AP World History 6.2 Flashcards

King Leopold II

Belgian monarch responsible for personal rule over the Congo, known for exploitation and brutality.

Cixi

Empress of China who supported anti-foreign movements, notably during the Boxer Rebellion.

Cape Colony

British territory in South Africa, initially seized from the Dutch during the Napoleonic Wars.

Congo Free State

Personal territory of King Leopold II marked by extreme exploitation and violence against indigenous populations.

Abyssinia

Independent African kingdom, modern-day Ethiopia, that resisted European colonization efforts.

Liberia

Founded by freed American slaves in the early 19th century, with a dependent relationship with the U.S.

Ceylon

Island in South Asia, established as a British crown colony known for its tea trade.

Dutch East Indies

Series of islands in Southeast Asia seized by the Dutch in the 17th century for spice trade.

Siam

Modern Thailand, successfully avoided European colonization through diplomacy and reform.

Australia

British penal colony established in 1788, later became a significant settlement area.

New Zealand

British colony established after the Treaty of Waitangi, securing rights for Māori.

Berlin Conference

1884-1885 meeting of European powers to regulate colonization and trade in Africa.

Treaty of Waitangi

1840 agreement between the British and Māori intended to protect Māori rights.

Scramble for Africa

Period of rapid colonization of Africa by European powers during the late 19th century.

Great Game

19th-century geopolitical struggle for power and territory between Britain and Russia in Central Asia.

Boer Wars

Conflicts between British forces and Afrikaners in South Africa during the late 19th century.

Taiping Rebellion

Massive civil war in China (1850-1864) led by those opposing Qing rule, resulting in millions of deaths.

Boxer Rebellion

Anti-imperialist uprising in China (1899-1901) targeting foreigners and Chinese Christians.

Spanish-American War

1898 conflict leading to U.S. acquisition of territories from Spain, including the Philippines and Cuba.

Corvée Laborer

Unpaid workers required to perform labor as a form of taxation or service to the state.

Spheres of Influence

Regions where foreign powers held exclusive trading rights and influenced local governance, especially in China.

East India Company (EIC)

British trading company that gradually gained control over Indian territories in the 18th century.

Dutch East India Company (VOC)

Dutch trading corporation that monopolized spice trade in Southeast Asia before governmental takeover.

Afrikaners

Descendants of Dutch settlers in South Africa, engaged in conflict with indigenous populations and British colonizers.

Māori

Indigenous people of New Zealand, faced colonization and conflict with British settlers.

Quinine

Medical treatment used to prevent and treat malaria, facilitating European colonization in tropical regions.

Suez Canal

Artificial waterway opened in 1869, significantly shortening shipping routes between Europe and Asia.