Unit 1 Review: Progressive Era, Imperialism, and World War I

Vocabulary flashcards covering the Progressive Era, American Imperialism, the Spanish-American War, and U.S. involvement in World War I.

Open Door Policy

A policy to allow all countries to trade freely with China.

Militarism

The strong buildup of armed forces to intimidate and threaten other nations.

Allied Powers

The coalition during World War I consisting of the United Kingdom, France, and Russia.

Imperialism

A policy where one nation exercises political or economic control over a weaker nation, expanding influence for economic resources, consumers, and military bases.

Draft

The process of selecting a person at random for mandatory military service.

Yellow Journalism

A type of sensational, biased, and often false reporting designed to attract readers.

Suffrage

The right to vote.

Nationalism

A feeling of intense pride in one's homeland.

Victory Gardens

Gardens planted by civilians to make their own food in order to support the war effort.

Central Powers

The World War I alliance consisting of Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Progressives

Reformers whose main goal was to improve the general quality of American life, believing the government should actively work to make the lives of citizens better.

Muckraker

A person, such as a journalist, who investigates and exposes social scandals and abuses to make the public aware of wrongdoing in politics and business.

Upton Sinclair

A Progressive Era muckraker who wrote the book The Jungle to expose the harsh working conditions in meat packing plants.

The Jungle

A book written by muckraker Upton Sinclair detailing the working conditions in meat packing plants.

Election of 1912

The U.S. presidential election won by Woodrow Wilson due to the split of the Republican vote between Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft.

19th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that granted women the right to vote.

USS Maine

The American ship whose sinking served as the primary cause of the Spanish-American War.

Spanish-American War

A conflict fought between the United States and Spain, with the primary fighting taking place in Cuba.

Edith Wilson

The First Lady who ran the country for 5 months after President Woodrow Wilson suffered an incapacitating stroke.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Germany's naval practice of using submarines (U-boats) to attack passenger and merchant vessels carrying American citizens, prompting U.S. entry into WWI.

Lusitania

A British passenger boat carrying American citizens and weaponry that was sunk by German U-boats, inflaming public opinion and driving calls for war.

Zimmerman Note

A telegram sent by Germany proposing an alliance with Mexico against the U.S., intercepted by the British and published publicly to rally American support for the war.

Sussex Pledge

An agreement that allowed passengers and crew to leave an attacked ship before German submarines sank it.

Hun

A derogatory term used during World War I for Germans, referencing 4th and 5th century European invaders.

Liberty Bonds

Special war bonds sold to civilians to fund the Allied cause during World War I.