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My Thesis
During the time period 1900-1945, American foreign policy experienced a continual shift from isolation to intervention and then back again. This centered primarily on the world wars and evolved based on previous experiences and policies in American history. -
Washington's Farewell Address
Then-President George Washington's farewell address encouraged the nation to pursue trade with other nations while remaining isolationist militarily and warning of the dire consequences of American imperialism. -
The Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine set the stage for American Foreign Policy in the decades to come. the Doctrine declared that the Americas were under the direct protection of the United States and were to be free from an direct European influence. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was an American 19th century idea and philosophy that the nation and it's people were "destined" to spread their culture and way of life across the whole of North America, this ideology heavily influenced U.S foreign policy and was even used to justify the Mexican-American war, which seeded a large amount of the now-American Mid West region. -
The Sinking of the USS Maine
In February of 1898 the USS Maine, which was anchored in Spanish Havana exploded, seemingly due to a Spanish naval attack. The American people were outraged at this act of Spanish aggression, fueled by "yellow journalism" the United States declared war on Spain and vowed to "Remember the Maine!" -
Teller Amendment
The Teller Amendment was written shortly after the U.S went to war with Spain over the sinking of the Maine. This amendment guaranteed the freedom of Cuba after American forces removed the Spanish from the island. -
the Open Door Note Policy
The Open Door Note was an American foreign policy initiative led by Secretary of State John Hay, which paved the way for free and open trade in China. This policy was one of the first American attempts to meddle in Asian affairs since the end of the Spanish American war. -
Platt Amendment
The Platt Amendment was drawn up after the end of the Spanish American War. The amendment allowed for the immediate withdrawal of American soldiers from Cuba, under the condition that America got to maintain a naval base at Guantanamo Bay. This event reflects the growing isolationist movement in America at the turn of the century. -
The Roosevelt Corollary
The Roosevelt Corollary was President Theodore Roosevelt's "big stick diplomacy" which continued the idea of the previously established Monroe Doctrine in American Foreign policy. The main idea behind this ideology was the use of diplomacy first, and military intervention if needed to aid the county's goals over seas, hence the quote "Speak softly, but always carry a big stick". -
Treaty of Versailles & Wilson's Fourteen Points
The Treaty of Versailles was the ending unconditional surrender of the German Empire at the end of the Great War, the treaty was very loosely based on U.S President Woodrow Wilson's 14 Point Plan to rebuild Europe. To Wilson the treaty was too harsh to Germany and caused America to return to global isolation -
U.S Votes No to League of Nations
In November of 1919 the U.S Senate officially voted "no" to joining the newly formed League of Nations. This heavily reflected the interest and sentiments of the public at the time, who were extremely isolationist and conservative as a result of the war. -
Washington Disarmament Conference
The 1921 Washington Disarmament Conference was a meeting of many of the worlds major powers after the First World War. The meeting outlawed certain displacements of warships and limited nations to certain quotas based on their size and influence. -
Kellogg-Briand Pact
The Kellogg-Briand Pact was a treaty signed by French and American secretary's of war that outlawed offensive warfare. This pact shows the ideals of the public under the Harding Administration and how far America was willing to go to remain isolationist. -
FDR's Good Neighbor Policy
The "Good Neighbor" policy was a Roosevelt Administration foreign policy initiative to create and engage in "reciprocal exchanges" with America's southern neighbors. The main idea in this policy was FDR's attempt to promote American economic globalism while eliminating American imperialism and expansion. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Without warning, in the early hours of December 7th, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked the U.S Navy's Pacific Fleet in NAVSTA Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This event united America and brought the nation into the second world war, marking a dramatic shift from sideline isolationist to combative interventionist. -
The surrender of Japan
The final surrender of the Empire of Japan marked a major shift in American foreign policy as American troops occupied the island nation and its unconditional surrender essentially made the former world power a puppet state, controlled by Washington.
