Unit 7 Flashcards
Monroe Doctrine
Document formally warning European nations against involvement in the western hemisphere, specifically with colonization
Imperialism
When an empire extends its rule through acquisition of territories which usually leads to exploitation similarly to colonialism.
Alfred Thayer Mahan
“The most important American strategist of the nineteenth century” was a naval officer/historian. Started the use of the term “Middle East”
De Lome Letter
Letter by Spanish Ambassador to US, this criticized the actions of President McKinley and raised tensions leading to the Spanish-American War
USS Maine
American naval ship sunk during the Cuban revolt; the incident was blamed on Spain and lead to US involvement in Cuba and the Spanish-American War
Teller Amendment
Condition that if President Mcinley invaded Cuba, it must leave “control of the island to its people”
“Splendid Little War”
Another name for the Spanish American War in Cuba
Rough Riders
Volunteer Cavalry led by Teddy Roosevelt for the Spanish-American War in Cuba
Anti-Imperialist League
Organization against the American annexation of the Philippines
Platt Amendment
Amendment that formally ended the Spanish-American War
Spheres of Influence
China’s economic/military weakness led it to being susceptible to Western influence, however, unlike Europe, the US allowed all nations to have an equal ability to trade with China.
Boxer Rebellion
Rebellion in China against western influence. The slogan was “exterminate the foreigners”.
John Hay
He served as Secretary of State for President McKinley; he negotiated the Open Door Policy which required China to remain open to trade with all countries.
Open Door Policy
This policy was rooted in the desire of US businesses to trade with open markets, unlike imperialism businesses competed openly instead of militaries deciding who would be ruled
Big-Stick Policy
refers to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy: “speak softly, and carry a big stick.” The idea of negotiating peacefully, simultaneously threatening with the “big stick”, or the military, ties in heavily with the idea of Realpolitik, which implies a pursuit of political power that resembles Machiavellian ideals. It is comparable to gunboat diplomacy, as used in international politics by imperial powers
Panama Canal
an artificial 48-mile waterway built by the United States in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.
Roosevelt Corollary
an addition from Roosevelt to the Monroe Doctrine that the United States will intervene in conflicts between European countries and Latin American countries to enforce legitimate claims of the European powers, rather than having the Europeans press their claims directly. Effectively, the US will act as policeman of the Western Hemisphere.
Great White Fleet
The popular nickname for the United States Navy battle fleet of 16 ships that completed a journey around the globe by order of United States President Theodore Roosevelt, to showcase American power.
Mexican Civil War
A series of disturbances that led to civil war in Mexico, and resulted in the US to invade to capture Pancho Villa for his raid on NM, led by US General John Pershing.
Muckrakers
The term was used in the Progressive Era to characterize reform-minded American journalists who attacked established institutions and leaders as corrupt. They typically had large audiences in some popular magazines.
Standard Oil
Established in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller as a corporation, it was the largest oil refinery in the world of its time. Its controversial history as one of the world’s first and largest multinational corporations ended in 1911, when the Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil was an illegal monopoly.
Jacob Riis
a social reformer, “muckraking” journalist and social documenting photographer. He is known for using his photographic and journalistic talents to help the impoverished in New York City and his most famous work is “How the Other Half Lives.”
16th Amendment
Legalized direct income tax; created Federal Reserve
17th Amendment
Direct election of Senators
18th Amendment
Prohibition
19th Amendment
Women can vote
Initiative
is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote
Recall
a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before their term has ended.
Referendum
a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to vote on a particular proposal.
Muller v Oregon
a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court that was used to justify both sex discrimination and usage of labor laws. The case upheld Oregon state restrictions on the working hours of women as justified by the special state interest in protecting women’s health.
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers – 123 women and 23 men – who died from the fire, smoke inhalation, or falling or jumping to their deaths. The fire led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards and helped spur the growth of better working conditions for sweatshop workers.
Square Deal
President Theodore Roosevelt’s domestic program. His policies reflected three basic ideas: conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection.
Trust Busting
Under President Theodore Roosevelt’s leadership, his Attorney General brought 44 suits against monopolists. Notably, J. P. Morgan’s Northern Securities Company, a huge railroad combination, was broken up. Bad trusts were those deemed to stem competition and hurt consumers, while others were left alone because they were deemed no danger to consumers.
Upton Sinclair
an American writer who acquired particular fame for his classic muckraking novel The Jungle, which exposed labor and sanitary conditions in the U.S. meat packing industry, causing a public uproar that contributed in part to the passage a few months later of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act.
Pure Food and Drug Act
first of a series of significant consumer protection laws enacted by Congress in the 20th century and led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration to inspect food.
Meat Inspection Act
an American law that makes it a crime to adulterate or misbrand meat and meat products being sold as food, and ensures that meat and meat products are slaughtered and processed under sanitary conditions.
Conservation of Public Lands
Of all Roosevelt’s achievements, he was proudest of his work in conservation of natural resources. He established the United States Forest Service, signed into law the creation of five National Parks, and also established bird reserves, four game preserves, and 150 National Forests.
Gifford Pinchot
the first Chief of the United States Forest Service from 1905 until his controversial firing in 1910. He worked closely with Roosevelt in conservation.
Progressive Party
an American third party formed by former President Theodore Roosevelt, after he lost the nomination of the Republican Party to his former protégé, President William Howard Taft, who had since become his political adversary. The new party was known for taking advanced positions on progressive reforms, and attracting some leading reformers. Beset by factionalism and failure to win many offices, the party went into rapid decline by 1914 and virtually disappeared in 1916.
Federal Reserve Act
signed by President Wilson, it created and established the Federal Reserve System, a privately owned central banking system which has the authority to control the nation’s currency.
NAACP
a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an organization to advance legal justice for African Americans. Its most notable founder was W. E. B. Du Bois.
Great Migration
African Americans moving out of the south to mostly urban areas up north or out west for numerous reasons, notably jobs and avoiding racist discrimination. From 1910-1930 1 million moved out, 1940 and 1970 4 million made the move.
Lusitania
a British ocean liner that a German submarine sank in World War I, causing a major diplomatic uproar. The sinking caused a storm of protest in the United States as 128 American citizens were among the dead.
