Vocab 8

Isolationism

A policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other groups, especially the political affairs of other countries.

Imperialism

Political, military and economic domination of strong nations over weak territories.

Matthew Perry

A U.S. Naval officer who forced Japan into trade and diplomatic relations with the West after more than two centuries of isolation.

William H. Seward

Appointed Secretary of State by Abraham Lincoln, managed international affairs during the Civil War, negotiated the purchase of Alaska.

Spheres of influence

A region dominated and controlled by an outside power.

Queen Liliuokalini

The first and only reigning Hawaiian queen who was overthrown in 1893 as the U.S. annexed Hawaii in 1898.

Open Door policy

An American statement favoring free trade in China without wanting colonies there.

Spanish-American War

A conflict fought in 1898 primarily over Cuban independence, leading to the U.S. gaining control of several territories.

Yellow journalism

A style of newspaper reporting that emphasizes sensationalism over facts to provoke public interest.

Protectorate (Cuba)

An independent nation on paper but dependent on the U.S. in finance and foreign policy matters.

USS Maine

The U.S. ship whose explosion was blamed on Spain, contributing to the start of the Spanish-American War.

Platt Amendment

Conditions under which Cuba was granted independence in 1902, allowing U.S. intervention.

Panama Canal

A human-made waterway linking the Atlantic to the Pacific across the Isthmus of Panama.

Roosevelt Corollary/Big Stick Policy

The assertion of the Monroe Doctrine by President Theodore Roosevelt to keep the Western Hemisphere free of European intervention.

Dollar Diplomacy

President Taft’s policy of expanding American investments abroad.

Moral Diplomacy

Woodrow Wilson’s approach to promote human rights without using force.

Treaty of Paris 1898

The peace agreement that ended the Spanish-American War.

Annexation

Taking over another country, island, or place.

Armistice

A temporary agreement to stop fighting during war; a truce.

Mobilization

The act of assembling and preparing a nation's military forces for war.

Lusitania

A British passenger ship sunk by a German U-boat in 1915.

Liberty Bonds

War bonds sold by the U.S. government to fund World War I.

Reparation

Payment for war damages.

League of Nations

World organization established after World War I to promote peace among countries.

Stalemate

A situation where neither side can gain an advantage in conflict.

Zimmerman Telegram

A message sent by Germany to Mexico proposing an alliance against the U.S., which helped lead to U.S. entry into World War I.

Selective Service Act

An act passed in 1917 authorizing a draft for military service.

Great Migration

Movement of African Americans from the South to the North in the twentieth century.

Trench warfare

Combat where opposing forces attack and defend from trenches.

Wilson’s 14 Points

A statement of principles for peace negotiations to end World War I.

Treaty of Versailles

The primary peace treaty signed in 1919 to end World War I between Germany and the Allied Powers.

Schenck v. United States

Court ruling that freedom of speech could be limited if it poses a clear and present danger.

Red Scare

Fear that communists were working to undermine the American way of life.

xenophobia/jingoism

Aggressive nationalism and support for warlike foreign policy.

Self-determination

The right of people to choose their own form of government.