Populism, Imperialism & Progressive Era (1880s–1917) – Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, events, people, and reforms from Populism through the Progressive Era (1880s–1917).

Populist Party

Political movement of mainly Western & Southern farmers (1890s) that demanded economic reforms like free silver and railroad regulation.

Free Silver

Policy to coin silver alongside gold, creating inflation that would ease farmers’ debts.

Graduated Income Tax

Tax system in which higher incomes pay a larger percentage; embraced by Populists and later enacted as the 16th Amendment.

Direct Election of Senators

Populist demand eventually achieved by the 17th Amendment, allowing voters—not state legislatures—to choose U.S. senators.

Railroad Regulation

Populist call for government control of railroad rates to curb monopolistic practices.

8-Hour Workday

Labor reform supported by Populists and industrial workers to limit the standard workday to eight hours.

Imperialism

Late-19th-century policy of acquiring territories and exerting political or economic control over other nations.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

Naval strategist whose book The Influence of Sea Power upon History argued that global power depended on a strong navy and overseas bases.

“White Man’s Burden”

Ideology claiming that Anglo-Saxons had a duty to civilize “lesser” peoples; used to justify U.S. imperialism.

Social Darwinism

Belief that competition and “survival of the fittest” applied to nations and races, rationalizing imperial conquest.

Hawaiian Annexation (1898)

U.S. takeover of Hawaii after sugar planters overthrew Queen Liliuokalani; made the islands a U.S. territory.

Queen Liliuokalani

Last monarch of Hawaii, deposed by American planters in 1893 before U.S. annexation.

Spanish-American War (1898)

Conflict sparked by Cuban independence movement, yellow journalism, and the USS Maine explosion; made the U.S. a colonial power.

Yellow Journalism

Sensationalist news reporting that stirred public outrage and pushed the U.S. toward war with Spain.

USS Maine

U.S. battleship whose 1898 explosion in Havana harbor became a rallying cry—“Remember the Maine”—for war with Spain.

Territorial Gains (1898)

Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines were ceded to the U.S.; Cuba came under informal control.

Philippine-American War (1899–1902)

Bloody conflict after Filipinos resisted U.S. rule; featured guerrilla warfare and harsh U.S. tactics.

Panama Canal (1904–1914)

Strategic waterway built after U.S. supported Panamanian revolt; symbol of American engineering and power.

Big Stick Diplomacy

Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy: negotiate peacefully while backing up demands with military force.

Anti-Imperialists

Figures like Mark Twain and Jane Addams who opposed U.S. colonial expansion on moral and democratic grounds.

Progressive Era

Period (1900–1917) of widespread social, political, and economic reforms aimed at curbing Gilded Age abuses.

Trust-Busting

Government lawsuits—pioneered by Roosevelt and Taft—designed to break up monopolistic corporations.

Dollar Diplomacy

William H. Taft’s policy of using U.S. investment and economic power to influence foreign governments.

Moral Diplomacy

Woodrow Wilson’s approach that promoted democratic ideals abroad while avoiding conquest.

Muckrakers

Progressive-era investigative journalists who exposed corruption and social ills.

Upton Sinclair

Muckraker whose novel The Jungle revealed unsanitary meatpacking conditions, leading to the Meat Inspection Act (1906).

Ida Tarbell

Journalist whose History of the Standard Oil Company helped inspire antitrust action.

Initiative

Progressive reform allowing citizens to propose laws directly on the ballot.

Referendum

Process permitting voters to approve or reject laws passed by legislatures.

Recall

Procedure enabling voters to remove elected officials before their terms end.

16th Amendment (1913)

Authorized a federal income tax, targeting wealthier Americans.

17th Amendment (1913)

Established direct election of U.S. senators by popular vote.

18th Amendment (1919)

Created nationwide Prohibition of alcohol (later repealed by the 21st Amendment).

19th Amendment (1920)

Granted women the right to vote across the United States.