APUSH Period 7 Vocabulary

Alfred Thayer Mahan

Naval strategist who wrote The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1890), advocating for a strong navy to achieve global dominance.

Queen Liliuokalani

Last monarch of Hawaii who opposed U.S. annexation and was overthrown by American-backed forces in 1893.

Pan-American Conference (1889)

Meeting led by Secretary of State James Blaine to foster economic and political cooperation among the Americas.

Jingoism

Extreme nationalism favoring aggressive foreign policy, particularly prominent before the Spanish-American War.

Cuban Revolt (1895-1898)

Cuban insurgents fought for independence from Spain, leading to U.S. intervention in the Spanish-American War.

Yellow Journalism

Sensationalist and exaggerated news reporting by newspapers like New York Journal (Hearst) and New York World (Pulitzer), which fueled war sentiment.

De Lôme Letter (1898)

Leaked letter from a Spanish diplomat criticizing President McKinley, worsening U.S.-Spain relations.

Teller Amendment (1898)

Stated that the U.S. would not annex Cuba after the Spanish-American War.

Platt Amendment (1901)

Gave the U.S. the right to intervene in Cuba and maintain a naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

Sphere of Influence

A region where a foreign power controls trade and economic activities, especially in China during imperialism.

George Dewey

U.S. naval commander who led the victory at Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War.

Emilio Aguinaldo

Filipino nationalist leader who fought against Spanish rule and later against U.S. occupation.

Rough Riders

Volunteer cavalry unit led by Theodore Roosevelt, famous for its charge at San Juan Hill in Cuba.

Hawaii

Annexed by the U.S. in 1898 after the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani and increasing American economic interests.

Theodore Roosevelt

26th U.S. president; advocated for the 'Big Stick' foreign policy, conservation, and progressive reforms.

Open Door Policy (1899)

U.S. policy ensuring equal trade access in China and preventing European monopolies.

Boxer Rebellion (1900)

Anti-foreign uprising in China suppressed by an international coalition, including U.S. troops.

Panama Canal (1904-1914)

U.S.-built canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific, facilitated by supporting Panama’s independence from Colombia.

William Howard Taft

27th president; promoted Dollar Diplomacy, emphasizing economic investment in foreign policy.

Dollar Diplomacy

Taft’s policy of using U.S. financial power to influence Latin America and East Asia.

Roosevelt Corollary (1904)

Extension of the Monroe Doctrine; stated the U.S. could intervene in Latin America to maintain stability.

Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

Conflict between Russia and Japan; mediated by Roosevelt, who won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Puerto Rico

Gained by the U.S. after the Spanish-American War; governed under the Foraker Act and later granted U.S. citizenship (1917).

Woodrow Wilson

28th president; led during World War I, championed the League of Nations, and pushed for Moral Diplomacy.

Moral Diplomacy

Wilson’s policy of supporting democratic governments and opposing imperialism.

Pragmatism

Philosophical movement emphasizing practical action and experimentation, influential in Progressive Era reforms.

Ida Tarbell

Muckraker journalist who exposed Standard Oil’s monopolistic practices in The History of the Standard Oil Company (1904).

Jacob Riis

Photojournalist and author of How the Other Half Lives (1890), exposing urban poverty and tenement conditions.

Muckrakers

Investigative journalists who exposed corruption and social injustices during the Progressive Era.

Florence Kelley

Social reformer advocating for labor laws, child labor restrictions, and working conditions for women.

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire (1911)

Deadly factory fire in New York City that led to improved workplace safety laws.

16th Amendment (1913)

Allowed Congress to impose a federal income tax.

17th Amendment (1913)

Established direct election of U.S. senators.

18th Amendment (1919)

Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol (Prohibition).

Square Deal

Theodore Roosevelt’s domestic policy promoting consumer protection, corporate regulation, and conservation.

Mann-Elkins Act (1910)

Strengthened the Interstate Commerce Commission’s ability to regulate telecommunications and railroads.

The Jungle (1906)

Upton Sinclair’s novel exposing the meatpacking industry’s unsanitary conditions, leading to food safety laws.

‘Bull Moose’ Party (1912)

Progressive Party led by Theodore Roosevelt after his split with the Republican Party.

Booker T. Washington

Black leader who promoted economic self-improvement and vocational training for African Americans over immediate civil rights.

W.E.B. Du Bois

Civil rights activist and co-founder of the NAACP; opposed Washington’s gradualism and demanded immediate equality.

NAACP (1909)

Civil rights organization founded to fight racial discrimination and promote African American rights.

Alice Paul

Suffragist leader who pushed for the 19th Amendment and led the National Woman’s Party.

19th Amendment (1920)

Granted women the right to vote.

Lusitania (1915)

British passenger ship sunk by Germany, killing 128 Americans and pushing the U.S. toward WWI.

Preparedness

Wilson’s policy of military buildup before U.S. entry into WWI.

Zimmerman Telegram (1917)

German message urging Mexico to attack the U.S.; its interception led to American entry into WWI.

John J. Pershing

U.S. general who led the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I.

George Creel

Head of the Committee on Public Information; used propaganda to support U.S. involvement in WWI.

Bolsheviks

Russian communist group that led the 1917 Revolution, resulting in the formation of the Soviet Union.

Fourteen Points (1918)

Wilson’s plan for postwar peace, advocating self-determination and the League of Nations.

League of Nations (1920)

International peacekeeping organization proposed in Wilson’s Fourteen Points; the U.S. did not join.

Henry Cabot Lodge

Republican senator who opposed the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations, advocating for isolationism.

Self-Determination

The right of people to choose their own government; a key principle in Wilson’s Fourteen Points.

Reparations

Payments imposed on Germany after WWI under the Treaty of Versailles to compensate the Allies for war damages.

Mobilization

The process of preparing and organizing troops and resources for war.

Liberty Bonds

Government-issued bonds sold to American citizens to finance WWI.

Spanish Flu (1918-1919)

Global influenza pandemic that killed millions, including over 600,000 Americans.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Supreme Court ruling that upheld the Espionage Act, stating that speech posing a ‘clear and present danger’ is not protected by the First Amendment.

Selective Service Act (1917)

Required men aged 21-30 to register for the military draft during WWI.

The Red Scare (1st) (1919-1920)

Fear of communism and radical leftist movements in the U.S. after the Russian Revolution.

Palmer Raids (1919-1920)

Government-led raids targeting suspected anarchists and communists under Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer.

Nativism

Favoring native-born Americans over immigrants, leading to restrictive immigration policies.

Sacco & Vanzetti

Italian anarchists convicted and executed in 1927 for robbery and murder, amid beliefs they were victims of anti-immigrant bias.

The Great Migration

Mass movement of African Americans from the South to Northern cities for jobs and better opportunities during and after WWI.

Fundamentalism

Religious movement emphasizing a literal interpretation of the Bible, clashing with modern scientific ideas.

Traditionalism

Emphasis on long-standing cultural and religious values, often opposing modernist influences.

Henry Ford

Industrialist who revolutionized automobile production with the assembly line and mass production of the Model T.

Assembly Line Process

Manufacturing method introduced by Henry Ford that increased efficiency and reduced production costs.

Art Deco

Popular architectural and design style of the 1920s-1930s, characterized by bold geometric patterns and lavish ornamentation.

Charles Lindbergh

First person to complete a solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic in 1927 (Spirit of St. Louis).

Modernism

Cultural movement embracing innovation, new technology, and progressive social attitudes, challenging traditional values.

Scopes Trial (1925)

Legal case where an individual was tried for teaching evolution in Tennessee, highlighting the clash between science and religion.

‘Scarface’ Al Capone

Infamous Chicago gangster who profited from Prohibition-era bootlegging; convicted of tax evasion in 1931.

Margaret Sanger

Birth control advocate and founder of Planned Parenthood.

Harlem Renaissance

Cultural movement celebrating African American art, literature, and music in the 1920s, centered in Harlem, New York.

‘Jazz Age’

Term coined by F. Scott Fitzgerald to describe the 1920s, highlighting the era’s music, cultural change, and loose morals.

Marcus Garvey

Black nationalist leader who promoted Pan-Africanism and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).

Warren G. Harding

29th president (1921-1923), known for his ‘Return to Normalcy’ campaign and scandals like Teapot Dome.

‘Return to Normalcy’

Harding’s campaign slogan promising a return to pre-WWI policies of isolationism and limited government.

Teapot Dome Scandal

Political scandal where Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall illegally leased government oil reserves in exchange for bribes.

Calvin Coolidge

30th president (1923-1929), known for pro-business policies and a laissez-faire approach to the economy.

Herbert Hoover

31st president (1929-1933), blamed for inadequate response to the Great Depression.

Alfred E. Smith

Democratic presidential candidate in 1928; first Catholic to run for president, lost to Hoover.

Great Depression (1929-1939)

Economic crisis marked by high unemployment, bank failures, and widespread poverty.

Black Tuesday (October 29, 1929)

Stock market crash that marked the start of the Great Depression.

Federal Reserve

The U.S. central banking system, responsible for monetary policy and regulating banks.

Hawley-Smoot Tariff (1930)

High tariff that worsened the Great Depression by reducing international trade.

Bonus Army/Bonus March (1932)

WWI veterans who marched on Washington, D.C., demanding early payment of promised bonuses; forcibly removed by the military.

RFC (Reconstruction Finance Corporation, 1932)

Hoover’s agency that provided loans to banks and businesses in an attempt to combat the Great Depression.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

32nd president (1933-1945); led the U.S. through the Great Depression and WWII, introducing the New Deal.

21st Amendment (1933)

Repealed Prohibition (18th Amendment).

Three Rs

Roosevelt’s New Deal goals: Relief, Recovery, and Reform.

First New Deal (1933-1935)

Early programs focused on economic recovery and financial reform, including bank regulation and job creation.

Fireside Chats

FDR’s radio broadcasts that reassured and informed the American public about his policies.

New Deal Programs

Government initiatives designed to provide jobs and economic stability, including

AAA

Paid farmers to reduce crop production to stabilize prices.

PWA

Funded large infrastructure projects to create jobs.

CCC

Provided jobs for young men in environmental conservation projects.

TVA

Brought electricity and flood control to rural areas in the South.

NRA

Encouraged fair business practices and labor protections.