Terms and Definitions

AP U.S. History Third Quarter Terms and Definitions

Union Party: a coalition formed by the Republican Party and War Democrats for the election of 1864.

Jefferson Davis: The President of the Southern Confederacy

John Wilkes Booth: Lincoln’s assassin

Homestead Act of 1862: 160 acres of virtually free land to American citizens or soon- to-be citizens between west of the Mississippi

Morrill Act: (1862) Federal land within the states was given up to the states so the states could sell it and the money went to establish land grant institutions (public universities like Michigan State University)

National Banking System: Banks that were stable who were willing to invest 1/3 of their assets into the system could use U.S. Treasury Bonds as their own currency (as their bank notes)…Like a National Bank but better.

Copperheads: Peace Democrats in the North. Lincoln considered them to be a great danger to the Union effort.

Gettysburg: Represented the biggest loss of life in any battle fought in the Civil War.

Ten Percent Plan: Lincoln’s Plan for the South to reenter the Union. When ten percent of the number of people who voted in the election of 1860 took an oath of loyalty to the United states, then that state coyuld enter the union.

Carpetbaggers: Northerners who moved South after the Civil War. Many had come with the Freedman’s Bureau. They saw the South as the new frontier and made up part of the Black and Tan state governments.

Antietam: The Bloodiest single day of the war.

Restoration: Andrew Johnson’s plan for reconstruction

Tenure of Office Act: The President cannot remove a cabinet-level paaointment without the consent of the Senate….was cause for Johnson’s impeachment

Impeachment: To bring formal charges against Redeemers: aka the Bourbons. Took power in the Southern states when the Black and Tan governments fell

Andrew Johnson: He and Bill Clinton were the only two presidents to have been impeached. Was Lincoln’s War Democrat vice-president and became president upon Lincoln’s death

U.S. Grant : Hero of the Civil War. Was President of the U.S. after Andrew Johnson.

R.E. Lee: The greatest general of the Confederacy. Surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House.

National Supremacy Amendments: 13, 14, 15

B.T. Washington: A Black leader during the Populist Period. His advice was included in the Atlanta Compromise: emulate the white middle class and educate yourselves and contribute to the economy and you will be accepted and will be given your rights.

Credit Moblier: French construction company that cheated the U.S. government and the Union Pacific Railroad out of a bundle of money. The biggest scandal of the Grant administration.

Appomattox Court House: Where Lee surrendered to Grant

Stalwarts: members of the Republican party who used to be conservatives who grew tired of Reconstruction and wanted to concentrate on what was good for them…like the tariff

Compromise of 1877: Settled the controversial election of 1876. Hayes “won.”

Garfield: was shot by Charles Guiteau

Guiteau: Garfield’s assassin.

The Turner Thesis: a myth. Claimed that democracy would never become stale like the governments in Europe because it was constantly reinvented as Americans puched through the frontier

Manifest Destiny: The belief that Americans had a God-given right to conquer the continent and beyond. Is generally associated with the Westward Movement and American Imperialism

Das Kaptital: Written by Karl Marx

Karl Marx: wrote Das Kapital The Virginian: written by Oliver Wister

Mark Twain: Wrote Roughing It, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn

Origin of Species: written by Charles Darv\win

Social Darwinism: “Survival of the fittest” applied to indigenous peoples and big business

Geronimo: Last of the great Apache warriors captured in 1886. Sold his picture postcard at the St. Louis World’s Fair

A Century of Dishonor: related savage treatment of the native Americans by the U.S. Written by Helen Hunt Jackson

Dawes (Severalty) Act: (1887) Big change in U.S. Indian policy. Natives were dealt with as individuals (tribe no longer sovereign) Each head of household given 160 acres of land and would gain deed after 25 years

Californios: Hispanic residents of California during the westward movement

Halfbreeds: Republicans who were former Liberals who were former radical reconstructionists…led by Blaine (1880’s)

Mugwumps: ((1880’s) independent republicans who were willing to dessert the party to vote for an honest man…contributed to the election of Cleveland (Dem.)

Chester Arthur; Stalwart (Rep) who became president upon the death of Garfield.

Pendleton Act: (1883) The first Civil Service reform

Cleveland: First Democratic President since the Civil War. Only President to serve two nonconsecutive terms

Benjamin Harrison: Republican President between Cleveland’s two terms

Anson-Burlingame Treaty: (1868) to expedite Chinese Railroad workers coming to the U.S.

Chinese Exclusion Act: (1882) ended Chinese immigration to the U.S.

Pacific Railway Act: set the precedent for the U.S. subsidizing railroads

Horatio Alger: wrote popular stories of young, poor boys who were of good character and who were hard-working and who realized the American Dream because of it Robber Barons: Captains of industry (Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Gould, J.P. Morgan, Rockefeller) most were not self-made men

Vanderbilt: railroad tycoon in northeast

Carnegie: WAS self-made. Carnegie Steel wrote Gospel of Wealth

Gospel of Wealth: written by Carnegie. Said the wealthy had an obligation to provide opportunities for others.

Rockefeller: Standard Oil: a horizontal and vertical trust

Looking Backward: written by Edward Bellamy. A futuristic novel describing a socialist utopian society

Knights of Labor: a union open to all except professionals. Founded by Sylvis and came out in the open under Powderly. Wanted to eventually replace wages with a “cooperative” system

Gompers: Led the AFL

AFL: a union for skilled laborers. Barely survived the strikes of the 1880’s and 1890’s

Eugene Debs: leader of the Pullman strike. Will run for President for the Socialist Party 5 times

The Grange: founded for farmers by a minor official in the Dept. of Agriculture. Wanted to end the isolation of rural workers

The Greenback Party: a third party supported by farmers who wanted the government to print more paper money so it would be inflated

ICA: The Interstate Commerce Act (1887) said rate discrimination was illegal

Sherman Anti-Trust Act: (1890) Conspiracies in restraint of trade are illegal. Designed to curb the power of monopolies.

Benjamin Harrison: President between Cleveland’s 2 terms. Republican. Raised the tariff. Was voted out of office because the economy went sour.

Ocala Demands: Platform of the Populist (People’s) Party

Populist Party: third party made up of farmers, silver miners, professional reformers, Grangers, left over Knights of labor. Wanted inflation through free silver, lower tariff, curb the power of monopolies, regulation of railroads, income tax. Reached its height of power in the election of 1892. Weaver: ran for President in 1892 for the Populist Party

Coxey’s Rebellion: 1894. Coxey and another 1,000 middle class businessmen marched on Washington demanding relief.

Willliam Jennings Bryan: Democratic candidate for President in 1892. Democrats had adopted the populist demand for inflation through free silcer. Gave the Cross of Gold speech

Cross of Gold Speech: Wm. Jennings Bryan said the common folk were being crucified by the lack of inflation.

McKinley: Republican .Beat Bryan in the election of 1896. Reelected in 1900 and assassinated by Czolgocz in 1901.

Czolcocz: assassinated McKinley in 1901. Was an anarchist

The Jungle: written by Upton Sinclair. Exposed the horrors of the meat-packing industry and led to the first Pure Food and Drug law.

The Octopus: written by Frank Norris. Farmers lost money to middle-men

Chautaqua Movement: for adult education. Began in the basement of a Methodist Church where adults were taught to read

Progressives: fixed the problems exposed by the muckrakers and the populist party. Were middle-class professionals in both major parties. Included governors and Presidents

Muckrakers: investigative journalists hired to expose the problems in American life

Treason of the Senate: written by Daniel Graham. Exposed corruption in government

Ida Tarbell: wrote The History of Standard Oil exposed the unsavory and unethical practices of Rockefeller

Teddy Roosevelt: became President upon the death of McKinley. Was a Republican progressive. Elected in 1904 (rep) and ran for President again in 1912 on the Progressive party (Bull moose party) ticket. Square Deal

Square Deal: TR’s promise that he would look out for the common man

Progressives…see above

Newlands (Reclamation) Act: one of the first federal conservation laws (TR) Dubois: Black leader during the Progressive Period. The Niagara Movement: Demand your rights now!

Taft: Elected President in 1908. Republican. Dollar Diplomacy

Wilson: Democrat Progressive. Won the election of 1912 against TR and Taft. Led the U.S. into WWI with “Peace and Preparedness.” Author of the 14 Points

Bull Moose Party: (Progressive Party) Republican faction in 1912. TR ran for President for them

Progressive Amendments: 16 Income tax, 17 Direct election of Senators, 18 Prohibition, 19 Women’s Suffrage

Federal Reserve Act: to stabilize U.S. economy. Established the Federal Reserve Board which had power over how much money was in circulation, etc.

Clayton Anti-Trust Act: Listed illegal business practices

Adamson Act: Provided an 8-hour day for railroad workers

Lockner v NY: the first time the Supreme Court overturned a Progressive piece of legislation (limited working hours of children)

WCTU: Women’s Christian Temperance Union worked for prohibition

Francis Willard: a leader in the temperance movement (Anti-Saloon League)

Carrie Nation: worked for temperance. Used an ax to break up bars

Anti-Saloon League: worked for temperance (Willard)

Volstead Act: defined an alcoholic beverage as having more than ½ of 1% alcohol

Amendment 21: repealed 18 (Prohibition)

NAWSA: worked for women’s suffrage. The NWSA and the AWSA reunited

ILGWU: Union for garment industry gained sympathy from the public after the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. fire

Social Gospel Movement: salvation through community service

Mary Baker Eddy: wrote Science and the Mind. Founded the Christian Scientist religion. Jane Addams: won the Nobel Peace Prize for her settlement house: Hull House

Imperialism: the takeover of foreign lands. Often involving subjugation of native peoples and the imposition of one culture on another

Mahan: wrote The Influence of Sea Power Upon History

Seward’s Folly; 1867 Sec. of State Seward’s purchase of Alaska

McKinley: see above

John Hay: McKinley’s Sec. of State who came up with the Open Door Policy (China)

Open Door Policy: John Hay (McKinley’s Sec. of State) sent a series of notes to foreign powers with spheres of influence in China asking them to respect China’s territorial integrity. (to protect U.S. trade with China)

Treaty of Portsmouth: TR won the Nobel Peace Prize for this treaty ending the Russo- Japanese War

Dollar Diplomacy: Taft’s policy: The U.S. would use political influence to protect American investments abroad

Poncho Villa: Mexican bandit who felt betrayed by Wilson and Wm. Jennings Bryan

ABC Powers: Argentina, Brazil, Chile managed to avert a war between Mexico and the U.S.

Blaine: Sec. of State for Garfield. Created the Pan-American Union

Pan American Union: an organization of independent American States to meet for improved relations and better understanding

Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine: TR’s Latin American policy: The U.S. would intervene if an American country ws guilty of wrongdoing.

The Maine: American ship that exploded in Havana Harbor. Led to the Spanish- American War

Spanish-American War: 1898 McKinley The U.S. won Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines from the Spanish

Treaty of Paris: 1898 Ended the Spanish-American War. To Spain $20 million, to U.S. colonies: Guam, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines H.C. Lodge: Republican in the Senate who worked hard to snuff out the U.S. joining the League of Nations after WWI

Rough Riders: volunteer cavalry during Spanish American War. TR was a member

Dewey: Sunk all Spanish ships in Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War

Platt Amendment: had to be included in Cuba’s constitution before it was given its independence. Said Cuba would not sell or lease an part of itself to another power, could not get into debt it could not pay, would allow American intervention if America deemed it necessary and agreed to lease harbors to the U.S.

Teller Amendment: said the U.S. had no designs on Cuba for itself (befor the U.S. entered into the Spanish-American War)

Panama Canal: Linked the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans with a series of locks. Greatest engineering feat in the Western Hemisphere to that point

Lusitania: a French luxury liner that was sunk by German u-boats killing Americans

Zimmerman Cable: Urged Mexico to make war on the U.S. with promises of “lost lands to the North”

14 Points: Wilson’s plan for peace after WWI

Treaty of Versailles: Ended WWI. Never ratified by the U.S.

League of Nations: The 14th Point of Wilson’s 14 Points. Would provide a forum for countries to talk out their differences rather than resorting to war

Birth of a Nations: racist movie based on the book, The Klansmen. Endorsed by Wilson

Harding: Elected President in 1920. Corrupt administration. Teapot Dome Scandal

Harlem Renaissance: during the 20’s. A cultural renaissance of the Black culture. The Jazz Age, the Cotton Club, Black writers: Langston Hughs, Countee Cullen

Herbert Hoover: Headed the General Intelligence Division of the Attorney General’s office. Eventually the first head of the FBI

Flappers: the modern women of the 20’s. Short skirts, bobbed hair, make up, smoking, drinking

Scopes (Monkey) Trial: Evolution on Trial. Modernists v Fundamentalists. Clarence Darrow v Bryan Sacco and Vanzetti: Italian immigrants (anarchists) accused, convicted and executed for the death of a paymaster in Braintree, Mass. An example of American nativism and showed fear of anarchy and communism

Teapot Dome Scandal: Biggest scandal of the Harding Administration. Involved the lease of oil lands that were being held in reserve for the navy to two oil millionaires

Lost Generation: American writers who were disenchanted by American society: Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Dos Pasos and others

National Origins Act: Limited the number of immigrants coming to the U.S. based on percentage already here in 1890. Ended immigration from Japan, China, Africa, much of Eastern Europe

Popular Nullification: generally used to describe how the population nullifies laws by ignoring them…as in Prohibition during the 1920’s

Coolidge: Republican. Became President on the death of Harding and elected in 1924. Silent Cal. Said, “ There is no right to strike against public safety by anyone, anywhere at anytime” and “The business of America IS business.”