British East India Company
A joint stock company that controlled most of India during the period of imperialism. This company controlled the political, social, and economic life in India for more than 200 years.
Opium Wars
Wars between Britain and the Qing Empire (mind 1800s), caused by the Qing government's refusal to let Britain import Opium. China lost and Britain and most other European powers were able to develop a strong trade presence throughout China against their w
Leopold II
Belgian king who ruthlessly exploited the natives on his African land for personal gain.
Roosevelt Corollary
Roosevelt's 1904 extension of the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the United States has the right to protect its economic interests in South And Central America by using military force
Sepoy Mutiny
an 1857 rebellion of Hindu and Muslim soldiers against the British in India
Raj
British rule after India came under the British crown during the reign of Queen Victoria
Indian National Congress
A movement and political party founded in 1885 to demand greater Indian participation in government. Its membership was middle class, and its demands were modest until World War I. Led after 1920 by Mohandas K. Gandhi, appealing to the poor.
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Mexican president who led an army against Texas
Social Darwinism
The belief that only the fittest survive in human political and economic struggle.
Suez Canal
A ship canal in northeastern Egypt linking the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea
Berlin Conference
A meeting from 1884-1885 at which representatives of European nations agreed on rules colonization of Africa
Unequal Treaties
trade treaties that China signed under pressure of invasion; gave Western powers trade benefits
Extraterritoriality
Right of foreigners to be protected by the laws of their own nation.
Taiping Rebellion
a mid-19th century rebellion against the Qing Dynasty in China, led by Hong Xiuquan
Spheres of Influence
Areas in which countries have some political and economic control but do not govern directly (ex. Europe and U.S. in China)
Boxer Rebellion
1899 rebellion in Beijing, China started by a secret society of Chinese who opposed the "foreign devils". The rebellion was ended by British troops.
Treaty of Kanagawa
1854 treaty between Japan and the US. Japan agreed to open two ports to American ships
Emperor Meiji
The Japanese emperor who served as the figurehead of the Japanese modernization movement