Modern Era (1750-1900)

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key people, theories, events, and economic shifts of Period 3 (1750-1900) based on the lecture transcript.

Modernization Theory

The framework suggests that as countries become more westernized, their economies prosper, political rights grow, and social systems like healthcare and education improve.

Dependency Theory

The theory that rich countries take advantage of developing nations by taking their resources, leading to a state of economic decline that prevents development.

Victorian cult of domesticity

A social ideal for middle-class women that emphasized their proper role as wives and mothers, often entailing not working for pay and having a servant at home.

Adam Smith

The individual associated with the Rise of Capitalism during the Industrial Revolution.

Suez Canal

Built by the British and French in the $1850$s, it linked the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, removing the need to travel around Africa.

Panama Canal

Completed in $1913$, this waterway cut through Central America to encourage trade between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Banana Republics

A nickname for countries in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia that became highly dependent on a single cash crop like sugar, cotton, or rubber.

Meiji Restoration

The Meiji Restoration was a transformative period in Japan that lasted from 1868 to 1912, marking the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and restoring imperial rule under Emperor Meiji. This restoration brought about rapid modernization and industrialization and profoundly altered Japanese society, politics, and economy.

Berlin Conference

An $1885$ meeting where European powers decided how to divide the African continent among their colonies.

John Locke

A $1600$s writer who argued that a ruler's authority is based on the will of the people and that subjects have a right to overthrow the ruler via a social contract.

Bourgeoisie

The self-made middle class that grew in wealth during commercialization and sought political power to match their economic influence.

Toussaint L’Ouverture

A key leader of the Haitian Revolution.

Muhammad Ali

The Viceroy of Egypt who modernized the country, defeated the mamluks, and sought international financing for a canal along the Suez.

Sepoy Mutiny of 1857

A nationalistic uprising in South Asia against the British Raj.

Opium Wars

Conflicts between China and Britain that led to the establishment of European spheres of influence in East Asia.

Laissez-faire

An economic policy where the government has minimal involvement, relying instead on individual capitalists.

Enlightenment

A philosophical movement that used a humanistic approach of reason to question absolute governments and social structures.

Russification

A policy in Russia during the $1880$s that led to mass migration to the United States and other parts of the Americas.

Caudillo rule

A form of political leadership in Latin America, exemplified by Porfirio Diaz.

Tanzimat Reforms

Nineteenth-century modernization and reform efforts within the Ottoman Empire.

Sun Yatsen

A leader of the Chinese Revolution of $1911$ who was influenced by Enlightenment ideas of representation.

Maji Maji Rebellion

An uprising in German-controlled Tanzania (Southeast Africa).

Industrial Revolution accelerates

the transition to industrialization and urbanization, leading to significant economic and social changes.

Spinning Jenny invented

in the late 18th century, it was a multi-spindle spinning frame that revolutionized the textile industry by allowing workers to spin multiple threads simultaneously.

American Revolution

The conflict between the thirteen American colonies and Great Britain from 1775 to 1783, which resulted in the founding of the United States of America and its independence from British rule.

French Revolution

a period of radical social and political change in France from 1789 to 1799, leading to the establishment of democracy and the decline of monarchy.

Haitian Revolution and Independence

a successful anti-slavery and anti-colonial insurrection by self-liberated slaves in the French colony of Saint-Domingue from 1791 to 1804, resulting in the establishment of Haiti as the first independent black-led republic.

Latin American Independence movements

a series of revolutions and conflicts across Latin America from the early 19th century, leading to independence from Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule. These movements were inspired by Enlightenment ideals and previous revolutions, resulting in the establishment of several independent nations across the continent.

Congress of Viena

a conference held in 1814-1815 to reorganize Europe after the Napoleonic Wars, aiming to restore balance of power and prevent future conflicts. It involved major powers like Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain.

Greek Independance

the successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire from 1821 to 1829, leading to the establishment of Greece as an independent nation.

Treaty of Nanjing

the 1842 agreement that ended the First Opium War between Britain and China, which ceded Hong Kong to Britain and granted extraterritorial rights to British citizens in China.

European Revolutions

A series of political upheavals across Europe in 1848, aimed at establishing more democratic governments and national independence. These revolutions were driven by demands for social and political reforms.

Commodore Perry opens Japan

Refers to the expedition led by Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853-1854, which resulted in the signing of treaties that opened Japan to trade with the United States and marked the end of Japan's period of isolation.

Indian Rebellion

(1857-1858) was a major, but ultimately unsuccessful, uprising against British rule in India, sparked by widespread discontent with British policies and practices.

Emancipation of Serfs in Russia

The formal liberation of serfs in Russia in 1861, which granted them personal freedom and the ability to own land. This reform aimed to modernize Russia's economy and society but faced challenges in implementation.

German Unification

The process of uniting the various independent German states into a single nation-state, culminating in 1871 with the establishment of the German Empire under Prussian leadership.

Queen Victoria becomes Empress of India

in 1876, establishing British authority and promoting a sense of British identity in India.

Chinese Exclusion Act

A United States federal law enacted in 1882 aimed at prohibiting Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S., reflecting growing nativism and racial prejudice during the late 19th century.

Berlin Conference

A meeting held in 1884-1885 where European powers negotiated rules for the partition of Africa, leading to the establishment of colonial boundaries and European control over African territories.

Battle of Adwa (Ethiopian Victory)

The 1896 battle marked a significant victory for Ethiopia against Italian forces, ensuring Ethiopian sovereignty and becoming a symbol of African resistance against colonialism.

Spanish American War

A conflict fought between the United States and Spain in 1898, resulting in the U.S. acquiring territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, significantly expanding its influence in the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Boxer Rebellion

A violent uprising in China from 1899 to 1901, aimed at ending foreign influence and missionary activities. The movement was ultimately suppressed by an international coalition of eight nations.

Global migration surges

during the 19th century, driven by factors such as agricultural changes, industrialization, and political upheaval, leading to increased movement of people across borders.