US HISTORY Final Exam Review
Westward Expansion
1.How did the completion of the 1st Transcontinental Railroad affect each of the following groups?
- Settlers who wanted to move West – cheaper transportation, free land from either the Homestead Act, or from railroad companies. Middle class families were the most likely to move.
- Native Americans – buffalo were depleted as settlers moved more and more west. They were put on reservations by the U.S. government.
- Steel Industry – Steel was in high demand to build railroads. It could be built quickly and cheaply due to the Bessemer process. Cities grew up on the East Coast to manufacture steel
- Buffalo Herds – depleted by those hunting to make a profit from pelts.
- Businesses on the East Coastgrew such as steel, oil, ect.
- Businesses on the West Coastgold mining, ranching, farming
Industrialization and Immigration
2. Why did the critics of powerful industrialists refer to them as Robber Barons?They felt that they were making huge profits while exploiting the workers and paying them what was not even a living wage.
3. Define the term MONOPOLYWhen one company takes control of the production and price of a product, reducing competition.
4. Explain how monopolies led to the passing of Sherman Antitrust ActThis act was meant to limit monopolies.
5. What group of people started the Populist Party?Farmers who were unhappy with railroads, telegraph, and banking.
6. What was Social Darwinism? How did it affect how people felt about the poor during the Gilded Age?Social Darwinism was the theory of the survival of the fittest applied to social and economic situations. It was believed poor people shouldn’t be helped because then they would not learn to “survive” on their own.
7. How did people who opposed laissez faire feel about government regulation of big business?
They believed businesses needed to be regulated in order to protect the consumer.
8. Describe the relationship between immigration and each of the following conditions that existed during the late 1800s.
Immigration and Sweatshops – unskilled workers worked there mostly women.
Immigration and Political Machines – politicians got immigrants jobs, and housing in exchange for their votes
Immigration and Nativism –Many citizens were negative against immigrants, esp. Chinese and Irish and believed they were “stealing jobs”.
Immigration and Urbanization – Unskilled factory jobs were in the cities, so this is where immigrants moved. Another reason was because they did not have money for western lands.
Immigration and Tenement Houses – Immigrants moved to these cheap houses often in ethnic neighborhoods because it was the only place they could afford to live.
9. Why did many immigrants establish residence in ethnic neighborhoods?
Because it was comforting to be around people who spoke the same language, ate similar food, and practiced the same religion. They could help them get jobs, food, housing.
10. What was the relationship between industrialization and immigration?
Immigrants moved here to get jobs in a factory because they did not need to be educated or skilled.
Industrialization could not have happened without the number of immigrants moving here to do factory work.
Populism and Progressivism
11. Explain the impact of the following Progressive reforms:
-Federal income tax – 16th Amendment – graduated income tax
-Direct election of senators – 17th Amendment - gave people more of a voice in government
-Initiative – gives people the right to propose a law
-Referendum – let’s people vote yes or no on an issue
.
-Recall – give people the right to “unelect” a local official.
12. What was the name of a THIRD political party which was concerned helping the urban poor ____PROGRESSIVES______?
What was the name of a THIRD political party which was concerned with helping farmers with their problems ______POPULISTS______?
13. Write a general statement that reveals the defining characteristics of the Progressive Era.PROGRESSIVES WANTED TO FIX THE PROBLEMS ECONOMICALLY, POLITICALLY, AND SOCIALLY THAT RESULTED FROM INDUSTRIALIZATION AND URBANIZATION.
14.Which constitutional amendment gave women the right to vote?19TH
15. Define suffrage:A PERSON’S RIGHT TO VOTE
16. What do all of the following reforms have in common?
(19th Amendment, 17th Amendment, Recall, Referendum, Initiative, Direct Primary, Secret Ballot)
- All of these reforms gave people – A BIGGER VOICE IN GOVERNMENT
18. Who was Susan B. Anthony? She fought for Women’s Suffrage.
21. Who were muckrakers?They exposed the ills of society during the Progressive Era
22. What important role did they play in bringing about reform?They informed the public of things that were going on,
Imperialism
23.What was the purpose of the Open Door Policy?To give the United States some part in the trade of China.
24. What was the purpose of the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine?To warn powers of the Eastern Hemisphere that the U.S. was acting as the police of the western Hemisphere.
25. How are all of the following events related?
- US expands its influence over Latin America -
- US expands its power over the Caribbean
- US acquires colonies in the Pacific
- US builds the Panama Canal
- US declares war on Spain
- Annexation of Hawaii
Imperialism.
26. All of the events above are evidence of ______Imperialism______
27. If a person supported all of the events listed in the list above, which term would apply to them? Circle: Imperialist Anti-Imperialist
28. What were the benefits of building the Panama Canal?
A shorter route from the East/West Coast of the U.S. A benefit for the military and also trade.
29. Why would Alfred Thayer Mahan support the idea of building the Panama Canal?
Because he believed in a strong navy and the short cut would help our navy. Our control of the canal would also strengthen our position in the world.
30. Identify the major obstacles faced while building the Panama Canal.
Conflict with Colombia, malaria/mosquitos, technology
31. What was the single most significant effect of America’s victory against Spain in the Spanish – American War?
The U.S. became a world power on the eve of WW1.
32. Which president is most closely associated with the role of trustbuster?
Teddy Roosevelt
32. Which president is most closely associated with building the Panama Canal?
Teddy Roosevelt
34. Which president is most closely associated with the big stick policy?
Teddy Roosevelt
World War I
36. Why did WWI turn into a stalemate
Trench Warfare, similar war technology
37. What methods did the government use to sell war bonds?
propaganda
38. What is a war bond?A way to lend money to support the government.
39. Why was President Wilson considered an idealist?He wanted to use the Fourteen Points as a way to set the world up for peace.
40. Why did many critics of the League of Nations consider it too idealistic to be successful?U.S. critics believed it would get the United States involved in Entangling Alliances.
41. How would you characterize the type of warfare used during WWI?
Trench warfare
42. What did Wilson mean when he said he wanted to “make the world safe for democracy”?
He wanted freedom of the seas.
43. What was the purpose of the League of Nations?
to avoid future wars.
44. What were the key components of Wilson’s 14 Points?
Reduce arms, have open alliances, sovereign nations
45. Why did the US refuse to join the League of Nations?
entangling alliances
46. How would you describe American foreign policy following WWI?
Circle: Isolationist Imperialist Interventionist
Roaring Twenties
47.What were the major reasons the economy grew during the 1920s?
People had money after the war and factories started to produce many items for purchase.
48. How did the assembly line reduce the prices of automobiles? Automobiles were made more quickly lowering the price to a point where everyone could buy them.
49. Who was the first entrepreneur to use the assembly line for mass production?
Henry Ford
50.If a person is bootlegging whiskey, what are they doing?
Smuggling illegal alchohol
51. Which amendment made alcohol illegal?
18th Amendment
52. What was the relationship between prohibition and crime?
Prohibiting alcohol made the crime rate rise as people started buying and selling on the black market.
53. Why did many American want to restrict immigration following WWI?
They were afraid of communists, and anarchists.
54. Why did America restrict immigration from Eastern and Southern European countries in the 1920s?
They were afraid of communists and anarchists.
55. What was the Red Scare?Fear of communists after the Bolshevik Revolution.
56. What event in Russia caused post WWI Red Scare in America?
Bolshevik Revolution
57. What was the Scopes Trial? A trial centered around the idea of teaching evolution in southern classrooms.
58. Identify people involved in the Scopes Trial
John Scopes, Williams Jennings Bryant, Clarence Darrow
59. Who were flappers? Describe two characteristics of flappers
They were women who adopted a new style of dress. They may have listened to jazz, smoked, worked, cut their hair short, drove, or wore shorter dresses.
Great Depression and the New Deal
60. Put the following events in order
- WWI2
- The Stock Market Crash3
-The Spanish American War1
-The Great Depression4
61.What caused the Great Depression? ( six causes )
- Overproduction
- Too much buying on credit
- Stock speculating
- Business failure
- Bank closures
- Stockmarket collapse.
62. What happened to the size and power of the federal government as a result of the New Deal?It grew
63. What factors caused the Dust Bowl? ( 2 )
Drought, poor erosion control
64. Which state did many people displaced by the Dust Bowl move to?
california
65. Explain why each of the following New Deal agencies or programs are still important:
Social Security – gives a stipend to older Americans so they can live after retirement
FDIC – insures banks deposits from loss
Securities and Exchange Commission – Regulates the stock market
66. What are the two most significant long – term effects of FDR’s New Deal?Increase in size and power of the federal government, belief of the people that the government is responsible for taking care of them.
Rise of Totalitarianism and WWII
67. Describe the relationship between the Treaty of Versailles and inflation in Germany after WWI.Reparations that were ordered from the Germans hurt their economy, so the government printed more money which resulted in horrible overinflation.
68. Explained the relationship between the Treaty of Versailles and Hitler’s rise to power. Germany was in such a low status, economically and politically they were looking for hope.
69. What did European dictators that came to power in the 1920s and 30s have in common? They were fascist, or totalitarian. They wanted to expand. They were very nationalistic.
70. Define appeasementGiving in to someone in order to avoid a larger conflict
71. Why did the Munich Agreement fail to save Europe from WWII?Hitler was not going to be content until he had control of ALL of Europe.
72. What was the significance of the invasion of Poland in September of 1939?AT that point the British and French declared war on Germany.
73. What is the significance of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941?
It got the U.S. involved in the war on both fronts.
74. Explain why both December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001 are “dates that will live in infamy?”they were both attacks that killed thousands without warning and they both eventually led to the US getting involved in war.
75. What was the effect of the dropping of the atomic bomb on the outcome of WWII?The Japanese finally surrendered and the U.S. was at peace.
76. Why was the government of Nazi Germany determined to murder the Jewish population of Europe?Anti-Semitism had a long history in Europe and Germany needed a scapegoat.
77. What was the outcome of the Manhattan project?The development of the atomic bomb.
78. Why did President Truman decide to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?Because the battles were becoming more and more bloody as the U.S. got closer to Japan. Because it would cut down and deaths, and revenge may also have been a motive.