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Alaska
Congress purchases Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. -
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Wrote The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, in which he argued that that a strong navy was crucial to a country's ambitions of securing foreign markets and becoming a world power. This book was used to persuade congress into financing the construction of modern steel ships and encouraged the acquisition of overseas islands. -
Spanish-American War
Cause 2:
"Yellow Journalism" actively promoted war fever in the United States. Newspapers exaggerated and falsified accounts of Spanish atrocities in Cuba. Many Americans urged Congress and the president to intervene in Cuba to put a stop to the atrocities and suffering depicted in the newspapers -
Hawaii
American settlers aided in the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarch. -
Spanish-American War
Cause 1:
Bands of Cuban nationalists had been fighting for ten years to overthrow Spanish colonial rule. In 1895, they sabotaged and layed waste to Cuban plantations in order to involve the US in their revolution. -
Spanish-American War
Cause 3:
De Lome Letter -
One story that caused a storm of outrage was a Spanish diplomat's letter that was leaked to the press. The letter was highly critical of President McKinley and many considered it an official Spanish insult against the US national honor. -
Spanish-American War
Cause 4:
The US battleship Maine was at anchor in the harbor of Havana, Cuba when it exploded. The yellow press accused Spain of deliberately blowing up the ship, even though experts later concluded that the explosion was probably an accident. -
Spanish-American War
Teller Amendment
President McKinley demanded Spain ceasefire in Cuba, Spain agreed, but US newspapers and congress kept clamoring for war. McKinley sent a war message to Congress for the US to intervene in the Cuban revolution on behalf of the rebels. Congress passed a joint resolution authorizing war. Part of the resolution, the Teller Amendment, declared that the US had no intention of taking political control of Cuba and the Cuban people would control their own government once war was over. -
Spanish-American War
Shortly after war was declared, allied with Filipino rebels, US troops captured the city of Manila in the Philippines. -
Spanish-American War
Attacks by both American and Cuban forced succeeded in defeating the larger but poorly led Spanish Army. The US Navy destroyed the Spanish fleet in Santiago Bay, forcing Spain to ask for US terms of peace -
Spanish-American War
Results:
Treaty of Peace provided (1) Recognition of Cuban independence (2) US acquisition of two Spanish islands - Puerto Rico and Guam (3) US acquisition of the Philippines in return for payment to Spain of $20 million. Cuba and the Platt Amendment (1901)
-US oversees and control Cuba foreign policy US recognized as a world power -
China
Russia, Japan, Great Britain, France, and Germany established spheres of influence in China, meaning they could dominate trade and investment within their sphere and shut out competitors. Fearing the US might lose access to trading in China, President Hay asked all nations who held a sphere of influence in China to participate in the Open Door Policy, in which all nations would have equal trading privileges in China. -
Philippine-American War
After the war, controversy over the Philippines took months to resolve. Opinion was divided between imperialists who favored annexing the Philippines and anti-imperialists who opposed it. Imperialists prevailed and the Treaty of Paris (and Philippine annexation) was ratified. -
China
President Hay feared that the expeditionary force in China might attempt to occupy the country and destroy its independence, so he wrote a second note to the imperialistic powers stating U.S. commitment to (1) preserve China's territorial integrity as well as (2) safeguard "equal and impartial trade with all parts of the Chinese empire." Hay's first and second notes set U.S. policy on China for future presidents. -
Hawaii
Congress and President McKinley completed annexation of Hawaii in 1998, and the Hawaiian islands became a territory of the US. -
Big Stick Diplomacy
The press applied the label "big stick" to President Roosevelt's aggressive foreign policy. By acting boldly and decisively in a number of situations, Roosevelt attempted to build the reputation of the US as a world power. Another purpose of this diplomacy was to maintain the peace between rival nations. -
Big Stick Diplomacy
Imperialists applauded Big Stick Diplomacy, but critic disliked breaking from the tradition of non-involvement in global politics -
Philippine-American War
The people of the Philippines were outraged that their hopes for national independence from Spain were now being denied by the United States. Bands of guerrilla fighters, who were lead by Filipino nationalist leader Emilio Aguinaldo, fought in a war against US control. It took three years before the insurrection ended. -
Panama Canal
As a result of the Spanish-American War, the US needed a canal through Central America to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Roosevelt was eager to begin the construction of a canal; however, Columbia controlled the isthmus of Panama and refused to agree with the US terms for digging the canal through its territory, so Roosevelt supposed a revolt in Panama. With US backing, the rebellion succeeded and the new government signed a treaty granting US long-term control of a canal zone. -
Japan
The Root-Takahira Agreement pledged that the US and Japan would show (1) mutual respect for each nation's Pacific possessions and (2) support for the Open Door policy in China. -
Dollar Diplomacy
Drafted by William Howard Taft. This policy was used to try and promote U.S. trade by supporting American enterprises abroad. An obstacle this policy faced was growing anti-imperialism both in the United States and overseas. -
Panama Canal
As a result of the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty, the US could begin to dig the canal without British involvement. Most Americans approved of Roosevelt's determination to build the canal; however, may were unhappy with the high-handed tactics employed to secure the Canal Zone. Latin Americans were resentful. To compensate, Congress voted to pay Columbia and indemnity of $25 million for its loss of Panama. -
Mexico
To aid a revolutionary faction that was fighting Huerta, President Wilson asked for an arms embargo against the Mexican government and sent a fleet to blockade the Port of Vera Cruz. In 1914, Several American seas went ashore at Tampico and were arrested by Mexican authorities. War between the US and Mexico was averted when South America's ABC powers offered to mediate the dispute. -
WWI
The first major crisis challenging US neutrality and peace was the torpedoing and sinking of the British passenger liner, the Lusitania. Most passengers drowned, including 128 Americans. President Wilson responded by sending Germany a warning to be held accountable. Germany sunked more ships, losing more American lives until finally keeping their word of no longer sinking merchant or passenger ships without giving due warning. -
WWI
Even though the US was officially a neutral nation, its economy became closely tied to that of the Allied powers, Great Britain and France. US trade with the Allies quadrupled while its trade with Germany dwindled to the vanishing point. In addition, when the Allies found that they could not finance the purchase of everything they needed, the US government gave loans to sustain the Allies' war effort. -
Mexico
Mexico's new more democratic government was challenged by a bad of revolutionaries loyal to Pancho Villa. Hoping to destabilize his opponent's government, Villa led raids the US - Mexican border and murdered a number of people in Texas and New Mexico. President Wilson ordered an expeditionary force to pursue Villa into Mexico, but growing possibility of US entry into World War I caused Wilson to withdraw troops. -
WWI
The majority of native-born Americans wanted the Allied powers to win the war. British war propaganda also influenced US opinion. Many influential Republicans argued for US entry into the war and clamored for preparedness. President Wilson first opposed the call but changed his policy and urged Congress to approve the expansion. Congress passed the National Defense Act, increasing the regular army force and increase in warships. -
WWI
The U.S. government used techniques of both patriotic persuasion and legal intimidation to ensure public support for the war effort.
Espionage Act in 1917 provided for imprisonment of up to 20 years for person who either tried to incite rebellion in the armed forces or obstruct the operation of the draft. The Sedition Act of 1918 prohibited anyone from making "disloyal" or "abusive" remarks about the U.S. government. -
WWI
Cause for U.S. involvement (1):
German military strategy decided to resume unrestricted submarine warfare and communicated this decision to the U.S. government. A few days later, President Wilson broke of U.S diplomatic relations with Germany.
Cause for U.S. involvement (2):
The Zimmermann Telegram was a secret offer sent from Germany to Mexico that was intercepted by the British. the telegram arouse nationalist anger of the American people. -
WWI
Cause for U.S. involvement (3):
The Russian Revolution proclaimed Russia as a Republic, removing the barrier to U.S. participation
Cause for U.S. involvement (4):
Renewed submarine attacks On April 2nd, President Wilson declared war on Germany and raced to mobilized the U.S. -
Red Scare
There was a widespread unhappiness with the peace process and growing fears of socialism fueled by the Communist takeover in Russia and labor unrest at home. The anti-German hysteria war years turned into anti-Communism known as the Red Scare. -
WWI
Case of Schenck vs United States:
The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Espionage Act in a case involving a man who had been imprisoned for distributing pamphlets against the draft.. In 1919, the Supreme Court concluded that the right to free speech could be limited when it represented a "clear and present danger" to the public safety. -
WWI
Treaty of Versailles:
The peace conference following WWI; involved the U.S., Great Britain, France, and Italy.
Peace Terms;
(1) Germany become disarmed and stripped of its colonies
(2) Territories controlled by the Central Powers be taken by the Allies
(3) Signers of the treaty would join the League of Nations. The U.S. never ratified the Treaty of Versailles, nor did it join the League of Nations -
Hawaii
Hawaii becomes the fiftieth state in the Union
