Democracy
a form of government that is run for and by the people, giving people the supreme power.
Constitution of the United States
sets out the laws and principles of the government of the United States. Includes the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution and detail the protection of individual liberties.
1st Amendment
states that "Congress shall make no law" restricting freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.
13th Amendment
abolished slavery.
14th Amendment
guarantees citizenship and rights to all people born or naturalized in the United States
15th Amendment
guarantees the right to vote to all citizens regardless of race.
18th Amendment
bans the distribution of alcohol and 21st Amendment repeals the 18th making alcohol legal again
19th Amendment
extends the right to vote to women
24th Amendment
bans poll taxes, which along with literacy tests and the grandfather clause, were originally used as tools to limit African Americans voting rights
26th Amendment
sets the voting age at 18
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning
Plessey v. Ferguson (1896)
the Supreme Court allowed for "separate but equal" facilities for blacks and whites
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
the Supreme Court ruled on the conduct for police interrogations of criminal suspects held in custody
Tinker v. Des Moines School District (1969)
the Supreme Court ruled on freedom of speech rights in schools.
April 9, 1865
Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate Army to Ulysses S. Grant ending the Civil War
March 25, 1911
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire killed 146 women, many of who were child laborers, and brought attention to poor working conditions in sweatshops.
June 28, 1914
WWI began with the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and
11am on November (11th month) 11th, 1918
WWI ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty included harsh punishments for Germany, leading to World War II.
October 29, 1929
Black Tuesday" is the day that the Stock Market crashed, eventually leading the US into the Great Depression
December 7th, 1941
A day which will live in infamy," is the day that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor
June 6, 1944
D-Day began US involvement in WWII in Europe as US troops stormed the beaches in Normandy, France
July 21, 1969
Neil Armstrong is first man to step on the moon, symbolizing a victory in the space race
November 9, 1989
The Berlin Wall falls, symbolizing the end of the Cold War
September 11th, 2001
Terrorist attacks using airplanes occurred leading the US to declare a War on Terror
Reconstruction Era
the attempt to rebuild the South after the Civil War (1865-1877)
Jim Crow Era (1877-1954)
named for a minstrel show character, included laws that segregated the races and were examples of the racist beliefs that the South still held onto after Reconstruction.
Great Migration (1915-1970)
Movement of African Americans from the South to the North for jobs.
Industrialization Era
began in the late 1800's. American industrialists used raw materials, a large labor force, new technology and large amounts of capital to increase production and build the US economy
Progressive Era (1890-1920)
individuals who sought to fix political and social issues at the local state and federal levels of government. Jane Addams a progressive reformer who set up Hull House, a settlement house in Chicago, to provide support for the poor in the community.
Sioux Indian Wars
series of armed conflicts between Indians of the northern plains and the U.S. Army, and the surrender of Chief Joseph is an example of Native American resistance to western expansion.
Prohibition Era (1920-1933)
when the sale of alcoholic beverages was forbidden in the US by the 18th Amendment. Leads to a rise of organized crime
Great Depression (1931-1940)
included large amounts of unemployment, causing poverty throughout the US
Cold War (1945-1991)
a conflict between the United States (democracy and capitalism) vs. the Soviet Union (communism) that developed after WWII. The fear of the nuclear weapons keeps the conflict from turning into a hot war.
Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968)
actions taken by African-Americans to achieve their civil rights, or equal protection under the law.
Abraham Lincoln
the 16th President of the United States who successfully put the Union back together only to be assassinated 5 days after the Civil War ended. Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address presented his plan to help heal and restore the country after four years of C
Henry Ford
increased the production of the automobile by developing the idea of the assembly line
Immigrants
individuals come into the country from another country. Many immigrants to the US were forced to assimilate, or accept the American culture. Nativists have the attitude toward preventing immigration. The Chinese Exclusion Act is a law that limited immigra
Muckrakers
informed the American public of the problems of society. Thomas Nast (cartoonist who exposed government corruption), Upton Sinclair (writer who exposed unsanitary working conditions), Ida Tarbell (attacked unfair practices of Standard Oil Co.) and Jacob R
Boss Tweed
a corrupt political boss in New York City who controlled all aspects of the local NYC government
Booker T. Washington and WEB Dubois
African American reformers who worked to advance the place of African Americans in society by increasing the civil rights of African-Americans.
Theodore Roosevelt
the 26th American President who fought in the Spanish American War, "busted" bad trusts, conserved the American landscape, and defended the Western Hemisphere with a "big stick
Woodrow Wilson
the 28th President brought his Fourteen Points plan for world peace to post-WWI Treaty of Versailles negotiations, but his plan for the League of Nations was not supported
Franklin Roosevelt
the 32nd, and longest serving US President, who battled polio while leading the US through the Great Depression and World War II. His plan credited with getting the US out of the Great Depression is called the New Deal. This plan called for creating jobs
Rosie the Riveter
a character who symbolized the women who took over jobs in war production factories on the home front during World War II
Harry Truman
became the 33rd US President and ended World War II by deciding to use the atomic bomb, promised to defend any country around the world against communism and applied this Doctrine by defeating the communist North Koreans during the Korean War
John F. Kennedy
was the 35th US President who supported civil rights, the exploration of outer space, the arts, and a volunteer program that invited Americans to come to the aid of people in developing countries called the Peace Corps. In foreign policy, he confronted ma
Lyndon B. Johnson
the 36th US President who's plan to help the poor, elderly and less fortunate was called the Great Society
Martin Luther King
an important leader of the Civil Rights Movement who was awarded a Nobel peace Prize for his non-violent efforts to win equal rights for African-Americans
Richard Nixon
the 37th US president who ended the Vietnam War and opened relations with communist China, but was forced to resign after it was discovered that he was involved in the Watergate "cover-up
Ronald Reagan
the 40th US President who made cuts to social programs and taxes in an attempt to stimulate the economy.
Ellis Island and Angel Island
the busiest processing stations for immigrants coming into the United States. Immigrants came to the US to escape challenges in their homeland and to experience the freedoms of the United States.
urbanization
the increase in the size of cities because of the job opportunities that cities provide. Technological advances in building allowed for a rapid growth of cities, like New York City and Chicago.
Promontory Point, Utah
the site where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroad companies met to drive the "Golden Spike," symbolizing the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad and opening interstate commerce across the US
Cuba
90 miles off the coast of Florida and was the site of the sinking of the USS Maine, starting the Spanish-American War in 1898 and also became a Cold War hot point with the rise of power of Fidel Castro and the Cuban Missile Crisis
Panama Canal
in Central America creating faster shipping routes around the world
Great Plains
place where many pioneers made their homes and the location of the Dust Bowl, which forces thousands to move west when a drought in the area occurs during the Depression Era
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
two sites that the US dropped Atomic bombs in attempts to force the Japanese to surrender at the end of World War II
home front
is the place where the citizens take action to support the soldiers on the fighting fronts. The American people make sacrifices with rationing, war bond campaigns and pressures on the families of soldiers.
Vietnam and Korea
Southeast Asian nations that were both Cold War battlefronts where the US involved itself in an attempt to stop the spread of Communism while dividing the American society's opinion of the war
Iraq
the site of two US conflicts. The first in 1991 occurred when Iraq and their dictator Saddam Hussein invaded their neighbor Kuwait. The second began in 2003 with the US attempts at creating another democratic nation in the Middle East.
suburbs
communities that become a popular place after World War II to raise a family. This is the area in between urban (city) and rural (country) areas.
Montgomery, Alabama
one of the busiest cities of the South where African-Americans struggled to achieve their Civil Rights during the 1950s and 1960s. Best known for a year long bus boycott that end segregation of public transportation
Populism
the support for the concerns of ordinary people over the elite, started with a reform effort by farmers in response to industrialization
War propaganda
information used to influence people's opinions or behaviors to gather public support for US involvement in the wars
War restrictions
on citizens after United States entry into the war, including rationing supplies, the Espionage Act (1917) and the Sedition Act (1918).
World War I military technologies
while fighting with trench warfare, chemical weapons, machine guns, and aircraft resulted in unprecedented number of casualties
Freedmen's Bureau
is federal agency set up to help former slaves after the Civil War
Sharecropping
the labor system that replaced slavery, where the newly freed slaves entered agreements with former masters to work their land. Freedmen are entered into a cycle of poverty that was difficult to leave.
Monopolies
were formed so corporations could control an entire industry by eliminating competition. John D. Rockefeller created a monopoly to control the oil industry. Andrew Carnegie was a leading American industrialist who controlled the steel industry and became
labor unions
represent the worker to improve wages, and create safer work environments and fairer working hours. With the increase of Industrialization, working conditions worsened and children were used as laborers. Labor laws were passed.
removal Native Americans from traditional lands
resulted in the creation of reservations and efforts to assimilate Native Americans through the creation of boarding schools and the Dawes Act.
Imperialism
a more powerful nation taking over a weaker one. The US follows this policy as they attempt to gain greater amounts of raw materials and new markets. Imperialism causes conflict between powerful nations as they compete for colonies throughout the world
Yellow Journalism
using exaggerated news stories to gain support for a cause. This type of journalism is considered to have caused the Spanish American War because the news coverage of the sinking of the USS Maine in the Cuba Harbor
Diplomacy
how one government deals with another. Teddy Roosevelt used naval ships in his gunboat diplomacy, Wilson used the idea of peace in his moral diplomacy and Taft traded money for bullets with his dollar diplomacy. Secretary of State John Hay requests an "op
Stocks
shares of a corporation that are purchased by the public. Dividends are the stockholders share in the profits of that corporation
Social Security
the government system of unemployment insurance and care for dependent mothers and children, the handicapped, and guaranteed retirement payments for enrolled workers beginning at age 65
Axis vs. Allies
(Italy, Japan and Germany) vs (Great Britain, US and France) are the two alliances during WWII
Holocaust
the systematic genocide (mass killing) of the Jewish people and other minority groups by the German Nazi party
Japanese-American Internment
the reaction of the American government to the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by containing the Japanese-Americans on the West coast to ensure national security
United Nations
an international peacekeeping organization formed after World War II.
Marshall Plan
an attempt by the American government to keep communism out of Western Europe by providing aid (money) to rebuild Western European nations after WWII
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or the NAACP
is set up to assist African Americans in their fight for the Civil Rights, often giving legal representation for Civil Rights issues.
Civil Disobedience
the refusal to obey a government law or laws as a means of passive resistance because of one's moral conviction or belief.
Primary Sources
the original records of an event. They include eyewitness reports, records created at the time of an event, speeches, and letters by people involved in the event, photographs and artifacts
Secondary Sources
the later writings and interpretations of historians and writers, like textbooks and articles, provide summaries of information found in primary sources.