Founding Docs
Declared the 13 American colonies independent from British rule
Declaration of Independence
Refers to the population shift from rural areas to cities, resulting in increased density and concentration of people, infrastructure, and services in urban areas
Urbanization
A period of intense competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, and later other nations, to develop and deploy the most advanced nuclear weapons
Nuclear Race
Authorized the construction of a 41,000-mile interstate highway system in the United States
Interstate Highway Act
A conflict between the United States and Spain
Spanish-American War
Establishing a framework for self-governance in the new Plymouth Colony
Mayflower Compact
Arose during the industrial era to house large numbers of immigrants and the poor in urban areas
Tenement Housing
A U.S. Cold War policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism by isolating and containing the Soviet Union and its communist allies
Containment
Typically refers to the period of post-World War II economic prosperity, often associated with the 1950s and 1960s, characterized by a significant increase in consumer goods, rising average incomes, and a decline in poverty
Age of Affluence
A second-class battleship that exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, Cuba, on February 15, 1898, resulting in the deaths of 260 crew members
U.S.S. Maine
Commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776
July 4th
An economic system where private individuals own and control the means of production (like factories and land) and operate businesses to generate profit
Capitalism
A metaphorical and later a physical barrier that divided Europe after World War II, separating the communist Eastern bloc from the democratic Western bloc
Iron Curtain
The Rust Belt refers to a region in the US, primarily in the Midwest and Northeast, where manufacturing and steel production were once prominent but have since declined, leading to economic challenges.
Rust Belt/Sun Belt
Formally ended World War I by imposing harsh terms on Germany
Treaty of Versailles
Fundamental, inherent rights that belong to all individuals simply by virtue of their existence, not granted by governments or societies
Natural Right
The shift from an economy primarily based on agriculture and handcrafts to one focused on mechanized manufacturing and the factory system
Industrialization
A proxy war between North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, backed by the United Nations Command led by the United States
Korean War
Individuals have a moral obligation to resist unjust laws and policies, even if it means facing legal consequences like imprisonment
Civil Disobedience
Represent opposing approaches to foreign policy
Isolationism/Interventionism
Individuals voluntarily surrender some of their rights and freedoms to a governing body in exchange for protection and the maintenance of order
Social Contract
A violent confrontation between police and labor protesters in Chicago on May 4, 1886
Haymarket Riot
If one country falls to communism, neighboring countries will also succumb, like a row of dominoes toppling one after another
Domino Theory
The Supreme Court ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional
Brown v. Board of Education
A global conflict involving most of the world's nations, primarily between the Allies (led by Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union) and the Axis powers
World War II