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Freeport Doctrine
The doctrine created by Stephen Douglas that stated that slavery could be excluded from territories of the United States by local legislation as a result of the Dred Scott decision. -
Crittenden Amendments
A proposal to the Constitution by Senator John J. Crittenden to avert the Civil War during the winter of 1860-1861 through six constitutional amendments. Senator John J. Crittenden, a Kentucky Whig and disciple of Henry Clay, proposed six constitutional amendments and four resolutions. Thought that salver supporters should be guarenteed full rights in the southern territiories, regardless of the wishes of the majority through popular sovernty. -
Constitutional Union Party
A party created in the Unied States that consisted of former Whigs and "Know Nothings" who wanted to avoid secession over the issue of slavery. They also nominated John Bell of Tenessee as President. -
Picketts Charge
On the last day of battle during the Battle of Gettysburg, Robert E. Lee ordered that his men would be fighting on foot against George Meade's Union army. The Union had tricked the Confederates into believing that they had no more ammunition. Most of Charles Pickett's men who charged up the hill received a barrage of bullets and were either killed or captured. -
The Gettysburg Address
A speech given by Abraham Lincoln that was addressed to the fallen Union soldiers in honor of their service to the country during the Battle of Gettysburg. The site of this speech was Soldiers' National Cemetary where approximately 50,000 soldiers died. -
The Grange
The Patrons of Husbandry, also known as the Grange, was founded in 1867 to advance agriculture and help the social and economic needs of the farmers in the United States. They realized the corruption that was taking over the country, and fought to reglate the railroad costs in order to benefit everyone. Their motto "I pay for all", means that the farmer is the central character upon which all society relies. They also gave their support to Greenback Party, the Populist Party, and Progressives. -
Tenure of Office Act
The Tenure of Office Act was the initial step in Congress to veto what a president decides. This act was first used on Johnson in order to impeach him for "high crimes and misdemenors". The Act itself was a United States federal law that restricted the power of the President of the United States to remove certain office-holders without the approval of the Senate. -
The Purchase of Alaska
Sold by Russia, the United States decided to purchase what is now known as Alaska as a result of fear of another war with Britian. If another war were to happen, North America realized that they would probably lose their defenselss northern province to the British. Russia on the other hand was very eager to get rid of their "frozen asset" on the Americans. -
Transcontinental Railroad
This was a railroad built by immigrants that extended throughout all of the United States. The Central Pacific Railroad Company would start building in Sacramento and continue east across the Sierra Nevada, while the Union Pacific Railroad, would build westward from the Missouri River. Then, they would meet in the middle and each company would then receive 6,400 acres of land and $48,000 in government bonds for every mile built. The railroad built for competition between the two companies. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first act put in place concerning immigration. Passed by Congress and signed by President Chester A. Arthur, this act lasted until 1943 and was a 10-yr prevention on Chinese labor immigration. Although the Chinese composed of a small percent of the nation’s population, Congress passed the exclusion act in response to concerns about maintaining white “racial purity.” The act showed that Chinese here could stay, but not be let back in if they left for vacation. -
Haymarket Square Riot
A labor protest rally that turned into a riot when someone threw a bomb at police. Nearly eight people died and eight radical labor activists were convicted. Those convicted were viewed to the public as martyrs. This riot was viewed a setback for the organized labor movement in America, which was fighting for workers rights. -
Interstate Commerce Act
The Interstate Commerce Act was passed by Congress in 1887 and required railroads to publish rates publically and prevented pools. This was an agreement by railroads to divide the business in a given area and share the profits. As a result they set up Interstate Commerce Commision. This was controversial however, because it was one of the first attempts by the federal government to regulate business in favor of individual interests. -
Muckrakers
Journalists and writers of the Progressive era that dug deep to write about the dirt that the public would love to read. This was exceptionally biased and decided the reader's views. These writers were reform-minded and were given the name "muckraker" by Theodore Roosevelt. -
Elkins Act
Beginning with the effective railroad legislation that was addressed at the rebate evil: the fact that heavy fines were now imposed on both the railroads that gave rebates and the shippers that accepted them. This was the first time that the comission was given real molars when it was authorized to nullify the existing rates and stipulate maximum rates (on complaint of shippers). -
Fundamentalism
An aspect of religions such as Islam and Protestant Christianity that stresses the strict interpretation of the Bible and scripture and remained an extreme force in American society. It arose in the early 20th century in response to modernism that the Bible should be held to a much higher standard and should be the basis of religion. -
Muller V. Oregon
A case in which attorney Louis D. Brandeis persuaded the Supreme Court to accept the constitutionality of laws protecting women workers. He did this by presenting evidence of the harmful effects of factory labor on women's weaker bodies. Many progressives at the time put Brandeis's achievements over the existing legal documents -
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
A civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as a bi-racial organization to advance justice for African Americans by a group led by students. -
Imperialism
When a country extends its power by the aquisition of territory and sometimes expoitation. -
Federal Reserve Act
The most important piece of legislation between the Civil War and the New Deal. -
Tampiko Incident
It began as an incident involving U.S. sailors and Mexican land forces loyal to Mexican dictator during the guerra de las facciones phase of the Mexican Revolution. A misunderstanding occurred, but then led into a breakdown of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The United States then invaded Veracruz, occupying it for more than six months. -
The Sinking of the Lusitania
The Lusitania was a British passenger ship that the Biritish sunk with one of their submarines. It was sunk off the coast of Ireland and nearly 1,200 people died including 128 Americans. The Germans justified the sinking of the ship because it was carrying 4200 cases of amunition. -
Cause of Great Depression (2)
Cause: Treaty of Versailles
Effect: America put a lot of the blame on Germany which led to a lot of chaos. -
Bolshevik Revolution
The Russian Revolution when the communists became tired of the Czar that led to the rise of communism (Soviet Union). Americans became very concerned with a communist takeover and put in a lot of laws where peoples voices were suppressed by laws against talking out in a negative way. -
Harlem Renaissance
Took place in Harlem New York, it was a majority African American cultural movement that provided celebration towards the black community and their traditions, voice, and ways of life. It marked a movement when America finally started to recognize the African American contributions to society. -
Cause of Great Depression (3)
Cause: Overproduction of goods
Effect: The overproduction led to a large inventory of goods that could not sell. As a result we had to lay off workers. Farmers also had an overproduction of food so they were unable to get the prices that they needed. -
Cause of Great Depression (4)
Cause: Government regulation of wealth among large corporations
Effect: The government was very relaxed in regulating large corporations and led to a large buildup of wealth for a small population of people. When their buisnesses failed them, a lot of people were thrown out of work. -
Cause of Great Depression (1)
Cause: Stock Market Crash
Effect: Hover didn't think that it would affect the majority of people and just stock traders. As a result, a lot of people ended up broke since the banks and corporations failed. The banks could not guarantee deposits that people put in and corporations couldn't pay their workers. -
Brain Trust
The Brain Trust is the group that FDR gathered together to advise him throughout his election. This group provided advice on economic and social issues as well as public policy. In terms of the New Deal, they argued for a flat tax which placed a greater strain on the less wealthy (regressive tax) and argued for the government to get involved in the wages and rebuilding of agriculture. Lastly, they had an important role in the first and second New Deal and well as the Banking Act of 1933. -
Pump Priming
Pump Priming was a government spending during a recessionary period which served to stimulate private spending as well as expand business and industry. Pump Priming was established by Herbert Hoover close to the end of his presidency and was later fully taken on by Roosevelt. -
Fireside Chats
Fireside Chats were very down-to-Earth speeches that FDR gave via the household radio. The goal of his chats was to reach the people in their living room who would listen in a calm way thereby giving a greater connection between the people and their president. Throughout FDR's twelve-year presidency, he gave 30 Fireside Chats. -
Freedom Riders
Civil rights activists who rode on buses into the segregated southern United States in order to challenge the non-enforcement of the United States Supreme Court decisions Morgan v. Virginia and Boynton v. Virginia. This ruled that segregated public buses were unconstitutional. The South had ignored the rulings and the federal government did nothing to enforce them. The first Freedom Ride left Washington, D.C., on May 4, 1961and was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on May 17. -
Emmett Till
A fourteen year old boy from Chicago who was killed by a mob in Mississippi for whistling and speaking to a white women. He drowned in the river and body was put on display by mother -
March on Washington
Led by MLK where 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to protest equality for African Americans. The groups were known as Freedom Riders. -
Six-Day War
Also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War, or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967 by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Israel won several key pieces of land (West Bank of Jordan River and two other areas) that are still disputed today. -
My Lai
The Vietnam War mass murder of unarmed Vietnamese civilians by U.S. troops in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968. Between 347 and 504 unarmed people were massacred by the U.S. Army soldiers. My Lai led to increased opposition and disgust toward the Vietnam War. -
Nixon Doctrine
(Guam Doctrine) was put forth during a press conference by President Richard Nixon and later formalized in his speech on Vietnamization on November 3, 1969. The Doctrine argued for the pursuit of peace through a partnership with American allies. The Nixon Doctrine implied the intentions of Nixon shifting the direction of international policies in Asia, especially aiming for "Vietnamization of the Vietnam War." It also allowed the US to decrease the number of troops fighting in foreign wars. -
Watergate Scandal
A major political scandal that occured in the United States during the early 1970's following a break in by 5 men at the DNC. Evidence found on one of the burgulars implied a possible link to the White House -
Roe v. Wade
A landmark decision issued in 1973 by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of the constitutionality of laws that criminalized or restricted access to abortions. -
Proposition 13
An act where nearly two-thirds of California's voters passed Proposition 13, reducing property tax rates on homes, businesses and farms by about 57%. -
malaise speech
The speech that Carter gave nationally on televisions in which he identified what he believed to be a "crisis of confidence" among the American people. This came to be known as his "malaise" speech, although Carter never used the word in the speech. -
Iran-Contra affair
A scandal in the administration of President Ronald Reagan, which came to light when it was revealed that in the mid-1980s the United States secretly arranged arms sales to Iran in return for promises of Iranian assistance in securing the release of Americans held hostage in Lebanon. Proceeds from the arms sales then were covertly and illegally funneled to the Contras, rebels fighting the Marxist Sandinista government in Nicaragua -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
A civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disabilities in all areas of public life including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.