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Purchase of Alaska
The United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million which ended Russia's presence in North America and ensured U.S. access to the Pacific northern rim. -
Mahan's Influence of Seapower
A book written by Alfred Thayer Mahan which studied the rise and fall of naval powers. He found that supremacy at sea was essential for a nation's political and commercial success. -
Yellow Journalism
A style of newspaper reporting that emphasized sensationalism over facts, and helped push the United States and Spain into war in Cuba and the Philippines. -
Frontier Thesis
Frederick Jackson Turner, an American historian, argued that the American frontier, or unsettled land in America, was the most important factor in forming the American democracy. -
Spanish-American War
A conflict between the United States and Spain that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in U.S. acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America. -
Annexation of Hawaii
This extended the U.S. territory into the Pacific, or Hawaiian islands. -
Open Door Policy
A statement of principle initiated by the U.S. that called for the protection of equal privileges for all countries trading with China or with the support of China. -
Boxer Rebellion
An uprising against foreigners that occured in China. It was started by peasants but eventually supported by the government. They were known as the Boxers and violently tried to drive all foreigners from China. -
Roosevelt Corollary
It stated that the nations of the Western Hemisphere were not open to colonization by European powers and the the United States had the responsibility to preserve order and protect life and property in those countries. -
Building the Panama Canal
It was made by building dams on the Chagres River to create Gatun Lake and Lake Madden, which allowed Americans to move ships quickly from east to west, which allowed them to control the oceans. -
Taft's Dollar Diplomacy
President Taft pursed a program called "dollar diplomacy", designed to encourage U.S. investments in South and Central American, the Caribbean, and the Far East. -
Annexation of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory and its people became U.S. citizens.