Period 7 Flashcards
Imperalism
The expansion of one country’s political, economic and military influence over another country.
William Seward
Lincoln and then Johnson’s secretary of state who proposed the purchasing of Alaska. (Later called Sewards folly/Sewards icebox.) The purchase was looked at as useless, until the discovery of gold in 1898.
The infulence of sea power
Published in 1890 by Alfred Thayer Mahan, argued that powerful countries gained superiority through a robust navy. Because of his argument, Congress approved the expansion of the US Navy.
Anti-imperalist
They argued for the self-determination of Nations, to not get involved with worldly affairs, (Washington) it was also motivated by racial biases as imperalism implied entanglements with “inferiors”
Spanish-American war
Cuba was still under Spanish imperial rule. It was a brief battle fought between Spain and America, America came out victorious marked a turnign point in American imperalism and its role on the global stage.
Yellow-journalism
Sensationalist journalists and newspapers (Joseph Puitizer and Randolph Hearst) who often exaggerated events to sway public opinion and sell newspaper. During the Spanish-American war events tettered on the edge of truthfulness, to encourage American intervention.
U.S.S Maine
The U.S.S Maine exploded ashore Havana Harbor, killing over 200 Americans. Yellow journalists of the time often blamed the Spanish. (The true cause of the explosion was purely accidental.)
McKinley Ultimatium
Due to pressures from the American public, President Mckinley issued an Ultimatium, which Spain agreed to. However, war was still declared. (The US won the short war.)
Cuba post-Spanish Am war
Cuba was forced to add the Platt amendment to their consitution to the new Cuban government. Naval base in Guantanmo bay, and US involvment in Cuban foreign affairs.
Platt Amendment
Allowed for the US to intervene militarily in Cuba if American economic interest was threatend, established a naval base in Guantanmo bay.
Annexation of the Philiphines
Aided in the overthrowing the Spanish rule, the Philiphines was ceeded to the United States for 20 million dollars
Open door policy
China was split into spheres of influence controlled by different nations. Open-door policy proposed by John Hay sought to share trading previliges with the nations.
Progressive’s main goal
Society on some level was deteriorating and the only cure was signficant government intervention.
Muckrakers
journalists and novelists of the Progressive Era who sought to expose corruption in big business and government
The Jungle
The Jungle is a novel written by Upton Sinclair, published in 1906, which exposes the harsh conditions and exploitation of immigrant workers in the meatpacking industry in Chicago. (Example of muckraking)
Jacob Riis
His book “How the other half Lives” Exposes the unsanitary and disease ridden tenement housing in New York City who were largely occupied by the poor and working class.
Secret voting
Progressives adovcated for this. Prior to this, voting was done in public. This was done to challenge and diabilitate political machines.
Direct election of senators/17th amendment
Also pushed for by the progressives. Consitiuionally senators were elected by state legislatures, however senators were often corrupt being paid by tycoons of the day. Now, the people directly elected senators.
18th amendment/prohibition
Pushed for largely by women, Anti-Saloon League, and American temperance society. Progressives assumed it would fix societal ills.
19th amendment
Gave women suffrage. However, its ratification was largely a disappointment to feminists, as women did not vote as blocs but with their husbands and fathers. Futhemore, there was low voter turn out among women.
Initiative & Referendum
Initiative: Voters could require legislators to consider a bill they chose to ignore.
Referendum: which allowed people to vote on the adoption of proposed legislation.
Gentlemen’s agreement
An agreement that was negotiated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908 with the Japanese government. The Japanese agreed to limit immigration, and Roosevelt agreed to discuss with the San Francisco School Board that segregation of Japanese children in school would be stopped.
Recall
Remove corrupt politicians before their term was complete.
Taylorism
The principle of breaking down production into simple steps, so unskilled workers could be utilized, and thus paid less. (Frederick Taylor - Scientific management)
WEB Dubois
founder of the Niagara Movement, and the NAACP. W.E.B. Dubois is a black intellectual who challenged Booker T. Washington’s ideas on combating Jim Crow; he called for the black community to demand immediate equality and was a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Niagara Movement: a meeting of blacks at Niagara Falls in 1905, including Du Bois, where they created a list of demands (ex. unrestricted right to vote, end to segregation, equality of economic opportunities, exc.)
Teddy Roosevelt
Became president after the assiination of McKinlry. Was known for his Square deal. Trust busting, while utilizing the Sherman Anti-trust Act. Distinguishing captains of industry versus robber Barrons.
Square deal
The Square Deal was Theodore Roosevelt’s domestic program, which reflected his three major goals: conservation of natural resources, corporate law, and consumer protection.
Anthracite Coal Strike
(A strike between coal miners and their employers) An example of Teddy Roosvelt exercising his “Sqaure deal”. President Theodore Roosevelt became involved and set up a fact-finding commission that suspended the strike. The strike never resumed, as the miners received more pay for fewer hours; the owners got a higher price for coal, and did not recognize the trade union as a bargaining agent. It was the first labor episode in which the federal government intervened as a neutral arbitrator.
Pure Food and Drug Act
Due to outcry from Upton Sinclar’s novel “The Jungle”. Teddy Roosevelt passed the pure Food and Drug Act to reassure Americans about the purity of their food. (Also see: Meat inspection act and Sqaure Deal)
Forest Reserve Act
Reserved 150 million acres of unspoiled land for conservation efforts. (See: Sqaure Deal)
World War I
Cause: The war erupted after the the assignation of Archduke Franz Fredinand by Serbians 1914 as well as conflicts over alliances. The war itself was characterized by trench warfare and high causalities.
Central Powers/Triple Alliance (WWI)
Germany, Austria-Germany and Italy.
Triple Entente/Allied Powers (WWI)
Britian, France, and Russia.
Sinking of the Lusitania (1915)
The passenger ship entered the war-zone in the British isles and was promptly sunk by German submarines. Of those aboard, 128 were American and were killed. Though, Germany did not stop sinking ships.
Interception of the Zimmerman Telegraph (WWI)
In the telegraph, Zimmerman soclilited Mexico to start a war with America in exchange, if Germany won. Would help Mexico regain its land that it lost in the Mexican-American war. This telegraph caused the US to enter WWI.
Treaty of Versailles
Ended WWI. And made Germany pay immensely for starting the war
Henry Ford
Founder of Ford motor company and the father of the assembly line. Inspired by Taylorism. Now, unskilled workers replaced skilled workers in car manufacturing, and drove the price of the car down.
Great Migration
African Amercans from the South migrated to Northern urban centers for better economic opportunities, and to escape the oppressive Jim Crow laws.
Harlem Renaissance
A flowering of African-American literature, music, and culture. Its epicenter was in Harlem, New York City, New York. (Propelled by the Great Migration)
Immigration Quota Act of 1924
During the red scare, xenophobia ran rampant, and a influx of immigrantion from pre-WWI led to another wave of nativism. Limited immigration from Southern, Eastern Europe and Asia. (Emergency quota Act limited immigrants (1921) to 3% of the population as of the 1910 census)
Scopes Monkey Trial
A Tennesse teacher, John Scopes came under fire for teaching his students the theory of evolution. During the court proceeding it was evident that fundementalist arguments held little footing compared to modernist ones.
Flappers
Ladies who embraced rebellion, they drank and wore short dresses. It’s important to note that women were starting to enter the workforce, yet they still faced unequal pay.
Red Scare
Post- WWI there was a growing anti-communism sentiment. After the Russian revolution, Americans feared a similar insurrection in the states.
Buying on a Margin
Using borrowed money to buy stock. Also known as speculation because of the prosperity in the market at the time (overinflated stocks “Bubble”). One of the reasons for the Market Crash.
Stock Market Crash
Beginning on Black Tuesday, caused by over speculation in the stock market, and bank runs.
Hoovervilles
Shantytowns that popped up during the Great Depression due to foreclosers and evictions. Named after the then president Herbert Hoover and his laissez-faire economics doing nothing to help Americans.
New Deal
FDR’s New Deal aimed to stimulate the economy out of a depression. A form of limited welfare state. Three R’s: Relief for the unemployed, Recovery for businesses, reform of economic insitiuions.
Bank Holiday
Apart of the New Deal (recovery), required banks to close orgainze for a few days then open once more.
Fireside chats
utilized by FDR to update the American people and foster a sense of community as If you are fireside FDR.
Social Security Act (SSA)
One of FDR’s new Deal programs, reform. Provides assitance to individuals during retirement, disability, or death.
Lend-Lease Act
Allowed GB to obtain the arms they needed from the U.S on credit during WWII.
Pearl Harbor
A attack done by Japan on an American base in Hawaii, which led to US involvement in the second world war. (2,400 died)
Nuremberg trials
Holding former Nazi’s accountable after the war.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Atomic bombs developed by scientist were dropped in those cities. Devasted civilians in the area leading to life long effects due to radiation and as well as the hundreds of thousands of casualties.
Executive order #9066
Authorized the Federal government to relocate Japanese-Americans to internment camps. Motivated by racism and wartime hysteria. Korematsu v. United States upheld this executive order, despite it being a violation of consituitional rights due to fears of espionage.
United Nations
Established after WWII, like the league of nations but it didn’t fail.
Holocaust
Nazi system of genocide against Jews, Romani, Slavs, homosexuals, disabled and others.
Dust Bowl
Severe drought/wind created storms of dust and dirt.
Big Stick Diplomacy
Negotiate peacefully, but also have a stick (military) in case things don’t go your way. Teddy Roosevelt.
Wilson’s 14 points
- Freedom of Seas
- Establishment of League of Nations as a negoiative body as an alternative for war.( Failed in Congress, US did not join)
- Self-Determination of nations
Great Depression causes
- Disparity of incomes 2. Buying on a Margin 3. Farm economy collapse (Overproduction + High tarrifs) 4. Laissez Faire policy and the end of progressivism 5. Taxes 6. Stock Market speculation 7. Federal reserve
Jigonsim
They were imperialists who believed in agressive foreign policy, assmilianists, and the White Man’s Burden.
Woodrow Wilson
Known for his Moral Diplomacy, and attempted to maintain neutrality in the war, but ultimately entered.
Dollar Diplomacy
William Howard Tafts ideas of diplomacy centered around the use of a country’s financial power to extend its international influence.
Moral Diplomacy
Form of diplomacy developed by Woodrow Wilson. It emerged in the context of U.S. foreign relations and aimed to spread democracy and moral progress by influencing and aiding countries with similar governance ideals. This approach positioned the United States as a global arbiter of ethics and stood in contrast to previous policies, which were often driven by imperialistic or purely strategic considerations.
Total War
When a country mobilizes much of its economic, industrial, and social resources to win a war. (War bonds, buying less fabric, industries producing resources for soldiers, Food Adiministarion)
Espionage and Sedition Acts
Made it a crime to oppose the war (WWI) or speak out against it.
Schenck v. United States
When Charles Schenck urged young men to avoid the draft when he was arrested. His appeals made it all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that “Freed of speech is not absolute” when it poses a danger, it can be silenced.
Palmer Raids
During the Red Scare, atteronery general Richard Palmer tasked J. Edgar Hoover to gather information on suspected radials, socialists, and union leaders. Which led to their mass arrest. Many deported.
Tulsa Massacre
A Tusla woman accused a black shoe shine of assulating her. A white lynch mob quickly assembled to kill the young man, when African-Americans tried to intervene it resulted in the mass destruction in black neighborhoods. 300 African Americans killed.
Lost Generation
F. Scott Fitzgerald, the prevasive materalism and the waste of life and resources during WWI. Caused by disllliousment caused by the war.
Relief
Offered immediate help to the most desperate people. (food, housing.) (PWA) Public works adminstrarion - employed Americans to do infrscruature.
(CCC) - Civilian Conservation Corps, employed young men between 18-24 for conservation efforts.
Rocovery for businesses
Policies that will lift the US Economy out of depression. (Stable employment, farm prices, and home ownership) - National Industrial recovery Act : set codes for minimum wage, shorter working hours, and regulation of prices.
Reform of economic insiutions
Prevent another depression (pensions, union recongition, SEC)
Glass-Steagall Act - increased regulation of banks, and limited the ways that banks could invest client money. (Gave way to the Federal Depoist Insurance Corporation, which garuanneted federal deposits)
SEC - Keeping the markets fair!
Keynesian economics
A government invests in infrastarture and assiatance programs to stimulate the economy.
Court-Packing scheme
FDR attempted to pack the supreme court for every justice above 70.5. Ideally, the appointed justices would be more favorable towards the new Deal, this did not pass in Congress, seen as an abuse of power.
World War II
When Hitler Invaded Poland the war began. Axis: Italy, Germany, Japan Allies: US, GB, USSR
Isolantionism
Due to isolationist ideologies, Americans increased tarrifs, and particpated in the useless Kellogg agreement. Even letting fascist and dirctorial axis leaders invade countries, in order to to spark another war. (Appeasement)
Cash and Carrys
Any Biligerent in the war could purchase armaments from the U.S as long as they paid cash and used their own ships to transport them. Britian had control of the seas, so it was an attempt to help GB.
Double V Campaign
Campaign pushed by the NAACP that Black men in the draft should secure a victory at war and a victory against racism at home. (Note: Natives and Mexican Americans also fought in the war and were brancheros.)
Yalta Conference
A meeting of the big three (Chruchhill, FDR, and Stalin) in Crimea to discuss how Germany would be jointly occupied by the big 3 including France. And Eastern Europe would become franchised. Though, Eastern Europe would become occupied by the USSR.
United Nations
International peace-keeping assembly. (League of Nations but it actually worked and had the infrastructure)
