Unit 7: Imperialism, Progressive Era, & WWI Flashcards
Gold/Silver Mining
gold+silver continued to be western settlement pull factor BUT mining became big biz (like ag) after Gilded Age (large scale machines, operations, capital investment)
led to boomtowns: western settlements with huge male migrant pop boom – boom only lasted a few years (turned into ghost twins after)
led to creation of territorial govs + > states (dakotas, montana, washington state)
led to 1st major enviro legal victory in US – Woodruff case stopped harmful hydraulic mining (debris)
Homestead Act
act that essentially gave people free land by owning + improving land for 5 years,
intended to help farmers, but 1st homesteaders faced struggle b/c equipment + freight rates were expensive
in the end, RR companies were the winners – got cheap land to build rail on
Treaty of Fort Laramie
1851: granted natives tribal borders + land sovereignty so long as they didn’t attack white emigrants passing through
fighting resumed when emigrants began SETTLING on land
1868: western sioux agreed to settle within Black Hills Reservation – congress wanted to support “peace commission” and end cause of N.A. wars through “voluntary relocation”
Sand Creek Massacre
Nov 1864 luring of natives to “places of safety” where chivington-led militia killed/wounded 165 ppl
“revenge” for murder of white family in denver (bc of white influx)
significance: exacerbated tensions, triggered > massacres + “Indian wars”
Red River War
1874-75 series of battles in Texas – ended with natives being forced to relocate to reservations
significance: destruction of tribal bonds
Battle of Little Bighorn
battle within Great Sioux War where outnumbered Custer army attacked Sioux/NCheyenne camp
though natives won battle, led them to lose war – prez reversed peace policy and declared total war
significance: resulted in natives confined to reservations, with many dying of starvation/disease
Ghost Dance/Battle of Wounded Knee
ceremonial dance that N.A. leader produced – believed natives must perform GD to become bulletproof and win their sovereignty + land back – spread rapidly, alarming white troops
Battle = Dec 1890 bloodbath – nervous soldiers killed 200 + N.A.s, ending N.A. wars
“Century of Dishonor”
1881 - Helen Hunt Jackson’s powerful recounting of the atrocities committed against Native Americans over the years – generated public sympathy
led to marginal policy improvements, but those that were made also helped destroy culture (assimilationist policy)
Dawes Severalty Act
1887 reform effort that divided tribal lands and allotted them to individual Native Americans, forcing them to become self-reliant, non-tribal farmers (isolated)
Natives complained – argued that policy designed to strip indigenous ppl of land + free-roaming lifestyle/communal culture
Turner Thesis
Frederick Jackson Turner argued that American settlement of frontier shaped + explained American development by fostering social + political democracy + individualistic ideals
believed humanity would continue to progress as long as there was free land available
self-serving myth: ignored minorities’ role in US AND ignored white exploitation of everyone
Imperialism/Jingoism
idea of trying to gain more territory (aka colonies politically beneath the mainland) to conquer. causes:
1) national glory – manifest destiny’s application to western hemisphere + asia-pacific. justified by Social Darwinism (“they deserve it, we are better”)
2) commerce – raw materials, international trade,
3) racial superiority – expansion to benefit the “Anglo-Saxon race”
4) evangelism – sense of religious/cultural superiority
jingoism = militant imperialism
“Influence of Sea Power”
naval captain Alfred T. Mahan published this in 1890 - argued that US power stemmed from controlling lots of territory (colonies = raw materials and new markets) via naval might
influenced US’ construction of 11 new battleships to strengthen the navy in 1896
Seward’s Folly
secretary of state William Seward believed buying British Columbia was key to the Asian market (BC had good port access) →
US purchased Alaska in 1867 from Russia to influence BC to yield
called a “folly” bc public perceived it as foolish BUT Alaska had»_space; gold, oil (good for US)
Seward also wanted Hawaii…
Hawaii
In 1875 HI signed trade deal with the US.. if HI territory remained untouched, HI would allow US to import sugar cane with no taxes, which increased pop of HI (bc cheap CHN/JPN labor) and decreased indigenous pop of HI.
led to 1891 Queen Lil trying to restrict American political pwr BUT white pop (haoles) overthrew gov in 1893 – they fought to have HI annexed
since prez cleveland opposed, when prez mckinley took over he annexed
Yellow Journalism
type of news reporting started in 1890s by Hearst/Pulitzer that manipulated public opinion through sensationalized headlines/articles abt real AND fake news
William Randolph Hearst
thought the role of the news was to shape public opinion + legislation. yellow journalist who ran the NY Journal
Joseph Pulitzer
popularized yellow journalism during the Cuban war for independence – NY World was locked in fierce competition with Hearst’s NY Journal so they lied for readership
USS Maine
docked in Havana in Jan 1898 but mysteriously exploded in February – blamed on Spain (even though it was an accident) – Yellow Journalism exacerbated
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De Lôme Letter
released 6 days prior to USS Maine explosion. called prez mckinley insults, sparkling public outrage
Yellow Journalism exacerbated
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Teller Amendment
addition to congressional declaration of war vs Spain on April 24, 1898
denied US intent to annex Cuba
Causes of the Spanish-American war: econ/social
one of the causes of the Spanish-American war was that the US US wanted to gain empire through amassing overseas territory (colonies like Philippines)
Treaty of Paris of 1898
Dec 10 Spanish capitulation. Stipulated:
Cuba = independent
US annexed PR + Manila (Philippines archipelago – was unresolved but eventually negotiated for the annexation of the whole country), Guam
lots of people on all sides died, but US win →»_space; US confidence, manifest destiny, social darwinism, US emergence as imperial power.
Emilio Aguinaldo
after US annexed Philippines, led Filipino guerilla warfare against American rule – his efforts led to Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
US attempt to crush Filipino nationalist movement from 1898-1902
April 1901 – Aguinaldo + guerillas surrendered and pledge allegiance to USFG [ended war]
Foraker Act
April 1900 act establishing a government in Puerto Rico, with its residents becoming official US citizens
gov = civil government (limited popular gov)
Platt Amendment
added onto Cuban bill in 1901 – limited Cuban self-gov:
1 - cuba could never sign a treaty with a foreign power that limited their independence
2- allowed US interventionism to maintain “law and order”
3- allowed US to maintain naval bases there – Guantanamo Bay
Open Door Policy
principles unilaterally announced by John Hay in 1899 – the idea that Chinese market would be “an open door” to all nations. had no legal standing (similar to monroe doctrine)
framed as desire to preserve Chinese integrity from western imperialism BUT really just motivated by American biz desire to exploit and dominate foreign markets
Big Stick Diplomacy
Teddy = prez after Mckinley was assassinated. he advocated for military force to keep European powers out of Latin America (so that the region could serve American interests).
Panama Canal
after Spanish American war, US involvement in the Caribbean»_space;>
1901: Hay-Pauncefote Treaty authorized construction of the Panama Canal
Tension over payment for use of Colombia-controlled land = US supporting Panama independence (liberation = econ self-interest)
After Panama = ind, allowed Canal construction for lower prices. US rep in Latin America «< (“theft” of canal zone)
Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
Teddy issued in 1904 bc of DR’s failure to pay its debts
asserted idea that in some circumstances, US was justified in intervention in Latin America bc it’d prevent European intervention
this paved the way for future poor US-L.A. relations
Taft’s Dollar Diplomacy
Will Taft continued Teddy’s American economic principles
DD = USFG fostering American investments in less developed nations, then using US miliary force to protect those investments
believed $$ in imperial interests would create greater stability and boost US biz
DD = $. Big Stick = military.
The Progressive Era
response to social problems of the Gilded Age (industrialization + urbanization effects)
believed in governmental ACTIVE REFORM: limiting power of big biz, achieving social justice, improving democratic reality to match ideals (“honest government”)
liberal, NOT REVOLUTIONARY – wanted to reform capitalism, not destroy it :(
Muckrakers
progressive journalists who exposed political/biz corruption, consumer unsafety, bad working conditions – led to public interest in progressivism»_space;>
