APUSH Section 7 Vocab

Big Sister Policy

aimed to rally Latin American nations behind the U.S. to create a strong economic and political alliance

Great Rapprochement

A period of closer diplomatic and economic ties between the United States and Britain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, after decades of tension

McKinley Tariff (1890)

A high protective tariff passed under President Benjamin Harrison that raised duties on imports to nearly 50%.

Insurrectos

Cuban rebels who fought against Spanish rule in the Cuban Revolution of 1895.

Maine (USS Maine)

A U.S. battleship that mysteriously exploded in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, killing 260 American sailors.

Teller Amendment (1898)

A declaration by the U.S. stating that after winning the Spanish-American War, the U.S. would not annex Cuba but instead allow it to become independent

Rough Riders

A volunteer cavalry regiment led by Theodore Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War.

Anti-Imperialist League

group formed in 1898 that opposed U.S. imperialism, particularly the annexation of the Philippines.

Foraker Act (1900)

U.S. law that established civilian government in Puerto Rico but did not grant full American rights to its people

Insular Cases (1901-1904)

A series of Supreme Court decisions that ruled that the U.S. Constitution does not fully apply to territories like Puerto Rico and the Philippines

Platt Amendment (1901)

set of restrictions imposed on Cuba by the U.S., effectively making it a protectorate

Open Door Note (1899-1900)

A diplomatic message issued by Secretary of State John Hay, calling for equal trading rights in China and protection of Chinese sovereignty

Boxer Rebellion (1900)

A violent uprising in China led by a secret society called the Boxers, who opposed foreign influence and Christian missionaries

Hay- Paunceforte Treaty (1901)

A treaty between the U.S. and Britain that allowed the U.S. to build and control the Panama Canal without British involvement

Roosevelt Corollary (1904)

An addition to the Monroe Doctrine by Theodore Roosevelt, stating that the U.S. had the right to intervene in Latin America if countries failed to pay debts or faced instability

Root-Takahira Agreement (1908)

An agreement between the U.S. and Japan in which both nations pledged to respect each other’s territorial holdings in the Pacific and uphold the Open Door Policy in China

Social Gospel

A religious and social movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that applied Christian ethics to social problems like poverty, inequality, and poor working conditions

Muckrakers

Investigative journalists of the early 1900s who exposed corruption, social injustices, and corporate abuses

Initiative

A progressive political reform that allowed citizens to propose and vote on laws directly, bypassing state legislatures

referendum

A process where voters directly approve or reject laws passed by the legislature

recall

A political reform that allowed voters to remove an elected official from office before their term ended

Australian Ballot

Also called the secret ballot, this voting reform ensured that voters could cast their ballots privately rather than in public

Muller v. Oregon (1908)

Court case that upheld laws limiting women’s working hours to protect their health. The ruling was based on the idea that women were physically weaker

Lochner v. New York (1905)

Court case that struck down a law limiting bakers’ work hours, ruling that such laws interfered with freedom of contract

Elkins Act (1903)

law that banned railroad rebates and required all railroad rates to be publicly published

Meat Inspection Act (1906)

A law that required federal inspection of meatpacking plants to ensure sanitary conditions

Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)

A law that prohibited the sale of contaminated foods and medicines and required honest labeling of ingredients.

Hetch Hetchy Valley

A valley in Yosemite National Park that became the center of a major environmental controversy when it was dammed in 1913 to provide water to San Francisco

Dollar Diplomacy

foreign policy under President William Howard Taft that encouraged U.S. businesses to invest in foreign countries, particularly in Latin America and East Asia

Payne-Aldrich Bill (1909)

A tariff law that was meant to reduce high tariffs but ended up keeping them high, angering progressives

New Freedom

President Woodrow Wilson’s 1912 campaign platform that focused on small businesses, free markets, and anti-monopoly reforms

New Nationalism

Roosevelt’s New Nationalism favored a stronger federal government to address economic and social issues

Underwood Tariff (1913)

A law that lowered tariffs significantly and introduced a graduated income tax to compensate for lost revenue

Federal Reserve Act (1913)

This law created the Federal Reserve System, which established a central banking system to regulate the U.S. economy

Federal Trade Commission Act (1914)

Created the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and prevent unfair business practices, such as monopolies and false advertising

Clayton Anti-Trust Act (1914)

Prohibiting monopolistic business practices

Holding Companies

type of corporation that exists solely to own stock in other companies, allowing them to control multiple businesses without direct management

Workingmen’s Compensation Act (1916)

Provided financial assistance to federal employees injured on the job

Adamson Act (1916)

Established an 8-hour workday for railroad workers with additional overtime pay

Jones Act (1916)

Promised eventual independence for the Philippines and granted U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans

Tampico Incident (1914)

A diplomatic conflict between the U.S. and Mexico after U.S. sailors were arrested by Mexican forces in the port of Tampico

Central Powers (WWI)

The alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria during World War I.

U-Boats

German submarines (Unterseeboots) used aggressively in WWI to attack enemy ships, including civilian vessels

Zimmerman Note (1917)

A secret telegram from Germany to Mexico, intercepted by the U.S., proposing that Mexico join Germany in WWI

Committee on Public Information (CPI) (1917)

A U.S. government agency created to promote pro-war propaganda during WWI

Espionage Act (1917)

A law that prohibited anti-war activities, including spying, interfering with the draft, or spreading dissent against the U.S. government during WWI

Schenck v. United States (1919)

A Supreme Court case that upheld the Espionage Act, ruling that freedom of speech could be restricted during wartime

War Industries Board (WIB) (1917)

A government agency that coordinated industrial production during WWI to ensure military supplies were produced efficiently

Great Migration (1916-1970)

The mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to Northern cities to escape Jim Crow laws and find better jobs in wartime industries

19th Amendment (1920)

Granted women the right to vote in the U.S. after decades of suffrage activism

Sheppard-Towner Maternity Act (1921)

Provided federal funding for maternal and infant health programs, encouraging women’s roles as mothers while expanding public health services

American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) (1917-1918)

The U.S. military forces sent to fight in Europe during WWI, led by General John J. Pershing

Château-Thierry (1918)

One of the first major battles involving U.S. troops in WWI

Meuse-Argonne Offensive (1918)

The largest battle involving U.S. forces in WWI, where the Allied Powers launched a final push against Germany

League of Nations (1920)

An international peace organization proposed by Woodrow Wilson in his Fourteen Points. It aimed to prevent future wars but was weakened because the U.S. never joined

Irreconcilables

A group of U.S. senators (mostly Republicans) who refused to support the Treaty of Versailles under any conditions

Bolshevik Revolution (1917)

The communist revolution in Russia led by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik Party, overthrowing the czarist regime and establishing the Soviet Union

Red Scare (1919-1920)

A period of intense fear of communism, socialism, and radical leftist movements in the U.S.

Criminal Syndicalism Laws

State laws passed during the Red Scare that outlawed advocating for violent revolution or radical political movements, particularly socialism and communism

American Plan

A pro-business policy that promoted “open shops” (workplaces where union membership was not required) to weaken labor unions

Immigration Act of 1924

A law that severely restricted immigration by setting strict quotas based on national origin, heavily favoring Western Europeans

18th Amendment (1919)

Banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the U.S., initiating Prohibition

Volstead Act (1919)

The law that enforced Prohibition, defining what constituted illegal alcohol and setting penalties for violations

Racketeers

Organized criminals who profited from illegal activities like bootlegging, gambling, and extortion during Prohibition

Bible Belt

A region in the Southern U.S. known for strong religious fundamentalism and opposition to modern scientific ideas, such as evolution

Fundamentalism

A religious movement that emphasized a literal interpretation of the Bible and opposed modern science, especially evolution

Scientific Management

A system of industrial efficiency developed by Frederick W. Taylor, focusing on time and motion studies to improve productivity

Lost Generation

A term used to describe disillusioned American writers and artists in the 1920s, many of whom moved to Europe after WWI

Harlem Renaissance (1920s-1930s)

A cultural movement centered in Harlem, New York, where African American artists, writers, and musicians celebrated black culture and identity

Adkins v. Children’s Hospital (1923)

A Supreme Court case that struck down a minimum wage law for women, arguing that it violated freedom of contract under the Fifth Amendment

Nine-Power Treaty (1922)

An international agreement signed at the Washington Naval Conference, in which nations, agreed to respect China’s territorial integrity

Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)

An international treaty signed by 62 nations that outlawed war as a means of national policy, except for self-defense

Fordney-McCumber Tariff (1922)

A high protective tariff that raised duties on imported goods to protect American businesses and farmers

Teapot Dome Scandal (1921-1923)

A major political scandal during Warren G. Harding’s presidency, in which Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall illegally leased government oil reserves in Teapot Dome, Wyoming, to private oil companies in exchange for bribes

McNary-Haugen Bill (1920s)

A proposed law aimed at helping struggling farmers by having the government buy surplus crops and sell them abroad

Dawes Plan (1924)

A plan to help Germany pay its WWI reparations by providing U.S. loans to Germany, which would then pay Britain and France, who would use the money to repay their war debts to the U.S

Agricultural Marketing Act (1929)

A law passed under Herbert Hoover to assist farmers by creating the Federal Farm Board, which lent money to cooperatives to help stabilize crop prices

Hawley-Smoot Tariff (1930)

The highest tariff in U.S. history, passed to protect American industries, but it worsened the Great Depression

Black Tuesday (October 29, 1929)

The day the stock market crashed, marking the beginning of the Great Depression

Hoovervilles

Makeshift shantytowns built by homeless people during the Great Depression

Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) (1932)

A government agency created under Hoover to provide loans to banks, railroads, and businesses to stimulate the economy during the Great Depression

Norris-La Guardia Anti-Injunction Act (1932)

A law that protected labor unions by limiting court injunctions against strikes

Brain Trust

A group of academic and economic advisers who helped FDR develop the New Deal policies to combat the Great Depression

New Deal

A series of programs, reforms, and regulations enacted by FDR between 1933 and 1939 to provide relief, recovery, and reform during the Great Depression

Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act (1933)

Established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to protect individual bank deposits and separated commercial and investment banking

Civilian Conservation Corps

A New Deal program that provided jobs for young men in conservation and infrastructure projects, such as planting trees and building trails

National Recovery Administration (NRA)

Attempted to stabilize the economy by setting industry codes for wages, production, and prices; later declared unconstitutional in 1935

Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA)

Sought to raise crop prices by paying farmers to reduce production; declared unconstitutional in 1936

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

A federal agency that built dams and provided electricity and economic development to the Tennessee Valley, one of the poorest U.S. regions.

Social Security Act (1935)

Established a pension system for the elderly, unemployment insurance, and aid for disabled and dependent individuals

Wagner Act (1935)

Also called the National Labor Relations Act, it guaranteed workers the right to unionize and established the National Labor Relations Board.

Fair Labor Standards Act (1938)

Set a minimum wage, maximum work hours, and restricted child labor

Congress of Industrial Organizations

A labor organization that focused on industrial unionism and included unskilled workers, unlike the American Federation of Labor

Court-Packing Plan (1937)

FDR’s failed attempt to add more justices to the Supreme Court to secure support for New Deal policies

Keynesianism

Economic theory by John Maynard Keynes that advocated for government spending to boost demand during economic downturns.

Foreign Relations & World War II

London Economic Conference (1933)

A meeting of global leaders to combat the Great Depression; FDR withdrew U.S. support, undermining its success

Good Neighbor Policy

FDR’s policy of non-intervention in Latin America, improving relations by ending U.S. military occupations

Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act (1934)

Allowed the president to negotiate lower tariffs with foreign nations to boost international trade

Rome-Berlin Axis (1936)

The alliance between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, later including Japan