Unit 8: Spanish American War and Imperialism

annexation

the taking control of a territory and adding it to a country

Anti-Imperialist League

an organization formed during the Spanish-American War to oppose the establishment of U.S. colonies

armistice

a cessation of hostilities

Big Stick Policy

President Theodore Roosevelt's strong-arm approach to foreign affairs, emphasizing diplomacy backed by force

Dollar Diplomacy

President William Howard Taft's approach to foreign policy, focusing on encouraging and protecting U.S. trade and investment in Latin America and Asia

mass media

newspapers, magazines, and other methods of communicating to a mass audience

Moral Diplomacy

President Woodrow Wilson's approach to foreign policy, focusing on promoting democratic ideals abroad

Open Door Policy

a U.S. policy issued in 1899 stating that foreign nations must allow free trade in China

Panama Canal

the canal built by the United States through the Isthmus of Panama to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans

Platt Amendment

provisions in the Cuban constitution, added as a condition for the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 1902, allowing the United States to intervene in Cuban affairs and to buy or lease land for naval bases

resolution

a formal statement by a government about a course of action

Roosevelt Corollary

President Theodore Roosevelt's assertion that, as a direct corollary of the Monroe Doctrine, the United States could intervene to preserve peace and order in the Western Hemisphere and protect U.S. interests

Rough Riders

a volunteer cavalry regiment recruited by Theodore Roosevelt to fight in Cuba in the Spanish-American War

San Juan Hill

the key battle in Cuba during the Spanish-American War

self-determination

the right of people of other nations to determine their own government, free of outside influence

spheres of influence

areas in which a single nation controlled trading rights, as foreign powers did in China during the 1890s

USS Maine

a battleship sunk in Havana harbor in 1898, an event that helped rouse public support for war with Spain

yellow journalism

the exaggerated style of newspaper reporting during the 1890s that was sparked by the rivalry between two New York City newspapers and helped inflame public support for war with Spain