World Power 1898 - 1918 Study Guide

What did George Washington warn about in his Farewell Address?

He warned against forming permanent foreign alliances. (This was an isolationist point of view.)

Why was the annexation of Hawaii important?

U.S. military bases in the Pacific Ocean AND economic benefits like resources and new markets

Who was Sanford B. Dole?

Hawaiian-born white leader who urged the U.S. to annex Hawaii.

When was the Spanish-American War?

1898

What did the U.S. gain by winning the Spanish-American War?

Spanish territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific (Puerto Rico, Guam, the Phillipines)

What was the Monroe Doctrine of 1823?

It said that North and South America could no longer be colonized.

When was Teddy Roosevelt president?

1901 - 1909 (AFTER the Spanish-American War and before WW1)

What was President Theodore Roosevelt's foreign policy?

"Big Stick" policy: be peaceful but ready to use a strong military if needed.

Which expansionist events happened when Roosevelt was president?

building the Panama Canal, sending the Great White Fleet around the globe, sending U.S. troops to new territories

What was the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine?

It said the U.S. would intervene if another nation tries to take over any country in the Western Hemisphere

What did Alfred Thayer Mahan do?

He got the U.S. to expand its navy. (He was the “mahan with the navy plan”)

Why did some people oppose U.S. expansionism?

They thought it would be hard to control territories around the globe.

What was the "Great White Fleet?"

a worldwide tour of American battleships - showed our strength

Why was the Panama Canal important?

It provided a shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, cutting travel time and reducing the cost of trade.

What was America's policy when World War I began?

Isolationism!

Why did the U.S. join World War I in 1917?

Unrestricted submarine warfare by the Germans

Germany sinking the Lusitania

Germany trying to make an alliance with Mexico

Germany invading neutral countries

What was an important effect of the sinking of the Lusitania?

128 Americans died, and American public opinion turned against Germany

How did WWI begin?

assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which led Austria to declare war on Serbia

What was the alliance system?

A system of agreements between European nations that led them to declare war against each other if one nation was invaded.

What happened on the seas during WWI?

blockades & submarine warfare

Why did trench warfare occur?

Powerful weapons like the machine gun made traditional warfare obsolete (old & ineffective)

What were some innovations in weaponry in WW1?

tanks, submarines, poison gas, gas masks, use of airplanes

Why were items like tanks and poison gas used in WWI?

To end the stalemate caused by trench warfare

Where did most U.S. soldiers serve in WW1?

In the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in France on the western front.

What did the U.S. do when it wasn't yet involved in WWI?

We traded with European nations and loaned money to European countries.

What was President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points (1918)?

A plan for peace & prevention of future conflicts.

What was the League of Nations?

part of Wilson's 14 Points - a group of countries that would work together to ensure peace and cooperation rather than conflict

What was the Treaty of Versailles?

the treaty that ended WWI

How did the Treaty of Versailles treat Germany?

Harshly - they had to pay war reparations, couldn't have a military, etc.

How did the U.S. react to the Treaty of Versailles?

Congress rejected it, and we didn't join the League of Nations. We returned to isolationism.

What were effects of WWI on the U.S. at home?

Women and African-Americans had better employment opportunities.

What were the Espionage & Sedition Acts passed during WWI?

laws against sharing information that would hurt the war effort and laws limiting speech disloyal to the U.S.

What is the importance of the Schenck v. U.S. court case?

The Supreme Court limited free speech if it causes "a clear and present danger."

Who was Alvin York?

an American soldier from Tennessee who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroic actions in WWI

What was Dollar Diplomacy?

President Taft’s plan for controlling other nations via money rather than military threat.

What was the Open-Door Policy?

A policy created by America to make sure we had access to trade with China.