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U.S. History

Key Terms

U.S. HistoryKey Terms
clear and present danger
the expression used by Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes in the case of Schenck v. United States to characterize public dissent during wartime, akin to shouting “fire!” in a crowded theater
Fourteen Points
Woodrow Wilson’s postwar peace plan, which called for openness in all matters of diplomacy, including free trade, freedom of the seas, and an end to secret treaties and negotiations, among others
Harlem Hellfighters
a nickname for the decorated, all-Black 369th Infantry, which served on the frontlines of France for six months, longer than any other American unit
Irreconcilables
Republicans who opposed the Treaty of Versailles on all grounds
League of Nations
Woodrow Wilson’s idea for a group of countries that would promote a new world order and territorial integrity through open discussions, rather than intimidation and war
liberty bonds
the name for the war bonds that the U.S. government sold, and strongly encouraged Americans to buy, as a way of raising money for the war effort
neutrality
Woodrow Wilson’s policy of maintaining commercial ties with all belligerents and insisting on open markets throughout Europe during World War I
prohibition
the campaign for a ban on the sale and manufacturing of alcoholic beverages, which came to fruition during the war, bolstered by anti-German sentiment and a call to preserve resources for the war effort
Red Scare
the term used to describe the fear that Americans felt about the possibility of a Bolshevik revolution in the United States; fear over Communist infiltrators led Americans to restrict and discriminate against any forms of radical dissent, whether Communist or not
Red Summer
the summer of 1919, when numerous northern cities experienced bloody race riots that killed over 250 persons, including the Chicago race riot of 1919
Reservationists
Republicans who would support the Treaty of Versailles if sufficient amendments were introduced that could eliminate Article X
Zimmermann telegram
the telegram sent from German foreign minister Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador in Mexico, which invited Mexico to fight alongside Germany should the United States enter World War I on the side of the Allies
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