chapt. 6 Flashcards
belief that a nation needs to acquire overseas colonies and territories.
imperialism
degree to which a country is safe from outside threats.
national security
pride is ones country
nationalism
famous poem written by British author, Rudyard Kipling, which many took to be an endorsement of white imperialism and US expansion.
white mans burden
the ideology that it is not in the best interest of the United States to acquire and exercise control over foreign territories.
isolationism
term used by critics to describe Secretary of State Seward’s negotiation of the US purchase of Alaska. The purchase was made both to protect access to the Pacific by getting the Russians away from the North American coast and to obtain a territory he saw as rich in natural resources.
Sewards Folly
Not only were the islands home to Pearl Harbor, they were economically important as well. During the 1850s, business leaders in the United States began investing in sugar plantations located here. As time passed, these owners gained economic control over the islands and struggled for power with the local monarchy. In 1893, the wealthy white plantation owners rebelled and deposed the queen. After attempts to annex the islands were initially blocked in Washington, the United States finally annexed this place and made it a US territory in 1898.
Hawaii Annexation
island which was still under Spanish rule in the late 1800s until reported atrocities and the explosion of the USS Maine led to the Spanish-American War and eventual independence for this island
Cuba
assistant secretary of the navy who favored expansion and war with Spain. He resigned to become leader of the Rough Riders, was elected vice president after the war, and eventually became president. He advocated “big stick” diplomacy, initiated the building of the Panama Canal, and built a powerful navy.
Theodore Roosevelt
brief war between the US and Spain that was won by the US and resulted in the US annexation of Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam, as well as the independence of Cuba.
Spanish American War
Southeast Asian island territory won by the US from Spain. It was a subject of much debate and division after the Spanish-American war as many wanted to annex it, and others wanted it declared an independent nation.
Philippines
amendment attached to Congress’ 1898 war resolution with Spain which promised that the United States would allow for Cuban independence by not annexing the territory.
Teller Amendment
amendment attached to the first Cuban constitution which put limits on what the Cuban government could do, gave the US two naval bases in Cuba, and allowed for US intervention in the region whenever the United States believed it was necessary.
Platt Amendment
isolationist organization financed by Andrew Carnegie and joined by many who opposed annexation of foreign territories.
Anti Imperialist League
foreign policy that China was to be kept open to foreign trade and commerce.
Open Door Policy
man-made waterway which allows ships to travel back and forth between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans without having to go around South America. It was built by the US and completed in 1914.
Panama Canal
statement which expanded upon the Monroe Doctrine and said that the US had the right to intervene in other nation’s affairs within the Western Hemisphere if a nation had trouble paying its debts. Roosevelt wanted to make sure that imperialist nations did not use debt collection as an excuse to occupy territories in the Caribbean or Latin America. This doctrine came to be known as Roosevelt’s “big stick diplomacy” and it was intended to communicate that the US did not intend to be a threatening presence in the Western Hemisphere, but neither would it hesitate to forcefully protect its own interests.
Roosevelt Corollary/ Big Stick Diplomacy
Following Roosevelt, President William Taft sought to “substitute money for bullets” and promoted a foreign policy known as “dollar diplomacy.” He believed that the US could best maintain order in nations abroad by increasing US foreign investments
Dollar Diplomacy
Wilson’s foreign policy based on the idealistic view that it was the role of the US to promote democracy and moral progress in the world.
Missionary/moral diplomacy
worldwide conflict that began in Europe and eventually plunged much of the world into war, including the United States. It resulted in the loss of millions of European lives until an armistice was eventually signed. It ended with the Treaty of Versailles.
WWI
pride in one’s country or ethnic group; major factor contributing to WWI.
Nationalism
the process of building up military strength in order to exert influence or deter potential enemies; major factor contributing to WWI.
Militarism
agreements between countries to come to one another’s aid if one is attacked. In 1914, major factor contributing to WWI.
Alliances
Nickname of German submarines that reeked havoc in the Atlantic during WWI.
uboats
