History & Imperialism Practice Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering U.S. History topics including Reconstruction, Industrialization, American Imperialism, and Historical Methodology.

Reconstruction

The historical period (1865–1877) following the Civil War focused on rebuilding the South, reincorporating former Confederate states into the Union, and determining the legal status and rights of formerly enslaved people.

10% Plan

Abraham Lincoln's lenient Reconstruction plan for reincorporating former Confederate states back into the Union.

Black Codes

Laws passed by Southern state governments under Andrew Johnson's lenient Reconstruction policies designed to restrict the freedom and rights of Black Americans.

Freedmen's Bureau

A federal agency created after the Civil War to assist formerly enslaved people in transitioning to freedom by providing aid and resources.

13th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that permanently abolished slavery throughout the United States.

14th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all people born or naturalized in the U.S., including formerly enslaved individuals.

15th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that protected voting rights for Black men by prohibiting voting discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Sharecropping

An agricultural labor system in the post-Civil War South where freed people worked land owned by white landowners in exchange for a share of crops, frequently trapping laborers in cycles of debt.

Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

A violent organization formed during Reconstruction that used intimidation, violence, and terror to prevent Black Americans from exercising political power and voting.

Compromise of 1877

The political deal that resolved the 1876 presidential election by awarding the presidency to Rutherford B. Hayes in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction.

Industrialization

The rapid economic transformation in the United States marked by a shift from farming to mass manufacturing, machinery, factory labor, and expanding corporate industries like steel, oil, and railroads.

Urbanization

The mass movement of millions of people into cities to pursue industrial job opportunities, causing rapid population growth, overcrowding, and severe strains on municipal infrastructure.

Labor Unions

Organizations established by workers during the Industrial Era to collectively bargain for higher wages, safer working environments, and reasonable work hours.

The Gospel of Wealth

An essay written by Andrew Carnegie asserting that wealthy individuals should act as trustees for their wealth and return surplus funds to society during their lifetime through philanthropic projects like libraries and universities.

Imperialism

The policy or practice of extending a nation's power, authority, and control over external territories or peoples through military force, diplomacy, or economic dominance.

Expansionism

The belief or policy advocating that the United States should expand its territory, trade, and international sphere of influence.

Yellow Journalism

Sensationalized, exaggerated, or dramatic newspaper reporting designed to manipulate public opinion, increase circulation, and stir national sentiment.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

A naval officer who argued that national power depended on a strong navy, driving America to build up its military fleet and seek overseas naval bases.

Spanish-American War (1898)

A 1898 conflict sparked by Cuban resistance to Spanish rule, yellow journalism, and the explosion of the USS Maine, concluding in a U.S. victory and acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

USS Maine

An American battleship that exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, Cuba, in 1898, which was dramatized by yellow journalism and served as a catalyst for U.S. intervention against Spain.

Open Door Policy

A diplomatic policy promoted by the U.S. to ensure equal trading privileges and free market access in China for all foreign nations without complete economic domination by a single power.

Neo-imperialism

A form of international control exerted primarily through economic dominance, investment, and market penetration rather than direct territorial conquest.

The Strenuous Life

A speech and philosophy by Theodore Roosevelt advocating civic obligation, vigorous effort, physical courage, moral discipline, and a willingness to confront tough challenges rather than seeking ease.

Great Power

A nation characterized by strong economic strength, formidable military power, soft power influence, national purpose, public belief, and effective leadership.

William H. Prescott

A historian who argued against imposing moral judgments on historical figures, asserting that individuals like Cortés and Pizarro must be evaluated within the context of their own era's standards.

Theodore Parker

A historical commentator who argued that historians must make moral judgments to highlight past injustices, avoid excusing evil actions, and teach moral lessons for the present.

Lord Acton

A historian who argued strongly for moral judgment in history, maintaining that natural moral law applies universally to all people regardless of their power, status, or time period.

Mandell Creighton

A historian who advocated for historical empathy and understanding, arguing that historians should examine circumstances and limitations rather than condemning historical figures.

Henry Steele Commager

A historian who argued that historians should deliver professional, evidence-based judgments focusing on causes and consequences rather than acting as moral judges over past generations.

Professional Judgment

An objective historical assessment grounded in evidence, historical context, causes, and consequences, as opposed to a personal moral condemnation.

Moral Judgment

An evaluation deciding whether a past action or historical figure was ethically right or wrong based on moral principles.

McClay's Salad Analogy

Wilfred M. McClay's description of American identity as a salad rather than a melting pot, where distinct cultural groups retain their unique identity while together forming a single whole.