Key Concepts of American Imperialism and World War I

Imperialism

Policy of extending a country's power and influence.

Isolationism

Avoiding political or military involvement with other countries.

Expansionism

Policy of territorial or economic expansion.

Spanish-American War

1898 conflict resulting from U.S. intervention in Cuba.

Yellow Journalism

Sensationalized news to provoke public outrage.

U.S.S. Maine

Battleship explosion that sparked the Spanish-American War.

Teddy Roosevelt

26th U.S. President known for progressive policies.

Big Stick Diplomacy

Roosevelt's approach using military power for diplomacy.

Panama Canal

Waterway connecting Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, completed in 1914.

Platt Amendment

Legislation limiting Cuba's sovereignty post-Spanish-American War.

Dollar Diplomacy

Taft's policy of using financial power to influence nations.

Lusitania

British ship sunk by Germans, influencing U.S. entry into WWI.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

His assassination sparked the beginning of World War I.

League of Nations

International organization founded to promote peace post-WWI.

Treaty of Versailles

1919 treaty ending WWI, imposing reparations on Germany.

Fourteen Points

Wilson's proposal for peace and post-war order.

Allied Forces

Coalition of countries opposing the Central Powers in WWI.

Central Powers

Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Ottoman Empire in WWI.

Rough Riders

Volunteer cavalry led by Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War.

William McKinley

25th U.S. President during the Spanish-American War.

William Howard Taft

27th U.S. President known for Dollar Diplomacy.

Teller Amendment

Legislation ensuring U.S. would not annex Cuba.