US Culture Flashcards
The Great Society
pet project of Lyndon B. Johnson who modeled it after FDR’s New Deal and a plan known as The New Frontier proposed by John F. Kennedy. Included extensive legislation aimed at ending racial injustice and poverty in America. In addition to the civil rights legislation included, this plan was significant in greatly increasing the role of the federal government in education through spending and landmark programs such as Head Start.
Affirmative action
policy of providing special opportunities for, and favoring members of, a disadvantaged group who suffer from discrimination
NOW
National Organization of Women, was founded in 1966 seeking equality for women in all sectors of society including the workplace, education, the justice system, and in reproductive rights.
Jesse Owens
African American runner won four gold medals in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany; was a major accomplishment for any athlete, made all the more significant given the political and racially charged atmosphere of Berlin and Hitler’s growing influence
Whitewater scandal
Justice Department investigation and ensuing political scandal centered on the allegation of that President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton had been involved in illegal actions contributing to a failed land deal in the 1980’s. The investigation was conducted during Clinton ‘s presidency and concluded in 2000, noting that insufficient evidence existed to present the case to a jury. The investigation is estimated to have cost the American taxpayers about $80 million.
Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North was the key figure in what event in the 1980’s?
The illegal sale of arms to Iran to aid Nicaraguan contras. During the Reagan administration, members of the NSC and Defense Department engaged in arms sales to Iran against U.S. embargoes. Funds were used to assist guerilla fighters battling the Communist government in Nicaragua . These actions violated Congressional mandate and prompted a large scale investigation that resulted in the indictment and conviction of North and the other key player, National Security Advisor John Poindexter. The charges were later overturned on appeal.
The Secret Service
founded in 1865, was started with the initial goal of reducing counterfeiting of U.S. currency. At that time, some estimates place the percentage of circulating currency that was counterfeit at as high as 40%. The Secret Service’s duties were later expanded to include Presidential and foreign dignitary protection.
main themes of Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel, The Jungle
The need for government regulation to protect consumers from corporate greed. Sinclair’s novel was a vivid and horrific portrayal of immigrant struggles set amid the early 1900’s meat packing industry. The novel’s graphic descriptions of the industry are credited by some with prompting Congressional legislation creating the Food and Drug Administration.
Progressive Era
1890-1920. usually marked from the late 1800’s until the beginning of World War I. It was characterized by numerous reform movements including improving efficiency and honesty in government, equality (although with contradictions), social justice, and social welfare. Significant events included the passage of Prohibition and the Nineteenth Amendment guaranteeing women’s suffrage.
Civil War
(1860-1865) - After Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, 11 Southern states withdrew from the Union and set up an independent government–the Confederate States of America; these events led to the outbreak of the Civil War.
Reconstruction Era
(1865-1877) - After the North defeated the South in the Civil War, politicians faced the task of putting the divided country back together.
Black Tuesday
October 29, 1929, was “Black Tuesday” is the day that the stock market crashed, officially setting off the Great Depression.
Great War & Jazz Age
(1914-1928) - Foreign affairs (relationships with other countries) took up a great deal of President Woodrow Wilson’s attention; see what else was going on at this time.
Revolutionary Period
(1764-1789) -American Revolution, the war for independence from Great Britain got started.
Head Start
program (part of LBJ’s Great Society) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families
War on Poverty
unofficial name for legislation first introduced by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964. This legislation was proposed by Johnson in response to a national poverty rate of around nineteen percent.
Four Freedoms
goals articulated by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 6, 1941. In an address known as the Four Freedoms speech (technically the 1941 State of the Union address), he proposed four fundamental freedoms that people "everywhere in the world" ought to enjoy: Freedom of speech Freedom of worship Freedom from want Freedom from fear
Monroe Doctrine
expressed in 1823, proclaimed the United States’ opinion that European powers should no longer colonize or interfere in the Americas. This was a defining moment in the foreign policy of the United States. The Monroe Doctrine was adopted in response to American and British fears over Russian and French expansion into the Western Hemisphere.
Monroe Doctrine
expressed in 1823, proclaimed the United States’ opinion that European powers should no longer colonize or interfere in the Americas. This was a defining moment in the foreign policy of the United States. The Monroe Doctrine was adopted in response to American and British fears over Russian and French expansion into the Western Hemisphere.
Era of Good Feelings
1816–1825 period in the political history of the United States that reflected a sense of national purpose and a desire for unity among Americans in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. The period is so closely associated with James Monroe’s presidency (1817–1825) and his administrative goals that his name and the era are virtually synonymous.
Monroe Doctrine
expressed in 1823, proclaimed the United States’ opinion that European powers should no longer colonize or interfere in the Americas. This was a defining moment in the foreign policy of the United States. The Monroe Doctrine was adopted in response to American and British fears over Russian and French expansion into the Western Hemisphere.
Era of Good Feelings
1816–1825 period in the political history of the United States that reflected a sense of national purpose and a desire for unity among Americans in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. The period is so closely associated with James Monroe’s presidency (1817–1825) and his administrative goals that his name and the era are virtually synonymous
Indian Removal Act
law passed by Congress on May 28, 1830, during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. It authorized the president to negotiate with Indian tribes in the Southern United States for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their homelands
Sherman Antitrust Act
landmark federal statute in the history of United States antitrust law (or “competition law”) passed by Congress in 1890. It prohibits certain business activities that federal government regulators deem to be anticompetitive, and requires the federal government to investigate and pursue trusts. Opposes the combination of entities that could potentially harm competition, such as monopolies or cartels.
What was the significance of Harvard University ‘s June, 1947 commencement speech given by then Secretary of State, George Marshall?
The Marshall Plan as it was commonly known became the blueprint for rebuilding post war Europe while at the same time stabilizing international markets and encouraging the spread of capitalism, free markets, and democracy. It was also a first step in limited the spread and influence of communism.
The Gilded Era
1870-1900, period approximately spanning the final three decades of the nineteenth century from the end of the Reconstruction Era in the 1870s to 1900. The term was coined by writers Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner for what they believed to be an era of serious social problems disguised by a thin gold gilding. The Gilded Age was an era of rapid economic growth, especially in the North and West, but also much social conflict. American wages, especially for skilled workers, were much higher than in Europe, which attracted millions of immigrants. The increase of industrialization meant, despite the increasing labor force, real wages in the US grew 60% from 1860 to 1890, and continued to rise after that. However, the Gilded Age was also an era of poverty as very poor European immigrants poured in.
Sherman Antitrust Act
landmark federal statute in the history of United States antitrust law (or “competition law”) passed by Congress in 1890. It prohibits certain business activities that federal government regulators deem to be anticompetitive, and requires the federal government to investigate and pursue trusts. Opposes the combination of entities that could potentially harm competition, such as monopolies or cartels.
What was the significance of Harvard University ‘s June, 1947 commencement speech given by then Secretary of State, George Marshall?
The Marshall Plan as it was commonly known became the blueprint for rebuilding post war Europe while at the same time stabilizing international markets and encouraging the spread of capitalism, free markets, and democracy. It was also a first step in limited the spread and influence of communism.
