American Studies II
Study Guide Packet
1
“History will be kind
to me, for I intend to
write it.”
–Winston Churchill
“The most effective way
to destroy people is to
deny and obliterate their
own understanding of
their history.” –George
Orwell
“History is always written bythe winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history books-books
Unit Descriptions:
Unit 1: Review of Civil War and Reconstruction
The Civil War was a clash of cultures. The agricultural, slave owning South seceded because of political, economic, and philosophical differences. The industrialized North was confronted by the problem of reuniting the Union. The North had major advantages and by 1865 emerged victorious. Victory, however, was costly. Civil liberties were sacrificed under Lincoln’s presidency. The role of government was re-evaluated. On the other hand industrialization accelerated, bringing America into the modern age.
For the South, slaves were freed and amendments to the U.S. Constitution covering citizenship were passed. Additionally, a period of military occupation called Reconstruction impacted southern life. In response, Southern state legislatures passed restrictive laws and statutes intended to hinder the African-American’s newly won freedom. In 1877, Reconstruction ended with a political compromise necessitated by an Electoral College problem in the 1876 presidential election and a new system of segregation laws (Jim Crow laws) were put in place by Southern state governments to restrict the civil rights of African-Americans. By the end of the century, these Jim Crow laws were institutionalized following the Plessy v.Ferguson decision.
Unit 2: Industrialization
Industrialization in the late 19th century left no area of American life untouched. Vast and rapid changes
economically, socially, politically, and environmentally created problems and successes which needed to be addressed. The life of an average American was altered by industrialization. As a result, people faced new economic realities.
Unit 3: Era of Reform
Federal, state, and local governments failed to address the problems resulting from Industrialization. As a result, protest groups formed. The spirit underlying these groups spread and gave birth to full-scale reform movements. These reform groups reached their peak with the Progressive Movement at the dawn of the 20th century.
Unit 4A: Imperialism
In the late 1800s the United States followed the example of European powers in building a colonial empire. The imperialistic impulse led to the Spanish-American War and the possession of overseas colonies.
Unit 4B: World War I
Emerging as a world power, America moved from neutrality to a full participant in World War I. The United States entered the Great War in a spirit of democratic idealism. The realities of total war caused America to reject Wilsonian internationalism and return to isolationism in the 1920s.
[CRES A Midterm Assessment covers material in Units 1 – 4.]
Unit 5: 1920s
The decade of the 1920s is summed up as normalcy, a term that has many, often contradictory, meanings. Normalcy is exemplified by the Red Scare and xenophobia, as well as laissez-faire and a Gilded Age-like business orientation. Technological innovations, mass consumption, the literature of alienation and the
unresolved differences between traditional patterns of living and social change, all characterize the years directly following World War I.
Unit 6: Economic Crisis and the New Deal
The stock market crash of 1929 impacted America economically and culturally, and ushered in the Great
Depression. By the time America entered World War II, the decade-long depression forced a re-evaluation of the philosophy of government. As a result, the worst economic crisis in American History reshaped the government’s role in the everyday lives of its citizens.
Unit 7: World War II
World War II was the most important catalyst in shaping American culture in the 20th century. By 1945, American
government was unrecognizable in comparison to its 1920s antecedents. U.S. foreign policy was completely reversed from isolationism to internationalism. The American people, who had rejected the League of Nations, supported the United Nations and the U.S. involvement in world affairs. In conjunction, the inevitable change brought on by war affected the social, political and economic course of the United States domestically for the second half of the 20th century.
Unit 8: Cold War, 1945 – 1975
After World War II, the U.S. emerged as one of the two major world powers. The communist Soviet Union became the new political, economic, and military rival and the result was the Cold War, a diplomatic and economic conflict that sometimes resulted in regional conflicts. As a result, America became wary of the spread of communism and once again developed a national phobia toward radical viewpoints. The era was dominated by a nuclear arms race between the Soviets and the Americans. In the early 1970s, efforts were made to reduce tension between the communist and western bloc nations.
Unit 9: Domestic Issues 1950s to 1970s
The need for social reform was thrust upon America during the 1950’s and 1970’s. The focal points of the era were civil rights, women’s rights, and the involvement of America’s youth in the Vietnam anti-war movement. Civil Rights came to the forefront with the Brown v Board of Education decision and progressed through Martin Luther King’s civil disobedience and the Black Power Movement. As Americans became more aware of minority issues, women, Native Americans, and Latinos, among others, addressed equal treatment for their constituencies. This era felt the impact of other reform movements. Among them were concern for the environment, endangered species, urban blight, and poverty. In economics, America had to deal with impact of the Arab oil shock
combined with a recessionary economy, which resulted in a period of stagflation.
Unit 10: Troubled Years: Nixon, Ford, and Carter
Postwar confidence gave way to a sense of limitations in American economic and military power. . The U.S. economy faced an Arab oil embargo which resulted in mounting inflationary pressures. In foreign affairs, new problems confronted the nation in the Middle East and South America. In addition, talks continued to limit the arms race. Compounding the dilemmas, the Watergate affair altered America’s view of its presidency.
Unit 11: The Conservative Tide
The economic programs of the 1970s caused many Americans to push for a reduction of the scope and power that the federal government exerted over their lives. This conservative movement came to fruition in the election of President Ronald Reagan in 1980. Reagan pushed a conservative agenda which included cutting federal programs and taxes, while increasing defense spending. Reagan won re-election in 1984, and continued to push his
conservatism in both domestic and foreign issues.
[CRES B Final Assessment covers the entire course with specific focus on Units 5 – 11.]
Note to the Student:
When you are studying for your unit examinations, you should refer to the following focus questions and terms. Imagine that these focus questions are essays and outline how you would respond. You should understand the terms in detail.
Unit 1: Review of Civil War and Reconstruction
Focus Question:
1. In what ways did the Civil War and Reconstruction impact the lives of African-Americans? Vocabulary:
Amnesty Border States Blockade
Dred Scott vs. Sanford
Compromise of 1850 Election of 1860
Habeas Corpus
Martial Law Total War
Emancipation Proclamation 13th Amendment
14th Amendment 15th Amendment
De Jure Segregation
De facto Segregation
Black Codes Jim Crow Laws Sharecropping* Tenant farming Freedman’s Bureau Freedman
Lynching Ku Klux Klan Popular Sovereignty
Plessy v. Ferguson
Lincoln Reconstruction Plan* Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan*
Radical Reconstruction Compromise of 1877*
*Essential Vocabulary but not in new Text
Geography: The students need to be able to locate: -The Confederate States of America.
-Border States -Union States
Texts Page Numbers:
Unit 2: Industrialization
Focus Questions:
1. What were the political, social and economic effects of America’s transition from an agrarian economy to an industrial economy?
2. What were the political, social and economic impacts upon the settlement of the West?
3. What were the political, social and economic reasons why did workers feel a necessity for labor unions?
4. What are the political, social and economic problems faced by the immigrants and cities as of rapid growth? Vocabulary: Laissez-faire Free Enterprise Industrialists Time zones Social Darwinism Andrew Carnegie
Gospel of Wealth
John D. Rockefeller Cornelius Vanderbilt J.P. Morgan
Horizontal Integration Vertical Organization Trust
Sherman Anti-Trust Act Monopoly
Cartel Capitalism Entrepreneur Patent
Captains of Industry Robber Barons Philanthropist Holding Company Bessemer process Mass Production Henry Ford Eugene V. Debs Thomas Edison
Gilded Age – Mark Twain Interstate Commerce Act Terrence V. Powderly
Knights of Labor Haymarket Riot Homestead Strike
American Federation of Labor Boycott Blacklist Yellow-dog contract Strike Lockout Arbitration Collective Bargaining Socialism Samuel Gompers National Labor Union Pullman Strike Transcontinental Railroad Plains War Reservation Policy Dawes Act Homestead Act Rural/Agrarian Populist Party
Destruction of the Buffalo Herds Chinese Exclusion Act
Nativism
New v. Old Immigration Push/Pull Factors
Texts Page Numbers:
Unit 3: Era of Reform
Focus Questions:
1. What was the source of farmers’ discontent and why did the farmers feel it was necessary to create a new third party movement?
2. Why did the progressives feel the need to reform our government to meet the economic, social and political challenges create by an expanding nation?
Vocabulary:
Problems facing farmers
Progressive income tax (16th Amendment) Cheap money (inflation)
Direct election of US Senators (17th Amendment)
Hard money (deflation) Suffragists (19th Amendment) Populist Party
Initiative
Platform of 1896 Referendum Free silver Recall
Graduated income tax Direct primary
Direct election of senators Secret Ballot
City manager
Referendum/initiative Upton Sinclair
Muckraker
Meat Inspection Act Pure Food and Drug Act Trust Buster
Conservation policies/national parks Square Deal
Northern Securities Case 1902 Coal Strike
Arbitration
Clayton Anti-Trust Act Tariff
Bull Moose Party (Progressive Party) Federal Reserve Act
Jane Addams Settlement House Jim Crow Laws
Plessy v. Ferguson
National Association of the Advancement of Colored People
Texts Page Numbers:
Unit 4A: Imperialism
Focus Question:
1. What impact did imperialism have on the U.S. emergence as a world power? Vocabulary:
Washington’s Farewell Address* Manifest Destiny
Frederick Turner (Turner’s Thesis) Imperialism (Causes)
Jingoism
Commodore Matthew Perry Open Door Policy
Spheres of Influence Extractive Economy William Randolph Hearst Yellow journalism (Press)
USS Maine
Spanish-American War Jose Marti
Rough Riders
Expansionist philosophy Queen Liliuokalani Refueling stations* Monroe Doctrine Roosevelt Corollary Panama Canal
“Big Stick” diplomacy Dollar diplomacy Moral diplomacy Good Neighbor Policy Naval power
Alfred Thayer Mahan Great White Fleet Anti-imperialist League
*Essential Vocabulary but not in new Text
Geography: The students need to be able to locate the following: -Spain
-Cuba -Philippines -Hawaii
-Panama Canal
-China
-Pacific Ocean -Caribbean Sea -Puerto Rico -Latin America
-Guam and Wake Islands -Alaska
Texts Page Numbers:
Unit 4B: World War I
Focus Question:
1. How did America’s participation in World War I uphold and further exemplify the United States as a world power?
Vocabulary:
Militarism Alliance system Imperialism Nationalism Triple Alliance Triple Entente Allied Powers Central Powers Propaganda
Trench warfare (Western Front) Stalemate
League of Nations Fourteen Points Big Four
Treaty of Versailles (War guilt clause) Internationalism
Geography: The students need to be able to locate:
Central Powers Allied Powers
-Turkey (Ottoman Empire) -France
-Bulgaria -Russia
-Austria-Hungary -United States of America
-Germany -Great Britain
-Italy
-Western Front (trench line) -Atlantic Ocean
Texts Page Numbers:
(Chapter 10 Pgs: 280-319) United States History; Reconstruction to the Present-Honors/Merit (Chapter 21 Pgs: 702-723) America; History of a Nation- Directed
Isolationism Neutrality Great Migration Mobilization
Zimmermann note/telegram Lusitania
Submarine warfare (U-Boats) Selective Service Act
Espionage Act Reparations Sedition Act Convoy Armistice Red Scare Palmer Raids Nicola Sacco
Unit 5: 1920s
Focus Question:
1. In what ways did the 1920s reflect the conflicts and changes in American society? Vocabulary:
Red Scare* Palmer Raids* Sacco and Vanzetti* Xenophobia*
19th Amendment* Influenza Epidemic* Kellogg-Briand Pact Consumer goods
Automobile (Henry Ford) Radio
Charles Lindbergh Installment buying
Consumer Culture/Revolution Quota System
Nativism Bull Market Black Tuesday Buying on margin
Prohibition (18th Amendment) Volstead Act
Bootlegger Organized Crime Ohio Gang
Teapot Dome Scandal Texts Page Numbers:
(Chapter 11 Pgs: 322-363) United States History; Reconstruction to the Present-Honors/Merit (Chapter 22 Pgs: 732-753) America; History of a Nation- Directed
*Chapter 10 Section 4 in New Honors/ Merit Text
Scopes Monkey Trial Fundamentalism Modernism Jazz Age
“Lost Generation” Flappers
Great Migration Harlem Renaissance Niagara Movement W.E.B. DuBois
Old Ku Klux Klan vs. New Ku Klux Klan Marcus Garvey
United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) Urban League
Unit 6: Economic Crisis and the New Deal
Focus Question:
1. Explain how the Great Depression forced the federal government to change its role in domestic policy.
Vocabulary:
Great Depression Business Cycle Monetary policy Fiscal policy Mixed economy Stock market crash Speculation
Default Tenant Farmer Migrant Workers Hooverville Breadline Overproduction Sit down strikes Wagner Act
Hawley-Smoot Tariff Bankruptcy
Dust Bowl/ Black Blizzard Bonus Army
John Maynard Keynes
Geography: The students should be able to locate: -The region of the Dust Bowl
Texts Page Numbers:
(Chapter 12/13 Pgs: 364-431) United States History; Reconstruction to the Present-Honors/Merit (Chapter 23 Pgs: 766-790) America; History of a Nation- Directed
First 100 days Bank holiday
Relief, recovery, and reform programs Fireside chats
Black Cabinet
Fair Labor Standards Act Deficit Spending Brain trust Pump priming New Deal agencies
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Tennessee Valley Authority
Civilian Conservation Corps
Security and Exchange Commission Social Security Administration Court packing plan
Huey Long Francis Townsend Father Charles Coughlin Liberty League
Unit 7: World War II
Focus Question:
1. How did the efforts of the United States during World War II initiate a new role in world affairs and create a broad consumer society that was challenged politically to face the resulting social changes?
Vocabulary: Blitzkrieg Neutrality Acts Cash and carry Lend Lease Act Pearl Harbor
Operation Overlord (D-Day) Island hopping
Atomic bomb (Hiroshima/Nagasaki) Japanese internment/relocation centers
The home front / role of women and minorities Holocaust/Hitler’s “final solution”
Geography: The students should be able to locate:
Locate Axis and Allied Powers
Pearl Harbor
Normandy
English Channel
Hiroshima/Nagasaki
Philippine Islands
North Africa
European and Pacific Theaters
Iwo Jima
Axis Powers Allied Powers
-Germany -Great Britain
-Italy -France
-Japan -USA
-Soviet Union -China
Texts Page Numbers:
(Chapter 14-15 Pgs: 432-507) United States History; Reconstruction to the Present-Honors/Merit (Chapter 24 Pgs: 798-831) America; History of a Nation- Directed
Wartime conferences (Big Three) Genocide
Atlantic Charter
Unconditional surrender Rationing
Unit 8: Cold War: 1945 - 1975
Focus Question:
1. To what degree of success were the actions taken by the United States to stop the spread of communism during the Cold War?
Vocabulary:
United Nations
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Warsaw Pact
Containment Berlin Airlift Truman Doctrine Marshall Plan Domino Theory McCarthyism Korean War Vietnam War Space race
Cuban Missile Crisis Anti-war movement Nuclear arms race
Communism Hawks and doves Tonkin Gulf Resolution Rosenberg case
Tet Offensive
My Lai Massacre ** Pentagon Papers
Establishment of Israel ** Sputnik
Cambodia Laos
Vietnamization Bay of Pigs
Geography: The students should be able to locate: -China
-Vietnam -Korea
-East and West Germany Texts Page Numbers:
(Chapter 16, 18, 20 Pgs: 508-543, 616-627, 642-679) United States History; Reconstruction to the Present-Honors/Merit
(Chapter 25 Pgs: 832-867) America; History of a Nation- Directed
**Term not include in America: History of Our Nation (Directed Text) -Iron Curtain
-Cuba
Unit 9: Domestic Issues: 1950s – 1970s
Focus Question:
1. What impact did the social reform movements of the 1950s – 1970s change have on America? Vocabulary:
Counterculture (hippies) ** Sun Belt
Vietnam War and protests Busing **
War on Poverty
Latino Rights Movement
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
California v. Bakke**
Title IX Medicare Medicaid
Mapp v. Ohio
Gideon v. Wainwright Miranda v. Arizona
White Citizens Council ** American Indian Movement 19th & 24th Amendments Thurgood Marshall
Little Rock Crisis
“I Have a Dream” speech Martin Luther King Black power
Montgomery Bus Boycott March on Washington
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
Voting Rights Act of 1965 Civil disobedience
Civil Rights Act of 1964 Great Society
Segregation/integration/desegregation Interstate Highway Act
Suburbs
G.I. Bill of Rights Baby boom
Clean Water Act **
Environmental Protection Agency Cesar Chavez
Texts Page Numbers:
(Chapter 17-19 Pgs: 544-641) United States History; Reconstruction to the Present-Honors/Merit (Chapter 26 and 29 Pgs: 868-901, 964-996) America; History of a Nation- Directed
Unit 10: Troubled Years: Nixon, Ford, Carter
Focus Question:
1. How did the political and economic problems of the 1970s challenge Americans’ confidence in their institutions?
Vocabulary:
Inflation Oil embargo Tariffs Free trade
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Watergate
Stagflation **
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT agreements) Iranian Hostage Crisis
Détente
Camp David Accords Texts Page Numbers:
(Chapter 22 Pgs: 708-735) United States History; Reconstruction to the Present-Honors/Merit (Chapter 27-28 Pgs: 902-963) America; History of a Nation- Directed
Unit 11: The Conservative Tide
Focus Question:
1. How did the Republican leadership of the 1980s attempt to change the direction of the country? To what degree to you attribute the conservative as a natural political reaction to the events of the 1960’s and 1970’s?
Vocabulary: United Nations Persian Gulf War Human rights **
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Berlin Wall
Computer revolution
North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA) Conservatism
Moral Majority
Supply-Side Economics (Reaganomics) Iran Contra Scandal
9-11
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict European Union
OPEC NATO
Geography: The students should be able to locate: -Middle East
-Iraq
-Persian Gulf
Texts Page Numbers:
(Chapter 23 Pgs: 738-765) United States History; Reconstruction to the Present-Honors/Merit (Chapter 28-29 Pgs: 932-996) America; History of a Nation- Directed