Imperialism and WWI

Unit 5: Post Civil War Progressives

  1. Transcontinental Railroad

    • Description: A railroad that stretched across the United States.
    • Purpose: Built after the Civil War to connect various industries in the region.
    • Impact: Caused issues with Native Americans whose lands were traversed by the railroads.

  2. Assimilate

    • Definition: To absorb; to make something part of something else, particularly in the context of culture.

  3. Chinese Exclusion Act

    • Definition: America's first immigration law
    • Regulatory Focus: Placed a limit on the number of Chinese immigrants allowed into the country.
    • Context: Primarily aimed at workers involved in building the Transcontinental Railroad.

  4. Entrepreneur

    • Definition: A person who uses capitalism to start their own business with the aim of making a profit.

  5. Monopoly

    • Definition: The use of both vertical and horizontal integration techniques to eliminate competition in a business market.
    • Implications: Results in a singular entity dominating the market, limiting consumer choice.

  6. Dawes Act

    • Description: Act passed by Congress.
    • Purpose: Intended to assimilate Native American culture into mainstream American society by allotting individual plots of land to Native Americans.

  7. Capitalism

    • Definition: An economic system that allows business owners to own all of the capital necessary to produce goods, driven by the theory of profit-making.

  8. Social Darwinism

    • Definition: Concept summarized as "Survival of the Fittest."
    • Application: Used in the economic landscape by larger businesses to eliminate smaller competitors, justifying monopolistic practices.

  9. Horizontal Integration

    • Definition: A business strategy wherein a company acquires all competitors in a specific industry, resulting in a monopoly on that product.

  10. Vertical Integration

    • Definition: A strategy where companies acquire all stages of production for their goods, from raw materials to final product delivery, thus controlling the supply chain.

  11. Bimetallism

    • Definition: Economic theory advocating the use of both silver and gold as backing for the paper dollar.
    • Support: Favored by common workers, suggesting that increasing the money supply could facilitate broader prosperity for people.

  12. Robber Barons

    • Definition: Industrialists known for ruthless business practices that employed Social Darwinism to monopolize products and eliminate competition.

  13. Political Machines

    • Definition: Corrupt political organizations led by influential leaders in major cities.
    • Method: They provided for the needs of poor immigrants in exchange for political support, creating a cycle of dependency and corruption.

  14. Muckrakers

    • Definition: Journalists and writers who exposed corruption within businesses and political institutions during the Progressive Era.
    • Notable Example: Upton Sinclair, who highlighted poor working conditions in his book "The Jungle."

  15. Scabs

    • Definition: Term used for workers hired to replace striking employees, often at lower wages, in order to maintain operational continuity in businesses.

  16. Craft Unions

    • Definition: Labor unions composed of skilled workers, which typically had greater success in achieving labor needs and were harder to replace with scabs.

  17. Sherman Anti-Trust Act

    • Description: Congressional legislation aimed at curtailing monopolistic practices
    • Objective: Made the creation of monopolies illegal in an effort to protect true capitalism and foster competition.

  18. Ghost Dance

    • Definition: A Native American religious ritual that served as a means to "curse" the encroachment of white settlers.
    • Prominence: Widely practiced by various Native American tribes, particularly in the Midwest.

  19. Nativism

    • Definition: The belief that individuals born in a country should be prioritized over immigrants, advocating for protections against immigrant populations.

  20. Populist Movement

    • Description: A grassroots movement representing the interests of farmers and ordinary workers, aiming to address their economic grievances.

Unit 6: Imperialism and WWI

  1. Imperialism

    • Definition: The policy or idea that one nation will dominate the political, military, and economic realms of other countries within a specific region.

  2. Yellow Journalism

    • Definition: A sensationalistic writing style that exaggerates facts to influence public perception and opinion, often used in propaganda.

  3. Open Door Policy

    • Description: An economic policy enacted in China.
    • Objective: Allowed all nations with economic interests in China to trade freely, preventing any nation from monopolizing economic influence in the region.

  4. Roosevelt Corollary

    • Description: An extension of the Monroe Doctrine articulated by President Theodore Roosevelt.
    • Warning: Stated that the United States would utilize military force to back up the Monroe Doctrine against European interventions.
    • Motto: "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

  5. Dollar Diplomacy

    • Definition: A diplomatic approach that involved American bankers and the government lending money to Latin American countries, with the expectation of gaining their allegiance and loyalty towards the US.

  6. Moral Diplomacy

    • Definition: Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy stance which asserted that the United States had a duty to promote morality in foreign nations, particularly those upholding democratic values.

  7. Platt Amendment

    • Definition: A treaty between the US and Cuba which concluded with the withdrawal of US military forces from Cuba post-Cuban Revolution and the Spanish-American War.
    • Notable Provision: Granted the US rights to maintain a naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

  8. Lusitania

    • Description: A British passenger ship destroyed by German U-boats during WWI.
    • Significance: The sinking resulted in the deaths of 130 American passengers and catalyzed US involvement in the war.

  9. Zimmerman Telegram

    • Definition: A secret communication sent by Germany to Mexico during WWI.
    • Contents: Proposed that if Mexico prevented the US from entering the war, Germany would assist Mexico in reclaiming territories lost as a result of the Mexican-American War, contributing to American public support for entering the war.

  10. Fourteen Points

    • Definition: Woodrow Wilson's plan for peace post-WWI.
    • Aim: Aimed to prevent future conflicts by establishing principles for international diplomacy and conflict resolution.

  11. League of Nations

    • Definition: An international organization proposed within Wilson's Fourteen Points.
    • Purpose: To unify Allied countries and oversee compliance with the principles established in the Fourteen Points to prevent future wars.

  12. Central Powers

    • Description: Military alliance formed during WWI that included Germany and Austria-Hungary.
    • Context: Opposed the Allied Powers in the war.

  13. Franz Ferdinand

    • Definition: The royal heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.
    • Context: His assassination by a Serbian nationalist was a critical event that ignited the tensions leading to WWI, referred to as the "Balkan Powder Keg."

  14. Panama Canal

    • Description: An artificial waterway built by the United States in Panama.
    • Importance: Provided a crucial maritime route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, facilitating both economic and military objectives for the US.

  15. Militarism

    • Definition: The policy of building up and glorifying a nation's military capabilities and presence.

  16. Alliance System

    • Definition: A network of treaties and agreements between countries that pledged mutual support, especially in military affairs.

  17. Nationalism

    • Definition: A sense of pride and devotion to one’s country, often placing national interests above global or international considerations.

  18. USS Maine

    • Definition: A US naval ship sent to Cuba during the Cuban Revolution for the protection of American citizens.
    • Incident: It exploded while stationed in Havana, prompting sensational reporting that contributed to public sentiment favoring war against Spain.

  19. Big Stick Diplomacy

    • Definition: A diplomatic approach established by Teddy Roosevelt, emphasizing military preparedness and the threat of force to protect US interests abroad, particularly in Latin America.

  20. Sphere of Influence

    • Definition: Any geographic area where one nation holds predominant power over another nation or nations, particularly in economic or political matters.