Rev. and Early America
What demand was made by Americans after laws like the Stamp Act were passed?
No Taxation without Representation
What issue caused increased sectional tensions in the US as the country expanded during the first half of the 19th Century (1800s)?
The expansion of slavery into the western territories divided the North (free states) and the South (slave states) because both argued that new states should either be slave or free.
Why is the Gilded Age called as such?
“Gilded” is a metaphor that represents the economic inequality of the 1880s and 1890s. The economy looked strong from the outside (golden), but reality was that life was miserable for ordinary people (something covered by gold).
Define progressivism.
Advocating reform or change in society to address major problems of the Gilded Age, such as political corruption, wealth inequality, and poor working conditions.
How did the Louisiana Purchase impact the size of the US?
Bonus: What did it lead to?
Doubled the size of the US >> led to debates over slavery’s expansion into the territories.
How did the Revolutionary War impact America?
1783 Treaty of Paris = American Independence
The Articles of Confederation were weak and ineffective, which led to the Constitution of 1787.
What event started Southern secession?
The 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln as President, a Republican who opposed the expansion of slavery. South Carolina seceded first because slave owners feared Lincoln would abolish slavery.
What is Social Darwinism? How does it impact social class structure?
“Survival of the fittest” applied to the economy. Robber Barons used it to justify the extreme wealth inequality of the Gilded Age. People like John D. Rockefeller argued the poor and rich both got what they deserved.
Describe election reforms during the Progressive Era.
The secret ballot
Primaries and recall elections to hold politicians accountable
17th Amendment: Direct election of US senators by voters
Why was the relocation of Cherokee west of the Mississippi River known as the Trail of Tears?
Thousands of Cherokee died along the forced march to Oklahoma from the Southeast.
What did AntiFederalists demand be added to the US Constitution?
The Bill of Rights; the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
Describe the advantages of the Union in the Civil War.
The North had a greater capacity to wage war than the South because it had more money, resources, and population.
What were the goals of labor unions?
Higher Wages
Less Hours
Increased workplace safety protections
Describe Upton Sinclair’s impact on society.
Upton Sinclair wrote “The Jungle,” a novel based on his reporting experiences in the meatpacking industry.
Sinclair exposed horrible conditions in meatpacking, which led to public outrage and food safety laws.
What is Manifest Destiny?
The expansion of the US into the western territories: Louisiana Purchase, Mexican Cession, Texas Annexation, Oregon Territory.
How did George Washington feel about political parties?
Washington opposed political parties. He argued they would divide the nation in his 1796 Farewell Address.
What amendment ended slavery in the United States?
The 13th Amendment
Describe problems in American society during the Gilded Age, due to unrestricted capitalism.
Political corruption, wealth inequality, and poor working conditions.
Define muckraker.
Muckrakers were investigative journalists who identified problems of the Gilded Age and proposed solutions.
What happened to Native Americans as the US expanded westward?
They were forcibly removed from their lands onto reservations during the Indian Wars to make land available for white settlers.
What statement did Monroe make to European nations in his doctrine?
European colonizers should stay out of the Western Hemisphere (North/South America).
What group sought to use the Reconstruction time period to create political and social reforms in the South?
The formerly-enslaved and Radical Republicans. African-American men gained citizenship, voting rights, and were even elected to political offices across the South.
Who was the muckraker Ida B. Wells?
Anti-lyching activist who documented racial violence in the South against Black people
List AT LEAST 3 examples of Muckrakers and their works.
Upton Sinclair: “The Jungle”; Meatpacking abuses >> Food Safety Laws
Ida Tarbell: “The History of Standard Oil Company”; anti-monopoly laws
Jacob Riis: “How the Other Half Lives”; overcrowding and poor conditions in NYC tenement housing
Ida B. Wells: Anti-lyching activist who documented racial violence in the South against Black people
Lincoln Steffens: “The Shame of the Cities”; documented political corruption
What motivated people to move West during the second half of the 19th Century (1800s)?
Government land grants (Homestead Act) and economic opportunity (farmers, ranchers, miners etc.).