AP World | Chapter 32 | The Building of Global Empires

messersmith

Imperialism

A policy or ideology in which a country extends its power and domination over other nations or territories.

Manifest Destiny

The 19th-century doctrine that the expansion of the United States throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

Geopolitical Considerations

Factors related to geography that influence politics and international relations.

The White Man's Burden

A concept popularized by Rudyard Kipling, referring to the alleged duty of Western powers to civilize and uplift colonized peoples.

Domestic Political Considerations

Factors within a country that affect its political situation and decisions about imperial policies.

Quinine

A medication used to treat malaria, often used in the context of imperialism for its role in keeping European soldiers healthy.

Steamships

Ships powered by steam engines, significantly improving transportation and trade during imperialism.

Suez Canal

An artificial waterway in Egypt, opened in 1869, that connected the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.

Maxim gun

The first portable, fully automatic machine gun, which became a significant technology in colonial warfare.

Battle of Omdurman

A military battle in 1898 in Sudan where British forces defeated the Sudanese with significant casualties on the latter's side.

Telegraph

A communication system that transmits messages over wires, crucial for communication during imperial times.

East India Company

A trading company formed in 1600, it played a significant role in British imperialism in India.

Doctrine of Lapse

A policy used by the British East India Company to annex any princely state where the ruler did not have a direct male heir.

Sepoy

An Indian soldier employed by the British East India Company.

Indian Rebellion of 1857

A widespread but unsuccessful rebellion against British rule in India.

Direct rule

A system of governance in which a central authority directly controls the policies of its colonies.

Indirect rule

A system of governance where local rulers maintain their authority under the overarching control of a foreign power.

The Great Game

The political and diplomatic confrontation between the British Empire and the Russian Empire for supremacy in Central Asia.

Treaty of Waitangi

An agreement signed in 1840 between the British Crown and various Māori chiefs in New Zealand.

The Panama Canal

A canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, completed in 1914.

Sino-Japanese War

A conflict between China and Japan from 1894 to 1895, resulting in Japanese victory and recognition as a formidable power.

Russo-Japanese War

A conflict from 1904 to 1905 between Russia and Japan, marking the first time in modern history that an Asian power defeated a European power.

Congo Free State

A large swath of central Africa that was privately controlled by King Leopold II of Belgium.

Berlin Conference

A meeting in 1884-1885 where European powers divided Africa among themselves, with no African representatives present.

Systems of Colonial Rule

Different methods used by imperial powers to govern their colonies, including direct and indirect rule.

Labor Migrations

The movement of people from one place to another for the purpose of employment.

Maji Maji Rebellion

An uprising against German colonial rule in East Africa from 1905 to 1906, wherein locals believed water sprinkled on them would protect them from bullets.

Social Darwinism

A theory that applied Darwinian concepts of natural selection to human society, often used to justify imperialism.

Indian National Congress

A political party founded in 1885, playing a crucial role in the Indian independence movement.

Cecil Rhodes

A British businessman and imperialist known for his expansionist policies in Africa.

French West Africa

A federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Spanish-Cuban-American War

A conflict in 1898 where the U.S. intervened in Cuba's struggle for independence from Spain.

British Imperial Rule

The period when Britain directly governed India following the Indian Rebellion.

Colonial Conflict

Struggles and uprisings against colonial authorities by local populations.

Economic Legacies of Imperialism

The economic impacts and changes that colonial rule left on colonized nations.

Pacific Islands colonialism

The establishment of European control over various islands in the Pacific Ocean, often for strategic or resource reasons.

Alaska acquisition

The purchase of Alaska from Russia by the U.S. in 1867, which expanded American territory.

Indigenous Institutions

Local governing bodies or structures that were co-opted or utilized by imperial powers during colonial rule.

Ceylon tea

A major export product of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), which was promoted under British colonial rule.