Midterm Flashcards
What is the system of checks and balances with the U.S government?
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
What is unrestricted submarine warfare? What did it cause?
Type of naval warfare in which submarines sunk vessels such as freighters and tankers without warning
Who argued for “life, liberty, and property”? What U.S founding document did this influence?
John Locke
Declaration of Independence (Thomas Jefferson)
Explain the social contract between the U.S and Great Britain. Which document broke this contract?
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
What was the Lusitania? What happened to it? When did it happen? Why was is significant?
British ocean liner that was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915
128 Americans died
Made America want to enter WWI
Explain the First Red Scare.
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
What do anti-federalists believe system of government should be?
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)
Who were the federalists and what did they want our system of government to be?
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
What is TOTAL WAR?
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
Which countries suffered the most deaths in WWI?
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
Who wrote the 14-point program?
President Woodrow Wilson
What was the main goal of the 14-point program?
World peace
League of Nations
What started the Palmer Raids? What were the Raids about? Who was involved? Why was it an infringement on our first amendment rights?
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
Where did immigrants settle in the U.S and why?
Cities/urban areas because more jobs were available there than in rural areas
Explain Nativism
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
How many European immigrants came to the U.S in the late 19th and early 20th century?
Roughly 20 million immigrants
What are unions? What are their goals and techniques to achieve these goals?
Organized association of workers formed to protect and further their rights and interests (a labor union)
Achieved goals through strikes, protests, negotiations
What was the occupation of a large number of Chinese immigrants arriving in the country in the late 19th century?
Railroad workers
Provide three examples of voting discrimination that was taking place following the Reconstruction in the south towards African Americans
KKK intimidation, Poll taxes, Literacy tests
List 7 inventions of the late 19th century
automobile, light bulb, elevator, movie camera, sewing machine, telephone, typewriter, washing machine
What is a transcontinental railroad line? Why was it significant?
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
What is the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882?
One of the most significant restrictions on free immigrants in the U.S history, prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers
Explain the De Lome Letter. What war did it help start? Why?
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
Explain the difference between a Robber Baron and a Captain of Industry
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
What were 5 major problems in American society that Progressive Reformers were trying to fix?
Corruption in business, Urban issues (overcrowding, disease, etc.), working conditions, women’s rights, immigration reform, prohibition, civil rights issues
List the members of the Triple Entente (Allies)
Russia, France, Great Britain
List the members of the Triple Alliance
Germany, Austro-Hungary, Italy
Explain the significance of the U.S.S Maine and what war it helped start and why
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