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US HISTORY STAAR STUDY GUIDE-
Graded A
The United States issued the Declaration of Independence , written primarily by - ANSWER-by Thomas Jefferson , in 1776 after years of dissension and disagreement The Declaration of Independence- - ANSWER-1. formally declared the independence of the English colonies in North America from the mother country , Great Britain ( resulting in the American Revolution )
- explained that citizens had the right to overthrow an oppressive government that did not protect individual rights
- included a list of grievances , or problems , which the colonists had with the government of Great Britain under King George III
- put forth a theory of government that included many ideas from John Locke ; it explained that the purpose of government should be to protect unalienable rights ( rights that cannot be taken away - like life , liberty , and the pursuit of happiness ) declaring independence After declaring independence , the colonies established a very weak central government in an agreement known as - ANSWER-the Articles of Confederation The U.S. Constitution was written by - ANSWER-the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. It established a republic ( a government in which power rests with the people , who elect representatives ) The important principles of the Constitution include : - ANSWER-limited government, republicanism, separation of powers, popular sovereignty, checks and balances, and amendments limited government - ANSWER-the powers of the federal government are limited to those provided in the Constitution republicanism - ANSWER-the people elect representatives to represent them federalism - ANSWER-the powers of government are divided between the national government and the states separation of powers - ANSWER-the powers of the government are divided among three separate branches ( the Congress [ legislative ] , the President executive , and the Supreme Court judicial ] )
popular sovereignty - ANSWER-the powers of the government come from the consent of the governed checks and balances - ANSWER-the Constitution gives each branch ways to stop or " check " the power of the other two branches Constitution amendments - ANSWER-the Constitution can be amended to adjust to changing times / attitudes The Bill of Rights was added to - ANSWER-specifically guarantee the protection of certain individual rights. The contains the first ten amendments to the Constitution , ratified in 1791. First Amendment - ANSWER-guarantees freedoms of religion , speech , the press , assembly , and petition Second Amendment - ANSWER-states that people have the right to " bear arms " Third Amendment - ANSWER-prohibits the government from placing troops in people's homes without their permission the Fourth , Fifth , Sixth , and Eighth Amendments - ANSWER-protect the rights of the accused and prohibit government officials from taking away life, liberty, and property without following certain procedures the Seventh Amendment - ANSWER-guarantees the right to a trial by a jury the Ninth Amendment - ANSWER-states that citizens have rights that aren't specifically listed in the Constitution The tenth amendment - ANSWER-States that the federal government has ONLY the powers given to it in the consitution; other powers are reserved to the states or the people In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville - ANSWER-Was sent to America by the french government. In 1831 , Alexis de Tocqueville was sent to America by the French government. - ANSWER-Later , he wrote a book called Democracy in America , which examined the American system of democracy De Tocqueville observed five values he believed were crucial to America's success as a constitutional republic : - ANSWER-egalitarianism, populism (popular sovereignty ), liberty, individualism, and laissez - faire
2001 - attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon - ANSWER-attacks on US soil led to the declaration of the " War on Terror " 2008 - election of Barack Obama - ANSWER-the election of America's first African American president Industrialization and the " Gilded Age " - ANSWER-American industrialization proceeded at a rapid pace in the decades after the Civil War. New inventions and technologies made economic expansion possible. the Bessemer process - ANSWER-made the production of steel more efficient and more economical ; the use of steam power and electricity replaced human and animal strength. Alexander Graham Bell - ANSWER-invented the telephone , allowing people to communicate more freely Thomas Edison - ANSWER-produced the electric light bulb in 1879 Transcontinental Railroad - ANSWER-tied the nation together. Shipping raw materials and finished goods became less expensive as railroads , canals telegraphs , and telephones linked together different parts of the nation in the late 19th century a large population increase was fueled by a high birthrate and immigration. This created a rise in the demand for goods and a plentiful supply of labor , contributing to business growth Corporations - ANSWER-businesses chartered by a state and recognized by law as a separate " person " ) became common. This type of business organization made modern industrial production possible. capitalism - ANSWER-The success of America's industrialization was based , in part , on its free enterprise system. Free enterprise , also referred to as... capitalism , operates on three basic principles : - ANSWER-1. Individuals are free to produce and sell whatever they wish.
- Prices and wages are determined by the demand for products in the market place. The government allows businesses to function freely.
- Profits ( extra money after all expenses are paid ) are distributed among the owners of the companies. Businesses are privately ( not government ) owned , and several producers often make the same goods or offer the same services. This creates competition and gives consumers a choice. In the 1870s , entrepreneurs began to have a dominant influence on American economic life. - ANSWER-They were able to increase efficiency , thereby lowering prices while improving the quality of goods. They were also able to obtain immense wealth. For this reason , the period from 1865 to 1900 is called the Gilded Age.
Andrew Carnegie - ANSWER-was a Scottish immigrant who became one of America's richest and most powerful men as the founder of the Carnegie Steel Corporation. In his later life , Carnegie became known for acts of philanthropy and The Gospel of Wealth. John D. Rockefeller - ANSWER-formed the Standard Oil Company in 1870. His company eventually controlled 90 % of the nation's oil supply and became a virtual monopoly ( a company that has complete control over the supply of a product or a service ). Interstate Commerce Act ( 1887 ) - ANSWER-prohibited unfair practices by railroads ( such as charging more for shorter routes than for longer ones ) and created the Interstate Commerce Commission to enforce the act ; this was the first time Congress stepped in to regulate business Sherman Anti - Trust Act ( 1890 ) - - ANSWER-intended to stop monopolies that prevented competition ; sometimes in the Gilded Age , it was used against labor unions The growth of big business led , in some cases , - ANSWER-to the exploitation of workers and the discontent of America's laborers , who faced long hours and low wages in poor working conditions. Work became less - skilled , monotonous , and boring. Conditions were often unsafe. Women and young children were frequently employed as low - paid workers. Big businesses were more efficient and lowered prices , created more jobs , and produced goods in large quantities ; however , - ANSWER-producers like Carnegie and Rockefeller began driving smaller companies out of business , had an unfair advantage over smaller businesses , and sometimes had an unfair advantage over government policies. At first , the government did little to regulate big business ( because they believed in laissez - faire and a free market economy ) , but reformers called for legislation to remedy the anti - competitive practices of big business. Some workers formed unions and organized strikes and protests to obtain better working conditions. These unions included : - ANSWER-Knights of Labor and American Federation of Labor Knights of Labor - ANSWER-joined together all skilled and unskilled workers to demand an 8 - hour workday , higher wages , and safety codes ; also fought for social reforms ; organized by Terrence Powderly ; fell apart after a series of unsuccessful strikes and the Haymarket Affair of 1886 American Federation of Labor - ANSWER-organized by Samuel Gompers , who limited its membership to skilled workers and its goals to strictly economic improvements for workers ( 8 - hour work day and better working conditions)
Industrialization also transformed the West. - ANSWER-1. Thousands of prospectors and adventurers moved West at the end of the 1800s during a massive gold rush. Mining towns sprang up overnight , then collapsed when the minerals ran out
- Native Americans were moved onto reservations during the Indian Wars after the Civil War to make room for white expansion. From 1830 to 1890 , the US government followed a policy - ANSWER-of pushing Native Americans from their traditional lands onto government reservations in the West. The near extinction of the buffalo halted the ability of the Plains Indians to fight back. Many reformers urged that Native Americans undergo - ANSWER-Americanization The Dawes Act ( 1887 ) - ANSWER-abolished Native American tribes encouraged Indians to assimilate. It resulted in the near destruction of Native American culture. In 1924 , the American Indian Citizenship act - ANSWER-granted immediate US citizenship to all Native American Indians and no longer required them to give up tribal lands or customs to become citizens. The government encouraged westward movement with the Homestead Act of 1862. - ANSWER-This act gave 160 acres of western land to any citizen who lived on it and made improvements for 5 years. At the turn of the twentieth century , Americans adopted important reforms to meet the new problems posed by industrializations and urbanization Presidents: - ANSWER- Theodore Roosevelt , William Howard Taft , and Woodrow Wilson led reforms at the national level. In the late 19th century , American farmers faced hardships due to - ANSWER- overproduction of farm goods , high costs ( of shipping , etc ) , growing debt , and periodic natural disasters. In the 1860s , some farmers began to form organizations in an attempt to overcome these challenges. The Grange Movement - ANSWER-Grangers began to work for economic and political reforms. In 1892 , farmers gave their support to - ANSWER-the Populist Party. The Populist Party was - ANSWER-a national political party formed in 1892 to represent the " common man. " It gained support from farmers , industrial workers , and miners who believed that rich industrialists and bankers had too much control over the government. The Populist Party developed a party platform with several key proposals : - ANSWER- unlimited coinage of silver, direct election , graduated income tax, government ownership, term limits
unlimited coinage of silver - ANSWER-inflation would raise farm price and make it easier to repay loans direct election - ANSWER-of Senators to allow more democracy and a secret ballot to protect voters graduated income tax - ANSWER-tax wealthy Americans at a higher rate government ownership - ANSWER-of railroads , telegraphs , and telephones term limits - ANSWER-for President , immigration restrictions , and a shorter work day The Populists worked to get candidates elected to office. In the presidential Election of 1896 the Populists supported - ANSWER-William Jennings Bryan. Bryan's " Cross of Gold " speech demanded the unlimited coinage of silver and praised American farmers. He lost the election to William McKinley The Populist Party declined by 1900 , but its importance shows that third parties are important to history. They provide an outlet for - ANSWER-minorities to generate new ideas. Many Populist ideas were later adopted by larger parties and the progressives. The Progressive Movement - ANSWER-spanned the years between 1900 and World War I. Progressives were mainly urban , middle - class Americans who wanted to correct the political and economic injustices that resulted from industrialization. They wanted reform and to use the power of the government to improve society for ALL Americans. The roots of the Progressive Movement came from : - ANSWER-the Social Gospel Movement, Socialists, and muckrakers the Social Gospel Movement - ANSWER-emphasized that there was a Christian duty to help those the less fortunate Socialists - ANSWER-believed the government should take over basic industries instead of capitalism muckrakers - ANSWER-reporters and writers who examined the rise of industry and abusive business practices to reveal a need for change Jacob Riis - ANSWER-photographed conditions of the poor in How the Other Half Lives Ida Tarbell - ANSWER-exposed Rockefeller's ruthless business practices Upton Sinclair - ANSWER-described unsanitary practices in the meat - packing industry in The Jungle
- an increase in the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate railroads
- measures to conserve and protect the nation's resources William Howard Taft continued many of Roosevelt's policies - ANSWER-such as trust - busting Woodrow Wilson called his Progressive program - ANSWER-" New Freedom " and focused on attacking high tariffs , the unregulated banking system , and harmful trusts the Underwood Tariff - ANSWER-lowered tariffs that hurt average Americans the Sixteenth Amendment - ANSWER-instituted a graduated income tax the Federal Reserve Act - ANSWER-reformed the banking industry the Clayton Antitrust Act - ANSWER-gave the government more power to prevent unfair business practices while protecting labor unions , and the Federal Trade Commission was put in place to further protect consumers. The Progressive Era gave way to a women's suffrage movement , resulting in significant gains in women's rights. - ANSWER-Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were reformers who organized the National American Woman Suffrage Association in
Finally , after America entered World War I , the Nineteenth Amendment was proposed
- ANSWER-It was ratified in 1920 , giving American women the right to vote. This was the last major achievement of the progressive Movement. Spanish American War in 1898. - ANSWER-the United States emerged as a great power on the world stage Causes of the spanish american war included : - ANSWER-1. Spain's harsh treatment of the Cubans and an American desire to help them
- the sensationalism of events by yellow journalism in U.S. newspapers
- the publication of the De Lome letter criticizing President McKinley
- the explosion of the U.S.S. Maine in a Cuban harbor ( Americans blamed Spain ) By the end of the war , the U.S. was occupying 4 of Spain's former colonies ( Cuba , the Philippines , Guam , and Puerto Rico ). This led to a debate over imperialism and what the U.S. should do with these new territories. - ANSWER-Imperialists wanted to keep these colonies and expand the U.S. in order to acquire new raw materials and markets for industrial goods , promote naval strength by securing naval bases throughout the world , and demonstrate nationalism. Many of them believed that Americans were a superior race that should rule others ( Social Darwinism ).
Anti - Imperialists formed the Anti - Imperialist League in 1898 to oppose the acquisition of colonies. They believed imperialism violated the principles of self - government on which the U.S. was founded. In the end , the imperialists won the argument and the U.S. began to build an empire in the Pacific Alfred Thayer Mahan was - ANSWER-an imperialist who argued that to achieve world power , a country needed a powerful navy with colonies and naval bases throughout the world. Congress decided to annex the Philippines , leading to a - ANSWER-Filipino rebellion Sandford B. Dole - ANSWER-an American landowner in Hawaii who encouraged the annexation of Hawaii and led a provisional government while the U.S. worked to annex the islands ; he became governor of Hawaii once it was annexed ( 1898 ) the U.S. also maintained control of Guam and Samoa & Midway in the Pacific - ANSWER-control of these islands gave the U.S. greater influence in the Pacific and increased opportunities for trade in East Asia - in 1899 , the U.S. Secretary of State announced the " Open Door " Policy , giving equal trading rights to all foreign nations in China Control of Puerto Rico and indirect control over Cuba after the Spanish - American War led to - ANSWER-increased U.S. interest in the Caribbean region , as well. Due to expansion , the U.S. needed a canal to send ships back and forth between the Caribbean and the Pacific. When Colombia refused to lease land to the U.S. for a canal President Theodore Roosevelt supported a Panamanian revolt against Colombian rule In 1903 , construction on the Panama Canal began - ANSWER-Building the canal was a challenge due to intense heat , heavy rains , and yellow fever. early 1900s under President Roosevelt , the U.S. began intervening in the Caribbean to protect America's economic interests. - ANSWER-Roosevelt used the " Roosevelt Corollary " and his Big Stick Policy to justify American intervention in Latin America. President Taft encouraged bankers to invest in Caribbean countries to promote American interests This was called - ANSWER-Dollar Diplomacy During the Progressive Era , presidents Roosevelt , Taft , and Wilson sent troops into Latin America to - ANSWER-protect American interests and promote the security of the western hemisphere. In Europe , World War I was caused by - ANSWER-nationalism , imperialism , the alliance system , and militarism. It was sparked by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand ( Austria - Hungary ) by a Serbian nationalist
, and the creation of the League of Nations ( an international peace - keeping organization ) to prevent future wars Treaty of Versailles - ANSWER-included some of Wilson's Fourteen Points , like the League of Nations , but was very harsh on Germany. When the Treaty of Versailles was sent to Congress for approval , opponents argued that the League of Nations would drag the country into unnecessary military commitments Henry Cabot Lodge - ANSWER-the leader of opposition to the League of Nations Wilson was unwilling to compromise with the Senate and , despite Wilson's attempts to gain support from the American public - ANSWER-the Senate never approved the Treaty of Versailles and the U.S. never joined the League of Nations. The Roaring Twenties - ANSWER-The 1920s were a period of economic prosperity and changing cultural values. " Red Scare. " - ANSWER-The end of World War I brought new fears to America as Communists in Russia threatened to spread their revolution to other countries. The wave of panic and hysteria in America caused by a fear of Communists , anarchists , and immigrants Palmer Raids - ANSWER-In 1919 , a series of unexplained bombings in the U.S. convinced Attorney General Mitchell Palmer that action was needed to prevent a radical takeover. His assistant J. Edgar Hoover directed the ______________ which resulted in the arrests of 4,000 suspects and the deportation of 600 suspects Sacco and Vanzetti - ANSWER-Two Italian immigrants convicted of committing murder during a robbery. There was not much evidence against them , but they were found guilty and executed dislike nativism - ANSWER-guilty executed ( a dislike of foreigners ). Nativists believed white Protestant Americans were superior to other people Ku Klux Klan - ANSWER-revived in 1915 ; its members were hostile to immigrants , Catholics , and Jews in addition to African Americans Three Republican presidents served during the 1920s - ANSWER-Presidents Harding , Coolidge , and Hoover supported laissez fair economic policies that favored big business ( such as high tariffs , lower taxes on the wealthy , and little enforcement of antitrust laws ) and allowed limited government interference in the economy In the Election of 1920 , Warren Harding promised - ANSWER-a ' return to normalcy ' after World War I. He placed emphasis on prosperity at home while steering away from foreign affairs by enacting high tariffs , refusing to join the League of Nations , and restricting immigration.
Warren Harding administration is known for corruption as a result of the Teapot Dome Scandal - ANSWER-In this scandal , a Cabinet member leased oil - rich government lands to business friends in exchange for a bribe President Calvin Coolidge's motto was - ANSWER-" the business of America is business. " President Herbert Hoover believed in - ANSWER-" rugged individualism , " a system in which equal opportunities , a free education , and a will to succeed spurred progress and America's greatness. 1920s the rise of the automobile - ANSWER-Henry Ford built cars that Americans could more easily afford by introducing the assembly line method of production 1920s , the rise of other new industries - ANSWER-new household appliances , the use of electrical power , and airplanes Glenn Curtiss - ANSWER-airplanes ; an early aviation pioneer whose innovations marked the birth of U.S. naval aviation 1920s , more efficient production techniques - ANSWER-the assembly line increased productivity and lowered prices mass consumption - ANSWER-advertising increased demand for goods , and the ability to buy on credit allowed Americans to buy more expensive goods speculation - ANSWER-the purchase of any item in the hope of selling it later at a higher price uneven prosperity in the 1920s - ANSWER-wealth was highly concentrated , and many Americans ( farmers and minority groups ) still faced lower incomes and poverty. Eighteenth Amendment - ANSWER-began Prohibition , banning the sale of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movement leaders and reformers like Frances Willard believed that the banning of alcohol would protect families , women , and children from the effects of alcohol abuse. Overall , Prohibition was unenforceable and a failure and it was repealed by the Twenty - first Amendment. A clash between traditionalists and modernists took place when Tennessee passed a law against the teaching of Darwinism. This law was brought to national attention in the
- ANSWER-Scopes " Monkey " Trial. William Jennings Bryan represented the prosecution , and Clarence Darrow was John T. Scopes ' attorney. Immigration Acts of 1921 , 1924 and 1929 - ANSWER-designed to keep out immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe by setting immigration quotas
On the Great Plains , dry weather in the 1930s led to natural and financial disaster - ANSWER-the dust bowl. John Steinbeck - ANSWER-wrote The Grapes of Wrath about the struggles of America's Oakies , farmers from Oklahoma who moved west in search of jobs during the Great Depression. Mexican Repatriation Act - ANSWER-Many Mexican - American workers were forced back to Mexico because they faced prejudice from white American farmers who were in desperate need of work and in competition for jobs filled by Mexican - American immigrants President Hoover did little to fight the Great Depression at first. He thought that voluntary private organizations should be responsible for helping the unemployed and that the Depression would be temporary - ANSWER-Americans were frustrated with Hoover's lack of action President Hoover In 1932 create the Reconstruction Finance Corporation - ANSWER-to give emergency loans to banks and businesses ; these actions were too little , too late to halt the Great Depression President Franklin D. Roosevelt , however promised Americans a New Deal - ANSWER-He believed that it was his job as president to find a way to help the nation recover. He recruited talented intellectuals to help him and addressed the nation in frequent fireside chats on the radio to restore public confidence Eleanor Roosevelt - ANSWER-political activist who traveled the country and spoke out for women's rights and the poor during the Depression. She called on women to pull their families through the crisis. Roosevelt's New Deal consisted of measures of relief , recovery , and reform Relief measures - ANSWER-short - term actions to help people who were unemployed the Civilian Conservation Corps - ANSWER-gave jobs to young men and sent money to their families the Public Works Administration - ANSWER-created federal jobs by building public schools , roads , post offices , and bridges the Works Progress Administration - ANSWER-created jobs by hiring artists , writers , and musicians the National Recovery Administration - ANSWER-asked businesses to follow codes for prices , production limits , and minimum wages but was later declared unconstitutional
the Agricultural Adjustment Act - ANSWER-aimed to raise crop prices by paying farmers to plant less ; it was later declared unconstitutional the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ( FDIC ) - ANSWER-insured bank deposits so people would not lose all their savings in a bank failure the Tennessee Valley Authority - ANSWER-built government - owned dams to bring electricity to one of the poorest regions in America the Securities and Exchange Commission - ANSWER-regulated the stock market to prevent fraud the Social Security Act - ANSWER-provided workers with unemployment insurance and old age pensions to protect Americans monetary policy - ANSWER-Roosevelt also relied on the government's ability to regulate the money supply to address the Great Depression The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 - ANSWER-established the Federal Reserve System , which controls the ability of banks to lend money and , therefore , regulates the money supply During an economic downturn - ANSWER-the Federal Reserve usually increases the amount of money in circulation to increase borrowing , increase spending , and stimulate production and employment During times of economic prosperity - ANSWER-prices rise , leading to inflation. The Federal Reserve responds by reducing the money supply to lessen borrowing and spending. the gold standard - ANSWER-During the 1800s , the U.S. used both gold and silver as acceptable currency until 1933 when Roosevelt outlawed the ownership of gold ( as money ). He wanted people to rely on paper ( fiat ) money to expand the money supply and stimulate the economy Most countries in the world today use fiat money. Dr. Francis Townsend - ANSWER-wanted FDR to do more for citizens over 65 years old by giving them monthly pensions Huey Long - ANSWER-promised to give each American family an income of $ 5000 per year by taxing the rich Father Coughlin - ANSWER-called for the nationalization of banks and utilities on his radio program:
Pearl Harbor - ANSWER-Roosevelt , unhappy with continued Japanese aggression , cut off all trade with Japan when they refused to withdraw from China and Indochina. The Japanese launched a surprise attack on December 7 , 1941 , damaging American planes and ships and killing or injuring almost 6,000 Americans. The next day , the U.S. declared war against Japan. The U.S. was now engaged in a war against the Axis powers on two " fronts " - Europe and the Pacific. WWII - ANSWER-1. The government sold war bonds to pay for the war.
- U.S. factories converted from peacetime to wartime production ( Ex : American automobile factories switched to making to tanks during the war ). The War Production Board managed this conversion.
- Rationing regulated the amount of goods Americans could obtain to control the use of materials needed for war. Americans used ration coupons to obtain food , coffee , tires , and gasoline.
- Many Americans planted victory gardens to grow their own fruits and vegetables in order to conserve the food supply. The Office of War Information - ANSWER-produced pro - Allied , anti - Axis propaganda like posters , movies , and radio programs , to make citizens aware of how they could help the war effort. Women's Army Corps - ANSWER-programs WWII provided women with many new opportunities in war - related industries. More than 6.5 million women entered the workforce during the war. They joined and replaced jobs typically held by men so that more men could be sent into combat. Tuskegee Airmen - ANSWER-an all - black fighter group in the Air Corps who provided escorts for pilots on bombing missions Vernon Baker - ANSWER-In the Battle of the Bulge a black soldier , was awarded a Medal of Honor for his service Navajo Code Talkers - ANSWER-were used to send war messages in the military , because their language could not be deciphered by the Japanese. Executive Order 9066 - ANSWER-permitting military commanders to require Japanese Americans to move to internment camps. In these camps , thousands of Japanese Americans lived in crowded , uncomfortable conditions. Korematsu v. U.S. - ANSWER-The Supreme Court ruled that the internment of the Japanese Americans was constitutional George Patton - ANSWER-was one of the most successful U.S. commanders fighting in Europe
General Dwight Eisenhower - ANSWER-commanded the invasion of Normandy , France in what is known as the D - Day invasion in 1944. He chose General Omar Bradley to lead the first American army to land in France the Battle of the Bulge - ANSWER-Forces moved through France and liberated Paris , but the Germans counter - attacked When this German attack collapsed , Allied troops moved toward Germany The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) - ANSWER-created to protect the environment by setting / enforcing air and water pollution standards. 1972 , the Equal Rights Amendment ( ERA ) - ANSWER-proposed by women's suffragists in 1923 ) was approved by Congress. The amendment was never ratified by the states but was an important part of the Women's Liberation Movement of the 1970s Phyllis Schlafly - ANSWER-Women's Liberation Movement critic ; she believed the ERA would reduce the rights of wives and harm family life Détente - ANSWER-relaxing of tensions Watergate Scandal - ANSWER-when it was discovered that Nixon lied about his participation in a cover - up of the break - in. Fearing removal from office , Nixon became the first president to resign from office. After assuming the presidency , President Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon for any crimes he " may have " committed. stagflation - ANSWER-inflation ( rising prices ) plus stagnation ( a slow economy ). Rising oil prices , caused by regulations imposed by OPEC contributed to this problem. High energy prices impacted the American economy greatly. Panama Canal Treaty - ANSWER-returned control of the Canal Zone to Panama Camp David Accords - ANSWER-President Jimmy Carter negotiated an agreement between Egypt and Israel. U.S. policy had been historically supportive of Israel , and Israel relied on U.S. economic / military aid Conservative President Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980 , - ANSWER-beginning a resurgence of conservatism that had roots the National Rifle Association ( NRA ) - ANSWER-became political in the 1980s when it endorsed Reagan the Moral Majority - ANSWER-made up of fundamentalist Christians who favored a strict interpretation of the Bible. and a socially conservative political agenda that opposed the ERA ; the group strongly supported Reagan in the 1980 election
