OpenStax US History Chapter 22

Why did the United States express limited interest in overseas expansion in the 1860s and 1870s?

Post-Civil War reconstruction

Which of the following did Mahan not believe was needed to build an American empire?

The reopening of the American frontier

Why were the Midway Islands important to American expansion?

e Midway Islands provided a more stable path to Asian markets and a vital naval coaling station, which steamships needed in order to travel further afield

Which is not one of the reasons the Anti-Imperial League gave for opposing the creation of an American empire?

fear that the United States would suffer a foreign invasion

What was the role of the Taft Commission?

The Taft Commission introduced reforms to modernize and improve daily life in the Philippines. Many of these reforms were legislative in nature, impacting the structure and composition of local governments. In exchange for the support of resistance leaders, for example, the commission offered them political appointments.

What challenges did the U.S. military have to overcome in the Spanish-American War? What accounted for the nation’s eventual victory?

The Spanish-American War posed a series of challenges to the United States’ military capacities. The new U.S. Navy, while impressive, was still untested, and no one was certain how the new ships would perform. Further, the country had a limited army, with fewer than thirty thousand soldier and sailors. While over one million men ultimately volunteered for service, they were untrained, and the army was ill-prepared to house, arm, and feed them all. Eventually, American naval strength, combined with the proximity of American supplies relative to the distance Spanish forces traveled, made the decisive difference. In a war upon the sea, the U.S. Navy proved superior in both the Philippines and the blockade of Cuba

How did Hay’s suggestion of an open door policy in China benefit the United States over other nations?

The United States produced goods of better quality and lower cost than other countries.

How did the Boxer Rebellion strengthen American ties with China?

The United States provided troops to fight the rebels.

How does the “Open Door notes” episode represent a new, nonmilitary tactic in the expansion of the American empire?

The Open Door notes and the American foray into China revealed the power of economic clout. Given the unprecedented technological advances of the Industrial Revolution, American goods were often less expensive and of better quality than those produced in other countries, and they were highly sought after in Asia. Therefore, when Hay derided the spheres of influence model, wherein each country had its own room to maneuver in China, he was able to flood Chinese markets with American trade. Through these maneuvers, the United States was able to augment its global standing considerably without the use of its military forces.

How did Colombia react to the United States’ proposal to construct a canal through Central America?

They felt that Roosevelt’s deal offered too little money

With the Roosevelt Corollary, Roosevelt sought to establish ________.

the right of the United States to involve itself in Latin American affairs whenever necessary

Compare Roosevelt’s foreign policy in Latin America and Asia. Why did he employ these different methods?

Roosevelt’s strategy of “speaking softly and carrying a big stick” worked well in Latin America, where the United States had a strong military presence and could quickly and easily act on any threat of military action. Roosevelt’s threat of force was therefore credible in that region, and he was able to wield it effectively. In Asia, however, the United States had less of a military presence. Instead, Roosevelt sought to maintain a balance of power, wherein the various Asian countries kept each other in check and no single player grew too powerful. When the power balance tipped, Roosevelt acted to broker a peace deal between Russia and Japan as a means of restoring balance

Why did some Central American nations object to Taft’s paying off their debt to Europe with U.S. dollars?

because they felt it gave the United States too much leverage

What two countries were engaged in a negotiation that the Lodge Corollary disallowed?

Mexico and Japan

What problems did Taft’s foreign policy create for the United States?

Taft’s policies created some troubles that were immediate and others that would not bear fruit until decades later. The tremendous debts in Central America created years of economic instability there and fostered nationalist movements driven by resentment of America’s interference in the region. In Asia, Taft’s efforts at China-Japan mediation heightened tensions between Japan and the United States—tensions that would explode, ultimately, with the outbreak of World War II—and spurred Japan to consolidate its power throughout the region.