-
Purchase of Alaska
Congress purchased the territory of Alaska in 1867 from Russia. The United States was looking to expand the country, but most at the time saw this as a useless purchase. -
Spanish American War
The Caribbean area was a major target area for U.S. imperialism. Investments in Cuba, Spanish misrule of Cuba, and the Monroe Doctrine were all factors that allowed the United States to intervene in the Caribbean. -
Annexation of Hawaii
The United States desired land in the Pacific and Hawaii was an easy target. US settlers aided in overthrowing Queen Liliuokalani in 1893. Later in McKinley’s presidency, the annexation was completed. -
Platt Amendment
The Platt Amendment required Cuba to agree to 1. never sign a treaty with a foreign power that impaired its independence 2. permit the United to intervene in Cuban affairs to preserve independence 3. allow the United States to maintain naval bases in Cuba.
Through the Platt Amendment, the United States built a bigger presence in the Caribbean area and formed a new alliance, strengthening their military. -
Panama Canal
With US influence in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the United States desired a canal to connect the two oceans. After a hard process to build the canal where hundreds of laborers died, the United States had the ability to easily get from territory to territory. -
Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
Some Latin American countries struggling with debt couldn’t pay it off to Europeans. Rather than let Europeans intervene in poor Latin American countries, Roosevelt declared that the United States would intervene instead. While it strengthened relationship with European countries, it damaged the relationship with several Latin American countries. -
Dollar Diplomacy
William Howard Taft had a policy of promoting US trade by supporting American enterprises abroad known as dollar diplomacy. This allowed America to gain financially from some countries and brought the United States influence in China, Manchuria, and Nicaragua.
