American Yawp Chapter 19: American Empire

Imperialism

a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force

The Open Door Policy

Statement of principles initiated by the US in 1899 and 1900 for the protection of equal privileges among countries trading with China; aimed to enhance global trade and to promote China's welfare

John Hay

Secretary of State who articulated the Open Door Policy; named the Spanish-American War the "Splendid Little War"

Spanish-American War

War between Spain and the US fought in 1898; the war began as an intervention by the US on behalf of Cuba

The Maine

US battleship in Cuba which exploded in February 1898, triggered US to declare war

Yellow Press (Yellow Journalism)

US term for a type of journalism that presents little of no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers

Anti-Imperialist League

an organization established on June 15, 1898, to battle the American annexation of the Philippines as an insular area

Theodore Roosevelt

26th President of the US from 1901-1909; leader of the Rough Riders

The Influence of Seapower Upon History

A history of naval warfare published in 1890, written by Alfred Thayer Mahan

Dollar Diplomacy

the use of a country's financial power to extend its international influence, guaranteeing loans to foreign countries to further foreign policy

William Taft

27th President of the US and the 10th Chief Justice of the US; only person to have held both offices

The 10th Negro Calvary

A unit of the US Army, mainly responsible for victory at San Juan Hill

Reconcentration Camps

Detention camps for Cuban revolutionaries built by Weyler

The Battle of San Juan Hill

Also known as the Battle for San Juan Heights, was a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War

The Teller Amendment

An amendment to a joint resolution of the US Congress enacted on April 20, 1898, in reply to President William McKinley's war message; guaranteed the US would not annex Cuba

The Rough Riders

Nickname given to the 1st US volunteer calvary led by Theodore Roosevelt; one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish-American War and the only one of the three to see action

Filipino-American War

War between the US and the Filipino revolutionaries from 1899-1902; it was seen as a continuation of the Filipino struggle for independence

Alfred Thayer Mahan

US Naval officer and historian; author of the Influence of Sea Power Upon History

A Splendid Little War

John Hay's name for the Spanish-American War because it was short (3 months) but substantial

Valeriano Weyler

A Spanish general and colonial administrator who served as the Governor General of the Philippines and Cuba

Queen Liliuokalani

The last sovereign of the Kamehameha dynasty, which had ruled a unified Hawaiian kingdom since 1810.

The Treaty of Paris of 1898

An agreement made in 1898 that involved Spain giving up nearly all of the remaining Spanish Empire, especially Cuba, and ceding Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the US

The Panama Canal

An artificial 77 kilometer waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean

The Boxer Rebellion

A rebellion in 1900s in which members of a Chinese secret society sought to free their country from Western influence

Manifest Destiny

19th century doctrine or belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable

Emiliano Aguinaldo

Filipino revolutionary, politician and a military leader who is officially recognized as the first and youngest President of the Philippines and the first President of a constitutional republic in Asia

William McKinley

25th President of the US, serving from March 4, 1897, until his assassination in September 1901, six months into his second term

The Platt Amendment

Passed as part of the 1901 Army Appropriation Bill;

The Open Door Notes

Messages sent by Secretary of State John Hay to Germany, Russia, Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan asking countries not to interfere with his trading rights in China

Commodore George Dewey

Admiral of the Navy - the only person in US history to have attained the rank

The Roosevelt Corollary

An addition to the Monroe Doctrine articulated by President Theodore Roosevelt in his State of the Union address in 1904 after the Venezuela crisis of 1902-1903; asserted that the US wished to promote stable, prosperous states in Latin America that could live up to their political and financial obligations