Period 7A Part I (Chapters 1-4) Flashcards
Purchase of Alaska
Russia assumed control of Alaska but found it to be an economic burden because of the threat of a British takeover. Seeking buyers, Russia found Secretary of State William H. Seward to be an enthusiastic champion of the idea of the United States purchasing Alaska. As a result of Seward’s lobbying, and also in appreciation of Russian support during the Civil War, Congress in 1867 agreed to buy Alaska for $7.2 million.
Hawaii
Pacific islands under a constitutional monarchy on which American missionaries and entrepreneurs had settled since the mid-1800s.
Expansionists
Wanted to acquire territories overseas to demonstrate strength in the international arena, as well as for other reasons.
Jingoism
An intense form of nationalism calling for aggressive foreign policy.
Yellow Journalism
Sensationalistic reporting that featured bold and lurid headlines of crime, disaster, and scandal.
Anti-Imperialist League
Led by William Jennings Bryan, this U.S. organization rallied opposition to further acts of expansion in the Pacific.
Insular Cases
A series of Supreme Court cases that ruled that constitutional rights were not automatically extended to territorial possessions and that the power to decide whether or not to grant such rights belonged to Congress.
Platt Amendment
Required Cuba to agree to:
1. Never sign a treaty with a foreign power that impaired its independence
2. Permit the United States to intervene in Cuba’s affairs to preserve its independence and maintain law and order
3. Allow the U.S. to maintain naval bases in Cuba, including one permanent base at Guantanamo Bay
Spheres of Influence/Open Door Policy
A country can dominate trade and investment within its sphere of influence and shut out competitors. The Open Door Policy, proposed by Secretary of State John Hay, said that all nations would have equal trading privileges in China. The replies to Hay’s note were evasive. However, because no nation rejected the concept, Hay declared that all had accepted the Open Door Policy.
Big Stick Policy
Describing his foreign policy, new president Theodore Roosevelt had once said that it was his motto to “speak softly and carry a big stick.” The press therefore applied the label “big stick” to Roosevelt’s aggressive foreign policy. By acting boldly and decisively in a number of situations, Roosevelt attempted to build the reputation of the United States as a world power.
Great White Fleet
To demonstrate U.S. naval power to Japan and other nations, Roosevelt sent a fleet of battleships on an around-the-world cruise (1907-1909).
Panama Canal
A canal through the narrow but rugged terrain of the isthmus of Panama, the completion of which cost the lives of hundreds of laborers.
Roosevelt Corollary
Rather than let Europeans intervene in Latin America to force countries to pay their debts (a blatant violation of the Monroe Doctrine), Roosevelt declared in December 1904 that the United States would intervene instead, whenever necessary.
Gentlemen’s Agreement
The Japanese government secretly agreed to restrict the emigration of Japanese workers to the United States in return for Roosevelt persuading California to repeal its discrimination laws.
Dollar Diplomacy
William Howard Taft’s policy of promoting U.S. trade by supporting American enterprises abroad.
Moral Diplomacy
Woodrow Wilson opposed imperialism and the big stick and dollar diplomacy policies of his Republican predecessors, pledging a more moral approach to foreign affairs.
Expeditionary Force
A force commanded by General John J. Pershing ordered by President Wilson to pursue Pancho Villa into northern Mexico. They failed to capture him.
Muckrakers
Investigative journalists who created in-depth articles about child labor, corrupt political bosses and monopolistic business practices.
Secret Ballot
In 1888, Massachusetts was the first state to adopt a system successfully tried in Australia of issuing ballots printed by the state and requiring voters to mark their choices secretly within a private booth. By 1910, all states had adopted this ballot.
Direct Primary
A new system introduced by Robert La Follette for bypassing politicians and placing the nominating process directly in the hands of the voters.
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
A fire in a New York City high-rise garment factory that took 146 lives, mostly women. The tragedy sparked greater women’s activism and pushed states to pass laws to improve safety and working conditions in factories.
Square Deal
Teddy Roosevelt favored neither business nor labor but insisted on a “Square Deal” for both, mediating labor disputes such as the coal miner strike in 1902.
Trust Busting
Teddy Roosevelt broke up “bad trusts”, which harmed the public and stifled competition, and regulated “good trusts”, which through efficiency and low prices dominated a market.
The Jungle
A muckraking book by Upton Sinclair that described, in horrifying detail, the conditions in the Chicago stockyards and meatpacking industry.
16th Amendment
Ratified by the states in 1913, this authorized the U.S. government to collect an income tax.
17th Amendment
Required that all U.S. senators be elected by popular vote.
Moose Party
The party of Progressive Republicans who no longer supported Taft and nominated Theodore Roosevelt again instead. They became known as the Bull Moose Party after one of Roosevelt’s nicknames.
Clayton Antitrust Act
Strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act’s power to break up monopolies. Most important for organized labor, the new law contained a clause exempting unions from being prosecuted as trusts.
Child Labor Act
Enacted in 1916 and long favored by settlement house workers and labor unions alike, this prohibited the shipment in interstate commerce of products manufactured by children under 14 years old. However, a conservative Supreme Court found this act to be unconstitutional.
NAACP
On Lincoln’s birthday in 1908, this organization was founded by Du Bois, other members of the Niagara Movement, and a group of White Progressives. Its mission was no less than to abolish all forms of segregation and to increase educational opportunities for African American children. By 1920, this organization was the nation’s largest civil rights organization, with over 100,000 members.
19th Amendment
Guaranteed women’s right to vote in all elections at the local, state, and national levels.
