Westward Expansion / Civil War & Reconstruction
Industrialization / Progressive Era
Imperialism & WWI
Roaring 20s & Great Depression
100

In what ways did the US Government encourage Westard Expansion in the 1800s

  • Homestead Act (1862): Gave 160 acres of free land to settlers who lived on and improved the land for five years. This was a major incentive for families to move west.
  • Pacific Railway Acts (1862 & 1864): Granted land and loans to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroad, facilitating migration and commerce.
100

What were some of the main causes for Industrialization in the late 1800s.

Population increase

Advances in transportation

Advances in communication

New sources of energy

Rise of corporations 

Open immigration policy

100

What did the Monroe Doctrine say, how did the Roosevelt Corollary modify the Monroe doctrine?

Monroe Doctrine (1823) President James Monroe

  1. No New Colonization: The Western Hemisphere was closed to new European colonization.
  2. Non-Intervention: European nations should not interfere in the affairs of the Americas.
  3. U.S. Neutrality: In return, the U.S. would stay out of European internal affairs and wars

🦅 Roosevelt Corollary (1904) President Theodore Roosevelt

  1. U.S. as Regional Policeman: The U.S. claimed the right to intervene in Latin American countries to stabilize their economies and governments.
  2. Prevent European Involvement: The U.S. would act preemptively to prevent European nations from using force in the Western Hemisphere.
  3. Expanded U.S. Power: It turned the Monroe Doctrine from a defensive policy into a justification for U.S. intervention in Latin America.
100
  • 18th Amendment (1919): Established Prohibition, banning the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the U.S.
  • 21st Amendment (1933): Ended Prohibition by repealing the 18th Amendment.

Why do some say the 18th Amendment was a failure.

  • Prohibition led to a rise in organized crime, illegal speakeasies, and bootlegging.
  • It was difficult to enforce and widely unpopular by the early 1930s.
  • The Great Depression increased pressure to re-legalize alcohol to create jobs and generate tax revenue.
200

What was Andrew Jackson's Policy of Indian Removal, and how did it affect Native Americans during the period of Westward expansion?

Andrew Jackson's Policy of Indian Removal was a government initiative in the 1830s aimed at relocating Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to lands west of the Mississippi River. This policy had devastating effects on Native American communities and was a major component of U.S. westward expansion.

200

How did the government finally try to control monopolies, were they successful?

. Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

  • First federal law to outlaw monopolistic business practices.
  • Made it illegal to restrain trade or attempt to establish a monopoly.
  • Limitations: Vague language made it hard to enforce at first. Courts often sided with businesses.
200

Describe the events of the Spanish American War?

Cuban Struggle for Independence: Cuba was fighting for independence from Spain. 

Yellow Journalism: Sensationalist newspapers (like those by Hearst and Pulitzer) exaggerated Spanish atrocities, stirring public support for war.

USS Maine Explosion (Feb 15, 1898) killing 266 sailors.  Spain was blamed, and the slogan “Remember the Maine!” fueled war fever.

US invades Cuba,  then supports Filipino uprising against Spanish colonial control, destroys Spanish fleet in Philippines, and takes control of Guam and Puerto Rico (all former Spanish colonies)

200

What was the Harlem Renaissance? Can you name any of its main figures?

A movement of African America arts and culture; the center of this movement was in Harlem, where many African American writers, artists. musicians, and actors come to live and work. 

Main figures: Langston Hughes (Poetry), Duke Ellington (Music)

300

What is Sectionalism? What did it lead to?

Sectionalism is the strong loyalty or support for the interests of one's own region or section of the country, rather than to the country as a whole. The North, South, and West developed distinct economic systems, social structures, and political priorities, eventually leading to the Civil War.

300

What is nativism? What is one piece of legislation that reflects nativism?

Nativism is a predujice against new immigrants.

Nativist Legislation 

1. Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

  • Banned Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S. for 10 years (later extended).

2. Emergency Quota Act (1921)

  • Limited immigration to 3% of each nationality based on the 1910 U.S. Census.
  • Favored immigrants from Northern and Western Europe.

3. Immigration Act of 1924 (National Origins Act)

  • Reduced the quota to 2% based on the 1890 Census, further favoring Northern Europeans.
300

What events led to the US entering World War I

German unrestricted submarine warfare

The Sinking of the Lusitania: a luxury passenger ship carrying American and European citizens (and some weapons)

The Zimmerman Telegram: A proposal sent from German to Mexico. Offered Mexico a return of land lost to America in exchange for Mexico declaring war on the US. 

300

During the 1920s farm crops were overproduced. What effect did this have on farmers?

Prices dropped, many farmers could not afford to pay back the loans they had taken to buy machines to increase production on farms in response to WWI demand. Many farmers go bankrupt and loose their farms. 

400

Dred Scott was an enslaved African American man who had lived with his enslaver in free territories (Illinois and Wisconsin). In 1857, he sued for his freedom, arguing that living in free territory made him a free man.

What was the outcome of this case?

  1. African Americans Were Not Citizens

  2. Congress Could Not Ban Slavery in the Territories:

    • The Court ruled that the Missouri Compromise of 1820 (which banned slavery in certain territories) was unconstitutional.

  3. Slaves Were Property:

    • The Court emphasized that enslaved people were property, and the Constitution protected property rights—even in free states or territories.
400

Which progressive Era laws were passed by the federal government to regulate big business?

The Meat Inspection Act- Required sanitary conditions in meatpacking plants and federal inspection of meat products. Prompted by Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, it helped restore public trust in the food industry.

The Pure food and Drug Act- Prohibited the sale of misbranded or adulterated food and drugs. Led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and improved consumer safety.

The Federal Reserve Act -Created the Federal Reserve System to regulate the banking industry and stabilize the economy.

400

What are some ways the United States limited civil liberties of Merican citizens during and after WWI


Espionage and Sedition Acts: Made it illegal to publicly criticize the government. 

Schenck v United States: Supreme Court said that speech could be a crime if it presented a 'clear and present danger'

400

What was the Bonus Army / Bonus March 

Veterans of WWI, who had bee promised a bonus to be paid later in their lives, marched on Washington to demand immediate payment. When legislation to pay half now and half later failed. The veterans were forced out of the city by active duty military, who used tear gas and other violent tactics to push them out. Herbert Hoover was heavily criticized for this. 

500

In 1894, Congress upheld support for the Plessy v. Ferguson case. What was the outcome of this case? 

Seperate but equal facilities were legal, allowing segregation and justification for Jim Crow laws.

500

What were the main provisions of the 17th Amendment?

Direct Election of Senators:

  • Before the amendment, state legislatures chose U.S. Senators.
  • The 17th Amendment established that Senators are elected directly by the people of each state.
500

President Wilson came to the treaty of Paris (which ended WWI) with a set of ideals called the 14 points. What were some of the main ideas from the 14 points. 

1. Open Diplomacy:No more secret treaties or alliances.

2. Freedom of the Seas:All nations should have the right to navigate the seas freely during peace and war.

3. Free Trade:Removal of economic barriers and equal trade conditions among nations.

4. Arms Reduction:Nations should reduce their military forces to the lowest level necessary for domestic safety.

5. Adjustment of Colonial Claims:Fair resolution of colonial disputes, considering the interests of both colonizers and colonized peoples.

6–13. Self-Determination and Territorial Adjustments:Redrawing of national boundaries based on ethnic lines and the right of people to choose their own government

500

What was the New Deal? Which president pushed its passing? What are some of the programs it established.

Often summarized as the “Three R’s”: Relief – for the unemployed and poor,Recovery – of the economy, Reform – of the financial system to prevent a future depression

CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps)Provided jobs for young men in conservation and public works projects

WPA (Works Progress Administration)Employed millions in public works like roads, bridges, schools, and arts projects

TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)Built dams and power plants to electrify and develop the Tennessee Valley

FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)Insured bank deposits to restore trust in the banking systemSEC 

(Social Security Act)Created a pension system for the elderly and unemployment insurance

AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Act)Paid farmers to reduce crop production to raise prices

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