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Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine is the best known U.S. policy toward the Western Hemisphere. The doctrine, given by President James Monroe to Congress in December 1823, warned European nations that the United States would not tolerate further colonization or puppet monarchs. -
Opium Wars
The Opium Wars were two wars in the mid 1800s involving Anglo-Chinese disputes over British trade in China and China's sovereignty. The disputes included the First Opium War and the Second Opium War. -
British Raj Founding
The British Raj was instituted in 1858 when the rule of the East India Company was transferred to the Crown in the person of Queen Victoria (who in 1876 was proclaimed Empress of India). -
East India Company
The East India Company was an English and later British joint-stock company which was formed to pursue trade with the East Indies but ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and Qing China. -
Boer Wars
The Boer Wars were fought between the British and the descendants of the Dutch settlers (Boers) in Africa. After the first Boer War William Gladstone granted the Boers self-government in the Transvaal. -
Revolution of 1911
The Revolution of 1911 (or the Chinese Revolution) was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty (the Qing dynasty), and established the Republic of China. -
Panama Canal Built
France began work on the Panama Canal in 1881 but stopped due to engineering problems and a high worker mortality rate. The United States took over the project in 1904 and opened the canal on August 15, 1914. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal shortcut greatly reduced the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
