History Final Vocabulary Terms

New Immigrants

immigrants who had come to the US after the 1880s from southern and eastern europe

Steerage

A large open area beneath a ship's deck, often used to house traveling immigrants

Elllis Island

In New York; (mostly european immigrants)

Angel Island

The immigration station on the west coast where Asian immigrants, at San Francisco Bay.

Americanization

Belief that assimilating immigrants into American society would make them more loyal citizens

melting pot

the mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples that has changed the American nation. The United States, with its history of immigration, has often been called a melting pot.

Nativism

A policy of favoring native-born individuals over foreign-born ones

Chinese Exclusion Act

(1882) Denied any additional Chinese laborers to enter the country while allowing students and merchants to immigrate.

Urbanization

An increase in the percentage and in the number of people living in urban settlements.

Rural-to-urban migrant

a person who moves from an agricultural area to a city

Skyscraper

a very tall building with many stories

Elisha Otis

Inventor who developed the first safety elevator in 1852.

Mass transit

Transportation systems designed to move large numbers of people along fixed routes. ( trams, trains, subways, buses)

Suburb

a residential district located on the outskirts of a city

Frederick Law Olmsted

United States landscape architect who believed that beautiful places created better people.

Tenement

A building in which several families rent rooms or apartments, often with little sanitation or safety

Cholera

an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food

Mark Twain

United States writer and humorist best known for his novels about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn (1835-1910)

Gilden Age

Time period after Reconstruction. Looks great on the surface, but if one scratches the surface it is very different. Term coined by Mark Twain

Conspicuous consumerism

purchasing of goods and services for the purpose of impressing others

Mass culture

leisure and cultural activities shared by many people

Joseph Pullitzer

Newspaper rival of Hearst who also used yellow journalism to increase circulation of his NYC papers.

William Randolph Hearst

A leading newspaperman of his times, he ran The New York Journal and helped create and propagate "yellow (sensationalist) journalism."

Horatio Alger

Writer of novels stressing rags to riches stories of boys

Tin Pan Alley

is the name given to the collection of New York City-centered music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Ragtime

A type of music featuring melodies with shifting accents over a steady, marching-band beat; originated among black musicians in the south and midwest in the 1880s

Vaudeville

A type of inexpensive variety show that first appeared in the 1870s, often consisting of comic sketches, song-and-dance routines, and magic acts

New Immigrants

immigrants who had come to the US after the 1880s from southern and eastern europe

Steerage

A large open area beneath a ship's deck, often used to house traveling immigrants

Elllis Island

In New York; (mostly european immigrants)

Angel Island

The immigration station on the west coast where Asian immigrants, at San Francisco Bay.

Americanization

Belief that assimilating immigrants into American society would make them more loyal citizens

melting pot

the mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples that has changed the American nation. The United States, with its history of immigration, has often been called a melting pot.

Nativism

A policy of favoring native-born individuals over foreign-born ones

Chinese Exclusion Act

(1882) Denied any additional Chinese laborers to enter the country while allowing students and merchants to immigrate.

Urbanization

An increase in the percentage and in the number of people living in urban settlements.

Rural-to-urban migrant

a person who moves from an agricultural area to a city

Skyscraper

a very tall building with many stories

Elisha Otis

Inventor who developed the first safety elevator in 1852.

Mass transit

Transportation systems designed to move large numbers of people along fixed routes. ( trams, trains, subways, buses)

Suburb

a residential district located on the outskirts of a city

Frederick Law Olmsted

United States landscape architect who believed that beautiful places created better people.

Tenement

A building in which several families rent rooms or apartments, often with little sanitation or safety

Cholera

an acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food

Mark Twain

United States writer and humorist best known for his novels about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn (1835-1910)

Gilden Age

Time period after Reconstruction. Looks great on the surface, but if one scratches the surface it is very different. Term coined by Mark Twain

Conspicuous consumerism

purchasing of goods and services for the purpose of impressing others

Mass culture

leisure and cultural activities shared by many people

Joseph Pullitzer

Newspaper rival of Hearst who also used yellow journalism to increase circulation of his NYC papers.

William Randolph Hearst

A leading newspaperman of his times, he ran The New York Journal and helped create and propagate "yellow (sensationalist) journalism."

Horatio Alger

Writer of novels stressing rags to riches stories of boys

Tin Pan Alley

is the name given to the collection of New York City-centered music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Ragtime

A type of music featuring melodies with shifting accents over a steady, marching-band beat; originated among black musicians in the south and midwest in the 1880s

Vaudeville

A type of inexpensive variety show that first appeared in the 1870s, often consisting of comic sketches, song-and-dance routines, and magic acts

Imperialism

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

Extractive economy

economy in a colony where the colonizing country removed raw materials and shipped them back home to benefit its own economy

Alfred T. Mahan

us navy captain who encouraged the us to look outward for military bases, raw materials, markets

Social Darwinism

The belief that only the fittest survive in human political and economic struggle.

Frederick J. Turner

Historian who said that the frontier had been an outlet for ambitious Americans

Matthew Perry

A commodore in the American navy. He forced Japan into opening its doors to trade, thus brining western influence to Japan while showing American might.

Queen Liliuokalani

the Hawaiian queen who was forced out of power by a revolution started by American business interests

Sanford B. Dole

American businessman who became president of the new government of Hawaii after the queen was pushed out

Jose Marti

led the fight for Cuba's independence from Spain from 1895 through the Spanish-American War

William Randolph Hearst

A leading newspaperman of his times, he ran The New York Journal and helped create and propagate "yellow (sensationalist) journalism."

Yellow Press

newspapers that used sensational headlines and exaggerated stories in order to promote readership

Jingoism

extreme patriotism

George Dewey

A United States naval officer remembered for his victory at Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War, U.S. naval commander who led the American attack on the Philippines

Emilio Aquinaldo

Philippine rebel leader who fought against the U.S. and took control of the Philippine capital, Manila

Rough Riders

Volunteer regiment of US Cavalry led by Teddy Roosevelt during the Spanish American War

Treaty of Paris

(1898) treaty that ended the Spanish American war. Provided that Cuba be free from Spain.

Insurrection

Rebellion or revolt against a government or similarly established authority

guerilla warefare

A hit-and-run technique used in fighting a war; fighting by small bands of warriors using tactics such as sudden ambushes

William Howard Taft

Believed that instead of using the "big stick" it was better to use money to get people to agree with the United States.

Sphere of Influence

A foreign region in which a nation has control over trade and other economic activities.

John Hay

Secretary of State under McKinley and Roosevelt who pioneered the open-door policy and Panama canal

Boxer Rebellion

1899 rebellion in Beijing, China started by a secret society of Chinese who opposed the "foreign devils".

Open Door Policy

A policy proposed by the US in 1899, under which ALL nations would have equal opportunities to trade in China.

Russo-Japanese War

(1904-1905) War between Russia and Japan over imperial possessions. Japan emerges victorious.

Gentlemen's Agreement

In 1907 Theodore Roosevelt arranged with Japan that Japan would voluntarily restrict the emmigration of its nationals to the U.S.

Great White Fleet

1907-1909 - Roosevelt sent the Navy on a world tour to show the world the U.S. naval power. Also to pressure Japan into the "Gentlemen's Agreement."

Foraker Act

This act established Puerto Rico as an unorganized U.S. territory. Puerto Ricans were not given U.S. citizenship, but the U.S. president appointed the island's governor and governing council.

Platt Amendment

Allowed the United States to intervene in Cuba and gave the United States control of the naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

"Big Stick" diplomacy

Diplomatic policy developed by T.R where the "big stick" symbolizes his power and readiness to use military force if necessary. It is a way of intimidating countries without actually harming them and was the basis of U.S. imperialistic foreign policy.

Panama Canal

a ship canal 40 miles long across the Isthmus of Panama built by the United States (1904-1914)

Roosevelt Corollary

Roosevelt's 1904 extension of the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the United States has the right to protect its economic interests in South And Central America by using military force

Dollar diplomacy

Foreign policy created under President Taft that had the U.S. exchanging financial support ($) for the right to "help" countries make decisions about trade and other commercial ventures. Basically it was exchanging money for political influence in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Moral diplomacy

Foreign policy proposed by President Wilson to condemn imperialism, spread democracy, and promote peace

Franisco Pancho Villa

a general in the Mexican Revolution.

Imperialism

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

Extractive economy

economy in a colony where the colonizing country removed raw materials and shipped them back home to benefit its own economy

Alfred T. Mahan

us navy captain who encouraged the us to look outward for military bases, raw materials, markets

Social Darwinism

The belief that only the fittest survive in human political and economic struggle.

Frederick J. Turner

Historian who said that the frontier had been an outlet for ambitious Americans

Matthew Perry

A commodore in the American navy. He forced Japan into opening its doors to trade, thus brining western influence to Japan while showing American might.

Queen Liliuokalani

the Hawaiian queen who was forced out of power by a revolution started by American business interests

Sanford B. Dole

American businessman who became president of the new government of Hawaii after the queen was pushed out

Jose Marti

led the fight for Cuba's independence from Spain from 1895 through the Spanish-American War

William Randolph Hearst

A leading newspaperman of his times, he ran The New York Journal and helped create and propagate "yellow (sensationalist) journalism."

Yellow Press

newspapers that used sensational headlines and exaggerated stories in order to promote readership

Jingoism

extreme patriotism