on brining highly skilled immigrants.

PCE: Politics and Power

Unit 1: 1491-1607

• Summary: Spanish dominated Americas. French and Dutch focused on fur trade with Native Americans. Conflict over Native Americans for land.

• Protestant Reformation (1517): challenge Catholic Church, led to Protestant denominations

• Cortes invades Mexico (1519): fall of Aztec Empire. Significant territorial gains for Spain.

• The Great Dying (1520-1700): disease brought to the Americas killed many Native Americans, facilitating European colonization.

• Pizarro invades Peru (1532): conquered Inca Empire in South America.

• Iroquois Confederacy (1570): alliance of six Native American tribes. Unique for its sophisticated representative government.

Unit 2: 1607-1754

• Summary: colonies began to self-govern. Democratic in New England (town hall meetings, Mayflower Compact). Elites dominated in the South (Virginia House of Burgesses). Britain practiced salutary neglect.

• Establishment of the House of Burgesses (1609): first legislative assembly in NA.

• Mayflower Compact (1620): signed by Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, establishing majority-rule governance.

• Bacon’s Rebellion (1676): Nathaniel Bacon led a rebellion against Virginia Governor William Berkeley. Caused the shift from indentured servants to slave labor.

• Pueblo Revolt (1680): indigenous Pueblo revolted against Spanish colonizers. One of the most successful acts of resistance.

• Stono Rebellion (1739): led to harsher slave laws in South.

Unit 3: 1754-1800

• Summary: Debates over representation: Direct vs. Virtual. Taxes without representation led to war. Articles of Confederation were too weak, replaced with Constitution. Federalist (pro-constitution) vs. Anti-Federalists debates. First Party System in America: Federalists (strong central government, loose construction, pro-British, Alexander Hamilton) vs. Democratic-Republicans (weaker central government, strict construction, pro-French, Thomas Jefferson).

• Stamp Act (1765): imposed tax on all paper documents: widespread protest.

• Stamp Act Congress (1765): first time colonies act together.

• The Townshend Acts (1767): imposed duties on glass, led, paints, paper, and tea.

• The Boston Massacre (1770): British soldiers killed/injured some civilians. Major catalyst for revolution.

• The Tea Act (1773): undersold American merchants.

• The Boston Tea Party (1773): protest by destroying tea.

• Coercive (Intolerable) Acts (1774): series of laws to punish colonies after the Boston Tea Party. Inflamed colonial resentment.

• American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

• Articles of Confederation (1777-1789): first constitution of the US, with one legislative body. Limited central government power, leading to significant governance challenges.

  • Northwest Ordinance of 1787: process for territories to become states. Notably prohibited slavery.

  • Constitutional Convention (1787): resulted in a new Constitution, establishing a stronger federal government with checks and balances.

• Resolution of 1800 (1800, anchor): Thomas Jefferson defeated incumbent John Adams, first peaceful transfer of power between political parties.

Unit 4: 1800-1848

• Summary: end of Federalist Party after War of 1812. Era of Good Feelings under D-R dominance. Suffrage expands to all white men: Jeffersonian Democracy. 2nd Party System: Democrat-Republicans split into the Whigs (strong central government, pro-federally funded infrastructure, pro-tariffs) vs. Democrats (weak central government, anti-federally funded infrastructure, anti-tariffs).

• Marbury v. Madison (1803): established judicial review, allowing to Court to be the final judge of the constitution.

• Louisiana Purchase (1803): US purchase land from France: Doubled US size. Westward expansion.

• McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): federal government was supreme over state government.

• Missouri Compromise (1820): key agreement, Missouri entered as slave state and Maine a free state. Balancing the senate. Prohibited slavery north of 36°30' parallel.

• The Liberator was published (1831): newspaper calling for emancipation.

• Nat Turner’s Rebellion (1832): killed ~60 white people. Led to harsher slave laws.

• Whig Party Founded (1834): formed against Andrew Jackson (Democrats).

• The Know Nothing Party formed (1844): anti-immigrant, nativist, anti-Catholic.

Unit 5: 1844-1877

• Summary: Presidents could NOT handle sectional tension. Several attempts at compromise. Emergence of the Republican Party as the Northern party. 14th Amendment gives African Americans citizenship. 15th Amendment gives Black men the right to vote.

• The North Star is published (1847): by Frederick Douglass, abolition.

• Free Soil Party Founded (1850): preventing the expansion of slavery, eventually led to the Republican Party.

• Republican Party founded (1854): anti-slavery activists, ex-Whigs, ex-Free Soilers came together.

• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): created Kansas and Nebraska, allowing settlers to decide whether to allow slavery, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise.

• Dredd Scott v. Sanford (1857): African Americans could NOT be American citizens. It also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, heightening tensions.

• Lincoln Douglas Debates (1858): several debates on slavery, state’s rights, significantly raising Lincoln’s national profile.

• American Civil War (1861-1865):

  • South Carolina Secedes from the Union (1860)

  • Jefferson Davis elected President of the Confederacy (1861)

  • Battle of Fort Sumter (1861): Union forces surrendered, prompting more states to join the Confederacy.

  • Emancipation Proclamation (1863): shifted war aims to abolishing slavery.

  • Battle of Vicksburg (1863)

  • Battle of Gettysburg (1863): turning point in Union’s favor.

  • Sherman’s March to the Sea (1864): diminishing Confederacy morale and economic capability: total war.

  • Battle of Appomattox Court House (1865): confederacy surrendered.

• Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (1865, anchor): significant ramifications for Reconstruction, shifting to Andrew Johnson.

Unit 6: 1865-1898

• Summary: short time of Black citizenship in S, ended by Jim Crow Laws. Republicans dominate this period by waving the “bloody shirt,” appealing to Civil War veterans.

• Klu Klux Klan founded (1865): white supremacist group that used terror tactics against African Americans.

• Reconstruction (1865-1877): period of time where the US attempted to reintegrate southern states.

  • Military Reconstruction Acts (1867): impose military control over Southern states.

  • Compromise of 1877 (anchor-end of unit 5): dispute between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden. Democrats agreed to concede to the presidency to Hayes in exchange for withdrawal of federal troops, ending Reconstruction.

• The Grange Founded (1867): promoting economic/political interests of farmers.

• Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883): made it illegal to hire government employees based on political affiliation. Made it more meritocratic, requiring exam.

• Sherman Antitrust Act (1890): first federal legislation to prohibit large corporations. Rarely enforced and ineffective.

• Omaha Convention (1892): founding of the Populist Party, free coinage of silver, a graduated income tax, government ownership of railroads, and electoral reforms.

• Booker T. Washington’s Atlanta Compromise Speech (1895): economic self-reliance as a strategy for Black advancement.

• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): upheld constitutionality of racial segregation.

Unit 7: 1890-1945

• Summary: Democrats return to power with Woodrow Wilson then FDR. Women suffrage in 19th amendment. African Americans fight for civil rights post WWII. Japanese-Americans put in internment caps, post Pearl Harbor.

• Assassination of William McKinley (1901): led to Teddy Roosevelt becoming president.

• The Jungle is published (1906): caused outcry about unsanitary food conditions, leading to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act.

• Meat Inspection Act (1906): USDA inspects slaughtered/processed animals.

• Pure Food and Drug Act (1907)

• Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911): highlighted lack of adequate labor laws.

• 17th Amendment Ratified (1913): direct election of US Senators by popular vote.

• Clayton Antitrust Act (1914): strengthened Sherman Antitrust Act.

• Federal Reserve Act (1914): Federal Reserve System, 12 district banks.

• Espionage and Sedition Act (1917): during WW1, forbid talking bad about the US government and obstructing the draft: restricted freedom of speech.

• Schenck v. United States (1919): allowed suppression of free speech when there is a “clear and present danger.”

• First Red Scare (1919-1920): fear of communism and radical leftism.

  • Palmer Raids (1919): US Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer conducted raids without due process: gross violation of civil liberties.

• The Great Depression (1929-1941): massive unemployment, poverty, and changes in gov policy: New Deal programs aimed at economic recovery.

  • Emergency Banking Act (1933): stabilized the bank system, restoring public confidence.

  • FDR’s Fireside Chats (1933): FDR explained complex issues and New Detail, bolstering confidence in government.

  • Glass-Stegall Act (1933): separated commercial and investment banking, establish FDIC, restored public confidence.

• Court Packing Scheme (1937): Roosevelt wanted to add many judges, failed, damaged his reputation.

Unit 8: 1945-1980

• Decline in North/Northeast power, rise of sunbelt. Democrats dominate until Richard Nixon. Civil Rights movements. Women’s Rights Movement and Second Wave Feminism: equal pay and education.

• Civil Rights Act of 1964: outlawed segregation and employment discrimination.

• Great Society Speech (1965): LBJ promote Great Society.

• Medicare and Medicaid Created (1965)

• Voting Rights Acts of 1965: enforced 15th amendment and disenfranchisement methods.

• Watergate Break Ins (1972): gather information about election strategies.

SOC: Social Structures

Unit 1: