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Spanish-American War
The war originated from the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain. Spain was brutal against the Cubans and Americans pitied the rebels because it reminded Americans of when they were in a revolutionary dispute. At first, America was not going to get involved, but then the USS Maine ship blew up in Havana, causing Americans to die and America declared war. The war ended Spain's colonial empire over in the Western Hemisphere, and secured the Untied States as a Pacific Power. -
Annexation of Hawaii
Years before Hawaii was annexed, Americans had been investing in the sugar on the islands. Since Americans were living on the islands, they did not want to pay extra money to import their sugar to the mainland, so they started nagging the government to annex Hawaii. Yet, Hawaii already had their own system, and they even had a queen. The Americans overthrew her, and through the spur of nationalism from the Spanish American War, Hawaii was officially annexed. -
Open Door Policy
This was an attempt by the United States to establish an international protocol of equal privileges for all countries trading with China and to support China's territorial and administrative integrity. Basically meaning that the United States could freely trade with China without interference from the countries trying to gain territories in China. -
Building of the Panama Canal
From the years 1903-1914, America had sent people out to dig a canal through Panama. Now at the time, Panama was dealing with its own problems, and America agreed to help them, but only if they could start construction on the Panama Canal. Panama agreed, and America sent out troops and helped Panama gain its independence. The US controlled Panama while the canal was being built, but later sold Panama back to the people after the canal was finished -
Platt Amendment
The Platt Amendment was a treaty between the U.S. and Cuba that attempted to protect Cuba's independence from foreign intervention. It permitted extensive U.S. involvement in Cuban international and domestic affairs for the enforcement of Cuban independence.After the war, the US stayed there and built schools, helped finances set in order, and many more. The Platt Amendment in simple terms was an agreement that the Us still had influence in Cuba as Cuba gained its independence. -
Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
Roosevelt's Corollary stated that not only were the nations of the Western Hemisphere not open to colonization by European powers, but that the United States had the responsibility to preserve order and protect life and property in those countries. The significance of this corollary was that it justified why America was interfering with affairs dealing with countries involved in the Western Hemisphere, and it led to America dealing with countries all over the Western Hemisphere. -
World War I: Role of U.S
All the countries over by England and France were in a full blown war. America, in the beginning, had stayed neutral because they did not want to go to war. Germany had shot and took down an American ship and America asked them not to do it again. Germany promised not to do that, and then shot down another American ship. Finally, America engaged in World War I. The biggest role America played in the war was supplying the Allies with rations of all sorts. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles took place in Paris and it held Germany responsible for starting the world war, and imposed harsh penalties in terms of loss of territory, massive reparations payments and demilitarization. Many Americans believed that the treaty was unfair to Germany, and that Britain and France were making themselves rich on Germany's expanse Americans believed that America should not ratify the Treaty of Versailles.
