U.S. History Regents Study Guide
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Transcript of U.S. History Regents Study Guide
Top 150 Things to Know About U.S. History for the Regents Exam
Colonial Period and Early American History (Unit 1)
The Mississippi River is important for trade around the United States
The Virginia House of Burgesses and the Mayflower Compact were early forms of self-government or representative government
Mercantilism was the economic policy which Great Britain used to limit manufacturing in the colonies. The Colonies were forced to sell raw materials to GB at a low price, and buy back manufactured goods at a high price.
The Proclamation Line of 1763 was put in place by the British to limit conflict between the Colonists and the Native Americans
John Locke’s Enlightenment ideas of the “Natural Rights Theory” and the “Social Contract Theory” influenced the writing of the Declaration of Independence
The Social Contract Theory states that if the government does not protect the citizen’s natural rights, the citizens have the right to overthrow the government
The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 and led directly to the Revolutionary War
The Articles of Confederation was the first attempt at the Constitution of the United States and it created a weak Central Government to make sure it wasn’t like the British Monarchy
Under the Articles of Confederation there was only one branch of the national government – the Legislative Branch, and they could not: Tax, Coin Money, Declare War or Fund an Army
Accomplishments of the Articles of include the Northwest Ordinance (1785) which created method to add new states and the Land Ordinance (1787) which created method for giving out land
The Constitution (Unit 2)
From 1787-1789 the Articles of Confederation was rewritten as the Constitution
There are Three Branches of government: Legislative (Writes the Laws), Executive (Enforces the Laws), Judicial (Judges the Laws)
Executive = President/Vice President; Legislative = Congress (Senate/House of Representatives); Judicial = Supreme Court/Federal Courts
President’s roles/powers: Commander-In-Chief, Chief Diplomat, Chief Executive; Can appoint Judges and Ambassadors, Veto (Deny) laws from Congress
Congress Roles: Declare War, Pass Laws, Override a president’s Veto with 2/3 vote
o Senate (elected every 6 years) – Approve presidential appointments, Ratify (approve) treaties
o House (elected every two years) – Begin “revenue” (budget) laws, Impeach the President
Supreme Court Roles: Decide if a law that is challenged is unconstitutional (“Judicial Review”)
Compromises of the Constitution:
o “Great Compromise” -- about how states will be represented in Congress
New Jersey Plan – Small States, want equal representation
Virginia Plan – Big States, wants representation to be based on state population (proportional)
Final Compromise: One part of Congress will be Equal Representation (The Senate) and the other part will be based on population (House of Representatives), and a law must pass both houses
o “Three-Fifths Compromise” – When counting the population a state has, or how much a state owes based on population for taxes, slaves will be counted as 3/5 of a person
o The Federalists v. Anti-Federalists –
Federalists believed in stronger national government
Anti-Federalists believed in stronger state and individual rights
o “Bill of Rights Compromise”
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution that give more individual rights and liberties
1st: Individual Freedoms (Speech, Religion, Press…)
4th: Protection illegal searches (warrants)
5th: Due process of the law
8th: No cruel and unusual punishment
10th: Any rights not given to national govs, given to state govs
What was the Compromise? The Anti-Federalists would vote to ratify (approve) the Constitution only if the Bill of Rights was added, so they added it.
Checks and Balances: Ways the constitution makes sure that no one branch has too much power (i.e. President can Veto a law from Congress, Supreme Ct can declare a law unconstitutional, Senate must approve any presidential appointments)
Separation of Powers: Different branches have different powers/roles to make sure no one branch has too much power
Federalism: A government in which powers are shared by the National and State governments
Unwritten Constitution: Traditions and Customs followed as a government, but not actually in the constitution, such as: The President’s Cabinet, Political Parties, Lobbying, Term Limits
The New Nation and Westward Expansion (Unit 3)
Alexander Hamilton financial plans included creating a National Bank and Paying Off National Debt to stabilize the new nation
In Washington’s Farewell Address he warns against getting involved in foreign affairs and against political parties
The Louisiana Purchase (1803) was important because it doubled the size of the U.S., full control of the Mississippi River, Control of the Port of New Orleans and Increased Trade
Thomas Jefferson had to change his Strict Constructionist view in order to buy the Louisiana Territory
The Supreme Court (SC) case of Marbury v. Madison established the idea of Judicial Review, which means the SC can declare laws unconstitutional.
Pres. Andrew Jackson created the Spoils System where he gave his supporters government job
“Trail of Tears”: Jackson passed the Indian Removal Act (1830) and forcibly removed the Native American from their land to West of the Mississippi River
The Seneca Falls Convention was the beginning of the Women’s Rights Movement and was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott
Slavery developed in the South and not in the North because the Geography of the South is better for big plantations (Farms)
The Missouri Compromise, The Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act are examples of compromises over Slavery
Manifest Destiny is the idea that the U.S. has the God given right to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean
The Louisiana Purchase (1803), The Annexation of Texas (1845) and the Mexican Cession (1848) Were all examples of Manifest Destiny
Popular Sovereignty is the idea that the people in a state can vote on whether they want to be a slave state or free state
“Bloody Kansas” refers to when Pro-Slavery and Anti-Slavery people moved into Kansas to vote on whether it would be a slave or free state, and they ended up getting into a number of little battles
The Dred Scott v. Sanford case ruled that Congress cannot prohibit slavery in a state, that a slave cannot sue because they are not a citizen, and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional
The term “Sectionalism” refers to the division that developed between the
The Civil War and Reconstruction (Unit 4)
When Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860 seven southern states seceded (left) the United States to form the Confederate States of America
The Civil War lasted from 1861-1865, was fought between the Union (North) and the Confederacy (South) over the issue of States Rights and the North Won
The Northern Advantages Included having better transportation, more industry, and more human resources.
Lincoln’s Goal at the start of the Civil War was to Preserve the Union (Keep the United States together)
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Lincoln in 1863 and it stated that all slaves in states rebelling against the Union were free, and purpose was to help the Union win the civil war
During the Civil War, Lincoln expanded presidential powers by suspending “Habeas Corpus”
The time period after the Civil War (1865-1877) is called the Reconstruction Era
There were two plans proposed for Reconstruction in the South:
o Lincoln/Johnson (Lincoln’s VP): Try to heal the United States, give the south Amnesty, bring the country back together quickly
o Radical Republicans: Punish the South for starting the Civil War, make it difficult to come back together
The 13th (1865), 14th (1868) and 15th (1870) Amendments are called the Reconstruction Amendments because they were passed during Reconstruction to give Freed Slaves/African-Americans more rights
o 13th Amendment – Freed all slaves
o 14th Amendment – Gave all people “equal protection of the law”
o 15th Amendment – Gave African-American men the right to vote
Black Codes were laws passed in the South to limit the effectiveness of the Reconstruction Amendments, and to limit African-American rights (ex. Poll Taxes)
Jim Crow Laws are laws that Segregated Blacks and Whites in the South (i.e. Separate schools/water fountains)
The Homestead Act (1862) and the Transcontinental Railroad (1862) were both ways to encourage people to move and settle in the West (Led to conflict with Native Americans as well)
Plessey v. Ferguson (1896) confirmed that “Separate But Equal” facilities were constitutional
Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois both had the same goal of Civil Rights for African-Americans but Washington wanted to wait while DuBois Demanded more immediate rights
Industrialization and Labor (Unit 5) – 1870-1920
Industrialization means that the economy is changing to have more factories
Urbanization is when people migrate to cities for factory jobs
A Monopoly or Trust is when one business tries to control all of one industry and to eliminate the competition
The heads of big businesses were called “Robber Barons,” because they used ruthless (harsh) methods to get rid of their competition
Some examples of Robber Barons were Rockefeller (oil), Carnegie (steel), Morgan (finance) and Vanderbilt (Railroads)
Lassiez-Faire (Capitalism) economics is when the Government does not regulate businesses
Social Darwinism is the idea that in the business world it is survival of the fittest
Both Social Darwinism and Lassiez-Faire capitalism justified monopolies for Robber Barons
Labor Unions are groups formed by workers to fight for more worker rights – such as better hours, wages and conditions
During the late 19th Century (1800’s) Labor Unions were unsuccessful because the Government supported the side of Big Business – Ex. The Pullman Strike
The Grange Movement formed in the late 1800’s to fight for farmers rights
The Populist Party was a important because their ideas that they were fighting for – such as the Direct Election of Senators and the National Income Tax – later became Amendments (16th/17th)
Immigration and Reform (Unit 6) – 1880-1920
“New Immigrants” came between 1880-1920 and were from Southern and Eastern Europe
Most “New Immigrants” came to find factory jobs, in the northeast cities, doing unskilled labor
A Nativist is someone who dislikes immigrants
Labor Unions didn’t like immigrants because they thought they would work for cheaper wages and take people’s jobs
Nativists influenced the government to pass laws restricting immigration, such as the Gentleman’s Agreement (Japanese), the Chinese Exclusion Act (Chinese) and Quota Laws (S/E Europe)
The Dawes Act (1887)was passed to try and assimilate Native Americans to be more “American”
The goal of the Progressive Movement was to fix the problems caused by Industrialization
Muckrakers were journalists who tried to uncover problems in society
o Jacob Riis – “How the Other Half Lives” (About immigrant living conditions)
o Upton Sinclair – “The Jungle” (About working conditions and cleanliness of meat factories)
Book led Pres. Teddy Roosevelt to sign the Meat Inspection Act of 1906
The Progressive Movement ideas of Initiative, Referendum and Recall all were meant to Increase citizen participation in government
The 19th Amendment (1920) gave Women the Right to vote
During the Progressive Era, Anti-Trust laws were passed to Limit the power of big business and monopolies
Teddy Roosevelt was called a “Trustbuster” for going against the Monopolies
Woodrow Wilson started the Federal Reserve bank, whose purpose is to regulate the supply of money
Imperialism and World War I (Unit 7)
Imperialism is when a more powerful nation takes over a weaker nation to benefit themselves
The Primary reason for Imperialism is to gain Raw Materials and New Markets
The “Open-Door Policy” was made with China to secure trading opportunities
The Sp-Am War began as a result of exaggerated news called “Yellow Journalism”
The U.S. won the Sp-Am War, and gained Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines and Guam
Teddy Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” policy and the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine both were policies that led to Intervention in Latin America and to the U.S. acting as the Policeman of the Western Hemisphere
The Panama Canal was built to allow ships/navy to travel faster between oceans
At the start of WWI (1914) Woodrow Wilson had the United States remain Neutral
In 1917 the U.S. entered the war because of German Submarine Warfare and that Wilson wanted to “maintain freedom of the seas.”
During WWI, the Supreme Ct. ruled in Schenck v. U.S. that Freedom of Speech could be limited during times of war.
At the end of the war the U.S. wouldn’t ratify Wilson’s “Fourteen Points” or the Versailles Treaty since they were worried it would get them involved in another war.
The Roaring 20’s and the Great Depression (Unit 8) -1920’s and 30’s
The Great Migration was the mass movement of African-Americans from the South to the North looking for Factory Jobs after WWI
The goal of the Harlem Renaissance was to increase African-American pride through art and music
Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington were main figures of the Harlem Rennaisance
The Sacco and Vanzetti trial and execution showed how Anti-immigrant (nativist) Americans were in the 1920’s.
The Scopes “Monkey” Trial show the conflict between Religion and Science
Prohibition is the banning of drinking/selling alcohol in the U.S. (1919-1933)
The 18th Amendment began prohibition and the 21st Amendment ended prohibition
Some effects of prohibition include: 1) Rise in organized crime/mafia, 2) disrespect for the laws, 3) showed that it is hard to enforce unpopular laws
Flappers was the term for the “new” women of the 1920’s that were more modern
The 1920’s is known as the “roaring 20’s” because there was an economic boom and people enjoyed going out, partying, buying new things, being happy.
The major causes of the GREAT DEPRESSION included:
o Speculation on stocks
o Under consumption and overproduction of goods
o Uneven distribution of wealth
The major effects of the GREAT DEPRESSION:
o Unemployment rose
o Homelessness
o Collapse of the Banks
Shacks/shelters that the homeless built were called “Hoovervilles” because the people blamed President Hoover for the suffering of the poor
Causes of the “Dustbowl” in the 1930’s:
o Farmers lost their farms since crop prices dropped (overproduction)
o Drought (No rain)
o Nothing to hold down the soil
Effects of the “Dustbowl”
o Big Dust Storms across the southwest
o The Migration close to a million “Okies” who moved west to find work/safety
o John Steinbeck was an author who wrote about the Dustbowl
The “New Deal” was President Franklin Roosevelt’s (FDR) plan to bring the United States out of the Great Depression
FDR created Alphabet Organizations like the WPC, CCC, PWA to help the unemployed by giving them government work projects
FDR created the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) and the SEC (Securities and Exchanges Comission) to help give people confidence in the banking/stock system
Some major programs created by the New Deal are Social Security and Welfare
The reasons that people opposed the New Deal were:
o It raised the national debt
o It was too much like Socialism
o It was unconstitutional
World War II and the Start of the Cold War (Unit 9)
Before WWII the United States has a policy of Isolationism or Neutrality
The Neutrality Acts (1935-39) were passed to avoid the same mistakes that got the U.S. involved in WWI
In 1939-1941 the Lend-Lease act changed U.S. policy from Neutrality to Selling war materials to the allies
In 1941 the U.S. entered WWII because of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor
In the U.S. “War Bonds” were sold to help fund the war effort
In the U.S. there was “Rationing” which was when the government ordered the conservation of goods (food/metal) because it was needed for the war.
The Sup. Ct. Case of Korematsu v. United States ruled the it was legal for Roosevelt to order all people of Japanese-American descent into “Internment Camps” because they were seen as a security threat and that during times of war civil liberties can be limited
The Manhattan project was the secret U.S. project to develop the atomic bomb
WWII ended in 1945 when the Pres. Truman dropped two atomic bombs on Japan
Post-WWII the U.S. became more involved in the world; joined the United Nations
Cold War to Modern Day (Unit 10) – 1950’s-Present
The Cold War was the period of conflict, tension and competition between the United States and the Soviet Union (led by Stalin KruschevGorbechev) and their allies from 1945 (after WWII) until the early 1990s. Throughout the period, the rivalry between the two superpowers was played out in Multiple Wars (Korea and Vietnam), Arms Race (Nuclear Weapons), Technology (Space Race, Weapons)
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was an alliance during the Cold War called for “collective security” of Democratic nations against the Soviet Union
“Containment” was the U.S. policy of limiting the spread of communism
The Marshall Plan (1947) gave $13 Billion dollars to help rebuild Western Europe so that they so that they would contain communism from spreading (containment)
The Truman Doctrine provided Economic Aid to Greece and Turkey to prevent them from falling to Communism
West Berlin/Germany was Democratic while East Berlin/Germany was Communist
The Soviet Blockade of West Berlin (1949) was stopped by the U.S. with the Berlin Airlift
In the U.S. in the 40’s and 50’s there was a “Red Scare” which was the domestic fear of communist influence in the U.S. Government
Senator Joseph McCarthy and Pres. Truman began accusing government employees, actors and professors of being communist, without evidence
A reckless accusation without evidence is known today as “McCarthyism”
After WWII, the GI Bill gave economic and educational help to veterans of WWII
The Baby Boom was a large increase in the number of births after WWII
During the 1950’s there was a suburban migration of people from the cities to the suburbs, using the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System
John F. Kennedy (1960-63) began the Peace Corps to send volunteers to help developing nations
After the Soviet launch of Sputnik (1957) Kennedy announces the U.S. will put a man on the moon – beginning the “Space Race” as a competition of the Cold War
Kennedy’s biggest foreign policy failure was the Bay of Pigs Invasion where the U.S. failed to remove the communist leader – Fidel Castro – from power in Cuba
Kennedy’s biggest foreign policy success was the Cuban Missile Crisis where Kennedy convinced the Soviets to remove Nuclear Missiles from Cuba
The main goal of the Civil Rights Movement was to gain more rights for African-Americans, including getting rid of Jim Crow Laws for Segregation
The Sup. Ct. Case of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ruled that segregated schools were illegal, and it overturned the decision in Plessey v. Ferguson (1896)
President Eisenhower sent Federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce the desegregation decision in Brown v. Board
Martin Luther King Jr. led the Civil Rights Movement using non-violent methods and the idea of civil disobedience
The goal of President Johnson’s “Great Society” was to provide programs to help minorities and the poor (Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start…)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 tried to reduce racial and gender discrimination
The Vietnam War was a part of the Cold War since the U.S. was supporting South Vietnam to contain communism
Many Americans opposed the Vietnam War since they believed the war was unjust
The goal of Pres. Nixon’s Foreign policy of Détente was to reduce tension with the Soviet Union
As a result of Nixon’s Watergate Scandal people lost trust in the government and from U.S v. Nixon we learned that the President isn’t above the law
Pres. Carter helped bring peace in the middle east by working to sign the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt
Pres. Reagan wanted to cut taxes on individuals and businesses as part of his conservative “Supply-Side” economics policy
Pres. George Bush Sr. sent troops to the Persian Gulf to get Iraq/Sadaam Husain out of Kuwait and to keep Oil flowing from Kuwait to the U.S.
Under Pres Clinton (1992-2000), the economy shifted to get rid of manufacturing jobs, and have more service oriented jobs (Teachers, Fast Food, Retailers…)
In the 2000 Election of Bush v. Gore Bush won lost the popular vote but won the electoral vote
After September 11, 2001 the United States created the Department of Homeland Security to help prevent more terrorist attacks and fight the “War on Terror”