Studied by 18 people
Seward's Folly
Secretary of State Seward's purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, initially mocked but later proved to be rich in gas and oil.
The Alabama
British-made warship that fought for the Confederacy, destroying Northern ships before being sunk in 1864.
Charles Francis Adams
US Ambassador to England who convinced the British to stop building ships for the South during the Civil War.
Rudyard Kipling's "White Man's Burden"
British poet's argument that America had a duty to uplift less developed nations.
Census of 1890
Announcement that there was no longer a clearly discernable frontier line in America.
Frederick Jackson Turner
Historian who wrote "The Significance of the Frontier in American History," highlighting the effects of the closing frontier.
Alfred T Mahan
Admiral who argued that control of the sea was key to world dominance and advocated for US naval expansion.
Dole's Revolution
Overthrow of the Hawaiian queen by white business groups and eventual annexation by the US.
Annexation of Hawaii
US acquisition of Hawaii as a coaling station for Southeast Asian adventures in July 1898.
Cuban Rebellion
Rebellion against Spanish rule in Cuba led by Josè Marti, with Spanish general Weyler's brutal response.
Yellow Journalism
Journalists who exaggerated Spanish atrocities in Cuba to boost circulation, such as William Randolph Hearst.
The De Lôme Letter
Private letter from the Spanish ambassador criticizing President McKinley, which aroused American national pride.
U.S.S Maine
American battleship that mysteriously exploded in Havana harbor, leading to blame on Spain and calls for war.
The Teller Resolution
Amendment to the war resolution pledging no territorial ambitions and promising Cuban independence.
Commodore George Dewey
Captured Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War, with support from the British fleet.
TR's Rough Riders
Volunteer group led by Theodore Roosevelt that fought in the significant land battles of San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill.
American Unpreparedness
Lack of military preparedness for war, including inadequate uniforms, food, and knowledge of tropical conditions.
Dr Major Walter Reed
Army doctor who discovered that yellow fever was transmitted by mosquitoes.
Treaty of Paris (1898)
Treaty that ended the Spanish-American War, resulting in Spain leaving Cuba and ceding Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the US.
The Anti-Imperialist League
Group opposing imperial expansion, including Andrew Carnegie, Samuel Gompers, Mark Twain, and William James.
William J Bryan
Argued as an anti-imperialist that taking the Philippines is best as the sooner we own them the sooner we can free them
Emilio Aguinaldo
Filipino leader who initially supported the US but later led a guerilla war against American control.
Philippine Insurrection
Rebellion by Filipinos seeking independence, leading to a brutal war with the US.
Benevolent Assimilation
US goal in the Philippines to provide infrastructure and education, but Filipinos preferred freedom and resisted US control.
The Insular Cases
Supreme Court decisions that residents of US territories did not necessarily have all the rights of citizenship.
The Platt Amendment
US-imposed conditions on Cuba's independence, including the right to intervene in Cuban affairs and control over coaling or naval stations.
Commodore Matthew C Perry
Persuaded Japan to sign a treaty in 1854, opening up trade with the US.
Spheres of Influence
Areas where foreign powers had exclusive economic and political control.
Extraterritoriality
The concept that foreign nationals accused of crimes in China would be tried in their own country's courts, undermining Chinese sovereignty.
Open Door Policy
A policy proposed by Secretary of State John Hay in 1899, which aimed to grant all nations equal trading rights in China.
Boxer Rebellion
A violent uprising in China in 1900 led by a group called the Boxers, who resented foreign domination and targeted foreigners, resulting in the occupation of Beijing and a siege on the foreign embassies.
Algeciras Conference
An international conference held in 1906 to resolve conflicts between France and Germany over trading rights in Morocco, which upheld the Open Door policy for all major powers.
Big Stick Diplomacy
A foreign policy approach associated with President Theodore Roosevelt, characterized by the use of military force to protect American interests, as seen in the US intervention in the Dominican Republic and Cuba.
Clayton-Bulwer Treaty
A treaty signed in 1850 between the US and Britain, which prevented either country from fortifying or securing exclusive control of any isthmian waterway.
Hay-Pauncefote Treaty
A treaty signed in 1901 between the US and Britain, which allowed the US to build and fortify a canal in exchange for open access to the canal for ships of all nations.
Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty
A treaty signed in 1903 between the US and Panama, which granted the US a perpetual lease on a strip of land across Panama for the construction of the Panama Canal and the right to intervene in Panama when necessary.
Panama Canal
A canal constructed by the US in Panama, which began in 1906 and was completed in 1914, providing a shortcut for maritime trade between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Roosevelt Corollary
An extension of the Monroe Doctrine announced by President Theodore Roosevelt, asserting the US's right to intervene in the internal affairs of Latin American nations in cases of "chronic wrongdoing."
Portsmouth Conference
A conference held in 1905 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where President Roosevelt attempted to negotiate peace between Japan and Russia, resulting in territorial gains for Japan and concerns about Japanese imperialism.
Gentlemen's Agreement
An agreement reached in 1907-1908 between the US and Japan, which resolved tensions over the segregation of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean schoolchildren in San Francisco and halted the emigration of Japanese workers to the US.
Great White Fleet
A fleet of sixteen US battleships sent on an around-the-world tour by President Roosevelt in 1907 as a demonstration of US military might and to reassure Japan of US strength.
Root-Takahira Agreement
An agreement signed in 1908 between the US and Japan, which pledged mutual respect for territorial possessions in the Pacific and upheld the Open Door policy in China.
Dollar Diplomacy
President Taft's foreign policy approach, which encouraged US business investments in sensitive regions, such as the Caribbean and China, to expand American influence and prevent other imperial powers from gaining a foothold.
