APUSH PERIOD 7 Flashcards
Who was William Seward?
He brokered the deal to buy Alaska from Russia and this was known as Seward’s Folly in 1867. This changed later however when gold and oil were discovered in large quantities in Alaska.
What was the Monroe Doctrine
A doctrine which stated that there should be a division between the Western and Eastern world. Europe should not interfere with American affairs and the U.S wouldn’t interfere in European wars or their existing colonies.
What happened with the French in Mexico?
During the Civil War Napoleon III took advantage of the distractions so he sent French troops to Mexico. After the Monroe Doctrine was enacted, U.S military action threatened the french troops so they left Mexico.
What propelled the purchase of Alaska by the United States?
Russia had already established a small army of seal hunters in Alaska BUT it was becoming an economic burden and it was threatened by British take over so they decided to sell it to the U.S. The U.S agreed because Russia had supported them during the civil war and in 1867 congress agreed to buy Alaska.
What was the Pan-American Conference of 1889 and what issues were discussed there?
The Pan-American Conference was a meeting which took place and was focused on getting on the same page with issues such as trade, tariffs. It was first introduced by James Blaine with the hope of reducing tariffs, although he was unsuccessful he started a tradition of the Pan-American Union which still continues today as part of the Organization of American States (1988).
What occurred with the Venezuela Boundary Dispute?
Occurred over Venezuela’s dispute with Britain over a territory that Britain claimed was a part of British Guiana but Venezuela thought it was a part of British Guiana. The British allowed the United States to act as a mediator which showed the power of the Monroe Doctrine but British Guiana ended up taking most of the territory.
What was Americas relationship with Hawaii, How did they finally annex it from Queen Liliuokalani?
American missionaries and businessmen settled in the islands of Hawaii and in 1893 they overthrew the Hawaiian monarch Queen Liliuokalani. This plant DID NOT go through however because President Cleveland at the time opposed imperialism and stopped Republican efforts to annex Hawaii. When war in the Philippines finally broke out congress and President McKinley finally had an excuse to annex Hawaii in 1898, became the 50th state in 1959.
What happened at Pearl Harbor? How was this what triggered World War II?
As Japan was planning to take over French Indochina the U.S said they would threaten Japan by cutting off raw materials. The Japanese general refused to negotiate and was planning an attack on Pearl Harbor. The attack in 1941 wiped out the entire U.S Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. After this attack war was declared on Japan, and German and Italy declared war on the United States.
International Darwinism
Nations felt like they should imperialize other nations , not only for their own economic benefit but also because they felt that they were religiously, imperialistically, technologically and scientifically superior and wanted to spread this. -similar to “The White Man’s Burden”.
Spreading Science and Religion
Darwin’s survival of the fittest was not only applied to competition in business BUT also among nations and races for military advantage/colonies and spheres of influence. Missionaries like Reverend Josiah Strong “Our country: Its possible future and present”(1885), he believed that Protestant Americans had a religious duty to colonize other lands in order to spread christianity and the benefits of their “superior civilization”(medicine/tech/sciences” to other less fortunate peoples–”White Man’s Burden”.
Alfred Thayer Mahan
He was a U.S. Navy captain whose ideas on naval warfare and the importance of seapower changed how America viewed its navy. Wrote “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (1890), in which he argued that a strong navy was crucial to a country’s ambitions of securing foreign markets and becoming a world power. (led to growth of the US navy by leading to the finance of U.S ships.
Spanish-American War (1898)
Since America was invested in Cuban Sugar and the Spanish misruled Cuba, the Monroe doctrine justified war. The causes of the war were that the American public opinion was being swayed by jingoism: an intense form of nationalism calling for aggressive foreign policy and expansion, expansionists also supported the war.
What was the Cuban Revolt (1895)?
Cuban nationalists had failed to overthrow Spanish colonial rule(1868-1878) BUT in 1895 they sabotaged Cuban plantations in hopes of getting the U.S on their side as an ally or get their independence. Spain sent troops to crush the revolt and forced Cubans in armed camps where many died of starvation and disease.
Yellow Journalism
Consisted of very bold and attention grabbing headlines of crime/disaster or scandal. Sensational papers included Joseph Pulitzer’s “World”. They exaggerated Spanish atrocities in Cuba and Americans believed it and told congress to intervene.
De Lome Letter (1898)
A Spanish diplomat’s Letter was leaked to the press and printed of the page of Heart’s “Journal”. It was written by the Spanish minister to the U.S and was highly critical of president McKinley which was an insult to the U.S .
