APUSH Progressive Era Terms P2

Terms Quiz 2/6

Henry Cabot Lodge

Powerful Republican U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1893–1924), a conservative historian, and a key foreign policy leader known for opposing the League of Nations.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

Naval theorist whose concept of sea power argued that national greatness depended on a powerful navy, strong merchant marine, and overseas colonies for fueling stations and markets, significantly influencing American expansionism, the Spanish-American War

Yellow Journalism

A late-19th-century,, US-based style of sensationalist reporting, driven by intense competition between newspapers. It prioritized exaggerated, often inaccurate stories, large headlines, and illustrations over factual reporting to boost circulation

De Lome Letter

19th-century private note written by Spanish Ambassador Enrique Dupuy de Lôme, intercepted and published in the New York Journal on February 9, 1898

“Remember the Maine”

Powerful U.S. rallying cry from 1898, demanding action against Spain after the battleship USS Maine mysteriously exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, Cuba, killing 266 sailors, fueling nationalist fervor and becoming a key catalyst for the Spanish-American War

Jones Act

Federal law requiring goods shipped between U.S. ports to be transported on vessels that are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, U.S.-flagged, and U.S.-crewed, aiming to foster a strong American merchant marine for defense and commerce, while also providing legal protections for injured seamen

Josiah Strong

Influential American Protestant clergyman, leader of the Social Gospel movement, and author known for promoting religious activism, social reform, and Anglo-Saxon superiority

Open Door Policy

1899–1900 U.S. diplomatic initiative led by Secretary of State John Hay, proposing that all nations have equal trade access to Chinese markets while respecting China's territorial and administrative integrity. It aimed to prevent European powers and Japan from carving China into exclusive, monopolized spheres of influence.

“Big Stick” Diplomacy

President Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy. Advocating for peaceful, diplomatic negotiations backed by the implicit threat of superior military force

Roosevelt Corollary

Addition to the Monroe Doctrine articulated by President Theodore Roosevelt, asserting the U.S. right to intervene in Latin American nations as an "international police power" to stabilize their economies and governments. It aimed to prevent European intervention by keeping the region stable.

Platt Amendment

U.S. law setting conditions for withdrawing troops from Cuba after the Spanish-American War

Panama Canal

50-mile, U.S.-built (1904–1914) waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. It serves as a vital, strategic maritime shortcut, enabling ships to avoid a 7,000–8,000 mile journey around Cape Horn. It is a cornerstone of American imperialism, reflecting President Teddy Roosevelt’s foreign policy.

“Dollar Diplomacy”

Foreign policy designed to extend American influence and stability abroad—particularly in Latin America and East Asia—by substituting "dollars for bullets". It utilized private capital and economic investments to protect commercial interests, secure loans, and reduce European influence, often acting as a form of financial imperialism.

Sedition Act 1918

Laws criminalizing speech or writing deemed disloyal, scandalous, or malicious toward the government, primarily used to stifle political dissent

Zimmerman Telegram

Secret 1917 diplomatic proposal from Germany to Mexico, urging a military alliance against the United States during WWI. Intercepted by Britain, it promised Mexico the return of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona

American Expeditionary Force (AEF)

The United States Armed Forces sent to Europe under General John J. Pershing in 1917 to fight alongside Allied forces during World War I

Liberty Bonds

Debt securities sold by the U.S. government during World War I to finance the war effort, essentially allowing citizens to lend money to the government with the promise of repayment with interest.

War Industries Board

A U.S. government agency established in July 1917 during World War I to coordinate industrial production, manage resource allocation, and set production priorities for the military

Great Migration

The mass movement of approximately six million African Americans out of the rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast, Midwest, and West between 1916 and 1970

Committee on Public Information

An independent U.S. government agency created by President Woodrow Wilson in April 1917 (Executive Order 2594) to influence public opinion, sustain morale, and promote the war effort during World War I

League of Nations

An intergovernmental organization founded on January 10, 1920, following World War I, designed to prevent future conflicts through diplomacy, disarmament, and collective security

Treaty of Versailles

Formally ended World War I but is infamous for its harsh terms on Germany, including war guilt, reparations, and territory loss, and, crucially, its rejection by the U.S. Senate, which blocked American entry into the League of Nations, weakening it and impacting future U.S. foreign policy and isolationism