W

Wagner Act

Same as the National Labor Relations Act (1935) and set up the National Labor Relations Board and reasserted the right of labor to engage in self-organization and to bargain collectively.

Walker Tariff

tariff reducing tariff devised by Robert J. Walker during James Polk's presidency; reduce Tariff of 1842 by 7%;1846

Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman was a poet who lived in Brooklyn from 1819-1892. His most famous collection of poems entitled Leaves of Grass, gained him the title "Poet Laureate of Democracy."

Walter Mondale

He was the vice president of Carter and when he won the democratic nomination he was defeated by a landslide by Reagan. He was the first presidential candidate to have a woman vice president, Geraldine Ferraro.

War Industries Board

President Wilson appointed Bernard Baruch to head the board in March of 1918 during WWI--intended to restore economic order- to make sure we were producing enough at home and abroad--never had more than feeble formal powers--was disbanded a few days after the armistice.

War on Poverty

The name President Lyndon Johnson gave to his crusade to improve the lifestyle of America's poor, especially those in Appalachia. It included economic and welfare measures aimed at helping the large percentage of Americans who lived in poverty.

War Powers Act

Passed during the Vietnam War, Congress passed this act to restrict Presidential powers dealing with war. It was passed over Nixon's veto, and required the President to report to Congress within 48 hours after committing troops to a foreign conflict or enlarging units in a foreign country.

War Production Board (WWII)

This board halted the manufacture of nonessential items such as passenger cars. It assigned priorities for transportation and access to raw materials. It imposed a national speed limit and gasoline rationing because, due to the Dutch East Indies ending their exports of natural rubber to the U.S., they wanted to conserve rubber. They also built fifty-one synthetic rubber plants.

Warren Burger

Burger was the Supreme Court justice during the Nixon administration. He was chosen by Nixon because of his strict interpretation of the Constitution. He presided over the extremely controversial case of abortion in Roe vs. Wade.

Warren G. Harding

He was easygoing and kind, and therefore one of the best liked men of his time. As a president, however, he had a weak. He won the 1920 election but he was unable to detect moral wrongs in his associates. He appointed "great minds" to office because he knew he lacked in intelligence, but a few of the men he appointed were morally lacking. He was called an "amiable boob,". He died in 1923 from a stroke.

Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding - one of the best liked men of the generation, he was spineless and a bad judge of character. He is compared to Grant because his term in office was scandalous. Many corporations could expand, antitrust laws were ignored, and he achieved disarmament with the Open Door in China. The tariff increased also. He died on August 2, 1923 of pneumonia and thrombosis while making speeches.

Washington conference

The Washington Conference 1921-1922 was a meeting between most major world powers. This conference was for the disarmament of these countries. This meeting also prevented the U. S. and Britain from fortifying their Far East possessions and established the Four Power treaty. The major powers promised to preserve the status-quo in the Pacific. Reduced the number of large battleships for the major powers.

Washington Irving 1783-1859

first American to win international recognition as an author, example of the post war nationalism from the revolution and war of 1812

Washington Irving 1783-1859

first American to win international recognition as an author, example of the post war nationalism from the revolution and war of 1812

Washington Irving

Irving published Knickerbockers History of New York in 1809 which had interesting caricatures of the Dutch. Washington Irving's The Sketch Book, published in 1819-1820, was an immediate success. This book made Irving world renown. The Sketch Book was influenced by both American and English themes, and therefore popular in the Old and New World.

Webster-Ashburton Treaty

a compromise over the Maine boundary; America received more land but England got the Halifax-Quebec route; it patched up the Caroline Affair of 1837

Wendle Willkie

Republican presidential candidate versus Roosevelt in the election of 1940. He lost, but put up a good "race."

Whig Party

The Whig party was a party that formed for those who opposed Jackson's views. It was created in the 1830s and the 1840s. When Jackson was elected, Clay and Calhoun formed a party for those who opposed Democratic views. The first Whig to become president was Harrison in the 1840 election. Whigs thought that Jackson's views were selfish.

Whigs/Patriots

Name given to party of patriots of the new land resisting England prior to the Declaration of Independence.

Whiskey Rebellion

A small rebellion, that began in Southwestern Pennsylvania in 1794 that was a challenge to the National Governments unjust use of an excise tax on an "economic medium of exchange". Washington crushed the rebellion with excessive force, proving the strength of the national governments power in its military, but was condemned for using a "sledge hammer to crush a gnat."

William Berkeley

He was a British colonial governor of Virginia from 1642-52. He showed that he had favorites in his second term which led to the Bacon's rebellion in 1676 ,which he ruthlessly suppressed. He had poor frontier defense.

William Bradford

A pilgrim that lived in a north colony called Plymouth Rock in 1620. He was chosen governor 30 times. He also conducted experiments of living in the wilderness and wrote about them; well known for "Of Plymouth Plantation."

William Clark

Explorer along with Merriwether Lewis sent out to explore the recently purchased Louisiana Territory. He served as the artist and cartographer. Their exploring lasted from 1804-1806. They traveled up the Missouri River, through the Rockies, and to the mouth of the Columbia River. This exploration bolstered America's claim to western lands as well as opening the west to Indian trade and further exploration. p. 188

William Crawford

Originally from Georgia, Crawford ran in the 1824 election representing the south. He was forced to drop out of the race due to a stroke.

William Cullen Bryant

Bryant was born in Cummington, Mass. on Nov. 3, 1794. He was a journalist, literary critic, public speaker, and the first significant poet in 19th century American Literature. He supported Andrew Jackson and the Democrats, defended the right of workers to strike, spoke out against slavery, proposed a central park for the city, helped to organize the Republican party, and fought the Tweed ring.

William Faulkner

He was a writer. In 1926 he wrote a bitter war novel called "Soldier's Pay". He also wrote many other powerful books about the lives of Southerners during the Civil War.

William Gilmore Simms

Novelist, "the Cooper of the South" mostly wrote about southern frontier and revolutionary war

William H. Harrison

General-Indian fighter-president--hero of Battle of Tippecanoe and Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812--major asset to America by keeping Indians at bay, redcoats from massacre's, and gaining/clearing land in West

William H. Prescott

He was an historian who lived from 1796-1859. He published classic accounts of the conquest of Mexico and Peru. Prescott lost sight in one eye during college

William Henry Harrison

1) He was pushed into presidential race. He was a war hero and was not nominated for his ability. 2)1840 Presidential elections. 3) 1st Whig President & 1st President to die in office.

William Howard Taft

In the 1908 election Taft was chosen over William Jennings Bryan to succeed Roosevelt. As president he approached foreign policy by using America's wealth to negotiate politically. He also brought suits against 90 trusts during his administration. Due to his lack of political skills, he helped divide the Republican Party.

William Howe

English General who commanded the English forces at Bunker Hill. Howe did not relish the rigors of winter campaigning, and he found more agreeable the bedtime company of his mistress. At a time when it seemed obvious that he should join the forces in New York, he joined the main British army for an attack on Philadelphia.

William Jennings Bryan

Joined the prosecution in the " Monkey Trials" (Scopes Trial) against the teachings of evolution in schools, he was supposed to be an expert on the Bible, but was made to look silly in the case and died soon afterward

William Marbury (1801)

President Adams named him a justice of the peace for the District of Columbia. Marbury sued James Madison when he learned his appointment would never take place. (Marbury vs. Madison)

William Penn

English Quaker;" Holy Experiment"; persecuted because he was a Quaker; 1681 he got a grant to go over to the New World; area was Pennsylvania; "first American advertising man"; freedom of worship there

William Pitt

William Pitt was a British leader from 1757-1758. He was a leader in the London government, and earned himself the name, "Organizer of Victory". He led and won a war against Quebec. Pittsburgh was named after him.

William Travis

William Travis was a colonel during the Texas Revolution. He fought on the side of the Texans against the Mexicans in 1836 at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Colonel Travis and two hundred Texans were trapped at the Alamo by Santa Anna and his six thousand men. During this siege, all but one of the Texans was killed.

Wilmot Proviso

Dispute over whether any Mexican territory that America won during the Mexican War should be free or a slave territory. A representative named David Wilmot introduced an amendment stating that any territory acquired from Mexico would be free. This amendment passed the House twice, but failed to ever pass in Senate. The "Wilmot Proviso", as it became known as, became a symbol of how intense dispute over slavery was in the U.S.

Wilmot, David

A representative from Pennsylvania who introduced an amendment that would make slavery illegal in territory to be gained from Mexico. He proposed the amendment in 1846. This amendment was at the center of the slavery debate and inflamed both sides.

Winfield Scott

He was the old general figure that the Whigs used to symbolize them. Scott, however, did not win the election of 1852. His personality did not fit with the masses which cost him the election. Pierce won the election of 1852. (P.381)

Winfield Scott

Old Fuss and Feathers, led American troops in Mexico City during the Mexican American War Mexicans surrendered to him

Winston Churchill

He was the prime minister of England during World War II. He was known as the bull-dog jawed orator who gave his people the nerve to fight off the air bombings occurring in their cities. He was in favor of the Eight-point Atlantic Charter and he was involved in the first conference. He was also one of the Big Three.

Women's Rights Convention

Meeting in Seneca Falls, New York of feminists; 1848; First meeting for women's rights, helped in long struggle for women to be equal to men

Woodrow Wilson

The Democratic representative in the presidential elections of 1912 and 1916. He was elected into the presidency as a minority president. He was born in Virginia and was raised in a very religious family. He was widely known for his political sermons. He was an aggressive leader and believed that Congress could not function properly without good leadership provided by the president. His progressive program was known as New Freedom and his foreign policy program was Moral Diplomacy. He was president during World War I.

Works Progress Administration Congress created this in 1935 as an agency that gave jobs to people who needed them. They worked on bridges, roads, and buildings. They spent 11 billion dollars and gave almost 9 million people jobs. It was one of the New Deal Agencies.