Ls Ms Ns Ps Rs Flashcards
Labour
The workforce or workers as opposed to employers or owners of factories and other industrial enterprises.
Laissez faire
A belief that the government should not interfere in the economy and that businesses and owners should be allowed to manage their affairs free from regulation.
Case Lochner v. New York 1905.
Ruling declared it unconstitutional to impose a ten hour day on workers as it violated their right to determine how long they worked.
Case Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock 1903
Legal case against US government taken up by Lone Wolf the Kiowa Chief over the government ignoring the agreements made in Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867. The ruling in the case was that Congress could revoke all treaties which allowed the acquisition of more Indian lands.
Manifest destiny
Belief that it was Americans god given right to settle in the rest of the continent. The term was first used in 1845 in the magazine Democratic Review ‘the fulfillment of our manifest destiny is to overspread the continent allocated by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.
Medicine Lodge Treaty 1867
Treaty that established reservation lands for the Kiowa and Comanche tribes. It stated that the agreement of fourth-fifths of the tribes’ males would be needed to change the terms but later the government ignored this leading the Lone Wolf case.
Molly Maguire’s
Irish immigrant miners who formed a secret society to fight for better working conditions. They were involved in a number of strikes in 1873 which led to the organisation being infiltrated and 19 men arrested and hanged.
Monopoly
Where one firm controls the market for particular goods
NAACP
National Advancement Association for Coloured People. Founded in 1909 and was the first successful nationwide civil rights organisation to campaign for African American rights and gain support from both African American and white people.
Nation of Islam
An African American religious organisation founded in 1930.
NCAI - National Congress of American Indians
This was established in 1944 by a group of educated Native Americans from 50 tribes.
National guard
US states as well as having police forces have volunteer part time military forces which are used in emergencies. They are controlled by the governors of the individual states.
National Industry Recovery Act 1933
This Act established the National Recovery Administration. The aim was to bring about co-operation between workers and employers and agreement on working practices. Workers were given the right to organise unions and take part in collective bargaining.
NLRB -National Labour Relations Board
This was established in 1935 and is the government agency responsible for dealing with unfair labour practices in the private sector.
National War Labour Board
First created by President Wilson in 1918 to settle disputes between workers and employers. This ensured that war production would not be interrupted by strikes. It was set up again in 1941 and controlled wage increases.
Native American Religious Freedom Act 1975
This gave them the right to exercise their traditional religions. It also gave them access to sacred sites.
New Deal
The early period of Roosevelt’s presidency from 1933 to 1939 during which time a large number of reforms were passed to tackle the economic and social problems caused by the stock market crash and the resulting Geat Depression.
Nomadic
The word describes the way of life of the Plains Indians. They did not have permanent settlements as they followed buffalo herds.
Pan African
Belief in the need for unity and solidarity among Africans all over the world.
Picketing
During a strike when workers stand outside a place of work to discourage other workers from entering the building.
Polygamy.
Having more than one wife. Custom among Native Americans so that all women were cared for by a male which helped ensure the survival of the tribe. Went against Christian beliefs and was used as further evidence of the need to Americanise Native Americans.
Prohibition
A ban on creation sale and consumption of alcohol introduced in a constitutional amendment 1919. It had already become law in many states. It was replaced in 1933 after problems with enforcement and increasing evidence that it was a cause of crime as gangsters traded in alcohol illegally.
Public accommodations
Areas used by members of the public such as parks washrooms waiting rooms restaurants and so on.
PWA - Public Works Administration
Organisation set up during the New Deal to build large scale public works like dams schools roads and hospitals. It was known as the PWA from 1935 and ran until 1944.
Pullman strike 1894
Although Pullman claimed to be a model employer an economic downturn resulted in it laying off a third of its workforce and cutting wages. It led to a strike and federal troops were sent in to break it. Union members were arrested and leaders did not get their jobs back.
Reconstruction
The process of rebuilding and reforming the 11 Confederate States and restoring them to the union after the civil war.
Red power
Term used to describe young Native Americans in the mid to late 1960s who responded to the example of black power and started to assert their rights.
Red scare
Fear of communism that followed the Russian Revolution of 1917. It led to measures against left wing organisations and suspicion of anyone with left wing beliefs.
