Final Exam Flashcards
What is sharecropping?
The most common and exploitative forms of farm tenancy where individuals worked a parcel of land in exchange for a share of the crop, usually around ⅓ after deductions.
What was the significance of Plessy vs Ferguson?
Validated racial segregation in public facilities under the ‘separate-but-equal’ doctrine, which rarely produced equal facilities for African Americans.
What is the Great American Desert known as today?
The Great Plains, characterized by its treeless expanse of prairie grass and dunes.
Who was Chief Joseph?
A peaceful leader of the Nez Perce who led his people towards Canada in 1877 but was ultimately forced to surrender.
What are bonanza farms?
Farms of more than 1,000 acres, most common in the wheatlands of the northern plains.
Define trusts in the context of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Large groups of businesses that worked together to control a market or industry, often monopolies that limited competition.
Who was Henry George?
An American political economist who wrote ‘Progress and Poverty’ and introduced the idea of a ‘single tax’ on land value.
What was the Great Upheaval?
A major railroad strike in 1877 in West Virginia, sparked by wage cuts, resulting in violent confrontations and numerous deaths.
Who was Samuel Gompers?
A labor leader and founder of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) known for his activism in labor rights.
What role did Andrew Carnegie play in American industry?
He helped build the American steel industry and was a major philanthropist after selling Carnegie Steel.
What characterized skyscrapers built between 1870-1900?
Iron-framed structures, passenger elevators, and glass facades.
What were political machines?
Organizations that served immigrants and helped win elections by mobilizing voters.
What was the Social Gospel Movement?
A religious movement aimed at addressing social issues such as poverty and child labor, based on biblical teachings.
What was the Comstock Law?
A federal law passed in 1873 that made it illegal to transport certain materials through the mail.
Who was Victoria Woodhull?
A women’s rights activist and the first woman to run for president of the United States.
Define populism.
A range of political stances emphasizing the common ‘people’ against a perceived ‘elite’.
What was the central issue in the Election of 1896?
The country’s money supply, focusing on the debate between the gold standard and free silver.
What is imperialism?
When a country extends its power and influence over other countries using military, economic, or diplomatic means.
What sparked the Spanish-American War?
The Cuban struggle for independence from Spanish rule.
What was the Open Door Policy?
A foreign policy promoting equal trade and investment in China.
What is progressivism?
A reform movement aimed at advancing the human condition through social reform based on social organization, science, and technology.
What was Prohibition?
The legal ban on the production, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the U.S. from 1920 to 1933.
Who was Robert LaFollette?
An American lawyer and politician who served as governor of Wisconsin and was a prominent political figure.
What did Theodore Roosevelt’s New Nationalism call for?
The end of special protections for businesses and prioritization of human welfare over property rights.
What was Woodrow Wilson’s New Freedom?
A political ideology focusing on economic reform and social justice aimed at promoting small businesses.
Define Dollar Diplomacy.
A foreign policy using economic power to influence other nations, particularly during William Taft’s presidency.
What is moral diplomacy?
Support given only to countries whose beliefs align with that of the nation, proposed by President Woodrow Wilson.
What was the Zimmerman Telegram?
A coded message proposing a military alliance between Germany and Mexico if the U.S. entered World War I.
What was the significance of Schenck vs. United States?
Established the ‘clear and present danger’ test limiting free speech when it poses a threat to public safety.
What was the Flu Pandemic also known as?
The Spanish flu, a global pandemic that caused millions of deaths.
Who was Henry Ford?
An industrialist who made automobiles affordable and introduced the moving assembly line.
What was the Jazz Age?
A period in the 1920s-1930s marked by the rise of jazz music and spectator sports.
What was the Harlem Renaissance?
A cultural movement in the 1920s that celebrated Black literature, art, and music.
What characterized Warren G. Harding’s presidency?
He brought calm to the nation after WWI and created the Bureau of Budget.
What was the Kellogg-Briand Pact?
An international agreement to outlaw war, drafted by the U.S. and France in 1928.
What was Herbert Hoover’s presidency marked by?
A hopeful start that ended with the nation falling into an economic depression.
What was the Dust Bowl?
A period of severe dust storms in the 1930s affecting Oklahoma and Kansas.
Who was FDR?
Franklin D. Roosevelt, who implemented the New Deal and realigned American politics.
What was the New Deal?
A series of programs aimed at addressing the Great Depression through recovery, reform, and relief.
What did the Smoot-Hawley Act do?
Raised tariffs on imports, worsening the Great Depression by reducing global trade.
What was the Good Neighbor Policy?
A resolution denying any country the right to intervene in the affairs of another, accepted in 1933.
What was the Lend-Lease Act?
A policy allowing the U.S. to supply arms to allies during WWII without direct involvement.
What happened during the Pearl Harbor Attack?
Japanese planes attacked U.S. naval forces on December 7, 1941, prompting U.S. entry into WWII.
What was Executive Order 9066?
Allowed the exclusion of individuals from designated areas, specifically targeting Japanese Americans.
What was Operation Overlord?
The Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, marking a significant turning point in WWII.
Define the Cold War.
A period of geopolitical tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union after WWII, characterized by ideological conflict.
What is containment?
A U.S. foreign policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism during the Cold War.
What was the Marshall Plan?
A U.S. initiative providing economic aid to Western Europe post-WWII to rebuild economies and prevent communism.
What does the GI Bill provide?
Financial aid to veterans and their families.
What is modern republicanism?
A political ideology centered on citizenship and self-governance within a modern republic.
What is the Baby Boom?
A significant increase in birth rates following WWII, resulting in the ‘baby boomer’ generation.
What was Sputnik?
The first satellite launched into space by the Soviet Union, marking the beginning of the space race.
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A 13-day confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over nuclear weapons in Cuba.
Define Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).
A military strategy preventing nuclear war by ensuring both parties would be destroyed in the event of conflict.
What is rock and roll?
A genre of music that emerged in the late 1940s to early 1950s, blending rhythm and blues, country, and jazz.
What was the Civil Rights Movement?
A period of activism aimed at ending racial discrimination and securing equal rights for African Americans.
Who was Malcolm X?
A civil rights activist who became prominent after his prison conversion to the Nation of Islam.
What was the Civil Rights Movement?
A time period whenever the rights of African Americans were being fought, expressing political and social activism to end racial discrimination and promote equal rights.
Who was Malcolm X?
An African American civil rights activist who started his journey in prison and was a significant figure in the Nation of Islam.
What was the Great Society?
A set of programs by President Lyndon B. Johnson aimed at eliminating poverty and discrimination against African Americans.
Define Counterculture.
A movement started by the youth to embrace reaching out of the norm, often associated with peace and love.
What was Woodstock?
A music and art fair that celebrated the counterculture movement, attracting half a million people.
Who was Ho Chi Minh?
President of Vietnam from 1945 to 1969, who aimed to overthrow French and Chinese influence and sought Vietnam’s independence.
What is the Domino Theory?
An idea by President Eisenhower suggesting that if Vietnam fell to communism, other Southeast Asian nations would follow.
What was the Tet Offensive?
A series of surprise attacks launched by Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces in January 1968, marking a turning point in the Vietnam War.
Who were the main candidates in the Election of 1968?
George Wallace and Richard Nixon.
What does ‘Silent Majority’ refer to?
A phrase coined by President Nixon referring to Americans who supported his policies but did not express their views publicly.
What was the Moral Majority?
An organization that campaigned for Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election, opposing labor unions and most government social reforms.
What were the Camp David Accords?
Negotiations between Israel and Egypt facilitated by Jimmy Carter, leading to Israel’s withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula.
Who was Ronald Reagan?
The 40th president of the United States, known for realigning conservative policies and seeking smaller government.
What was Operation Desert Storm?
A coalition operation launched in January 1991 to defeat Iraqi troops after Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait.
Who were the main candidates in the Election of 1992?
Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.
What did Bill Clinton achieve during his presidency?
Signed the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act.
What were the 9/11 Attacks?
Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, carried out by al-Qaeda.
What is the USA Patriot Act?
An act expanding government powers for surveillance and investigation of suspected terrorists, created after the 9/11 attacks.
Who is Barack Obama?
A junior senator from Illinois who won the 2008 election against Hillary Clinton and John McCain.
Fill in the blank: The _______ was a major music festival that celebrated the counterculture movement.
Woodstock
True or False: The Tet Offensive was a successful surprise attack that ultimately led to a significant shift in public opinion regarding the Vietnam War.
True
