Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Time period of growth and transformation; wealth of few hid poverty of many, corruption
costs of equipment was high, transportation was expensive, sellers set price
revenue ($ gained) was down, over-production, competition lowered value
deflation – value of dollar increased
Populist party – wanted to address farmers struggles by uniting all farmers, but never won an
election
William Jennings Bryan – ran for president in 1896, Populist, free coinage of silver, lost election
Cities grew as people moved in from farms and from other countries
Social Gospel – whites believed it was their duty to fix society’s ills, help poor, and spread
Christianity
civil service reform – tried to away with corruption and political machines
public education – free schools for immigrants to Americanize, literacy rates grew
settlement houses – classes and social events to Americanize adult immigrants
labor – no child labor, higher wages
temperance – Frances Willard wanted to help women & children, through education
Spanish-American War
Progressive Era wanted many social, eco, and political reforms (changes)
Blacks were facing oppression and didn’t get support: voting restrictions (poll taxes and literacy tests),
Jim Crow laws (segregation), lynchings (murder by mobs), and debt.
red scare – anarchist acts and labor strikes made many fear communist revolution
Palmer Raids – suspects arrested and deported
Social Darwinism – applied survival of the fittest to society
o nativists thought WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants) were “most fit”
o eugenics – using marriage and sterilization to remove “unwanted” traits/genes from society
o race riots – blacks competed for jobs, housing; whites violently stormed neighborhoods
and killed hundreds
o immigration restrictions – favoritism for N/W Europeans, banned Asians
o KKK – revived, terrorized non-WASPs
Marcus Garvey – inspired racial pride, activities to show unity, sold stock in business, convicted
of fraud & deported
women – began to vote due to 19th amendment, not as many and not as much change as was hoped
American Indian Citizenship Act 1924 – made all Indians U.S. citizens
Harding’s “Return to Normalcy” – Pres. Harding shrank (less powerful) U.S. gov’t; let capitalism
roll
production efficiencies – high demand of goods (mane people buying), fueled mass production by
better machinery, assembly lines, etc.
o Henry Ford – assembly line manufacturing (product moved down line of workers & each
completed a step) to make affordable cars (Model Ts)
o time-and-motion studies – find efficient ways to do work, make workers feel happy =
increased efficiency
rising wages – low unemployment, higher wages, middle-class grew, affordability of goods
o Ford – shortened work day to 8hrs. doubled pay to $5
inventions – cars, radio, refrigerator, vacuum, etc.
o Glenn Curtis – better airplanes led to air mail service
marketing- high and low-end versions of goods, advertising techniques: create problem/provide
solution, celebrity endorsement, sex appeal
consumer credit – helped people buy things before they could pay
Whites left areas and formed own neighborhoods, blacks formed own too; culture changed
jazz – new music style by blacks, blues; the radio spread “jazz fever”; white/black bands formed,
influenced music everywhere
Harlem Renaissance – African-American literary and artistic movement
o Langston Hughes – author, rejected stereotypes
Prohibition – unenforceable in cities (cops were bribed), organized crime (mafia, bootleggers),
speakeasies (illegal private bars), gangsters (Al Capone)
women – increased per-marital promiscuity
o flappers – short hair, short skirts, smoking/drinking/dancing; symbolized single women
o the Great Gatsby
city culture was viewed as immoral by rurals; Midwest and South took prohibition and Bible
seriously
o Scopes “Monkey” Trial – Clarence Darrow was lawyer for Scopes (science teacher who
taught evolution aka broke the law); defended him against William Jennings Bryan; trial
was on the radio and showed the north/south culture clash
entertainment culture spread, Hollywood was born, lots of extra time for “fun”
o Charles Lindbergh – first man to fly solo across the Atlantic = hero
Major turning point for U.S., citizens relied on gov’t – period of economic major downturn
Causes Effects
taxes went up wages went down
world trade went down factories closed – unemployment went
overproduction of goods/food up
buying stock on margin (pay little, Hoovervilles – shanty towns
borrow a lot) breadlines, homelessness, crime went
market speculation – prices went above up
value = stock market crash escapism went up (film, radio, alcohol)
bank failures – no loans repayment U.S. deported many immigrants
federal monetary policy – low money
supply, govt didn’t help
Severe drought and bad farming practices turned topsoil to dust. High winds created dust storms in Great
Plains.
1939-1945: WWII
1930s isolationism- high tariffs cut foreign trade; FDR’s “Good Neighbor Policy” removed U.S
troops from Latin America.
Axis Powers:
o JAPAN - Hideki Tojo
o ITALY - Benito Mussolini
o GERMANY - Adolf Hitler
Allies
o United States
o Great Britain – Winston Churchill
o USSR (Soviet Union, Russia, same thing)– Josef Stalin
o France
Start of WWII(1939) - Hitler signed non-aggression pact w/USSR (Russia), invaded Poland
U.S entry into war in 1941 - U.S helped British/Allies, ended oil sales to Japan
Dec 7, 1941 - Japanese surprise attack on U.S Naval base (PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii), Congress
declares war on JAPAN
WWII Era: was a turning point for the U.S., led to the Cold War/end to isolationism/civil rights efforts
Japanese expansion – Japan was taking over territory in China, China joined Allies in Dec. 1941
o Flying Tigers – volunteer fighter pilots, led first U.S. attack on Japanese
o Japan continued to expand and attack, defeated U.S. in the Wake Islands and Guam, bombed
half of U.S. planes in the Philippines, U.S. surrenders
Bataan Death March - brutal forced march of POWs (prisoners of war)
Battle of Midway - 1st U.S victory/turning point, fought with planes from carriers
U.S. advance – used “island hopping” strategy to move toward Japan mainland
Japanese honor code said no surrender, many suicide attacks
o Kamikaze pilots flew explosive-filled planes
Atom bomb - Manhattan Project: secret project to develop world’s 1st nuclear weapon; U.S. wanted to
gain Japan’s unconditional surrender. U.S bombed Hiroshima Aug 6, 1945 and Nagasaki 3 days later.
Japan only surrendered after the second bomb.
Important U.S. individuals: PACIFIC
o Douglass Macarthur – army commander in Pacific, retook Philippines
o Chester Nimitz – Navy commander, led the Battle of Midway
o Navajo Code Talkers – Native Americans who used their language to develop an unbreakable
code
o Harry Truman – president after FDR died in Apr 1945, made decision to use atom bomb,
ended war
deaths – more civilian deaths than military, 70% were Soviet, Chinese, Polish
Cold war 1945-1989 – period of indirect fighting, arms race between U.S. and USSR; caused by mistrust
and animosity
Soviet Aggression - Soviets occupied E. Europe; E. Asia at wars end (had joined against Japan)
driven by repeat invasions, high WWII losses; Stalin took over new territories = spread of
communism
o “Iron Curtain” – used to describe the boundary between communism/democracy
arms race - USSR tested atomic bomb, shocked U.S.; both developed new tech weapons
communist revolution in China - Mao Zedong won wars, established communism
Soviet Spies - U.S/G.B discovered citizens passing information to USSR
o Julius and Ethel Rosenberg – gave USSR info on a-bomb
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) - investigated individuals for communist
connections
McCarthyism - Senator Joe McCarthy accused many of disloyalty with little or no evidence,
created “witch hunt” atmosphere
Space Race
o 1957: USSR launches Sputnik, first satellite
o 1960: USSR shot down U.S. plane w/guided missile
o USSR led in missile technology aka could deliver a-bomb
o National Defense Education Act – passed to better science education, created NASA
Civil defense - U.S gov’t promoted bomb shelters, school drills
Truman Doctrine (1947) – meant to help non-communist countries resist communism anywhere in
the world; policy of containment (iron curtain)
Marshall Plan (1948) - U.S. financial aid that helped Europe rebuild, defended against spread of
communism
Berlin Airlift (1948-49) – Berlin (capital of Germany) was divided into East (communist) and
West (non-communist), USSR wanted to control all of it, blocked access to W. Berlin; Truman
responded by dropping food, fuel, gifts from military planes until USSR gave up
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949) - U.S. and its allies said any attack on any member and
all would respond
Korean War (1950-1953) – Korea was divided at wars end; 2 gov’ts (north-communist/south-
democratic), North invades South, U.S. helps South; Koreas remain divided aka stalemate (tie)
1950’s era - widespread prosperity, baby boom, led to material-rich, family-focused, religious
culture-> anti-conformist reaction
Widespread prosperity - wartime rationing bonds led to high savings rate, more gov’t spending on
defense and education, vets got help with buying houses and going to college, more use of credit
cards = more purchasing power, millions eager to start families leads to “baby boom”, new
products/processes
Business growth – spread of conglomerates (different businesses bundled together) and franchises
Migrations - Great Migration continues; blacks to city centers/jobs; whites to new suburbs; all to
Sun Belt (FL, NV, AZ, CA) nighborhoods outside of the city center
Suburbia - planned communities where houses are mass produced and most look the same
Petroleum-based materials/new products - plastics developed (toys, electronics, Tupperware);
coolants led to the development of air conditioning...allowed migration to Sun Belt; first
computers
Transportation - new roads, highways, and interstates; doubling of cars enabled migrations, air
travel displaced train travel
Communication – more than 80% households had phones and televisions by 1960
o television and commercials entertained, informed, and influenced
o videotapes allowed mass distribution of programming
Agriculture – less farms producing more food; cost to buyers went down
Medicine - low infant mortality; new vaccines and medical practices (surgeries)
Religious resurgence - non-believers viewed as Anti-American, spread of Christianity
Counter-culture – themes of rebellion and spontaneity appealed to teens/youth and to those that
didn’t fit into white middle class
o emergence of rock n roll music, experimenting with drugs, alcohol, and sex
Global diffusion - U.S. culture/counter-culture spread and influenced world via film, radio, T.V,...
Europe no longer defined western culture
Individuals and groups lobbied, protested, boycotted, and litigated for civil rights.
Orval Faubus – Gov. of Arkansas, used state troops to block integration of a school; Eisenhower
sent in fed. troops to protect black students
George Wallace – Gov. of Alabama, “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation
forever”
Lester Maddox – Gov. of Georgia, showed resistance by selling ax handles at his restaurant, sold
restaurant to not serve blacks, believed integration was “ungodly...un-American”
Congressional bloc of Southern Democrats – tried to block civil rights legislation
Ku Klux Klan – endorsed segregationists, threatened/harmed activists
Radical individuals/groups:
Malcom X – taught self-reliance, black nationalism, separatism, saw whites as the enemy,
encouraged violence
Black Panthers – armed militant group, patrolled ghettos, clashed with police, wanted reparations
(payment for slavery)
inner-city riots – late 1960s, vandalism, looting, violence, black-on-black crime
Assassination of MLK 1968 – shot by sniper, movement lost strongest, most unifying voice, crushed
optimism
League of United Latin American Citizens: led Hector P. Garcia, led legal efforts, formed the
Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Cesar Chavez/Dolores Hurta – co-founded United Farm Workers union, led nonviolent marches,
boycotts
youth organizations – protested discrimination (mainly in schools) via walkouts, active in Chicano
Mural Movement (public art depicting heritage)
La Raza Unida – Mexican-American political party formed in Texas
1960s era – turbulent time of activism, idealism, new youth culture (sex, drugs, rock n roll), violence
(Vietnam, assassinations, riots)
women – many were discontent with the housewife role; National Organization for Women
wanted equal job opps, pay, fought sexism
o Roe v. Wade – legalized abortion
Native Americans – wanted to recover land taken illegally, American Indian Movement – militant
group
environmental – environmental movement began ~1962
o first Earth Day in 1970
o Environmental Protection Agency
o Clean Air Act
o Clean Water Act
consumer – consumer reports led to new laws (car safety esp.)
homosexual – sparked by Stonewall riot (club raid)
JFK’s election/presidency – young, energetic, handsome, beat Nixon, got support of South by
focusing on poor/economy, assassinated in 1963 Lyndon B. Johnson became president
o JFK’s General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade (GATT) – rewarded pro-U.S. nations with
free trade
LBJ’s Great Society – “war on poverty,” expanded federal government and changed society
(positive)
o voting by blacks and women significantly increased
o Immigration Act of 1965 – replaced racist 1920s laws, more immigrants from Latin
America, Caribbean, Asia
o Medicare/Medicaid – helped elderly/poor get medical care
o education funding by number of low income students
Barry Goldwater – challenged LBJs plans as unconstitutional, beaten by LBJ in 1964, but some of
his views were later adopted
o affirmative action – policies to favor minorities, women
o Title IX – made sex discrimination illegal in edu programs
Tinker v. Des Moines – said that students has SOME right to free speech at school (arm bands to
protest Vietnam War)
Wisconsin v. Yoder – said parents freedom of religion to keep kids out of school (Amish)
Vietnam War
Key Events:
Anti-war movement – protests against war & draft, negative/graphic media reports
Outcomes – over 58,000 U.S. dead; 26th amendment made voting age 18 (“old enough to fight, old
enough to vote”); War Powers Act limited president’s war-making powers; commies took over
Cambodia, Laos
Failure in Vietnam left U.S. weak and divided (race, class, gender, culture, politics)
Moon landing- Apollo 11, JFK promised it would happen, happens in 1969, world watches; shows
that U.S./mankind can accomplish great things
Glossary of Important Terms
Armistice – an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce.
Allies – to unite formally, as by treaty, league, marriage. A person, group, or nation that is associated with
another or others for some common cause or purpose.
Arms Race – a competition between nations for superiority in the development and accumulation of
weapons, especially between the US and the former Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Belt - Area or region. Sunbelt is where this area gets more sun. Rustbelt is the region where they produce
Steel-production.
Boss Tweed – Was known for being the “boss” of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine
that played a major role in taking Millions from New York
City.
Bankruptcies – The state of being bankrupt. A person or organization declared in law unable to pay
outstanding debts.
Bank failures – the closing of a bank by a federal or state banking regulatory agency.
Berlin Airlift – a military operation in the late 1940s that brought food and other needed goods into West
Berlin by air after the government of East Germany, which at that time surrounded West Berlin, had cut
off its supply routes.
Brown V. Board of Education – overturned (cancelled out) Plessy v. Ferguson by declaring that
segregation in schools was unconstitutional
Capitalism – An economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by
private owners for profit, rather than by the state.
Communism – a Society in which all property is publicly owned (aka by the government) and each
person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.
Conservative – holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation,
typically in relation to politics or religion.
Containment Policy – The United States policy using numerous strategies to prevent the spread of
communism abroad.
Conformists – a person who conforms to accepted behavior or established practices.
Counter – to go against.
Camp David Accords – were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister
Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David.
The two framework agreements were signed at White House, and were witnessed by United States
President Jimmy Carter.
D Day – the day (June 6, 1944) in World War II on which Allied forces invaded northern France by
means of beach landings in Normandy.
Diplomacy – the art of dealing with people in a sensitive and effective way.
Dayton Accords – is the peace agreement reached at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio,
US, in November 1995, and formally signed in Paris on December 14th. These accords put an end to the 3
1/2 year-long Bosnia War one of the Yogoslav Wars.
Détente – to stop, the easing of hostility or strained relations, especially between countries.
Entrepreneurship – Is the willingness to take risks and develop, organize and manage a business venture
in a competitive global marketplace that is constantly evolving.
Eugenics – using marriage and sterilization to remove “unwanted” traits/genes from society.
Expansionism – the belief that a country should grow larger: a policy of increasing a country’s size by
expanding its territory.
Executive Order 9066 – an order signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, authorizing the
Secretary of War to prescribe certain areas as military zones, clearing the way for the deportation of
Japanese Americans.
Executive Order 9981 – an Executive order issued on July 26, 1948, by President harry S. Truman, it
abolished racial discrimination in the United States Armed forces and eventually led to end of segregation
in the services.
Embargo – an official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country.
Endangered Species Act – a species of animals or plant that is seriously at risk of extinction. Running
out of.
Federal monetary Policy – the goals of monetary policy are to promote maximum employment stable
prices and moderate long-term interest rates.
Fireside chats – One of a series of radio broadcasts made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the
nation, beginning in 1933.
Flying Tigers – the first American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air force in 1941-1942, nicknamed
the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots for the United States Army Air corps, Navy, and Marine Corps,
recruited under presidential authority.
Great Migration – Was the movement of 6 million African-Americans out of the rural Southern U.S. to
the urban Northwest, Midwest, and West that occurred between 1910 and 1970.
Hoovervilles – a shantytown built by unemployed and destitute people during the Depression of the early
1930’s.
Holocaust – The destruction or slaughter on a mass scale, especially caused by fire or nuclear war. The
killing of 6 million Jews.
Harry Truman – President who desegregated the military. Responsible for dropping the atomic bomb
after being in office for 3 months.
Imperialism – a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military
force. Ruled by an emperor.
Initiative – a process that enables citizens to bypass their state legislature by placing proposed statutes
and, in some states, constitutional amendments on the ballot.
Isolationism – the belief that a country should not be involved with other countries: a policy of not
making agreements or working with other countries.
Iron curtain - a National barrier separating the former Soviet bloc and the West prior to the decline of
communism that followed the political events in Eastern Europe in 1989. **not an actual, physical
barrier; theoretically
Island Hopping – Was the phrase given to the strategy employed by the U.S. to gain military bases and
secure the many small islands in the Pacific.
Impeachment – Charge (the public holder of a public office) with misconduct. Remove from office.
Process to fire the President.
Kamikaze Pilots – Were Japanese suicide pilots who attacked allied warships in the Pacific Ocean during
the Second World War. The name means “divine wind” and refers to ta typhoon that destroyed an enemy
fleet in the 13th century.
Korematsu v. the United States – court ruled that Executive Order 9066 WAS constitutional and
Korematsu, a Japanese American, DID have to obey it and relocate to an internment camp
Laissez Faire - The theory or system of government that upholds the economic order, believing that
government should intervene as little as possible in the direction of economic affairs. French for “Let it
Be.”
Monopolies – the exclusive possession or control of the supply or trade in a commodity or service.
Monetary policy – is the process by which the monetary authority of a country controls the supply of
money, often targeting an inflation rate or interest rate to ensure price stability and general trust in the
currency.
Muckrakers – a person who intentionally seeks out and publishes the misdeeds, such as criminal acts or
corruption, of a public individual for profit or gain.
Manhattan Project – Was the research and development project that produced the first nuclear weapons
during World War II.
Market Speculation – a practice of engaging in risky financial transactions in an attempt to profit from
fluctuations in the market value of a tradable good.
Nationalism – a feeling that people have of being loyal to and proud of their country often with the belief
that it is better and more important that other countries.
Obamacare – Affordable Care Act. Health insurance made available for those who don’t have insurance.
Proprietorship – is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one natural person and in which
there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business.
Palmer raids – were a series of raids by the United States department of justice intended to capture,
arrest and deport radical leftists and communists from the United States.
Plessy v. Ferguson – legalized segregation in public places by calling for “separate but equal”
accommodations
Referendum – an event in which the people of a county, state vote for or against a law that deals with a
specific issue: a public vote on a particular issue.
Recall – is a procedure that allows citizens to remove and replace a public official before the end of a
term of office.
Red Scare – the promotion of fear of a potential rise of communism or radical leftism.
Robber Barons – a ruthless powerful U. S. capitalist or industrialist of the late 19th century considered to
have become wealthy by exploiting natural resources, corrupting legislators, or other unethical means.
Rationing bonds – restrictions of raw materials, goods or services. Rationing commonly occurs when
governments fear a shortage and want to make sure people have access to necessities, such as after a
natural disaster of during a war.
Reaganomics – the economic policies of the former US president Ronald Reagan, associated especially
with the reduction of taxes and the promotion of unrestricted free – market activity.
Settlement houses – an institution in an inner-city area providing educational, recreational, and other
social services to the community.
Speakeasies – an illegal liquor store, nightclub, or bar; prominent during the Prohibition era
Sputnik – a series of Soviet artificial satellites, the first of which was the first satellite to be place in orbit.
Scandal – an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage.
Stock – a stock is a type of security that signifies ownership in a corporation and represent a claim on part
of the corporation’s assets and earnings.
Sandra Day O’Connor – appointed by Reagan and was the first female appointed to the Supreme Court.
Sharecropping – is a system of agriculture in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return
for a share of the crops produced on their portion of land.
Sherman Anti-Trust Act – The first federal act that outlawed monopolistic business practices. The first
measure passed by the U. S. Congress to prohibit trusts.
Segregation – to separate or exclude; in U.S. history, refers to the separation of blacks and whites in
public places
Tenements – a room or a set of rooms forming a separate residence within a house or block of
apartments.
Total War – a war in which every available weapon is used and the nation’s full financial resources are
devoted.
Thurgood Marshall – was a lawyer who was best known for his high success rate in arguing before the
Supreme Court and for the victory of Brown V Board of Education. Was the first African American
Justice.
Tariffs – a tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports.
Title IX – is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally
funded education program or activity.
Vitality – the state of being strong and active; energy. The power giving continuance of life, present in all
living things.
Victory Gardens – a vegetable garden, especially a home garden, planted to increase food production
during a war
Yellow Journalism – Journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and
attract readers.
Important amendments:
24th Amendment – United States ratified the 24th amendment to the constitution, prohibition any poll tax
in elections for federal officials.