Great Chicago Fire
WHEN: October 8–10, 1871
WHO: Residents of Chicago; city officials; firefighters
WHAT: A massive fire swept through Chicago, destroying over 17,000 buildings. The fire spread quickly because most buildings were made of wood and the city lacked strong fire regulations.
IMPACT: Forced cities to rebuild using steel, brick, and modern fire codes. Helped launch modern urban planning and showed the dangers of rapid industrial urban growth.
Chinese Exclusion Act
WHEN: May 6, 1882
WHO: U.S. Congress; Chinese immigrants; white laborers
WHAT: A federal law that banned Chinese immigration and denied citizenship to Chinese already in the U.S., mainly targeting Chinese laborers in the West.
IMPACT: First law to restrict immigration based on race or nationality. Increased xenophobia and set a precedent for later immigration restrictions.
Old Immigration vs. New Immigration
WHEN: Old: before 1880 | New: after 1880
WHO: Old immigrants from Northern/Western Europe; new immigrants from Southern/Eastern Europe
WHAT: Old immigrants were mostly Protestant and culturally similar to Americans. New immigrants were often Catholic or Jewish, poorer, and settled in cities.
IMPACT: Increased ethnic diversity but caused nativism and tension. Led to immigration restrictions and reshaped American cities and labor.
Plessy v. Ferguson
WHEN: May 18, 1896
WHO: Homer Plessy; U.S. Supreme Court
WHAT: Supreme Court case that ruled racial segregation was constitutional as long as facilities were “separate but equal.”
IMPACT: Legitimized Jim Crow laws across the South and reinforced racial segregation for decades until overturned by Brown v. Board.
Urbanization
WHEN: 1890s–1920s
WHO: Industrial workers; immigrants; city governments
WHAT: Massive movement of people into cities due to factory jobs, immigration, and industrial growth. Cities expanded rapidly.
IMPACT: Created overcrowding, pollution, and poor living conditions. Sparked Progressive reforms focused on housing, sanitation, and labor laws.
Tenement Housing
WHEN: April 12, 1901 (Tenement House Act)
WHO: Urban immigrants; city reformers; landlords
WHAT: Cheap, overcrowded apartment buildings with poor ventilation, little light, and unsafe conditions.
IMPACT: Highlighted urban poverty and health dangers. Led to housing reforms and government regulation of living conditions.
Social Gospel Movement
WHEN: 1870–1920
WHO: Protestant ministers; reformers like Walter Rauschenbusch
WHAT: Religious movement arguing that Christianity should address social problems like poverty, inequality, and labor exploitation.
IMPACT: Influenced Progressive reforms, settlement houses, and support for government action to improve society.
“How the Other Half Lives”
WHEN: January 1890
WHO: Jacob Riis; urban poor
WHAT: A photojournalism book exposing harsh living conditions in tenement housing using photographs and firsthand accounts.
IMPACT: Shocked middle-class Americans and pushed support for housing reform, sanitation laws, and Progressive activism.
Hull House
WHEN: September 18, 1889
WHO: Jane Addams; immigrants; women reformers
WHAT: A settlement house in Chicago that offered education, childcare, job training, and healthcare to poor immigrants.
IMPACT: Became a model for settlement houses nationwide. Expanded women’s roles in reform and advanced Progressive social policies.
Ragtime Music
WHEN: 1895–1920
WHO: African American musicians like Scott Joplin
WHAT: A new musical style with syncopated rhythms, blending African American musical traditions with popular music.
IMPACT: Influenced jazz and American popular culture. Reflected growing Black cultural influence despite segregation.
Yellow Journalism
WHEN: 1890s
WHO: Newspaper publishers William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer
WHAT: Sensationalist journalism using exaggeration, emotional headlines, and dramatic images to sell newspapers.
IMPACT: Shaped public opinion and helped push the U.S. toward the Spanish-American War by inflaming anti-Spanish sentiment.
Wisconsin Idea
WHEN: 1901–1925
WHO: Robert La Follette
WHAT: Progressive reform plan where universities provided research to help state governments create smarter laws on labor, taxes, and regulation.
IMPACT: Strengthened democracy and inspired Progressive reforms nationwide by linking education, expertise, and government action.
Progressive Amendments (16–19)
WHEN: 1913–1920
WHO: Progressive reformers; U.S. voters
WHAT: Constitutional amendments expanding democracy:
16th: Income tax
17th: Direct election of senators
18th: Prohibition
19th: Women’s suffrage
IMPACT: Increased federal power and citizen participation while reshaping American politics and society.
Theodore Roosevelt (President)
WHEN: 1901–1909
WHO: Theodore Roosevelt
WHAT: Progressive president who believed the federal government should regulate big business and protect consumers and workers.
IMPACT: Expanded presidential power and made reform a central responsibility of the federal government.
Bully Pulpit
WHEN: 1901–1909
WHO: Theodore Roosevelt
WHAT: Roosevelt’s use of the presidency as a powerful platform to influence public opinion and pressure Congress.
IMPACT: Changed the presidency into a leadership role that actively shapes national policy and public debate.
Square Deal
WHEN: May 18, 1902
WHO: Theodore Roosevelt; workers; businesses; consumers
WHAT: Roosevelt’s domestic policy focused on three goals: control corporations, protect consumers, and conserve natural resources.
IMPACT: Set the foundation for Progressive reform and expanded government responsibility in economic fairness.
The Jungle
WHEN: November 4, 1905
WHO: Upton Sinclair
WHAT: A novel exposing unsafe and unsanitary conditions in Chicago meatpacking plants.
IMPACT: Outraged the public and directly led to federal food safety laws and government inspections.
Meat Inspection Act
WHEN: June 30, 1906
WHO: U.S. Congress; Theodore Roosevelt
WHAT: Law requiring federal inspection of meatpacking plants and sanitation standards.
IMPACT: Improved food safety and increased consumer trust in American products.
Pure Food and Drug Act
WHEN: June 30, 1906
WHO: U.S. Congress; federal government
WHAT: Law banning the sale of unsafe food and false labeling of drugs and medicines.
IMPACT: Protected consumers and laid groundwork for modern regulatory agencies like the FDA.
Sierra Club
WHEN: May 28, 1892
WHO: John Muir
WHAT: Environmental organization dedicated to conserving wilderness and natural resources.
IMPACT: Influenced conservation policy and strengthened the environmental movement in the U.S.
Booker T. Washington
WHEN: Late 1890s
WHO: Booker T. Washington
WHAT: African American leader who promoted vocational education and economic self-help over immediate civil rights demands.
IMPACT: Gained white support but was criticized by Black leaders for accepting segregation.
W.E.B. Du Bois
WHEN: Late 1890s
WHO: W. E. B. Du Bois
WHAT: Scholar and activist who demanded immediate political, social, and civil equality for African Americans.
IMPACT: Helped found the NAACP and shaped the early civil rights movement.
Atlanta Compromise
WHEN: September 18, 1895
WHO: Booker T. Washington
WHAT: Speech arguing African Americans should accept segregation temporarily while focusing on education and economic progress.
IMPACT: Appealed to white leaders but split Black leadership over the best path to equality.
Bull Moose Party
WHEN: 1912
WHO: Theodore Roosevelt and Progressive supporters
WHAT: Progressive Party formed after Roosevelt split from Republicans, supporting reforms like labor protections and women’s suffrage.
IMPACT: Split the Republican vote and helped Democrats win the 1912 election.
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APUSH Unit 2 Id's37
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APUSH 2.1-2.340
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APUSH U2 Study Guide48
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ID's unit 3 1-2020
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Unit 3A Study Guide54
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Unit 3 ID 27-4216
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Unit 3 Part 2 SG70
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Civil War Antebellum Notes51
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Unit 4 IDS47
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Unit 4 Study Guide77
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Midterm Study Guide108
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APUSH Unit 5 IDS27
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Unit 5 Study Guide55
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Unit 6 IDs48
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U7 Study Guide46
