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Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence written (largely by Jefferson, w/ help from John Adams & Franklin), based on Locke's theory that government holds contract with people to take care of them -
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American History
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Freethinkers
Thomas Paine in Age of Reason said Christianity was "strangest religion ever",scientific method & reason was applied to religion...Deism God as creator who set things in motion (clockmaker),God not concerned with sin & human actions, supported by Jefferson & Franklin
Universalism & Unitarianism(both created 1770s & 1780s)
grew out of New England congregational churches
rejected predestination, the Trinity, divinty of Jesus
believed Jesus was a great religious teacher/follow teachings -
Establishment of US Constitution, Bill of Rights
Constitution established system that was stronger than Articles of Confederation, created 3 branches of Federal government: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial
Bill of Rights were first 10 Amendments which protected individual rights & state power -
Jackson's Presidency
Jackson supported greater numbers of white males voting, made Western states drop property requirements for voiting, increased voting participation by great amounts -
Trade Unions
Protected Artisans and skilled labor but wouldn't cover factory workers or women -
Women's Rights
Seneca Falls Convention where women compared their plight to that of the slaves, demanded rights and a role in the public shpere, and drafted the "Declaration of Sentiments", using the Declaration of Independence as a model to write it. Gained very little in terms of rights but laid groundwork for later movements -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Master and slave in the north when the master dies, the slave (Dred Scott) makes a case that since slavery was illegal in the north, he was free, but his master's wife claimed that he was still enslaved. Judge ruled that he was still property and didn't even have the right to bring his case before court. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln ordered freeing of all slaves in rebellingg states, didn't initially free all slaves but was precursor leading to the total freeing later. -
13th Amendment
Amendment that made all slavery illegal, as well as made Emancipation Proclimation a legal document -
Freedman's Bureau
Gov't organization designed to help freed slaves and poor whites, assisted groups in finding jobs, creating a bank for former slaves to get loans from -
Civil RIghts Act of 1866
Stated that African Americans were US citizens, and that federal gov't had power to intervene in states to protect their rights -
14th Amendment
Amendment that said that all persons born in US were citizens, and that all citizens were guarenteed equal protection & due process under the law -
15th Amendment
Amendment forbiding gov't from denying voting rights to citizen based on race, color, gender, etc. -
Public Education
With assistance of Frederick Douglas & Freedman's Bureau, all states had free public education of some sort that was avalible to all, as well as establishment of many black colleges -
Jim Crow Laws
After election of 1876 and Southern States re-seized control of their state governments, they instituted laws that made it near impossible for African Americans to vote -
Populist Movement
Proposed many policies that were later enacted, like more equal rights for women/blacks, graduated income tax -
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Age of Booker T. Washington
Former Slave who gained a higher education and used it to inspire African Americans, suggested that blacks could gain rights by gaining economic freedom, ought to gain technical knowledge -
Social Gospel
Movement based in NY promoting social justice, helped lay groundwork for MLK's Civil Rights Movement -
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Age of W.E.B. DuBois
Opposed to Booker T's theory of gaining rights via economic independence, believed that blacks needed to demand their rights immediately. Pushed for: Right to vote, Freedom of Speech, End of Segregation -
Niagara Movement
Started by WEB DuBois, first meeting was in Niagara Falls, Canada, called for more radical apporach to gaining civil rights, eventually lost steam after people began to fear their radicalization -
City Government Reform
Several groups (Greenback Party, Populist Party, etc,) pushed for reform in city politics, resulted in cration of Nonpartisan elections for city leadership positions, secret ballot adobted so that political machines couldn't controll vote. Reduced party power/boss power and led to "Champion Reformers" like Woodrow Wilson -
NAACP
Organization started by WEB DuBois with help from Progressive whites to push goals for blacks such as: End of segregation, equal education for blacks, right to vote, increase in economic opportunities, police protection in South. Spread rapidly across US -
Temprance Movement/Prohibition
Movement to make alcohol illegal, was pushed on a state level for years by Women's groups before being put into effect by 18th Amendment -
Equal Rights Amendment
Pushed by Alice Paul and the National Women's Party, wanted equal rights for men and women, but never passed in the House as it was viewed as too radical -
New Women
Legal: Women had right to US citizenship no matter what, provided federal funds for prenatal care w/ maternity & early infancy.
Socially: Birth of "Flappers", women who challenged the traditional role of women, wore short skirts/pants/shorts/makeup/short haircuts, smoked cigarettes and drank in speakeasys. -
Start of Great Depression
Kicked off by Black Tuesday (stock market crash), led to extremely high unemployment rates and decline in democratic involvement, as well as rise in Communist and Socialist movements -
Desegregation of the Armed Forces
Executive Order 9981 abolishes racial discrimination in the US Armed Forces, issued by Harry Truman -
Brown v. Board of Education
Court decision that ruled that Plessy v. Fergeson was unconstitutional (Separate but Equal was wrong) -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
After Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, a string of bus boycotts ensued by the black community, leading to the desegregation of public buses -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
Bll that tried to protect black voting rights but was too weak, passed by Democrats & signed by Eisenhower -
Freedom Riders
Protest of segregated interstate transportation, white students sit in black sections and vice versa, led to Robert Kennedy + Federal Government enforcing integration -
Birmingham Campaign
Series of nonviolent demonstrations in highly segregated city of Birmingham, AL. Opposition was led by Eugene "Bull" Connor, a Police Commissioner who used tear gas, cattle prods, fire
hoses, dogs on protestors, made massive arrests including MLK, all televised on national news -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
LBJ used his connections to pass through Congress, TV coverage of "freedom summer" brutality helped, banned segregation in public places and allowed enforcement of this, Prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin -
Roe v, Wade
Decision that said that every women in the US has the right to an Abortion -
Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission
Decision that led to the creation of Super PACs, completely changing political landscape -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Decided homosexuals had a fundamental right to marry under the Fifth Amendment Due Process and Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause -
Civil Rights Act of 1965
LBJ also worked through Congress, protected the voting rights of blacks in the South, prohibited things like poll taxes & literacy tests -
Hollingworth v. Perry
Decision that overturned Prop 8 in California -
United States v. Windsor
Struck down the Defense of Marriage Act as it violated the due process cause of Fifth Amendment, based on 2 cases where homosexual couples had to pay more taxes since their unions were not recognized, said federal government had to recognize homosexual unions