Isolationism – foreign policy that avoids making alliances with other nations

J

Jacob Riis – author of “How The Other Half Lives”; exposed the unsanitary conditions in urban slums

Jane Addams (1860 – 1935) – progressive reformer who focused on settlement houses to assist the urban poor

Jefferson’s Embargo Act (1807) – all U.S. ports were closed to export shipping in either U.S. or foreign vessels, and restrictions were placed on imports from Great Britain

Jesse Jackson (1941) – an African Amercian civil rights leader

Jim Crow laws – laws that enforced racial segregation in the South between the end of Reconstruction (1877) and the beginning of the civil rights movement (1950s)

Jim Crow laws – laws that promoted segregation in the south following the Civil War

John Brown’s Raid – a raid led by a white absolutist, John Brown, on Harpers Ferry. The goal was to start a slave revolt

John D Rockefeller – American industrialist; founder of the Standard Oil Company which was the of the first business trusts in the U.S.

John Locke – enlightenment philosopher, credited with the Natural Rights theory

John Muir – influential conservationist who helped established national parks

Judicial review – the power of the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional

K

Kansas Nebraska Act (1854) – allows settlers in the Kansas- Nebraska territory to use popular sovereignty (majority rule) to determine the status of slavery when becoming a state

Kent State (1970) – students protested the invasion of Cambodia. The Ohio National Guard killed 4 unarmed protesters

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798) – Argued that “states” have the right to declare federal laws unconstitutional that were not covered under the Constitution

Korean War – in June of 1950, communist North Korea invaded South Korea. The United States sent troops to help fight the invasion

Korematsu v. the United States (1943) – landmark Supreme Court Case that upheld the governments right to place Japanese Americans in internment camps during World War II

L

Laissez-faire – policy of minimum governmental interference in the economic affairs of individuals and society

Langston Hughes – famous poet of the Harlem Renaissance

League of Nations – an ineffective world peace keeping organization proposed by Wilson after World War I and included in the Treaty of Versailles

League of Nations – an international organization consisting of individual nations with the goal to maintain world peace

Lend Lease Act (1941) – legislation that allowed the United States to provide military aid to the allies without actually entering World War II

Literacy tests – government practice of testing the literacy (ability to read and write) of potential citizens and potential voters

Lobbyists – people or groups that attempt to influence legislation. This is common amongst corporations and special interest groups

Loose interpretation – belief that the Constitution should not be interpreted word for word

Louisiana Purchase (1803) – Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana territory from France. This purchase gave the United States complete control of the Mississippi river and the port of New Orleans

Lusitania – on May 1, 1915 a German torpedo sunk a ship that left New York bound for Great Britain

Lyndon B. Johnson – 36th President of the United States; created the Great Society program and escalated U.S. troop involvement in Vietnam

M

Magna Carta (1215) – English charter that listed the political and civil liberties granted by King John to the people

Malcolm X (1925 – 1965) – civil rights leader, who supported the idea of Black Nationalism

Manhattan Project (1942 – 1945) – top secret experiments that led to the creation of the worlds first atomic bomb

Manifest Destiny – the belief that the U.S. was destined to expand from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean (sea to shining sea)

Mapp v. Ohio (1961) – evidence gathered through illegal searches may not be used

Marbury v. Madison (1803) – landmark Supreme Court decision that establishes the precedent of judicial review

March on Washington (1963) – an estimated 250,000 people for a peaceful demonstration to promote Civil Rights and economic equality for African Americans

Margin – borrowed money that is used to purchase securities

Marshall Plan (1951) – post World War II foreign policy that provided military and financial aid to European nations in danger of becoming communist

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 – 1968) – civil rights leader who advocated non-violence and civil disobedience

Mayflower Compact – first governing document of the Plymouth colony and considered a foundation to American democracy

McCarthyism -1950’s practice of accusing people of being communist with little or no evidence. McCarthyism is often compared to the Salem Witch trials

Meat Inspection Act – as a result of Upton Sinclair’s book “”The Jungle””, Congress passed the Meat Inspection Act of 1905 which required all meat to be inspected before it was shipped to market

Mechanization of agriculture – the use of machines in farming

Medicare – guaranteed national health insurance for Americans ages 65 and older

Melting pot – a place where a variety of races, cultures, or individuals assimilate into a cohesive whole

Mercantilism – the belief that colonies existed to benefit the mother country

Mexican Cession (1848) – the U.S. gained the states of California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and most of Arizona as a part of the treaty to end the Mexican- American war

Mexican War (1848) – war between the United States and Mexico that helped fulfill Manifest Destiny

Miranda Rights – in the United States, a suspected criminal must be informed of their rights when they are taken into policy custody or before they are interrogated

Miranda v. Arizona (1966) – landmark Supreme Court decision that establishes the precedent of the accused being informed of their rights before questioning.

Missouri Compromise (1820 ) – allowed Missouri to enter as a slave started and Maine to enter as a free state. The plan also forbade slavery north of 36 degrees 30 in the Louisiana Territory

Monetary policy – the use of interest rates by the Federal Reserve to regulate the nations money supply

Monopolies, pools & trusts – business practice in which one company controls an entire industry or product in order to eliminate competition

Monopoly – exists when one business gains exclusive control of a particular market

Monroe Doctrine (1923) – isolationist doctrine that warns Europe against any further colonization of the Western Hemispheres

Monroe Doctrine – doctrine warning European nations not to colonize or interfere in North or South American affairs

Montgomery bus boycott (1955) – protest of the city’s segregation policy on its public transit system (Rosa Parks)

Muckraker – a journalist who exposed the evils of society through newspaper articles, books and photos during the Progressive Era

N

National nominating convention – held every four years by major political parties; nominates a presidential candidate

Nativism – the belief that ones culture is the best

Natural rights theory – people are born with the right to life, liberty and property. Government is supposed to protect these rights

Navigation acts – laws that enforced British mercantile policy. For example: forbidding colonists from manufacturing finished goods
Neutrality Acts – a series of acts created by the United States Congress that were geared toward keeping the United States out of another war

Neutrality – foreign policy in which a given nation does not take sides in conflicts between other nations

New Deal – created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the Great Depression, the New Deal increased the role of the Federal Government in the economy. The “3 Rs”” – Relief , Recovery, Reform”

New England town meetings – gatherings in which citizens voted on colonial legislation

New Jersey plan – plan proposed at the Constitutional Convention based on equal representation in Congress

New Jersey v. TLO (1985) – the Supreme Court upheld the schools right to search students based on reasonable suspicion

New York Times Co v. The United States (1971) – landmark Supreme Court decision that upholds freedom of the press

Nonimportation agreements (1765–75) – organized boycotts of British products

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) – agreement between United States, Canada and Mexico; created a free trade area; removed trade barriers

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – an alliance of non communist nations to prevent the spread of communism

Northwest Ordinance (1787) – law that provided for admission of new states into the union; primary effect of the ordinance was the creation of the Northwest Territory, the first organized territory of the United States

Nuremberg trials (1945-1946) – international trial that held many Nazis accountable for crimes against humanity

O

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries) – an organization formed in 1961 to administer a common policy for the sale of petroleum

Open Door policy – policy that stated all countries would have equal access to trade with the Chinese Empire

Open Door policy – policy that stated all countries would have equal access to trade with the Chinese Empire. Designed to promote United States economic interests in China

Operation Desert Shield (2006) – the Iraqi takeover of Kuwait posed an immediate threat to neighboring Saudi Arabia, another major exporter of oil. The U.S. and NATO sent troops to the region to prevent Iraq from invading Saudi Arabia

Ordinance of Nullification (1832) – the state of South Carolina asserted that they would not follow a federal tariff law passed by Congress within their state because it favored the North and hurt the South: President Jackson threatened use of military force to enforce tariffs

Over speculation – gambling on the stock market with borrowed money

Overproduction – when factories or farms produce more goods than they can sell

P

Pacific Railroad Act – promoted the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the United States by issuing land to the railroad companies

Palmer Raids (1919-1920) – the United States government attempted to arrest and deport suspected communists living in the United States

Panama Canal – a 48 mile ship canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean

Pardon – forgiveness of a crime and cancellation of a penalty associated with the crime

Passive resistance – the act of protesting a government by use of nonviolent methods

Patriot Act (2001) – an act designed at helping law enforcement combat terrorism by reducing restrictions; passed by George Bush

Peace corps – a federal government organization, set up in 1961, that trains and sends American volunteers abroad to work with people of developing countries on projects for technological, agricultural, and educational improvement

Persian Gulf War (1991) – an armed conflict in which the United States liberated Kuwait from Iraqi aggression

Philanthropy – belief of millionaires at the turn of the century that they were responsible for enhancing humanity by building museums and schools

Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, et al, Casey – upheld the constitutional right to have an abortion

Plantation – a large farm or estate on which cotton, tobacco, coffee, sugar cane, or the like is grown

Plessy v. Ferguson – landmark Supreme Court decision that upholds segregation and establishes the separate but equal doctrine

Political action committee – organization that uses a variety of methods to influence elections and legislation

Political parties – group of people with similar ideas, motives and opinions, that seeks to influence public policy by getting its candidates elected to public office

Poll taxes – form of taxation used to deter African Americans from voting in the south after reconstruction

Popular sovereignty – allowed settlers of a given territory to vote on whether or not to allow slavery when applying for statehood

Popular vote – a vote for a U.S. presidential candidate made directly by registered voters

Populism – political ideology during the late 19th century geared toward Midwestern farmers that favored the coinage of silver and regulation of the railroads

Populist Party -political party based in the mid-west that sought to help improve conditions for farmers and factory workers. The farmers would benefit if the railroads were owned and operated by the government
Preamble – the introductary statement to the Constitution which states the fundamental purposes of the Constitution, as well as discusses the general principles which guide the constitution

Primary source – a document which was written or created during the time under study; written by a person at the time of the event

Proclamation of 1763 – prohibited colonial settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains

Progressive Era – between 1900 and 1914 The Progressives were a political party whose chief objective was to reform society

Progressive movement (1900 -1920) – an effort to “fix” government and “cure” American society by eliminating corruption

Progressivism – political ideology that sought to correct the abuses of industrialization

Prohibition – the 18th amendment banned the sale and production of alcohol in the United States. In 1931 it was repealed by the 21st Amendment

Pullman railcar act (1894) – massive railroad strike in the U.S. after the Pullman Palace Car Co. cut wages

Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) – act that required that companies list the ingredients on food

Q

Quota laws – restictions on the number of immigrants allowed into the country

R

Rachel Carson – author of Silent Spring; book that brought attention to environmental concerns such as the use of DDT (pesticide)

Rationing – limiting the amount of resources such as food or gas that consumers could purchase during times of war

Realistic accommodation – belief that former slaves should prove themselves at lower paying occupations rather than demanding full equality

Recession – a general slowdown in economic activity; rising unemployment, household income and business profits are lower

Reconstruction (1865-77) – the period after the Civil War when the South was reorganized and reintegrated into the Union
Red Scare – an intense prejudice towards European immigrants during the 1920’s thought to be communist

Republican – political party that supports conservative values and supply side economics

Reserved powers – the tenth amendment to the United States Constitution reserves certain powers to state governments (example: marriage laws)

Right to petition – the right of citizens to address their concerns about the government to their government without punishment

Riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention – occurred during a year of violence including civil unrest, assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy

Robber Barons – ruthless businessmen who formed monopolies, pools and trusts in the late 1800’s

Roe v. Wade (1973) – landmark Supreme Court decision that establishes abortion as a right to privacy

Roosevelt Corollary – corollary to the Monroe Doctrine: states that the United States will intervene in conflicts between European nations and Latin American countries in order to keep the European countries out

Rosa Parks – an African-American civil rights activist; refused to obey bus drivers order to give up her seat to a white passenger, after the white section was filled

Rosenberg trial (1953) – Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were placed on trial by the United States for selling secrets to the Soviet Union with little evidence

Rural – agricultural society

S

Sacco and Vanzetti trial – Massachusetts criminal trial that illustrates nativism in the 1920’s

Salutary neglect – from 1607 to 1763, the unwritten British policy for governing the American colonies; this included not enforcing strict laws on the American colonies. This would allow the colonies to flourish

Samuel Gompers) – union leader who founded the AFL (American Federation of Labor

Schenck v. United States 1919 – landmark Supreme Court decision that established limits on free speech and upheld the idea that the government may limit civil rights during times of war

Scopes Trial (1925) – teacher John Scopes was fined for teaching the theory of evolution in Tennessee

Search warrant – court order that allows authorities to search a person or a specific location for evidence connected to a crime

Securities and Exchange Commission – government agency that regulates the securities markets (stocks or bonds)

Sedition Act (1918) – forbade disloyal or abusive language toward the government or the war effort

Segregation – racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life

Seneca Falls Convention (1848) – held in Seneca Falls, New York; American women debated for the right to vote

Separation of powers – the United States government is separated into three branches; legislative, executive and judicial. The idea is to prevent one branch from having all of the power

Service industries – occupations that provide services rather than produce goods

Settlement house– community centers built in urban areas to assist the urban poor through education and other programs

Sharecropper – former slave who remained on plantation as a tenant farmer

Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890) – act passed to prohibit unfair business practices (monopolies, pools and trusts)

Social Contract – the theory that there is an agreement between the government and the governed. There are rights, responsibilities and limitations that both the government and the governed must agree to

Social Darwinism – 19th century philosophy which said that wealth was distributed via survival of the fittest

Socialism – economic system in which the means of production and distribution are controlled by the people and operated according to equity and fairness rather than market principles

Social security – a program of old-age, unemployment, health, disability, and survivors insurance maintained by the U.S. federal government

Soil Conservation Act of 1935 – enacted in an attempt to address farm erosion problems by bringing within its policy and purposes, the improvements and preservation of national soil resources

Southern colonies – colonies south of Delaware such as Virginia the Carolinas and Georgia

Sovereign – independent self rule

Space Race – a competition during the Cold War between the United States and Russia for supremacy in space exploration

Spanish-American War (1898) – conflict between the United States and Spain that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in U.S. acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America

Speakeasy – secret bars that one needed a password to get into during prohibition

Spheres of Influence – an area of a given nation exclusively controlled by a foreign power. For example, by 1890 China had been carved into various spheres of influence controlled by foreign nations

Spoils system – a system that rewards political supporters with government jobs

Spoils system – system whereby politicians, after winning an election, reward their supporters with government jobs. President Jackson spoiled his supporters!

Sputnik (1957) – Russian satellite launched into outer space

Square Deal – President Theodore Roosevelt’s domestic program formed upon three basic ideas: conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection, aimed at helping middle class citizens

Stock market crash (1929) – on Black Tuesday (October 29), the stock market saw dramatic losses in the price of stocks; this signaled the beginning of the Great Depression

Strike – work stoppage whereby workers refuse to work. Strikes can include picket lines

Submarine warfare – a type of naval warfare in which submarines sink merchant ships without warning

Suffrage – the right to vote

Supply-Side economics – economic theory that the economy will grow through policies designed to help businesses increase their production (supply) and profits

Supply side economic policies include:
– lowering income tax
– lowering capital gains tax rates
– reducing regulation (rules for businesses)

Survival of the fittest – a struggle for life in which only those organisms best adapted to existing conditions are able to survive

T

Taliban – political group that ruled parts of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001

Tariff – taxes on imported goods; passed in order to raise the prices of imports
– Higher prices on imports encourage consumers to purchase domestic goods
– Tariffs protect U.S. businesses from foreign competition by raising prices on imports

Tax cuts – a reduction in taxes paid by American citizens

Teapot Dome scandal – a bribery scandal involving oil companies and some key cabinet members during the 1920’s

Temperance movement – movement intending to stop the production, consumption and distribution of alcohol

Tenement – overcrowded apartments in cities during the industrial revolution; slums

Tennant Farmer – farmer who signed a contract agreeing to pay landlord through labor

Tennessee Valley Authority – a federally owned corporation created to improve economic development in the Tennessee Valley during the Great Depression

Terrorism – use of violence or force to intimidate or inflict damage for coercion purposes (usually for political purposes)

Tet Offensive (1968) – the Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces launched surprise attacks on cities and towns throughout South Vietnam

Theodore Roosevelt – 26th President of the United States, whose domestic policies included environmental conservation and progressivism

Thomas Jefferson – author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States

Thomas Paine (1737-1809) – English writer who wrote “Common Sense”; contributed to the American Revolution; advocate of colonial independence

Three Fifths Compromise – as a result of the Great Compromise, there was a disagreement as to how slaves would be counted. The Southern States wanted slaves to be counted as part of the population thus increasing their membership in the House of Representatives. The Northern States wanted them to count as taxable property thus increasing the nations income. The Three Fifths Compromise stated that for every five slaves, three would count as both population and property

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) – landmark Supreme Court decision that upholds students rights to freedom of expression in schools

Title IX – an education amendment of 1972 requires gender equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives federal funding

Trade deficit – when a given nations spending exceeds its income

Trail of Tears – forced march of Cherokee’s from Georgia to reservations west of the Mississippi river. Approximately 4,000 Native Americans died during this march

Transcontinental Railroad – railroad built in the late 1800’s that connected the east and west coast of the United States

Treaty of Versailles (1919) – the peace settlement between Germany and the Allied Powers that officially ended World War I

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (1911) – industrial disaster that killed 146 people and drew national attention to worker safety

Triangular trade – a pattern of colonial trade in which slaves were purchased in Africa with New England rum and then sold in the West Indies for sugar and molasses which was brought back to New England to be manufactured into rum

Triangular trade – trading that is done among three ports

Truman Doctrine – post World War II foreign policy that provided financial and military aid to Greece and Turkey in order to contain the spread of communism

U

U2 incident (1960) – the Soviet Union shot down an American U2 spy plane over their air space during the Cold War

Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) – an anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that depicted the life of a slave

United Farm Workers – a trade union, that began articulating the grievances of western agricultural workers and Mexican Americans in the mid-1960s

United Nations – international organization that was created to promote world peace, economic development, social progress and human rights

United States Constitution (1787) – Supreme law of the United States of America

United States v. E.C Knight Co. – the American Sugar Refining company acquired several companies including E. C. Knight Company . This gave them a monopoly. The government sued under the Sherman Act. The Supreme Court declared that manufacturing (i.e., refining) was a local activity not subject to congressional regulation of interstate commerce. The decision put most monopolies beyond the reach of the Sherman Antitrust Act

Unrestricted submarine warfare – a type of naval warfare in which submarines sink merchant ships without warning

Unwritten constitution – customs and traditions used in government that do not appear in the written Constitution (example: the Presidents Cabinet)

Upton Sinclair – author of “The Jungle”; exposed unsanitary conditions in the meat packing plants

Urbanization – the development of cities; growth of urban areas

V

Vernonia School District v. Acton (1995) – the Supreme Court upheld random drug testing of students

Veto – the power of one branch of government to reject the legislation (bills) of another branch

Virginia House of Burgesses – colonial government of the Virginia colony and considered a foundation of American representative democracy

Virginia Plan – plan proposed at the Constitutional Convention that based legislative representation proportional to population

W

W.E.B. Dubois (1969 – 1963) – civil rights pioneer and founding member of the NAACP

Wabash, St Louis & Pacific R.R v Illinois – limited the rights of states to control interstate commerce. Federal Goverment assumed responsibility for economic affairs previously controlled by states”

Wagner Act – protected workers rights to form unions and bargain collectively

War bonds – people lending money to the government to help fund the war effort

War Powers Act 1973 – limits powers on the Presidents ability to keep troops in hostile situations:
– Congress can cut off funding to troops
– Congress can demand troops be called back within 30 days”

War Powers Act 1973 – limits the presidents power as commander and chief

Washington’s Proclomation of Neutrality (1793) – the United States should remain neutral in European affairs

Washington’s Farewell Address (1796) – when leaving office President Washington warned the United States against entangling alliances with other nations. Involvement in European affairs could lead to war

Watergate (1973) – scandal allegedly involving President Nixon

Watkins v. the United States (1957) – landmark Supreme Court case that declared the power of Congress is limited in conducting investigations; it is unconstitutional to expose individuals’ private affairs

William Lloyd Garrison – famous abolitionist who published a newspaper called The Liberator; dedicated to ending slavery

Womens suffrage – the right for women to vote and run for office

Works Progess Administration (WPA) – New Deal program that employed people on public works projects

Y

Yalta Conference (1945) – Roosevelt (U.S.), Stalin (Soviet Union), and Churchill (United Kingdom) met to plan Europes post war reorganization

Yellow journalism – exaggerated news reports designed to sway public opinion

Z

Zimmerman note – note intercepted by Britain in which Germany urged Mexico to attack the U.S.