question

Matthew Perry

answer

used a display of military weaponry to convince the Japanese to grant trading rights to Americans

question

William Seward

answer

U.S. Secretary of State that authorized the purchase of Alaska

question

Manifest Destiny

answer

the widely held belief in the United States that American settlers were destined to expand throughout the continent

question

Imperialism

answer

building empires by imposing political and economical control over people around the world

question

Turner Thesis

answer

Historian Frederick Jackson Turner unveiled a thesis that claimed that the western frontier had defined American history

question

Isolationism

answer

avoiding involvement in other country's affairs

question

spheres of influence

answer

areas where another nation has economic and political control

question

Open Door Policy

answer

to avoid the U.S. exclusion in trade with China, this stated that nations would guarantee all rights to trade with China on an equal basis

question

Boxer Rebellion

answer

Chinese uprising against western influences, resulting in the deaths of many western foreigners and Chinese Christians

question

Second Open Door Policy

answer

made an even stronger statement about American intentions to preserve trade and said that China should remain as on country, not be broken into separate pieces

question

Reconcentration

answer

forced movement of large numbers of people into detention camps for military or political reasons

question

José Martí

answer

Cuban poet that led Cuban exiles to the U.S. and urged the U.S. to help the rebels

question

The Maine

answer

U.S. battleship that mysteriously exploded in Havana Harbor, Cuba

question

Teddy Roosevelt

answer

Asst. Secretary of the Navy who was eager to expand U.S. naval power; would end up giving up his navy post to join the war and lead the Rough Riders

question

Commodore George Dewey

answer

head of the Pacific fleet in the Philippines that led his ships to strike the Spanish squadron when war broke out

question

Emilio Aguinaldo

answer

rebel leader that helped Dewey seize Manila from the Spanish; wanted independence for the Philippines

question

Rough Riders

answer

one of the best known military ground troops, led by Teddy Roosevelt,that led a successful charge up San Juan Hill in Puerto Rico

question

Platt Amendment

answer

amendment that the U.S. Congress forcefully included in Cuba's constitution after replacing Spain as the leading Caribbean power

question

Protectorate

answer

an independent country whose policies are controlled by an outside power

question

Foraker Act of 1900

answer

set up a government in Puerto Rico with a U.S. appointed governor • gave Puerto Ricans limited self-government

question

isthmus

answer

two large areas of land connected by a narrow strip of land

question

Dr. William Gorgas

answer

an American expert on tropical diseases that solved the problem of malaria and yellow fever in Panama

question

Corollary

answer

is a local extension of a doctrine or proposition

question

Dollar Diplomacy

answer

a policy based on the idea that economic ties were the best way to expand American influence

question

Roosevelt Corollary

answer

Roosevelt's extension to the Monroe Doctrine to prevent European nations from using military force to collect overdue debts from the Dominican Republic

question

Monroe Doctrine

answer

US foreign policy regarding Latin American countries in 1823: stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression, requiring U.S. intervention

question

What did Matthew Perry do that convinced the Japanese to open up trade with the U.S.? What did Japan realize when it began trading with the U.S.?

answer

- Using a display of military weaponry to convince the Japanese to grant trading rights to Americans the Japanese signed a treaty to open up Japan for trade - Seeing the technology and power of the U.S. also made Japan realize its weaknesses, therefore fueling them to transform into an industrial nation

question

How did the U.S. go about acquiring Alaska? What nickname was it given? What changed people's opinion of this territory?

answer

- Alaska was originally owned by Russia but was purchased by the U.S. for $7.2 million - Given the nickname "Seward's Folly" because Alaska was seen as a wasteland, mocking William Seward - Opinions changed when large amounts of gold were discovered, beginning the Alaskan gold rush

question

What idea did the Turner Thesis propose?

answer

- The idea of a closing frontier influenced expansionists - overseas expansion would help the nation build its strength - As European nations began to grow in the global economy, the U.S. grew weary fueled the need to increase trade in order for the U.S. to remain prosperous

question

How were Americans so powerful in Hawaii? What influenced the Hawaiians to revolt against them?

answer

- American planters settled in Hawaii in large numbers, becoming wealthy in sugar production - As sugar planters became powerful, the Hawaiian king was forced to accept a new constitution that gave these planters great influence - When he died, his sister fought for Hawaiian independence and refused to recognize the constitution - wanted to restore the power of the monarchy and reduce foreign influence

question

How did Hawaii become a U.S. territory?

answer

- American sugar planters led a revolt against the Hawaiian queen and wrote a proposal for the U.S. to annex Hawaii, which was rejected by President Grover Cleveland who claimed the revolt was illegal and the proposal wasn't support by the Hawaiian people - His successor, William McKinley, favored the annexation and supported the treaty to annex it

question

What happened in the Boxer Rebellion?

answer

Many Chinese resented the foreign influence, therefore they organized a secret society to combat foreigners backed by the Chinese government the rebels attacked and killed western foreigners and Chinese Christians the U.S. broke their practice of isolationism to free captives, stop the rebels, loot the capital, and killed thousands of Chinese

question

How were relations between the Spanish and the Cubans?

answer

- Not good: Spain had ruled Cuba since 1492, Cubans became increasingly discontented with Spanish rule - Cubans began an uprising, but was put down ten years later - When Cubans rose up, again, the Spanish government put them in camps in unsanitary conditions and little food - Approx. 20,000 Cubans died in these camps

question

How did Americans react to the treatment of Cubans? How did the media drive their emotions? What was the President's take on getting involved?

answer

- Many Americans were sympathetic to the Cubans, calling on the U.S. government to intervene to oust the Spanish - Other Americans wanted to intervene for economic reasons - wanted to safeguard American investments in Cuba - President Grover Cleveland ignored the calls for intervention - his successor, William McKinley, also wanted to maintain neutrality - The New York press focused much of their attention on Cuba - the daily headlines of horror stories fed American outrage against Spain

question

How did President McKinley respond to war fever after the Maine incident?

answer

- As war fever swept across the U.S., President McKinley favored a peaceful settlement between Spain and the rebels • feared the war would disrupt the U.S. economy - In the end, McKinley gave into public pressure - April 11, 1898: Congress agreed to declare war on Spain

question

What happened in the Philippines?

answer

- Commodore George Dewey led a strike on the Philippines when war broke out - Dewey sank the entire Spanish squadron at Manila Bay, Philippines with a small fleet of American war ships - The Americans didn't lose a single ship or life

question

What was Emilio Aguinaldo seeking?

answer

He sought independence for the Philippines

question

What happens in Puerto Rico?

answer

- Roosevelt helped lead his men in a successful charge up San Juan Hill that became the most celebrated event of the war - Americans, both black and white, fought in the Santiago campaign - Meanwhile, U.S. ships had trapped the Spanish fleet in Santiago harbor U.S. ships destroyed the fleet when it attempted to escape • two weeks later, the Spanish soldiers surrendered - After the Spanish surrendered Cuba, American troops invaded Puerto Rico, another Spanish possession in Cuba - they quickly brought the island under U.S. control

question

What did the treaty between Spain and the U.S. say? How did Americans react?

answer

- Dec. 1898: Spain and the U.S. signed a peace treaty • Spain accepted Cuban independence • granted Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and the Pacific islands of Guam and Wake to the U.S. - in return, the U.S. paid Spain $20 million - Treaty sparked angry debate in the U.S. as many Americans said taking colonies violated the principle of the Declaration of Independence - that all people had a right to self-government • acquiring colonies also brought risk of future wars - However, expansionists welcomed the treaty because it gave the U.S. important bases and provided new business opportunities - Also argued that the U.S. had a duty to spread the ideas of democratic government to other parts of the world

question

What did the Platt Amendment to Cuba's constitution say?

answer

- limited Cuba's power to make treaties and borrow money - gave the U.S. the right to intervene in Cuban affairs - allowed the U.S. to keep a naval base at Guantanamo Bay

question

What happened after the U.S. took control of the Philippines?

answer

- When the U.S. took control of the Philippines, many Filipinos felt betrayed - Led by Emilio Aguinaldo, they renewed their fight for independence - In a three-year war, about 4,000 Americans and 20,000 Filipinos were killed - 1901: Aguinaldo was captured and fighting came to an end

question

Why did the President Roosevelt want to build the Panama Canal? How did the U.S. go about obtaining this location?

answer

Not only would the canal improve shipping, but it would also make it easier for the U.S. Navy to defend the nation's new overseas empire - Panama was a providence of Columbia therefore President Roosevelt offered Columbia $10 million in cash and $250,000 yearly in rent to allow the U.S. to build a canal through Panama - Columbia's government held out for more money, however Roosevelt became impatient - he didn't want to lose time in bargaining - After the Panamanian revolt against Columbian rule, with the help of the U.S., a Frenchman acting for Panama signed a treaty giving the U.S. permanent use and control of a 10 mile-wide zone across the Isthmus of Panama

question

What happened due to Columbian rule of Cuba? What role did the U.S. play?

answer

- Roosevelt knew that many Panamanians disliked Columbian rule • Roosevelt let them know that the U.S. would help if they claimed independence • Panamanians would then reap rewards of the canal - November 3, 1903: U.S. gunboats waited in the harbor to provide support for the rebels • U.S. Marines landed in Colon to prevent hostile Columbian troops from reaching Panama City • Many Americans were alarmed by Roosevelt's role in the revolt, criticizing his "gunboat diplomacy" - The U.S. immediately recognized the independent Republic of Panama

question

What obstacles were faced in the building of the Panama Canal?

answer

- The first obstacle to building the canal was not an engineering problem - it was disease • Malaria and yellow fever were widespread in Panama - many people believed the damp night air were the cause • real work on the canal couldn't begin until those diseases were controlled • major breakthroughs came when doctors discovered that these diseases were transmitted by a certain mosquito - William C. Gorgas, an American expert on tropical diseases, took up the problem • under Gorgas' direction, workers cleared brush and drained swamps where mosquitos lived - By 1906, Gorgas had nearly wiped out yellow fever and had reduced malaria in Panama

question

What does the West African proverb "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far" mean?

answer

If diplomacy, or making negotiations, with other nations, in regards to the occupancy and involvement in foreign nations, failed the U.S. would not hesitate to military force to protect its interests

question

In what two ways did Roosevelt apply his "Big Stick" policy?

answer

1.) He asserted the claim of the U.S. to be the leader in the Western Hemisphere 2.) He wanted to prevent European nations from becoming too powerful in the region

question

Why did Roosevelt establish the policy of the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine? What did Roosevelt argue?

answer

- Roosevelt established the policy of the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine to prevent European nations from using military force to collect overdue debt from the Dominican Republic - Roosevelt argued that when the neighbors of the U.S. got into disputes about foreign nations, the U.S. had the right to "exercise . . . An international police power" to restore order

question

What was the approach of Roosevelt's successor, President William Howard Taft, to Latin America? What did he urge banks and businesses to do?

answer

- President Taft's approach to Latin America was through dollar diplomacy, a policy based on the idea that economic ties were the best way to expand American influence - He urged U.S. banks and businesses to invest heavily into Asia and Latin America

question

What did dollar diplomacy lead to?

answer

Dollar diplomacy led to as many military interventions as Roosevelt's "big stick" Examples: When a revolution broke out in Nicaragua, the U.S. sent marines to protect investments. Later, American troops also occupied and Honduras. Many Latin American bitterly resented interference in their affairs

Imperialism Test Questions – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards