Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
US History Midterm
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What was Social Darwinism and why did it matter? | The idea that "survival of the fittest" applied to society and business. Wealthy industrialists used it to justify inequality and oppose government regulation. Why it matters: Provided intellectual defense for laissez-faire economics and resisting reform. |
| What was laissez-faire economics? | "Hands off" approach where government doesn't regulate business. Allowed monopolies and trusts to grow unchecked. Why it matters: Created conditions that Progressives later fought to change. |
| What were political machines and why were they significant? | Organizations that controlled city governments through patronage and corruption. Provided services to immigrants in exchange for votes. Why it matters: Represented corruption but filled gaps in social services; became target of Progressive reform. |
| What was nativism? | Opposition to immigration based on belief that native-born Americans were superior. Fueled by fear of job competition and cultural differences. Why it matters: Led to restrictive immigration laws like Chinese Exclusion Act. |
| Who was Andrew Carnegie and why was he significant? | Steel industry magnate who practiced "Gospel of Wealth" - believed rich should give back to society. Built libraries and funded education. Significance: Example of both industrial power and philanthropic responsibility. |
| Who was John D. Rockefeller and why was he significant? | Dominated oil industry through Standard Oil using horizontal integration and ruthless tactics. Eventually broken up as illegal monopoly. Significance: Epitomized both Gilded Age wealth and need for government regulation. |
| Who was William Jennings Bryan and what did he represent? | Populist politician who championed farmers and workers. Famous "Cross of Gold" speech supporting free silver. Significance: Voice for rural America against industrial/banking interests. |
| Who was Jacob Riis and why did he matter? | Photographer and journalist who documented tenement life in "How the Other Half Lives." Significance: Early muckraker whose work spurred housing reform. |
| What was the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) and why was it significant? | First major law restricting immigration based on nationality. Banned Chinese laborers for 10 years (repeatedly extended). Why it matters: Set precedent for racial restrictions; reflected nativism and labor tensions. |
| What was Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and why did it matter? | Supreme Court ruled "separate but equal" was constitutional, legalizing segregation for nearly 60 years. Why it matters: Allowed Jim Crow laws to flourish; wouldn't be overturned until Brown v. Board (1954). |
| Who were the muckrakers? | Investigative journalists who exposed corruption and social problems (Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, Upton Sinclair). Why they matter: Created public pressure for Progressive reforms. |
| What was "The Jungle" and what did it accomplish? | Upton Sinclair's novel exposing horrific conditions in meatpacking industry. Led directly to Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act (1906). Why it matters: Perfect example of muckraking leading to concrete reform. |
| What were the main goals of Progressivism? | Government action to fix problems caused by industrialization. Protect workers, consumers, and children. Reduce corruption. Increase democracy. |
| What were initiative, referendum, and recall? | Initiative: citizens propose laws directly. Referendum: citizens vote directly on laws. Recall: citizens remove elected officials before term ends. Why they matter: Gave citizens more direct control; reduced power of political machines. |
| Why did women's suffrage matter? | 19th Amendment (1920) gave women the vote, doubling the electorate. Represented major expansion of democracy and culmination of decades-long movement. |
| How did Theodore Roosevelt approach trusts? | Didn't oppose all big business, just "bad trusts" that abused power. Broke up Northern Securities Company. Why it matters: Established that government could regulate powerful corporations. |
| What was Theodore Roosevelt's conservation legacy? | Protected 230 million acres of public land. Created national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. Believed in wise use of resources. Why it matters: Pioneered federal role in environmental protection. |
| What was Roosevelt's "Square Deal"? | Fairness for workers, consumers, and business. Government as referee, not destroyer, of capitalism. Why it matters: Moderate Progressive approach balancing reform with capitalism. |
| What were the economic causes of American imperialism? | Need for raw materials and new markets. Industrial economy produced more than domestic market could consume. Connection: Imperialism as extension of Industrial Revolution. |
| What role did nationalism play in American imperialism? | Desire to prove American power and spread American values. Competition with European colonial powers. Connection: Part of emerging U.S. role as world power. |
| What was yellow journalism and why did it matter? | Sensationalized newspaper reporting by Hearst and Pulitzer. Exaggerated Spanish atrocities in Cuba. Why it matters: Helped push U.S. toward war with Spain. |
| What was the significance of the USS Maine? | American battleship that exploded in Havana harbor (1898). "Remember the Maine!" became rallying cry. Why it matters: Immediate trigger for Spanish-American War. |
| What did the U.S. gain from the Spanish-American War? | Puerto Rico, Guam, and Philippines. Cuba became independent (in theory). Why it matters: Marked U.S. emergence as imperial power with overseas territories. |
| What was the Open Door Policy? | U.S. policy toward China (1899-1900) stating all nations should have equal trading rights. Prevented China's division by European powers. Why it matters: Showed U.S. interest in Asian markets without direct colonization. |
| What was the Big Stick Policy/Roosevelt Corollary? | "Speak softly and carry a big stick" - use military threat to achieve goals. Roosevelt Corollary: U.S. could intervene in Latin America to maintain stability. Why it matters: Justified repeated U.S. intervention in Latin America; created lasting resentmen |
| Who was Alfred T. Mahan and why did he matter? | Naval strategist who argued sea power determined national greatness in "The Influence of Sea Power upon History" (1890). Why he matters: Provided intellectual justification for building navy and acquiring overseas bases. |
| What were the main arguments against imperialism? | Violated American ideals of self-government. Racist to rule over other peoples. Expensive and dangerous. Created foreign entanglements Washington warned against. Why it matters: Shows imperialism was controversial. |
| What does MANIA stand for (WWI causes)? | Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Imperialism, Assassination. Why it matters: Shows war had deep structural causes, not just assassination. |
| What was unrestricted submarine warfare and why did it matter? | Germany's use of U-boats to sink ships without warning. Lusitania sunk (1915) killing 128 Americans. Why it matters: Main reason U.S. entered WWI; violated neutral rights. |
| What was the Zimmermann Telegram? | German message to Mexico proposing alliance against U.S., promising Mexico could reclaim Texas, New Mexico, Arizona. British intercepted and shared with U.S. (1917). Why it matters: Outraged American public; direct threat to U.S. security. |
| What was the Treaty of Versailles and why did it matter? | Ended WWI (1919). Forced Germany to accept full blame and pay massive reparations. Took away German territory. Why it matters: Harsh terms humiliated Germany and contributed to rise of Hitler and WWII. |
| What was the League of Nations and why did it fail? | Wilson's idea for international organization to prevent war through collective security. U.S. Senate rejected Treaty and never joined. Why it matters: League weakened without U.S.; foreshadowed isolationism. |
| What was isolationism in the 1920s-30s? | Policy of avoiding foreign alliances and conflicts. Grew stronger after WWI disillusionment. Why it matters: Dominated U.S. foreign policy; delayed response to Hitler. |
| What was Schenck v. United States (1919)? | Charles Schenck convicted for distributing anti-draft pamphlets. Supreme Court upheld conviction using "clear and present danger" test. Why it matters: Established First Amendment rights are not absolute, especially during wartime. |
| What was the Harlem Renaissance? | Flowering of African American arts, literature, and music in 1920s Harlem. Key figures: Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington, Zora Neale Hurston. ;Celebrated Black culture; challenged racist stereotypes; laid groundwork for civil rights movement. |
| Who were flappers and what did they represent? | Young women who defied traditional gender norms with short skirts, bobbed hair, smoking, drinking. Why they matter: Symbolized changing roles for women and generational conflict; part of broader cultural modernization. |
| What was the Red Scare? | Fear of communist revolution spreading to U.S. after Russian Revolution (1917). Fueled by labor strikes and anarchist bombings. Why it matters: Shows how fear can lead to violation of civil liberties. |
| What were the Palmer Raids? | Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer ordered raids on suspected radicals (1919-1920). Thousands arrested, many deported without proper legal process. Why they matter: Example of government overreach during time of fear; civil liberties violated. |
| Who were Sacco and Vanzetti? | Two Italian immigrants and anarchists accused of robbery/murder (1920). Trial marked by anti-immigrant prejudice. Convicted and executed (1927) despite questionable evidence. Why they matter: Became international symbol of American nativism and injustice. |
| What were the Immigration Quota Acts (1921, 1924)? | Established numerical limits on immigration using national origins system favoring Northern/Western Europeans. Virtually excluded Asians. Why they matter: Reversed open immigration policy; reflected nativism and racism; remained basis until 1965. |
| What was the 18th Amendment (Prohibition)? | Banned manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol (1920-1933). Led to org crime, speakeasies, bootlegging. Repealed by 21st Amendment (1933). ; Example of attempt to legislate morality; showed limits of government power; urban-rural cultural divide. |
| What was the Scopes Trial (1925)? | John Scopes, Tennessee teacher, accused of teaching evolution in violation of state law. Famous lawyers: William Jennings Bryan vs. Clarence Darrow. Why it matters: Symbolized conflict between science and religion; urban vs. rural values. |
| What was mass production in the 1920s? | Assembly line techniques (pioneered by Henry Ford) increased efficiency and made consumer goods affordable. Model T price dropped from $850 to $300. Why it matters: Created consumer culture; raised standard of living but led to overproduction. |
| What was installment buying? | "Buy now, pay later" credit system allowing people to purchase expensive items without full payment upfront. Why it matters: Fueled consumer spending and economic growth, but created personal debt; contributed to vulnerability before Great Depression. |
| What was stock market speculation in the 1920s? | Buying stocks "on margin" (with borrowed money) assuming prices would keep rising. Created bubble that burst in 1929. Why it matters: Reckless speculation contributed to Stock Market Crash and Great Depression. |
| How did power shift from Gilded Age to Progressive Era? | Shift from business power (Gilded Age laissez-faire) to government power (Progressive regulation). Government began regulating trusts, protecting workers and consumers. |
| What conflicts defined the 1920s? | Traditional vs. modern values (Scopes Trial, Prohibition). Urban vs. rural tensions. Nativists vs. immigrants. Science vs. religion. Old morality vs. new freedoms (flappers). |
| How did WWI change America's role in the world? | U.S. emerged as world power but then retreated to isolationism. Rejected League of Nations and Treaty of Versailles. Remained reluctant to engage internationally until WWII. |
| What pattern do Chinese Exclusion Act, Palmer Raids, and Immigration Quota Acts show? | Pattern of fear leading to restriction of rights and nativism. Economic competition, cultural differences, and political anxiety led to targeting of immigrants and radicals. |
| How did muckrakers contribute to Progressive reform? | Exposed problems (Riis - tenements, Tarbell - Standard Oil, Sinclair - meatpacking) creating public pressure. Led to concrete reforms like Pure Food and Drug Act, antitrust actions, housing codes. |
Created by:
user-1919584