pre sixth: USA- boom, bust, recovery 1920-1955 Flashcards
Who was in charge of the USA before 1783?**
Britain
What did the 13 colonies do in 1776?**
Issued the Declaration of Independence
What is the constitution?**
A statement declaring who they were and what laws there would be for every American
Generally speaking, how is the way of life in the northern states of the USA different to that in the south?**
The north tended to be more educated and industrialized and so richer, whereas the south tended to be more traditional, rural and less educated
Describe the main differences between New York City and Arizona**
NYC- in the north east, busy, big, financial. Arizona- in the south west, think cowboys, desert, hot climate
What different attitudes are there in the USA to do with race? In which states are the contrasts evident?**
Southern states were pro-slavery during the Civil War an the north east was anti-slavery so the south had high racial tension
What differences were there between the northern states and the southern states?**
The north had moved away from farming to industry whereas the south maintained a large farming economy based on slave labour
What were the Southern states called?**
The Confederate States of America
Who won the Civil War?**
The north
What is the central and most important part of the US political and legal system?**
The constitution
What sorts of things are outlined in the constitution?**
The fundamental citizens’ rights, sets out the government’s basic operating procedures, and establishes the authority of the federal government
What are the three branches of the central federal government?**
The Executive (president), the Legislative (congress) and the Judicial (supreme court)
What is federalism?**
The division of government between the national, state and local levels
What is the role of the Legislative branch of the federal government?**
Law making- made of the House of Representatives and the senate
What is the role of the Judicial branch of the federal government?**
Being the final judge in all cases involving laws of congress- the supreme court
What is the role of the Executive branch of the federal government?
Putting into place the laws created by congress- the President
What are the two main political parties called?
The Republican party and Democratic party
What are some beliefs of the Republican party?
It stands for business, small government and low taxation
Where does support for the Republicans tend to come from?
White, Christian, rural or wealthy backgrounds
What are some of the main belies of the Democrats? How are they different to those of the Republicans?
Rights for minorities, bigger role of government, workers’ rights
Where does support for the Democrats tend to come from?
Working class, urban
What is another word for economic boom?
Prosperity
What happens to industry during an economic boom?
High production
What does an economic boom mean for the people of the country?
High employment and therefore earning more money so they buy even more
What is another word for an economic bust?
Depression
What happens to industry during an economic bust?
Very low production
What does an economic bust mean for the people of the country?
Homelessness, hunger and poor living standards
What have the different attitudes towards slavery been and where were they expressed?
The southern states endorsed slavery whereas the northern states opposed it
What did segregation mean?
Black and white Americans were separated in society
Who are the NAACP? What have they done?
The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People. They won major legal cases in education and in desegregation
What did the 1830 Indian Removal Act do?
Kicked native tribes off their rich farmland and moved them onto land which was dry and poor
How were Native Americans viewed by the British Empire?
As “savages”
What did the 1851 Indian Appropriations Act do?
Designated bits of land that native Americans could not leave (Reservations)
What did the Dawes Severalty Act in 1887 do?
Gave the President the right to divide up the reservation land and give it to individuals rather than whole tribes
What attitude was demonstrated by the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act?
An improving attitude
Which empire do Hispanic Americans trace their roots to?
The Spanish Empire
Which states were predominantly where Hispanic Americans originated?
Texas and California
Give examples of how Hispanic Americans have been treated since the 1840s
Lynchings, segregation, and mass deportation
