Landmark Legislation Flashcards
Q: How did the Compromise of 1850 attempt to balance the interests of free and slave states?
- Admitting California as a free state.
- Enforcing a stricter Fugitive Slave Act, requiring the return of escaped slaves.
- Allowing popular sovereignty in the territories of Utah and New Mexico, letting residents decide on slavery.
- Abolishing the slave trade (but not slavery itself) in Washington D.C.
Q: What did the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 do?
It repealed the Missouri Compromise’s prohibition of slavery above the 36°30’ parallel and allowed popular sovereignty to determine slavery status in Kansas and Nebraska territories. This led to intense conflict, violent clashes, and the formation of two opposing governments in Kansas (Bleeding Kansas).
Q: What was the purpose of the Homestead Act of 1862?
The Homestead Act encouraged westward expansion by providing settlers land who agreed to develop and cultivate it for at least 5 years in the western frontiers.
Q: What did the Pendleton Act of 1883 establish?
The Pendleton Act established a merit-based civil service system, reducing the influence of patronage and mandating that government jobs be awarded based on merit.
Q: What is the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination
Q: What did the Civil Rights Act of 1866 focus on?
the first federal law in the United States to define citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected under the law
Q: What is the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1991?
The Civil Rights Act of 1991 strengthened protections against employment discrimination and allowed victims to seek monetary damages for discrimination
Q: What were the Alien and Sedition Acts?
The Alien and Sedition Acts were four laws passed in 1798 that aimed to strengthen national security but were controversial for restricting individual freedoms.
Q: What did the Alien Act do?
The Alien Act allowed the president to deport any non-citizen deemed dangerous to the U.S.
Q: What was the Sedition Act?
The Sedition Act made it illegal to publish false, scandalous, or malicious statements against the federal government.
Q: Why were the Alien and Sedition Acts controversial?
They were criticized for violating the First Amendment’s guarantees of free speech and freedom of the press.
Q: What is the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001?
Passed after the September 11 terrorist attacks, it expanded the government’s surveillance powers to combat terrorism, including individual privacy rights and national security.
Q: What were some initiatives of the Great Society related acts?
Initiatives aimed to eliminate poverty and racial injustice, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Medicare/Medicaid, and the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which expanded social welfare programs.
Q: What was the purpose of the New Deal-related acts?
Passed during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration during the Great Depression to stimulate the economy, create jobs, and reform financial institutions.
Q: What was the Tonkin Gulf Resolution of 1964?
Granted President Lyndon B. Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam without a formal declaration of war after alleged attacks on U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin.
