Imperialism, WWI, and the 1920s in American History

Quest for markets and raw materials

The need for new markets and resources, often seen as a driver for imperial expansion.

Manifest Destiny

A 19th-century belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across the North American continent.

Quest for markets and raw materials

The need for new markets and resources, often seen as a driver for imperial expansion.

Manifest Destiny

A 19th-century belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across the North American continent.

Pearl Harbor

A U.S. naval base in Hawaii, famously attacked by Japan in 1941.

President William McKinley, Hawaii annexation

McKinley was the U.S. president who oversaw the annexation of Hawaii in 1898.

Social Darwinism

A theory that applied Darwin's ideas of natural selection to human society, often to justify imperialism.

Queen Liliuokalani

The last monarch of Hawaii, who was overthrown during the annexation of Hawaii.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

A U.S. naval officer whose ideas on naval power influenced imperialistic policies.

Berlin Conference

A meeting in 1884-85 where European powers divided Africa into colonies.

"Jingoes"

People who supported aggressive nationalism and imperialism.

Anti-Imperialist League

A group that opposed U.S. imperialism, especially the annexation of the Philippines.

Yellow journalism

Sensationalized news reporting that exaggerated or fabricated stories to provoke public response.

USS Maine

A U.S. battleship whose explosion in Havana Harbor in 1898 led to the Spanish-American War.

Treaty of Paris (1898)

The agreement that ended the Spanish-American War, resulting in Spain ceding Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the U.S.

World power

A nation that has significant influence and power on a global scale.

Philippines

An island nation that became a U.S. colony after the Spanish-American War.

Open Door Policy

A U.S. policy that aimed to ensure equal trading rights in China.

Big Stick Diplomacy

Theodore Roosevelt's policy of using military force to achieve foreign policy goals.

Panama Canal

A man-made waterway through Panama that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Roosevelt Corollary

An extension of the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the U.S. could intervene in Latin American countries to maintain order.

Teller Amendment

A provision stating that the U.S. would not annex Cuba after the Spanish-American War.

Platt Amendment

An amendment that restricted Cuba's sovereignty and allowed U.S. intervention.

Emilio Aguinaldo

Leader of the Philippine independence movement who fought against both Spanish and American forces.

Spheres of influence

Areas where a foreign power has significant control or influence, especially in trade.

Progressive movement

A political movement in the early 20th century aimed at addressing social, political, and economic issues.

Muckrakers

Journalists who exposed corruption and societal problems.

19th Amendment

The amendment granting women the right to vote (1920).

1890 Sherman Antitrust Act

A law that aimed to break up monopolies and prevent anti-competitive practices.

1906 Meat Inspection Act, Pure Food and Drug Act

Laws that improved food safety and consumer protection.

Progressive divisions

Differences within the Progressive movement, including disagreements over strategies and goals.

Jacob Riis, How the Other Half Lives

A book by journalist Jacob Riis exposing the harsh living conditions in urban slums.

Upton Sinclair, The Jungle

A novel that revealed unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry, leading to food safety reforms.

17th Amendment

The amendment that allowed for the direct election of U.S. senators.

Initiative, referendum, recall

Political processes that allow citizens to propose, approve, or remove laws or officials.

Preservationists

People who want to protect nature from human interference.

Conservationists

People who want to manage and preserve natural resources for sustainable use.

Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914

A law that strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act to prevent monopolistic practices.

Federal Reserve System

The central banking system of the U.S., responsible for monetary policy.

Washingtonian isolationism and neutrality

A policy of avoiding entanglements in foreign alliances or conflicts.

Lusitania sinking

The 1915 sinking of a British ship by a German U-boat, killing American passengers and contributing to the U.S. entering WWI.

Zimmermann telegram

A secret German message proposing a military alliance with Mexico against the U.S., which led to the U.S. entering WWI.

The League of Nations

An international organization formed after WWI to promote peace, but the U.S. did not join.

The Treaty of Versailles

The 1919 treaty that ended WWI, imposing heavy penalties on Germany.

Arsenal of the Allies

The U.S. served as the primary supplier of weapons and supplies to the Allied powers during WWI.

U-boat warfare

German submarine warfare that targeted Allied shipping during WWI.

The Fourteen Points

President Wilson's proposals for post-war peace, including self-determination and the creation of the League of Nations.

Isolationism

The policy of avoiding involvement in foreign conflicts.

Allies

The coalition of nations, including the U.S., Britain, France, and others, fighting against the Central Powers in WWI.

Central Powers

The alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria in WWI.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

His assassination in 1914 triggered the outbreak of WWI.

Selective Service Act

A law that required men to register for the draft during WWI.

Article X

A part of the League of Nations covenant that called for member nations to assist each other in maintaining peace.

Espionage Act of 1917

A law that penalized anti-war activities and allowed for the imprisonment of individuals who obstructed military recruitment.

Sedition Act of 1918

A law that made it a crime to criticize the U.S. government, flag, or military during WWI.

Schenck v. United States

A Supreme Court case that upheld the Espionage Act, ruling that free speech could be restricted during wartime if it presented a 'clear and present danger.'

First Red Scare

A period of fear of communism and radical political movements in the U.S. after WWI.

Great Migration

The mass movement of African Americans from the South to northern cities during and after WWI in search of better opportunities.

"Liberty Bonds"

U.S. government-issued bonds that citizens could buy to help finance WWI.

Palmer Raids

A series of raids conducted by the U.S. government in 1919-1920 to arrest and deport suspected communists and anarchists.

"Red Summer"

A period of race riots in the U.S. in 1919, primarily in northern cities.

Assembly line

A manufacturing process in which each worker performs a specific task in the production of goods, popularized by Henry Ford.

Automobile

The invention and mass production of cars, particularly the Model T by Henry Ford, revolutionized transportation.

Radio

A new form of mass communication that became widely popular in the 1920s, allowing for entertainment and news to reach a broad audience.

Pro-business Republican presidents

Presidents such as Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover, who favored policies that supported business growth and limited government intervention.

Ford Motor Company

The company founded by Henry Ford, known for revolutionizing the auto industry with the assembly line.

Henry Ford

The founder of the Ford Motor Company, who pioneered mass production techniques that made automobiles affordable.

Buying on credit

The practice of purchasing goods with borrowed money, often through installment plans.

Installment plan

A method of purchasing goods in small payments over time, which contributed to consumer spending in the 1920s.

Hollywood

The center of the American film industry, located in California, known for producing movies and creating a global entertainment culture.

The Jazz Singer

The first major 'talkie' film, marking the beginning of the end of silent films in 1927.

The flapper

A young woman in the 1920s who embraced modern fashions and social changes, often challenging traditional norms.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural movement in the 1920s centered in Harlem, New York, that celebrated African American art, literature, and music.

1921 Emergency Quota Act

A law that restricted immigration by establishing quotas based on nationality.

The National Origins Act of 1924

A law that further limited immigration, particularly from Southern and Eastern Europe, and favored Western European immigrants.

18th Amendment

The amendment that prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol (Prohibition).

Alain Locke

An African American philosopher and writer who was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

"New Negro"

A term coined by Alain Locke to describe a new sense of pride and self-confidence in African American culture during the Harlem Renaissance.

"Negro Nationalism"

A movement that promoted pride in African heritage and advocated for the separation of races.

Marcus Garvey

A leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association who promoted black nationalism and Pan-Africanism.

Claude McKay, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston

Prominent African American writers of the Harlem Renaissance.

Louis Armstrong

A famous African American jazz musician who became a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

Ku Klux Klan

A white supremacist group that was revived in the 1920s, promoting racial segregation and hatred.

Sacco and Vanzetti

Two Italian immigrants who were convicted of murder in the 1920s, often seen as victims of prejudice and political bias.

Scopes Monkey Trial

A 1925 trial in Tennessee where a teacher, John Scopes, was prosecuted for teaching evolution, challenging the state's anti-evolution law.

Margaret Sanger

A women's rights activist who advocated for birth control and founded the American Birth Control League.

American Birth Control League

An organization founded by Margaret Sanger that later became Planned Parenthood.

Countee Cullen, James Weldon Johnson

Prominent African American poets and leaders in the Harlem Renaissance.

Pro-business policies

Economic policies that favored businesses, such as tax cuts for corporations and reduced regulation, which were common before and during the early years of the Great Depression.

Stock market crash

The 1929 collapse of the stock market, which contributed to the onset of the Great Depression.

Easy credit and installment plans

The widespread availability of credit and installment buying, which contributed to consumer debt and the economic instability leading to the Great Depression.

Hoovervilles

Shantytowns that arose during the Great Depression, named derisively after President Herbert Hoover.

Dust Bowl

A period of severe dust storms and drought in the central U.S. during the 1930s, which devastated agriculture and contributed to economic hardship.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The U.S. president who led the country through the Great Depression and World War II, implementing the New Deal.

Teapot Dome Scandal

A major political scandal during the Harding administration involving the illegal leasing of federal oil reserves.

Buying on margin

The practice of borrowing money to buy stocks, which contributed to the stock market crash.

Overproduction

When goods are produced in excess of demand, leading to falling prices and economic problems.

Underconsumption

When people cannot afford to buy goods, leading to economic downturns.

President Hoover

The U.S. president at the start of the Great Depression, whose response to the crisis was widely criticized.

Welfare capitalism

A system in which businesses provide welfare-like benefits to workers to maintain loyalty and avoid labor unrest.

Largest creditor nation

The U.S. was the world's largest creditor nation before the Great Depression, lending money to other countries.

"Okies"

Migrants from the Dust Bowl who moved to California and other western states in search of work.