View source for Virginia SOL Virginia and US History test: important concepts

Important concepts for the Virginia & US History SOL test

* this page follows the units structure of the actual test
* the names, places, dates and terms are all taken from the three released Virginia & US History SOL tests 
* important concepts and facts are highlighted 
* source = SOL Standards and Released tests 2011, 2012, 2014
* '''key words''' are in bold

== Early America Through the Founding of the New Nation ==

=== Native Americans ===

* negative impact from European settlements
** disease 
*** led to decline in population
*** disrupted Native American tribes
** loss of land
*** pushed westward by colonial settlements and western settlers
*** led to reorganization of tribal alliances
* other impacts
** fur trade with Europeans, especially the French

=== American Colonies ===
[[File:Thirteencolonies politics cropped.jpg|thumb|Thirteen Colonies of North America: Dark Red = New England colonies. Bright Red = Middle Atlantic colonies. Red-brown = Southern colonies.]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+MAJOR REGIONS OF THE 13 COLONIES
!Major Region
!Sub regions
!Colonies
|-
|'''Middle colonies'''
|Mid-Atlantic
|Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York
|-
|'''New England colonies'''
|n/a
|Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, 
|-
| rowspan="2" |'''Southern colonies'''
|'''Chesapeake'''
|Virginia & Maryland
|-
|Colonial South
|Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virgina 
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Population & Economic  Characteristics of Colonial Regions
!Region
!Population
!Economic
!General notes
|-
|Middle colonies
|
* higher population
* major port city in each colony w/ large populations, esp. New York City & Philadelphia

* inland small towns 
|
* ocean & inland trade
* ship building

* small manufacture

* '''independent farmers'''
|
* religious tolerance
* townships with independent governments & citizen involvement
|-
|New England
|
* higher population

* major port city in each colony w/ large population, esp.. Boston

* inland small towns
|
* ocean & inland trade
* '''ship building'''

* small manufacture

* independent farmers
|
* <u>Massachusetts</u>: '''puritanism''' (lack of religious tolerance)

* <u>Other colonies</u>: religious tolerance, esp. Rhode Island
|-
|Southern colonies
|
* lower population 
* larger slave population

* major port city in each colony
* small towns inland
|
* ocean trade to sell agricultural products
* growing '''slave'''-based and large '''plantation''' economy
* focus on "'''cash crops'''" for bulk (large quantity) export
|
* <u>Chesapeake</u>: '''tobacco''' planting with large plantations
* <u>Colonial South</u>: rice, indigo, tobacco
* Maryland tolerated Catholics
* Virginia mostly Protestant with some Catholics called "'''Cavaliers'''"
|}

=== French-Indian War, 1754-1763 ===

* war between British and American colonies and the French and their Native American allies over control of the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains
* during the War, '''Benjamin Franklin''' told American colonists that they must "Join or Die" 
** he told them to forget their differences and join together to fight off the French and Indians
** he expressed this idea in the famous image of a snake divided up (between the colonies)
* the British won the war 

=== Virginia colonial history ===

* Bacon's rebellion
** rebellion of frontier Virginians who objected to Virginia restrictions on western settlements 
* Cavaliers
** Virginia Catholics who fought for religious tolerance
**

=== American Revolution ===

* after French-Indian War the British exercised more control over the American Colonies
** forbade (prohibited) settlement in "Indian Territories" = lands west of the Appalachians
** required colonists to trade only directly with England
** increased taxes
** required "stamps" (marks of official permission) for legal and commercial actions
* the Colonists objected to the new controls
* Colonists began to circulate "pamphlets" (essays) that
** objected to the new taxes and controls 
** declared philosophical reasons for liberty, equality and self-government

=== Revolutionary War ===

* the war started in 1775 at the battles of Lexington and Concord between '''colonial militia''' (private solders) and British professional soldiers 
** "Paul Revere's Ride" announced the arrival of British troops
* the first major battle was at Boston (the failed British naval "siege of Boston") in 1775
** George Washington commanded the American forces
** the battle set '''Washington's general strategy of maintaining defensive positions and not directly attacking''' the stronger British army and navy
*** as the War went on, Washington adopted the strategy of "strategic retreat" = to attack, then move back to avoid being hit back
*** this was especially important at '''Valley Forge''', where Washington kept his army away from the British and spent the winter training them and keeping up troop morale (positive fighting spirit)
* the 1777 '''Battle of Saratoga''' marked an important victory for American forces over the British in Saratoga, New York (Washington was not the American commander there)
** having shown that the Americans could defeat a part of the British army (which surrendered at Saratoga)
** the French agreed to get involved in the War and started sending materials and, later, a larger fleet of ships
* in 1781, with help from the French fleet, Washington defeated the main British army at the '''Battle of Yorktown''' in Virginia
** the British surrendered and the war effectively ended
** in 1783, the now independent United States signed a peace agreement with the British in the Treaty of Versailles
** as part of the treaty, the U.S. took all British lands between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River 
*** this greatly expanded the size of the new country

=== Founding Documents ===

* during the American Revolution, between 1763 and 1791, a series of important documents were issued
** these documents importantly:
*** stated the rights of the people and the theories behind them
*** stated and justified the causes and reason for American independence and self-government 
**** ("self-government" = ruling themselves as opposed to being colonies ruled by the British Parliament and the King of England
*** established the rules and laws of the "'''union'''" of states as the "United States of America"

=== Political Theory ===

* the 1700s Enlightenment period in Europe established the idea that people were 
** born equal
** had fundamental rights
* John Locke of England wrote that people possessed rights 
** that they were born with
** and that governments could not take away 

{| class="wikitable"
|+Founding Documents
!Document & Date
!Purpose
!Impact 
|-
|Thomas Paine's "Common Sense", 1775
|
* declared equality of men
* denied the need for a king
* argued for independence from Britain
|
* convinced the people that the colonies should declare independence from England
* led to the '''Declaration of Independence'''
|-
|'''Virginia Declaration of Rights, 1776'''
|
* issued about 1 month before the '''Declaration of Independence'''
* stated that 
** all men (people) are born equal
** citizens have fundamental rights and protections against government abuse
** government must be limited in its powers
** government must have the "consent" (permission) of the people 
|
* drafted principally by '''George Mason''' of Virginia
* the Declaration of Rights influenced the text of the '''Declaration of Independence''' 
* the Declaration of Rights was adopted as part of the Virginia Constitution in 1830 (Article I)
* The Declaration of Rights influenced:
** the '''Declaration of Independence'''
** the '''U.S. Constitution'''
** the '''Bill of Rights'''
|-
|'''Declaration of Independence, 1776'''
|
* declared "independence" of the American states from England, including from rule by the English King
|
* drafted principally by '''Thomas Jefferson'''

* justified the American Revolution and War
* laid out the reasons for declaring independence, especially the abuses committed by the government of England
* gave philosophical reasons for breaking from rule by the Kind
* declared the "'''all men are created equal'''"
* declared that government must have the consent of the people
* '''Legacy''' is the idea of civil rights and equality among all people, regardless of gender ethnicity, race, religion or economic class  
|-
|'''Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, 1777'''
|
* guaranteed the freedom of religion in Virginia
|
* draft by '''Thomas Jefferson''' of Virginia
* the Statute for Religious Freedom directly influenced the 1st Amendment of the '''Bill of Rights'''  
|-
|'''Articles of Confederation of the United States, 1783'''
|
* created the first, formal national government of the Union of the United States of America
* the Articles of Confederation gave some powers to the new government
* but the states kept most of the powers to themselves
|
* created a union of the 13 new states (former colonies)
* created a weak government that was unable to effectively manage many issues and problems
* therefore, in 1787, the states sent delegates to the '''Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia''' to draft a new "constitution" 
|-
|'''Federalist Papers, 1787-1788'''
|
* series of pamphlets (published articles) that explained the logic and reasoning for the proposed Constitution 
|
* primarily authored by '''Alexander Hamilton''' of New York and '''James Madison''' of Virginia
* deeply influenced:
** adoption of the US Constitution
** state constitutions
** judicial interpretation of the US Constitution
|-
|'''United States Constitution, 1789'''
|
* created a new central government for the "United States of America" 
** (replacing the Articles of Confederation)
* gave many powers to the "federal" (central) government 
|
* the working and ideas in the Constitution were heavily influenced by '''James Madison''' of Virginia
* the argument for the Constitution was that the Union of state needed a stronger central government to 
** promote trade
** pay War debts
** common defense (national defense)
** diplomacy
** taxes
|-
|'''Bill of Rights, 1791'''
|
* The Bill or Rights are the first ten amendments to the '''US Constitution'''  
* explicitly protected rights of citizens by protecting them from abuse by the new federal government abuse
**
|
* drafted by '''James Madison''' of Virginia
* '''1st Amendment: speech, press, religion, assembly & petition''' (asking the government for something)
* 2nd Amendment: right to bear arms
* 4th-8th Amendments: legal and personal protections against government abuse
|}

=== US Constitution ===

==== Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, 1787 ====

* following George Washington's calls for amendment to the Articles of Confederation
* states sent delegates to Philadelphia to discuss forming of a new government
** '''James Madison''' of Virginia was the "thinker" behind the ideas of the Constitution
** George Washington presided over (oversaw, led) the Convention
* after several months of "closed deliberation" (meeting in secret) the Convention sent the new Constitution to the states for ratification (approval)

==== Ratification of the Constitution by the states ====

* as the states discussed the Constitution, two groups generally supported or opposed it
** the "'''Federalists'''" supported the new "federal" (central) government as necesarry for the country to move forward
** the "anti-Federalists" opposed the Constitution as giving too much power to the new government, putting the rights of the people at risk

==== Arguments for and against the Constitution ====
{| class="wikitable"
!Group
!Argument
|-
|'''Federalists'''
* Alexander Hamilton
* James Madison of Virginia
|the country needed a strong central government in order to:

* preserve the Union over fights and alliances between the states 
* tax fairly in order to provide for the common benefit 
* maintain common laws for trade and relations between the states
* pay for an army and navy
* negotiate treaties with other countries
* avoid and settle disputes between the states
|-
|'''anit-Federatlists'''
* Patrick Henry of Virginia 
* George Mason of Virginia
|the proposed constitution and its strong central government:

* had no recognition or protections of the rights of the people and the states

* was too strong because:
** it endangers the rights of the people 
** it takes too many powers from the states
** it would not respond to the local needs of the people and states
|-
|compromise with the '''Bill of Rights'''
|the anti-federalists successfully argued for a "Bill or Rights" to be added to the Constitution in order to 

* recognize the rights of the people
* limit the ability of the government to violate the rights of the people and the states

it was agreed that if the Constitution were adopted (or "ratified") by the states, a Bill of Rights would be added to it

* these are the first ten amendments (change/additions) to the Constitution, known collectively (all together) as "'''the Bill of Rights'''"
|}

==== Principles of the Constitution ====

* Divided government
* Limited government 
* Checks and balances
** Presidential veto
* Federalism
*Judicial review
**'''John Marshall''' of Virginia
***was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
***he created the idea of "'''judicial review'''" in the case, "'''Marbury v. Madison'''"

== Expansion, Reform, Civil War, and Reconstruction ==

* time period: 1791-1877

=== Political parties and disputes ===

* while President Washington did not want political parties, they developed during his presidency
** each party represented a basic disagreement in policy

{| class="wikitable"
|+Early Republic Political Divisions
!Topic
!Supporters
!Dissenters
!Notes
|-
|National Bank
|
* Alexander Hamilton

* Federalists / Whigs
|
* Democratic party

* Thomas Jefferson
|
|-
|Tariff
(tax on imports)
|
* Alexander Hamilton

* Federalists 
|
* Democratic party

* Thomas Jefferson
|
|-
|Slavery
|
* Southerners
* Democrats
|
* Northerners
* Whigs/ Republicans
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|}

=== Monroe Doctrine ===

* after defeating the British in the War of 1812, the President James Monroe issued the "'''Monroe Doctrine'''"
** a "doctrine" = a set of principles or ideas the government is supposed to follow
* the '''Monroe Doctrine''' declared that European countries must stay out of the Americas
** it was a very powerful statement of "self-determination" for countries in the Americas 
** especially to Spanish colonies in South and Central America that gained independence 

=== Jacksonian Democracy ===

* in 1828, Andrew Jackson won the election for president
* he was widely supported by common (middle and lower class) whites
* his election marked a tremendous expansion of voters
** these poor whites started to vote under Jackson
** before, only land-holders and elites (rich) voted

=== Slavery & southern Slave economy ===

* with introduction of the "'''cotton gin'''", large-scale cotton farming became possible
** (the "gin" separated seeds from the cotton fibers)
* "'''King Cotton'''"
** = the dominance and dependence of cotton planting in southern states
** just before the Civil War, southern states accounted for upward 40%+ of U.S. economic wealth
** after the Civil War, with growth of '''northern industries''' and '''immigration''', southern states accounted for less than 20% of US economic wealth
*** the south continued to produce cotton, only without slavery
*** '''sharecropping''' replaced slavery
**** = a system by which land owners would allow poor farmers (mostly blacks) to plant crops in exchange for a large "share" of the "crops"
**** this system entrenched (made to endure) the poverty of former black slaves

=== Missouri Compromise of 1820 ===

* allowed entry of 
** Missouri as a slave state
** Maine as a free state
* set a rule that no more slave states would be allowed north of the 36' 30" parallel
** which Missouri was above, but was generally thought of as the line between the North and South

=== Westward Expansion ===

* US territory greatly expanded following: 
** Louisiana Purchase, 1803
** Mexican-American War, 1846

Western economy

* railroads
** allowed movement of crops and cattle for sale in eastern markets
** "'''cattle drives'''" 

=== Compromise of 1850 ===

* Fugitive Slave Act

=== Kansas-Nebraska Act ===

=== Dred Scott Decision ===

=== Civil War ===

* anti-slavery advocates
** Elizabeth Cady Stanton
** Sojourner Truth
** Hariett Tubman
** Harriet Beecher Stowe

* Kansas-Nebraska Act, 185> 
* Dred Scott decision, 1857
* Fort Sumpter
* Assassination of Lincoln
* Radical Republicans

* '''Confederacy / Confederate States of America'''
** southern states "seceded" (broke away) from the Union 
** they organized a new government 
*** called themselves the "Confederate States of America"
**** "confederacy" = a reference to the "Articles of Confederation"
***** which gave more power to the states than did the US Constitution
*** elected '''Jefferson Davis''' as President of the Confederate States (the "'''Confederacy'''")
* '''Robert E. Lee'''
** remained loyal to the Virginia and took command of the "Army of Northern Virginia" to fight for the Confederacy
** Lee surrendered to General U.S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia
** after the War, Lee supported reconciliation of the North and South
** he later became president of Washington College

=== Reconstruction ===

=== "Industrialized North" & European immigration ===

* during the Civil War northern factories produced huge amounts a metals and textiles for the War
* after the Civil War, those steel and textile factories continued to grow
* these factories needed workers, and many Europeans immigrated to the U.S. to work in them

=== Transcontinental Railroad ===

== Emergence of Modern America and World Conflict ==

* time period 1877-1945
'''Womens rights movements'''

* called "'''suffrage'''" movement
** suffrage = the right to vote
** "suffragettes" = women who protested for the right to vote

* the original US Constitution guaranteed the rights of free males to vote and hold office
** the 13th & 14th amendments s established citizenship and guaranteed the equality for former slaves
** however, the 15th amendment guaranteed the right to vote for former male and not female slaves
*** therefore, no women were able to vote in national elections
* the '''19th Amendment''' of 1920 guaranteed the right to vote for women
** after World War I, when women went to work in factories while many men went to war
** the Constitution was amended to allow women the right to vote
* Womens rights advocates also worked to secure other forms of equality for women, including
** property and legal rights
** rights to work, as well as protections from abuse from employers
** political participation

=== Industrialization ===

==== Henry Ford ====

* created the Model T automobile, that revolutionized transportation
* Ford's Model T was affordable and of exceedingly high quality
* he made it with innovative "factory production line" manufacturing 
** his "system" allowed for "'''mass production'''" of automobiles in the millions

=== Labor and working conditions ===

* child labor 
* work hours
* factory conditions

**

=== Immigration ===

* Push and Pull factors

{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Push
!Pull
!
!
|-
|economic troubles
|economic opportunities 
|jobs
|
|-
|lack of jobs, forced to leave farms
|land available
|farming, western expansion
|
|-
|religious persecution & intolerance
|religious freedom
|
|
|-
|lack of educational opportunities
|educational opportunities
|education
|
|-
|
|family connections to prior immigrants to the US
(called "chain migration")
|
|
|}

* immigration periods/ peoples
** 1820-50s: German and Irish immigrants
** 1870s: Japanese immigration to West Coast
** 1880s: Chinese immigration, many worked on railroads
** 1880-1910;s: European immigrants, especially from Central Europe 

=== Imperial expansion ===

* "imperialism" = creating colonies and / or controlling overseas (foreign) people, territories, or countries, 
* in the late 1800s, American merchants greatly expanded their trade markets, especially across the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean
** the U.S. government in the 1890s decided to build a large coal-powered navy in order to 
*** protect existing and open new U.S. trade markets (especially China and Japan)
*** "project" or send U.S. military power across the oceans
* "'''Open Door policy'''"
** U.S. policy that China should be open to trade with all countries

=== Spanish-American War ===

* U.S. defeated Spanish forces in the Spanish colonies of Cuba, Philippines and Puerto Rico
* US also "'''annexed'''" (officially took as a US territory) '''Hawaii'''
** Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean
** therefore is became an important stopping point for US ships that were crossing the Pacific Ocean
*** sailing ships would stop for supplies and fresh water
*** steam boats would stop of coal
*** i.e., Hawaii was a "refueling station"  (a place to pick up more coal for fuel for steam engines)

=== World War I, 1917-1918 ===

* US neutrality
* US entry
** '''sinking of the Lusitania''' ship by German submarine (U-Boat)

* after the War, President Woodrow Wilson gave a speech calling for creation of a "League of Nations" to ensure world peace
** the speech was called the '''"Fourteen Points"''' speech"
*** because he outlined "14 points" about democracy, self-government (national independence) and peace
** the '''League of Nations''' was started by other countries, but the U.S. Senate refused to join the treaty and thus the US stayed out of it

* women working in factories
** '''19th Amendment''' 

=== Roaring Twenties / 1920s ===

* Jazz
* Harlem Renaissance
* consumer goods
** autos, radio, refrigerators

=== World War II ===

* neutrality
* Lend-lease Act
* Pearl Harbor
* Labor and war
* Normandy
*

=== Home Front ===

* during WWII, the entire country dedicated itself to the War effort
** women went to work in factories
** families planted "Victory gardens" to grow food for themselves
** people invested in "'''War Bonds'''" to finance (pay for) the War
** businesses and labor unions agreed upon wages and work hours so there would be few disputes over work conditions and wages 
* the US Government supported the War with
** propaganda (publicity) for the war 
*** anti-German and anti-Japanese propaganda
** wage and price controls
** rationing of important supplies and materials
*** esp. rubber tires, gasoline, metal

== The United States since World War II ==
* time period 1945-today

=== Civil Rights Movement ===

* '''Birmingham protests'''
** violent police attacks on peaceful protestors at the "Birmingham bridge"
** were televised and made national news
*** outraged the American public that previously that the Civil Rights movement didn't involve them
** Martin Luther King was arrested and put in jail following Birmingham protest
*** he wrote his "'''Letter from a Birmingham Jail'''"
**** outlined the reason for his protest
**** his commitment to "'''non-violent protest'''"
**** = peaceful demonstration and peaceful violation of unjust laws
{| class="wikitable"
|+Black Civil Rights Leaders
!Period
!Name 
!Contribution
!
|-
| rowspan="3" |1840s-1870s
|Frederick Douglass
|
* born in slavery, highly educated, wrote books against slavery in 1840s and 1850s
*the most eloquent anti-slavery voice in the movement
|
|-
|Harriet Tubman
|
* born in slavery, led rescue missions to free slaves as part of the Underground Railroad

* became active in the women's suffrage movement after the Civil War
|
|-
|Sojourner Truth
|
* born in slavery, spoke against it across the North
|
|-
|1890s
|Booker T. Washington
|
* born in slavery, after the Civil War he advocated for '''education and economic progress''' for blacks
* supported building of schools and universities for blacks
** for vocational and trade skills 
** for professional skills
* he was the most prominent supporter of black leader of the late 1800s/ early 1900s
* he did not directly oppose segregation, instead advocated working around it for advancement
|
|-
|1910s
|W.E.B. DuBois
|
* opposed Booker Washington's approach of not challenging segregation
* founded the NAACP, which worked to support equality for blacks and to challenge unjust laws in the courts
|
|-
|1960s 
|Martin Luther King 
|
|
|}

* while it will not be on the Virginia SOL, other important Civil Rights leaders include
** Willam Lloyd Garrison
*** a newspaper publisher who attacked slavery starting in the 1830s
** Henry Ward Beecher
*** Calvinist (Christian) minister who attacked slavery on religious grounds
** Susan B. Anthony
** Harriett Beecher Stowe
*** wrote the anti-slavery book, "'''Uncle Tom's Cabin''', which was the best selling book of the time (1852)

==== March on Washington & Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech ====

* in 1963, the "'''March on Washington'''" was organized to demonstrate to the entire country
** '''Martin Luther King''' gave his "'''I have a dream'''" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial
**
Civil Rights Act of 1964

'''Voting Rights Act of 1965'''

* enacted by Congress under President Johnson
* greatly expanded ability of blacks to register to vote and vote in elections in the South

=== Vietnam ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Vietnam War Timeline
!Date
!Event 
!Impact
!
|-
|1954
|French lose to communist in North Vietnam
|
* US moves to support South Vietnam from communist expansion 
* international deal is made to divide Vietnam between Russian-supported communist North Vietnam and US-supported dictatorship in South Vietnam
|
|-
|1963
|US special forces sent to Vietnam
|
* President Kennedy increases US military presence in order to support South Vietnam from North Vietnamese attacks and South Vietnamese communist rebellion ("'''Vietcong'''")
|
|-
|1964
|US sends military forces to Vietnam to directly fight the North Vietnamese and "'''Vietcong'''" 
|
* major, direct involvement by US military
|
|-
|1968
|
* Anti-war protests grow in US
* Major North Vietnamese offensive fails but shows that North Vietnam is not giving up
|
* American public lose support ofr Johnson's policies in Vietnam and the Vietnam War, generaly
* in 1968 alone, over 15,000 Americans were killed in action in Vietnam
|
|-
|1969
|Richard Nixon becomes President
|
* Nixon promises Americans that he will win the war and leave
* "'''Vietnamization'''" policy of moving responsibility for the war from the American troops to South Vietnam
* Nixon bombs North Vietnam and military supply routes from North to South Vietnam in neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia
|
|-
|1970
|
* Protests grow across US
* especially on college campuses after the "'''draft'''" was revised to include college students
|
* the "draft" is forced military services ("inscription")
* prior to 1970, the draft exempted (cleared) people in college 
* when the draft rules were changed to allow college students to be drafted, major protests broke out
|
|-
|1970
|Kent State protest
|
* major protest at Kent State University in Ohio 
** the Ohio National Guard opposed protesters and shot at protesters, killing 4
|
|-
|1972
|Nixon's bombing campaign brings Vietnam to peace talks
|
* via massive bombing campaigns, Nixon forced the North Vietnamese to negotiate an end to the war
* Nixon also "opened" diplomatic relations wth the communist Chinese, which put pressure on the North Vietnamese and their Russian supporters to negotiate with the US
|
|-
|1975
|Collapse of South Vietnam and North Vietnam takeover
|
* following President Nixon's resignation due to the Watergate scandal, the US Congress banned American support of Sout Vietnam
* with the US military gone, the North Vietnamese easily defeated the South Vietnamese and turned the entire country into a communist regime
|
|-
|1990s
|Bill Clinton recognizes Vietnam 
|
* Vietnam was communist, but after the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States recognized the communist rule of Vietnam, 20 years after the end of the Vietnam War
|
|}
* President Johnson, 1963-1969
** launched direct American involvement in Vietnam in the 1964 "Gulf of Tonkin" incident
** oversaw "escalation" of US involvement in Vietnam war
**
* President Nixon, 1969-1974
** elected in 1968 with goal to "win then end" the Vietnam War
** this meant "'''Vietnamization'''"
*** = moving responsibility for the war to the Vietnamese people
*** supporting them without having to be there directly
** 1970 changes in the draft rules
*** Nixon took away the education exemption from the draft
*** which meant that college students were eligible for the draft
*** this led to huge increase in protests
**** including the '''Kent State''' shooting
**** a protest at Kent State University in Ohio
**** Ohio National Guardsman shot at protesters and killed 4
**** US public was outraged

=== Cold War ===

* 1945-1991
* Soviet Union 
** Berlin Wall
*** 1947 "Berlin Crisis"
*** Wall built in 1961 to keep East Berlin people from escaping to West Berlin

=== Containment policy ===

==== Ronald Reagan ====

* President 1981-1989
* opposed Soviet Union (communist Russia)
** called it the "Evil Empire"

==== Collapse of Soviet Union ====

* in 1989, the Soviet Union lost control of its territories
** the "Berlin Wall" was breached (broken)
** and East and West Germany began process of "reunification)
* as of 1991, the Soviet Union no longer existed
** replaced by the "Russian Federation"
**former Eastern European and Asian countries that had been part of the USSR were restored as independent nations
***ex. Lithuania, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, etc.
*with collapse of the Soviet Union (USSR): 
**"eastern block" countries who were communist but not part of the Soviet Union 
**they dropped Communism 
**Germany was reunited
***it had been split between East Germany (Soviet supported) and West Germany (US supported)

=== Globalism ===

* spread of economic ties across countries, continents and regions
* massive movement of workers across different countries
* mobilization of workers in one country to support customers in another country
** especially for computer coding, "call centers"
* in the 1990s, early 2000s, the US promoted immigration of skilled computer programmers from other countries, especially India 
** these new immigrants replaced many Americans in similar jobs who had higher pay

=== Modern Immigration ===

* starting the in 1980s, many migrants moved illegally into the United States
** mostly from Latin America 
** principally across the Mexico-US southern border
** but also via tourist visas

=== Internet ===

* connectivity
* globalism
*coding as a job skill

=== War on Terror ===

* 2001 September 11 terrorist attacks
* Patriot Act
* Afghanistan War
* Iraq War

== General Comparative Charts & Concepts ==

* the following charts cover comparative questions
** these questions compare different topics and people across time
** these charts are designed to help students make connections between people, issues, events and dates
** if students can associate a date with each of these concepts, it will lead to stronger recall and ability to identify context

=== Political Parties ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Party
!Dates
!General Positions
!People & Regions
|-
|'''Federalists'''
|1790s-1815
|supported:

* strong federal government 
* investment in economic infrastructure, esp. for canals & roads for trade
* '''tariffs and national bank'''
* economic ties to Great Britain

opposed:

* French Revolution
|people:

* Alexander Hamilton
* John Adams

regions:

* Northeast
* esp. central and northern coastal cities
|-
|'''Democratic-Republicans'''
|1790s-1824
|supported:

* republicanism (popular government through representatives)
* agrarian economy (farm-based)
* western expansion (esp. for small farmers)
* supported French Revolution and economic ties with Franceopposed:

* tariffs and national bank
* called the Federalists "aristocratic" (elites)
* economic and political ties with Great Britain
|people:

* Jefferson
* Madison

regions:

* South
* western frontier
|-
|'''Democratic Party'''
|1824-1865
|supported:

* expansion of voting rights to white men who did not own property
* territorial (western) expansion and Indian Wars
* slavery and expansion of slaveryopposed:

* tariffs and national bank
|people:

* Andrew Jackson
* John C. Calhoun

regions:

* South
* Middle Atlantic 
* western states & fronteir
|-
|'''Whig Party'''
|1824-1854
|supported

* tariffs and national bank
* building of canals, roads, and railroads
* support of industryopposed:

* slavery and expansion of slavery
** Whigs abolished slavery in northern states and opposed its expansion
** however, Whig support for the '''Compromise of 1850''' led to the collapse of the party, especially the '''Fugitive Slave Law''' that was part of the Compromise
|people:

* Henry Clay

regions:

* Northeast
* near and mid-West states north of '''Missouri Compromise''' line (36' 30")
|-
|'''Republican Party'''
|1856-1877
|supported

* tariffs and national bank
* transcontinental railroad
* western settlement land grants (giving people land for settling on it)
* post-Civil War "'''Reconstruction'''" =
** re-uniting the country
** punishing Confederate leaders
** protecting rights of freed slaves
opposed

* slavery and expansion of slavery
|people

* Abraham Lincoln
* the "Radical Republicans"regions

* North and midwest
|-
|
|
|
|
|}

=== Political Issues & Political Party Alignments ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Period
!Political Topic 
!Party For
!Party Against
!Notes
|-
|1794
|Jay Treaty (w/ Britain)
|Hamilton/ '''Federalists'''
|'''Jefferson/ Democrats'''("Democratic-Republicans)
|
* signed by US and Britain 10 years after the Treaty of Versailles that ended the Revolutionay War ( 1783)
* settled border disputes and presence of British troops 
* created stronger economic ties between the US and England (settling debts
* Jeffersonians opposed the treaty because it created a closer relationship between the US and Great Britain
|-
| rowspan="2" |1790s-1815
|French Revolution 
|Federalists supported England and disliked the French Revolution
|Democrats favored France & the French Revolution
|
* in a series of wars between Britain and France (1890s-1815), Americans held opposing views towards each side
|-
|France v. Britain (wars)
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |1800s-1865
|War of 1812 (w Britain)
|Federalists opposed the war
|Democrats and most Americans supported the War
|
* Federalist opposition to the War of 1812 ended the party; the "'''Whigs'''" replaced them
|-
|'''National Bank'''
|
* Federalists 

* Whigs (after 1824)
|
* Democratic-Republicans

* Democrats (after 1824)
|
|-
|'''Tariff'''(taxes on imports)
|
* Federalists 

* Whigs (after 1824)
|
* Democratic-Republicans

* Democrats (after 1824)
|
* tariffs are imposed on imported goods
* the purpose is
** raise money (taxes)
** protect local manufacture of those types of goods
|-
|'''Slavery'''
|
* Federalists allowed for continued existence of slavery 
|
* Democratic-Republicans

* Democrats (after 1824)
|
* Democratic-Republicans & Federalists supported the Compromise of 1820, which divided the nation between Free and Slave states
* Whigs opposed slavery & its expansion
* Democrats supported slavery & its expansion
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|}

=== Voting Rights ("suffrage") ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Period 
!Suffrage
!Notes
|-
|1790s-1820s
|white males with property had the general right to vote
|
|-
|1820s-1850s
|white males without property gained the right to vote 
|
* known as the "Jacksonian Revolution", as Andrew Jackson inspired common whites (men) to vote and greatly expanded political participation
|-
|1870
|15th amendment secured the right to vote for former slaves (i.e., black men)
|
|-
|1920
|19th amendment guaranteed the right to vote for women
|
|-
|196>
|the >> amendment abolished poll taxes
|
|-
|197>
|the legal age of voting in national elections was set at age 18
|
|}
[[Category:Virginia SOL: Virginia & US History test]]

=== Famous Speeches ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Orator (speaker)
!Dates
!Speech title
!Purpose/ Details
|-
|George Washington
|1796 
|"'''Washington's Farewell Address'''"
|
* on leaving office, President Washington warned Americans:
** to avoid "foreign entanglements" 
*** = not get involved in overseas diplomatic agreements
** to avoid political parties
***
|-
|Abraham Lincoln
|1862/3
|Emancipation Proclamation
|
* declared that the slaves in states in rebellion were free
** note that the Proclamation did not free slaves in the several slave states that were not in rebellion, but Lincoln felt he did not have the power to do that
** the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865 fully abolished slavery
|-
|Abraham Lincoln
|1863
|Gettysburg Address
|
* important statement about the purpose of the war:
** to uphold the values of equality and liberty in the Declaration of Independence
** to affirm democracy ("''government of the people, by the people and for the people''")
|-
|Woodrow Wilson
|191>
|"Fourteen Points Speech"
|
* declared that people around the world deserved international guarantees of 
** "self-determination" (deciding their own form of government)
** protection from invasion from other countries
** free trade and free passage in the oceans
* called for the formation of a "League of Nations" to implement these ideals
|-
|Franklin Roosevelt (FDR)
|1933
|"We have nothing fear but fear itself" speech
|
* FDR's 1st inaugural address in 1933
* declared that as bad as things were in the economy due to the Great Depression 
** that the nation could come together to fix it
** and that only fear of change would stop that
|-
|Franklin Roosevelt (FDR)
|1941
|"A day that will live in infamy" speech
|
* speech given after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec 7, 1941
|-
|John F. Kennedy (JFK)
|1962
|"Berlin Wall speech"
|
* after the Russians constructed a wall to separate East (Russian controlled) from West Berlin (American controlled) 
** the built the wall to keep people from fleeing (escaping) East Germany
* Kennedy declared that he would support the West Berlin people ("I am a Berliner")
|-
|Lyndon Johnson
(LBJ)
|1964
|"Great Society speech"
|
* declared that the US should not have poverty 
* called for a "war on poverty" through Federal programs designed to assist the poor and prevent poverty in general and also to support education
|-
|Martin Luther King
(MLK)
|1963
|"I have a dream speech"
|
* at the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial, MLK discussed his vision of a nation that respected people of all colors 
** and that would no longer separate or treat people differently based on the color of their skin
** thus "I have a dream..." 
|-
|Ronald Reagan
|1987
|"Tear down this wall" speech
|
* Reagan gave a speech in West Berlin that challenged the Soviets (Russian communists) to "tear down" the Berlin Wall that separated East from West Berlin
* the idea was that all walls or other forms of barriers that the Soviets had built to protect communism and keep people from escaping it should come down
* two years later, the Berlin Wall was brought down as the Soviet Union collapsed
|}

== Geography ==
see other Virginia SOL study pages here: [[:Category:Virginia SOL: Virginia & US History test|Category:Virginia SOL: Virginia & US History test]]

* for US geography, maps and timelines

== Civics and Economics ==

=== Supply & Demand ===

* supply = things or people available 
* demand = things or services that people want 

{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Situation
!Supply
!Demand
!Prices
|-
|Demand up
|up
|n/a
|up
|-
|Supply up
|n/a
|up
|down
|-
|Supply & Demand up
|n/a
|n/a
|stay the same
|-
|Prices up
|up
|down
|n/a
|-
|Prices down
|down
|up
|n/a
|}

=== Economics vocabulary ===

* bank failure = when a bank does not have enough money to "cover" or pay back all of its customer deposits
** bank failures occur when banks have used people's deposits to make loans, and those loans go unpaid
*** which leaves the bank unable to "cover" those deposits 
* boom / bust periods
** boom = periods of economic growth
** bust = periods of economic decline, such as 
*** recession = mild decrease in the economy 
*** depression 
* business cycle = the ups and downs of markets and the economy in general
* GDP = "gross domestic product" 
** = the total value of economic transactions in a country over a year
* markets = any category of economic activity, such as
** oil market = business activity regarding petroleum (drilling, refining, selling oil, gasoline, etc.)
** stock market = a market to buy and sell "stlocks" or "shares" (ownership) in a company
* profit & loss = money gained or lost in economic transactions
* speculation = risky investments or economic activity in hopes of making a large profit
** over-speculation = a time when too many people are taking risks, so prices and/or markets collapse (go down)
* tariff = a tax on imported or exported goods