Imperialism Test

What was “Seward’s Folly”?

The 1867 purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, mocked as “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox,” but later proved valuable for its vast resources.

What were the “Five Near Wars” of the 1890s?

Diplomatic crises with Samoa, Italy, Chile, Great Britain (over Venezuela), and Canada (seal hunting) that nearly led to war and showed America’s growing assertiveness.

How did Manifest Destiny evolve in the late 19th century?

It shifted from continental expansion to overseas imperialism, reflecting America’s industrial power and global ambitions.

Why did the U.S. become interested in Hawaii?

Strategic location and profitable sugar trade; American planters gained influence after the McKinley Tariff hurt Hawaiian exports.

Who was Queen Liliuokalani?

The last monarch of Hawaii, overthrown in 1893 by American planters and marines seeking U.S. annexation.

How was Hawaii annexed?

After the 1893 coup, annexation was delayed by anti-imperialist President Cleveland; it was finalized in 1898 during the Spanish-American War for strategic reasons.

What sparked U.S. involvement in Cuba?

Cuban rebellion against Spain, brutal “reconcentration camps” under General Weyler, and sensational reporting by yellow journalists like Hearst and Pulitzer.

What was the impact of the explosion of the USS Maine?

The ship sank in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, killing 260 sailors and inflaming U.S. public opinion—leading to the Spanish-American War.

What did the Teller Amendment promise?

That the U.S. would not annex Cuba after liberating it from Spain, emphasizing independence rather than colonization.

What was the Battle of Manila Bay?

Admiral George Dewey’s May 1, 1898 victory that destroyed the Spanish fleet in the Philippines, giving the U.S. control of the Pacific.

Who were the Rough Riders?

A volunteer cavalry regiment led by Theodore Roosevelt and Leonard Wood, famous for charging up San Juan Hill in Cuba.

What were the results of the Treaty of Paris (1898)?

U.S. gained the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico; Cuba became independent; Spain received $20 million.

What was the Philippine Insurrection?

A three-year rebellion (1899–1902) led by Emilio Aguinaldo against U.S. rule, costing over 4,000 American lives.

What was the Platt Amendment (1901)?

Limited Cuba’s independence—prohibiting foreign treaties, restricting debt, and granting the U.S. the right to intervene and lease Guantanamo Bay.

What was the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine?

Asserted the U.S. right to intervene in Latin American nations engaged in “chronic wrongdoing” to prevent European involvement.

What did “Speak softly and carry a big stick” mean?

Roosevelt’s belief that America should pursue diplomacy backed by strong military power—especially naval strength.

What was the Open Door Policy?

Secretary of State John Hay’s policy calling for equal trading rights in China and protection of Chinese territorial integrity.

What was the Boxer Rebellion (1900)?

A violent anti-foreign uprising in China crushed by an international force, including U.S. troops—the first U.S. military action in Asia without territorial goals.

What was the Gentlemen’s Agreement (1907)?

An informal deal where Japan limited emigration to the U.S. in exchange for ending segregation of Japanese students in California.

What was the Great White Fleet?

A U.S. naval fleet sent by Roosevelt on a world tour to demonstrate American power, especially to Japan.

Why did the U.S. want to build a canal?

To shorten travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and allow faster naval movement across the new American empire.

What was the Hay–Pauncefote Treaty (1901)?

Agreement with Britain allowing the U.S. to build and fortify a Central American canal.

How did the U.S. acquire the Canal Zone?

The U.S. supported Panama’s 1903 revolution against Colombia; the new Panamanian government signed the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty granting the U.S. a 10-mile-wide canal zone.

What challenges did canal construction face?

Disease, mountainous terrain, and engineering challenges—overcome by workers and doctors like Dr. Walter Reed and William Gorgas.

When was the Panama Canal completed?

In 1914, costing $345 million and revolutionizing global trade and U.S. naval power.

What role did “The World” newspaper play in shaping public opinion?

As a yellow journalism paper, The World stirred pro-war passions and incited Americans toward imperial expansion through sensationalized reporting.

What did the U.S. own before 1890 in terms of territory?

Only the contiguous states and Alaska; by World War I, America had acquired territories like Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.

What was the Roosevelt Corollary’s main purpose?

It declared that the U.S. had the right to intervene in Latin American nations to prevent European powers from doing so.

What did the purchase of the Virgin Islands (1917) demonstrate?

It showed U.S. strategic concern over the German naval threat during World War I and expanded its Caribbean influence.

What was the Samoan crisis of 1889?

A near war between the U.S. and Germany over control of the Samoan Islands, settled by dividing the islands among the powers.

How did the U.S. respond to the Chilean incident of 1891?

After two American sailors were killed in Valparaíso, the U.S. forced Chile to pay compensation to avoid war.

How did the Venezuelan boundary dispute (1895) test U.S. power?

Cleveland threatened war with Britain over Venezuela’s border, enforcing the Monroe Doctrine and asserting U.S. authority in the Western Hemisphere.

What was the outcome of the Cuban revolt before U.S. intervention?

Spain’s harsh response, including Weyler’s concentration camps, caused 200,000 deaths and horrified Americans.

What was the impact of the De Lôme letter on U.S.–Spanish relations?

The letter insulted President McKinley, inflaming U.S. public anger and further pushing the country toward war with Spain.

What did the phrase “To Hell with Spain!” represent?

It reflected public outrage and the aggressive nationalist mood following the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor.

What was Theodore Roosevelt’s position before becoming president?

He was Assistant Secretary of the Navy and ordered Admiral Dewey to prepare for an attack in the Philippines before the war officially began.

What were the conditions like for U.S. troops during the Spanish-American War?

The army was untrained, poorly supplied, and unprepared for tropical warfare, yet still defeated an even weaker Spanish military.

Who led the Filipino resistance against the U.S. after the Spanish-American War?

Emilio Aguinaldo, who led a bloody three-year insurrection for Philippine independence.

What was the effect of the Platt Amendment on Cuban sovereignty?

It made Cuba a U.S. protectorate by limiting its foreign policy, debt, and allowing U.S. intervention.

What prompted the Open Door Notes in China?

Secretary of State John Hay’s fear that European powers would shut the U.S. out of trade with China through exclusive “spheres of influence.”

How did John Hay make the Open Door Policy effective?

Although only Britain agreed, Hay falsely announced that all nations had accepted, forcing silence and ensuring free trade.

What triggered the Boxer Rebellion (1900)?

Chinese nationalists, angry at foreign influence and Christian missions, attacked Western property and people, leading to foreign military intervention.

What did Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” represent?

His belief in using the power of the new U.S. navy to back up diplomacy and prevent conflict through strength.

What event made Roosevelt the first sitting U.S. president to travel abroad?

His visit to the construction site of the Panama Canal.What was the total cost and completion year of the Panama Canal?

What was the total cost and completion year of the Panama Canal?

Completed in 1914 at a cost of $345 million, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and symbolizing America’s engineering might.