U.S. Political Concepts and History

Mercantilism

• Economic system emphasizing government regulation to increase national wealth through exports.

Enlightenment

• 18th-century intellectual movement emphasizing reason and individualism.

John Locke

• Enlightenment philosopher advocating natural rights and limited government.

Common Sense

• Pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocating for American independence.

Declaration of Independence

• Formal document declaring the American colonies independent from Great Britain.

Federalism

• System of government dividing power between national and state governments.

Checks and Balances

• System where different branches of government limit each other's power.

Bill of Rights

• First ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing fundamental rights.

Marbury v. Madison

• Landmark Supreme Court case establishing judicial review.

Judicial Review

• Power of the courts to determine the constitutionality of laws.

Louisiana Purchase

• 1803 acquisition of vast territory from France.

Monroe Doctrine

• U.S. foreign policy opposing European colonization in the Americas.

Manifest Destiny

• Belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America.

Market Revolution

• 19th-century transformation of the U.S. economy through innovations and trade.

Morse Code

• System of dots and dashes for telegraph communication.

Steamboat

• Improved transportation method using steam power, impacting trade and travel.

Strike (workplace)

• Organized work stoppage by employees to demand better wages, working conditions, or other rights.

Abolition

• Movement to end slavery.

Economy of the North

• Primarily industrial and manufacturing-based economy.

Economy of the South

• Primarily agricultural economy heavily reliant on enslaved labor.

Cotton Gin and Slavery

• Invention of the cotton gin increased demand for enslaved labor in the South.

Seneca Falls Convention

• 1848 gathering advocating for women's rights.

13th, 14th, 15th Amendments

• Constitutional amendments abolishing slavery, granting citizenship and equal protection, and protecting voting rights.

Ku Klux Klan

• White supremacist terrorist organization opposing civil rights.

Assimilation

• Process of adopting the culture of a dominant group.

Dawes Act

• Legislation aiming to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal land.

Wounded Knee

• Site of a massacre of Lakota Sioux.

Long Horn Cattle & Long Drive

• Cattle herding across long distances to markets.

Barbed Wire

• Invention revolutionizing ranching and land boundaries.

Homestead Act

• Law that encouraged westward expansion.

Steel Plow

• Agricultural tool for preparing the soil.

Industrialization

• Period of technological and economic change driven by machines.

Bessemer Process

• Process for mass production of steel.

Thomas Edison

• Inventor of the light bulb and numerous other innovations.

Transcontinental Railroad

• Railroad connecting the East and West coasts of the U.S.

Andrew Carnegie

• Industrialist, steel magnate involved in vertical integration.

Vertical and Horizontal Integration

• Methods used by industrialists to control their industries.

Social Darwinism

• Misapplication of Darwin's theory to justify social inequality.

John D. Rockefeller

• Industrialist, oil magnate famous for controlling monopolies.

Monopoly

• Exclusive control of a company in a particular market.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act

• Legislation designed to prevent monopolies.

Samuel Gompers

• Labor leader and founder of the American Federation of Labor.

American Federation of Labor

• Organization for skilled workers advocating for better wages and conditions.

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

• Tragic workplace incident highlighting unsafe factory conditions.

Old Immigration

• Wave of immigrants arriving in the U.S. before the late 19th century.

Ellis Island/Angel Island

• Immigrant processing centers in the New York Harbor and San Francisco Bay.

Nativism

• Favoring native-born citizens over immigrants.

Chinese Exclusion Act

• Legislation prohibiting Chinese immigration.

Gentlemen’s Agreement

• Agreement between the U.S. and Japan restricting Japanese immigration.

Urbanization

• Growth of cities and populations.

Americanization

• Process of adopting American culture.

Tenement

• Poorly built apartment building housing many people in urban areas.

Social Gospel

• Religious movement promoting social reform.

Settlement House

• Community centers providing social services in urban areas.

Political Machine

• Powerful political organization controlling city politics.

Boss Tweed

• Corrupt political boss of Tammany Hall.

Pendleton Act

• Legislation reforming the civil service system by introducing merit-based hiring.

Architecture in the turn of the century

• Architectural styles influenced by industrialization and European trends.

The Wright Brothers

• Inventors of the first successful airplane.

George Eastman

• Inventor of the Kodak camera, revolutionizing photography.

Booker T. Washington

• Advocate for African American education and economic advancement.

Tuskegee Institute

• Historically black college founded by Booker T. Washington to prepare African Americans to participate in the economy.

W.E.B. Du Bois

• Civil rights leader, Pan-Africanist, and influential scholar.

Jim Crow Laws

• State and local laws enforcing racial segregation.

Plessy v. Ferguson

• Supreme Court decision upholding racial segregation.

Poll Tax

• Tax required for voting, used to disenfranchise African Americans

Grandfather Clause

• Clause used to prevent African Americans from voting.

Segregation

• Separating people based on race.

William Randolph Hearst

• Newspaper magnate known for yellow journalism.

Joseph Pulitzer

• Newspaper magnate known for yellow journalism.

Mark Twain

• Author of prominent novels and essays commenting on American society.

Progressive Movement

• Social and political reform movement.

Prohibition

• Nationwide ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol.

Muckraker

• Investigative journalists exposing social ills.

Scientific Management

• Business theory prioritizing efficiency in the workplace.

Upton Sinclair/The Jungle

• Novel exposing unsanitary conditions in American meatpacking plants.

Teddy Roosevelt

• Progressive president famous for conservationism.

Meat Inspection Act

• Federal law regulating the meat packing industry.

Pure Food and Drug Act

• Federal law regulating the labeling and ingredients of foods and drugs.

Conservation

• Protecting natural resources and environments.

NAACP

• Civil rights organization working for racial equality.

Taft and Progressivism

• Presidency of William Howard Taft and its stance on progressive issues.

Woodrow Wilson and Progressivism

• Presidency of Woodrow Wilson and his approach to progressive reforms.

Federal Trade Commission

• Independent agency ensuring fair business practices.

Federal Reserve System

• Central bank of the U.S., regulating the economy.

19th Amendment

• Amendment granting women the right to vote.

Imperialism

• Policy of extending a nation's power through diplomacy or military force.

Hawaii

• Island nation annexed by the U.S.

Queen Liliuokalani

• Last monarch of Hawaii.

Sanford Dole

• Businessman involved in overthrow of Hawaiian monarchy.

Alfred T. Mayan

• Naval strategist that promoted U.S. expansion and naval power.

Alaska

• Territory purchased from Russia.

Seward's Folly

• Nickname for the purchase of Alaska.

Yellow Journalism

• Sensationalist journalism often exaggerating or distorting facts.

Jose Marti

• Cuban revolutionary.

Valeriano Wyler

• Spanish General during the Spanish-American War.

U.S.S. Maine

• U.S. battleship that exploded in Havana Bay.

Commander Dewey

• Admiral who led the U.S. naval victory in the Philippine island.

Rough Riders

• Volunteer cavalry unit fighting in Spanish American War.

Spanish American War Victory Territories

• Territories acquired by the U.S. following the Spanish American War.

Protectorate

• Relationship where a stronger nation controls a weaker nation for its benefit.

Emilio Aguinaldo

• Filipino revolutionary and political leader.

Open Door Policy

• U.S. policy advocating for equal access to trade in China.

Boxer Rebellion

• Anti-foreign uprising in China.

Panama Canal

• Canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Roosevelt Corollary

• Addition to the Monroe Doctrine asserting U.S. right to intervene in Latin America.

Dollar Diplomacy

• U.S. foreign policy using economic power instead of military power to influence other nations.

Pancho Villa

• Mexican revolutionary leader.

Emiliano Zapata

• Mexican revolutionary leader.

General Pershing

• U.S. General leading the expedition into Mexico.

Nationalism

• Devotion to one's nation.

Militarism

• Glorification of the military and its use.

Allies

• Countries allied against the Central Powers in WWI.

Central Powers

• Countries allied against the Allies in WWI.

Frank Ferdinand

• Archduke of Austria whose assassination triggered WWI.

No Man’s Land

• Area between opposing trenches in WWI.

Trench Warfare

• Form of warfare where soldiers fight from trenches.

Lusitania

• British passenger liner sunk by a German submarine, influencing U.S. opinion.

Zimmerman Telegram

• Secret communication proposing an alliance that influenced U.S. entry into WWI.

Selective Service Act

• Law establishing a draft for military service.

Convoy System

• Military strategy protecting ships through escorted groups.

American Expeditionary Force

• U.S. troops fighting in WWI.

WWI New Technology Impact: Machine Gun, Airplanes, Poison Gas, Tanks

• Innovations in weaponry and warfare.

War Industries Board

• Government agency regulating war production.

Propaganda

• Spreading information or ideas to influence public opinion.

Espionage & Sedition Act

• Laws restricting dissent and criticism during wartime.

Great Migration

• Movement of African Americans from the South to the North.

Schenck v. United States

• Supreme Court case regarding free speech restrictions during wartime.

Wilson’s 14 Points

• President Wilson's peace plan aiming for post-war stability.

League of Nations

• International organization aiming for peace after WWI.

Treaty of Versailles

• Treaty ending WWI, imposing harsh reparations on Germany.

New Immigration

• Wave of immigrants arriving post-late 19th century.

Reparations

• Payments for war damages.

Isolationism

• Policy of avoiding involvement in international affairs.

Communism

• Political ideology advocating for a classless society.

Capitalism

• Economic system based on private ownership of resources and means of production.

Socialism

• Economic system advocating for social ownership of resources.

Anarchist

• Individual who opposes all forms of government.

Sacco & Vanzetti

• Italian immigrants wrongly convicted and executed.

Quota Act

• Immigration laws restricting immigration based on quotas.

Ohio Gang

• Group of advisors and political supporters to President Warren G. Harding accused of corruption.

Teapot Dome Scandal

• Scandal involving corruption in the Harding administration.

Urban Sprawl

• Uncontrolled outward growth of cities.

Commercial Travel

• Travel for business or shopping.

Modern Conveniences

• New inventions easing daily life.

Advertising Industry

• Growing industry promoting goods and services.

Credit/Installment Plan

• Payment schemes for goods over time.

18th Amendment

• Amendment establishing Prohibition.

Speakeasy

• Secret bars operating during Prohibition.

Bootlegger

• Person illegally making and selling alcohol.

Fundamentalism

• Belief in literal interpretation of religious texts.

Scopes Trial

• Court case highlighting tension between science and religious beliefs.

Flappers

• Women who embraced new fashions and social freedoms.

The Mob

• Organized crime groups during Prohibition.

Charles Lindbergh

• First person to fly solo across the Atlantic.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

• Author known for novels about the Roaring Twenties.

Ernest Hemingway

• Author known for his writing style and stories about war and the human condition.

Jazz Music

• Musical genre born in African American communities and gained popularity.

Cotton Club

• Famous Harlem nightclub hosting jazz performances.

Spectator Sports

• Organized sports events for entertainment.

Harlem Renaissance

• Period of cultural flourishing for African Americans.

Zora Hurston

• African American writer and anthropologist.

Langston Hughes

• Important American writer and poet of the Harlem Renaissance.

Louis Armstrong

• Important trumpet player and singer.

Bessie Smith

• Important American blues singer.

Early Republic (Post-Constitution)

• Challenges included defining federal-state power balance, developing a national economy, and handling international relations.
• Federalists (strong central government) and Democratic-Republicans (states' rights and agriculture) clashed.
• Whiskey Rebellion tested federal law enforcement.
• Louisiana Purchase drastically expanded territory and raised questions about westward expansion and enslaved people.
• War of 1812 strengthened American nationalism.

Era of Good Feelings

• Monroe's presidency saw apparent national unity and optimism, though slavery tensions were simmering beneath the surface.
• Missouri Compromise (1820) attempted to address slavery's expansion but was temporary.
• Corrupt bargain of 1824 showcased sectionalism and political maneuvering.

Jacksonian Democracy

• Andrew Jackson's presidency shifted power to a more democratic ideal, benefiting common people.
• Indian Removal Act and rise of political parties were controversial actions.
• Second Bank of the United States shaped economic policies.

Reform Movements

• Driven by religious revivalism, social awareness, and moral improvement, reform movements included abolitionism, women's rights, education reform, and others.

Manifest Destiny and Expansion

• Belief in Manifest Destiny fueled westward expansion (Texas, Oregon, Mexican Cession).
• Expansion created tensions over slavery, Native American treatment, and shaping new territories.
• Mexican-American War significantly expanded U.S. territory.

Sectionalism and the Road to Civil War

• Slavery tensions between North and South intensified.
• Compromise of 1850 (temporary solution) failed to resolve slavery in new territories.
• Bleeding Kansas and escalating events foreshadowed the Civil War.
• Dred Scott decision fueled sectional divisions.

Civil War and Reconstruction

• The Civil War deeply divided the nation.
• Reconstruction aimed for unification and former slave integration.
• Challenges of land distribution, slave treatment, and Southern resistance plagued Reconstruction.

Industrial Revolution

• Industrialization transformed the U.S., accelerating economic growth and urbanization.
• Rail expansion and factory growth spurred new industries.

Gilded Age

• Rapid economic growth masked significant social inequalities.
• Industrialists amassed fortunes, creating a wealthy elite and a large working class.
• Political corruption and social unrest were rampant.
• Immigration from many countries increased.

Progressive Era

• Progressive reformers addressed social problems (corruption, unsafe working conditions, economic inequality).
• Muckrakers and reforms in various aspects of life emerged.

World War I

• U.S. entrance into WWI significantly shifted the nation's global involvement.
• War impacted the U.S. economy and society profoundly.

The 1920s (Roaring Twenties)

• The 1920s saw social and cultural changes, including increased consumerism, technological advancements, and a flourishing arts and entertainment scene.
• Racial tensions and fundamentalism were present.
• Stock market boom and subsequent crash foreshadowed future economic instability.