world history

age of democracy, unit 7

Reform Bill of 1832

Expanded voting rights in Britain to more men by redistributing parliamentary seats and reducing corruption.

Emmeline Pankhurst

A British suffragette who led the fight for women's voting rights through militant activism.

Dreyfus Affair

A political scandal in France involving the wrongful conviction of Jewish officer Alfred Dreyfus, highlighting antisemitism.

Irish Potato Famine

A devastating famine (1845–1852) caused by potato blight, leading to mass starvation and emigration.

Roots of Imperialism

Motivated by economic gain, nationalism, military strategy, and cultural superiority.

Social Darwinism

The belief that stronger nations or races were naturally superior and justified in dominating others.

Berlin Conference

A 1884–85 meeting where European powers divided Africa without African input.

Boer War

A conflict (1899–1902) between the British and Dutch settlers (Boers) in South Africa over control of land and resources.

Zulu resistance

Led by Shaka Zulu, the Zulu Kingdom fought against British and Boer invasions in South Africa.

Paternalism

A colonial policy where European powers governed people as if they were children, without granting them rights.

Assimilation

A colonial strategy that aimed to replace local cultures with European customs and traditions.

Indirect control

A form of colonial rule where local rulers maintained authority under European oversight.

Direct control

A system where European officials directly governed colonies with no local autonomy.

Colony

A territory fully controlled and governed by a foreign power.

Protectorate

A region that retained its government but was under the control of an outside power.

Sphere of influence

A region where an outside power claimed exclusive economic or political privileges.

Economic imperialism

A form of imperialism where businesses, rather than governments, controlled foreign economies.

Nigeria

A British colony in West Africa that experienced both direct and indirect rule.

Ethiopia

The only African nation to successfully resist European colonization under Emperor Menelik II.

King Leopold

The Belgian king who brutally exploited the Congo for rubber and ivory, causing millions of deaths.

Legacy of colonial rule

Left lasting effects such as artificial borders, economic dependency, and ethnic tensions.

Suez Canal and Egypt

A vital waterway connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas, controlled by Britain for trade dominance.

Impact of colonialism in India

Brought infrastructure improvements but also economic exploitation and cultural suppression.

Sepoy Mutiny

A failed 1857 revolt by Indian soldiers against British rule, sparked by cultural and political grievances.

Annexation

The forced incorporation of a territory into another state.

Emilio Aguinaldo

Leader of the Filipino independence movement against Spanish and later U.S. rule.

Queen Liliuokalani

The last monarch of Hawaii, overthrown by American business interests in 1893.

Jose Marti

A Cuban revolutionary who fought for independence from Spain.

Spanish-American War

A conflict (1898) in which the U.S. defeated Spain and gained territories like the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Panama Canal

A strategic waterway built by the U.S. to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Roosevelt Corollary

An extension of the Monroe Doctrine, asserting U.S. intervention rights in Latin America.

Opium War

A conflict between Britain and China (1839–42) over Britain's opium trade, leading to Chinese defeat.

Taiping Rebellion

A massive Chinese civil war (1850–64) against the Qing dynasty, resulting in millions of deaths.

Open Door Policy

A U.S. policy advocating equal trade opportunities in China.

Boxer Rebellion

A 1900 Chinese uprising against foreign influence, crushed by an international alliance.

Treaty of Kanagawa

An 1854 agreement that opened Japan to American trade after U.S. naval pressure.

Meiji Era

A period of rapid modernization and industrialization in Japan (1868–1912).