Unit 6 American History

World War I

(1914–1918) European war in which the Allied Powers defeated the Central Powers.

Militarism

A policy of glorifying military power and keeping a standing army always prepared for war.

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

Nationalism

A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country.

Gavrilo Princip

The assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and a member of the Black Hand.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Heir to the Austria Hungarian throne who was assassinated in Sarajevo, starting World War I.

Stalemate

A situation in which neither side can win or make progress; also called an impasse.

Pandemic

A widespread disease that affects an entire country, continent, or the world.

Zimmermann Note

A secret document promising Mexico help from Germany to regain Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico if Mexico joined the Central Powers.

Czar Nicholas II

Russian Czar during WWI who was unpopular, overthrown in March 1917, and later executed by the Bolsheviks.

Communism

An economic system where the government owns the means of production and distributes resources equally.

Selective Service Act

A 1917 law requiring men ages 21–30 to register for the military draft.

Draft

A law requiring people of a certain age to serve in the military.

Victory Gardens

Backyard gardens where Americans grew vegetables to support the war effort.

Convoy

A group traveling together, often for safety.

Fourteen Points

Proposals by President Woodrow Wilson for achieving lasting peace after WWI.

Autonomy

Self government.

1918 Influenza Pandemic

A worldwide flu pandemic that killed around 20 million people.

Reparations

Financial compensation paid to someone who has been wronged.

League of Nations

An international organization formed in 1920 to promote cooperation and peace among nations.

Isolationism

The policy of avoiding involvement in the affairs and agreements of other nations.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership of capital.

Red Scare

A period of widespread fear of communists.

Socialism

An economic system in which the state regulates property and the means of production for the benefit of citizens.

Roaring Twenties

The decade of the 1920s, named for its prosperity and excitement.

Great Migration

The movement of over 300,000 African Americans from the rural South to Northern cities between 1914 and 1920.

Creationism

The belief that people were created by God as described in the Judeo Christian Bible.

Expatriate

Someone who chooses not to live in their home country.

Stock Exchange

A market for buying and selling stocks.

Black Tuesday

October 29, 1929; the date of the worst stock market crash in American history and the beginning of the Great Depression.

Great Depression

The economic crisis that began with the stock market crash in 1929 and continued through the 1930s.

Default

To fail to pay a debt.

Herbert Hoover

Republican president who took office in 1929 and tried to restore public confidence during the Great Depression.

Shantytowns

Neighborhoods of informal houses, usually made from discarded materials.

Public Works

Government

Social Security Act

A 1935 law signed by FDR that provided retirement payments, unemployment insurance, and assistance to people in need.

Welfare

Assistance from the government, usually in the form of money.

Redlining

The practice of denying services to people in certain areas, often based on race.

Escapism

Escaping from daily life, usually through entertainment.

Deficit

The amount by which more money is spent than comes in.