Final History Exam Review Part 1 The Know Nothing Party The party was created out of a nativist movement in the 1850s as a result of fears that cities were becoming overwhelmed with Irish Catholics who took American jobs and threatened American values with Catholicism The party was originally called the American Party and the term "Know Nothing" stemmed from the secrecy of its creation Their platform included strict regulation of immigration, especially Catholics, restricting political office to native born Americans, and bible readings in public schools Its members were mostly white middle-class Protestant The growth of this party indicated that voters had become disillusioned by the two party system and was a precursor to the demise of the Whigs and rise of the Republican party Dawes Severalty Act This act was established in 1887 and allowed the U.S. government to survey Native American tribal land and distribute it out to Indians in plots The Indians were provided with allotments of land in order to get them to live more like white people, each one owning their own plot Its supporters believed that the reservation system was wrong and Native Americans could never be self-sufficient under it The Act resulted in millions of acres of lost land; land not allotted was deemed "surplus" and given to white settlers; Natives didn't receive large enough plots to be economical The Act attempted to destroy Indian culture and values of unity and replace it with white values of economic independence and a strong nuclear family Social Darwinism This term stems from the late 19th century during "The Gilded Age" Herbert Spencer applied Darwin's theory evolution by natural selection to better understand society Social Darwinism says that competition between individuals and groups drives social evolution in human societies Only the fittest can survive in America, the fittest are usually the wealthiest white people; warned unnatural forms of intervention (labor unions, social welfare) were dangerous and doomed to failure Many people applied the idea to races saying that some had to be stronger/better than others; this served as evidence for white superiority (white people being the dominant race) Advocated often claimed "civilized" whites would take the places of "barbarous" dark skinned people; it wasn't justice but it was destiny
The Roosevelt Corollary This was Roosevelt's amendment to the Monroe Doctrine in 1904 It stated that only the U.S. can intervene in Central and South America when there is political turmoil or economic affairs need to be stabilized Roosevelt declared the U.S. would have to act as an international police power Roosevelt's Corollary is just one example of how America was becoming a world power; other examples are expansion of navy, industrial boom, Spanish-America War of 1898, Open Door Policy with China Harlem Renaissance This refers to the artistic, cultural, and social revival of the black culture in New York during the 1920's Many African Americans moved North to help fill jobs during WWI Black people brought with them musical traditions along with language, food, and religion to the North Numerous black artists, writers, musicians, and poets displayed their talents and expressed themselves through their work This was important because it created a culture for African Americans and allowed them to express their heritage and beliefs to a broad spectrum This also is representative of the 1920s in America that was full of mass culture & consumerism Executive Order 9066 This was an order by FDR during WWII in 1942 that authorized moving Japanese, as well as Italian and German, people to internment camps Fearing the Japanese were spies after Pearl Harbor, 110,000 Japanese and Japanese-Americans were moved from their homes into internment camps scattered over the West for the duration of the war On January 2, 1945, the order was rescinded entirely and later in 1988 many of the Japanese that were interned or their relatives were compensated for their treatment Tom Joad Tom is the main character in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath (1939) who travels from Oklahoma to California with his family in search of a better life following the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl Joad came to become a symbol and advocate of the common man against the powerful The novel itself was often burned and criticized because of its views about the plight of the poor but it was very widely read Brown v. Board of Education This is a 1954 landmark case decided by the Warren court Class action suit dealing with black people not allowed to attend white schools The case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and said "separate but equal" is inherently unequal
Court ruled that segregating children based on race gave them a feeling of inferiority which could be detrimental to them, also the black schools weren't of equal quality The case didn't immediately desegregate any schools but it was a major jump for Civil Rights Example of power and setbacks of Supreme Court; they possess the power of the pen but lack the power of the sword The Great Society This was the name of President Lyndon Johnson's (1963-1969) "New Deal" where he envisioned he could solve the social problems facing America He wanted to eliminate poverty and racial injustice Some of the lasting programs he established were Medicare, Medicaid, and federal education funding Major programs against civil rights include Civil Rights Act of 1964 (forbade discrimination by race in jobs and segregation of public accommodations), Voting Rights Act of 1965 (ensured minority registration and voting rights), Civil Rights Act of 1968 (banned housing discrimination and extended constitutional protections to Native Americans on reservations) Major legislation for war on poverty is Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 (help poor better themselves through education, job training, etc.) Due to the Vietnam War in, specifically starting in 1968, Johnson started to lose funding for many of his reforms in order to pay for the war Watergate Scandal involved with the 1972 election where 5 men were arrested for burglary after when they planned to implant listening devises in the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate hotel Nixon tried to cover up the incident so the taped recordings of his conversations in the Oval Office were requested by the courts 18 min were erased from one tape, claimed to be an accident on the secretaries part Nixon tried to keep the Supreme Court away from the tapes and fired the Attorney General for not firing the Prosecutor trying to get the tapes The Supreme court eventually got all tapes from the Oval Office that provided evidence of Nixon's involved in the Watergate incident and how he tried to cover it up Due to the incident, Nixon resigned on Aug 8, 1974 The immediate result of the scandal was a disillusionment with the Republican Party in the Congressional elections 3 months after Nixon resignation, the Democrats gained 5 seats in the Senate and 49 in the House Also, it lead to major reforms in campaign financing This scandal started an era where the media became far more aggressive in the behavior of politicians
Part 2 FDR's "First Inaugural Address" Says he will do what needs to be done to help America even if Congress doesn't agree with his laws and pass them; New Deal expands the Executive Power tremendously Jackson used his Executive power more than any President in the form of the veto; Jackson also flexed his power of the Judicial by branch removing Indians in the Trail of Tears 1835 after the court case where Justice Marshall said the Cherokee Nation was dependent but sovereign Lincoln faced vehement opposition from Congress about his wartime policies during the Civil War 1861 he suspended the Writ of Habeas Corpus the Democrats in Congress strongly opposed Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation because they wanted the war to end Views similar to Jefferson about raising the value of agricultural products Return to the agricultural country that America was when it was founded He says the country must stick together and "fight" as an army with one common good In the Revolution, colonists all fought for a common good, freedom from the mother country, and prevailed on top Problems with the banking system Sought help for the economy similar to Hamilton and the First Bank of the United States that was chartered in 1791 to circulate surplus funds Foreign policy of the good neighbor, respects agreements, etc. Similar to Washington's Farewell Address where he warns the country about relations with foreign countries; he says that America should extend it commercial relations with other countries but avoid political relations FDR says happiness is not in the possession of money, but in the joys of achievement, in thrill of creative effort; materialism in America Similar to the language of the Declaration of Independence that all men are give the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness The language doesn't say anything about money bringing you happiness but it is associated with life and liberty Roosevelt comes to office in a time where the country is in major conflict and major reforms are needed Lincoln came to office in the middle of the slavery conflict, he made major changes, mainly the emancipation of slaves and leading the North to victory in the Civil War, which was a extreme change to the country Also, Andrew Johnson had to take over the presidency after Lincoln's assassination and when the South was destructed after the war; how was he supposed to handle letting the states back in the Union, stabilizing their economies, etc. FDR wants to focus on the domestic issues first and then worry about foreign policy
FDR becomes President more than a decade after WWI; U.S. is now a world power but in order to stay that way, the U.S. has to be under control and thriving domestically Says the Constitution is simple and it is always possible to use it to make the changes you need Marbury v. Madison the Supreme Court uses the Constitution broadly to give it self the power to check the constitutionality of acts by other branches Jefferson broadly interpreted the Constitution to justify the Louisiana Purchase John L. O'Sullivan "The Great Nation of Futurity" America uses and untried political system that separates U.S. from the past and connects us with the future only The Constitution was an original document that created one of the first democratic governments with separation of powers between three different branches This connects America to the future because today, many countries have democratic governments or incorporate democratic principles into their government; there are fewer monarchies and dictatorships today America is destined for greatness because it relies on the universal principle of equality Similar to the language in the Declaration of Independence However, his claim is somewhat false since history has shown that not everyone is equal in America Slavery black people were inferior, had no rights or freedoms, and they were considered property not people Native Americans were forced from their lands and often forced to assimilate to the American culture; the Trail of Tears 1835 and the Indian Territory of Oklahoma Women's rights movement women were denied jobs, equal pay for jobs, voting rights, etc.; women finally given the right to vote with the 19 th Amendment in 1920 America has only fought wars in defense of humanity and oppressed nations The American Revolution started in 1775 was an effort by the colonists to fight for their freedom and independence from Britain after years of oppression on the part of Britain The Civil War started in 1861 and by 1863, emancipation of the slaves had become a major goal for the Union; America is the nation of human progress Industrial Revolution due to Eli Whitney's cotton gin in 1793 Transportation Revolution Erie Canal, roads, railroads, steamboats, canals (1830s) Progressive Era social reform movement 1900-1920s Pure Food and Drug Act; child labor laws; clean up cities, schools, society in general America should expand its territories ("its floor shall be a hemisphere") Manifest destiny 1840s inevitable power given by God that America should spread boundaries, government funded
Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase 1803 that doubled the size of the U.S.
Frederick Douglass, Independence Day Speech America is false to the past, false to the present, and will be false to the future Thomas Jefferson was the creator of the Declaration of Independence and one of the Founding Fathers, however he himself owned slaves to work on his plantation "All men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights" The colonists fought in the American Revolution for independence and liberty from Britain who they believed was wielding its power over them too much However, in 1800 the slave trade in America started to grow tremendously Americans flexed their power over black people the same way Britain did over them America is the most hypocritical and barbaric country Native Americans were removed from the lands they had lived on for hundreds of years by colonists that arrived in the 17th century, they were often killed and forced to assimilate to American culture and ways of living Trail of Tears in 1835 16,000 Cherokee from Georgia to Oklahoma because gold was discovered in GA and the Indians were in the way; 4,000 died on the way; the U.S. charged the Indians for the transportation costs to move them To end slavery America's crimes must be exposed and the people must realize the injustice and hypocrisy; a significant event(s) is needed to expose all this The Civil War was an event that resulted in the end of slavery The North realized the benefits African Americans provide as normal people because they helped the North in the war Brown v. Board 1954 because the Supreme Court took a stance for civil rights, this helped ignite the civil rights movement more and provided a tangible outcome that gave hope to civil rights advocates The end of WWII brought and end to the Depression Although the New Deal helped to alleviate some of the results of the Depression, the wartime economy helped provide full employment and more jobs for Americans Man is entitled to liberty Language similar to Declaration of Independence men are entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" Bill of Rights freedoms guaranteed as an American Slaves are men and not property because they can perform the same tasks any white man can do Similarly, women can perform the same tasks as men in the work place During WWII women filled positions previously filled by men while men fought in the war; the help from the women kept the U.S. economy afloat "Rosie the Riveter" was the heroic symbol for the woman war worker 700,000 black soldiers fought in WWII by 1944 and an additional 187,000 in the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines