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Jamestown
Jamestown was the first English Settlement in North America. It was established by the Virginia Company, who hoped to profit from the colony and were seeking for the Northwest Passage. Jamestown's most profitable export was tobacco, and brought the settlement out of the brink of destruction. In 1618, the Headright System was established to convince new settlers to move to the colonies, offering 50 acres of land to anyone who decided to move there. http://www.history.com/topics/jamestown -
Pilgrims/Puritans
The Massachusetts Bay colony was known as "The City on a Hill" and was established by Puritans. Although the Puritans sought for religious tolerance, they were religiously intolerant. While sailing to the Americas, they wrote the Mayflower Compact, the first written self-government in the Americas. Puritans had a strong work ethic, which helped the colony succeed. Solomon Stoddard implemented the Halfway Covenant in 1662, which reestablished the original religious purpose of the colony. -
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Deism
The ideology that belief in God is linked more with reason and nature. This movement, which is still influential today, is linked hand-in-hand with the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening in the colonies. All 3 movements provided colonists with a reason for rebeliion. http://www.deism.com/deistamerica.htm -
Bacon's Rebellion
Virginia Governor Sir William Berkeley became unpopular among the people because of restrictions placed on voting, high taxes, low tobaccos prices, and a lack of protection against Amerindians. Nathaniel Bacon was a plantation owner who felt the same anger as many of the other people. Bacon recruited an army of angry people, including indentured servants and black slaves, to rally against Berkeley. This revolt placed Berkeley out of power. https://www.landofthebrave.info/bacons-rebellion.htm -
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Mercantilism/Salutary Neglect
Mercantilism is a term coined by Adam Smith, defined as an economic system that encourages high exports and low imports. It relied on the idea that there was a set amount of money in the world. Salutary neglect is the term used to describe colonial violation of economic laws set in place by the British Empire. The British government did nothing to prevent salutary neglect from happening. https://www.landofthebrave.info/salutary-neglect.htm http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Mercantilism.html -
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Great Awakening
This event was a serious of religious revivals that occurred throughout the New World in the 1730s. Colonists began to realize that their religion could be separate from the Church of England and that they could practice their own values. This movement was similar to the Enlightenment in fueling the impending American Revolution. http://www.great-awakening.com/roots-of-revolution/ -
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The French and Indian War (and its effects)
The French and Indian War began in 1754 and ended in 1763. It was fought between the colonials with Great Britain and the French with the Amerindians; the latter won the war. However, heavy taxation through the Townshend Acts and the Stamp Acts on the colonies followed to make up for all of the money lost in warfare. This also marked the end of salutary neglect. The Proclamation of 1763 forbade the establishment of any settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains. Colonists were becoming angry. -
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The Revolutionary War
The colonial fight for independence mostly took place on their own grounds. Because of their familiarity with the land around them and the help of French General Rochambeau's navy, the colonists were able to defeat Great Britain under the brave leadership of George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown.
Start of the War: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSZwEaYHSpc
French Aid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovje92D742s
Battle of Yorktown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpsuEcKW8ZE -
Declaration of Independence
After relentless cries of dissatisfaction to Great Britain, this document was written in order to establish the beginning of the separation between the colonies and the tyrannical Great Britain. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and approved by Congress. Essentially, it was a formal document that outlined the necessities of the colonies. http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/declaration-of-independence/videos# -
The Articles of Confederation
These were the first constitution of the United States. It provided more power to the states and revolved around a weak federal government. This was because of a fear of becoming like the oppressive British government, who had too much power centrally. After Shay's Rebellion occurred in Massachusetts, it was clear that the loosely formulated document was flawed, and that it was time for a different central document to be drafted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/articles.html -
The Treaty of Paris (and British violation of the treaty)
This treaty ended the Revolutionary War, and Great Britain finally agreed to recognize American independence. Many rules were established with the treaty, limiting the powers of Great Britain in the newly free country. For instance, British forts were to be abandoned and land expanded into. However, the British refused to leave any of the Old Northwestern territories. http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/treaty-of-paris -
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The Land Ordinances of 1785 & 1787
The goal of both of the land ordinances were to create and admit new states into the Union in an orderly fashion. The Land Ordinance of 1785 (http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1150.html) implemented a township system regarding the distribution and selling of land through the government. The Land Ordinance of 1787 (http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h365.html) proposed that all land north of the Ohio River, west of the Alleghenies, and east of the Mississippi River would be distributed into states. -
The Constitution
This new document added powers to the federal government such as allowing taxation, the authority to raise an army, and the introduction of the concept of Checks and Balances. There was also a Bill of Rights that promises freedoms and has grown through the years. Federalists supported the document because it established a more centralized government, and the Federalist Papers were written defending the document.
Defending the Constitution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aefuWGmKTY -
The Founding Fathers (and political parties)
George Washington was against the establishment of political parties. He, along with others believed that dividing the government into factions would be nothing but harmful. However, many other founding fathers such as Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson still placed themselves within a political party, for they were both leaders in their own respective parties, Hamilton a Federalist and Jefferson an Anti-Federalist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r161cLYzuDI -
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Ralph Waldo Emerson, James Cooper, and other 19th century authors
Emerson was a transcendentalist poet who proposed many ideas about the connection between spirituality and nature. His famous works include "Self-Reliance" and "The Transcendentalist." Cooper was an author who wrote many romantic novels about the West. his famous works include "Leatherstocking Tales" and "The Pioneer." Other important authors of this time period include Charles Dickens, Walt Whitman, and Edgar Allen Poe. https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=23 -
The Bill of Rights
The purpose of including those first 10 amendments into the Constitution was to place specific limits on the power of the federal government, in fear that history may repeat itself and a tyrannical government be created in the new country. They were written by James Madison to provide a greater range of liberties for citizens. http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/bill-of-rights/ -
Alexander Hamilton (and his economic policies)
In order to rectify the post-war financial situation in which the Union was now placed in, Hamilton proposed a financial plan that would assume state debts (even if the states weren't actually in debt) to pay the federal government back. He also wanted to establish a national bank. Hamilton was backed by Federalists. Anti-Federalists, especially Thomas Jefferson, were extremely against this idea, which gave power to the central government.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBmTdJ4XTfs -
Washington's Neutrality Proclamation
After some debate within his cabinet, George Washington issued the Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 regarding the impending war between Great Britain and France. As a new country, Washington saw it important to side with Alexander Hamilton in staying out of any global conflicts. The conflict later develops into the War of 1812. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0HZUatZtXI -
Washington's Farewell Address
After serving two terms, Washington stepped down from the presidency in order to live the remainder of his life out in peace. However, in his farewell address, he urges the population to be wary of political parties and any treacherous alliances. Alexander Hamilton, a well-known writer and Washington's right-hand man, helped draft the farewell address.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRHOcskOudg -
The Alien and Sedition Acts
Under the John Adams presidency, these acts provided power to deport immigrants for many things and preventing them from voting. They also gave the government the power to imprison anyone who published or spoke anything false or scandalous about the American government. It provided a much more strict central government. The Kentucky and Viriginia Resolutions were written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, declaring these acts to be unconstitutional. http://www.ushistory.org/us/19e.asp -
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Lowell System
This was a labor system that began in Lowell, Massachusetts that prioritized hiring women as the laborers in the newly established factories. Usually textile factories, the women hired were generally younger and came from lower/middle class families. https://www.nps.gov/lowe/learn/photosmultimedia/waltham_lowell.htm -
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Cult of Domesticity
This was the term used to describe the societal expectations of women throughout most of the 19th century in the U.S. Women were expected to raise and educate her children, care for their husband, and tend to the needs of the household (cooking, cleaning, etc.). However, this system applied mainly to the upper and middle class women, while many lower class women ended up working in order to survive. https://csivc.csi.cuny.edu/history/files/lavender/386/truewoman.pdf -
The Election of 1800
This election was between John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Aaron Burr. Adams stood no chance, for his single-term presidency was not a successful one. When Burr and Jefferson came out in a tie, it was up to the delegates of the House of Representatives to decide the winter. When Alexander Hamilton endorsed Jefferson instead of Burr, Jefferson won in a landslide, and Burr became furious, prompting him to kill Hamilton later in a duel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUOfpIPztKM -
Marbury v. Madison
Chief Justice William Marbury was a Federalist Supreme Court Judge appointed in the end John Adams administration. However, while Democratic-Republican President Elect Thomas Jefferson had his Secretary of State pick James Madison had refused to deliver Marbury's commission on time, so Marbury sued Madison when his job did not go through. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/democracy/landmark_marbury.html -
Louisiana Purchase
During Thomas Jefferson's presidency, he bought approximately 828,000,000 square miles of land from Napoleon Bonaparte, the French leader at the time, for only $15 million. It ended up providing territory for up to 15 states in the future. However, it went against some of the things that Jefferson promised in his platform for presidency when he ran. He also arranged the Louis and Clark Expedition to explore the newly bought territory. http://www.history.com/topics/louisiana-purchase -
Eli Whitney (and the invention of the cotton gin)
He invented the cotton gin, which industrialized American agriculture in the South completely. The machine quickly cleaned cotton, which was the main export of the South. It significantly increased the speed of production with its interchangeable parts. http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/cotton-gin-and-eli-whitney -
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Manifest Destiny
This was the ideology behind westward expansion that most Americans held in the 19th century. It prompted millions to pick up their lives and start a new life somewhere between West of the Mississippi River and the Pacific Coast. The Democratic Party was in support of this ideology, while the Whig Party was opposed to it. http://www.history.com/topics/manifest-destiny -
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War of 1812
This war was a long time coming, involving the United States of America, Amerindians, Great Britain, and France. The reason for American involvement in the war was British impressment of American sailors. The Treaty of Ghent ended the war, and nobody particularly ended up winning. Americans had lost a lot in the process, like the burning down of Washington D.C. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMXqg2PKJZU -
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Hartford Convention
The Federalist Party held this series of meetings regarding the War of 1812 and the problems they felt they had to address in regards to the federal government. However, the convention led to the inevitable demise of the political party. -
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Irish Immigration
Due to the Potato Famine in Ireland, there was a huge influx of immigrants during this time period. Making up one-third of all immigrants in the Union, Irish-Americans served an important function, influencing politics in the North/Old Northwest (the anti-immigration party, the Know-Nothing Party was established), as well as being a huge workforce in the factory system.
https://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/irish2.html -
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Titans of Industry
J.P. Morgan formed General Electric through horizontal integration (the acquiring and combining of several companies of the same business together to make one large company). The Standard Oil Company was founded by John Rockefeller as an oil refinery, built up by vertical integration (the purchasing of different types of companies and combination under one large company for one final product). Andrew Carnegie (steel) and Cornelius Vanderbilt (railroads) were also key titans of industry. -
Compromise of 1820/Missouri Compromise
This stablished a system of admitting states into the Union based on slavery. Missouri entered the Union as a slave state, but only because Maine entered the Union as a free state. This "one slave, one free" rule was now applicable to each state who wanted to join the Union from the vast new Louisiana Purchase territory. This also established the 36^o, 30' line, which prevented establishing a slave state above that boundary. http://www.history.com/topics/missouri-compromise -
Monroe Doctrine
President James Monroe issued this statement to warn European countries from getting involved with any of the matters in the Western hemisphere. The goal was to prevent any future European colonization and tyrannical rulings. After the Venezuela Crisis of 1902-03, President Theodore Roosevelt further adapted the doctrine with the Roosevelt Corollary. https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=23 -
Tariff of Abominations/Nullification Crisis
Northern industries were losing a lot of money. This act passed a tariff, under the presidency of John Quincy Adams, on importing goods from other countries that are already made from the North. This angered the South, and it lead to an economic downturn during Andrew Jackson's presidency. Vice President John C. Calhoun assisted in ending the protective tariff for the South, allowing a rebuilding of the economy. http://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1800-1850/The-Tariff-of-Abominations/ -
Andrew Jackson
Jackson's overarching goal was to appeal to and serve the "common man." During his presidency, he passed the Indian Removal Act, which completely uprooted Amerindian tribes and forced them to move west of the Mississippi River. He also expanded suffrage and cancelled the reestablishment of the National Bank, instead implementing state Pet Banks, completely changing the economics of the Union. https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/andrewjackson -
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Transcendentalism
This was the ideology that spirituality, religion, and nature are interconnected. Many scholars and authors were transcendentalists who had a huge impact on American thinking. Important transcendentalists include Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, and Amos Alcott. -
William Lloyd Garrison
He was the editor of the newspaper The Liberator, and an avid supporter of suffrage and an abolitionist. With his newspaper, he published many liberal articles of journalists and politicians who shared the same views as he did. Most importantly however, he founded the New England Anti-Slavery Society, which played a large role in gaining abolitionist supporters in the North as the Civil War was precariously approaching. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1561.html -
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American System (Clay/Whig policies)
This idea was prompted by Henry Clay, a member of the newly formed Whig Party. This suggested that there are 3 successful reinforcing parts to the country. The first was a tariff that promoted transnational industry. The second was a national bank that protected and fostered American commerce. The third was an encouragement of internal improvements subsidized by the federal government such as canals, roads, and railways that facilitated transnational trade. http://www.ushistory.org/us/35b.asp -
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Mexico
After the annexation of Texas in 1845, the Mexican-American War was fought around 1847, and it was especially opposed by the Whig Party. In the Election of 1844, Democrat James K. Polk had beat out Whig Henry Clay, and the party of the Whig Party was subsiding, so the war was still fought. http://www.history.com/topics/mexican-american-war -
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
This treaty, also known as the Mexican Cession, was a result of the Mexican-American War. It provided the border of Texas to be established at the Rio Grande River and a huge chunk of land, bought for $15 million, giving land especially important such as California. -
The Seneca Falls Convention
This was the first convention held to discuss women's rights. It was organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Important women's rights advocates such as Susan B. Anthony attended to discuss the social and political stances of women in the Union. There, the Declaration of Sentiments and Grievances was written, explaining the injustices endured by women. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/seneca-falls-convention-begins -
Popular Sovereignty
This ideology is based on the idea that the political party of an area is vested through the elected officials of the population. It was particularly implemented in reference to slavery, which changed the Missouri Compromise/Compromise of 1820 into allowing or not allowing slavery as the newly annexed territories slowly entered into the Union as states. http://www.ushistory.org/us/30b.asp -
Compromise of 1850
California is to enter the Union as a free state, but according to the Missouri Compromise/Compromise of 1820, with every free state must enter a slave state (and vice versa). Since there were no states ready to join the Union any time soon, in order to appease the South, the government passed the Fugitive Slave Laws. However, they also ended the slave trade in Washington D.C. The North was angry because of the Fugitive Slave Law, and the South was angry because of California and D.C. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois wrote out and aided the passage of this act. It allowed each territory to decide whether to permit or prohibit slavery as states entered the Union through popular sovereignty. This cancelled the Missouri Compromise/Compromise of 1820, which admitted states through the Union that permitted slavery if they were below the 36^o 30' line, along with a free state. http://www.ushistory.org/us/31a.asp -
Dred Scott case
Dred Scott was a slave whose owner took him to Illinois, a free state. Because of this, he attempted to provide himself freedom because he was no longer in a slave state. However because the Constitution labeled slaves as property and not people, the Supreme Court said that Scott did not have the power to claim freedom for himself. This negatively impacted the abolitionist movement and reinforced slave laws. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dred-scott-decision -
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Growth of the Cities
Machine politics ruled many metropolitan areas of the U.S., especially New York City (Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall). Essentially, machine politics were full of scandals and illegal back-handed power moves made by the rich in society. As the benefit of sanitation was increasingly recognized, the standard of living in cities was raised. During this time period was also the strong emergence of the middle class. http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/usra_pol_machines.htm -
John Brown
This man was a radical abolitionist, who fought slavery with violence towards slave owners and the federal government. With his sons, he attempted to raid Harper's Ferry, a federal arsenal. He expected to get support and help from local slaves and abolitionists, but no one beside his sons showed up to aid him. In the end, Brown was caught and jailed. The North considered him to be a hero and the South considered him to be a villain. -
Abraham Lincoln/Republican policy on slavery
In the Election of 1860, Lincoln was elected. The Civil War was beginning, and he was a part of the new Republican Party, who had a strong abolitionist mindset. Just as he had took the presidency, states in the South had already begun seceding from the Union to form the Confederacy. The only southern states to function as border states (states who supported slavery but did not secede) were Kentucky, Missouri, Delaware, and Maryland. https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/abrahamlincoln -
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The Civil War
Slavery was the central cause that ultimately caused the Civil War and divided the country into the pro-slave Confederacy in the South and the anti-slave Union in the North. Ultimately, the North won due to their more industrialized community and larger population.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY9zHNOjGrs , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25HHVDOaGeE , & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzTrKccmj_I -
Emancipation Proclamtion
This proclamation was released by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. It issued the immediate freedom of slaves both throughout the Confederacy and the border states of the Union. This meant that if a slave was able to escape their slavery in the Confederacy, they were automatically free. Because of this, many newly freed slaves joined the war effort in support of the Union once they escaped slavery. http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/emancipation-proclamation -
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Republican Reconstruction
Restrictive "black codes" controlled the labor and behavior of former slaves. The passage of the Reconstruction Act of 1867 temporarily divided the South into 5 military districts and outlined how governments were to be organized. The 14th Amendment gave black Americans citizenship, and the 15th provided them the right to vote. In the Election of 1876, Hayes wins over Tilden (even though Tilden had the popular vote) by promising to remove troops from the South, ending the era of reconstruction. -
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Post Civil War southern society
Sharecropping was essentially an updated version of slavery. The idea was that a landowner allows a tenant (usually poor and black) to live on the land and grow crops in return for a portion of return. Black codes were also an essential part of Post Civil War southern society. They were laws that restricted the new freedoms of black Americans. These later evolved into Jim Crowe laws that dictated societal obligations. http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/carpetbaggers-and-scalawags -
Transcontinental Railroad
This railroad connected the East to the West. It was 1912 miles long, built by 3 different private companies and various land grants given by the U.S. government. It revolutionized travel, making it easier to get across the country. In turn, industry was affected. The economy boomed with the easier way to transport various goods around the U.S. http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/transcontinental-railroad -
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Laissez Faire economics
This economic policy revolves around the idea that the government should stay out of the workings of the free market. It is a strong part of capitalism. This became the label of the U.S. economy starting in the late 19th century at the apex of the Industrial Revolution. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h844.html -
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Gilded Age business cycles
During this time period, the U.S. experienced remarkable economic growth. There was a population boom of about 30 million people in the U.S. due to higher standard of living. Business cycles were periodic swings in output, employment, and prices. Between these business cycles were various economic crisises, such as the Panic of 1873, the Panic of 1884, and the Panic of 1893, most because of westward speculation and weak banks http://www.worldhistory.biz/modern-history/85169-business-cycles.html -
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Frederick Douglass compared to Du Bois
Douglass believed black Americans should push their way into American society if they ever wanted to be accepted in the way they wanted.
DuBois believed in the Pan-Africanism movement. He believed that black Americans needed to play an active role in American society before being accepted in the way they wanted. He pushed for education.
However, both wanted integration to happen as soon as possible.
http://www.huarchivesnet.howard.edu/9908huarnet/rla1a.htm -
Social Darwinism
This phenomenon was based off of Charles Darwin's scientific theory of evolution. The idea revolved around "survival of the fittest" and was adapted to fit the context of the struggle between world powers. This was coined in the late 19th century and was a strong concept in world politics all the way through the age of Imperialism in the mid-20th century. -
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Southern and Eastern European immigrants
Various Southern and Eastern European immigrants were flooding in during the Gilded Age to the U.S. and were increasingly persecuted. Many were either Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox. On the West Coast, many Japanese and Chinese were also flooding in. The "Nativist" movement was founded as an anti-immigration force that caused the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, completely barring Chinese from immigrating to the U.S. http://www.ushistory.org/us/38c.asp -
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Labor Unions
Samuel Gompers formed the American Federation of Labor (AFL), to promote harmony among various unions. John L. Lewis, was the president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). The Wagner Act established the National Labor Relations Board and addressed relations between unions and employers in the private sector. The Taft Hartley Act established guidelines to correct unions' unfair labor practices. Many immigrants were members of labor unions, for they would work for cheap. -
Dawes Act
Under Grover Cleveland's presidency, this act was passed. It enacted the surveying Amerindian tribal land and divided it into individual allotments for each Amerindian. If Amerindians cooperated with the Dawes Act, they were granted citizenship. This was the U.S. government's way of coaxing Amerindian tribes into assimilating into American culture. -
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Progressivism
The Temperance Movement was one of the key reforms of Progressivism, with the 18th Amendment banning the sale and consumption of alcohol. Muckrakers were journalists who attempted to find corruption or wrongdoing in industries and expose it to the public. Muckrakers were responsible for the Meat Inspection Act. City government improved the standard of living in the war against poverty. https://quizlet.com/4609369/apush-progressivism-flash-cards/ -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
This was passed under the presidency of Benjamin Harrison, prohibiting certain business activities of titan businesses -- who, at this point, were more powerful at times than the U.S. government -- in an effort to regulate big businesses. In many cases, the U.S. was now obligated to investigate seemingly unfair monopolies. It was the first step to big business regulation. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/legal-and-compliance/employment-law/pages/shermananti-trustactof1890.aspx -
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Populism
The Populist party evolved from the Grange movement of farmers. Policies included the support of the abolition of national banks, the implementation of bi-medalism, and the direct election of senators. They laid the foundation for the 16th and 17th Amendments. Most members of the Populist party were anti-black American, which alienated voters and led to the ultimate demise of the party. http://www.ncpedia.org/populist-party -
Frederick Jackson Turner Thesis
Frederick Jackson Turner coined the Frontier Thesis stated that American democracy was formed by the American frontier. He claimed that “the existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development.” -
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Plessy vs. Ferguson -- Brown vs. Board of Education
The Supreme Court case of Plessy vs Ferguson ruled that it was entirely constitutional to say that black Americans are "separate but equal," legalizing segregation and Jim Crowe laws. Years later, with the Supreme Court case of Brown vs Board of Education, the ruling was reversed. "Separate but equal" was no longer constitutional, and the school desegregation process began. http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/history-brown-v-board-education-re-enactment -
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Spanish American War
Yellow journalism become a popular phenomenon during the Spanish American War, characterized by exaggeration and sensationalism. It is a cause of America's involvement in the Spanish American War. The was was 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. http://www.history.com/topics/spanish-american-war -
Open Door Policy
This was a statement made by the U.S. to the European powers, stating that China could trade equally with all other countries on the same basis, keeping any one country away from control over China. The issue dealt with spheres of influence in the Far East. -
Ford/Model T/assembly line
Henry Ford installed the first moving assembly line for the mass production of an entire automobile. This revolutionized factories because it was inexpensive, far more productive, and efficient. The Ford Model T was the cheapest car yet to be produced. -
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WWII draft and difference from WWI draft
To prepare for the war and increase the size of the army, the first peacetime draft in US history, called the Selective Service Act was drawn for WWII. During WWI, there was a selective index of men who could register to enlist and were encouraged to do so, but there were never mandatory drafts. http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-students/ww2-history/take-a-closer-look/draft-registration-documents.html -
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Post-WWI attitude of Americans
The government leaned toward a foreign policy of isolationism while the public embraced a spirit of nativism. After emerging from the darkness of the First World War, American youth rejected the continuation of Victorian mores. http://classroom.synonym.com/postwar-american-attitudes-1920s-10725.html -
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1920's Literature
Lost Generation writers became popular between the two wars. This included Ernest Hemingway, Aldous Huxley, F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Elliot, and John Steinbeck. Sinclair Lewis was a key figure of this time, a heavy-drinking journalist who belittled small-town America; he was a master of satire. https://writersinspire.org/content/lost-generation -
League of Nations
The League of Nations was the international organization with the goal to keep world peace after the horrors of WWI, as a result of the Paris Peace Conference. It was the 14th point in President Woodrow Wilson's 14 Point Peace Plan. Even though Wilson pushed hard for the U.S. to join, Congress ultimately decided not to, in the fear that it would have taken away our self-determination, and Congress could not decide whether to go to war or not. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/league -
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Andrew Mellon economic policies
Andrew Mellon served as the Secretary of Treasury under the presidencies of Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. Mellon's philosophy was one of debt reduction, tax reduction, and a balanced budget. The Mellon Plan was his tax reform scheme, based on the theory big business would prosper in proportion to the lightening of its tax load and its profit would be transferred to the rest of the Nation. https://www.treasury.gov/about/history/Pages/awmellon.aspx -
Naval Building limitations
The Five-Power Treaty established naval building limitations by agreeing to prevent an arms race by limiting naval construction, signed by the governments of the U.K., the U.S., Japan, France, and Italy. It was drawn up and signed at the Washington Naval Conference. -
Scopes Trial and cultural conflict
A high school science teacher taught his class about evolution, in violation of Tennessee state law. His lawyer was the legendary Clarence Darrow. The state used William Jennings Bryan, a 3-time presidential nominee for the Populist party and a fundamentalist. The jury found Scopes guilty of violating the law and fined him $100. Bryan and the anti-evolutionists claimed victory, and the Tennessee law would stand for another 42 years. -
Kellogg-Briand Pact
This pact was signed between Germany, France, and the U.S. to prevent the uprising of a second world war. Essentially, it renounced the use of war and called for the peaceful settlement of disputes. Calvin Coolidge signed the act into existence. -
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Herbert Hoover's attitude toward welfare and handouts
President Herbert Hoover refused to involve the federal government in forcing fixed prices, controlling businesses, or manipulating the value of currency, all of which he felt were steps towards socialism. He thought welfare and governmental handouts would weaken public morale. Instead, he relied on policies of volunteerism to bring the U.S. out of the Great Depression.
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/new-deal/resources/herbert-hoover-great-depression-and-new-deal-1931%E2%80%931933 -
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Great Depression
This devastating period of American history began with the Wall Street stock market crash. During the Roaring '20's, Americans abused the new credit system set up. Investors' reckless speculation in the stock market contributed to the crash. The government had no fallback system, meaning millions of Americans lost absolutely everything they had in the banks. http://www.history.com/topics/great-depression -
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1930's Isolationism
Until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the U.S. maintained policies of neutrality and isolationism in regards to WWII. The combination of the Great Depression and the memory of tragic losses in World War I contributed to pushing American public opinion and policy toward isolationism. The presidential administrations passed a series of neutrality laws to prevent American involvement in the war. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/american-isolationism -
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)
FDR's first 100 days in office were marked by a huge amount of new legislation, to bring the U.S. out of the Great Depression that past president Herbert Hoover had caused. These policies were known as the New Deal. He also used court packing to prevent justices from dismantling the New Deal. His Good Neighbor policy was established to mend relations with Latin American countries. https://millercenter.org/president/fdroosevelt -
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Neutrality Acts
The U.S. government enacted a series of laws designed to prevent the United States from being embroiled in a foreign war by clearly stating the terms of U.S. neutrality. The growing isolationist movement that argued the United States should steer clear of future wars and remain neutral by avoiding financial deals with countries at war. The terms of the Neutrality Acts became irrelevant once the United States joined the Allies. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/neutrality-acts -
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WWII
President FDR passed Executive Order 9066, which mandated the relocation of west coast Japanese-Americans to interment camps. This was prompted by fear from the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. Meanwhile, women began to flood into the workforce, taking over the jobs that men who were drafted into the war left behind. Finally, even though racism ran rampant throughout U.S. society, black Americans still fought for their country and to desegregate.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii -
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Harry Truman
Fair Deal was Truman's policies that all Americans have health insurance, that the minimum wage be increased, and that all Americans be guaranteed equal rights. While Truman was a Democrat, his Congress was Republican, which challenged his ideas often. Both the Korean War and the Cold War were fought as an attempt to contain communism. The U.S. flew the Berlin Airlift to get supplies to the citizens of U.S.S.R.-occupied east Berlin.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/harrystruman -
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1950's
Racial fears, affordable housing, and the desire to leave decaying cities were all factors that prompted many white Americans to flee to the newly built suburbs. The baby boom led to a 20% population growth during the '50's and led to increasing consumer demand. As tensions heightened with the Soviet Union, there was a nuclear war scar. Rock & roll popularization contrasted the post-war domestic tranquility and an economic boom. http://www.history.com/topics/1950s -
McCarthyism
Senator Joseph McCarthy rose to national prominence by initiating a probe to ferret out communists holding prominent positions. During his investigations, safeguards promised by the Constitution were trampled. McCarthy addressed the Senate and made a list of dubious claims against suspected communists. He proved nothing, but the Senate called for a full investigation.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/53a.asp -
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Civil Rights Movement
Black college students would protest by sit-ins, taking seats at white only lunch counters and refusing to leave until served. After Brown vs. Board of Education, school desegregation was beginning to sweep the nation. It took many years after for every school to follow through. Martin Luther King Jr. was a nonviolent Civil Rights activist who gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington in 1964. He contrasted the many radical black leaders who dominated the movement. -
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Vietnam
The Gulf of Tonkin is what fully involved the U.S. in the Vietnam War. During Lyndon B. Johnson's administration, the Vietcong, were fighting to overthrow the Diem regime. He was committed to maintaining an independent South Vietnam and to achieving success in Southeast Asia. During Richard Nixon's presidency, he implemented the strategy of vietnamization to slowly draw American troops out of South Vietnam and protests. http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war -
Sputnik
This was the first artificial Earth satellite, it was launched by the U.S.S.R. and sparked U.S. fears of Soviet dominance in technology and outer space. It launched the Space Race to fight to get the first man on the moon and further heightened the tensions of the Cold War. -
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1960s Protests
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Free Speech Movement protested the violence of the Vietnam War. Meanwhile, counter-culture movement created the stereotype of the hippie, many of which who became addicted to drugs (LSD) and were marked by new music by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Jim Morrison (Woodstock Music Festival). These were baby boomer babies all grown up, rebelling in their own way. Finally, the Women's Movement worked to increase equality in education and employment. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union engaged in a tense political military standoff over the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. President John F. Kennedy declared that he would enact a naval blockade around Cuba and that he was prepared to use military force if necessary. This was avoided when the U.S. agreed to U.S.S.R.'s offer to remove the missiles if the U.S. would promise to not avoid Cuba, as well as take their own missiles out of Turkey. -
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Lyndon B. Johnson
Johnson wanted a "Great Society" that eliminated the troubles of the poor. He signed the Civil Rights Act outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This was a revolutionary part of the Civil Rights movement, and officially ended segregation, Jim Crowe laws, and gave black Americans the rights they fought so long for. -
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WWII
