Cuba's Plight – The suffering of Cubans under Spanish rule, which fueled American sympathy and intervention.
José Martí – Cuban revolutionary leader who opposed Spanish control and sought U.S. support for independence.
‘Butcher’ Weyler – Spanish general known for brutal tactics in Cuba, including concentration camps.
Yellow Press – Sensationalist journalism by Pulitzer’s World and Hearst’s Journal, which influenced U.S. support for war.
Citizen Kane – A film inspired by media mogul William Randolph Hearst, who used sensationalism to push for war.
DeLome Letter – A letter from a Spanish diplomat criticizing President McKinley, angering Americans.
USS Maine Explosion – The sinking of the U.S. battleship Maine in Havana Harbor, a key event leading to war.
McKinley’s War Request – President McKinley asked Congress to declare war on Spain in 1898.
Teller Amendment – Stated that the U.S. would not annex Cuba after the war.
Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders – Volunteer cavalry unit led by TR, famous for the Battle of San Juan Hill.
Commodore Dewey – U.S. naval officer who defeated the Spanish fleet in the Philippines.
Treaty of Paris (1899) – Ended the Spanish-American War; U.S. gained Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.
Platt Amendment – Allowed U.S. intervention in Cuba’s affairs and established Guantanamo Bay naval base.
Roosevelt Corollary – TR’s addition to the Monroe Doctrine, justifying U.S. intervention in Latin America.
Great White Fleet – A U.S. naval fleet sent on a world tour to demonstrate American power.
Panama Canal – A strategic waterway built by the U.S. to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Hay’s Open Door Policy – A policy ensuring equal trade rights in China.
Boxer Rebellion – Chinese nationalist uprising against foreign influence, suppressed by an international coalition.
Aguinaldo’s Uprising – Filipino resistance against U.S. rule after the Spanish-American War.
Dollar Diplomacy – U.S. foreign policy under Taft, using financial investments to exert influence.
Wilson vs. Villa – Conflict between U.S. President Wilson and Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa.
Alfred Thayer Mahan – Naval strategist who promoted U.S. expansion and a strong navy.
Josiah Strong – Minister who advocated for U.S. imperialism based on spreading Christianity and civilization.
Emilio Aguinaldo – Filipino leader who fought against both Spanish and U.S. rule.
Albert Beveridge – U.S. senator who supported imperialism for economic and strategic reasons.
Theodore Roosevelt (TR) – Advocate for American expansionism and later president.
William McKinley – President during the Spanish-American War who justified U.S. imperialism.
Senator Bryan – William Jennings Bryan, who opposed imperialism but helped secure the Philippines' acquisition.
Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B. DuBois – Debate over Black advancement: Washington favored vocational education, while DuBois demanded immediate civil rights.
Muckrakers – Journalists who exposed corruption and social injustices.
Upton Sinclair – Author of The Jungle, which led to food safety reforms.
17th Amendment – Allowed for the direct election of U.S. senators.
Social Gospel – A movement applying Christian ethics to social reform.
Jane Addams – Founder of Hull House, advocate for social work and immigrant rights.
Women’s Trade Union League – Supported working women and labor reforms.
Florence Kelley – Social reformer who fought for child labor laws and workers' rights.
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire – Deadly factory fire that led to workplace safety reforms.
WCTU (Woman’s Christian Temperance Union) – Advocated for prohibition and women's rights, led by Frances Willard.
Big Stick Policy – TR’s foreign policy of using military strength to achieve goals.
Square Deal – TR’s domestic policy focusing on consumer protection, corporate regulation, and conservation.
Northern Securities Case – TR’s trust-busting effort to break up a major railroad monopoly.
Meat Inspection Act & Pure Food and Drug Act (PFDA) – Laws ensuring food and drug safety.
Preservationist vs. Conservationist – Debate between protecting nature (John Muir) and managing it wisely (Gifford Pinchot).
Department of Commerce & Labor – Created to regulate business and labor disputes.
Elkins Act – Regulated railroad rates to prevent unfair pricing.
Aldrich-Vreeland Act – Allowed emergency currency issuance in financial crises.
Trustbuster of Standard Oil & U.S. Steel – Broke up major monopolies to prevent unfair business practices.
Dollar Diplomacy – Taft’s policy of using economic investments to extend U.S. influence.
New Freedom vs. New Nationalism – Wilson’s focus on small businesses vs. TR’s support for government regulation.
Candidates – Taft (Republican), Debs (Socialist), TR (Progressive "Bull Moose"), Wilson (Democrat, winner).
16th-19th Amendments – Income tax (16th), direct Senate election (17th), prohibition (18th), women’s suffrage (19th).
Federal Reserve Act – Created the modern banking system.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – Regulated unfair business practices.
Keating-Owen Child Labor Act – Banned child labor in interstate commerce.
Underwood Tariff – Lowered tariffs and introduced income tax.
Adamson Act – Established an eight-hour workday for railroad workers.
Central vs. Allied Powers – Germany, Austria-Hungary vs. Britain, France, Russia, U.S.
American Involvement – Sparked by German unrestricted submarine warfare, the Lusitania sinking, and the Zimmerman Note.
Russian Revolution (1917) – Overthrow of the czar, leading to Russia's withdrawal from the war.
Wilson’s War Message (1917) – Justified U.S. entry into WWI.
Armistice (11/11/1918) – Ended World War I.
Fourteen Points – Wilson’s peace plan emphasizing self-determination and free trade.
Big Four – Leaders from the U.S., Britain, France, and Italy who negotiated the Treaty of Versailles.
Treaty of Versailles (1919) – Ended WWI; blamed Germany and imposed harsh penalties.
League of Nations & Article X – International peacekeeping organization; the U.S. did not join.
Senate Debate – Conflict between Lodge Reservationists (wanted changes), Wilson Democrats (supported it), and Irreconcilables (opposed it).
Ashcan School – Urban realism in art, represented by George Bellows and John Sloan.
Immigrant Influence – Shaped early 20th-century American culture.
Charlie Chaplin – Silent film icon known for social satire.
Alfred Stieglitz – Photographer who elevated photography to fine art.
Armory Show (1913) – Introduced modern art to America.
Marcel Duchamp – Artist known for Nude Descending a Staircase.
Precisionism – Artistic movement focused on industrial subjects, featuring Charles Sheeler, John Marin, Joseph Stella, and Georgia O’Keeffe.