American History Key Concepts

Key Historical Periods and Concepts

• Gilded Age (late 1800s): A period of rapid economic growth, but also rampant corruption and hardship for many.
• Progressive Era: Focused on social and economic reforms, addressing issues like trust-busting, conservation, and labor rights.
• Great Depression (1929-1939): A severe economic downturn caused by stock market crash, bank failures, and overproduction, leading to widespread unemployment and poverty.
• World War I (1914-1918): A global conflict with significant impacts on the US, including the involvement of American Expeditionary Forces and the Treaty of Versailles.
• World War II (1939-1945): A global war rooted in the invasion of Poland by Germany; the U.S. played a crucial role in the Allied victory.

Key Political and Social Concepts

• Neutrality: Staying out of foreign conflicts.
• Prohibition (1920-1933): A nationwide ban on alcohol in the U.S.
• Monopoly: One company's control of an entire industry.
• Tenement Housing: Overcrowded, poor-quality housing, common for urban workers.
• Laissez-faire: Minimal government interference in business.
• Pendleton Civil Service Act: Established a merit-based system for government jobs.
• Civil Service: Government jobs given based on qualifications, not political connections.
• Nationalism: Strong devotion and pride in one's country.
• Militarism: Building up a strong military.
• Alliances: Agreements between countries for mutual support in conflict.
• **Imperialism:**Expanding a nation's power through acquiring colonies.
• Nativism: Opposition to immigration.
• Temperance: A movement advocating for moderation in alcohol consumption, leading to Prohibition.
• 16th Amendment: Created the federal income tax.
• 17th Amendment: Allowed direct election of senators.
• 18th Amendment: Established Prohibition.
• 19th Amendment: Granted women the right to vote.
• 14 Points: Woodrow Wilson's plan for post-WWI peace.

Key Economic and Social Issues

• Tariffs: Taxes on imported goods.
• Commerce: Business and trade of goods.
• Hooverville: Shantytowns of the homeless during the Great Depression.
• Bank Failures: Widespread closures of banks during the Great Depression, leading to loss of savings and credit crisis.
• Causes of the Great Depression: Stock market crash, bank failures, overproduction, and global economic downturn.
• Reasons for U.S. Entry into WWI: Unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmermann Telegram.
• Economic Impact of Spanish-American War: U.S. secured new overseas markets and territories.
• Treaty of Versailles: Ended WWI, but imposed heavy reparations on Germany.
• Assembly Line: Improved efficiency and lower costs in manufacturing, particularly in automobile production.
• Transcontinental Railroad: Connected the U.S. and boosted trade.
• Social Security: Provides retirement income support to citizens.
• FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation): Insures bank deposits.

Key Figures and Events

• Charles Lindbergh: First solo flight across the Atlantic
• Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR): President during the Great Depression and WWII, implemented the New Deal.
• Sanford B. Dole: Played a key role in the annexation of Hawaii.
• Jane Addams: Founded Hull House (assistance to immigrants and the poor).
• Alexis de Tocqueville: French observer of U.S. democracy.
• Upton Sinclair: Author of 'The Jungle', exposing meatpacking industry abuses.
• Alfred T. Mahan: Advocated for a strong U.S. navy.
• Warren G. Harding: President who promoted "Return to Normalcy".
• Adolf Hitler: Leader of Nazi Germany.
• Theodore Roosevelt: Progressive president, known for conservation efforts and trust-busting.
• Herbert Hoover: President during the Great Depression.
• Dawes Act: Divided Native American lands to encourage farming.
• Chinese Exclusion Act (1882): Prohibited Chinese immigration to the US.
• Homestead Act: Gave free land to settlers in the western US

Key Legislation

• Interstate Commerce Act: Regulated railroads and trade among states.
• New Deal: FDR's programs aimed at relieving the Great Depression.
• American Federation of Labor (AFL): A union for skilled workers.

Additional Concepts

• Demographic: Statistical characteristics of a population.
• Beneficiaries: Those who benefit from a program or event.
• Assimilate: To adopt the culture of another group.
• Palmer Raids: Government raids targeting suspected radicals.

Test your knowledge on key historical periods and concepts in American history, from the Gilded Age to World War II. Explore significant events, economic downturns, and important social reforms that shaped the nation. This quiz covers critical political and social ideas such as neutrality and prohibition.