Unit 5: Key Concepts and Vocabulary Review

This set of vocabulary flashcards includes essential terms and their definitions to help students understand key concepts related to economic, political, and social developments during the specified historical periods.

Economic imperialism

A policy wherein a country exerts economic power over another nation, often exploiting its resources.

Opium Wars

Conflicts between China and Western countries, particularly Britain, resulting from the opium trade, leading to significant treaties like the Treaty of Nanking.

Nationalism

A political ideology that emphasizes the interests and culture of a particular nation, often resulting in unification or the pursuit of independence.

Self-Strengthening Movement

A Chinese reform movement aimed at modernizing the military and economy by adopting Western technologies while maintaining Confucian values.

Demographic transition model

A model that describes the transition of a country's population from high birth and death rates to lower birth and death rates as part of economic development.

Social Darwinism

A belief that the principles of natural selection apply to social, political, and economic issues, often used to justify imperialism.

Industrial Revolution

A period of major industrialization from the late 18th to the early 19th century that transformed economies from agrarian to industrial.

Luddite riots

Protests by English workers in the 19th century against industrialization and the loss of jobs due to mechanization.

Capitalism

An economic system where private individuals or businesses own capital goods, production, and the means of production.

Communism

A political and economic ideology that advocates for a classless system in which the means of production are owned communally.

Chinese Exclusion Act

United States federal law signed in 1882 that prohibited Chinese laborers from entering the country, reflecting anti-Asian sentiment.

Cultural enclaves

Neighborhoods or districts where a specific ethnic group resides, preserving their cultural identity.

Mercantilism

An economic theory prevalent in the 16th to 18th centuries that emphasized the role of the state in managing the economy to enhance national power.

Treaty of Nanking

An unequal treaty that ended the First Opium War, imposing harsh conditions on China and ceding Hong Kong to Britain.

Factory System

A method of manufacturing using machinery and division of labor, characterizing the Industrial Revolution.

Refugees

Individuals who flee their country due to persecution, war, or violence, often seeking asylum in another city or country.

Colonialism

The practice of acquiring control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.