Semester 1 Exam Study Guide Flashcards
Federalism
A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments, Alexander Hamilton was in favor of this.
Checks and Balances
A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
Declaration of Independence
The document recording the proclamation of the second Continental Congress (4 July 1776) asserting the independent of the colonies from Great Britain
Articles of Confederation
A weak constitution that governed American during the Revolutionary War. Was later replaced.
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Created the Northwest Territory (area north of the Ohio River and west of Pennsylvania), established conditions for self-government and statehood, included a Bill of Rights, and permanently prohibited slavery
Shay’s Rebellion
Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out.
Constitution
A document which spells out the principles by which a government runs and the fundamental laws that govern a society
The Great Compromise
agreement providing a dual system of congressional representation
Federalists
supporters of the constitution
supported strong national gov’t
Anti-Federalists
people who opposed the Constitution
supported stronger STATE gov’ts
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the Constitution
People excluded- Slaves, Women, and Native Americans.
Examples-
Right to bear arms, freedom of speech, right to trial by jury, etc.
Thomas Jefferson
Founding Father of Declaration and const.
President at one point
Anti-Federalist, supported stronger state gov’ts
Supported keeping and revising the Articles of Confederation
Wanted list of rights and liberties included in new constitution to protect citizens from national gov’t
James Madison
“Father of the const.”
Federalists, supported strong national gov’t
Favored new constitution
Felt listing of individual rights in const. was unnecessary
The new gov’t would protect rights though separation of powers, checks & balances, etc.
Electoral College
a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.
George Washington
Founding Father of the constitution
Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson was president and agreed to this. From France. Lewis & Clark explored. France was unable to defend land from Britain, so they offered America 828,000m of Louisiana territory for price of 15 million.
Sectionalism
Each area of the country promoting its own interests over those of the whole country. Affected N,S,W
Abolitionist
person who wanted to END slavery
Popular Sovereignty
Authority of state and gov. are sustained by consent of people.
Indian Removal Act 1830; “Trail of Tears
Forced displacements of 60k native Americans, known as “Indian removal.” Acquisition of Native American land east of Mississippi River.
Manifest Destiny
Belief that the U.S was ‘destined’ to expand West from Coast to Coast, and destined to expand US culture and democracy.
Missouri Compromise
Henry Clay. Missouri is a slave state North of line free, South of line slavery is aloud.
Compromise of 1850/ Fugitive Slave Act
Henry Clay. California free state. Fugitive Slave Law is what the South got to keep balance. States that if slaves escape they will be returned.
Kansas- Nebraska Act, “Bleeding Kansas”
John Brown. Popular Sovereignty, voter fraud, bleeding Kansas. Kansas: pro-slavery, Free-Staters and abolitionists. Violence broke out between them and continued until Kansas entered the Union as a free state.
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott, Justice Roger Taney. Dred Scott was a slave. He sued for his freedom because he as taken to a free state. Didn’t win because “Property cannot sue in court”
John Brown’s Raid
John Brown- abolitionist + 4 sons. They attacked homes of pro-slavery people, potta watomie. Goal was to take weapons and start a slave revolt in the area- captured and executed
North- see’s as a hero
South- see’s as a terrorist
The Underground Railroad
Levi Coffin. People helping those who run away.
Election of 1860
Stephen Douglas: Northern Democrat
John C. Beckridge: Southern Democrats
John Bell: Constitutional Union Party (keep union together, uphold constitution)
Abraham Lincoln: Republican Party, let South keep slaves but no more expansion. Issues- Expansion of slavery, protecting slavery where existed, Democratic party split over slavery issue. Abraham wins election. Because of this south slave states secede from the union, South Carolina being first.
Causes of Civil War
Sectionalism- differing opinions, focuses, and what they thought was important
States rights- state gov’t above national gov’t/ can a state leave the union?
Slavery and the expansion of slavery
The Confederacy/ The Union
Advantages- North (Union): Industrial base for war materials, Population, Railroad System, Food Production
South (Confederacy): Defending home soil, Motivation, Military leadership, Cotton.
Military Strat’s and Goals
North (Union): Blockade Southern Ports, Gain control of MS river to split confederacy in half, Capture Richmond (capital of confederation)
South (Confederacy): Fight defensive war, Capture Washington D.C, Cotton Diplomacy- foreign allies
Lincoln’s goals for the war
Preserve the Union, later goal- end slavery
Emancipation Proclamation
Freed slaves in those areas in rebellion against the U.S, did not affect border states.
Reconstruction
Period following Civil War in which the Confederate States are brought back into union.
Carpetbagger/ “The enemy”
Northerners (White or black) who came to South during Reconstruction to buy land Cheaply, run for political office, help freedmen etc.
Lincoln’s 10% Plan
Pardons for former Confederate leaders, treated Southern states leniently/ help the US move forward.
Andrew Johnson
Similar Plan after Lincoln’s death.
Large property owners must get a pardon from the president to vote or hold office
Ratification of 13th amendment by Southern states/ new state constitution, must abolish slavery.
Not concerned with protecting rights of former slaves.
Radical Republican’s
Majority party in congress, opposed President Johnson’s plan; led by Thaddeus Stevens
Congress believes Reconstitution is their job
Viewed South as “conquered territory”
Wanted to punish South, former confederate leaders, and slave owners
Freedman’s Bureau
US gov’t created to help the former slaves and poor whites of the South after the war- land distribution, food, clothing, hospitals, schools, rep. in courts.
Black Codes
Laws in southern states which limited the rights and activities of former slaves, created to keep blacks in a slave-like condition
Limited occupation, no land ownership, must have a job or could be arrested.
Ku Klux Klan
Created by southern states to destroy power of Republican party in South- keep former slaves “in their place” through intimidation and violence
13th Amendment
ended slavery in the U.S
14th Amendment
State can’t enforce law that deprives person of life, liberty, or property
15th Amendment
Guarantees voting rights regardless of race
George Custer- The Battle of Little Big Horn
(“Custer’s Last Stand”) US gov’t wants Sioux to return to reservations- sends military to force them. Custer and 250 men attack 2000+ Indians. Custer and all his men are killed
Battle of Wounded Knee
Sioux Indians in South Dakota were attacked after refusing to give up weapons; 300 unarmed Sioux killed; Last major confrontation between US military and Native Americans
Americanization- Indian Boarding Schools
Plan to have Native Americans give up beliefs and culture to become part of white society. Two: Education, Land Ownership
Boarding schools were built for Native American children to teach them how to live like white Americans.
Dawes Act
broke up most Indian reservations and gave individual Native American families 80-160 acres of land. Remainder of land given or sold to white settlers.
Sod Houses
“soddies”; Trees and wood were scarce on the plains; Homes were made by cutting pieces of sod from the ground and stacking them like bricks to build shelter.
Oklahoma Land Run
2 million acres claimed in these land ‘races’; “Sooner” State- persons who illegally went onto land ‘sooner’ than the starting gun
Homestead Act
US gov’t offered 160 acres of free land to heads of households; required to live on land 5 years, build houses, make improvements, etc.; Land would then belong to the settlers.
Urbanization
Growth in the number of people living in cities instead of rural areas
Immigration
the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country
Nativism
Favoring those persons who are native born; opposition to immigration
Strength of these feelings will w/ the state of the economy and the immigrating group involved.
Social Darwinism
view of human society based on Charles Darwin’s scientific theory of natural selection- “survival of the fittest”
Settlement House
approach to social reform, was a method for serving the poor in urban areas by living among them and serving them directly.
Laissez Faire
“leave it alone”, economic policy of gov’t which stresses no interference in business.
Transcontinental Railroad
Connected eastern and western rail systems, immigrant labor- Chinese, Irish, Mexican, former slaves, civil war veterans
John D. Rockefeller
Standard Oil Company
Bought out smaller oil refining companies; drove out competition.
Practiced Horizontal Integration
Created a monopoly “robber barons”
Philanthropist- uni. of Chicago, Rockefeller foundation, NY museum of art
Andrew Carnegie
“rags to riches” Scottish Immigrant- made first money working for railroads
Bought steel mills in Pennsylvania
Practiced Vertical Integration
Philanthropist- Carnegie foundation, libraries, Carnegie hall.
Vertical Integration
owning all steps of production in order to control quantity and costs
Horizontal Integration
merging companies to own all production of a product
Bessemer Process
Used to make iron stronger- creates STEEL
Steel production causes other industries to grow (RR machines, construction)
The Pullman Strike
workers on strike, reduced wages, company does NOT lower rent and prices. Strikes by RR workers shuts down rail systems across U.S. US gov’t sent in troops to end strikes. Shows gov’t sides w/business over labor, shows power of nationwide unions.
Homestead Mill Strike
steelworkers strike for shorter hours, higher wages, Carnegie’s manager hires ‘S cabs’ and calls in Pinkerton Agency ‘detectives’; national guard sent to reopen mill and establish order; union loses support after several months on strike
Haymarket Square Riot
Chicago; protest of McCormick reopen works employees; bomb blast kills policemen. 8 labor leaders tried and convicted w/ no evidence; public begins to view labor movement and unions as violent.
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
Outlawed any trust that “restrained trade and commerce among the states”; difficult to enforce, court decisions usually favored business.
Ellis Island
New York City- processed immigrants from Europe, lower socio-economic classes
Angel Island
San Francisco- Processed Chinese and other Asian immigrants
Problems Faced by Immigrants
Language barrier- many spoke no English Understanding a new culture Money- Most spent everything to get to U.S Place to live Finding a Job Prejudice and Discrimination
Chinese Exclusion Act
Banned Chinese Immigration for 10 years (later extended); Excluded Chinese in the US from becoming citizens
Problems for cities that came from economic growth
Sanitation and water- garbage left in streets in many areas
Fire and Police protection- not enough manpower or adequate equipment
Public transportation- more people crowding streets
Unsafe working conditions
Poorly built houses
Plessy v. Ferguson
a U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld the rights of states to pass laws allowing or even requiring racial segregation in public and private institutions such as schools, public transportation, restrooms, and restaurants.
Boss Tweed
Controlled the Democratic Party political machine in NYC; Tammany Hall (Democratic party headquarters)