Historical Terms

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abolitionism

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The movement to abolish slavery in the United States.

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Allies

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Nations that united against the Germans, Italians, and Japanese (Axis) forces during WWII. Mainly comprised of the U.S., England, and France. Russia joined later.

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apartheid

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A former policy of South Africa in which the races were separated by law.

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Axis

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Nations opposed to the Allies during WWII, including Germany, Italy, and Japan.

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Balfour Declaration

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Great Britain's 1917 proclamation supporting the establishment of a separate homeland for Jews in Palestine.

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blitzkrieg

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"Lightning war" in which surprise attacks by aircraft are immediately followed by massive attacks by ground forces, as in Hitler's 1939 invasion of Poland.

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bourgeoisie

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According to Marx and Engels, the middle class; in pre-revolutionary France, a portion of the Third Estate comprised of a middle class of artisans and merchants.

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caste

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One of the four hereditary classes of society in Hinduism.

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Code of Hammurabi

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Babylonian legal code that established government responsibility for criminal justice.

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Cold War

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Long-term period of poor relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Bloc from the end of WWII until the early 1990s.

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colony

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A territory under direct control of a stronger country.

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communism

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Economic system in which the workers (the proletariat) control the means of production.

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Communist Manifesto

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Seminal work by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in which the basic principles of communism are outlined.

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Constitution

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The U.S. Constitution, "the law of the land," was drafted in 1787 and ratified in 1789.

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Cultural Revolution

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Campaign carried out by the Chinese Red Guards 1966-1976 with the goal of revitalizing the Chinese Communist Party and consolidating Mao Zedong's leadership.

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cuneiform

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Sumerian system of writing.

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Cyrillic alphabet

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The alphabet of the Russian language and other Slavic languages.

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czar (tsar)

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A Russian emperor.

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Declaration of Independence

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Written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, this document proclaimed the American colonies' independence from Great Britain.

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détente

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A cooling of Cold War tensions initiated during the administrations of Nixon and Brezhnev.

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diaspora

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The scattering of specific ethnic groups throughout various parts of the world.

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dictator

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A sole ruler with absolute power.

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domino theory

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An idea prevalent during the Cold War that if one nation fell to communism, neighboring nations would likewise fall.

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Five-Year Plans

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Economic plans to increase industrial and agricultural productivity in the Soviet Union, China, and India.

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Fourteen Points

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Post-WWI peace plan proposed by Woodrow Wilson; major points included the principle of self-determination and the establishment of an association of nations (League of Nations).

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Geneva Conference

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Conference held in 1954 that divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel.

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glasnost

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A Soviet policy introduced in 1985 by Mikhail Gorbechov emphasizing "openness" in the sharing of information and ideas.

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Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

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Resolution passed by the U.S. Congress in 1964 authorizing President Johnson to send troops into Vietnam.

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hieroglyphics

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Ancient Egyptian picture writing.

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Huns

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A nomadic group from central Asia who undertook a mass migration to the Roman Empire in the 400s AD.

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imperialism

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The political, economic, or social domination of a strong nation over another nation or territory.

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laissez-faire capitalism

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Economic system in which no governmental regulation of the market is advocated.

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Lend-Lease Act

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A policy passed by the U.S. Congress in 1941 allowing President Roosevelt to gives arms and other supplies to any nation considered vital to the security of the U.S.

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Magna Carta

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Document drafted in 1215 that specifies English political and civil liberties. It forms the basis of English common law.

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Manhattan Project

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The U.S. plan to develop an atomic bomb during WWII.

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Manifest Destiny

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Belief first articulated in the mid-1800s that it was the destiny of the U.S. to continue to expand to the west and the Pacific Ocean.

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Marshall Plan

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Plan put forth by U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall describing how to rebuild Europe after the conclusion of WWII.

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NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

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A 1949 defense alliance initiated by the U.S., Canada, and 10 Western European nations.

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New Deal

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Set of domestic programs set forth by FDR's administration to help the U.S. overcome the Great Depression.

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Prussia

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Old name for current-day Germany. Ruled by Frederick the Great at its height of power.

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republic

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Government in which citizens are ruled by elected representatives.

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suffrage

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The right or privilege of voting; franchise.

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teetotaler

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One pledged to abstinence from all intoxicating drinks.

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totalitarianism

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One-party political system with the goal of supporting the welfare of the state above all else.

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Versailles

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Palace near Paris that was the seat of power for many French kings, including Louis XIV. Also the site of the Treaty of Versailles, which marked the conclusion of WWI.

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Warsaw Pact

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A 1955 defense alliance organized by the Soviet Union and several Eastern European nations.

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Waterloo

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Site where Napoleon suffered his greatest defeat.

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Yalta

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Island where Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin met to discuss the partitioning of Europe at the conclusion of WWII.