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Judiciary Act of 1789
The Judiciary Act was passed by the Constitution's new congess, it enabled the establishment and development of the judicial branch. The Supreme Court, federal courts, and circuit courts ae all direct results of this act. A system of checks and balances is also a result of the passage of this act. -
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison established the power of judicial review and made the Judiciary branch an equal branch of government. John Marshall presided over this case and ruled in favor of the Federal government. -
Nationalism
Nationalism is defined as love of one's country. After the war of 1812, nationalism took off; the victory at the Battle of New Orleans caused major feelings of nationalism in the American people. Nationalism influenced key pieces of legislation such as the Monoe Doctrine and influenced several Supreme Court decisions. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine warned Europe not to interfere with Latin American nations,and that it was the USA's territory. It also stated that the United States would not involve itself in European affairs, along with contributing to national pride. -
Tariff of Abomination
Congress passed a very high tariff known in the south as the Tariff of Abominations; John C. Calhoun, a South Carolinian, threatened to stop collecting the tariff which caused the Nullification Crisis. This caused feelings of sectionalism instead of nationalism. -
Trail of Tears
After the Indian Removal Act was passed in 1830, Native Americans were forced to move from their territory to what is now Oklahoma. They made this journey on this trail, which was called the Trail of Tears because so many people died on the journey. The Trail of Tears was a huge part of the mistreatment of Native Americans. -
Election of 1860
The Election of 1860 was between four candidates: Lincoln, Breckinridge, Bell, and Douglas, if Lincoln won the election, several Southern states threatened to secede from the Union. Lincoln won and the Southern states began to secede stating with South Carolina, these states formed the Confederacy. -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act gave Farmers 160 acres to develop, after 5 years they had successfully farmed the land then they could own it. This was an enormous contribution to Manifest Destiny and greatly developed the West. -
Emancipation Proclomation
In this speech Lincoln declared all the slaves in the Confederae controlled states to be free; this gave the Union a reason to fight. After this declaration, Britain refused to be involved since ey had freed their slaves earlier, so it was also a diplomatic document. An important effect of is is that black soldiers could join the Union Army and fight for the cause. -
Transcontinental Railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad connected the East and West., it shortened travel time monumentally. Mainly Chinese and Irish immigrants built the railroad, whic was made possible by the Pacific Railroad Bill. -
Political Machines
Political Machines were unofficial organizations dedicated to the task of keeping certain politicians in power; they controlled all aspects of city life. Do to the influx of immigrants, bosses asserted their influence/power over them. -
Jim Crow Laws
After the Civil War, "The Solid South" wanted ex-slaves to still be at the bottom. Jim Crow laws required blacks and whites to use seperate facilities, among other segregational things. These laws were humiliating and took away rights of African Americans. -
Melting Pot/Salad Bowl Theory
The Melting Pot was the nickname for America in the 1880s, because so many people immigraed to America from different countries and blended ino one American identity. The Salad Bowl Theory (i.e. Culural Pluralism) was the belief that immigrants should keep their culture/customs and conribute to the diverse American culture. -
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was chosen as the leader of the Populist Party after he gives his "Cross of Gold" speec h condemning the Gold Standard. However, Bryan lost the elecion and the Populist Party died. -
Disenfranchisement
Even after the Civil War, the South was still against freedom and rights for African Americans; they prevented African Americans from voting. So although legally African Americans could vote, they were denied that right in the South specifically. -
Yellow Journalism
Yellow journalism is sensationalizing the news; when Cuba was fighting back against Spain American journalists used yellow journalism. Journalists such as WIlliam Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer exagerated stories in order to gain sympathy for CUba and hatred towards Spain; this led to problems with Spanish-American relations. -
Spanish American War
The Spanish-American war began when the USS Maine was blown up and Spain was accused; USA already did not approve of Spain's treatment of Cuba. The Treaty of Paris officially ended the war and the United States gained Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. -
Muckrakers
The evils of the Gilded Age would not have been possible without Muckrakers such as Jacob Riis or Upton Sinclair who exposed the wrongdoings of multiple industries. Progressivism was sparked by their work; people were horrified by what was wrong with society. -
Big Stick Diplomacy
Theodore Roosevelt coined this term for his foreign policy; Big Stick Diplomacy used military power as leverage. It stated if intervention was necessary to protect American interests, then it would happen. It led to the Roosevelt Corollary as well. -
Henry Ford
Henry Ford revolutionized the automobile industry through his use of the assembly-line; Ford believed in creating an affordable automobile. Ford also was a pioneer in worker's pay, he paid an unheard salary of $5 a day. With out Ford's use of he assembly line and afforable automobiles, America would not be the country it is today. -
The Zimmerman Telegraph
This was a diplomatic proposition from Germany to Mexico promising Mexico land it had lost to the United States.However, it was intrercepted by the British and America was warned. This was a short-term cause of the United States entering WW1. -
Selective Service Act
President Wilson sent this military draft to congress before he declared war. Many lawmakers opposed this military draft, but in the end it was passed and eligible men were drafted into the Military. -
Wilson's 14 Points
This was President Wilson's plan for world peace; key parts of this plan included a League of Nations along with "peace without victory", and the Treaty of Versailles. Wilson's plan was a great effort, but ultimately failed due to USA's lack of membership in the League of Nations and involvement in the Treaty of Versailles. -
The Volstead Act
Also known as the National Prohibition Act, the Volstead Act was passed in order to inforce Prohibition. The passage of this act led to a new type of criminals: bootleggers and the owner's of Speakeasies. -
19th Amendment
Through the work of suffragists like Susan B, Anthony, women gained the right to vote. This was monumental because women had been fighting for the right to vote for over 100 years; it also opened the doors for further advances in women's rights. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a period of extreme economic downturn; millions of Americans became unemployed and Americans needed help. Hoovervilles, soup kitchens, and breadlines were all common during The Great Depresison. -
The new Deal
Franklin Roosevelt's aid program during the Great Depression was called the New Deal; it had three parts: relief, recovery, and reform. Roosevelt's new Deals supplied Americans with direct relief for the poor, provided employment, and reformed the economic system. -
Attack on Pearl harbor
Japan attacked the US Navy at their base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; over 2,000 people were killed and the pacific fleet was almost completely destroyed. The next day USA declared war on Japan and officially entered WW2. -
Island Hopping
The strategy used by The Allies to gain back control of islands in the Pacific; the Allies recaptured each island one-at-a-time. This halted the Japanese advancment and opned the door for the Battle of Coral Sea. -
Domino Theory
The belief that if one nation fell to communism, then that country's neighboring nations would fall to it as well. Dwight Eisenhower strongly believed in this theory, which led to the passage of the Eisenhower Doctrine. The Domino Theory also raised the panic level due to the fear of communism. -
Joseph McCarthy
A senator from WIsconsin who waged a battle against communism; he is the founder of a witch-hunt like process of "McCarthyism" a practice that ruined many lives. Hysteria errupted due to McCarthy's actions, and Americans were more fearful of communists than eve. -
Civil Disobediance
The idea behind civil disobediance is that you ae peacefully protesting something you don't believe in; this tactic was used during the civil rights movement. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, Freedom Rides, and sit-ins are all examples of the use of civil disobediance that brought drastic developments for the Civil Rights Movement. -
Martin Luther King, Jr
MLK was a strong leader for the Civil Rights Movement, he used non-violent protest and civil disobediance to win support for the movement. He also gave his famous "I have a dream" speech at the March on Washington. -
Camp David Accords
Jimmy Carter led Begin and Sadat (leaders from Israel and Egypt respectively) in a peace conference in order to develop a peace treaty between the two countries. In 1978, they reached an agreement; this is considered the highlight of Carter's presidency. -
Iran Contra Affair
President Reagan's aides wanted to support contras in Nicaragua resisting the Sandinista government, but they could not do this publicly; Reagan's aides then sold weapans to Iran and used the money earned to support the contras. Reagan was found not guilty of involvement in the affair; Americans were mad because this made America look like they suppoted terrorists. -
Patriot Act
After the War on Terror began, the Patiot Act was introduced and passed by President Bush; this gave law enforcement greater power to investigate and eavesdrop on suspected terrorists. It was criticized as violating personal rights to privacy.
