unit 6 vocab

Cherokee Nation

– A Native American tribe originally from the southeastern United States that was forcibly removed along the Trail of Tears in the 1830s under U.S. expansion policies.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) –

A U.S. law that banned Chinese laborers from immigrating and denied citizenship to Chinese residents; it was the first major U.S. immigration restriction based on race.

Civilizing Missions

– The belief held by European imperial powers that they had a duty to “civilize” non-European peoples by spreading Christianity, education, and Western culture.

Economic Imperialism / Neocolonialism

– When powerful nations control weaker countries through economic pressure, investments, or corporations rather than direct political rule.

Ghost Dance –

A late 19th-century Native American religious movement promising the return of Native lands and the disappearance of white settlers; it contributed to tensions leading to the Wounded Knee Massacre (1890).

1857 Indian Rebellion (Sepoy Mutiny)

– A major uprising by Indian soldiers (sepoys) against British rule, sparked by cultural and religious tensions; it led to Britain taking direct control of India.

Imperialism –

A policy in which a country extends its power by acquiring territories or controlling other nations politically, economically, or militarily.

King Leopold II

– King of Belgium who personally controlled the Congo Free State, where millions of Africans died due to brutal exploitation for rubber and ivory.

Mahdist War (1881–1899) –

A Sudanese revolt led by Muhammad Ahmad (the Mahdi) against Egyptian and British control; it temporarily established an independent Islamic state in Sudan.

Opium Wars (1839–1842, 1856–1860

) – Conflicts between Britain and China over the opium trade; China’s defeat forced it to open ports to foreign trade and cede Hong Kong to Britain.

Scramble for Africa

– The rapid European colonization of Africa in the late 19th century, formalized by the Berlin Conference (1884–85).

Settler Colonies

– Colonies where people from the imperial country permanently settle and establish communities, often displacing indigenous populations (e.g., U.S., Australia).

Social Darwinism

– The belief that societies and races compete for survival, and that stronger nations are naturally superior; it was used to justify imperialism and racism.

Sokoto Caliphate –

A large Islamic state in West Africa founded in the early 19th century after a religious reform movement; later conquered by the British.

Tupac Amaru II’s Peruvian Rebellion (1780–1783)

– An indigenous uprising against Spanish colonial rule in Peru, led by Tupac Amaru II, protesting exploitation and harsh taxation.

United Fruit Company

– A powerful American corporation that controlled banana production in Central America and heavily influenced local governments, contributing to “banana republics.”

White Australia Policy – A

set of Australian laws (starting in 1901) restricting non-European immigration to maintain a white majority population.

“White Man’s Burden”

– A poem by Rudyard Kipling encouraging the U.S. and Europe to colonize and “civilize” non-Western peoples, reflecting imperialist ideology.

Xhosa Cattle-Killing Movement (1856–1857)

– A South African prophetic movement where the Xhosa killed their cattle believing it would drive out British settlers; it led to famine and further colonization.

Yaa Asantewaa War (1900) –

A rebellion in present-day Ghana led by Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa of the Ashanti against British colonial rule.

Zulu Kingdom –

A powerful southern African kingdom under leaders like Shaka Zulu; it resisted British expansion but was defeated in the Anglo-Zulu War (1879).