-
Sewards Folly
A treaty with Russia that was negotiated by the current secretary of State William Seward. This transaction allowed the United States to buy Alaska. Many people thought this was a mistake and referred to the purchase as "Sewards Folly". The purchase turned out to be worth much more than the United States originally paid for it. -
Alfred Mahan's "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History"
Written by Alfred Mahan in 1890, the "Influence of Sea Power Upon History" is considered one of the most important books on naval strategy. The book describes the role of naval powers during the 17th and 18th centuries. After the book was published, many navies started implementing the techniques talked about in the book. One of these techniques was having a large and powerful fleet. -
Annexation of Hawaii
On the Hawaiian islands, a group of sugar and pineapple planters under Sanford Ballard Dole overthrew queen Liliuokalani. A new government was established with Dole as president. The U.S. prime minister to Hawaii, John L. Stephens, knew that the coup would occur and declared Hawaii a U.S. protectorate. Dole submitted a treaty of annexation to the U.S. senate, but most of the democrats opposed it. -
De Lome Letter
This letter was written by the Spanish Ambassador to the U.S., Enrique Dupuy de Lôme. In his letter de Lôme criticized current U.S. president William McKinley by calling him weak and claiming that he only cared about gaining the favor of the people. This letter helped create public support for a war with Spain over Cuban Independence. -
USS Maine Explosion
The USS Maine Explosion blew up on February 15, 1898 and killed the 260 men who were on board. The Maine had been sent to Cuba to protect American interests after a rebellion against spanish rule occurred in Havana. The American Press blamed the explosion on the Spanish. However, there is no definitive proof the Spanish were to blame for the attack. -
The Teller Amendment
Senator Henry Teller proposed an amendment to the U.S. declaration of war against Spain that said the United States could not establish permanent control over Cuba. The amendment also says that the U.S. can only get involved with Cuba in regards to smoothing over conflict and helping them with stability. This amendment was created to insure that the tension between Spain and the United States could be resolved. -
The Rough Riders Formed
The Rough Riders was a nickname given to the 1st United States Calvary. The Rough Riders were made up of volunteers from; Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The volunteers were picked from these states because they had similar climate to that of Cuba. The Lieutenant-Colonel for the Rough Riders was future president Teddy Roosevelt. -
US defeats Spain in the Philippines
The battle of Manila Bay took place on May 1,1898 during the Spanish-American War. Commodore George Dewey destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron led by Admiral Patricio Montojo. This battle marked the end of the Spanish Colonial period in Philippine history. -
Anti-Imperialists League
This organization was organized to battle the American annexation of the Philippines. The Anti-Imperialists opposed expansion, claiming that imperialism itself violated Republican ideals. The league was eventually defeated by new politicians who advocated the ideas of U.S. expansion. -
Treaty of Paris 1898
This was a treaty that involved Spain giving up nearly all of land that remained in the spanish empire including Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The Philippines cession involved a $20 million dollar payout from the United States to Spain. This treaty marked the beginning of the United States as a world power and the end of the Spanish Empire. -
The White Man's Burden
The "White Man's Burden" is a poem written by Rudyard Kipling about the Philippine-American War. The Poem represents colonialism in a positive light and as a moral burden of the white race. Kipling offered the poem to then governor of New York Teddy Roosevelt, to help him persuade anti-imperialists to accept the annexation of the Philippines. -
Open Door Policy
This policy proposed to keep China open to trade, but make it so that one power does not have control over the whole country. The Open Door Policy was rooted with the desire to continue trading with China, but it also touched on the sympathies of those who opposed imperialism. -
Foraker Act
The Foraker Act established civilian government on the island of Puerto Rico. The United States got possession of Puerto Rico after the Spanish American War. The Foraker act also established Puerto Rican citizenship. -
Platt Amendment
The Platt Amendment was passed as part of the 1901 Army Appropriations Bill. This amendment outlined the role of the United States in Cuba and Caribbean. It restricted Cuba in foreign policy and demanded that Cuba sell or lease lands to the United States necessary for coaling. -
Insular Cases
The Insular cases are a series of opinions by the United States supreme court over the status of territories acquired by the U.S. in the Spanish-American war. The Supreme Court ruled that full constitutional rights do not extend to all territories under U.S. control. This meant that people in places such as Puerto Rico and Guam may lack some constitutional rights even if they are "American Citizens" -
McKinley Assassinated
President William McKinley was assassinated in the Temple of Music on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. An anarchist named Leon Czolgosz shot McKinley twice in the stomach. Czolgosz lost his job in the panic of 1893 and regarded McKinley as a symbol of oppression. Czolgosz believed it was his duty as anarchist to kill him. -
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion was a violent anti-foreign and anti-christian uprising that took place in China from 1899-1901. The Boxers surrounded Beijing for 3 months until American troops subdued the uprising. During the rebellion Boxers killed chinese christians and christian missionaries and destroyed many churches across China. -
Hay-Pauncefote Treaty
The Hay-Pauncefote treaty was signed as preliminary to the creation of the Panama Canal. The treaty nullified the Clayton-Bulwer treaty and gave the United States the right to build and control a canal across the Central American Peninsula to connect the pacific and atlantic ocean. The treaty said that all nations should be allowed access and that the canal should never be taken forcefully. -
U.S. recognizes the newly independent country of Panama
The intention of the United States to influence the area led to the separation of Panama from Colombia in 1903. The United States encouraged the separatist movement. -
Hay-Buneau-Varilla Treaty
The Hay-Buneau-Varilla treaty established the Panama Canal zone and the subsequent construction of the Panama canal. Exclusive rights to the canal were also granted to the United States in exchange for financial reimbursement and protection. Panama received $10 million dollars outright. plus an annuity of $250,000 beginning 9 years later. -
Roosevelt Corollary
The Roosevelt Corollary was an addition to the Monroe Doctrine spoken by President Teddy Roosevelt during his State of the Union speech. The corollary states that the United States will intervene in conflicts between European countries and Latin American countries to enforce claims of the European powers, rather than having the Europeans press their claims directly. The Monroe Doctrine had originally prevented European intervention, the Roosevelt Corollary justified US intervention. -
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese war was fought between the Russian and Japanese Empires over Imperial intentions in Korea and Manchuria. The war concluded with the Treaty of Portsmouth, mediated by US President Theodore Roosevelt. This war transformed the balance of powers in East Asia and Japan entered as a world power. -
The Great White Fleet
The Great White Fleet was the United States Navy battle fleet that completed a journey around the globe from December 16, 1907, to February 22, 1909. The United States launched the Great White Fleet as a symbol of power and prestige. In fact, President Roosevelt launched the fleet to put on a show of power for other countries. -
Panama Canal Completed
The Panama Canal officially opened on August 15, 1914, although the planned grand ceremony was downgraded due to the outbreak of WWI. The total cost of the canal was $350 million, which was the most expensive construction project at that point in U.S. history. -
Dollar Diplomacy
Dollar Diplomacy was a foreign policy tactic to further the United States aims in Latin America and East Asia through use of its economic power by guaranteeing loans made to foreign countries. It was not always successful. In March 1909, President William Taft attempted unsuccessfully to establish control over Honduras by buying up its debt to British bankers.
