U.S. History STAAR Flashcards
Freedom of religion
1st amendment
voting aliberty, individualism, populism, laissez-faire, egaliterianism
tocqueville
president has the power to veto a bill
checks and balances
protection from unreasonable search and seizure
4th amendment
The American values observed by Tocqueville
Americans took initiative to create a life they wanted.
Americans wanted government out of their economic lives.
Americans saw themselves as socially equal.
Guaranteed in the fifth amendment
Americans have the right to due process
Americans have the right to be paid for land the government takes
Significance of the U.S. consitution
outlines the responsibilities and functions of the government
How is the concept of “consent of the governed” AND the value of populism similar?
Founders wanted citizens to have a voice in how the government affects them.
extended hours for factory work to be done at night
light bulb
produced steel in large quantities
Bessemer Process
Organization that wanted better pay and conditions for workers
Union
Government giving special treatment to certain businesses
Political corruption
Businesses became wealthy; corrupt government officials
supported business first policies
Gilded Age
Law passed to prevent immigrants from taking jobs from settlers
out West
Chinese Exclusion Act
Potato famine, lack of work, economic opportunity, religious freedom
Reasons for immigration
What are monopolies and why are they bad for consumers?
Big business owners bought out smaller companies
and created monopolies. Monopolies hurt consumers because it eliminates competition and keeps prices high.
How did Thomas Edison’s light bulb affect the development of the U.S. economy?
Increased production since
people could work longer hours, which led to big profits for business owners
Why were nativists in favor of the Chinese Exclusion Act?
To protect jobs for themselves
How did the Homestead Act result in the settlement of the Great Plains?
Settlers were able to claim land for free
as long as they lived on the land and developed it (farmed)
What was the purpose of the Dawes Act?
To assimilate Natives into American culture
What were some goals of labor unions during the Gilded Age?
Labor unions hoped to increase employee pay,
improve working conditions, and end child labor
TWO effects of the Transcontinental Railroad on the United States?
further settlement in the West
development of towns along the railroad line
Helped train African Americans for jobs
Booker T. Washington
Granted women suffrage
19th Amendment
Organization created to ensure equality for minorities
NAACP
Created by Roosevelt to preserve America’s beautiful scenery
National Park Service
Made alcohol sales illegal, resulted in growth of organized crime
Prohibition (18th Amendment)
Established by Jane Addams to help immigrants assimilate
Settlement house movement
Investigative journalist who fought for equality of all African Americans
Ida B. Wells
What was President Roosevelt’s Square Deal?
A policy that focused on conservation, control of corporations, and
consumer protections
How was Upton Sinclair responsible for the government passing the Pure Food and Drug Act?
Wrote book, The Jungle,
that brought awareness to unsanitary food packaging practices
Why was W.E.B. DuBois significant during the Progressive Era?
Helped found the NAACP (National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People)
Why was the Child Labor Act passed?
To limit the number of hours worked by children because so many young children
had been working long hours under unsafe conditions
Why is the 19th Amendment still important today?
Women have the right to vote and participate in government
What were the effects of Prohibition?
Increased crime and speakeasies, eventually the 21st Amendment was passed to
allow the sale and consumption of alcohol
TWO Progressive reforms that positively impacted U.S. society?
The Pure Food and Drug Act- protect consumers from tainted or mislabeled food and medicines
19th Amendment- voting rights to women
Land acquired by the U.S. after the Spanish-American War
Puerto Rico
Made U.S. travel more efficient, benefiting the economy and military
Panama Canal
Created a stalemate between enemies during WWI
Trench warfare
Served as nurses in the war and took on jobs in factories to produce goods
Women
Issued to help finance the U.S. government during WWI
War bonds
Believed in isolationism after WWI
Henry Cabot Lodge
Developed quality soldiers in the AEF to win major battles
John J. Pershing
Why did America want to acquire land after the Spanish-American War?
new
markets to trade with and natural resources, it also helped the U.S. establish navy bases around the world
How did the Panama Canal benefit the United States?
More efficient travel time for navy and merchant ships
Why was trench warfare so deadly?
Anyone who crawled out was quickly killed by machine gun fire, poison gas
used to force soldiers out creating chaos and confusion
What events caused America to join WWI?
Sinking of the Lusitania, unrestricted submarine warfare, Zimmerman
Telegram
What was the Selective Service Act of 1917?
Required males to enter their names for a draft
Why did some Americans support isolationism after WWI? Explain your answer.
Henry Cabot Lodge and others did
not want the U.S. to be pulled into another war in the way that the country had been pulled into WWI
What was the Espionage Act of 1917 AND why did many Americans feel it violated their First Amendment Rights?
made it a crime to speak against the U.S. or the war effort.
anyone who publicly protested
against the war, or the military draft could be open to investigation and prosecution.
Large role of federal government in the lives of everyday Americans
Resulted in foreclosure of homes and farms
Poor farming conditions caused by a long drought
Created to stabilize and restore faith in financial institutions
Idea disliked by many because it would increase executive power
Federal government guaranteed people’s bank deposits
Time period characterized by large rates of unemployment
describes the Harlem Renaissance?
It was a time African Americans created national organizations dedicated to civil rights.
It was a time when African Americans shared their culture through music and art.
What was one cause of the Great Depression?
Overspeculation, bank failures
What was one effect the Great Depression?
High unemployment rates, widespread foreclosures of property and
farms
Why was Henry Ford’s mass-manufacturing technique significant to American history?
The process produced large
quantities of goods at a rapid pace, resulting in lower prices for consumers
What was the purpose of the Social Security Act?
Financially help the elderly and disabled
How did the 19th Amendment change women’s roles in society?
Young women now had the freedom and
independence to do what they wanted, often challenging societies norms
How did the New Deal expand the power of the federal government?
Federal government played a larger role in
the lives of Americans to ensure a healthy economy
What were TWO effects of mass manufacturing on the United States?
the price of
goods decreased. With automobiles and other goods now cheaper, Americans had greater access to affordable
products. Mass consumption also gave way to Americans buying these new, innovative products on credit.
Installment plans allowed Americans to pay interest to attain expensive products.
Resulted in the surrender of Japan to the Allies
Atomic bomb
Bought by Americans to help raise funds for the war
War bonds
Group of people that took on new roles to support the war effort
Women
Caused the U.S. to join WWII
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Research and development during WWII that produced nuclear weapons
Manhattan Project
Policy the U.S. took prior to the attack at Pearl Harbor
Neutrality
U.S. victory that prevented further Japanese expansion in the Pacific
Battle of Midway
Which descriptions explain a cause of World War II?
German forces invaded Poland
Appeasement towards German annexation of lands
Rise of militarism in Germany and Japan
How did victory gardens benefit the war effort?
Helped prevent food shortage, helped make sure there was enough food for soldiers
How did Navajo Code Talkers contribute to World War II?
Navajo men joined the U.S. Marines and developed an
unbreakable code that would be used across the Pacific during World War II
What were the Nuremberg trials?
Trials of high-ranking German officials responsible for the Holocaust
What was the goal of the two-front war strategy used by the Allies?
To weaken German forces by forcing them to fight the war in two separate geographic areas
What was the effect of Pearl Harbor being bombed?
U.S. entered into WWII
How did Americans help on the home front?
Planted Victory Gardens, bought war bonds, conserved energy and
resources, recycled old metal and paper, rationed goods
Prevented the spread of infectious diseases like polio
Vaccines
Competition between U.S. and Soviets to develop superior weapons
Arms Race
U.S. used airplanes to bypass Soviet blockade of West Berlin
Berlin Airlift
Resulted in increased consumer spending and Interstate Highway System
Economic prosperity
Claimed there were Communists in every level of government
Senator McCarthy
U.S. got involved to try and prevent spread of communism
Korean War
Caused U.S. to create space program and invest more in technology
Sputnik I
What was the Marshall Plan?
After WWII, the U.S. loaned large amounts of money to countries to help them
rebuild their economies
Why did McCarthyism and the House Un-American Activities Committee grow in popularity in America during the Cold War?
People feared communism and its spread, associated communism with Soviet Union, U.S. and Soviet Unions were rival superpowers during Cold War
Why did America get involved in the Korean War?
Containment of communism
What is NATO?
An arrangement between the U.S. and western European allies that states if one country was attacked, all the countries would come to its assistance
How did America respond to the Soviet’s blockade of West Berlin?
Berlin Airlift – U.S. provided supplies to people in need
What factors contributed to the growth of suburbs after WWII?
Baby boom after WWII increased housing demand
Civil rights group that used armed force to protest and protect themselves
Black Panthers
Argued that there is no equality in segregated schools
Thurgood Marshall
Supreme Court ruled to desegregate schools
Brown v. Board of Education
Civil rights rally to peacefully protest ending discrimination of minorities
March on Washington
Ordered the National Guard to prevent African American students from
entering Little Rock High School
Governor Orval Faubus
U.S. President that advanced the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through Congress
Lyndon B. Johnson
How did the Civil Rights Era improve life for African Americans, women, and other minorities? Select TWO correct answers.
A. Employers could no longer discriminate against potential employees based on race and gender.
C. Congress passed legislation forbidding the use of poll taxes to prevent people from voting.
What did the 24th Amendment do?
Forbid the use of poll taxes or types of taxes to prevent people from voting
Compare and contrast Martin Luther King Jr. and the Black Panthers.
Compare – advocates to end discrimination of minorities during Civil Rights Era; Contrast – MLK believed in civil disobedience, while Black Panthers used violence if necessary
Why did President Eisenhower send federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas?
To escort the Little Rock Nine into school, because Governor Orval Faubus wanted to prevent the nine African American students from entering
What was the impact of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech?
It put pressure on the government to pass civil rights legislation
Why was the Equal Employment Opportunity created?
To ensure fair employment among government agencies
How has the civil rights movement impacted life today?
improved political
rights and economic opportunities of minorities
Musicians performed to protest the Vietnam War and to spread a
message of peace
Woodstock
Health care for people 65 and older
Medicare Act of 1965
Protest over the Vietnam War and credibility gap of government
Anti-war movement
Conflict to prevent the spread of communism
Vietnam War
United farm workers to get better labor conditions and pay
Cesar Chavez
Ordered a blockade around Cuba to halt Soviet missile delivery
John F. Kennedy
Initiative that helped develop new technology products
Space Program
What caused the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Soviet Union were trying to deliver nuclear missiles to Cuba (90 miles off
coast of U.S.)
What was the counterculture movement?
American youth developed their own cultural movement that strongly
opposed the Vietnam War
How did the Great Society aim to improve the lives of Americans?
affordable housing through HUD and health insurance for senior
citizens through the Medicare Act
Why was there a large anti-war movement in the U.S. while the Vietnam War was being fought?
Credibility gap of
government (difference in how good the war was going as reported by the government versus how bad the war
was actually going as communicated by reporters)
Compare and contrast the Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Resolution.
Tonkin Resolution allowed the
president to take military action without a declaration of war from Congress, War Powers Resolution – Congress
limited the military powers of the executive branch (President)
How was Cesar Chavez significant to the Chicano Movement?
Fought to get better labor conditions and pay for
migrant farm workers
Resulted in the U.S. War on Terror, Afghanistan invasion
September 11, 2001
U.S. music and sports adopted worldwide
Culture diffusion
Worked with Congress to create the Environmental Protection Agency
Richard Nixon
Source of power that does not use oil and is environmentally friendly
Alternative energy
Increased efficiency of manufacturing and telecommunications
Computers & internet
Developed software for computers, entrepreneur
Bill Gates
Organization that passed an embargo on U.S. and caused a price spike on gas
OPEC
How does the aerospace technology from the Space Race impact the daily lives of Americans today?
Equipment
developed for space flight is now used in practical everyday products
Compare and contrast government leaders: Sandra Day O’Connor and Barack Obama.
Compare – minorities
who achieved ‘firsts’ in U.S. government. Contrast – Sandra Day O’Connor was the first female Supreme Court
justice and Barack Obama was the first African American U.S. president
What were the effects of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001?
Lead to the War on Terror with the U.S.
invading Iraq and Afghanistan
How did the actions of OPEC impact Americans?
OPEC restricted the gasoline supply in the U.S. which caused a
spike in gasoline prices and a fuel shortage crisis
Why is there a push to develop an alternative energy source?
Oil reserves are decreasing, need a new renewable
energy source
Why do you think American pop culture has been diffused in countries around the world?
