Midterm Flashcards

1
Q

What is the system of checks and balances with the U.S government?

A

A federal principle of American Government, guaranteed by the Constitution, whereby each branch of the government has some measure of influence over the other branches and may choose to block procedures of the other branches

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2
Q

What is unrestricted submarine warfare? What did it cause?

A

Type of naval warfare in which submarines sunk vessels such as freighters and tankers without warning

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3
Q

Who argued for “life, liberty, and property”? What U.S founding document did this influence?

A

John Locke

Declaration of Independence (Thomas Jefferson)

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4
Q

Explain the social contract between the U.S and Great Britain. Which document broke this contract?

A

U.S was a colony of Great Britain, therefore they were supposed to be treated equally and under the same laws as British citizens

Broke the Declaration of Independence

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5
Q

What was the Lusitania? What happened to it? When did it happen? Why was is significant?

A

British ocean liner that was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915

128 Americans died

Made America want to enter WWI

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6
Q

Explain the First Red Scare.

A

Rounding up and deportation of several hundred immigrants with radical political views by the federal government

Happened in 1919 and 1920

Caused by fear of subversion by communists in the U.S after the Russian Revolution

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7
Q

What do anti-federalists believe system of government should be?

A

Opposed the ratification of the new federal Constitution in 1787

Feared a powerful and potentially oppressive national government (a government dominated by wealthy aristocrats, and the absence of a bill of rights in the new constitution)

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8
Q

Who were the federalists and what did they want our system of government to be?

A

Supported of federal government, especially the U.S Constitution

Major political party in the early years of the U.S that wanted a strong central government

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9
Q

What is TOTAL WAR?

A

War that is unrestricted in terms of the weapons used, the territory or combatants involved, or the objectives pursued, especially one in which the laws of war are disregarded

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10
Q

Which countries suffered the most deaths in WWI?

A
Russia: 1,750,000
Germany: 1,600,000
France: 1,400,000
Austro-Hungary: 900,000
Italy: 700,000
Great Britain: 650,000
U.S.A: 50,000
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11
Q

Who wrote the 14-point program?

A

President Woodrow Wilson

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12
Q

What was the main goal of the 14-point program?

A

World peace

League of Nations

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13
Q

What started the Palmer Raids? What were the Raids about? Who was involved? Why was it an infringement on our first amendment rights?

A

Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer and other prominent political figures were sent bombs in the mail

Assumed that communists and anarchists sent the bombs, so they went on raids to put the suspected people in jail or deport them

Went against the first amendment of freedom of speech, religion, press, and assembly

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14
Q

Where did immigrants settle in the U.S and why?

A

Cities/urban areas because more jobs were available there than in rural areas

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15
Q

Explain Nativism

A

Policy of protecting the interests of the native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants

Xenophobic belief that native-born Americans are better than immigrants within a given country

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16
Q

How many European immigrants came to the U.S in the late 19th and early 20th century?

A

Roughly 20 million immigrants

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17
Q

What are unions? What are their goals and techniques to achieve these goals?

A

Organized association of workers formed to protect and further their rights and interests (a labor union)

Achieved goals through strikes, protests, negotiations

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18
Q

What was the occupation of a large number of Chinese immigrants arriving in the country in the late 19th century?

A

Railroad workers

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19
Q

Provide three examples of voting discrimination that was taking place following the Reconstruction in the south towards African Americans

A

KKK intimidation, Poll taxes, Literacy tests

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20
Q

List 7 inventions of the late 19th century

A

automobile, light bulb, elevator, movie camera, sewing machine, telephone, typewriter, washing machine

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21
Q

What is a transcontinental railroad line? Why was it significant?

A

Train route across the U.S that was finished in 1869 and met in Utah

Project of the Union Pacific company built from the east and the Central Pacific company built from the west

Connected the country and made travel much easier

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22
Q

What is the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882?

A

One of the most significant restrictions on free immigrants in the U.S history, prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers

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23
Q

Explain the De Lome Letter. What war did it help start? Why?

A

Note written by the Spanish Ambassador to the U.S that revealed De Lome’s opinion about Spanish involvement in Cuba and U.S President McKinley’s diplomacy

Helped start the Spanish-American war because Americans were upset that another country was talking badly about our President and country

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24
Q

Explain the difference between a Robber Baron and a Captain of Industry

A

A robber baron is an American capitalist who acquired a fortune in the late 19th century by ruthless means

A captain of industry is a business leader whose means of amassing a personal fortune contributed positively to the country in some way

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25
Q

What were 5 major problems in American society that Progressive Reformers were trying to fix?

A

Corruption in business, Urban issues (overcrowding, disease, etc.), working conditions, women’s rights, immigration reform, prohibition, civil rights issues

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26
Q

List the members of the Triple Entente (Allies)

A

Russia, France, Great Britain

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27
Q

List the members of the Triple Alliance

A

Germany, Austro-Hungary, Italy

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28
Q

Explain the significance of the U.S.S Maine and what war it helped start and why

A

U.S Naval ship that mysteriously exploded in the Havana Harbor

Helped start Spanish-American War

Americans assumed Spain blew it up and wanted to go to war to gain Imperialist possessions

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29
Q

What is the Treaty of Versailles? Who did affect the most and why?

A

Treaty the ended WWI

Affected Germany the most- had to pay huge reparations, took away military power and land

30
Q

How much did Germany have to pay in reparations because of the Treaty of Versailles in modern dollars?

A

$400-500 billion

31
Q

What are muckrakers? What were they trying to accomplish?

A

Journalists who search for and expose real or alleged corruption and scandal, especially in politics

32
Q

What are political machines?

A

Political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and business (usually campaign workers)

Receive rewards for their efforts

33
Q

What two main groups did the KKK discriminate against in 1920s and why?

A

Catholics because they feared that they were more loyal to the Pope than to America

Immigrants because they were bringing in new ideas, cultures, language, ideas, and were making the country illiterate and uneducated

34
Q

Explain Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” and what it helped to improve during the Progressive Era

A

1906 novel written by the American journalists and novelists Upton Sinclair

Wrote the novel to portray the harsh conditions and exploited lives of immigrants in the U.S

Helped to improve the food industry

35
Q

What replaced the Articles of Confederation and why?

A

U.S Constitution replaced it

Articles didn’t have an executive branch, national court systems, different currencies between states, and couldn’t collect taxes

36
Q

What is Prohibition and who supported it?

A

The prevention by law of the manufacture and sale of alcohol in the US between 1920 and 1933

Supported by progressives, women, and the KKK

37
Q

Where did Americans from the rural areas move to in the US in the late 19th century and why?

A

moved to cities because there was more jobs

38
Q

What is the Declaration of Independence?

A

fundamental constitution document establishing the US as a nation

adopted on July 4th, 1776

Ordered and approved by the continental congress

broke the social contract between the US and Great Britain

39
Q

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

A

Thomas Jefferson

40
Q

Explain the League of Nations and the purpose of this organization

A

international organization established after WWI under the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles

tried to establish world peace and protect against future world conflicts

41
Q

what is women’s suffrage?

A

women’s right to vote

19th amendment

42
Q

What time period is the 19th, 20th, and 21st century?

A

19th: 1800-1899
20th: 1900-1999
21st: 2000-2099

43
Q

what freedoms does the constitution guarantee?

A

Bill of Rights

1st 10 amendments

Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly

44
Q

What are the Jim Crow Laws? Provide examples

A

Racial segregation laws enacted after the Reconstruction period in Southern United States at local and state levels

In force until 1965

ex: no walking along railroads, no interracial marriage, segregation of all public spaces, segregated military

45
Q

How long did the Spanish-American War last?

A

15 weeks

46
Q

What is the Zimmerman Telegram?

A

Message that came as a coded telegram from Germany to Mexico on January 16, 1917

It was an attempt to persuade Mexico to attack the United States and promised to return all of the territory they had lost in the Mexican-American war

47
Q

Explain the Articles of Confederation

A

Original constitution of the US, ratified in 1781, which was replaced by the US Constitution in 1789

Were many problems with it
(couldn’t tax citizens, no national currency, no executive branch, weak central government, no national army)

48
Q

What are two positives things that occurred when the Articles of Confederation was in place?

A

Won the Revolutionary War

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

49
Q

What are two negative things that occurred when the Articles of Confederations was in place?

A

Couldn’t collect taxes, no national currency, no executive, no national army

50
Q

What are the poll taxes and who were they meant to affect?

A

tax applied to voters

meant to affect African Americans

51
Q

What are literacy test and who were they meant to affect?

A

part of voter registration by southern state legislature

used to deny suffrage to African Americans

52
Q

What four territories did the US acquire after winning the Spanish-American War?

A

Guam, Guantanamo Bay, Philippines, Puerto Rico

53
Q

List 4 positives of Imperialism

A

Spread Christianity, Gain natural resources, modernize natives, new technology, civilize native

54
Q

List 4 negatives of imperialism

A

Destroys culture and religion, takes natural resources, wars/revolutions/deaths occurred, exploitation of native people (slavery)

55
Q

Describe an immigrant’s journey to Ellis Island

A

Took 2-3 months and was hot, dirty, cramped, diseased, lack of food

56
Q

Describe an immigrant’s process once they arrived at Ellis Island

A

Required to undergo a medical inspection to make sure they were fit to enter America and were sent back if they didn’t pass

Had to have at least $25 so they could find a place to stay until they found employment or they got sent back

Once they entered, they were preyed upon by political machines to try and receive votes

57
Q

What is social darwinism?

A

Theory that individuals, groups, and peoples are subject to the same Darwinian laws of natural selection as plants and animals

used to justify imperialism, racism. and discourage intervention and reform

58
Q

What does militarism mean?

A

Belief that a strong military force should be maintained and used aggressively to defend or promote nation interests

Belief that you need to devote a lot of money to military and build the largest military that you can

59
Q

What does Alliance System mean?

A

Defense agreement among nations promising to protect each other if one goes to war or another nation declares war on them

60
Q

What does Nationalism mean?

A

Feeling of intense loyalty to one’s country or group

61
Q

What does Imperialism mean?

A

Policy of extending a country’s power and influence through military force

Usually a larger, more powerful country nation overtaking a smaller, weaker one

62
Q

Why is the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand significant?

A

spark that started WWI

63
Q

What is tenant farming?

A

Farming by a farmer who rents rather than owns the land

64
Q

What is sharecropping?

A

Providing someone with land and equipment in return for a percentage of the crops yield

65
Q

What is debt-peonage?

A

System where an employer compels a worker to pay off a debt with work

Often used as another form of slavery where in reality people could never pay off their debt

66
Q

What is the convict-leasing system?

A

Prisoners were sold to private companies and forced to work for months at a time

Worse than slavery because if they died from exhaustion, people could just go rent more from prisons

slaves were treated better because they were individual property of their owner and often did not want to seriously harm the, which could damage their ability to turn a profit

67
Q

Explain the Bolshevik Revolution

A

Revolution in Russia in 1917-1918

Overthrew the czar and brought the Bolsheviks in, who were a communist party led by Lenin

68
Q

Why did America enter WWI?

A

Lusitania (1915), Zimmerman Telegram, Germany’s Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

69
Q

What is the Bill of Rights? What group wanted it to be part of the Constitution?

A

First ten amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1791, and guaranteed rights and freedoms (speech, religion)

Anti-federalists wanted it

70
Q

List positive changes of the American cities in the late 19th century

A

Population Growth, technological innovations, job opportunities

71
Q

List the negative changes of the American cities in the late 19th century

A

Overcrowding, disease, discrimination, crime, dirty, dangerous/bad factory conditions

72
Q

Why was the American city changing during the late 19th century?

A

Industrial Expansion: rapid expansion of bis business, development of large-scale agriculture, and the rise of national labor unions and industrial conflict

Population growth in cities: Unprecedented amount of immigrants in the US, so cities grew at a drastic rate

Urbanization: workers moved towards manufacturing centers in cities, so agricultural jobs become less common