Unit 6 History

Imperialism

The policy of extending a nation’s authority over other countries by economic, political, or military means

Protectorate

A country whose affairs are partially controlled by a stronger power

Sphere of influence

A country or area in which another country has power to affect developments although it has no formal authority

Yellow journalism

The use of sensationalized and exaggerated reporting by newspapers or magazines to attract readers

Jingoism

Aggressive nationalism

Open Door Policy

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

Roosevelt Corollary

An extension of the Monroe Doctrine, announced by president Theodore Roosevelt, under which the US claimed the right to protect its economic interests by means of military intervention in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere nations

Dollar Diplomacy

The US policy of using the nation’s economic power to exert influence over other countries

Militarism

The policy of building up armed forces in aggressive preparedness for war and their use as a tool of diplomacy

Nationalism

A devotion to the interests and culture of one’s nation

Alliances

A group of nations – originally consisting of Great Britain, France, and Russia and later joined by the United States, Italy, and others – that opposed the Central Powers

Trench Warfare

Military operations in which the opposing forces attack and counterattack from systems of fortified ditches rather than on an open battlefield

Propaganda

A kind of biased communication designed to influence people’s thoughts and actions

Victory Garden

Gardens planted by American citizens during war to raise vegetables for home use, leaving more food for the troops

Espionage

The practice of spying used by the government to obtain political and military information

Convoy

The protection of merchant ships from U-boat (German submarine) attacks by having the ships travel in large groups escorted by warships

Armistice

A truce, or agreement to end an armed conflict

Fourteen Points

The principles making up President Woodrow Wilson’s plan for world peace following World War I

National Self-Determination

The right of a person or nation to decide on its own political allegiance or form of government without external influence

Reparations

The compensation paid by a defeated nation for the damage or injury it inflicted during a war

Isolationism

Opposition to political and economic entanglements with other countries

Mass Production

The production of good in large quantities, made possible by the use of machinery and the division of labor

Assembly Line

In a factory, an arrangement where a product is moved from worker to worker, with each person performing a single task in the making of the product

Model T

First affordable car built by Henry Ford

Flappers

One of the free-thinking young women who embraced the new fashions and urban attitudes of the 1920s

Red Scare

The rounding up and deportation of several hundred immigrants of radical political views by the federal government in 1919 and 1920

Anarchist

A person who opposes all forms of government

Creationism

The belief that the universe and living organisms originate from specific acts of divine creation, as in the biblical account, rather than by natural processes such as evolution

Evolution

Change in the heritable traits of biological populations over successive generations

Speakeasy

A place where alcoholic drinks were sold and consumed illegally during Prohibition

Mass Media

The means of communication – such as television, newspapers, and radio – that reach large audiences

Jazz

A style of music characterized by the use of improvisation

Stock Market

A system for buying and selling stock

Bull Market

A period of increased stock trading and rising stock prices

Speculation

An involvement in risky business transactions in an effort to make a quick or large profit

Margin

Buying a stock by paying only a fraction of the stock price and borrowing the rest

Margin Call

Demand by a broker that investors pay back loans made for stocks purchased on a margin

Bank Run

A phenomenon when many of a bank’s depositors try to withdraw their funds at the same time due to fears of a bank failure

Installment

An arrangement in which a purchaser pays over an extended time, without having to put down much money at the time of purchase

Hobo

A person who wanders about and lives by begging or doing odd jobs

Dust Bowl

The region, including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico, that was made worthless for farming by drought and dust storms during the 1930s

Hoovervilles

A shanty town built by homeless people during the Great Depression

Relief

Immediate help – food, place to stay

Foreclose

When banks take over property because the owner are unable to pay loans

Bank holiday

A proclamation by FDR closing every bank in the nation for a few days, designed to stop massive withdrawals

Fireside chats

A series of evening radio addresses given by Roosevelt between 1933 and 1944

Court-packing

A legislative initiative proposed by U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt to add more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court

Safety net

Non-contributory assistance existing to improve lives of vulnerable families and individuals experiencing poverty and destitution