Imperialism and American Expansion in the Late 19th Century

Vocabulary flashcards covering key people, policies, events, and ideas in late 19th–early 20th-century American imperialism.

Open Door Policy (China)

John Hay’s 1899 policy that China should remain open to trade by all nations and that no single power should carve China into exclusive spheres of influence.

Boxer Rebellion

1900 anti-foreign, anti-Christian uprising in China; ended by a multinational coalition and highlighted foreign influence in China.

Social Darwinism (in imperialism)

Application of 'survival of the fittest' to nations and races to justify inequality and imperial conquest.

Religious evangelism as motive

American Protestant missions and beliefs used to justify expansion as a civilizing mission.

Great White Fleet

Roosevelt’s 1907–1909 worldwide display of American naval power—battleships painted white and touring globally.

Rough Riders

Theodore Roosevelt’s volunteer cavalry in the Spanish–American War; famed for the San Juan Hill charge.

Take up the White Man’s Burden (Kipling)

Rudyard Kipling’s poem framing imperialism as a civilizing duty of white nations toward nonwhite peoples.

Anti-Imperialist League

1899 coalition (including Twain, Cleveland, Carnegie) arguing imperialism violated liberty and self-government.

Treaty of Paris (1898)

Ending the Spanish–American War; Spain ceded Cuba (independence), Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam; Hawaii annexed.

Emilio Aguinaldo

Filipino revolutionary leader who resisted U.S. occupation after the Spanish–American War.

Philippine–American War

1899–1902 conflict with Filipino insurgents seeking independence; marked by brutal fighting and U.S. control.

Gentlemen’s Agreement (1907)

Informal deal with Japan to limit Japanese emigration to the United States.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

Federal law prohibiting Chinese immigration; extended through 1943; first major U.S. immigration restriction.

Monroe Doctrine

1823 policy prohibiting European meddling in the Western Hemisphere; U.S. would oppose intervention.

Roosevelt Corollary

1904 extension of the Monroe Doctrine asserting the U.S. right to intervene in Latin America to preserve stability.

Dollar Diplomacy

Taft-era policy using American financial power to influence governments and stabilize regions in the Americas.

Panama Canal (U.S. involvement)

U.S. supported Panama’s independence from Colombia (1903) to secure rights for constructing and controlling a canal.

American Empire and Immigration tension

Late-19th-century nativism and immigration restrictions (e.g., fears of labor competition, racial anxieties) fueling anti-immigrant sentiment.

Mamie Tape letter (1885)

Chinese mother’s appeal protesting school segregation of her child; illustrates anti-Chinese discrimination.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

U.S. naval officer whose The Influence of Sea Power upon History argued that sea power and navies are central to national greatness.

Hawaii annexation (1898)

Overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani by American interests; annexed after initial opposition by President Cleveland.

Yellow journalism (Hearst and Pulitzer)

Sensationalist reporting that inflamed public opinion about Cuba and contributed to war momentum.

William McKinley

U.S. president who led the nation into the Spanish–American War and oversaw the initial postwar territorial acquisitions.

The War Prayer (Mark Twain)

Twain’s 1904 satirical piece critiquing imperialist zeal by exposing its violent undertones.

Margaret MacLeod

American promotional figure who circulated Heinz products abroad; example of cultural/economic reach of U.S. empire.