U.S. Foreign Policy and Reconstruction Era Overview

Economic Reform Needs

Motivation for U.S. foreign engagement.

Monroe Doctrine

1823 policy against European interference in Americas.

Cuban-Spanish War

Started by Cuban revolt against Spanish rule.

General Weyler

Spanish general known for unsanitary detention camps.

USS Maine

Sent to Havana Harbor as a 'friendly visit'.

Yellow Journalism

Sensational news to provoke public emotions.

De Lome Letter

Insulting letter about McKinley, intercepted by rebels.

Spanish-American War

Conflict initiated by USS Maine explosion.

Theodore Roosevelt's Role

Assistant Secretary of the Navy during the war.

Emilio Aguinaldo

Leader of the Filipino Nationalist Movement.

American View of Filipinos

Initially paternalistic, later hostile after resistance.

Cuba's Status Post-War

Protectorate status, limited treaty-making ability.

Southern Economy Post-Civil War

Devastated, reliant on destroyed infrastructure.

Carpetbagger

Northerner exploiting Southern post-war opportunities.

Scalawag

Southern white collaborating with Reconstruction efforts.

Cuban Sugar and Mining

Key economic interests for both Spain and U.S.

USS Maine Explosion

Disputed cause: boiler explosion vs. sabotage.

McKinley's War Hesitation

Concern over Cuba's sovereignty and his veteran status.

American Press Influence

Used sensationalism to push for war.

Cuban Revolution Concerns

U.S. worried about European control and instability.

Spanish-American War Expansion

Conflict extended to the Philippines for strategic reasons.

Guantanamo Bay

Naval station established post-war in Cuba.

Carpetbagger

Northerner exploiting Southern Reconstruction opportunities.

Scalawag

Southern unionists collaborating with Carpetbaggers.

Freedmen

3-4 million freed slaves post-Civil War.

Veterans' struggles

Trauma, unemployment, and high suicide rates.

39th Congress

Lacked former Democratic states due to walkout.

Republican majority

Republicans dominated Congress after Democrats left.

Lincoln's 10% Plan

Requires 10% loyalty pledge for state reentry.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery, surpassing Emancipation Proclamation's limitations.

Unique role of 13th Amendment

First government guarantee of individual freedom.

Radical Republicans

Believed 10% Plan insufficient for Reconstruction.

Wade-Davis Bill

Proposed stricter terms for Southern state reentry.

Ironclad Oath

Required 90% loyalty pledge from Southern voters.

Lincoln's response to Wade-Davis

Pocket vetoed the bill, preventing its passage.

Freedmen's Bureau

Assisted freedmen with education and resources.

Lincoln's assassination

Interrupted his Reconstruction plans.

Johnson's implementation

Ensured Southern states ratified the 13th Amendment.

Johnson's damage to Reconstruction

Pardoned ex-Confederates, restoring their power.

Southern backlash

Black Codes enacted to restrict African Americans.

Purpose of Black Codes

Denied civil rights, aimed to re-enslave blacks.

Civil Rights Act of 1866

Granted citizenship but lacked voting protections.

Johnson's veto response

Vetoed the Act, Congress overrode his decision.

14th Amendment

Defined citizenship and limited state representation.

Exclusion in 14th Amendment

Native Americans excluded from citizenship rights.

Voting rights exclusion

14th Amendment did not guarantee voting rights.

Memphis riots 1866

Race riots led to stricter Reconstruction measures.

First Reconstruction Act

Mandated military governance in Southern states.

14th Amendment

Grants citizenship and equal protection to all.

15th Amendment

Prohibits voting discrimination based on race.

Ulysses Grant

Appointed governor during Reconstruction efforts.

Force Acts

Laws to protect civil rights in 1871.

KKK Acts

Targeted violence against Republicans and African Americans.

Heabus Corpus Suspension

Allows detention without trial in emergencies.

Sojourner Truth

Advocated for women's voting rights inclusion.

Frederick Douglass

Opposed gender addition to the 15th Amendment.

Lucy Stone

Supported 15th Amendment without gender restrictions.

Susan B. Anthony

Believed only educated white women should vote.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Focused on white women's suffrage rights.

Reconstruction Successes

Included reunification, economic improvement, and education.

Reconstruction Failures

Ex-Confederate violence and the Coushatta Massacre.

Compromise of 1877

Ended Reconstruction by withdrawing troops from South.

Woodrow Wilson

Pacifist president during World War I outbreak.

German U-boat

Undetectable submarines threatening Allied shipping.

Lusitania

Sunk British ship carrying passengers and munitions.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Sinking all Allied ships indiscriminately.

Zimmerman Telegram

German proposal to Mexico for war against U.S.

CPI

Committee on Public Information, led by George Creel.

Herbert Hoover

Promoted food conservation during World War I.

Jones Act

Granted Puerto Ricans citizenship but limited rights.

German American Discrimination

Outlawed German language and cultural practices.

Prohibition Catalyst

Driven by morality and anti-German sentiment.