Ap world vocab 5.8-5.9

Communist Manifesto

A political pamphlet written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848 that outlines the principles of communism and critiques capitalism. It calls for the working class to unite against the bourgeoisie, advocating for a classless society where the means of production are collectively owned

• A foundational political pamphlet that critiques capitalism and introduces the principles of communism. It argues that all history is defined by class struggle, urging the proletariat (working class) to overthrow the bourgeoisie (factory owners) to create a classless, equal society. 

Communism

A political and economic ideology aiming for a classless society where the means of production (factories, farms, mines) are owned collectively by the community or state, not privately, to eliminate inequality and distribute wealth based on need.

• Political and economic ideology defined by Karl Marx that advocated for a classless society where the means of production are collectively owned, against private property found in capitalism

Utilitarianism

The theory, proposed by Jeremy Bentham in the late 1700s, that government actions are useful only if they promote the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

• Moral philosophy that advocates for actions to maximize happiness and well-being for the greater good of the people rather than timeless moral rules of religious thought; founded by British philosopher Jeremy Bentham and expanded by John Stuart Mill

Labor unions

Organization of workers who gathered together to advocate for better wages, limited hours, and improved working conditions in response to the low pay and harsh working environments of the Industrial era

Proletariat

The industrial working class, who own no means of production (like factories or land) and must sell their labor for wages to survive

• Working class: a division of Marx's idea of capitalist's divided society as those who work in factories and mines with little compensation

Bourgeoise

The middle class of merchants, industrialists, and professionals who emerged in Europe, gaining power by owning capital and the means of production (factories, businesses) during the rise of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution

• Middle class and investors; a division of Marx's idea of capitalist's divided society as those who owned machinery and factories where workers produced goods, often taking in most of the capital earned

Bushido

The code of honor and morals developed by the Japanese samurai; in 1871, Japan legally dissolved the position of samurai. Their code of conduct was now a personal matter, no longer officially condoned by the government.

• The traditional code of conduct for samurai in feudal Japan, with virtues such as loyalty, honor, bravery, and self-discipline; no longer officially recognized by the Japanese government in 1871, along with the dissolution of the samurai position, practicing bushido became a personal decision

Genros

Elder statesman who served the Japanese government; after the dissolution of the position of samurai, some samurai took on this position

• Group of elder statesmen in Japan who served in government and played a crucial political role during the Meiji era; typically consisted of former samurai

Millets

Ottoman administrative framework that included separate legal courts within different religious communities, giving a certain degree of autonomy to manage their own affairs in these communities to allow for coexistence in the empire

Hundred Days of Reform

A set of sweeping reforms initiated by Chinese civil servant Kang Youwei in 1898 in an attempt to modernize the Qing Dynasty in response to Western pressures and their defeat in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895); reforms included abolition of the civil service exam, elimination of corruption, and establishment of Western-style industrial, commercial, and medical systems

• A short-lived, radical movement in China's late Qing Dynasty, initiated by Emperor Guangxu and reformist scholars (like Kang Youwei) to rapidly modernize China's government, education, military, and economy to counter Western imperialism

Tenement

Overcrowded, low-cost, multi-family apartment buildings, typically 5-7 stories, in industrial cities during the late 19th/early 20th centuries. Primarily housing working-class immigrants, these structures were poorly ventilated, unsanitary, and unsafe. These buildings were often owned by factory owners themselves.

• Multi-family residential apartments typically owned by factory owners in urban areas built during the Industrial Era to account for the rapid growth from urbanization

Slums

Tenements were often located here; areas of cities where low-income families were forced to live, where industrial by-products such as polluted water supplies and open sewers were common.

• Densely populated areas of cities where low-income families are forced to live; characterized by substandard housing, poor infrastructure, and limited access to basic services

White-collar

Middle-class workers employed in office environments to perform tasks related to management, administration, or professional services

• Characterizing lower-level professional and management workers, not requiring physical labor. Literate and considered middle class.

Working class

A social group on the lower rungs of the societal ladder, characterized by those who engage in manual labor within factories and coal mines, often with low wages and limited job security.

Boxer Rebbelion

A violent, anti-foreign, and anti-Christian uprising in Northern China led by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists ("Boxers"). Driven by nationalism and resentment against Western/Japanese imperialism, the rebels attacked foreign property and Christian converts. The movement was supported by the Qing Dynasty's Empress Dowager Cixi, but ultimately crushed by an Eight-Nation Alliance

Self-strengthening movement

A late 19th-century Qing Dynasty initiative aimed at modernizing China's military, economy, and technology to counter foreign imperialism while preserving Confucian values. Led by officials like Li Hongzhang, it involved building arsenals, shipyards, and railways but ultimately failed to prevent further foreign encroachment. 

Opium Wars

Two 19th-century conflicts between Qing Dynasty China and Western powers (primarily Britain, joined later by France) over the illegal, British-led opium trade and trade imbalances. China's attempts to stop the drug trade led to swift defeats, forced "unequal treaties," and foreign influence

Taiping Rebellion

A massive, bloody civil war in Qing Dynasty China led by Hong Xiuquan, a self-proclaimed brother of Jesus, who sought to overthrow the Manchu-led Qing government and establish the "Taiping Heavenly Kingdom". It was fueled by peasant discontent, anti-Manchu sentiment, and economic crisis, aiming for radical reforms like shared property and gender equality. Planted the seeds of communism

Open door policy

A diplomatic principle initiated by the United States in the late 19th century, aimed at ensuring equal trading rights for all nations in China and preventing any single power from monopolizing trade. This policy reflected the broader themes of economic imperialism, where major powers sought to extend their influence over weaker regions through economic means rather than outright territorial conquest.

Spheres of influence

A geographic region over which an external power exerts significant military, cultural, or economic influence, despite lacking direct, formal political control

Cult of domesticity

A 19th-century ideology, primarily in the US and Britain, that defined women’s roles as strictly confined to the private, domestic sphere—home and family.