APUSH ONE-PAGER BY PERIOD – REVIEW PACKET

Thematic Ideas: How do these themes intertwine with the content?

American and National Identity
Politics and Power
Work, Exchange, and Technology
Culture and Society
Migration and Settlement
Geography and the Environment
America in the World

Format of the Multiple Choice Section

Period 1: 5% of AP Exam
Periods 2 – 5: 45% of AP Exam
Periods 6 – 8: 45% of AP Exam
Period 9: 5% of AP Exam
 Period 1: 1491 – 1607

Columbian Exchange: transfer of goods, diseases, ideas, and people from the Americas to Europe and
vice versa
Maritime Advancements: astrolabe, caravel, Prince Henry the Navigator’s School of Navigation
(Portuguese)

Spanish Colonization
 Colonization was focused in South America,
Caribbean, Mexico, FL, and SW region of N.
America
 Focus was on converting the natives to
Christianity, specifically Catholicism
o Encomienda System: Spanish would
enslave natives in order to use them to
mine minerals and to work plantation-
based agriculture with the end goal to
convert them
 Caste-like system was put into place in order to
keep social order among people
o Peninsulares: plantation owners that own
slaves
o Creoles: small farm owners, owned land,
few slaves
o Mestizos / Mulattoes: landless whites,
indentured servants
o Native Americas / African Slaves: slaves
 First city in North America was St. Augustine, FL
French Colonization
 Focused on the Fur Trade and interactions with
the Iroquois natives
 Colonize along the St. Lawrence River (AKA Canada)
English Colonization
 Joint-Stock Companies: focused on making money in the colonies – initially looking for gold
 Roanoke Colony: founded by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1587, but was a failure due to the mysterious
ending of the colony. Once Raleigh returned, everyone had disappeared.
 Jamestown: King James I approved the founding of the colony, but once the crew arrived in May
1607, John Smith took over as the leader once the colony started to struggle during the winter.
o Struggles include:
 horrible location, lack of clean water, problems with diseases spread by
mosquitoes, severe drought, and “lazy” colonists and unprepared for manual labor
o Relationship with the Powhatan Confederacy
 Chief Powhatan wanted to consolidate his power and conquer neighboring tribes so
he thought that the colonists of Jamestown could help him do it due to their
resources: traded food for guns and knives.
 Eventually, the relationship broke down because of the marriage between
Pocahontas and John Rolfe, the guy who started farming tobacco.
 Period 2: 1607 – 1754

Jamestown (Chesapeake Colonies – specifically Virginia)

 House of Burgesses: created in 1619 by the Virginia Company, who founded Jamestown, was one
of the first forms of government in the British colonies. The governor, who was appointed by the
king, could veto the laws created by the House, but the House controlled the governors salary.
 Tobacco, tobacco, tobacco – saved Jamestown from extinction – became a major export, but also a
traded good among natives. Therefore the colony grew in population size – mostly men.
 Headright System (1617): stated that every new arrival paying their way could get 50 acres of
land. Although this in itself encouraged wealthier people to move to the colonies, it also allowed
the already established planters to get labor and land at once.
 Indentured Servitude: wealthy planters would pay other peoples’ passage in return for several
years. The planters would get “free” labor and land, and once the servants contract was met, they
could receive their freedom to become independent farmers.
Pilgrims / Separatists (New England Colonies – specifically Plymouth)
 Stricter ideals than Puritans, instead they wanted to separate completely from the Anglican church
 William Bradford is a church minister and leader of the Pilgrims
 Pilgrims left England in September 1620, on the Mayflower, and landed November 21, 1620.
 Mayflower Compact: Document created while at sea on the way to Plymouth in order to create a
basic legal system. If you do something “illegal” the colony has the right to punish/banish you.
Puritans / Congregationalists (New England Colonies – specifically Massachusetts Bay)
 Wanted to purify the Anglican church in order to help the congregation to get to heaven
 John Winthrop was elected governor of the colony in October 1629.
o “Model of Christian Charity” – with the phrase “city upon a hill”
 Pequot War: 2 English traders were murdered (not by the Pequots), but everyone assumed it was
them so a mob from Mass. Bay went and killed an entire town of Pequots
Contrasting Ideals from Chesapeake VS. New England
 Chesapeake: economic focus – tobacco, plantation system, male dominated society
 New England: religious focus – anything but catholic, family – oriented society
Other Colonies
 Providence, RI: founded by Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson after being banished from Mass.
 New York: originally a Dutch colony, but in 1674 it became a British colony – religious toleration
 Pennsylvania: founded by the Quakers in 1681, specifically by William Penn, who were looking for
religious freedom and were focused on giving all people equal rights
 Carolinas: settled with a focus in agriculture – specifically tobacco, rice, and indigo
King Phillip’s War (1675) – New England
 Increased population in New England forced colonists onto native land and increased conversion
of native people, which King Phillip (AKA Metacom) was not happy about. He then began
attacking English settlements, until the tides turned and the colonists fought back and killed King
Phillip and started to sell captured natives into slavery.
Bacon’s Rebellion (1676) - Virginia
 Gov. William Berkley is the leader of the Virginia colony and did not strike back after native
attacks on colonists farms, but he did not fight back because he did not want farm competition
 Colonists get mad and rally behind Nathaniel Bacon and attack the nearby natives and Berkley
declares the action a rebellion, that was only put down once Bacon was killed in battle
 Turning Point in native relations, but also landowners realized that there wasn’t much land left to
give to indentured servants so their numbers decreased and slave labor increased.
The Great Awakening (mid-1730’s to 1760’s) – New England
 Jonathan Edwards gave a sermon that created intense emotion and fear of sin
 George Whitefield spread sermon’s ideas across the colonies and preached to large audiences
 Period 3: 1754 – 1800

Seven Year’s War / French and Indian War (June 1754 – 1763)
 British colonists VS. French and the Natives – natives sided with the French b/c valuable fur trade
 War caused anti-British feelings amongst colonists
o Colonists favored Indian-style guerilla tactics; British marched in formation
o Colonists didn’t want higher taxes to pay for war, but British thought that they should pay
for their own defense – BIGGIE!!!! – factor that leads to the American Revolution
 British colonists win and Treaty of Paris (1763) is signed – France loses all N. American land
o Colonists: united them against a common enemy, created anger against the British
o England: larger and safer colonial empire, larger debt, felt anger towards colonists
After the War Issues – Native Relations, Proclamation Line, Taxation
 Pontiac’s Rebellion (1763): Indian leader named Pontiac united tribes and attacked colonists for
fear that the colonists were spreading too much of their culture, especially Christianity
 Proclamation Line of 1763: put into affect by the British, a line that the colonists couldn’t settle
past, with the goal to prevent further conflicts – Colonists angry and added to British hatred
 Taxation: Sugar Act (1764), Quartering Act (1765), STAMP ACT (1765) – BIGGIE!!! – affected
almost every colonists b/c everyone has to buy some sort of paper product – cards, stamps, paper
o Stamp Act Congress (1766): met in NY to draft Stamp Act Resolves – goal was to find a new
tax to meet money needs – Stamp Act was repealed in March 1766
o Sons of Liberty: inter-colonial association to resist taxation and unfair treatment
 Taxation: Declaratory Act – British can tax who and when they want, Townshend Acts (1767) – tax
on trade goods (paper, tea, glass, etc.), and Navigation Acts – colonists can only trade with England
Colonists Retaliation – Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party
 Boston Massacre (1770): colonists threw snowballs at British soldiers, someone fired a gun and in
the end, 5 colonists were killed – became a political weapon for the patriots and news spread
 Committee of Correspondence (1772): led by Samuel Adams, met in Boston, in order to publicize
the patriot cause, many people in attendance were members of Sons of Liberty
 Boston Tea Party (Dec. 16, 1773): in response to the Tea Act (May 1773), Sons of Liberty
dumped approximately 10,000 pounds (money) of tea into Boston Harbor – England retaliated
o Coercive “Intolerable” Acts (1774): response to Boston T.P. closed Boston Harbor to trade
Revolutionary War (1774 – 1783)
 Continental Congress (Sep. 1774): met in Philadelphia to define American grievances, develop a
resistance plan, and to define their constitutional relationship with Britain
 Lexington and Concord (April 1775): British troops sent to confiscate military supplies at Concord,
but Paul Revere rode on to warn town. Colonists rallied and British retreated back to Boston.
 Second Continental Congress (May 1775): created the Continental Army and appointed George
Washington as the leader
 Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (Jan. 1776): challenged colonial ideas about relationship with
Britain – it is Common Sense for us to be our own country and have our own government
 Second Meeting of Second Continental Congress (Spring 1776): Drafted the Declaration of
Independence, written mostly by Thomas Jefferson, and officially adopted on July 4th, 1776
 Battle of Saratoga (1778): caused the French to join colonists in support for their independence
 Battle of Yorktown (1781): last battle of the war, where British Gen. Cornwallis surrendered
 Treaty of Paris (1782): drafted by Ben Franklin and signed by France, Britain, and America
Articles of Confederation to Constitution
 Articles of Confederation (1781): weak national government, states had power – Anti-Federalists
 Constitution (1789): created a stronger national government – Federalists
Whiskey Rebellion (1794): riot over whiskey tax, Washington sent in army – no toleration to resistance
Washington’s Farwell Address: no political parties, unity as a country, no foreign influence
 Period 4: 1800 – 1848

Adams Administration
 Alien and Sedition Acts (1798): Alien - detention of enemy aliens AND Sedition - applied to
citizens who spoke against the government – way to keep the people in line and slow immigration
 Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1799): in response to Alien and Sedition Acts – Jefferson
and Madison drafted docs that said that states could declare federal acts as unconstitutional
 Election of 1800: AKA the revolution of 1800, due to the passing over presidential power from
one political party to another – set a precedent for future presidents
Marshall Court (1801 – 1835)
 Chief Justice John Marshall was a federalist – upheld federal laws over states’ rights
o Marbury v. Madison (1803): created the power of judicial review – state courts are
checked by federal courts (specifically Supreme Court)
Louisiana Purchase (April 1803)
 Thomas Jefferson was president and had James Monroe go to France to bargain with Napoleon
for the land west of the Mississippi River – Napoleon agreed, needed $ to pay for his war debts
 Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804 – 1806): created the Corps of Discovery to explore the new
territory acquired, met Sacagawea who helped them explore and survive the journey
War of 1812 (1812 – 1815) – Madison’s Presidency
 Impressment: British ships were impressing American sailors to their ships – some were British
 Embargo Act (1807): forbade all US exports to other countries – EFFECTS – killed US economy,
unemployment, increased smuggling, did not impact the French or British b/c they kept trading
 War-Hawks / Democratic-Republicans supported war, but navy was small, not a lot of money
 Tecumseh: native leader who revolted against Am. Encroachment – aligned with British – killed
 US invaded Canada (British owned) and they retaliated by attacking Washington DC and burning
down the White House –war ends with Treaty of Ghent (1814) – but no real winner or loser
 Andrew Jackson: fought at Battle of Horseshoe Bend (1814) and Battle of New Orleans (1815)
– both were major victories, but New Orleans happened after the war was officially over
 Treaty of Ghent (1814): reaffirmed American independence, destroyed Indian resistance, ended
the Federalists Party after Hartford Convention, and proved US needed centralized military
Major Documents Put Into Place
 Missouri Compromise (1820): proposed by Henry Clay – Maine would enter as a free state and
Missouri would be admitted as a slave state – no slavery above 36’30” parallel
 Monroe Doctrine (1823): no more European colonization of Western Hemisphere or European
intervention in independent nations in the Americas
Market Revolution (Think back to the Shark Tank Activity)
 Innovations: Railroads, Erie Canal, Steel Plow, Cotton Gin, Lowell System, Telegraph, etc.
 Improvements: faster transportation, more working opportunities besides farming, cities grow
Jackson Administration (1829 – 1837)
 Nullification Crisis (1828): Tariff of Abominations vs. John C. Calhoun – can states nullify tariffs?
 Indian Removal Act (1830): presidents could decide to forcibly remove natives, with federal
support, if in the way of American advancement (economically, physically, etc.)
 Second Bank of the US (1832): bank focused on national power, but Jackson was for state’s rights
and the “common man” – he vetoed the bank – nicknamed “King Andrew” b/c he vetoed often
 Trail of Tears (1838): forced migration of Cherokee natives to reservations in Oklahoma
Social Movements (Think back to the Stations Activity)
 Second Great Awakening (1790s-1840s): preachers encouraged sinners to repent and salvation is
available to ALL through personal relationship – brings about religious revival
 Movements: Temperance – no alcohol, Abolition – no slavery, Penitentiaries and Asylums –
better conditions, Women’s Rights – going against the “cult of domesticity”
 Period 5: 1844 – 1877

Mexican American War (1846 – 1848) – Polk Administration – Manifest Destiny

 Texas was annexed by the United States in 1845, but Mexico disagreed about the border in where
Texas ended. Polk sent Gen. Zachary Taylor to fight and eventually beat Mexico
o Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848): gave the United States control of California, New
Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and the Rio Grande border of Texas
o Wilmot Proviso (1846): proposed law that made slavery illegal in any new territories
Road to the Civil War (1850 – 1860)
 Compromise of 1850: California became free state, New Mexico and Utah territories would
decide slavery based on popular sovereignty, slave trade banned in DC, and Fugitive Slave Law
o Fugitive Slave Law: if slave owners were able to show “evidence” their slave had escaped
and could forcibly take them back to their owner in exchange for higher profits
 Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852): written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, a bestselling book that described
the horrors of slavery and enlightened many Northerners about it’s injustices
 Underground Railroad (1850s-1860s): secret system of safe houses that allowed for the travel of
runaway slaves to freedom in the north – most notable conductor Harriet Tubman
 Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed popular
sovereignty to decide if Kansas and Nebraska would be free or slave states – split Whig party
into Northern Whigs and Southern Whigs (weakened them) and created the Republican Party
o Bleeding Kansas (1856): violence in Kansas with debate over slavery – John Brown Raid
 Dred Scott Decision (1857): a slave named Dred Scott, sued his owner for his freedom b/c his
owner took him to a free state and Supreme Court decided that Scott was not a US citizen and
could not sue, residence in free territory did not make him free, and SC couldn’t ban slavery
Civil War (1861 – 1865)
 Battles to Remember: Fort Sumter, Antietam, Vicksburg, and Gettysburg, Sherman’s March to Sea
 North Advantages VS. Disadvantages
o Advantages: more industrialized, much larger population – more manpower for industries
and military, stronger navy, central government under Lincoln, support of liberated slaves
o Disadvantage: invading “foreign” territory, BAD generals until Ulysses S. Grant, fighting an
offensive war which was harder when invading a “foreign country”
 South Advantages VS. Disadvantages
o Advantages: fighting on home soil, GOOD generals – Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson,
to win, they had to keep the North out and keep up resistance – like Washington in RW
o Disadvantages: smaller population, army, navy, economy, etc., very little industrialization,
developing central government under Jefferson Davis
 Lincoln Increased Executive Branch Power by suspending habeas corpus and implementing
martial law in border states – allowed him to throw any haters in prison without time crunch
 Emancipation Proclamation (Jan. 1, 1863): officially made the war about slavery – freed the slaves
in the Conf, but not the border states who had stayed in the Union – Conf. got no foreign support
 Gettysburg Address (Nov 19, 1863): goal of the war was to “preserve the union”
Reconstruction (1865 – 1877) – Presidents Lincoln, Johnson, Grant, Hayes
 Lincoln’s Ideals: favored leniency and did not want the south to continue resistance so he was a
fan of the 10% Plan – 10% of each state must take oath of loyalty to the Union
 Thaddeus Stevens’ Ideals (Radical Republicans): punishment for the south vs. forgiveness– Wade-
Davis Bill – majority of government officials must take oath (Lincoln vetoed bill)
 Reconstruction Amendments: 13th, 14th, and 15th – all give more rights to former slaves
 Andrew Johnson’s Impeachment (1868): Johnson violated Tenure of Office Act – states that the
Senate has power to approve changes in the Cabinet, but Johnson tried to fire people without
permission – he was impeached, but was not removed from office
 Period 6: 1865 – 1898

New Technology that led to the Gilded Age (1850 – 1900)

 Thomas Edison: created the light bulb and the Edison Electric Company which also created
things like the generator and other appliances that utilize electricity
 George Westinghouse: discovered how to transmit electricity over long distances which made
Edison’s generators feasible power sources
 Henry Ford: engineered a manufacturing scheme that focused on mass production, initially with
cars (Ford Motor Company) – system used in other industries and led to mass consumption
Industrializations Impact on Economy – Gilded Age
 Captains of Industry / Robber Barons: used their wealth to organize corporations and trusts that
allowed them to make more $ while also squeezing out smaller companies in the same industry
o Cornelius Vanderbilt: New York Central RR – expanded transportation across nation
o Andrew Carnegie: US Steel Corporation, eventually sold it to JP Morgan
o Rockefeller: Standard Oil Company – used horizontal and vertical integration
o J.P. Morgan: JP Morgan and Company – merged comp. to give him control of markets
Industrializations Impact on Society – Gilded Age
 Society was forced to acclimate themselves into the new factory conditions that minimized their
independence, but forced their dependence on Big Business
o Factory specialization as opposed to skilled labor – workers would do one task on an
assembly line all day, as opposed to making the whole product themselves
o Increased company control – employers paid low wages with long hours – if you were to
quit, there would be a new person to take your place so you had no real individual power
o Employment of Women and Children – employers cut costs by hiring women and children
who they could pay less, but also force into smaller spaces to do less desirable jobs
Union Movements and Strikes – Gilded Age
 Knights of Labor: union of skilled workers who were trying to create idealistic working conditions
 American Federation of Labor: created by Samuel Gompers and focused on concrete goals
(higher wages, shorter hours, right to bargain collectively), and no unskilled workers and women
 Haymarket Riot (1886): Riot in Chicago with the focus of an 8-hour work day, but quickly got
violent once a bomb went off in Haymarket Square – led to paranoia about unions
 Pullman Strike (1894): Eugene V. Debs was the strike leader – protesting policies (rent, cost of
living, etc.) in company town where workers were required to live
Ideologies of the Gilded Age
 Social Darwinism: advocated for the survival of the fittest mindset AKA laizze-faire capitalism is
best and the strongest people/businesses will survive – monopolies are good mindset
 Gospel of Wealth: written by Andrew Carnegie took on Social Darwinism, but added that wealth
carries moral responsibilities – people who have wealth are the guardians of society
 Socialism: Eugene V. Debs was the leader of the Socialist Party who wanted capitalistic style
economy, but wanted all people to share the wealth
Gilded Age Politics
 Democratic Party: opposed interference by gov’t with respect to personal liberty, restrict gov’t
power, mainly Catholic immigrants
 Republican Party: gov’t as agent of moral reform, direct gov’t action, mostly Am.-born Protestants
 Populists Party (AKA People’s Party): mostly farmers in the Mid-West, wanted to get their voices
heard in government specifically involving price inflations/interest rates, sharecropping $ issues,
Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890) – which caused value of silver to drop – hurting farmers
o William Jennings Bryan: Cross of Gold Speech – condemned gold standard – Free Silver
Movement – Dems. support WJB – McKinley signs Gold Standard Act - $ backed by gold
 Seventeenth Amendment (1913): direct election of Senators, by the people of the individual state
 Period 7: 1890 – 1945 (2 pages)

Progressive Era (1895 – 1920)

 Change in mindset: in the Gilded Age it was “survival of the fittest” but now it is “society is
responsible for individuals and should help them”
o End Abuses of Power – Trust-busting, consumers’ rights, good government
o Build New Institutions – schools, hospitals, sanitation, etc.
o Achieve Perfection – help make institutions less corrupt and more safe
 Progressive Reformers – HAVE TO KNOW!!!
o Upton Sinclair: author of The Jungle which focused on nasty conditions of meat industry
o Ida Tarbell: spoke out against Standard Oil Trust (Rockefeller) – trust-busting
o Jacob Riis: photographer who showed the horrors of tenement housing
o Booker T. Washington VS. WEB Du Bois – racial inequality
 BTW: rural mindset – through “self help” blacks could eventually acquire social and
political rights. However, for now, they should compromise with whites
 WEBDB: urban mindset – blacks should NOT have to tolerate white domination and
should immediately fight for social and political rights – formed NAACP
o Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt: Trust-buster, Meat Inspection Act (1906), Food and Drug Act
(1906), Hepburn Act (1906), supported unions rights, and conservation of environment
American Imperialism (1865 – 1914) – Think back to Imperialism Chart
 Economic Reasons: foreign trade, search for new markets, military superiority (Alfred Mahan)
 Ideological and Cultural Motivations / Justifications: American expansionism/Manifest Destiny,
racism, Social Darwinism, Nationalism, Missionary, and White Man’s Burden
 William H. Seward: bought Alaska from Russia – AKA Seward’s Folly, but turned out positive
 Spanish-American War (April 1898 – August 1898)
o US took the Philippians from Spain as well as blockaded Cuba in order to push out Spain
o Treaty of Paris (1898): Cuba is independent, cession of the Philippines, Puerto Rico and
Guam are US territories –US pays Spain for territories
 American Involvement in Asia
o Open Door Policy (1899): originally by John Hay, promoted equal trade opportunity for all
countries in China in order to help economic and religious (Christianity) interests
o Dollar Diplomacy: Taft’s policy, which required use of private funds or investments to
further diplomatic goals – attempted to stop Japanese imperialism of China
 Roosevelt Corollary (1904): Added to the Monroe Doctrine to make the US an international
police power – US can now intervene in Latin America whenever they want
World War I (1914 – 1920)
 Neutrality: US did not want to pick a side during the war, but that changed after German use of
unrestricted submarine warfare – sinking of Lusitania, British ship with 100+ Americans
 Zimmerman Telegram (Feb. 1917): telegram from Germany to Mexico asking Mexico to join an
alliance against the US in exchange for territory lost in Mexican American War – intercepted by
Great Britain and was the final straw for Wilson to enter war on April 6, 1917
 Selective Service Act (1917): requires all males between ages 21 to 30 to register for the draft
 Boom Years for Farmers and Industries: allowed farmers to get mechanized due to high demand
and higher prices, which led to the growth of many industries – War Industries Board
o Women in the Workforce: women take male dominated jobs, but return to home after war
 Revenue Act (1916): raised taxes on high incomes and corporate profits, which allowed more $ to
war effort – Liberty Bonds: buy stock in the war effort and would get return later on
 Espionage (1917): forbade “false statements” against draft/military, banned anti-war propaganda
 Sedition Acts (1918): illegal to obstruct the sale of war bonds and speak out against government –
most famous case involved Eugene V. Debs who did not support the war effort – was imprisoned
 Period 7: 1890 – 1945 (CONTINUED)

 Wilson’s Fourteen Points (1919): freedom of the seas, arms reduction, open diplomacy, and
creation of the League of Nations – issue for US Senators because it was too much like an alliance
which caused WWI – US never joined and eventually it dissolved and turned into United Nations
 Red Scare after WWI: fear of communism across the US that started with Bolshevik Revolution
and high levels of unemployment – led to labor strikes and other communist like-actions
Roaring 1920’s (1920 – 1929)
 Initial recession after WWI, but followed by quick recovery (roaring 20’s) as new inventions, AKA
the radio, got mass produced, but farmers never fully recovered - adds to Great Depression later
 Consumer Culture: New products created such as the radio, cars, advertising – more purchasing
power for the average American and benefitted the lower classes – electricity, indoor plumbing,
clothing and food more affordable – All Positive!
 Nineteenth Amendment (1920): gave women the right to vote – Alice Paul and Lucy Burns
 Social Trends: flappers, jazz, speakeasies, F. Scott Fitzgerald – Great Gatsby, Harlem Renaissance
o Harlem Renaissance: the Great Migration had blacks moving from Jim Crow South to new
jobs in the north during WWI – led to the creation of their own culture that celebrated their
diversity – Langston Hughes (poet), Louis Armstrong (jazz), and Jacob Lawrence (artist)
o Prohibition (18th Amendment): prohibited the use, sale, or manufacturing of alcohol, but
quickly led to the creation of the speakeasy as well as allowed gangsters like Al Capone to
gain more social and later political power – later overturned by 21st Amendment
Great Depression (1929 – 1941)
 Black Thursday (October 24, 1929) was the initial panic, but the Stock Market officially crashed
on Black Tuesday (October 29, 1929) – causes of this are listed below…
o Over-production / Under-consumption: companies increased production, but decreased
worker wages which reduced people’s purchasing power – extra product lying around
o Corporate Debt: Companies lied about assets to get more loans to produce more product
o Buying on Margin: People buying stocks on credit, but they do not have $ to pay back
o Lack of Recovery in Farming: farmers did not recover from post WWI recession
o Government Policies: government followed laissez-faire policies with easy credit and low
discount rates which allowed many to buying on credit and margin
 Hoover’s Response was not as aggressive as many people would have liked – Hoovervilles
(shanty towns) were named after him as a bash to his lack of government support in hard times
New Deal (Franklin Delano Roosevelt – 1933) – Think back to the New Deal Chart
 Bank Holiday, Public Works like the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA), Public Works Administration (PWA), etc., Fireside Chats – kept public informed
and urged them to return their savings to the banks, 21st Amendment passed, helped farmers
with Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) – subsidized farming, FDIC created to insure banks
World War II (1941 – 1945) – Pulls the United States out of the Great Depression
 Neutrality Acts (1935): prohibited shipments of arms to either side in a war-US is neutral/isolated
 Selective Training and Service Act (1940): first peacetime draft – US could help Britain if need be
 Lend Lease Act (1941): British and Soviets could borrow money to buy weapons from the US
 Atlantic Charter (1941): FDR and Churchill sign agreement of alliance with Great Britain
 Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941): “A day that will live in infamy”, Public opinion invested in war
o Home Front: thousands sign up for draft, rationing, women in workforce and military
(nurses, secretaries, etc.), Japanese Internment Camps, more opportunities for blacks
 Conferences to Know: Tehran (1943), YALTA (1945), - BIGGIE and Potsdam (1945)
 Truman Presidency: Truman decides to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki –
produced through the Manhattan Project and later integrates the armed forces
 Period 8: 1945 – 1980

Truman Administration (1945 – 1963)

 Civil Rights – desegregated the military, appointed more blacks than ever to high government
offices, and created a President’s Committee for Civil Rights – not very effective, but a start
Cold War (1945 – 1991) – Think back to Cold War chart
 McCarthyism – Senator Joseph McCarthy gave a speech claiming that he had the names of over
100+ people in government offices that were communists – this was a lie, but no one knew this
 Containment: US policy of containing communism – we know that it is not going to disappear
completely, but we want to contain it as much as possible
 Truman Doctrine (1947): US gave aid to Greece and Turkey, to help countries who are ALREADY
fighting communism – while helping Turkey, we put nukes there, leads to Cuban Missile Crisis
 Marshall Plan (1947): helps Europe rebuild after WWII, we help so that communism does not
spread to these countries – communism/dictatorships/fascist regimes takes hold during economic
depressions – Example: Europe during the Great Depression leading up to WWII
 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): Western Europe and the US form a security pact
 Warsaw Pact: Eastern Europe (satellite nations) and the Soviet Union form an alliance
 Douglas MacArthur: US naval commodore whose job it was to rebuild Japan after dropping the
atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, later was asked to lead the US forces in the Korean
War – was later fired due to wanting total war with Communist North Korea AKA atomic war
o Korean War: North Korea was supported by Communist China and the UN (90% US
forces) supported Democratic South Korea, ends in stalemate on 38th parallel – DMZ zone
 NASA (1958): created under Eisenhower Administration to make more missiles as well as to
win the Space Race – Soviets launch Sputnik, first satellite in space, US get the first man on moon
 Vietnam War (1955 – 1975): Geneva Accords were created to divide Vietnam into communist
north and democratic south – didn’t really work because we want to contain communism so US
gets involved through SEATO – goal was to protect Vietnam, US fights Vietcong (northern
Vietnamese forces who support communism) and eventually forced to recall troops
Civil Rights Movement (1950s – 1960s)
 Thurgood Marshall: worked against the separate but equal policies from Plessy v. Ferguson
(1896) – later promoted to a Supreme Court Justice by Kennedy
o Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954): ruled that separate facilities denied kids
equal protection under the law –desegregation happened 1 year later –Southern schools
resisted – Little Rock Nine in Arkansas (1957), Ruby Bridges in Louisiana (1960)
 Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955): Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat to a white
man, sparked the bus boycott which was led by MLK Jr. who used civil disobedience as method
 Civil Rights Act of 1964: desegregation of public establishments, under Kennedy, signed by LBJ
1950’s – Cultural Changes in Society – Think back to 1920’s and 1950’s Comparison Chart
 Baby Boom: population generated a need for new services – construction, cars, & household items
 GI Bill and Federal Housing Administration: made it easier for veterans returning home from
WWII to get loans to buy houses, new jobs, etc. – meant to help them return to normalcy at home
 Interstate Highway Act (1956): Eisenhower signed and authorized the construction of 41,000
miles network of interstate highways that would span across the country
 Suburbia on the Rise: suburbs start to pop up all over the country, but the most famous is outside
of NYC called Levittown – homes made by William Levitt who used only a few floor plans for
cheaper and faster building – all white neighborhoods, interstates needed going into the city
 Technological Advancements: television, microwave, refrigerators, washing machines, music, cars
 Women’s Roles: women go back to the home to be the “perfect” housewife – domestic sphere
Nixon Administration (1969 – 1974)
 Watergate Scandal: spying on campaign opponent and later resigns before being impeached
 Period 9: 1980 – Present

Rise of Conservatism
 Government focuses on lowering taxes de-regulating business (laisse-faire)
Ronald Reagan Administration (1981 – 1989)
 Reaganomics (Supply-Side Economics): tax cuts and reduced government spending would
increase investment by private sector, which would lead to increased production and jobs.
 Economic Recovery Act of 1981: 25% decrease in personal income taxes over 3 years, cut
corporate income taxes, increased the amount of money that one can investment in retirement,
cut gift and inheritance taxes which allowed upper-income tax payers to have a better tax break
 Foreign Policy in Reagan Administration
o Military Buildup: Strategic Defense Initiative focused tax payers money on building up
arms and missiles to outnumber the Soviets
o Iran-Contra Affair (1986): US sold military equipment to Iran for helping free Americans
held hostage. Money was then turned around to pay the Contras in Nicaragua, a rebel
group who was fighting a socialist/communist government – US wanted to contain
communism AGAIN – when will we learn???
George H.W. Bush Administration (1989 – 1993)
 Took a lot of the same ideas as Reagan, since George HW Bush was Vice President under Reagan
o Promised to not raise taxes: “Read my lips – no new taxes”
 Tiananmen Square (1989): students were protesting and wanting a pro-democracy country
however, the Chinese government did not agree and killed hundreds of people on live TV
 Breakup of the Soviet Union (1991): Communist party disbanded in Russia and there was an
attempt to establish a democracy with a free-market economy…Yeltsin is the new “president”
 Persian Gulf War (1990 – 1991): Iraq’s leader, Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait, supplied the US
and Europe with tons of oil – US gets involved along with the United Nations and have Operation
Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield
William “Bill” Clinton Administration (1993 – 1999)
 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): singed into law by Clinton, creates a free trade
zone between United States, Canada, and Mexico
 Technology Boom: Companies such as Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, etc. start to take off
during this time period – boom is fostered by public access to faster computers
 Impeachment: (1998): House of Representatives voted to impeach Clinton on 2 accounts,
perjury and obstruction of justice – hiding the Monica Lewinsky affair and lying about it under
oath. Senate did not get the majority to remove him from office so he finished his term.
George W. Bush Administration (2000 – 2008)
 Election of 2000: Al Gore (D) vs. George W Bush (R), Gore won the popular vote, but Bush won
the electoral college vote – Gore asked for a recall in Florida specifically b/c had issues with ballets
o Bush v. Gore (Supreme Court Case): Supreme Court ruled in favor of Bush, by saying that
there was not enough evidence to support a recall so end result stayed the same
 No Child Left Behind Act: intended to improve student performance and to close the gap between
lower class students and upper class students – School of Choice comes from this act
 War on Terrorism: Middle East had been a hub for terroristic groups such as Al-Qaeda and Osama
bin Laden – this came to a head on September 11, 2001
o 9/11: Hijacked planes ran into high populated areas throughout the US – Twin Towers in
NYC, Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania (intended for White House)
o War in Afghanistan: US troops invade Afghanistan where it is believed that Osama bin
Laden is hiding out with the support of the Taliban (Islamic fundamentalist running the
government in Afghanistan)
o Operation Iraqi Freedom: US troops invade Iraq for fear that Saddam Hussain has WMD’s