Virginia SOL Virginia and US History test: important concepts

From A+ Club Lesson Planner & Study Guide

Important concepts for the Virginia & US History SOL test

  • this page follows the units structure of the actual test
  • 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[edit | edit source]

Native Americans[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

Thirteen Colonies of North America: Dark Red = New England colonies. Bright Red = Middle Atlantic colonies. Red-brown = Southern colonies.
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,
Southern colonies Chesapeake Virginia & Maryland
Colonial South Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virgina
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
  • Massachusetts: puritanism (lack of religious tolerance)
  • Other colonies: 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
  • Chesapeake: tobacco planting with large plantations
  • Colonial South: rice, indigo, tobacco
  • Maryland tolerated Catholics
  • Virginia mostly Protestant with some Catholics called "Cavaliers"

French-Indian War, 1754-1763[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • 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
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[edit | edit source]

Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, 1787[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • time period: 1791-1877

Political parties and disputes[edit | edit source]

  • while President Washington did not want political parties, they developed during his presidency
    • each party represented a basic disagreement in policy
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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • Fugitive Slave Act

Kansas-Nebraska Act[edit | edit source]

Dred Scott Decision[edit | edit source]

Civil War[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

"Industrialized North" & European immigration[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

Emergence of Modern America and World Conflict[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

Henry Ford[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • child labor
  • work hours
  • factory conditions

Immigration[edit | edit source]

  • Push and Pull factors
Push Pull
economic troubles economic opportunities jobs
lack of jobs, forced to leave farms land available farming, western expansion
religious persecution & intolerance religious freedom
educational opportunities lack of educational opportunities
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[edit | edit source]

  • "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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

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

World War II[edit | edit source]

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

Home Front[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • time period 1945-today

Civil Rights Movement[edit | edit source]

  • 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
Black Civil Rights Leaders
Period Name Contribution
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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

Ronald Reagan[edit | edit source]

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

Collapse of Soviet Union[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

  • connectivity
  • globalism
  • coding as a job skill

War on Terror[edit | edit source]

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

General Comparative Charts & Concepts[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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
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)
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")[edit | edit source]

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

Famous Speeches[edit | edit source]

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
Abraham Lincoln 1863 Gettysburg Address
Woodrow Wilson 191> "Fourteen Points Speech"
Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) 1933 "We have nothing fear but fear itself" speech
Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) 1941 "A day that will live in infamy" speech
John F. Kennedy (JFK) 1962 "Berlin Wall speech"
Lyndon Johnson 196> "Great Society speech"
Martin Luther King 1963 "I have a dream speech"
Ronald Reagan 198> "Tear down this wall" speech

Geography[edit | edit source]

see other Virginia SOL study pages here: Category:Virginia SOL: Virginia & US History test

  • for US geography, maps and timelines

Civics and Economics[edit | edit source]

Supply & Demand[edit | edit source]

  • supply = things or people available
  • demand = things or services that people want
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[edit | edit source]

  • 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