Chapter 20 APUSH Terms

Key vocabulary from Chapter 20 in AMSCO.

Josiah Strong (1885)

1) Wrote a book, Our Country, in which he stated that Americans had a religious duty to spread Christianity to less fortunate people in the world.

2) Argued that Anglo-Saxons (whites) were a superior race and it was their duty to “civilize” and Christianize other races.

3) He helped justify imperialism through religion and led to an increase in missionaries who traveled to places like Asia, Africa, and the Pacific Islands to spread protestant ideals.

William Randolph Hearst (1898)

1) Newspaper owner of the New York Journal who printed exaggerated and false reports of Spanish atrocities in Cuba prior to the Spanish American War.

2) This type of false and exaggerated news reporting was known as yellow journalism, and it was common in New York during the Gilded Age in order to sell more newspapers.

3) Believing what they read in the papers, Americans called on President William McKinley to interfere in Cuba. As a result, yellow journalism was a cause of the Spanish American War and America's increasing involvement in imperialism.

Spanish-American War (1898)

1) Causes of this event included yellow journalism, the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine, and support for Cuban independence from Spain.

2) Fought in Cuba and the Philippines, it was known as a “splendid little war”, because it only lasted a few months.

3) As a result, the United States gained additional territory including Puerto Rico and the Philippines, Theodore Roosevelt emerged as a national hero, and America became an imperialist power in the world.

Platt Amendment (1901)

1) The Teller Amendment in 1898 guaranteed Cuba its independence after the Spanish-American War.

2) This required Cuba to promise never to sign a treaty with a foreign power, contradicting the previous agreement.

3) It also allowed the U.S. to intervene in Cuban affairs and maintain military bases in Cuba following the Spanish-American War.

Emilio Aguinaldo (1898)

1) Filipino nationalist who fought with U.S. during the Spanish-American War, believing that the war would lead to independence for the Philippines.

2) When it became clear the United States wanted to annex the Philippines instead of liberating it, he led guerrilla fighters against the U.S. in order to drive Americans out of the country.

3) Led to a three year conflict known as the Philippine-American War, which ended with America taking control of the island. However, over 4,000 Americans and as many as 600,000 Filipinos died in the conflict.

Open Door policy (1899)

1) As the U.S. began expanding its global power, Sec. of State John Hay wanted the U.S. to have greater access to trade in China. This was difficult because European nations at the time had established spheres of influence, which gave them exclusive privileges to trade in parts of China.

2) This policy urged European powers to respect Chinese rights and it promoted free and open trade in China, which benefited the U.S. economically.

3) The U.S. would use its military power to protect free trade in China, even sending troops during the Boxer Rebellion, which threatened foreign trade.

William Jennings Bryan (1901)

1) Politician who ran as the Democratic and Populist candidate in the Election of 1896. He was opposed to the interests of big business and wanted to increase government regulation of the economy.

2) Leader of the Anti-Imperialist League, he opposed U.S. actions of expansion in the Pacific, especially the controversial Annexation of the Philippines, and he fought for the rights of people in acquired territories.

3) As Woodrow Wilson’s Secretary of State, he pushed for the Jones Act, which granted full territorial status to the Philippines, and he attempted to maintain America's neutrality when World War One broke out.

Insular Cases (1901)

1) Series of Supreme Court cases which debated whether or not the U.S. Constitution and the rights contained within the Constitution extended to territories under U.S control.

2) Questioned whether people in these territories should be considered U.S. citizens.

3) Ruled in favor of imperialists, arguing that constitutional rights were not automatically extended to those in conquered territories. Instead, Congress had to grant the people of these territories rights guaranteed in the Constitution.

Big Stick Diplomacy (1901-1909)

1) Used to refer to the foreign policy of Theodore Roosevelt, which was largely in favor of imperialism.

2) Idea that the United States would try to negotiate peacefully to advance its foreign interests, but it was also willing to use force when necessary.

3) Roosevelt often used the power of the U.S. navy during his presidency to promote American interests abroad, and this policy was evident in America's attempt to build the Panama Canal as well as American interventions into Latin America during Roosevelt's presidency.

Panama Canal (1904)

1) U.S. saw need for a route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through Central America.

2) Roosevelt orchestrated a revolt, driving out Colombia and giving U.S. full control to build this crucial water route.

3) This water route was constructed in ten years, and the U.S. had control of it for decades, much to the dismay of many Central American countries. The water route increased trade between the tow oceans and was important to U.S. for military purposes.

Dollar Diplomacy (1909-1913)

1) Foreign policy of William Howard Taft.

2) U.S. intervened in areas and situations that promoted U.S. trade and business.

3) This policy urged Wall Street bankers to invest American money into places like China, Panama, and the Caribbean islands, and it sometimes led to U.S. military interventions in order to protect those American investments.

Moral Diplomacy (1913-1917)

1) Foreign policy of Woodrow Wilson, which respected the rights of other nations and advocated for the spread of democracy. This policy was less imperialistic than those that came immediately before it.

2) Granted rights to citizens of U.S. territories such as the Philippines and Puerto Rico, and it pushed the spread of American democratic ideals during World War One.

3) Wilson's policies were not always consistent, and he struggled to spread democracy and fight for the rights of countries in Central America, ordering American marines into Haiti in 1915 and the Dominican Republic in 1916.

Roosevelt Corollary (1905)

1) Addition to the Monroe Doctrine, it continued to keep European countries out of the Western Hemisphere. However, it went further and allowed the U.S. to serve as an intermediary between European and Latin America.

2) U.S. would make sure Latin American countries paid their debts to European countries, using force to do so, instead of European countries sending military forces.

3) It was used to justify repeated American intervention into Latin American countries such as Haiti, Nicaragua, and Mexico. And the policy led to growing hostility between the United States and Latin America, which resented U.S. interference.