Unit: 1. COMING OF AGE 

Americanization

movement in the early twentieth century to encourage immigrants to embrace American culture

assimilate

to integrate people of one culture into another

bimetallic

the use of both gold and silver to support the currency

birds of passage

immigrants who planned to go back to their homeland after a short time

captains of industry

term used to describe industrialists who positively affected the nation

Credit Mobilier

famous construction company scandal that skimmed money from the railroads in the late 1800s

cultural shock

feelings of confusion caused by exposure to an unfamiliar culture

debt peonage

a system in which a person is forced to work until a debt is paid

deflation

a decrease in the money supply that raises the value of each dollar and lowers the price of goods

discrimination

treating a person unfairly because of prejudice

efficiency

methods to increase profits and worker output

entrepreneur

a person who takes part in new business ventures

ghettos

ethnic neighborhoods

graft

using one's political power for personal profit

horizontal consolidation

process of purchasing competing companies to control an industry

inflation

an increase in the money supply that lowers the value of each dollar and increases the price of goods

melting pot

a society in which different cultures and customs have mixed together

money supply

amount of money placed by the government in the national economy

nativism

favoring native-born citizens of a country

patronage

granting of government jobs to political supporters

philanthropists

people who give donations to worthy causes

piecework

system in which workers were paid for the items they produced

pogrom

attacks on Jews in Russia during the 1880s

push-pull factors

reasons people leave their homeland to live in a new area

robber baron

term used to describe industrialists who took advantage of their workers and used unfair business practices

segregation

the practice of separating people based on race

silverites

people who favored a silver standard for the U.S. currency in the late 1800s

Social Darwinism

theory promoting as little interference as possible by society and government in the economy and big business

Socialism

economic and political philosophy advocating public ownership of business and the equal distribution of wealth

soddie

a home built on the plains from blocks of grass or sod

suburb

residential area located near a large city

sweatshops

shops where piecework was done over long hours, for low pay, and under unsafe working conditions

tenements

urban apartment buildings housing multiple families in an apartment

urbanization

the growth of cities

vertical consolidation

process of purchasing businesses to lower production costs so other companies could not compete

Unit: 2. MODERN AMERICA EMERGES 

arbitration

settlement process in which a third party makes a decision

autocratic

a ruler with unlimited power

convoy

a group of ships traveling with destroyers and battleships for protection

direct primaries

voters and not bosses picked party nominations

dollar diplomacy

foreign policy under President William H. Taft to encourage American investment overseas

Imperialism

the economic, political, cultural or military domination of a strong nation over a weaker one

initiative

process allowing citizens to place a proposed law directly on the ballot by means of petition

injunction

a court order that requires a person to do or not to do something

irreconcilables

group of U.S. senators unwilling to accept the terms of the treaty

laissez-faire

the idea that the government should not interfere in the economy

Liberty Bond

war bond sold by the government to finance the war effort

mechanized warfare

warfare involving the use of machines, tanks, and vehicles

Mercantilism

economic system in Europe that favored a balance of exports over imports, national wealth being measured by the amount of gold and silver possessed, and government control of commercial interests

Militarism

the idea that the government should strengthen the military

muckrakers

journalists who exposed corruption in business and politics during the Progressive Era

municipal

having to do with a town, city, or local government

Nationalism

feeling of devotion to one's nation

Progressive Era

period of reform in American history from about 1890 to 1920

Prohibition

banning of alcoholic beverages in the early twentieth century

recall

allows voters to remove officials from office before their terms expire

referendum

allows voters to approve or reject a law

reparations

payment for damages during war

Roosevelt Corollary

foreign policy under President Theodore Roosevelt to protect against European influence while intervening to restore order in Latin America

scientific management

use of scientific principles in the workplace to increase efficiency

self-determination

the idea that nations have the right to create their own state and choose their form of government

Socialism

economic and political philosophy advocating public ownership of business and the equal distribution of wealth

spheres of influence

areas in which a country exercises political and economic influence

suffrage

the right to vote

yellow journalism

reporting that uses exaggerated stories to attract readers

Unit: 3. BOOM TO BUST 

anarchist

a person who rejects government of any kind

Bolsheviks

political faction that became known as the Communist Party

bootlegger

someone who supplied alcohol during Prohibition

buying on margin

borrowing money to purchase stock

consumer

a person who decides to buy things

default

to fail to make payments

deficit spending

the government spends more money than it receives in revenues

disarmament

program supporting limits on a nation's weapons and armed forces

Dow Jones Industrial Average

an average of stock prices of large companies

Fascism

form of dictatorial government that centralizes control of private enterprise, represses all opposition, and practices extreme nationalism

flapper

rebellious, carefree young woman of the 1920s

foreclosure

a process in which a mortgage holder takes over a property because the occupant has failed to make mortgage payments

installment plan

making weekly or monthly payments until a debt is paid

mass media

methods of communication, including broadcast, film, and print media, that reach a large audience

nativism

favoring native-born citizens of a country

Okies

term used to describe migrants leaving the Dust Bowl region during the 1930s

productivity

the measure of the number of goods produced over a given time

purge

the removal of political enemies

quota

the number of immigrants who could enter the United States

recession

a period of slow economic activity

soviet

workers' councils that challenged the provisional government for power

speakeasies

illegal bars that operated during Prohibition

speculation

making risky investments in hopes of making a huge profit

subversive

a person who intends to overthrow the government

totalitarian

a centralized government of a single party with control over the political, economic, social, and cultural life of a country

Unit: 4. WORLD WAR II AND THE COLD WAR 

advent

the introduction or beginning of something new

animosity

to feel anger or hostility toward a person or thing

appeasement

the act of making concessions or pacifying a bullying nation

armistice

a temporary halt to armed conflict

attrition

the gradual wearing away of morale and the power to resist by persistent attacks

autonomy

having independence from others

blacklist

to censure or discriminate against a person

capitulate

to surrender without a fight

coalition

a union or alliance between a number of people or nations

coercion

to force or intimidate someone into doing something

consternation

to feel fear or anxiety over a difficult situation

daunting

a difficult or intimidating situation or challenge

decisive

an action or event that settles a matter

deference

the act of putting the needs of others first

demobilize

to greatly reduce or disband military personnel

demoralize

to lower the spirit or morale of people

diametrical

completely opposite or different

discord

strife or contention between people or groups

divisive

a person or situation that causes hostility within a group

embargo

the act of refusing to trade goods with another nation

enthrall

to fascinate or hold a spell over someone

expedient

necessary to achieve a means to an end regardless of its ethical value

facet

a part of something such as a person's personality or certain objects

fanatic

having extreme beliefs about something to the point of being irrational

Fascism

a dictatorship where one person controls all aspects of a nation

fiasco

a total and complete disaster or failure

fledgling

a person or nation with little to no experience

fundamental

the most important, e.g. a set of beliefs

genocide

the attempted extermination of a culture, race, or religion

ghetto

a poor section of a city where Jews or minorities lived

harbinger

an omen of an impending event or storm

ideology

a closely organized system of beliefs, values, and ideas

incentive

something that is used to encourage or stimulate good behavior

indiscriminate

doing something without thinking carefully or caring about the results

influx

a sudden increase in people or things

infrastructure

the basic level of a complex system or organization

internment

the act of detaining or confining people during a time of war

juggernaut

an irresistible force or power

mothball

to store away items for future use

oversight

to provide supervision for a nation or group of people

precedent

in law, the first decision of its kind

precursor

a person or idea that comes before all others

prestige

to possess honor or high respect from other people or countries

propaganda

the use of various kinds of media to mislead the public

provisional

something temporary like a government

psyche

the awareness or consciousness of the mind

punitive

harsh or strict punishment

quarantine

to isolate a person or nation from the rest of the world

revel

the act of celebrating or taking pleasure in something

sovereignty

freedom from outside interference and the right to self–government

tenacity

the state of being stubborn or tough

Unit: 5. CHANGE, CONTINUITY, AND CONFLICT 

amnesty

a general pardon given to immigrants who have broken immigration laws

apportionment

the distribution of the seats in a state legislature

downsize

practice of employers reducing their workforce in order to reduce expenses

feminism

the idea that women should have equality with men

integrated

open to all people

Internet

a computer network that links millions of people around the world

nonviolent protest

peaceful protest in which protesters do not fight back even when attacked by opponents

outsourcing

business practice of exporting jobs to countries where the cost of labor and production is much lower

price control

government control over prices of goods and services

sit-in

a nonviolent protest against segregation in which protesters occupied a segregated place and refused to leave

supply-side economics

theory that tax cuts will increase economic growth

terrorism

violence or the threat of violence carried out for political purposes

Watergate

the various scandals that forced President Richard Nixon to resign in August 1974