APUSH Period 7 (Chapter 20)

William Seward

The Secretary of State who orchestrated the purchase of Alaska and championed American expansionism.

Alaska Purchase

The 1867 acquisition of Russian territory for $7.2 million, initially mocked as "Seward's Folly" before its vast resources were discovered.

Pan-American Conference

An 1889 meeting aimed at establishing closer commercial and political cooperation between the United States and Latin American nations.

Jingoism

An intense and aggressive form of nationalism characterized by a pro-war foreign policy.

Yellow Journalism

A style of sensationalist reporting that used exaggerated or fabricated stories to increase newspaper circulation and influence public opinion.

Spanish-American War

An 1898 conflict triggered by Cuban unrest and the USS Maine explosion that resulted in the U.S. gaining an overseas empire.

Maine

The American battleship that exploded in Havana Harbor in 1898, serving as the immediate catalyst for war with Spain.

Teller Amendment

A joint resolution stating that the United States had no intention of annexing Cuba and would leave control to its people after the war.

Rough Riders

A diverse volunteer cavalry unit led by Theodore Roosevelt that gained fame for its charge during the Battle of San Juan Hill.

Platt Amendment

A 1901 provision that restricted Cuba’s sovereignty and gave the United States the right to intervene in Cuban affairs and maintain naval bases.

Panama Canal

A massive engineering project that connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, drastically shortening maritime trade and military routes.

Roosevelt Corollary

An extension of the Monroe Doctrine asserting that the United States had the right to act as an "international police power" in Latin America.

Great White Fleet

A group of sixteen U.S. Navy battleships sent on a world tour by Theodore Roosevelt to demonstrate growing American naval power.

Henry Cabot Lodge

A powerful Republican Senator and expansionist who advocated for a strong navy and later led the opposition to the League of Nations.

Jones Act

A 1917 law that granted U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans and established a more organized civil government for the island.