APUSH: Unit 7 (1890–1945)

Imperialism – Policy of extending a nation’s power through diplomacy or military force; U.S. pursued overseas expansion in the 1890s.
Spanish-American War (1898) – Conflict in which the U.S. defeated Spain and gained control of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
Yellow Journalism – Sensationalized news reporting that stirred public support for the Spanish-American War.
U.S.S. Maine – American battleship that exploded in Havana Harbor; helped spark Spanish-American War.
Treaty of Paris (1898) – Ended Spanish-American War; Spain gave up claims to Cuba, and ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the U.S.
Philippine-American War (1899–1902) – Conflict following U.S. annexation of the Philippines; Filipino rebels fought unsuccessfully for independence.
Open Door Policy – U.S. policy asking European powers to allow equal trade in China and preserve Chinese territorial integrity.
Progressive Era – Reform movement (1890s–1920s) seeking to address social, political, and economic issues caused by industrialization.
Muckrakers – Journalists who exposed corruption and social issues (e.g., Upton Sinclair, Ida Tarbell).
The Jungle – Novel by Upton Sinclair exposing unsanitary conditions in the meatpacking industry; led to Pure Food and Drug Act.
Meat Inspection Act (1906) – Federal law that set cleanliness standards in the meat industry following The Jungle.
Pure Food and Drug Act (1906) – Required labeling of ingredients and banned harmful food and drug products.
Jane Addams – Progressive reformer who founded Hull House and worked for women's suffrage and social services.
16th Amendment – Authorized the federal income tax (1913).
17th Amendment – Allowed for the direct election of U.S. Senators (1913).
18th Amendment – Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol (Prohibition, 1919).
19th Amendment – Granted women the right to vote (1920).
Theodore Roosevelt – Progressive president; promoted trust-busting, conservation, and the Square Deal.
Square Deal – Roosevelt’s domestic policy focusing on consumer protection, control of corporations, and conservation.
Big Stick Diplomacy – Roosevelt’s foreign policy: “speak softly and carry a big stick.”
Panama Canal – Waterway built by the U.S. connecting Atlantic and Pacific; symbol of U.S. global power.
Woodrow Wilson – Progressive Democrat president; led U.S. during World War I and proposed the League of Nations.
Federal Reserve Act (1913) – Created the central banking system to regulate the economy and money supply.
World War I (1914–1918) – Global war triggered by militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism; U.S. joined in 1917.
Zimmermann Telegram – German message encouraging Mexico to attack the U.S.; pushed America toward war.
Espionage and Sedition Acts – Laws that restricted anti-war speech and criticism of the government during WWI.
Great Migration – Movement of African Americans from the rural South to Northern cities during WWI and after.
14 Points – Wilson’s plan for postwar peace including self-determination, free trade, and the League of Nations.
League of Nations – International peacekeeping organization proposed by Wilson; U.S. never joined.
Red Scare (1919–1920) – Widespread fear of communism and radicalism following WWI and Russian Revolution.
Sacco and Vanzetti – Italian anarchists convicted of murder; trial showed anti-immigrant bias of the 1920s.
Harlem Renaissance – Cultural movement celebrating Black art, literature, and music in the 1920s.
Scopes Trial (1925) – Trial over teaching evolution in schools; clash between science and religion.
Great Depression – Severe economic downturn starting in 1929; caused mass unemployment and poverty.
Stock Market Crash (1929) – Triggered the Great Depression; marked by collapse of stock prices and bank failures.
New Deal – FDR’s programs to combat the Great Depression; focused on relief, recovery, and reform.
Social Security Act (1935) – Provided retirement pensions, unemployment insurance, and aid to the disabled.
Wagner Act (1935) – Guaranteed workers the right to unionize and bargain collectively.
Court Packing Plan – FDR’s failed attempt to add justices to the Supreme Court to support New Deal legislation.
Neutrality Acts – Laws passed in the 1930s to keep the U.S. out of foreign conflicts.
Lend-Lease Act – U.S. program to supply Allies with war materials before officially entering WWII.
Pearl Harbor (1941) – Japanese attack on U.S. naval base; brought the U.S. into World War II.
Internment of Japanese Americans – Forced relocation of Japanese Americans during WWII due to fear of espionage.
D-Day (1944) – Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France; turning point in the European theater.
Manhattan Project – Secret U.S. project to develop the atomic bomb during WWII.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki – Japanese cities targeted with atomic bombs; led to Japan’s surrender in WWII.
United Nations – International organization formed after WWII to promote peace, security, and cooperation.