Vocabulary and Identifications in New Imperialism

imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, military force, or other means.

direct rule

A system of governance where a central authority controls the local government directly.

indirect rule

A system of governance where local rulers maintain their positions of authority under the guidance of the colonizing power.

protectorate

A state that is controlled and protected by another.

sphere of influence

A region where one nation has significant cultural, economic, military, or political influence over others.

joint-stock company

A business entity where different stocks can be bought and owned by shareholders.

The British East India Company

A joint-stock company that played a significant role in the British colonization of India.

sati (sometimes spelled suttee)

A historical Hindu practice where a widow self-immolates on her husband's funeral pyre.

Bombay, Madras, & Calcutta (Mumbai, Chennai, & Kolkata)

Major cities in India that were significant during British colonial rule.

sepoy

An Indian soldier serving under British command.

The Mughal Dynasty

A prominent empire in India known for its cultural and architectural achievements.

viceroy

A royal governor who rules a country or province as the representative of a monarch.

The Uprising of 1857

A major, but unsuccessful, uprising against the British East India Company's rule in India.

deforestation

The clearing or thinning of forests by humans.

The Raj

The period of British rule in India from 1858 to 1947.

famine

An extreme scarcity of food affecting a large population.

Ram Mohun Roy

An Indian social reformer who is considered the father of the Indian Renaissance.

nationalism

A political ideology that emphasizes the interests of a particular nation, often in opposition to foreign influence.

The Indian National Congress Party

A political party in India that played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement.

The Muslim League

A political party in India that advocated for the interests of Muslims and played a significant role in the creation of Pakistan.

missionary

A person sent on a religious mission, particularly to promote Christianity in foreign countries.

David Livingstone

A Scottish missionary and explorer known for his explorations in Africa.

paternalism

A policy of restricting the freedoms and responsibilities of those subordinate to them in the supposed interest of their well-being.

Henry Stanley

An American explorer known for his exploration of Africa and for finding David Livingstone.

cash economy

An economy where transactions are conducted in cash rather than barter.

King Leopold II & the Belgian Congo

The Belgian king who personally controlled the Congo Free State, known for its exploitation and atrocities.

second-class citizen

A person who is treated as inferior to others in a society.

The Berlin Conference

A meeting where European nations negotiated the division of Africa among themselves.

Liberia

A country in West Africa founded by freed American slaves.

King Menelik II & Ethiopia

The Ethiopian emperor who successfully resisted colonization by defeating Italian forces.

silk and porcelain

Luxury goods that were significant in trade, particularly with China.

The Ch'ing (Q'ing) Dynasty

The last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912.

opium

A narcotic drug that was a major factor in trade and conflict between China and Britain.

The importance of Canton

A key trading port in China during the period of imperialism.

indemnity

Compensation for damage or loss, often paid by a defeated nation.

The First Opium War

A conflict between Britain and China (1839-1842) over trade and opium.

extraterritorial rights

Rights allowing foreigners to be exempt from local law.

The Treaty of Nanking (Nanjing)

The treaty that ended the First Opium War, imposing harsh terms on China.

The Taiping Rebellion

A massive civil war in China (1850-1864) against the ruling Qing dynasty.

The Second Opium War

A conflict (1856-1860) that further opened China to foreign influence.

The Open Door Policy

A U.S. policy that aimed to ensure equal trading rights for all nations in China.

The Boxer Rebellion

An anti-foreign uprising in China (1899-1901) aimed at ending foreign influence.

The Tokugawa Shogunate

The last feudal Japanese military government which existed from 1603 to 1868.

The importance of Nagasaki

A key port city in Japan that was crucial for foreign trade during the Tokugawa period.

Commodore Matthew Perry and the "Black Ships"

An American naval officer who played a key role in opening Japan to the West.

The Meiji Restoration

The period of rapid modernization and industrialization in Japan starting in 1868.

Emperor Mutsuhito

The emperor of Japan during the Meiji Restoration who encouraged modernization.

The Treaty of Kanagawa

The treaty that opened Japan to American trade in 1854.

Tomomi Iwakura

A Japanese statesman who played a key role in the Meiji Restoration.

Manchuria

A region in Northeast Asia that was significant in the context of imperialism.

The Russo-Japanese War

A conflict between Russia and Japan (1904-1905) that resulted in Japan's victory.

The Battle of Tsushima

A decisive naval battle during the Russo-Japanese War that established Japan as a major world power.

intervention

The act of interfering in the affairs of another nation.

The Spanish-American War

A conflict between Spain and the United States in 1898 that resulted in the U.S. gaining territories.

The U.S.S. Maine

An American naval ship whose sinking precipitated the Spanish-American War.

President Theodore Roosevelt

The 26th president of the United States known for his role in the Spanish-American War and the construction of the Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal

A man-made waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, completed in 1914.

The Monroe Doctrine

A U.S. policy opposing European colonialism in the Americas.

The Roosevelt Corollary

An extension of the Monroe Doctrine asserting the right of the U.S. to intervene in Latin America.

Queen Liliuokalani

The last reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii who was overthrown in 1893.

The Philippine-American War

A conflict between the United States and Filipino revolutionaries from 1899 to 1902.

Emilio Aguinaldo

A Filipino revolutionary leader who played a key role in the Philippine struggle for independence.