Untitled Flashcards Set

William H. Seward

U.S. Secretary of State who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.

Monroe Doctrine

A U.S. foreign policy stating that European nations should not interfere in the Americas.

Seward’s Folly

A term used to mock the purchase of Alaska, as critics saw it as a useless land acquisition.

Queen Liliuokalani

The last monarch of Hawaii, overthrown by American interests in 1893.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

A naval strategist who emphasized the importance of sea power in national strength.

White Man’s Burden

A phrase from a Rudyard Kipling poem that justified imperialism as a duty to civilize non-Western peoples.

Pan-American Conference

Meetings between the U.S. and Latin American nations to foster economic and political cooperation.

Jingoism

Aggressive nationalism and warlike foreign policy.

Yellow Journalism

Sensationalized and exaggerated news reporting to attract readers and influence public opinion.

De Lôme Letter

A letter from a Spanish diplomat criticizing U.S. President McKinley, which increased tensions leading to the Spanish-American War.

USS Maine

A U.S. battleship that exploded in Havana Harbor in 1898, fueling the Spanish-American War.

Teller Amendment

A resolution stating that the U.S. would not annex Cuba after the Spanish-American War.

Platt Amendment

Allowed the U.S. to intervene in Cuban affairs and maintain a naval base at Guantanamo Bay.

Treaty of Paris (1898)

Ended the Spanish-American War; Spain ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the U.S.

Emilio Aguinaldo

Filipino revolutionary leader who fought against Spanish and later U.S. rule.

Insular Cases

Supreme Court cases that determined that full constitutional rights did not automatically extend to U.S. territories.

Spheres of Influence

Areas where foreign powers exerted control over trade and investment, especially in China.

Boxer Rebellion

A Chinese nationalist uprising against foreign influence, suppressed by an international force.

TR’s Big Stick Policy

Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy of using military power to achieve diplomatic goals.

Panama Canal

A waterway built by the U.S. to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for trade and military purposes.

Roosevelt Corollary

An extension of the Monroe Doctrine allowing U.S. intervention in Latin America to maintain stability.

Russo-Japanese War

A 1904-1905 conflict where Japan defeated Russia; the U.S. mediated the Treaty of Portsmouth.

Gentlemen’s Agreement

A deal between the U.S. and Japan to limit Japanese immigration in exchange for better treatment of Japanese-Americans.

Great White Fleet

A fleet of U.S. Navy battleships that toured the world to demonstrate American military power.

International Peace Conference

Early efforts to promote diplomacy and prevent wars, leading to later international treaties.

William Howard Taft

U.S. President known for Dollar Diplomacy, promoting economic investments abroad.

Dollar Diplomacy

U.S. foreign policy encouraging economic investments to maintain influence in Latin America and Asia.

Woodrow Wilson

U.S. President during WWI, known for his Fourteen Points and efforts to establish the League of Nations.

William Jennings Bryan

A populist politician and anti-imperialist who opposed U.S. expansionism.

Jones Act

Granted U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans and promised future independence to the Philippines.

Pancho Villa

A Mexican revolutionary who led raids into the U.S., prompting military intervention.

Lusitania Crisis

The sinking of the British ship Lusitania by a German U-boat, killing American passengers and pushing the U.S. toward WWI.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Germany’s WWI policy of sinking ships without warning, a key factor in U.S. entry into the war.

Zimmermann Telegram

A secret German message to Mexico proposing an alliance against the U.S., intercepted and leading to U.S. involvement in WWI.

Bolsheviks

A communist group led by Lenin that overthrew the Russian government in 1917.

American Expeditionary Force

U.S. troops sent to fight in Europe during WWI under General John J. Pershing.

Fourteen Points

Wilson’s plan for postwar peace, including the League of Nations.

Big Four

Leaders from the U.S., Britain, France, and Italy who negotiated the Treaty of Versailles.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty that ended WWI, imposing harsh penalties on Germany.

Self-Determination

The right of people to choose their own government, promoted by Wilson after WWI.

League of Nations

An international organization aimed at preventing future wars, though the U.S. did not join.

Henry Cabot Lodge

A U.S. senator who opposed the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.

Mobilization

The process of preparing a nation’s economy and military for war.

Food Administration

A WWI-era U.S. agency that encouraged food conservation and increased production.

Railroad Administration

Government control of railroads during WWI to ensure efficient war transportation.

National War Labor Board

A U.S. agency that mediated labor disputes during WWI to prevent strikes.

Liberty Bonds

War bonds sold to finance WWI.

Committee on Public Information

A government agency that used propaganda to support U.S. involvement in WWI.

Espionage Act

A WWI law restricting anti-war activities and speech.

Sedition Act

A law that made it illegal to criticize the government during WWI.

Schenck v. US (1919)

A Supreme Court case that upheld restrictions on free speech during wartime.

Selective Service Act

A law requiring men to register for the military draft during WWI.