Royer Chapter 17

New Imperialism

The period after 1870 when European powers and Japan dominated foreign expansion, acquiring territories in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific.

Monroe Doctrine

A U.S. policy established in 1823 that warned European nations against further colonization in the Western Hemisphere.

Alfred T. Mahan

Naval officer and historian whose work emphasized the importance of sea power in national strength and encouraged American naval expansion.

Spanish-American War

A conflict in 1898 between the United States and Spain, resulting in the U.S. acquiring territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

Teller Amendment

An amendment passed by Congress stating that the United States would not annex Cuba following its independence from Spain.

Imperialist

A person who supports or practices imperialism, which is the policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

Anti-Imperialist League

An organization formed in 1898 to oppose the annexation of the Philippines and the U.S. policy of imperialism.

Open Door Policy

A diplomatic policy that sought to ensure equal trading rights for all nations in China and prevent any one nation from monopolizing trade.

Platt Amendment

A 1901 amendment to the Cuban constitution that allowed the U.S. to intervene in Cuban affairs and established a naval base at Guantánamo Bay.

White Man's Burden

A phrase derived from a poem by Rudyard Kipling, used to justify imperialism as a moral obligation to civilize non-white societies.

Racism in the Age of Empire

As the 19th century ended, American society faced divisions of class and race, with a focus on redefining freedom by excluding 'unworthy' groups.

Ida B. Wells' Campaign

Ida B. Wells fought against lynching and racial terrorism, highlighting that lynchings were often based on unfounded accusations by white individuals.

W. E. B. Du Bois' Philosophy

Du Bois advocated for equal rights for black Americans, challenging the idea that racial inferiority justified their oppression.

New Immigration in the 1890s

The 1890s saw a significant immigration shift, with millions arriving from southern and eastern Europe, leading to heightened nativism and racial nationalism.

Immigration Restriction League

Founded in 1894, this group sought to reduce immigration from southern and eastern Europe, viewing it as a cause of urban crime and poverty.

Chinese Exclusion Act

Enacted in 1882, it was the first law to exclude a specific ethnic group from entering the U.S., permanently restricting Chinese immigration.

Labor Movement Changes

The rise of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) marked a shift towards limiting union membership to skilled workers, excluding many others.

Women's Era (1890s-1920s)

This period saw an expansion of women's opportunities for work and public life, although many women still lacked the right to vote.

Responses to Racial Exclusion

Political figures and activists protested against racial exclusion measures, recognizing the danger of setting precedents for discrimination.

Nativism in the Women's Movement

The suffrage movement increasingly aligned with nativist sentiments, focusing on the perceived superiority of native-born, white women.

Alfred T. Mahan

Naval officer and historian whose work emphasized the importance of sea power in national strength and encouraged American naval expansion.

Ida B. Wells

A civil rights activist who fought against lynching and racial terrorism, highlighting that lynchings were often based on unfounded accusations by white individuals.

W. E. B. Du Bois

An advocate for equal rights for black Americans, challenging the idea that racial inferiority justified their oppression.

Undoing Reconstruction

The efforts made after 1877 by the Redeemers to reverse the gains made during Reconstruction, particularly affecting education and civil rights.

Redeemers

A coalition of merchants, planters, and business entrepreneurs who dominated Southern politics after 1877 and aimed to undo Reconstruction.

Convict Labor

A system where southern states rented out convicts, primarily black men imprisoned for minor offenses, to private businesses for labor at low costs.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States, institutionalizing a system of white supremacy.

Separate but Equal

The legal doctrine established by the Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) that stated racially segregated facilities were constitutional as long as they were equal.

The Failure of Populism in the South

The collapse of populist movements in the South led to the dominance of white supremacy and the establishment of segregationist policies.

Atlanta Compromise

Booker T. Washington’s 1895 speech that advocated for black economic self-help and vocational training while compromising on political and civil rights.

Poll Tax

A fee imposed on voters to eliminate black voting, despite the Fifteenth Amendment's protections against racial discrimination in voting.

Literacy Tests

Examinations imposed on voters to restrict black voting by requiring individuals to demonstrate reading and writing proficiency.

Grandfather Clause

A legal loophole that exempted white voters from new voting requirements that disenfranchised black voters, enacted after the Civil War.

Lynching

The extrajudicial killing of individuals, typically used as a violent means to enforce white supremacy and racial control in the South.

The Kansas Exodus

The migration of 40,000 to 60,000 African-Americans from the South to Kansas in 1879-1880, seeking better opportunities and political freedom.

Mary McLeod Bethune

An educator and civil rights leader who founded a school in Florida and worked for black women's rights and education.

Black Middle Class

A socio-economic group that emerged in the black communities of southern cities, comprising professionals and business owners serving black customers.

Black Political Disenfranchisement

The systematic efforts to prevent African-Americans from voting in the South, particularly through legal restrictions and intimidation.

Eugenics Movement

A social philosophy that sought to improve the genetic quality of a population, often used to justify racial segregation and discrimination.

Segregation in Education

The separation of students based on race, leading to inferior educational conditions for black children under Jim Crow laws.

The Farmers' Revolt

A response to falling agricultural prices and economic dependency in rural areas, particularly affecting tenant farmers in the South and West.

Sharecropping System

A system that locked tenant farmers into perpetual poverty, as they were bound to their landowners and unable to save or accumulate wealth.

Subtreasury Plan

A proposal by the Farmers' Alliance for the federal government to establish warehouses for farmers to store crops, allowing them to use crops as collateral for low-interest loans.

People's Party (Populists)

The political party that emerged from the Farmers' Alliance, aiming to represent the interests of farmers and other producing classes.

Ignatius Donnelly

A Minnesota editor who wrote the Populist platform of 1892, highlighting issues of political corruption and economic inequality.

Tom Watson

Georgia's leading Populist who worked to unite black and white small farmers for a common political and economic cause.

Mary Elizabeth Lease

A prominent female organizer in the Populist movement, known for her campaigning and advocacy for farmers' rights.

Populist Platform of 1892

A document calling for reforms such as the direct election of senators, government control of currency, a graduated income tax, and public ownership of railroads.

William Jennings Bryan

The Democratic candidate in 1896 who advocated for 'free silver' and appealed to farmers and workers during his nationwide campaign.

The Pullman Strike

A 1894 strike protesting wage reductions in the Pullman Company, leading to federal intervention and emphasizing the conflict between labor and government.