world history

  • 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.

  • Forces driving imperialism in Africa, India, China, and Southeast Asia – Included economic interests, political competition, military power, and missionary efforts.

  • 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.

  • Impact of colonialism in Africa – Included economic exploitation, cultural disruption, and lasting political instability.

  • 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).