Missouri Compromise (1820) An agreement that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance of power in Congress. It also prohibited slavery north of the 36°30' latitude line in the Louisiana Territory. Manifest Destiny The 19th-century belief that the expansion of the U.S. across the North American continent was justified and inevitable. Compromise of 1850 A package of five laws designed to defuse tensions between free and slave states, including the Fugitive Slave Act and the admission of California as a free state. Harriet Beecher Stowe Author of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' a novel that depicted the horrors of slavery and increased support for abolition in the North. Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) Influential anti-slavery novel that shaped public opinion and intensified sectional conflict. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) Allowed territories to decide on slavery by popular sovereignty, leading to violent conflict known as 'Bleeding Kansas.' Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) Supreme Court decision stating that slaves were property, not citizens, and Congress had no power to ban slavery in the territories. John Brown's Raid (1859) Failed attempt to start a slave rebellion by seizing a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, further polarizing North and South. Tenth Amendment Part of the Bill of Rights; states that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states or the people. Anaconda Plan Union military strategy during the Civil War to blockade Southern ports and capture the Mississippi River to suffocate the Confederacy. Emancipation Proclamation (1863) Issued by President Lincoln; declared all slaves in Confederate states to be free. Battle of Gettysburg (1863) Turning point in the Civil War; Union victory that halted Confederate General Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North. Gettysburg Address (1863) Short speech by Lincoln emphasizing national unity, liberty, and democracy. A Century of Dishonor (1881) Book by Helen Hunt Jackson exposing the mistreatment of Native Americans by the U.S. government. 13th Amendment (1865) Abolished slavery in the United States. 14th Amendment (1868) Granted citizenship to all born in the U.S. and guaranteed equal protection under the law. 15th Amendment (1870) Gave African American men the right to vote. Scalawags Southern whites who supported Reconstruction and the Republican Party. Carpetbaggers Northerners who moved South during Reconstruction to seek economic or political opportunities. Sharecropping A system where freedmen and poor whites farmed land owned by others in exchange for a share of the crops, often leading to debt peonage. Compromise of 1877 Ended Reconstruction; Rutherford B. Hayes became president in exchange for removal of federal troops from the South. Jim Crow Laws State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the South. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Supreme Court decision that upheld racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine. The Dawes Act (1887) Aimed to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal land into individual plots. Battle of Wounded Knee (1890) Last major armed conflict between U.S. troops and Native Americans; marked the end of the Indian Wars. Sitting Bull Lakota leader who resisted U.S. government policies and was killed shortly before the Wounded Knee Massacre. Transcontinental Railroad (1869) Railroad connecting the east and west coasts, promoting expansion and economic growth. Homestead Act (1862) Gave 160 acres of free land to settlers willing to live and work on it for five years. The Grange Organization of farmers to advocate for their interests and fight against unfair railroad practices. Farmers' Alliance Group that sought to improve conditions for farmers through cooperatives and political advocacy. Populist Party Political party formed to represent the interests of farmers and laborers, advocating for bimetallism and regulation of big business. Wabash v. Illinois (1886) Supreme Court case that limited states' rights to regulate interstate commerce, leading to federal regulation. Election of 1896 William McKinley defeated William Jennings Bryan; marked the end of the Populist movement. Cross of Gold Speech Speech by Bryan advocating for bimetallism and criticizing the gold standard. Buffalo Soldiers African American soldiers who served in the western U.S. after the Civil War. Morrill Land Grant Act (1862) Provided land for states to build agricultural and technical colleges. Time Zones Developed Standardized to aid train schedules and commerce as railroads expanded. Social Darwinism Belief that only the fittest survive in business and society; used to justify inequality. Gospel of Wealth Essay by Andrew Carnegie promoting philanthropy by the rich to improve society. Captains of Industry Positive term for wealthy business leaders who contributed to economic growth. Robber Barons Negative term for wealthy industrialists who exploited workers and resources. Great Railroad Strike (1877) First major nationwide labor strike, protesting wage cuts and poor working conditions. Knights of Labor Early labor union that included all workers and advocated for broad social reforms. Pullman Strike (1894) National railroad strike that ended after federal troops intervened. Old Immigration Immigrants from Northern and Western Europe before 1880. New Immigration Immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe after 1880. Ellis Island Main immigration processing station in New York Harbor. Angel Island Immigration station on the West Coast, primarily for Asian immigrants. Nativism Anti-immigrant sentiment favoring native-born Americans. Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) First major law restricting immigration based on nationality. Gentlemen's Agreement (1907) Informal agreement to limit Japanese immigration. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911) Tragic factory fire that led to improved labor safety laws. Jane Addams Founder of Hull House and pioneer of the settlement house movement. Patronage The practice of giving government jobs to political supporters. Boss Tweed Leader of Tammany Hall political machine; known for corruption. Pendleton Act (1883) Law that reformed the civil service system to curb patronage. Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) First federal law to regulate monopolies and promote competition. Interstate Commerce Commission First federal agency to regulate business practices, especially railroads. W.E.B. Du Bois Civil rights activist who demanded immediate equality and co-founded the NAACP. Booker T. Washington Prominent Black leader who promoted vocational education and gradual equality. Ida B. Wells Journalist and anti-lynching activist who fought for civil rights and free speech. National Woman Suffrage Association Group that fought for women's right to vote. 19th Amendment (1920) Gave women the right to vote in national elections. White Man's Burden Idea that it was the duty of Western nations to civilize non-Western peoples. Spanish-American War (1898) U.S. defeated Spain, gaining territories like the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Big Stick Diplomacy Roosevelt's foreign policy emphasizing military strength and negotiation. Open Door Policy U.S. policy promoting equal trade access in China. Roosevelt Corollary Addition to the Monroe Doctrine asserting U.S. right to intervene in Latin America. Panama Canal U.S.-built waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, completed in 1914. Flappers Young women of the 1920s who embraced new fashions and attitudes. Great Depression (1929) Severe economic downturn marked by bank failures, unemployment, and poverty. Dust Bowl Environmental disaster during the 1930s that forced many farmers to migrate west. New Deal FDR's programs to combat the Great Depression through relief, recovery, and reform. Social Security Act (1935) Provided financial assistance to the elderly, disabled, and unemployed. FDIC / SEC Agencies created to insure bank deposits and regulate the stock market. Pearl Harbor (1941) Surprise attack by Japan that led the U.S. into World War II. D-Day (1944) Allied invasion of Normandy, a turning point in World War II. Atomic Bomb / Manhattan Project Secret program that developed nuclear weapons used on Japan to end WWII. Containment / Truman Doctrine U.S. policy to stop the spread of communism after WWII. Civil Rights Act (1964) Landmark law prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
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