AP World History Unit 6

Imperialism

A policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate other countries politically, socially, and economically.

Colonialism

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

Social Darwinism

The application of ideas about evolution and "survival of the fittest" to human societies—particularly as a justification for imperialist expansion.

Scientific Racism

The use of pseudoscientific techniques and hypotheses to support or justify the belief in racism, racial inferiority, or racial superiority.

“White Man’s Burden”

The purported duty of modern peoples to bring civilization to "backward" peoples; based on the title of a poem by Rudyard Kipling.

Berlin Congress

A meeting from 1884–1885 at which representatives of European nations agreed on rules for the colonization of Africa to avoid war among themselves.

Otto Von Bismarck

The German Chancellor who organized the 1884 meeting to regulate European colonization and trade in Africa during the "Scramble for Africa."

Britain in West Africa

A period of expansion where a European maritime power moved from coastal trading posts to inland control, establishing colonies like Nigeria and Ghana for palm oil and minerals.

Belgium in the Congo

A period of brutal colonial rule characterized by extreme forced labor and the extraction of rubber under the personal ownership of a European monarch.

King Leopold II

The monarch who claimed a massive territory in Central Africa as a private plantation, leading to the deaths of millions of Congolese people.

Congo Free State

A large state in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908 that was privately owned by a European king and became infamous for the systematic torture of the indigenous population.

Force Publique

A military force established in 1885 to terrorize the local population into meeting rubber quotas and to suppress revolts in Central Africa.

Zulu Kingdom

A powerful South African monarchy that resisted British and Boer expansion through highly organized military tactics before eventually falling.

Zulu Wars

A series of conflicts in the late 19th century between a dominant indigenous South African group and the British Empire, notable for a major British defeat at Isandlwana.

Samory Toure

The founder of the Wassoulou Empire in West Africa who led a long, effective military resistance against French colonial expansion.

Yaa Asantewaa War

The final conflict of a series of wars between the British and the Ashanti Empire in present-day Ghana, led by a female queen mother.

Xhosa Cattle- Killing Movement

A prophetic movement in Southern Africa where people slaughtered their livestock and destroyed crops in the belief that spirits would drive out British settlers.

Mahdist Wars in Sudan

A late 19th-century Islamic revolt against Egyptian and British rule, led by a religious leader claiming to be a messianic figure.

Cecil Rhodes

A British businessman and politician who was a primary advocate for "Cape to Cairo" imperialism and founded a major diamond company.

Suez Canal

A human-made waterway connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, which became a vital lifeline for British trade with India.

Sepoy Revolt (1857)

A massive uprising by Indian soldiers against the British East India Company, triggered by rumors of greased cartridges and resulting in direct British Crown rule.

Indian National Congress

A political party founded in 1885 to demand greater self-rule for South Asians; it later became the primary vehicle for the independence movement.

Mohandas Gandhi

A leader of the Indian independence movement known for using nonviolent civil disobedience to protest British colonial rule.

Ram Mohan Roy

A prominent Indian reformer in the early 19th century who sought to modernize Indian society while resisting British cultural erasure.

Bal Gangadhar Rilak

An early Indian nationalist leader who advocated for "Swaraj" (self-rule) and used more radical, populist methods than the moderate reformers.

Jamshedji Tata

An Indian industrialist who founded one of the nation's largest conglomerates, proving that indigenous industry could compete with British manufacturing.

Sphere of Influence

A foreign region in which a nation has control over trade and other economic activities, common in 19th-century China.

Taiping Rebellion

A mid-19th century massive civil war in China led by a man claiming to be the brother of Jesus, resulting in millions of deaths and weakening the Qing Dynasty.

The Opium Wars

Two mid-19th century conflicts between China and Britain triggered by the illegal drug trade and resulting in "unequal treaties" that opened Chinese ports.

Treaty of Nanjing

The 1842 agreement that ended the first major conflict between Britain and China, forcing China to pay an indemnity and cede Hong Kong.

Boxer Rebellion

A 1900 anti-foreign, anti-Christian uprising in China supported by the Dowager Empress, which was eventually crushed by an international coalition.

Sino- Japanese War

A 1894–1895 conflict between two East Asian powers over control of Korea, signaling the emergence of one as a modernized imperial power.

Economic Imperialism

A situation where one country has significant economic power over another, often controlling its resources or trade without direct political rule.

White Dominion

A type of colony, such as Canada or Australia, where European settlers became the majority and eventually achieved significant self-governance.

Contested Settler

A colony where large numbers of Europeans moved to live permanently but encountered a large indigenous population that fought back for control of the land.

Tropical Dependency

A small number of European administrators oversaw a large indigenous population that remained the majority, focusing on resource extraction rather than settlement.

Protectorate

A country or territory with its own internal government but under the control of an outside power for "protection" and foreign policy.

Tupac Amaru II

A leader of an indigenous uprising in 1780 against Spanish rule in Peru; he claimed descent from the last Inca ruler.

Ghost Dance

A religious movement among Native Americans in the late 19th century intended to bring back the buffalo and cause white settlers to disappear.

Benjamin Disraeli

A British Prime Minister and conservative politician who was a staunch supporter of expanding the British Empire and crowned Queen Victoria "Empress of India."