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"Scramble for Africa"
The invasion and annexation of African territory by European powers. It is also called the Partition of Africa and the Conquest of Africa. -
Sinking of the USS Maine
The United States battleship Maine, riding quietly at anchor in Havana harbour, was suddenly blown up, apparently by a mine, in an explosion which tore her bottom out and sank her, killing 260 officers and men on board. -
Alfred T Mahan "The Importance of Sea Power"
A history of naval warfare published in 1890 by Alfred Thayer Mahan. It details the role of sea power during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and discusses the various factors needed to support and achieve sea power, with emphasis on having the largest and most powerful fleet. -
Annexation of Hawaii
Dole declared Hawaii an independent republic. Spurred by the nationalism aroused by the Spanish-American War, the United States annexed Hawaii in 1898 at the urging of President William McKinley. Hawaii was made a territory in 1900, and Dole became its first governor. -
Overthrow of Queen Lilikoulani
Hawaii's monarchy was overthrown when a group of businessmen and sugar planters forced Queen Liliuokalani to renounce her thrown. Soon after, President Benjamin Harrison submitted a treaty to annex the Hawaiian islands to the U.S. Senate for ratification. -
Venezuela Border Dispute
The Venezuelan Government protested alleged British encroachment on Venezuelan territory. In 1814, Great Britain had acquired British Guiana (now Guyana) by treaty with the Netherlands. -
De Lome Letter
Written by the Spanish Ambassador to the United States, Enrique Dupuy de Lôme, criticized American President William McKinley by calling him weak and concerned only with gaining the favor of the crowd. This letter was the cause of the Spanish and American War. -
Spanish-American War
The United States declared war against Spain following the sinking of the Battleship Maine in the Havana harbor on February 15, 1898. The U.S. also supported the ongoing struggle of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines for independence against Spanish rule. -
Teller Amendment
The Teller Amendment was an amendment to a joint resolution of the United States Congress, in reply to President William McKinley's War Message. It placed a condition on the United States military's presence in Cuba.This amendment gave Cuba their independence. -
Rough Riders Charge up San Juan Hill
The Battle of San Juan Hill was a decisive battle of the Spanish–American War. The San Juan heights was a north-south running elevation about 2 kilometres (2,200 yd) east of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba -
Treaty of Paris (1898)
The Treaty of Paris of 1898 was an agreement that involved Spain relinquishing nearly all of the remaining Spanish Empire, especially Cuba, and ceding Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States. -
Insular Cases
The Insular Cases are a series of opinions by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1901, about the status of U.S. territories acquired in the Spanish–American War. The Supreme Court held that full constitutional rights do not automatically extend to all places under American control. -
Annexation of Samoan Islands
Germany, the United States, and Britain colonized the Samoan Islands. ... The U.S. took control of its allotted region on June 7, 1900, with the Deed of Cession. Tutuila Island and Aunuu Island were ceded by their chiefs in 1900, then added to American Samoa. Manua was annexed in 1904, then added to American Samoa. -
Boxer Rebellion
A Chinese secret organization called the Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists led an uprising in northern China against the spread of Western and Japanese influence there. -
Foraker Act
A civilian government refers to a government that is run by local citizens rather than citizens of the United States. This was achieved through the Foraker Act of 1900. Eventually, the law would be replaced, but it has a legacy of creating a relationship between the U.S. and Puerto Rico as a territory. -
Platt Amendment
The Platt Amendment was passed as part of the 1901 Army Appropriations Bill. It stipulated seven conditions for the withdrawal of United States troops remaining in Cuba at the end of the Spanish–American War, and an eighth condition that Cuba sign a treaty accepting these seven conditions. -
Building of the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal was built to shorten the distance that ships had to travel to pass between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The canal permits shippers of commercial goods, ranging from automobiles to grain, to save time and money by transporting cargo more quickly. -
Roosevlet Corollary
Convinced that all of Latin America was vulnerable to European attack, President Roosevelt dusted off the Monroe Doctrine and added his own corollary. While the Monroe Doctrine blocked further expansion of Europe in the Western Hemisphere, the Roosevelt Corollary went one step further. -
Great White Fleet
The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the United States Navy battle fleet that completed a journey around the globe from December 16, 1907, to February 22, 1909, by order of United States President Theodore Roosevelt. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with various escorts.
