STAAR CARDS - 2018

#1 American Foundations

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in

1776. This document listed grievances against the King as reasons

for independence. The founding fathers gathered and wrote the

weak and inadequate Articles of Confederation. To replace the

weak Articles, men from the different states met in convention in

1787 in Philadelphia to write the Constitution. The Constitution

established a government where the states and the federal

government share the power. The federal government has three

separate branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Many

people were worried that they were not given enough rights so a

Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments, was added to the

Constitution. This Bill of Rights protects individual freedoms,

specifies the rights of the accused and establishes the relationship

between the federal and state governments. The Constitution can

be amended so that it remains a “flexible” document.

Identifications

* Popular Sovereignty * due process * 1st Amendment * 13th Amendment * 14th Amendment * 15th Amendment

STAAR CARDS - 2018

#2 Expansion West

In the years from around 1860-1900 many Americans looked

West for new opportunities. The abundant cheap land and the

possibility of discovering gold and silver attracted those willing to

brave the frontier. The government encouraged people to make

this move by offering discounts on land. They wanted people to

develop this land and make it profitable. Also, the government

wanted people to both build, and then ride railroads that would

connect the East with the West. The railroads now allowed beef to

be transported throughout the country causing the ranching

business to boom and the birth of the American cowboy. With his

birth came the death of the life most Native Americans had

known. Expansion was fast and furious causing the frontier to

virtually close by 1900.

Identifications

* Dawes Act (1887) * Homestead Act of 1862 * Reservations * Populism * Transcontinental Railroad * William Jennings Bryan

STAAR CARDS - 2018

#3 Gilded Age/Urbanization/Industrialization

(1870-1900)

Technology and innovation brought the Industrial Age to life –

telegraph, telephone, electric light bulb, Bessemer Process. Men like Andrew

Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller financed the industrial boom, especially in

oil and steel. The Industrial Age led to a great imbalance in the distribution

of wealth – a few wealthy and very many who were poor. Fueled by this

imbalance and corruption and scandal, the Gilded Age brought an enormous

change in American society. During this period, both women and unskilled

workers looked for more respect, while skilled workers contributed to a large

growth in the labor union population. The unions led strikes and labor

disputes, which brought government weakness and political corruption into

the light. However, cheap labor was needed in mass amounts due to the new

technology that was contributing to both the fast growth of major cities as

well as urban political machines. Blacks, escaping the Jim Crow laws of the

south migrated north to fill these jobs, along with immigrants and children.

The cities became overcrowded. The development of public transportation

allowed those who could afford it to move to the suburbs.

Identifications

* Political machines * Gospel of Wealth * Philanthropists * Sherman Anti-trust Act * Social Darwinism * Ida Tarbell * Samuel Gompers * monopoly * Jane Addams

STAAR CARDS - 2018

#4

Immigration (1880-1910)

Unlike early (Old) immigrants, those of the late 1800’s (New)

came from Eastern European countries such as: Greece, Poland,

Russia, Turkey, and China. Most of the immigrants were looking

for religious/economic freedom and to make a permanent

settlement in a new land, although some just came as migrant

workers eager to help their families. Unlike the old immigrants,

the new immigrants held on tight to their native language and

customs. In contrast to previous travelers, a majority of the

immigrants were illiterate and non-Protestant in their beliefs.

New immigrants went through rigorous inspection and tests to

allow them into the U.S. at Ellis Island in New York. The number

of immigrants let into America caused hostility among Americas

who feared job competition as well as the new cultures they

attempted to integrate into contemporary society.

Identifications

* Nativism * Angel Island *assimilation * Jacob Riis * tenements *Social gospel Movement

STAAR CARDS - 2018

#5

Imperialism (1890-1914)

Using an imperialistic policy in government affairs, the U.S.

became a world power at the turn of the 20th century; the

purchase of Alaska, Monroe Doctrine in Latin America, along with

both economic and religious motivations in the Pacific. After the

explosion of the battleship Maine and the Spanish-American War

(1898), congress voted to annex Hawaii, the U.S. found itself a

protectorate of Cuba, in possession of Puerto Rico, and in a fight

regarding Philippine independence. While the U.S. would not

challenge Japan in Asian expansion, it did favor an Open Door

policy in China. The need for quicker routes to all of the expanded

markets led to the building of the Panama Canal (1904-1914)

connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The U.S. also acquired

the Pacific islands of Guam, Samoa, and Midway to be used as

refueling stations.

Identifications * Imperialism * Monroe Doctrine * Henry Cabot Lodge * Open Door Policy * Dollar Diplomacy * Alfred Thayer Mahan * Yellow Journalism * Roosevelt Corollary

USS Maine

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#6 Progressive Era

(1900-1917)

Seeking social, political, and economic change, the

Progressive Era ushered America into a new century. The labor

abuses and poor distribution of wealth from the Industrial and

Gilded Ages led many to demand reforms. Reform started on the

local level, changing food production and distribution along with

working conditions for the common citizen. On the state level,

voters were given new ways to participate in the political process.

There was also a demand for increased funding to public

education. Teddy Roosevelt began to implement presidential

reforms by challenging big business, supporting improvements in

working conditions, and funding conservation efforts.

Identifications

* Muckraker * Election of 1912 * 16th Amendment * William Howard Taft * 17th Amendment * Woodrow Wilson * The Jungle * John Muir

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#7

World War I (1914-1918)

As two opposing alliances struggled for power in Europe,

America remained isolated across the Atlantic Ocean. While the

shooting of an Austrian prince, Archduke Ferdinand, by a Serbian

nationalist in 1914, led to the start of war in Europe, it was not

until 1917 that the U.S. entered the conflict. Pushed to the limit

by German U-boats practice of unrestricted submarine warfare

and the Zimmerman Note to Mexico, the U.S. joined the Allies in

France. The stalemate caused by the use of trench warfare on the

Western Front that had existed was turned around quickly. The

Allies claimed victory over the Central Powers, and Europe

struggled to regain peace. At home in the U.S. women gained

jobs and political power, while African Americans found the

promise of jobs enough to migrate North and West. Along with

the Versailles Treaty, Wilson outlined his Fourteen Points. The

Senate rejected any binding commitments to peace and also U.S

involvement in the League of Nations.

Identifications

* Nationalism * League of Nations * propaganda * Great Migration * Wilson’s 14 Points * isolationism * Reparations * Treaty of Versailles * Alvin York

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#8 1920’s

(1920-1929) In 1920, Republicans returned to the White House and Presidents

Harding, Coolidge and Hoover supported laissez-faire policies with minimal

government interference in business activities. Through the manufacture of

the automobile and advertising, the “Roaring Twenties” became a time of

great prosperity in America. The radio created a unique American culture

and broadcast all the new consumer goods for sale. Flappers challenged the

current stereotypes and roles of women. Suburbs grew as Henry Ford

introduced an affordable, mass-produced automobile. African Americans

searched for new opportunities led by the independent stand of Marcus

Garvey. The KKK saw their highest membership, while the sale/manufacture

of alcohol was stopped during Prohibition. Prohibition led to the rise of

organized crime and speakeasies making men like Al Capone very rich.

Women gained the right to vote, while farmers continued to struggle

economically. The strikes of four million workers in 1919 left the labor

movement shaken, and teaching the theory of evolution in the Scopes Trial

brought the rights of individual states into question. Anti-immigrant

attitudes were high as the fear of communism spread.

Identifications

* Red scare * 19th Amendment * American Civil Liberties Union * Harlem Renaissance * 18th Amendment * Clarence Darrow * Henry Ford *Assembly Line

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#9

Great Depression (1929-1941)

The prosperity of the 1920s had led to an amazing

confidence in the economy by average Americans. However when

the stock market crashed on October 29, 1929 (Black Tuesday),

the weakening economy, debt, and the banking crisis were all

causes of a depression that affected all segments of the

population. The Depression worsened after 1929 and Americans

struggled to survive. Farm land experienced a massive drought

and dust storms resulting in the Dust Bowl. Families made due

with less, while minority groups and women faced a variety of

discrimination in both the workplace and society. Americans,

especially WW I veterans, became hostile with both big business

and President Herbert Hoover. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected

in the election of 1932 as the leader to solve the great American

crisis of the time with his promise of a New Deal for America. The

Depression will last until the outbreak of WW II.

Identifications

* Hoovervilles * John Steinbeck *Father Coughlin * Dorthea Lange * Bonus Army *speculation

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#10

New Deal

Franklin D. Roosevelt set out in his first 100 days of office to

reassure the troubled and depressed nation. His relief program to

end the Great Depression was entitled “The New Deal”. The New

Deal included two parts. The first New Deal programs attempted

to reform and revive American industry, regulate banks and the

financial markets, and find jobs for the unemployed. In the

Second New Deal, new programs of work relief were created, as

well as the Social Security Act. The New Deal slowed down after

1937. The programs had a limited effect on rural poverty,

minorities and women, but had a lasting effect on American

Institutions. Ultimately, the New Deal created the modern

welfare state by expanding the role of government and saying for

the first time in our history that it is the government's

responsibility to take care of its citizens.

Identifications

* Securities and Exchange Commission * FDIC * Social Security Act of 1935 * Huey Long * Court Packing Plan *21st Amendment

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#11

World War II (1939-1945)

In the 1930’s, in the aftermath of WW I, economic

depressions caused many in Europe to support dictators. As Hitler

became more aggressive the United States moved from Isolation

to concern and began to support the Allies with weapons and

supplies. The United States declared war on the Axis powers after

Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The Allied powers

battle plan focused on Europe first and the Pacific second. The

Allied invasion of Germany forced the Nazis to surrender. The

geography of the Pacific led to an island hopping strategy in the

Pacific. The Japanese were forced to surrender after the bombing

of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. WWII stimulated the American

economy and Americans perceived new global responsibilities.

Identifications

* D-Day * Neutrality Acts * Battle Midway * Holocaust * Appeasement * Vernon Baker * Omar Bradley * Tuskegee Airmen * Executive Order 9066

STAAR CARDS - 2018

#12

Cold War (1945-1991)

At the end of WWII, the biggest challenge facing Truman

and the United States was the growing hostility toward the Soviet

Union that developed into the Cold War. The United States

adopted the policy of “containment” in their battle against the

spread of communism and Soviet influence. The US believed in

self-determination and the Soviets wanted a buffer to protect

them against further invasion. The United Nations proved to be

ineffective in the early stages of the Cold War. This forced the

western democracies to form NATO in order to deal with Russia.

America became involved in both the Korean War and Vietnam

War in order to stop the spread of communism in Asia. This period

included the largest peacetime military buildup our country had

ever seen. The Cold War lasted from 1945 to 1991.

Identifications

* Marshall Plan * NATO * Truman Doctrine * 38th Parallel * McCarthyism * Berlin Airlift * arms race * deterrence * Iron Curtain

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#13

1950’s Post War Prosperity

Consumers and the Cold War sparked a post-WW II

economic growth. The fear that a second great Depression would

occur after WWII did not happen. The G.I. Bill helped many

returning veterans obtain a college education, expanding the

sector of white-collar workers, and low interest mortgages.

Expanding educational opportunities and better jobs helped the

nation enjoy a high standard of living. The TV impacted the

American family providing the most popular source of

entertainment. The growth of suburbs created new values,

customs and an overall way of life for Americans. In order to

reach their suburban homes most Americans owned cars. Certain

groups were unhappy with the conformity of the 1950s and

yearned for individualism.

Identifications

* Sputnik * NASA * baby boom * Beatniks * GI Bill * House Un-American Activities Committee

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#14

Civil Rights

When African Americans returned from fighting in WWII

they realized that the whole world was not segregated. This

knowledge along with an expanding educated African American

middle class resulted in a demand for rights denied since the

abolition of slavery. In the case of Brown v. Board of Education of

Topeka, which overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court

desegregated schools. Many activists chose passive resistance,

while others preferred more confrontational approaches. The

influence of the struggle for civil rights still continues today, and

has benefited minorities other than African Americans.

Identifications

* Martin Luther King * Malcolm X * Affirmative Action * Civil Rights Act of 1964 * Cesar Chavez * 24th Amendment * Selma March * Voting Rights Act of 1965 * Title IX

STAAR CARDS - 2018

#15

1960’s

Kennedy narrowly defeated Nixon in the election of

1960. Kennedy’s charisma captured America’s hearts. His

domestic New Frontier programs met little success. To meet

Communist threats in the Third World, the Kennedy

administration developed options through the flexible

response approach to foreign policy. The most critical

challenges involved the Soviet Union in 1961 with the Berlin

Wall and in 1962 with the Cuban Missile Crisis. When

Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson

assumed the role of President. LBJ’s domestic policy, the

Great Society, was an extension of the New Frontier. The

Great Society plan included the passing of Medicare,

Medicaid and the creation of the Department of Housing and

Development as well as a War on Poverty. LBJ was also very

concerned with the Third World nations, which ultimately led

to the US becoming increasingly involved in Vietnam.

Identifications

* Bay of Pigs * Counterculture/Hippies * Peace Corps *Woodstock * Earl Warren

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#16

Vietnam

American involvement in Vietnam grew out of the Cold

War and fears that Southeast Asia would become dominated

by Communist governments. United States’ foreign policy

subscribed to the domino theory that if one nation fell to

communism, its neighbors would follow. The legacy of the

Vietnam War began when President Eisenhower sent about

675 military advisers to aid South Vietnam in their struggle

against North Vietnam. President Kennedy pledged support

and sent more advisors. Feeling threatened by Communist

advances, President Johnson persuaded Congress to pass the

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which expanded US involvement in

Vietnam. Anti-war protests grew in response to growing

causalities and intensified bombings. The Vietnam War

dragged on until 1973 when the US agreed to withdraw its

troops. In 1975 the last US officials rushed to leave as North

Vietnam completed its conquest of South Vietnam. US

involvement in Vietnam and events like the Watergate

scandal created a distrust of the federal government.

Identifications

* Tet Offensive * Gulf of Tonkin Resolution * War Powers Act * 26th Amendment * Vietnamization * Silent majority * Credibility gap * Tinker v Des Moines

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#17

The 70’s

The Vietnam War continued to divide the country, even after

there was an end to U.S. military participation in the war. Women

expanded their involvement in politics, as well as African-Americans.

The rising divorce rate left more women to be sole breadwinners for

their family. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion. Affirmative action

became a controversial policy as minorities and women asserted their

rights to jobs and quality education. Key achievements of the Nixon

administration was the creation of the Environmental Protection

agency, reopening relations with China and following détente with the

USSR.

In 1972, Republican agents burglarized Democratic headquarters

at Watergate. SALT I is signed by the US and Soviets.

Vice President Agnew resigned amid charges of corruption, and is

replaced by Ford. Ford then becomes president after Richard Nixon,

facing impeachment charges due to the Watergate scandal, becomes

the only president to ever resign. Ford’s accomplishments as president

were overshadowed by his pardon of Nixon. He lost the election to

Jimmy Carter, a peanut farmer from Georgia who was an outsider to

Washington. Due to high inflation, the energy crisis, and an ongoing

hostage situation at the US Embassy in Iran, Carter lost the presidency

to Ronald Reagan, an optimistic conservative. Carter’s best-known

achievement was the treaty known as the Camp David Accords that

negotiated peace between Egypt and Israel.

Identifications

* Salt I * OPEC * Watergate Scandal * Iran hostage scandal

* Richard Nixon * Camp David Accords * Three mile Island * Détente

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#18

1980’s

The 1980’s saw the rise of a new right, a coalition of social and political

conservatives who vowed to return America to fiscal responsibility and what

they viewed as traditional values.

The Revolution in Computers and consumer electronics shifted the

American Economy away from manufacturing jobs to high tech industries in

the 1980’s. The Era was characterized by lots of wealth and consumer

spending. Women also began to reach the top of the corporate ladder and

the decade even saw the first woman in space.

Politically the decade was characterized by Reaganomics which

was Ronald Reagans theory of trickle-down economics simply put meant if

you take care of the wealthy the wealth will trickle down to the others. He

also had his share of foreign policy issues with the Iran Contra Scandal and

marines in Lebanon. Reagan also gave his speech tear down this wall speech

in 1987 demanding the removal of the Berlin Wall.

Identifications

* Iran Contra Scandal *Phyllis Schlafly *Sandra Day O’Connor * Heritage Foundation *Moral Majority *Ronald Reagan * Barry Goldwater *Peace through Strength *National Rifle Association

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#19 1988-2000

George H.W. Bush won the election 1988 and during his presidency he

battled the economy and passed the Americans with Disabilities Act. In

foreign affairs he saw the fall of the berlin wall and the end of the Cold war.

The US involvement in the Gulf War greatly enhanced American prestige in

the Middle East and led to peace talks between Israel and its Arab neighbors

in late 1991

Bill Clinton won the election of 1992 and once in office he attempted to

enact a comprehensive health care reform but failed to do so. Reduced

defense spending coupled with the computer industry made the 1990s a

time of general prosperity. Impeachment charges were brought against

President Clinton for lying about an affair he had with a White House intern.

Attempts to convict him of these charges failed in the Senate. Clinton helped

negotiate a peace in Bosnia and afterwards superheaded the use of NATO

air strikes against Serbia to stop attacks in Kosovo. He was also able to

successfully push NAFTA through Congress.

Identifications

* Contract with America * H. Ross Perot * Oklahoma City Bombing * World Trade Organization

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#20 21st Century

Under Presidents George W. Bush and Barrack Obama, America faced

challenges to its security and economy.

Bush won the Election of 2000 (even though Al Gore won the popular

vote) when the Supreme Court stopped a recount of votes in Florida. On

9/11/01 terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. In

response, Bush declared a Global War on Terror, created the Department of

Homeland Security, and sponsored the USA Patriot Act. The War in Iraq

started when U.S.-led coalition forces invaded Iraq. Saddam Hussein was

removed from power. The Financial Crisis of 2008 occurred when the

housing market crashed and set off a sharp economic decline.

Obama won the election in 2008 and became the first African American

elected President. He pushed health care reforms, banking and credit

reforms through Congress. He also appointed Sonia Sotomayor (the first

Hispanic Justice) to the Supreme Court.

The 21st Century is considered a global age, with many changes in

technology such as the computer revolution. Many demographic changes

have also taken place, such as an increase in immigration and the growth of

the Sun Belt. The U.S. has had a role in the global economy, with many

companies doing business all over the world. American culture has also

spread globally through music, movies, TV, and the internet.

Identifications

* Osama bin Laden * Al-Qaeda * Guantanamo Bay * John McCain * Hurricane Katrina * Weapons of Mass Destruction *American Recovery & Reinvestment Act