American Imperialism and the Progressive Era Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, figures, events, and policies from American Imperialism and the Progressive Era notes.

Imperialism

A policy in which a country extends its power through political control, economic domination, or territorial expansion.

The Three G's

God (spread Christianity), Glory (national pride and military power), and Gold (resources and profits), which along with Social Darwinism and the White Man's Burden were used to justify American expansion.

Anti-Imperialist Sentiment

Opposition to overseas expansion based on the belief that imperialism contradicted democracy and the right of people to govern themselves.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

A naval officer and strategist who argued that a powerful navy was essential for national greatness and supported naval expansion, overseas bases, and a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific.

Seward's Folly

The term critics used for Secretary of State William Seward's 1867 purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2\text{ million}$, though Alaska later proved valuable for its resources and location.

Pan-Americanism

A movement promoted by James G. Blaine to foster stronger trade, diplomacy, and economic cooperation among countries in the Americas.

American Assertiveness

The growing willingness of the United States to use diplomatic, economic, and military power to influence other countries.

Queen Liliuokalani & Hawaii Annexation

The overthrow of Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani in 1893 by American business interests seeking sugar plantations and a Pacific location, leading to US annexation in 1898.

Venezuela Boundary Dispute

A conflict between Venezuela and British Guiana in which the United States invoked the Monroe Doctrine to challenge British involvement and demonstrate its influence in the Western Hemisphere.

Yellow Journalism

A style of newspaper reporting that exaggerated Spanish cruelty in Cuba to gain public support for war, particularly following the explosion of the USS Maine.

USS Maine

An American warship that exploded in Havana Harbor in 1898, leading many Americans to blame Spain despite uncertainty about the actual cause.

Spanish-American War (1898)

A short 1898 war between the United States and Spain caused by Cuban independence, economic interests, yellow journalism, and the USS Maine explosion, resulting in US victory and overseas territories.

Battle of Manila Bay

A major naval victory on May 1, 1898, in which Commodore George Dewey destroyed Spain's fleet in the Philippines.

Rough Riders

A volunteer cavalry regiment led to fame by Theodore Roosevelt that helped defeat Spanish troops at San Juan Hill in Cuba.

Teller Amendment (1898)

A congressional amendment promising that the United States would not annex Cuba after defeating Spain, supporting Cuban independence.

Treaty of Paris (1898)

The treaty that ended the Spanish-American War; Spain recognized Cuban independence and ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States for $20\text{ million}$.

Platt Amendment (1901)

A measure that limited Cuban independence by allowing American intervention, giving the US influence over Cuban affairs, and establishing a naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

Philippine-American War (1899-1902)

A conflict in which Filipino nationalists led by Emilio Aguinaldo fought against American control after Spain's defeat in order to gain independence.

Anti-Imperialist League

An organization that opposed overseas expansion because it violated democracy, self-government, and the consent of the governed.

Open Door Policy (1899-1900)

A policy proposed by Secretary of State John Hay advocating equal trading opportunities for all foreign nations in China to prevent any single country from controlling Chinese trade.

Boxer Rebellion (1900)

An uprising in China against foreign influence and Christian missionaries that was suppressed by an international force, including American troops.

Treaty of Portsmouth

The peace treaty negotiated by Theodore Roosevelt that ended the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.

Panama Canal

A canal completed in 1914 connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, built after the US supported Panama's 1903 independence from Colombia to gain control of the Canal Zone.

Roosevelt Corollary

An expansion of the Monroe Doctrine that permitted the United States to intervene in Latin American countries to prevent European involvement.

Big Stick, Dollar & Moral Diplomacy

Three foreign policy approaches: Big Stick (Roosevelt - military threats), Dollar (Taft - investments and loans), and Moral (Wilson - promoting democracy).

Progressivism

A reform movement from 1890 to 1920 that addressed corruption, inequality, unsafe working conditions, and social problems caused by industrialization and urbanization.

Gilded Age

A period of rapid economic growth and industrialization marked by corruption, poverty, inequality, and concentrated wealth.

Political Machines

Urban political organizations that controlled cities during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era through bribery, favors, and vote trading.

Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

An 1890 federal law that attempted to prohibit monopolies and unfair restraints on trade.

Muckrakers

Journalists who exposed corruption and social problems to encourage reform, aided by cheaper printing, higher literacy, education, and photography.

The Jungle (1906)

A novel by Upton Sinclair that exposed unsanitary conditions in meatpacking factories, inspiring the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act.

Ida Tarbell

A muckraking journalist who exposed the unfair business practices of the Standard Oil Company.

Lincoln Steffens

A muckraker who revealed municipal political corruption in his book The Shame of the Cities.

Ray Stannard Baker

A muckraking journalist who investigated labor, racial, and social issues.

Samuel S. McClure

A magazine publisher who popularized investigative journalism through muckraking articles in McClure's Magazine.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911)

A disaster in 1911 that killed 146 workers in a New York factory due to locked exits and unsafe conditions, exposing the urgent need for workplace safety laws.

Florence Kelley

A Progressive reformer who fought dangerous child labor and supported child labor restrictions, minimum wages, shorter hours, and consumer protection.

Hull House

A Chicago settlement house founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr to provide childcare, education, healthcare, and job training to immigrants and poor families.

Social Gospel Movement

A religious movement led by figures like Walter Rauschenbusch that applied Christian values to combat economic injustice, poverty, and inequality.

Scientific Management

A system developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor (also called the Gospel of Efficiency) to standardize work, reduce wasted time, and increase productivity.

Municipal Reform

Efforts to reduce city corruption, eliminate political machines, and make public services more efficient.

Initiative, Referendum & Recall

Progressive political reforms enabling citizens to propose laws (initiative), voters to approve or reject laws (referendum), and voters to remove elected officials before their terms end (recall).

Australian Ballot & Direct Primary

Electoral reforms consisting of the secret ballot (Australian ballot) to protect voters from intimidation/bribery and direct primaries allowing voters rather than party leaders to choose candidates.

Robert La Follette

A Wisconsin Progressive known as 'Battling Bob' who fought political corruption, supported direct primaries and railroad regulation, and promoted government accountability.

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

A Progressive president who regulated corporations, expanded federal power, and promoted conservation, operating on the principle that presidents should act unless prohibited by the Constitution.

Square Deal

Theodore Roosevelt's domestic program promoting fairness for workers, consumers, and businesses, distinguishing between 'good trusts' that benefited the public and 'bad trusts' that abused power.

Northern Securities Case (1904)

An antitrust case in which Theodore Roosevelt's administration successfully dissolved a major railroad monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Elkins Act (1903)

A 1903 federal law that banned railroad rebates.

Coal Strike of 1902

A labor dispute between union leader John Mitchell and mine owner George Baer that ended when Theodore Roosevelt intervened to settle the strike through federal arbitration.

Newlands Reclamation Act (1902)

A federal law that funded western dams, canals, and irrigation using money from public land sales, managed by the Bureau of Reclamation.

John Muir

A preservationist who advocated wilderness preservation, helped establish the Sierra Club, and influenced Theodore Roosevelt's expansion of national forests and public lands.

Election of 1900

The presidential election in which Republican William McKinley, with running mate Theodore Roosevelt, defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan.

Election of 1904

The presidential election in which Republican Theodore Roosevelt defeated Democrat Alton B. Parker, demonstrating public support for Roosevelt and his Square Deal.

Election of 1908

The presidential election in which Republican William Howard Taft, supported by Theodore Roosevelt, defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan.

William Howard Taft (1909-1913)

The 27th president who filed approximately 90 antitrust lawsuits but faced tariff and conservation controversies that divided the Republican Party.

Payne-Aldrich Tariff (1909)

A tariff law passed under Taft that kept or raised duties despite promises of reduction, angering Progressives and damaging Taft's relationship with Roosevelt.

Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy

A public-land dispute in which Gifford Pinchot criticized Interior Secretary Richard Ballinger; Taft's dismissal of Pinchot angered conservationists and Progressives.

Gifford Pinchot

A conservationist who supported careful management of natural resources and criticized Taft's handling of the Ballinger controversy.

Election of 1912

A presidential election in which Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) defeated Theodore Roosevelt (Progressive), William Howard Taft (Republican), and Eugene V. Debs (Socialist) after the Republican vote split.

New Nationalism vs. New Freedom

Roosevelt's New Nationalism accepted large corporations but demanded strong regulation and worker protections, whereas Wilson's New Freedom sought to restore competition by breaking up monopolies and lowering tariffs.

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

The 28th president who promoted New Freedom through tariff reductions, banking reform, and stronger corporate regulation.