Definitions C-D

C

cabinet - an informal group of advisers to the president of the United States.

Camp David Accords- an agreement in September, 1978, between Egypt and Israel resulting in Israel's return of captured Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, at the urgent request of U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

capital - amount of money, property, or other resources a company or person uses to carry on a business.

Capitalism- a system under which the production and distribution of goods and services are privately managed.

Carnegie, Andrew- a "captian of industry," to some a "robber baron," to others his power and wealth had an immense influence upon America as well as his beliefs in the Gospel of Wealth as well as Social Dawinism.

carpetbagger- during Reconstruction, Northerners who went South after the Civil War; so called because some carried a type of luggage made of carpeting material that was popular at the time.

Carter, James Earl, aka "Jimmy"- American President (1977-81) ended U.S. control of the Panama Canal; created the departments of Health and Human Services; Iranian Hostage Crisis; Camp David Accords

Casablanca Conference- meeting in January 1943 among Roosevelt, Churchill, and other Allied leaders at Casablanca, Morocco; Allies agreed to insist on unconditional surrender of Germany, Italy and Japan.

Catcher in the Rye, The - J.D Salinger's classic, coming of age tale; banned by some public schools during the 1950's.

censure- in U.S. Congress, public condemnation of a member for misconduct.

Central powers- the triple alliance ( Germany,Austria-Hungary, Italy) and later the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

characture- to exaggerate the features of an particular individual. Often used in political cartoons to lampoon a public official.

checks and balances- system by which each branch of government can to some degree, prevent or control the actions of the other two branches.

Chicano Power- the seeking of social, economic and politial power and equity for Mexican Americans; Civil Rights movement associated with Mexican-Americans during the 1960's.

Chinese Exclusion Act- a law passed by Congress in 1882 that suspended Chinese immigration for ten years and restricted the rights of Chinese already in the United States.

Chisolm Trail- cattle trail that stretched northward from San Antonio, Texas to Abilene,Kansas; after arriving in Abilene,cattle were shipped to market by train.

chlorofluorocarbons- chemicals used in aerosol sprays, refrigeration, and many kinds of plastic and Styrofoam products; some scientists claim these are responsible for damage to Earth's ozone layer.

Christianity- religion based on teachings of Jesus Christ as they appear in the Bible; Christian religion.

Churchhill, Winston- British leader during WWII; post WWII, Iron Curtian speach

city- manager plan- a form of city-government, first tried in Staunton, Virginia, in 1908; city council is elected to make laws and set policy; council in turn appoints manager trained in municipal government.

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)- a New deal agency employing men between ages of 18 and 25 to replant forests, stock lakes and streams with fish, restore historic battlefields, build parks and fight Forrest fires.

civil liberties- rights guaranteed to an individual by laws or constitution of a state or country; also the freedom to enjoy these rights without undue restraint by government.

Civil Rights Act of 1866- act passed by Congress that guaranteed citizenship to African Americans; gave federal government right to protect their civil rights; Andrew Johnson vetoed the bill.

Civil Right Act of 1964- act passed by Congress that barred the discrimination in public places, gave attorney general authority to bring suits to desegregate schools or public facilities, banned discrimination in employment on basis of race, color, sex, nationality or religion.

Civil Right Movement- 1950's and 60's movement of minority groups access for political, economic, and social equality; most often associated with Afro-American's struggle for Civil Rights

Civil War: an internal war; a war among peoples within the same country. For example, the American Civil War took place between 1861-65.

Clayton Antitrust Act- an act of Congress that exempted unions from antitrust actions and outlawed interlocking directorates of companies.

Coercive Acts- series of orders issued by British government in 1774 that closed the port of Boston, made changes in the Massachusetts government structure, lodged British among the people, let British officials charged with murder have trials in England.

Cold War- rivalry between United States and Soviet Union that began after World War II; carried on by political and economic means instead of direct military actions.

Commission on National Goals- commission appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to give the nation a new sense of purpose; report issued by commission called for increased military spending, broader educational opportunities, and more government support of the arts and the sciences.

commission system- a form of city government invented by progressive reformers and initiated in Galveston,Texas, in 1901; law making and executive functions are vested in a nonpartisan commission of three to five members, each of whom heads a major city function.

Common Sense- a pamphlet published by Thomas Paine in 1776 arguing for the independence of the American colonies from England; 120,000 copies were sold in three months.

Communism- a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of property in common; an economic theory where as the state controls the means of production and the distribution and consumption of products.Often considered the opposite of fascism.

Company Town-a town created for employees of a business; whereas the employees often live in company homes, shop at company stores, and often purchase merchandise in script instead of money. In short wages earned by workers find their way back to the company. Great portrayal in the finest of all films; Matewan.

Compromise of 1850- a compromise in the slavery debate with which northerners and southerners accepted as an alternative to dissolving the Union; California was admitted to the Union as a free state , New Mexico and Utah were organized as territories and slavery was left open to voters; Texas was paid $ 10 million ; slave trade was abolished in Washington D.C. , and a harsher fugitive slave law was passed.

Compromise of 1877- solution to dispute over electoral vote in election of 1876; Compromise gave Republican Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency and Democrats gained promise that all federal troops would be withdrawn from the South.

concurrent powers- powers held in common by state and federal governments as established by the Constitution.

Congress of Industrial Organizations(CIO)- union established in 1937 by John L. Lewis to create industrial unions principally among the unskilled workers not represented by craft unions; originally established as a committee within the American Federation of Labor n 1935; became a direct rival of the AFL until the two reunited in 1955.

Conquistadors- Spanish conquerors in North and South America during 1500s.

conservation- official protection and care of forests, rivers and other natural resources.

containment- United States policy toward the Soviet Union in decades after World War II in which the United States committed itself to stopping the spread of Communism.

Continental Congress- meetings of colonial representatives in 1774 and 1775 to respond to Coercive acts;, plan for possible war against Britain and finally to approve the Deceleration of Independence.

Constitution- the system of fundemental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like is governed.

contras- Nicaraguan rebel fighters who opposed leftist Sandinistas; backed by president Reagan; Spanish for "those against."

convoy- system originated by U.S. during World War II to use armed escort ships to protect merchant vessels as they crossed the Atlantic ocean.

Copperheads- persons in the North who sympathized with the South during the Civil War.

Coral Sea, Battle of- during World War II, a strategic victory for the Americans in the Pacific that halted the Japanese advance on Australia in May 1942; battle proved that the aircraft carrier had replaced the battleship as the formidable naval weapon.

corporation- business organization owned by many investors rather than by a single owner or small number of partners.

Cotton Club- nightclub in the heart of Harlem; a favorite of dance and Jazz during the Harlem Renaissance

counterculture- a 1960s youth movement that rejected many of the established values and customs of modern society.

coureurs de bois- colonial French fur traders or trappers who lived among the indians and adopted many indian customs.

court-packing plan- President Franklin Roosevelt's plan to appoint members to the Supreme Court who would support certain New Deal programs.

covert- kept from sight, concealed; hidden.

cover-up- something that covers or hides an evil or criminal act , legally a cover- up of a crime is itself a crime.

Coxey's army- several hundred unemployed workers, led by Ohio businessman and Populist Jacob coxey, who demonstrated in April,1894 in Washington D.C. against Congresses failure to pass a bill creating federal jobs for the unemployed; marchers were ignored by Congress and beaten and dispersed by police.


Credit Mobilier- a political scandal in 1872 in which Vice President Colfax and other high republican officials were found to have received shares in the credit mobilier construction company in return for helping the company avoid investigation of large stock swindles and fraudulent government contracts.

Cronkite, Walter- CBS News anchorman; most prominent newscaster of the 1960's;

CRP ( Committee for the Re-election of the President)- committee organized in 1971 to reelect Nixon ; headed by former Attorney General John Mitchell.

Crop-lien system- a system in which a farm family would borrow money against next year's crop from a local merchant; higher than normal prices for items thus purchased served to keep farmers in debt.

Cuban Missile Crisis- a confrontation in 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union involving placement of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, only 90 miles from the U.S.; the United States demanded that the removal of missiles and a naval blockade was setup to stop Soviet ships from bringing additional weapons to Cuba; Soviet ships turned back; the Soviet union agreed to remove missiles as long as the United States would not invade Cuba.

D

Dawes Act- a law passed in 1887, dissolved tribes, ended tribal ownership of land, allotted specific acreage to individual Indians, and forced Indians to accept values of white American culture.

D-Day- June 6, 1944, day that Allied invasion of France began during World War II.

Declaration of Independence- official document signed by Second Continental Congress on July 2, 1776, in which American colonies declared themselves independent from England; written primarily by Thomas Jefferson.

Declaratory Act- act passed by British Parliament in 1766 asserting that Parliament had the right and authority to make laws for the colonies in all cases; acts of colonial assemblies could be voted.

de facto segregation- segregation that has developed by custom rather than law such as unfair or discriminatory practices in the sale or rental of housing.

deinstitutionalization- mental health policy begun in 1970s in which mental health experts decided that many mentally ill people should live outside institutions as part of the larger community.

de jure segregation- racial segregation that is supported by law.

De Lome letter- a letter written in 1898 by Enrique Dupuy de Lome , Spanish minister to the United States, criticizing President McKinley; Cuban revolutionaries stole and made public the letter in effort to gain U.S. support in their fight for independence from Spain.

Democratic party- one of the two main political parties in the U.S. ; in the 1800s, upheld; doctrine of states rights and represented agricultural interests.

Democratic- Republican party- political party composed of supporters of Jefferson in 1790s; worked in opposition to Hamiltons Federalists.

demographer- person who studies changes in population groupings.

Depression of 1893- sever depression of with highest levels of business failure since Civil War; unemployment increased from 3 percent in 1892 to 18 percent in 1894; Cleveland Administration asked Congress to stop all silver coinage, to replenish federal gold reserves, to reduce tariffs; Cleveland opposed enactment of income taxes.

detente- relaxation of tensions between nations.

dirty tricks- term applied to methods used to sabotage the Democratic presidential campaign of 1972 by members if Nixon reelection committee.

disfranchisement- taking away the right to vote or hold office from a group or individual; practice was enacted to deny African Americans their right to vote in the South during the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

dividends- a portion of a company's yearly profits payeed to the shareholders for owning stock in the company.

Dixiecrats- the term used by press in 1948 for Southern Democrats who favored states rights, wanted to protect southern white interests, and limit political and economic interests, and limit political and economic power of African Americans; Supported Strom Thurmond of South Carolina for president.

dollar diplomacy- name given by President Taft's critics to policy that used both diplomacy and dollars to protect American interests in foreign countries, particularly in Latin America.

domino theory- idea developed by Eisenhower Administration that the fall of one nation to communism would lead to the fall of its neighbors ; theory formed the basis of U.S. policy in Vietnam.

Doves- biblical birds of peace; those who oppposed the war in Vietnam

draft- a method of apportioning individuals into the armed services; in the United States, at eighteen all men must register for the draft.

DuBois- W. E. B.- writer and reformer; founding member of the NAACP. critical of Booker T. Washington; author of The Soul of Black Folks

due process of law - whole course of legal measures which, carried out according to established rules, serves to protect people and their interests.

Dust Bowl- one of the contributing factors of the Great Depression; a natural disaster which struck the plains from the Dakotas to Texas in the mid-30's; see Grapes of Wrath or Okies


dumbbell tenement- a design in 1879 by James E. Ware that won a contest for cheap housing for the poor in New York City; floor plan resulted in dark cramped apartments without private baths; by 1890 such tenements housed more than half the city's population.