UNIT 2 HIST 2112

Anti-Imperialist League

a group of diverse and prominent Americans who banded together in 1898 to protest the idea of American empire building

dollar diplomacy

Taft’s foreign policy, which involved using American economic power to push for favorable foreign policies. Taft wanted to move away from military intervention in both Latin American and Asia. Promoted the idea of US investment in other countries and US banks also participated.

Frontier Thesis

an idea proposed by Fredrick Jackson Turner, which stated that the encounter of European traditions and a native wilderness was integral to the development of American democracy, individualism, and innovative character

Open Door notes

the thing sent by Secretary of State Hay claiming that there should be “open doors” in China, allowing all countries equal and total access to all markets, ports, and railroads without any special considerations from the Chinese authorities; while ostensibly leveling the playing field, this strategy greatly benefited the United States

Roosevelt Corollary

a statement by Theodore Roosevelt that the United States would use military force to act as an international police power and correct any chronic wrongdoing by any Latin American nation threatening the stability of the region. Add on to the Monroe Doctrine.

Rough Riders

Theodore Roosevelt’s cavalry unit, which fought in Cuba during the Spanish-American War

Seward’s Folly

the pejorative name given by the press to Secretary of State Seward’s acquisition of Alaska in 1867

sphere of influence

the goal of foreign countries such as Japan, Russia, France, and Germany to carve out an area of the Chinese market that they could exploit through tariff and transportation agreements

yellow journalism

sensationalist newspapers who sought to manufacture news stories in order to sell more papers

clear and present

danger the expression used by Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes in the case of Schenck v. United States to characterize public dissent during wartime, akin to shouting “fire!” in a crowded theater

Fourteen Points

Woodrow Wilson’s postwar peace plan, which called for openness in all matters of diplomacy, including free trade, freedom of the seas, and an end to secret treaties and negotiations, among others

Harlem Hellfighters

a nickname for the decorated, all-Black 369th Infantry, which served on the frontlines of France for six months, longer than any other American unit

Irreconcilables

Republicans who opposed the Treaty of Versailles on all grounds

League of Nations

Woodrow Wilson’s idea for a group of countries that would promote a new world order and territorial integrity through open discussions, rather than intimidation and war

liberty bonds

the name for the war bonds that the U.S. government sold, and strongly encouraged Americans to buy, as a way of raising money for the war effort

neutrality

Woodrow Wilson’s policy of maintaining commercial ties with all belligerents and insisting on open markets throughout Europe during World War I

prohibition

the campaign for a ban on the sale and manufacturing of alcoholic beverages, which came to fruition during the war, bolstered by anti-German sentiment and a call to preserve resources for the war effort

Red Scare

the term used to describe the fear that Americans felt about the possibility of a Bolshevik revolution in the United States; fear over Communist infiltrators led Americans to restrict and discriminate against any forms of radical dissent, whether Communist or not

Red Summer

the summer of 1919, when numerous northern cities experienced bloody race riots that killed over 250 persons, including the Chicago race riot of 1919

Reservationists

Republicans who would support the Treaty of Versailles if sufficient amendments were introduced that could eliminate Article X introduced that could eliminate Article X

Zimmermann telegram

the telegram sent from German foreign minister Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador in Mexico, which invited Mexico to fight alongside Germany should the United States enter World War I on the side of the Allies

bootlegging

a nineteenth-century term for the illegal transport of alcoholic beverages that became popular during prohibition

expatriate

someone who lives outside of their home country

flapper

a young, modern woman who embraced the new morality and fashions of the Jazz Age

Hollywood

a small town north of Los Angeles, California, whose reliable sunshine and cheaper production costs attracted filmmakers and producers starting in the 1910s; by the 1920s, Hollywood was the center of American movie production with five movie studios dominating the industry

Lost Generation

a group of writers who came of age during World War I and expressed their disillusionment with the era

Model T

the first car produced by the Ford Motor Company that took advantage of the economies of scale provided by assembly-line production and was therefore affordable to a large segment of the population

moving assembly line

a manufacturing process that allowed workers to stay in one place as the work came to them

nativism

the rejection of outside influences in favor of local or native customs

Negro nationalism

the notion that African Americans had a distinct and separate national heritage that should inspire pride and a sense of community

new morality

the more permissive mores adopted my many young people in the 1920s

return to normalcy

the campaign promise made by Warren Harding in the presidential election of 1920

Scopes Monkey Trial

the 1925 trial of John Scopes for teaching evolution in a public school; the trial highlighted the conflict between rural traditionalists and modern urbanites. The teacher ends up being convicted, but let go easily.

Second Ku Klux Klan

unlike the secret terror group of the Reconstruction Era, the group was a nationwide movement that expressed racism, nativism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Catholicism. They gained political power.

Teapot Dome

scandal the bribery scandal involving Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall in 1923

American individualism

the belief, strongly held by Herbert Hoover and others, that hard work and individual effort, absent government interference, comprised the formula for success in the U.S.

bank run

the withdrawal by a large number of individuals or investors of money from a bank due to fears of the bank’s instability, with the ironic effect of increasing the bank’s vulnerability to failure

Black Tuesday

October 29, 1929, when a mass panic caused a crash in the stock market and stockholders divested over sixteen million shares, causing the overall value of the stock market to drop precipitously

Bonus Army

a group of World War I veterans and affiliated groups who marched to Washington in 1932 to demand their war bonuses early, only to be refused and forcibly removed by the U.S. Army

Clark Memorandum

Hoover’s repudiation of the Roosevelt Corollary that justified American military intervention in Latin American affairs; this memorandum improved relations with America’s neighbors by reasserting that intervention would occur only in the event of European interference in the Western Hemisphere

Dust Bowl

the area in the middle of the country that had been badly overfarmed in the 1920s and suffered from a terrible drought that coincided with the Great Depression; the name came from the “black blizzard” of topsoil and dust that blew through the area

Scottsboro Boys

a reference to the infamous trial where nine African American boys were falsely accused of raping two White women and sentenced to death; the extreme injustice of the trial, particularly given the age of the boys and the inadequacy of the testimony against them, garnered national and international attention

Smoot-Hawley Tariff

approved by Hoover to raise the tax on thousands of imported goods in the hope that it would encourage people to buy American-made products; the unintended result was that other nations raised their tariffs, further hurting American exports and exacerbating the global financial crisis

speculation

the practice of investing in risky financial opportunities in the hopes of a fast payout due to market fluctuations

Brains Trust

an unofficial advisory cabinet to President Franklin Roosevelt, originally gathered while he was governor of New York, to present possible solutions to the nations’ problems; among its prominent members were Rexford Tugwell, Raymond Moley, and Adolph Berle

interregnum

the period between the election and the inauguration of a new president; when economic conditions worsened significantly during the four-month lag between Roosevelt’s win and his move into the Oval Office, Congress amended the Constitution to limit this period to two months

Social Security

a series of programs designed to help the population’s most vulnerable—the unemployed, those over age sixty-five, unwed mothers, and the disabled—through various pension, insurance, and aid programs. When first enacted Federal employees, farmers, and part-timers were exempted. First not supported by FDR, but pressure from left-wing response caused FDR to compromise

Supreme Court Packing Plan

Roosevelt’s plan, after being reelected, to pack the Supreme Court with an additional six justices, one for every justice over seventy who refused to step down

Tennessee Valley Authority

a federal agency tasked with the job of planning and developing the area through flood control, reforestation, and hydroelectric power projects

Works Progress Administration

a program run by Harry Hopkins that provided jobs for over eight million Americans from its inception to its closure in 1943

appeasement

the policy of giving in to threats and aggression in the hopes that the aggressor will be satisfied and make no more demands

Big Three

the nickname given to the leaders of the three major Allied nations: Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin

conscientious objectors

those who, for religious or philosophical reasons, refuse to serve in the armed forces

D-day

June 6, 1944, the date of the invasion of Normandy, France, by British, Canadian, and American forces, which opened a second front in Europe

Double V campaign

a campaign by African Americans to win victory over the enemy overseas and victory over racism at home

Enola Gay

the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima

Executive Order 9066

the order given by President Roosevelt to relocate and detain people of Japanese ancestry, including those who were American citizens

Fascism

a political ideology that places a heightened focus on national unity, through dictatorial rule, and militarism

internment

the forced incarceration of the West Coast Japanese and Japanese American population into ten relocation centers for the greater part of World War II

Manhattan Project

the code name given to the research project that developed the atomic bomb materiel equipment and supplies used by the military

materiel

equipment and supplies used by the military

Rosie the Riveter

a symbol of female workers in the defense industries

zoot suit

a flamboyant outfit favored by young African American and Mexican American men

442nd Infantry Regiment

A U.S. Army unit composed almost entirely of Japanese American soldiers during World War II. It became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history, and its service challenged the racist logic behind Japanese American internment.

Abraham Lincoln Brigade

A group of American volunteers who traveled to Spain to fight against Franco's fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). Their participation reflected growing American antifascist sentiment and left-wing political activism during the 1930s.

America First

An isolationist movement in the early 1940s that opposed U.S. involvement in World War II before Pearl Harbor. It represented a significant portion of American public opinion that wanted to avoid the costs and entanglements of another world war.

American Expeditionary Forces

The U.S. military forces sent to Europe under General John Pershing during World War I. Their arrival on the Western Front helped tip the balance in favor of the Allies and marked America's emergence as a major military power.

Annexation of Hawaii

The formal incorporation of Hawaii into the United States in 1898. It demonstrated American imperial ambitions in the Pacific and provided a critical naval base that would later prove vital during World War II.

Arsenal for Democracy

A phrase used by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1940 to describe America's role in supplying the Allied powers with weapons and materials. It signaled a shift away from strict neutrality and laid the groundwork for the Lend-Lease program.

Atlantic Charter

A joint declaration issued by Roosevelt and Churchill in 1941 outlining Allied war aims, including self-determination and free trade. It became a foundational document for the post-war international order and inspired the creation of the United Nations.

Atomic bomb

A weapon of mass destruction using nuclear fission, dropped by the U.S. on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in August 1945. Its use ended World War II rapidly but launched the nuclear age and the arms race of the Cold War.

Boxer Rebellion

A Chinese nationalist uprising in 1900 against foreign influence and Christian missionaries, suppressed by an international military force including U.S. troops. It highlighted the tensions of Western imperialism in Asia and shaped U.S. foreign policy in the Pacific.

CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps)

A New Deal program that employed young men in environmental conservation projects such as planting trees and building parks. It provided relief during the Great Depression while also leaving a lasting legacy of public lands infrastructure.

Charles Coughlin

A Catholic priest and popular radio broadcaster in the 1930s who initially supported FDR but later turned to anti-Semitic and fascist rhetoric. He illustrated the dangers of mass media demagoguery during a time of economic crisis and political instability.

Clear and present danger

A legal standard established by the Supreme Court in Schenck v. United States (1919) to determine when free speech could be restricted by the government. It was used to justify the prosecution of anti-war activists during World War I and raised lasting debates about civil liberties during wartime.

Creel Committee

(Committee on Public Information) A government agency created during World War I to shape public opinion in favor of the war effort through propaganda. It demonstrated the power of mass media and government messaging, while also fueling nativism and suppression of dissent.

Cuban Wars of Independence

A series of conflicts in the late 19th century in which Cubans fought to free themselves from Spanish colonial rule. U.S. intervention in the final war led to the Spanish-American War of 1898 and transformed Cuba into a de facto American protectorate. U.S. was interested in Cuba, because of location.

Ernest Hemingway

An American author and journalist whose works were heavily influenced by World War I and the Spanish Civil War. His writing captured the disillusionment of the "Lost Generation" and “For Whom the Bell Tolls” shaped American literary culture in the 20th century.

Fireside chats

A series of informal radio addresses delivered by President Franklin Roosevelt directly to the American public during the 1930s and 1940s. They helped restore public confidence during the Great Depression and set a precedent for presidents communicating directly with citizens.

Florida land boom

A speculative real estate frenzy in Florida during the mid-1920s that collapsed by 1926. It served as an early warning sign of the reckless financial speculation that contributed to the Great Depression.

Four Freedoms

Four fundamental rights articulated by President Roosevelt in 1941: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. They defined American war aims in moral terms and influenced the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Garveyism

The political and cultural movement promoting Black nationalism, Pan-Africanism, and the idea of returning to Africa. It inspired millions of African Americans in the 1920s and laid ideological groundwork for later civil rights and Black Power movements.

Good Neighbor Policy

A foreign policy approach initiated by FDR in 1933 that renounced U.S. military intervention in Latin America. It sought to improve relations with Latin American nations and replace the interventionist legacy of the Monroe Doctrine era.

Great Migration

The mass movement of millions of African Americans from the rural South to northern and western cities between roughly 1910 and 1970. It transformed the demographic, cultural, and political landscape of America and fueled movements for racial equality.

Harlem Renaissance

A flourishing of African American art, literature, music, and intellectual life centered in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s. It challenged racist stereotypes, celebrated Black culture and identity, and profoundly influenced American arts and politics.

Herbert Hoover

The 31st President of the United States, who served during the onset of the Great Depression. His reluctance to use federal power for direct relief made him a symbol of governmental failure, paving the way for FDR's New Deal. Won in the 1928 Election and was a Cabinet Secretary for Harding and Coolidge. Aligned with economic conservatism. Lending efforts to help relive hunger in Europe. Also led relief efforts for the 1927 Mississippi River flood (600,000 in total 500,000 African Americans). Won the 1928 Election by a landslide.

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns built by homeless Americans during the Great Depression, sarcastically named after President Hoover. They symbolized the human suffering caused by the economic collapse and the perceived inadequacy of Hoover's response.

Island-hopping

The U.S. military strategy in the Pacific during World War II of capturing select strategic islands while bypassing heavily fortified Japanese positions. It allowed American forces to advance toward Japan efficiently and set up the final stages of the Pacific War.

The Jazz Singer

The first feature-length film with synchronized dialogue and singing, marking the birth of the sound era in Hollywood. It revolutionized the entertainment industry and reflected the cultural dynamism of the 1920s, though it also perpetuated racial stereotypes through blackface performance. Led to the creation of actors getting fame.

Jesse Owens

An African American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. His victories directly contradicted Nazi claims of Aryan racial superiority and made him a powerful symbol of athletic excellence and dignity in the face of racism.

Joe Louis

An African American heavyweight boxing champion who held the title from 1937 to 1949. He became a national hero, particularly after defeating German boxer Max Schmeling in 1938, and his career challenged racial barriers in American sports and society.

July Crisis

The chain of diplomatic and military miscalculations in the summer of 1914 that escalated the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand into World War I. It demonstrated how alliance systems and poor diplomacy could spiral into catastrophic global conflict.

Korematsu v. United States

A Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of the forced relocation of Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II. It remains one of the most criticized decisions in Supreme Court history and a stark example of civil liberties being sacrificed in wartime.

Lend-Lease

A policy enacted in March 1941 allowing the U.S. to supply Allied nations — particularly Britain and the Soviet Union — with war materials in exchange for deferred payment. It effectively ended American neutrality before Pearl Harbor and was essential to keeping the Allies fighting until the U.S. formally entered the war.

Mexican Revolution

A prolonged armed conflict in Mexico from 1910 to 1920 that overthrew the Díaz dictatorship and reshaped Mexican society. It deeply affected U.S.-Mexico relations, leading to military interventions and shaping immigration patterns to the United States. The over throw of the dictator caused a mass immigration of Mexicans. US started to get concern for US interest. A arresting of 9 sailors caused the U.S to respond by sending 6,000 troops; Mexico agreed and caused the resignation of Mexican president who was opposed to US influence.

New Negro

A term popularized in the 1920s referring to a new generation of African Americans who embraced racial pride, cultural expression, and political assertiveness. It was central to the Harlem Renaissance and represented a shift away from accommodation toward demands for equality and dignity.

North Africa Campaign

The Allied military campaign from 1940 to 1943 to drive Axis forces out of North Africa. It was the first major Allied offensive involving U.S. ground troops and served as a crucial stepping stone toward the invasion of Italy and Southern Europe.

Panama Canal

A man-made waterway completed in 1914 connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Panama. It was a monumental engineering achievement that greatly enhanced U.S. naval power and commercial dominance and reflected American imperial ambitions in Latin America. Panama was supported by Roosevelt for independence, in return for the constriction of the Panama Canal. With the establishment of the Panama Canal is the Panama Canal Zone making it a colony of the US (not anymore though).

Pearl Harbor

The surprise Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. It resulted in catastrophic American losses, unified public opinion behind entering World War II, and permanently altered the course of American foreign policy.

Pershing Expedition

A U.S. military mission led by General John Pershing into Mexico in 1916–1917 to capture the revolutionary leader Pancho Villa. It strained U.S.-Mexico relations, failed to capture Villa, and highlighted the complex relationship between the two nations during a period of Mexican upheaval.