American Imperialism Vocab

A style of newspaper reporting that emphasized sensationalism over facts.

Yellow Journalism

A poem about the Philippine–American War that exhorts the United States to assume colonial control of the Filipino people and their country.

The “White Man’s Burden”

The argument by historian Frederick Jackson Turner in 1893 that the settlement and colonization of the rugged American frontier was decisive in forming the culture of American democracy and distinguishing it from European nations.

Turner’s Thesis

Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, is significant for her leadership, her efforts to restore Hawaiian sovereignty, and her lasting legacy as a symbol of Hawaiian resistance against American imperialism and annexation.

Queen Lili’oukalni

Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavus Vassa, was a prominent 18th-century abolitionist, writer, and former enslaved person, best known for his autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, which exposed the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade and became a powerful tool for the abolitionist movement.

Emiliano Equiano

The Boxer Rebellion was a violent uprising in China from 1899 to 1901 that targeted foreigners, Christian missionaries, and Chinese Christians. The rebellion was led by a secret society called the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists, also known as the "Boxers".

Boxer Rebellion

The Monroe Doctrine, proclaimed in 1823, stated that European powers should not colonize or interfere with the affairs of the newly independent nations of the Americas, and the United States would not interfere in European affairs.

Monroe Doctrine

The corollary stated that not only were the nations of the Western Hemisphere not open to colonization by European powers, but that the United States had the responsibility to preserve order and protect life and property in those countries.

Roosevelt Corollary (to the Monroe Doctrine)

The construction and control of the Panama Canal, a vital waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, are often seen as a prime example of American imperialism, as the US exerted influence and control over Panama to secure its strategic interests.

Panama Canal

The Zimmermann Telegram was a coded message from the German Foreign Secretary, Arthur Zimmermann, to Germany's ambassador in Mexico, proposing an alliance between Germany and Mexico if the United States entered World War I, and promising Mexico the return of lost territory in exchange for their support.

Zimmerman Telegram

In 1919, the Big Four met in Paris to negotiate the Treaty: Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Woodrow Wilson of the U.S. The Paris Peace Conference was an international meeting convened in January 1919 at Versailles just outside Paris.

The “Big Four” (at the Versailles Peace)

Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, while advocating for a post-war world order based on principles like self-determination and open diplomacy, did not directly address or condemn American imperialism, but rather focused on creating a more just and peaceful international system.

Fouteen Points

The League of Nations, established in 1920 after World War I, was an international organization aimed at promoting international cooperation and preventing future wars, but ultimately failed to achieve its goals and was replaced by the United Nations in 1946.

League of Nations