Founding Docs
the first governing document of Plymouth Colony, establishing a self-ruling, "civil body politic" based on the consent of the settlers to create just laws for the general good
Mayflower Compact
crowded, low-quality, multi-family rental apartment buildings, common in 19th and early 20th-century urban areas like New York City, that served as densely packed housing for immigrants and the working class, often featuring poor ventilation, lighting, and sanitation
Tenement Housing
a brief conflict, fueled by the sinking of the USS Maine and Cuban independence struggles, that ended Spain’s colonial empire in the Americas and elevated the United States as a global power
Spanish-American War
involved the controversial conviction and 1927 execution of two Italian immigrant anarchists for a Massachusetts murder-robbery
Sacco and Venzetti
a cold war competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to develop, produce, and stockpile superior nuclear weapons to achieve military and political dominance
Nuclear Race
individuals mutually consent to surrender some of their natural freedoms and abide by rules in exchange for the protection of their remaining rights and the maintenance of social order by a governing body
Social Contract
an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit
Capitalism
a 51-mile artificial waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the Isthmus of Panama
Panama Canal
a vibrant decade of profound social, cultural, and economic change following World War I, characterized by explosive economic growth, mass consumerism, the rise of jazz music, and radical shifts in social norms
Roaring Twenties
a 20th-century Cold War competition between the US and USSR to achieve superiority in spaceflight capability
Sputnik/Space Race
established a structured process for organizing new territories, creating a pathway to statehood on equal footing with the original states, and prohibiting slavery in the region north of the Ohio River
Northwest Ordinance
a pioneering, inclusive 19th-century American labor organization that aimed to unite skilled and unskilled workers to push for social reforms like the eight-hour day and worker cooperatives
Knights of Labor/AF of L
a U.S. foreign policy initiative aimed at fostering friendly relations, mutual defense, and non-intervention in the domestic affairs of Latin American nations, reversing earlier, more aggressive military interventionist policies
Good Neighbor Policy
a vibrant flowering of African American literature, art, and music in the 1920s and 1930s, centered in Harlem, New York, which celebrated Black culture, fostered racial pride, and challenged societal stereotypes
Harlem Renaissance
authorized the construction of a 41,000-mile National System of Interstate and Defense Highways
Interstate Highway Act
an armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers and Revolutionary War veterans, led by Daniel Shays, protesting high taxes, stringent economic conditions, and debt-related foreclosures, which highlighted the weakness of the Articles of Confederation and spurred calls for a stronger federal government
Shay’s Rebellion
a violent 1886 confrontation in Chicago, where a bomb thrown at police during a labor demonstration for an eight-hour workday resulted in multiple deaths, triggered a national crackdown on labor radicals, and became a defining,13, historical symbol of the international struggle for workers' rights
Haymarket Riot
debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditures during wartime, functioning as a loan from citizens to the government that is repaid with interest after a set period
War Bonds
a vibrant 1920s cultural period in the U.S. defined by the widespread popularity of jazz music, booming prosperity, rebellious youth culture, and looser social morals following World War I
Jazz Age
post-WWII period of unprecedented economic growth, high consumerism, and rising living standards, particularly in the US and Britain, characterized by increased middle-class disposable income, suburbanization, and widespread adoption of luxury goods like cars and appliances
Age of Affluence
supporters of the U.S. Constitution who advocated for a strong central government, economic modernization, and a loose interpretation of the Constitution, often opposing the states'-rights-focused Democratic-Republicans
Federalists
landowners allowed tenants to use their land in exchange for a share of the crops produced, frequently trapping farmers in a cycle of poverty and debt
Sharecropping
authorized the military to designate exclusion zones, resulting in the forced relocation and incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans
Executive Order 9066
a severe, prolonged environmental and agricultural disaster during the 1930s where drought combined with poor farming practices caused massive dust storms, destroying topsoil across the Southern Great Plains and forcing widespread migration
Dust Bowl
The Rust Belt is a northeastern/midwestern region that experienced significant industrial decline, population loss, and urban decay due to deindustrialization, whereas the Sun Belt is a Southern and Southwestern region characterized by warm weather, population growth, and economic expansion in technology and service sectors
Rust Belt/Sun Belt