Units 5-9 AP World Vocab

Abolitionism

The movement to end the Atlantic Slave Trade and free all enslaved people which gained followers in the 18th Century

Adam Smith

One of the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment, wrote Wealth of Nations which responded to Mercantilism and called for freer trade

Agricultural Revolution

The transformation of human existence caused by the deliberate cultivation of particular plants and the deliberate taming and breeding of particular animals

Bourgeoisic

The middle class and investors who owned machinery and factories where workers produced goods

Capital

Money available to invest in business

Capitalism

An economic system in which the means of production, such as factories and natural resources, are privately owned and are operated for profit

Communism

A political system in which the government owns all the property and dominates all aspects of life in a country; Marx believed believed socialism would replace capitalism and communism and would replace socialism as the final stage of economic development

Declaration of The Rights of Men

One of the fundamental documents of the French Revolution, defining a set of individual rights and collective rights of all the estates as one

Division of Labor

Production process in which a worker or group of workers is assigned a specialized task in order to increase efficiency

Enlightenment

Post-Renaissance period in European history devoted to the study and exploration of new ideas, in science, politics, the arts, and philosophy

Hundred days Reform

Sweeping reforms in the late 1800’s in China that included the abolition of the civil service exam, elimination of corruption, and the establishment of Western-style industrial, commercial, and medical systems

Industrial Revolution

New technologies reshaped societies and led to dramatic changes

Industrialization

Increased mechanization of production

John Locke

Philopsher who wrote two treaties of government and advocated the idea of the social contract

Karl Marx

German scholar and writer who argued for socialism; published the communist manifesto

Labor Unions

Organizations of workers that advocate for the right to bargain with employers and put resulting agreements in a contract

Laissez-faire

French for “leave alone”, an economic environment in which transactions between private parties are free from tariffs, government subsidies, and enforced monopolies, with only government regulations sufficient to protect property rights against theft and aggression

Meiji Restoration

The dissolution of Japan’s feudal system of government and the restoration of the imperial system that led to japan modernizing and industralizing

Monopoly

Control of a specific business and elimination of all competition

Muhammad Ali

Albanian Ottoman officer who was selected to be the new governor of Egypt; reformed Egypt and pushed it to industralize

Nationalism

A feeling of intense loyalty to others who share one’s language and culture

New Zealand Wars

Military confrontations between Maori and British over who had rights to the land which eventually ended in European colonization of New Zealand

Otto von Bismarck

A german statesman who unified numerous german states into a powerful German Empire under Prussian leadership, then created a “balance of power” that preserved peace in Europe from 1871 until 1914

Philosophes

A group of thinkers and writers in the 18th century that explored social, political, and economic theories in new ways

Proletariat

The working class who often worked in factories and mines for little compensation

Propaganda Movement

1882 movement in the Philippines that involved magazines, pamphlets, and other publications that demanded social and political reforms

Reign of Terror

A period during the French Revolution in which the government executed thousands of opponents of the revolution

Second Industrial Revolution

Key players were the United States, Great Britain, and Germany; developments included steel, chemicals, precision machinery, and electronics.

Strengthening Movement

China’s program of internal reform in the 1860’s and 1870’s, based on vigorous application of confucian principles and limited borrowing from the West

Simon Bolivar

Leader of revolt in South American colonies against spanish rule

Socialism

A system of public or direct worker ownership of the means of production such as the mills to make cloth, or the machinery and land needed to mine coal

Stock

Shares of ownership units in a company

Tanzimat

Ottoman reforms during 1839-1876 after Mahmud that addressed corruption, education, laws, and updated the legal systemZionism

Zionism

The desire of Jews to reestablish an independent homeland where their ancestors had lived in the Middle East

Assimilation

The act of becoming part of another culture.

Banana Republics

Small Central American countries that fell under the economic power of foreign corporations.

Berlin Conference

A meeting of several European powers to discuss the orderly colonization of Africa, establishing colonial boundaries and trade movements.

Boxer Rebellion

a violent, armed uprising in China that sought to drive all foreigners from China from 1899-1901

Chinese Immigration Act

An 1855 response to the large influx of Chinese miners in Australia that limited the number of Chinese immigrants that came ashore from each ship

Congo Free State

Privately owned colony by King Leopold II of Belgium from 1885-1908 in which he kept all profits and exploited workers who were forced to work as a form of taxation.

Corvée Laborer

Unpaid workers who were forced to work as a form of taxation.

Economic Imperialism

When foreign business interests have great economic power and influence which takes advantage of natural resources outside their borders

Emigrate

To leave one’s home country or region to settle somewhere else permanently. Often driven by factors like economic opportunities, political instability, or social conditions.

Ethnic Enclaves

Groups or neighborhoods of people from the same foreign country.

Great Famine

From 1845 to 1849, the potato crop was destroyed in Ireland causing about 3 million people to emigrate to other nations

Humanitarians

People who work to improve the conditions of others.

Immigrate

To move into a new country or region to settle there permanently.

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

Industrial Capitalism

An economic and social system in which trade, industry and capital are privately controlled and operated for a profit.

King Leopold II

King of Belgium from 1865 to 1909, best known for his personal control on the Congo Free State, where he exploited its resources and people under the guise of humanitrianism

Māori Wars

A series of conflicts from the 1840s to 1872 between the British colonial government/settlers and various Maori (tribes) in New Zealand, stemming from land disputes, sovereignty issues, and the impact of colonization, resulting in significant Maori land confiscation and lasting societal changes

Migrant

A person who moves from place to place, often for work or survival, not usually permanently.

Monocultures

A lack of agricultural diversity, particularly in developing nations.

Monroe Doctrine

A US policy drafted in 1823 opposing European colonialism in the Americas.

Opium War

From 1839 to 1842 war waged between the Chinese and British over the Chinese government’s objection to the importation of opium

Penal Colony

A colony established for the purpose of relocating convicts. In 1788, Britain began sending its convicts to Australia

Proletariat

The working class that Marx believed would be driven into poverty by capitalists and revolt

Quinine

A medication used to prevent and treat malaria, enabling European colonization in tropical regions.

Scramble for Africa

The rapid invasion, colonization, and division of African territories by European powers during the late 19th century.

Social Darwinism

Social Darwinism is a social theory that emerged in the late 19th century, asserting that human societies and cultures evolve through the same natural selection process as biological species. This ideology was often used to justify imperialism and the belief in racial superpriority, leading to the idea that stronger nations had the right to dominate weaker ones

Spanish-American War

The U.S victory in 1898 brought Guam, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines under the control of the U.S

Sphere of Influence

A region in which one country has significant cultural, economic, or political influence over others.

Suez Canal

A man-made waterway in Egypt connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.

Treaty of Nanking

After the Opium War, this treaty required China to open ports to foreigners, give Hong Kong to Britain, allow the trade of opium, and pay damages

White Man’s Burden

White Europeans claimed responsibility for caring and civilizing natives of their respective colonies.

38th Parallel

The line that separated Soviet occupied North Korea and US occupied South Korea

Al-Qaeda

Originally founded to fight off the Soviet Union, which supported the communist Afghan government

Berlin Airlift

The effort by the United States and Britain to ship by air 2.3 millions tons of supplies to the residents of the Western- controlled sectors of Berlin as a response to a Soviet Blockade

Berlin Wall

Wall built in 1961 to keep people in East Germany from fleeing to West Germany

Big Three

Great Britain, United States, and the Soviet Union

Cold War

A conflict that does not involve any direct military confrontation between two or more rival states

Containment

A policy of not allowing communism to spread

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States that occurred after Soviet missiles were discovered in Cuba

Cultural Revolution

Mao’s attempt to reinvigorate China’s commitment to Communism in 1966

A relaxation of strained relations by verbal communication

Détente

Domino Theory

The notion that one nation falling to communist rule will result in neighboring nations falling to communist rule

Great Leap Forward

The economic policy of Mao Zedong introduced in 1958 which proposed small scale industrialization projects integrated into peasant communities and resulted in economic disaster; ended in 1960

Ho Chi Minh

Communist leader of North Vietnam who opposed the French of South Vietnam after World War II

Iron Curtain

A political barrier that isolated the peoples of Eastern Europe after World War II, restricting their ability to travel outside the region

Korean War

1950-1953; Began when North Korea invaded South Korea in an attempt to reunite the country under its leadership

Mao Zedong

Declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and supported the Chinese peasantry throughout his life

Marshall Plan

Offered $12 billion in aid to European countries to modernize industry, reduce trade barriers, and rebuild infrastructure

Nelson Mandela

Socialist lawyer who led the black resistance to apartheid in South Africa

An alliance between the US, England, France, Canada, and Western European countries made to defend one another if they were attacked by any other Country

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Proxy War

A war in which a major power helps bring about conflict between other nations but does not always fight directly

Space Race

A competition of space exploration between The United States and The Soviet Union

Negotiations between The United States and The Soviet Union that were aimed at curtailing the manufacture of strategic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT)

Dubbed “Star Wars”, this was a missile defense system that was supposed to be able to destroy any Soviet nuclear missiles that targeted the US or it’s allies

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Suez Canal

Military attack on Egypt by Britain, France, and Israel in 1956 after Egypt seized the Suez Canal from British administration

Truman Doctrine

1947 speech by US President Harry Truman that outlined what the US needed to do to stop the spread of Communism, specially in Turkey and Greece

United Nations

Established in 1945 to promote world peace and cooperation; replaced The League of Nations

Viet Cong

The name given to the Communist guerilla movement in Southern Vietnam

Americanization

A phenomenon in which people all over the world learned more about the U.S than Americans learned about the rest of the world

Apartheid

A South African system instituted in 1948 that enforced segregation of people based on race

A group of ten nations in Southeast Asia established in 1967 to promote trade

ASEAN

Cholera

A bacterial disease that spreads through contaminated water affecting poverty stricken areas that lack clean water supplies

Civil Rights Act

An American act in 1965 that prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin

Desertification

The removal of natural vegetation cover through expansion and the use of agricultural lands in arid and semi- arid climates

Ebola

A deadly viral disease discovered in the Congo in 1976 that infects the African fruit bat, humans, and other primates; the disease is transmitted by exposure to fluids of infected people or animals and results in death for the majority of people infected with it

Free Markets

Economic systems based on supply and demand, with little government control as possible, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher supported this idea