Freedman's Bureau
The bureau's focus was to provide food, medical care, administer justice, manage abandoned and confiscated property, regulate labor, and establish schools.
Andrew Johnson
A Southerner form Tennessee, as V.P. when Lincoln was killed, he became president. He opposed radical Republicans who passed Reconstruction Acts over his veto. The first U.S. president to be impeached, he survived the Senate removal by only one vote. He w
Wade-Davis Bill
1864 Proposed far more demanding and stringent terms for reconstruction; required 50% of the voters of a state to take the loyalty oath and permitted only non-confederates to vote for a new state constitution; Lincoln refused to sign the bill, pocket veto
10% plan
This was Lincoln's reconstruction plan for after the Civil War. Written in 1863, it proclaimed that a state could be reintegrated into the Union when 10% of its voters in the 1860 election pledged their allegiance to the U.S. and pledged to abide by emanc
Black Codes
Laws passed in the south just after the civil war aimed at controlling freedmen and enabling plantation owners to exploit African American workers
Reconstruction Amendments
13th: abolished and continues to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude, 14th: secured the rights of former slaves after reconstruction, 15th: prohibits each government in the United States to prevent a citizen from voting based on their race
Tenure of Office Act
1866 - enacted by radical congress - forbade president from removing civil officers without senatorial consent - was to prevent Johnson from removing a radical republican from his cabinet
Tweed Ring
At the head of this ring was "Boss Tweed" a crooked politician that said if immigrants voted for him, he in turn would give them jobs.
Plessy vs. Furguson
supreme court case that established the separate but equal doctrine for public facilities.
Election of 1876
Race for the presidency between Republican Rutherford B Hayes and Democrat Samuel J Tilden. The decision of the winner came down to congress but no one knew which house should vote because the Senate was Republican and the House of Reps was Democratic. Co
Compromise of 1877
It was determined that Hayes would be elected to office only if the last remaining troops were removed from the south, this would officially end reconstruction.
Credit Moblier
One of the scandals during Grant's presidency. The Union Pacific Railroad had formed the Credit Mobilier construction company and then hired themselves at inflated prices to build the railroad line. The company then bought several prominent Republican con
Jim Crow
Laws written to separate blacks and whites in public areas/meant African Americans had unequal opportunities in housing, work, education, and government
Populists
formed by farmers (some in debt), wanted a reduced tariff, a graduated income tax, government control of the railroads, extension of the money supply (free silver).
Transcontinental Railroads
These were built across North America in the 1860s, linking the railway network of the Eastern United States with California on the Pacific coast; made communication and trade throughout the country easier; opened west to miners and open range ranching; L
Interstate Commerce commission
First Government Regulatory Agency. Used to regulate commerce and trade specifically the railroads, however it was nominal. In other words, it really didn't do anything.
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
First federal action against monopolies, it was signed into law by Harrison and was extensively used by Theodore Roosevelt for trust-busting. However, it was initially misused against labor unions
Rockefeller/Carnegie/Morgan
very wealthy men who helped drive the economy in the 19th century
Carnegie- steel, Morgan-banking, Rockefeller- oil business
New Immigrants
came from Eastern & Southern Europe not well received and not helped by the federal government .
Nativists
Americans who feared that immigrants would take jobs and impose their Roman Catholic beliefs on society
Booker T. Washington
Prominent black American, born into slavery, who believed that racism would end once blacks acquired useful labor skills and proved their economic value to society, was head of the Tuskegee Institute in 1881.
W.E.B. DuBois
He believed that African Americans should strive for full rights immediately. He helped found the Niagara Movement in 1905 to fight for equal rights. He also helped found the NAACP.
Dawes Act
An act that removed Indian land from tribal possession, redivided it, and distributed it among individual Indian families. Designed to break tribal mentalities and promote individualism. "Forced Assimilation
Homestead Act
Passed in 1862, it gave 160 acres of public land to any settler who would farm the land for five years. The settler would only have to pay a registration fee of $25. However the land was dry and infertile.
Turner's Thesis
argued that the American character was shaped by the existance of the frontier and the way Americans interacted and developed the frontier, he felt that the frontier encouraged individualism and democracy
Farming changes & problems of 1880s
Farmers became very good at making food and prices fall, this means farmers now have to sell more in order to make a good living.
Pullman Strike
In Chicago, Pullman cut wages but refused to lower rents in the "company town", Eugene Debs had American Railway Union refuse to use Pullman cars, Debs thrown in jail after being sued (1894) nonviolent strike (brought down the railway system in most of th
Election of 1896
Republican William McKinley defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan in 1896 because Bryan's policies were considered radical. Bryan was the nominee of the Democrats, the Populist Party. Economic issues, including bimetallism, the gold standard, Free Silv
The Maine
U.S. battleship sent to Havana in early 1898 to protect American interests; it blew up mysteriously in February 1898 killing 266 men. American newspapers blamed the Spanish, helping to cause the war "To hell with Spain! Remember the Maine!". In 1976, it w
Yellow Journalism
One of the causes of the Spanish-American War (1898) - this was when newspaper publishers like Hearst and Pulitzer sensationalized news events (like the sinking of the Maine) to anger American public towards Spain.
Rough Riders
Volunteer regiment of US Cavalry led by Teddy Roosevelt during the Spanish American War
Spanish American War
War fought between the US and Spain in Cuba and the Philippines. It lasted less than 3 months and resulted in Cuba's independence as well as the US annexing Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.
Teller Amendment
Legislation that promised the US would not annex Cuba after winning the Spanish-American war
Plat Amendment
Barred cuba from making treaties with other nations, gave US right to intervene in cuba to preserve independence life & property, required cuba to permit american naval stations on its territory
Insular Cases
These were court cases dealing with islands/countries that had been recently annexed and determined that inhabitants of U.S. territories had some, but not all, of the rights of U.S. citizens.
Philippine Insurrection
Even before the Philippines was annexed by the U.S. there existed tension between U.S. troops and Filipinos. The situation deteriorated and eventually we entered into a war with the Philippines. Emilio Aguinaldo helped Americans fight Spain only to turn o
Roosevelt Corollary
Roosevelt's 1904 extension of the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the United States has the right to protect its economic interests in South And Central America by using military force
Panama Canal
Ship canal cut across the isthmus of Panama by United States Army engineers; it opened in 1915. It greatly shortened the sea voyage between the east and west coasts of North America. The United States turned the canal over to Panama on Jan 1, 2000 (746)
Great White Fleet
1907-1909 - Roosevelt sent the Navy on a world tour to show the world the U.S. naval power with the use of 16 American battleships, painted white
Big Stick Diplomacy
Diplomatic policy developed by T.R where the "big stick" symbolizes his power and readiness to use military force if necessary. It is a way of intimidating countries without actually harming them and was the basis of U.S. imperialistic foreign policy.
Progressive Movement
Reform effort, generally centered in urban areas and begun in the early 1900s, whose aims included returning control of the government to the people, restoring economic opportunities, and correcting injustices in American life.
Muckrakers
This term applies to newspaper reporters and other writers who pointed out the social problems of the era of big business. The term was first given to them by Theodore Roosevelt.
Northern Securities Case
Roosevelt's legal attack (and his first trust-bust) on the Northern Securities Company, which was a railroad holding company owned by James Hill and J.P. Morgan. In the end, the company was "trust-busted" and paved the way for future trust-busts of bad tr
Hepburn & Elkins Act
This 1906 law used the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate the maximum charge that railroads to place on shipping goods.
Square Deal
Progressive concept by Roosevelt that would help capital, labor, and the public. It called for control of corporations, consumer protection, and conservation of natural resources. It denounced special treatment for the large capitalists and is the essenti
Roosevelt's legacy
Changed the role of federal government and nature of the presidency. the american began to look to the federal government to solve economic and social problems
Taft's differences from Roosevelt
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U.S. Steel
- Established in 1901 by J.P. Morgan and Carnegie, it was a combination of steel operations into a single corporation
-company to which Roosevelt gave his political blessing for absorbing Tennessee Coal and Iron company, but was later attacked by taft
The election 1912
Roosevelt (progressive party)vs Taft(D). Battle over who was the most progressive. They end up splitting the republican vote but Taft wins northern and southern democrats.
New Freedom vs. New Nationalism
New Freedom: The policy of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson which promoted antitrust modification, tariff revision, and reform in banking and currency matters.
New Nationalism: Roosevelt-- a government protection of human welfare and property rights. He insi
Triple Wall of Privilege
President Wilson called for an all-out war on what he called "the triple wall of privilege": the tariff, the banks, and the trusts.
His first step, with working with the tariffs, included making an appearance to the Congress in 1913. There, the Underwood
Underwood Tariff
Pushed through Congress by Woodrow Wilson, this 1913 tariff reduced average tariff duties by almost 15% and established a graduated income tax
Federal Reserve Act
Sparked by the Panic of 1893 and 1907, the 1913 Federal Reserve Act created the Federal Reserve System, which issued paper money controlled by government banks.
Clayton Anti-trust Act
- created Federal Trade Commission (investigate companies for unfair trade practices)
- prevent corporate abuses by expanding government's regulatory powers
- corrected problems with Sherman Anti-Trust Act
- outlawed monopolies
Federal Trade Commission Act
A committee formed to investigate industries engaging in interstate commerce. It was created to stop unfair trade practices and to regulate and crush monopolies.
American Neutrality prior to WWI
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Sussex Pledge
A promise Germany made to America, after Wilson threatened to sever ties, to stop sinking their ships without warning and cease submarine warfare.
Zimmerman Note
Written by Arthur Zimmerman, a german foreign secretary. In this note he had secretly proposed a German- Mexican alliance. He tempted Mexico with the ideas of recovering Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. The note was intercepted on March 1, 1917 by the U.S.
14 points
Woodrow Wilson's peace plan, set out before war ended, helped bring it to and end because it helped Germans look forward to peace and be willing to surrender, was easy on the Germans punishment for war. Points included: poeple all over the world are to de
George Creel & CPI
vast propaganda campaign that stressed importance of achieving social unity- distributed pro-war literature, newspaper articles, posters. Became more radical, portrayed Germans as close to savages
Espionage and Sedition Acts
two laws, enacted in 1917 and 1918, that imposed harsh penalties on anyone interfering with or speaking against U.S. participation in WWI
Mobilization Agencies
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American Contributions to Allied Victory
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League of Nations
an international organization formed in 1920 to promote cooperation and peace among nations. Although suggested by Woodrow Wilson, the United States never joined because it was not approved by the senate and it remained powerless; it was dissolved in 1946
Irreconcilables
Senators who voted against the League of Nations with or without reservations
Lodge's 14 Reservations
-Lodge was willing to join League of Nations under 14 conditions
-US would have right to withdraw at any time
-Congress decides who's in League
-US can build up military at will
-no obligation to pay money to the league
-right to interfere with foreign af