US 1 Honors-Unit 4: Imperialism + WW1

U.S. Imperialism

This was when the United States started to take over different nations.

Russo-Japanese War

War between Russia and Japan; Japan wins and takes parts of Manchuria under its control.

Platt Amendment(1901)

Allowed the United States to intervene in Cuba and gave the United States control of the naval base at Guantanamo Bay(also giving them control over their internal and external affairs).

De Lome Letter

The Spanish ambassador insults President McKinley in this letter; accused America of being weak. Which caused tensions between the United States and Spain.

Treaty of Paris(1898)

This treaty ended the Spanish-American War, which gave US control over Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

Panama Canal

Ship canal cut across the isthmus of Panama by United States, it opened in 1915.

American Isolationism

When the United States pulled themselves out of international affairs and isolated themselves from the world.

Convoy System

A system in which merchant ships travel with naval vessels for protection

Selective Service Act(1917)

Law passed by Congress in 1917 that required all men from ages 21 to 30 to register for the military.

League of Nations

An international organization formed in 1920 to promote cooperation and peace among nations(led to the creation of the United Nations).

USS Maine

Ship that explodes off the coast of Cuba in Havana harbor and helps contribute to the start of the Spanish-American War.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

Treaty that ended World War I; Germany had more punishment than Wilson wanted but not as much as France and England desired. It was harsh enough, however, to set stage for Hitler's rise of power in Germany in 1930s.

Alliance System

A formal agreement between two or more nations or powers to cooperate and come to one another's defense.

Lusitania

A British passenger ship that was sunk by a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915 During WW1. 128 Americans died. The sinking greatly turned American opinion against the Germans, helping the move towards entering the war.

Zimmerman Note(1917)

A coded telegram sent by German secretary Arthur Zimmerman to the Mexico to propose an alliance during WW1.

Just War Theory

This theory is a set of principles that determine if the reason for a war is valid. The key themes that make up the Just War theory are: the right authority, just cause, probability of success; proportionality, last resort and just cause.

Roosevelt Corollary (1904)

Roosevelt's extension of the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the United States has the right to protect its economic interests by using military force. The U.S. was labeled: "police of the western hemisphere." This was used to justify hundreds of interventions, mostly to protect US business interests, sometimes to the detriment of democratic movements in Latin America.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Germany's war tactic that they could attack ships with their submarines without warning.

Espionage + Sedition Acts

This went against the first amendment of the Constitution(restricted freedom of speech during the war). This was to protect the war effort.

19th Amendment (1920)

Gave women the right to vote