US History Unit I: Overarching Themes

Unit I: Overarching Themes in US History

• Industrialization: A period of significant growth in manufacturing and industry, driven by innovations like mass production.
• Gilded Age: A period of rapid economic growth, but also marked by social inequalities and political corruption.
• Laissez-faire: An economic philosophy emphasizing minimal government intervention in the economy.
• Corporation: A business entity with a separate legal identity from its owners, enabling large-scale operations.
• Henry Ford: A key figure in the development of mass production techniques, most notably in car manufacturing.
• Capitalism: An economic system characterized by private ownership of the means of production and free markets.
• Manufacturing: The process of making goods in large-scale factories.
• Trust/Monopoly: Large corporations controlling industries through mergers or legal arrangements, limiting competition.
• Robber Baron: A derogatory term for wealthy industrialists who were accused of exploiting workers and using unethical business practices for profit.
• John D. Rockefeller: A prominent figure in the oil industry, known for his business acumen and often criticized for monopolistic practices.
• Standard Oil: A major oil company founded and dominated by John D. Rockefeller.
• Andrew Carnegie: A leading figure in the steel industry associated with vertical and horizontal consolidation in industry.
• JP Morgan: A highly influential financier and banker who played a critical role in consolidating industries.
• Cornelius Vanderbilt: A prominent figure in the railroad industry, known for aggressive business practices.
• Carnegie Steel: A significant steel company owned by Andrew Carnegie.
• Vertical Consolidation: When a company controls all steps in the production process from raw materials to distribution.
• Horizontal Consolidation: When a company controls many businesses in the same industry.
• Mass Production: Techniques for producing large quantities of goods at a reduced cost via assembly lines.
• Railroads/Industry: Key factor in U.S. industrial growth, connecting markets and enabling further growth in many different industries.
• Immigration: The movement of people into a new country.
• Push/Pull Factors: Factors that motivate people to leave or enter a country.
• Nativism: Favoring native-born citizens over immigrants.
• Ellis Island/Angel Island: Major immigration processing centers in the U.S.

Unit II: Progressivism

• Working conditions: A major concern in progressive era, highlighted by issues with poor wages and unsafe working conditions.
• Labor unions: Organizations of workers that advocate for their rights in various ways.
• Social, Moral, Economic, and Political Reasons for Progressivism: A desire for social reform, addressing economic inequalities, and improving political systems.
• Sherman Antitrust Act: A law aiming to prevent monopolies and promote fair competition.
• Tenements: Overcrowded and often unsafe apartment buildings, particularly in urban areas.
• Urban: Referring to cities and urban areas.
• The Jungle—Upton Sinclair: A novel exposing the unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry.
• Jacob Riis—muckraking, tenements: A journalist who wrote about the harsh realities of tenement life to raise awareness.
• Child Labor: The use of children in work.
• Upton Sinclair: A writer known for investigative journalism, especially regarding the meat processing industry.
• Muckraker: A journalist who investigates and publicizes negative situations.
• Social Darwinism: The idea that society is governed by the "survival of the fittest," often used to justify social inequalities.
• Knights of Labor: An early labor union advocating for various worker rights.
• Gospel of Wealth: A philosophy by Andrew Carnegie justifying wealth and its potential use for social good.
• AFL: A major labor organization of skilled workers.
• Labor Unions: Organizations representing workers’ interests.
• Strikes (Homestead Strike): A major strike in the steel industry, highlighting the disputes and conflicts between workers and management.
• Triangle Shirtwaist: A tragic fire that highlighted unsafe working conditions in factories.
• Suffrage: The right to vote.
• Temperance: A movement advocating for moderation or prohibition of alcohol consumption.
• Theodore Roosevelt: President who promoted progressive reforms.

Unit III: Imperialism

• Isolation v Expansion: A conflict between staying separate from other countries vs acquiring territories.
• Reasons for Imperialism: Acquiring resources in territories, nationalistic desires, racial ideologies, and expansion of U.S. influence.
• Manifest Destiny: The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America.
• Spanish-American War: A war between the U.S. and Spain, resulting in the acquisition of territories like Cuba and the Philippines.
• Imperialism v Anti-Imperialism: A conflict between advocates and opponents of expanding U.S. control.
• Alliance: An agreement between nations.
• Imperialism: Expanding a country's territory and influence over other regions.
• Isolationism: Policy of avoiding involvement in other countries' affairs.
• Acquisition of Hawaii and Alaska: Territories acquired by the U.S. that were important for resource access and expansion.
• Spanish-American War (Cuba, Philippines): A conflict marked by U.S. involvement in areas of Cuba and the Philippines that resulted in the acquisition of territories.
• USS Maine: A U.S. battleship that exploded and triggered U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War.
• Monroe Doctrine: The U.S. policy to maintain its hemisphere's sovereignty.
• Open Door Policy: A U.S. policy to ensure equal trade access for all countries in China.
• Nationalism: Patriotic feeling and loyalty to one's nation.
• Panama Canal: A canal constructed in Panama to streamline shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
• Anti-imperialists: Individuals and groups opposed to U.S. expansionism.
• Neutrality: Policy of remaining non-involved in other countries' conflicts.
• Propaganda: Information used to influence public opinion for or against something.
• Zimmerman Telegram: A diplomatic message that contributed to U.S. entry into WWI.
• Lusitania: A British ship sunk by German U-boats, further escalating tensions with Germany.
• Liberty Bonds: War bonds sold to raise funds for the war effort.
• Selective Service: A system for drafting men into the military during WWI.
• Fourteen Points: Woodrow Wilson's proposals for peace following WWI.
• League of Nations: An international organization aimed at preventing future wars.
• Woodrow Wilson: The president of the United States during WWI who played a large role in the terms of the war and the creation of the league of nations.
• Treaty of Versailles: A peace treaty that ended WWI.

Unit IV: The 1920’s – Great Depression – New Deal

• Era of Prosperity – (Roaring Twenties): A period of economic growth and social change with flappers, automobiles, jazz, etc.
• Depression: Worldwide economic downturn.
• Recovery: The process of recovering from an economic downturn.
• Harlem Renaissance: A period of African American artistic and intellectual innovation.
• Clash of Cultures (Nativism, Scopes Trial, KKK, Prohibition): Conflicts between traditional values and modern social changes.
• Dust Bowl: A severe drought in the American Midwest.
• Red Scare: Period of fear and persecution of suspected communists.
• Social Security: A government social safety net.
• Great Depression: A global economic crisis affecting industries, livelihoods, and economies worldwide.
• Speakeasy: A hidden bar or lounge operating illegally during Prohibition.
• New Deal/New Deal Programs: A series of government programs and policies designed to address the Great Depression.
• Bootlegging: Producing and selling alcohol illegally.
• Herbert Hoover: The U.S. president during the Great Depression.
• Drought: A prolonged period of little or no rainfall.
• Buying on Margin: Purchasing stocks with borrowed money.
• Black Thursday: A stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression.
• Hoovervilles: Shantytowns populated by unemployed and impoverished people during the Great Depression.
• Flappers: Young women in the 1920s who challenged traditional social norms.

Unit V: World War II

• Neutrality/Isolationism: The policy of avoiding involvement in international conflicts.
• Appeasement: Giving in to the demands of an aggressor in an attempt to avoid conflict.
• War: The global conflict involving many participating countries.
• Lend/Lease: A program allowing the U.S. to lend or lease war materials to Allied nations.
• Cash and Carry: A program allowing countries to purchase U.S. arms if they paid in cash and carried the goods themselves.
• Allies: Nations that fought together against the Axis powers during WWII.
• Pearl Harbor: A surprise attack by Japan on the U.S. naval base that led to U.S. involvement in WWII.
• Japanese Internment: The forced relocation and detention of Japanese Americans during WWII.
• Battle of Midway: A crucial naval battle in the Pacific during WWII, a turning point for the U.S. naval forces in the Pacific.
• Doolittle Raid: A bombing raid by the U.S. on Japan early in WWII.
• FDR: President of the United States during WWII.
• Treaty of Versailles: The treaty that ended World War I. Its terms were a major factor in the tensions that led to WWII.
• Arsenal of Democracy: A term used by FDR highlighting the U.S.’s role in providing the Allies with war materials.
• Island Hopping: A military strategy of capturing strategically important islands in the Pacific to move closer to Japan.
• Hiroshima & Nagasaki: Japanese cities targeted with atomic bombs during WWII.

Explore the key themes of Unit I in US History, including the impact of industrialization, the dynamics of the Gilded Age, and the principles of laissez-faire economics. This quiz delves into significant historical figures like Henry Ford and concepts like capitalism and monopolies. Test your knowledge of how these elements shaped modern America.