America Claims an Empire

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key people, policies, and events of United States Imperialism as detailed in the lecture.

Imperialism

A policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate other (weaker) nations either politically, economically, or militarily.

Social Darwinism

The belief that more "fit" nations can take over "lesser" ones.

White Man’s Burden

The perceived duty of industrialized nations to improve and "civilize" non-white places.

Alfred T. Mahan

Author of The Influence of Sea Power Upon History who urged the U.S. to develop a larger naval presence to protect business interests.

Seward’s Folly

The purchase of Alaska from the Russians in 1867 by Secretary of State William Seward.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that Americans had a God-given right to expand their borders.

American Exceptionalism

The belief that Americans have a unique mission to spread freedom and democracy abroad.

Pearl Harbor

A naval base established by the U.S. Navy in Hawaii due to the islands' strategic location.

Queen Liliuokalani

The head of the Hawaiian monarchy who was overthrown by the USMC after she began to threaten the power of white landowners.

Sanford B. Dole

The individual placed as the head of the Hawaiian government after the overthrow of the monarchy.

José Martí

A poet and journalist who sparked a revolution in Cuba in 1895, using guerilla warfare to seek freedom from Spain.

Valeriano Weyler

A Spanish General who forced Cubans into concentration camps, resulting in thousands of deaths from disease and starvation.

Yellow Journalism

A style of writing used by tycoons like Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst that featured sensational and exaggerated headlines.

De Lôme Letter

A letter by the Spanish Ambassador published in Feb. 1898 that criticized McKinley as weak, fueling anti-Spanish sentiment.

U.S.S. Maine

An American ship that blew up in Havana, Cuba, on February 15, 1898, leading to the deaths of 260 Americans and triggering war with Spain.

George Dewey

The Commodore who destroyed the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay, giving the U.S. control over the Philippines.

Emilio Aguinaldo

The leader of the Filipino rebels who initially joined U.S. forces to push out the Spanish.

Rough Riders

A volunteer cavalry regiment led by Teddy Roosevelt that participated in the invasion of Santiago, Cuba.

John Hay

The Secretary of State who famously referred to the Spanish-American War as "A splendid little war."

Commonwealth

The status granted to Puerto Rico in 1952, giving residents U.S. citizenship but not the right to vote in presidential elections.

Teller Amendment

A statement passed by the U.S. at the start of the SAW declaring it had no intention of taking over Cuba.

Philippine-American War

A conflict from 1899-1902 where the U.S. suppressed a Filipino rebellion using brutal tactics and concentration camps.

Open Door Policy

A proposal by John Hay that China's trading rights be shared among nations to prevent any one country from having a monopoly.

Boxer Rebellion

A nationalist uprising in China against foreign intervention, eventually defeated by an eight-nation alliance.

Anti-Imperialist League

A group including members like Mark Twain and Andrew Carnegie that denounced the McKinley administration's expansionist policies.

Treaty of Portsmouth

The agreement negotiated by Theodore Roosevelt that ended the Russo-Japanese War.

Panama Canal

A waterway opened in 1914 after the U.S. helped Panama break away from Colombia to secure building rights.

Monroe Doctrine

An 1823 policy declaring the Americas exempt from further European colonization.

Roosevelt Corollary

An extension of the Monroe Doctrine stating the U.S. would act as an "international police power" in the Western Hemisphere.

Big Stick Diplomacy

The nickname for Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy, based on the proverb "Speak softly, and carry a big stick."

Dollar Diplomacy

President Taft's policy of fostering relations by providing financial aid and allowing U.S. businesses to invest abroad, or "substituting dollars for bullets."

Missionary Diplomacy

Woodrow Wilson’s belief that the U.S. had a moral responsibility to deny recognition to undemocratic or oppressive regimes in Latin America.