Semester Final Things You Need To Know
13th Amendment outlawed slavery
The South passed Black Codes, laws meant to limit the freedmen’s
freedom (vagrancy, curfews, labor contracts)
14th Amendment defined citizenship and required states to provide
equal protection of the law (Black Codes illegal)
15th Amendment gave all men the right to vote
Jim Crows laws were passed to limit Blacks from voting(poll taxes,
literacy tests, grandfather clauses)
KKK- hate group that wanted to keep Blacks from voting
Mining for gold brought many whites out west, followed by farmers
and ranchers.
The transcontinental railroad and the Homestead Act (free land)
increased westward movement (exodusters, southern Blacks who
moved west)
Conflicts with the Indians and the reservation system led to the Indian
Wars. Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Quanah Parker were chiefs
who resisted and fought the Army.
The Dawes Act was to assimilate the Indians by breaking up tribal land
and self-rule.
Indian schools were form to assimilate Indian children
Chief Red Cloud’s Copper Union Speech depicted the Sioux as peaceful
and needing help from the government
Chief Joseph tried to lead his people to Canada but was attacked and
gave his, I will fight no more forever speech to save his freezing people
The massacre at Wounded Knee reservation ended the Indian Wars
Cattle drives brought cattle along cattle trails to be shipped back east.
Immigrants were used to help build our industrial nation.
The Chinese Exclusion Act prevented Chinese to immigrate here.
Nativism is a dislike of immigrants
Most European immigrants were processed into America at Ellis Island
where they had to pass physical exams and criminal background checks
Unskilled immigrants from southern and eastern Europe provided labor
for industrial revolution and lived in over-crowded cities and worked in
harsh conditions
John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie were viewed as Robber
Barons for using unfair business practices to eliminate competition.
They were also seen as Captains of Industry for bring wealth to the
nation.
Philanthropy was the rich giving back to improve society and expressed
in Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth.
Inventions and innovations like Edison’s light bulb, Bell’s telephone and
the Bessemer process for making steel, helped fuel the industrial
revolution.
During the labor movement, unions were formed to get better pay and
safer working conditions.
The Haymarket Riot and Pullman Strike turned people against the
unions b/c of the violence.
Eugene V. Debs headed up the American Railroad Union (ARU), was a
Socialist, went to jail for the Pullman Strike, and later for violating the
Sedition Act during WW I. He ran for president 5 times as a Socialist
and from jail.
Susan B Anthony and Alice Paul led the suffrage movement to get
women the right to vote, 19th Amendment (1920)
The temperance movement wanted alcohol banned and succeeded
with the 18th Amendment which banned all alcohol in America until the
21st Amendment repealed it, making alcohol legal again.
Jane Addams founded Hull House to Americanize the new immigrants.
Muckrakers were journalist who exposed problem in society during
Industrialization. Jacob Riis focused on the poor, Ida Tarbell went after
J.D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil, Upton Sinclair’s book, The Jungle, got
the Meat Inspection Act passed.
The Progressive Movement was led by the middle-class and aimed at
fixing things like corruption. (political machines)
The initiative (people propose laws) recall (people can remove bad
officials) and referendum (people can change laws) along with direct
primary (people choose candidates) gave people more political power.
16th Amendment- income tax
17th Amendment- allowed people to elect senators
18th Amendment- prohibition
19th Amendment- women’s suffrage
William Jennings Bryan ran for president as a progressive, gave his,
Cross of Gold speech, asking for free coinage of silver,(off the gold
standard). He will also be an anti-Imperialist with Mark Twain and later
the prosecutor in the Scope’s Monkey Trial.
Plessy v Ferguson, Supreme Court case that make racial segregation
legal in America, set up separate but equal and upheld Jim Crow Laws.
Early civil rights leaders:
W.E.B. Du Bois- Blacks to be educated and demand equality by
changing laws. Niagara Fall Conference and NAACP
Booker T. Washington wanted Blacks to get vocational education and
equality over time
Marcus Garvey wanted races to be separate, black pride, Back to Africa
movement.
Alfred T Mahan stressed the need for a large naval force and overseas
bases to refuel and resupply ships.
“White Man’s Burden” was the policy of Christianizing and civilizing
the peoples in newly acquired territory, focus on Latin America
The U.S. annexed (stole) Hawaii for the natural resources and market.
American Imperialism was based on the economic need to expand our
markets and gain some natural resources. Main focus was on the
Caribbean Sea (Latin America) and South Pacific.
Yellow Journalism was used by Pulitzer and Hearst to sell newspapers,
but the exaggeration and sensationalism of events in Cuba lead to
America’s call for war with Spain.
The sinking of the U.S.S. Maine, U.S. declares war on Spain. We fight in
Cuba, Puerto Rico and Philippines.
U.S. Wins Spanish-American War and gains the territories of Puerto
Rico, Guam and control of the Philippines (for 20 million $$$) and
Cuba.
The Teller Amendment prevented the U.S. from annexing Cuba.
We have to fight an insurrection in the Philippines b/c we don’t give
them independence.
President Theodore Roosevelt: foreign policy was “big stick
diplomacy.” He built the Great White Fleet to serve as his “big stick.”
He used gunboat diplomacy to secure Panama’s independence and
U.S. to build Panama Canal. Domestic policy was Square Deal. He
busted “bad” trusts (no Laissez faire) Believed in conservationism,
conserving natural resources and formed National Parks. He ran for a
3rd term as a progressive, Bull Moose Party, against Taft (R), Debs (S)
and Wilson (D) in 1912 election. Split the republican vote, Wilson won
for the democrats.
President William H. Taft: foreign policy was Dollar Diplomacy (dollars
replace bullets) but used military when needed. Domestic policy- He
busted more trusts than TR, (no Laissez Faire).
President Wilson: foreign policy was Moral Diplomacy (promote
human rights & national integrity. He sent troops to intervene more
than once. Domestic Policy was also not laissez Fair.
All 3 Presidents used military interventionism to protect American
business interests in Latin America.
The Monroe Doctrine did not allow European interference in the
Americas and the Roosevelt Corollary allowed for U.S. intervention in
Latin American affairs. (policeman of the Americas)
World War I: America was neutral and sold goods to Britain and
Germany. British Blockade led to U.S. investing heavily with the Allies.
Germans used u-boats to sink cargo ships. Sunk the Lusitania angered
Americans. Zimmerman Note ask Mexico to attack U.S., broken
promises led to more U.S. ships being sunk. America declares war on
Germany.
The Home front: Selective Service Act = the draft. Government control
all industry, resources and information. Used propaganda to gain
money, (sold liberty bonds) and support for war.
WIB- War Industry Board
CPI- Committee on Public Information
Food Administration- Agricultural resources. (Hoover)
Great Migration- Blacks move to North to get jobs. discriminated
against and post war racial tensions lead to race riots in Chicago and
Tulsa.
Women enter the workforce to fill in for the men, as result of their
efforts, Wilson pushes the 19th Amendment through.
Espionage Act ( Schenck v U.S.)and the Sedition Act (Eugene Debs
imprisoned) limited freedoms during war.
Wilson’s 14 Points (peace plan)- self-determination, League of Nations,
and no victory, rejected by Allies except League of Nations.
Senate (led by Henry Cabot Lodge) reject Treaty of Versailles b/c
League of Nations would take away Congress Constitutional power to
declare war or not. Return to isolationism.
1st Red Scare brought on by the Bolshevik communist revolution in
Russia and the socialist activities of labor union in the U.S.
Palmer Raids were result of letter bombs sent by radicals so
immigrants were rounded up, jail and deported.
The Sacco and Vanzetti case = nativism after WW I
Harding’s “return to normalcy” = isolationism, laissez faire, focus on
business. Harding, Coolidge & Hoover all did same.
KKK makes comeback and spreads, fooling America, race riots increase.
Harlem Renaissance= Black culture crosses racial lines through art,
music and literature. Langston Hughes, Louis Armstrong, Bessie
Smith… aka Jazz Age.
Movies and radio provide entertainment, “The Jazz Singer” is 1st talkie
movie
Economy booms due to installment plan and buying stock on margin.
Rise of personal debt and inflated stock prices = unstable economy.
Overproduction and shrinking demand hurts farmers, businesses and
workers.
Due to Native American’s war efforts the Indian Citizenship Act of
1924 was passes
October 29, 1929, Black Tuesday, stock market crash = start of the
Great Depression
Bank runs caused 5000 banks to fail, 9 million lose their money.
Farmers suffered since end of war, 4000 banks already failed.
Great Depression marked by overproduction and high unemployment.
Hoover relies on “rugged individualism. businesses, volunteerism and
localism to solve depression issues. Later tries Reconstruction Finance
Corp. (RFC) to stimulate economy… too late. Hoover is blamed for all
suffering and problems.
Bonus Army want early veteran bonus check, march on Washington,
Hoover has MacArthur remove the Bonus Army vets. Force used and
Hoover blamed again. Added to Hoovervilles and FDR will win 1932
election.
FDR wins the election of 1932 by a landslide giving him a mandate to
try his New Deal
FDR’s “Brain Trust” and Eleanor Roosevelt helped him form the New
Deal Programs and carry them out.
1st. 100 Days FDR closed all banks (bank holiday) until they were
financially sound so no more people would lose their money. He
formed the FDIC to insure people’s money & boost confidence.
FDR used his Fireside Chats to inform and calm the American people
throughout the Great Depression.
In his 1st Inaugural Address, FDR expressed the need of government to
help get people back to work. The only thing we have to fear is fear
itself.
CCC- provide young unmarried men with jobs
PWA- Major projects (bridges, dams… ) provided jobs
AAA- Helped farmers by paying them to produce less.
SEC- Monitors and regulates all stock market activities
TVA- Brought work and cheap electricity to poor southerners
SSA- Money for retired, unemployed, disabled and hurt workers
WPA- Built school, roads and other large projects
Court Packing scheme: FDR tried to increase the number of Supreme
Court Justices to get support for New Deal programs.
Keynes said government should use deficit spending to stimulate the
economy.
The Wagner Act allowed worker to form unions, collective bargaining
and strike. It was tested by the UAW who held a Sit-Down Strike
against GM for 44 days.
The Great Depression ended with the outbreak of WW II