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Declaration of War Against Spain
(1898) The war ensuing this declaration was inspired largely by interest of american plantations in cuba because after cuba abolished slavery, imports from cuba were marketable to the american people because they weren't produced by slave labor. Also, journalists made money while there was conflict in cuba, so yellow journalism played a large part in sparking the demand for war in U.S. Citizens. -
Annexation of Hawaiian Islands
(1898) This was the second large scale Imperialist move by the united states after the purchase of Alaska. Unlike alaska though, this wasn't a purchase by the government, it was an under the table plan orchestrated by U.S. Ambassador John L. Stevens and big plantation owners. The overthrow of Hawaii's government wasn't a motion directly by the United States, but the annexation was favored by McKinley and was a big step towards imperialist goals of his. -
Treaty of Paris
(1898) United States appears very imperialistic by signing this treaty which gives the United States Guam, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and allows them to buy the philippines, which many americans did not believe was our right to buy in the first place. Mckinley tried to justify buying the philippines by saying he had to christianize them although they had been christian for centuries before. -
Philippine-American War
(1899) America really takes on the role of the big, oppressive Empire during this conflict with one of their own territories that desired independence. The U.S. Killed 20,000 filipino rebels and lost 4,000 american soldiers in this conflict, showing the lengths we'd go to to stay in control of one of our gateways for imperial expansion and connection to china. -
McKinley Assassination/Roosevelt Presidency
(1901) McKinley's assassination allowed Theodore Roosevelt to become president. His presidency brought forth a wealth of progressive reforms known as “Roosevelt's square Deal” which included taking power away from big industries which previously had created monopolies and amassed large amounts of political and economical power, resolving the coal strike of 1902, and regulation of the railroads with the Hepburn Act, which limited distribution of free passes and allows the ICC to set rates. -
Construction of the Panama Canal
(1904) Construction of this canal was an example of desire for military strength because the U.S. wanted a two-ocean navy. This was also an example of america's thirst for more efficient trade and commercial travel. The U.S. Showed that it would get what it wanted even if it had to start revolutions like that of panama against colombia to do so. -
Election of '08/'09
(1909) Biggest setback to progressivism in America. Taft, during his presidency was far below the expectations set for him by Theodore Roosevelt. He was too cautious in his agenda. He tried to be progressive, but actions like the signing of the Payne-Aldrich tariff caused his popularity to dip to an all time low and make american's believe he had abandoned progressivism. He also supported Joseph Cannon, who was known for weakening or ignoring progressive bills. -
Election of 1912/Wilson Inauguration
(1913) The introduction of the progressive party, known as the bull-moose party, split the republican party, making the normally heavyweight opponents, taft and roosevelt, easy to defeat for the democrat Woodrow Wilson, who ran on a progressive campaign known as the “New Freedom” He brought many progressive movements into action, such as the clayton antitrust act, the Creation of the Federal Trade Commission, and the lowering of high tariffs imposed by big business under Taft. -
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
(1914) This was the Tipping point, setting off the power keg that was Europe. The hostilities between nations were built up by a race to amass huge militaries, a sense of nationalism in citizens, and imperialist desires to control smaller colonies. This one event dragged all the countries allied to each other by alliance systems into one huge war that becomes WWI. -
Prohibition
(1919) 18th amendment to the constitution that was added, during the 2nd term of president wilson. Promoted moral improvement and supported by women that worried that their husbands would waste their time drinking in saloons and by christian and progressive groups who believed it would make people morally corrupt. -
U.S. Delcares War on Germany
(1917) This event is so important because it showed how much had to happen to provoke U.S. Involvement. Many events, from the sinking of passenger ships with Americans aboard and the interception of the incriminating zimmerman telegraph, to the declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare on ships previously sworn not to be attacked, contributed to the United States determining that neutrality was no longer a safe option. This event turned out to be the tipping point of the war; the fresh a -
Espionage and Sedition Acts
(1917) The Espionage act ('17) and Sedition act ('18) were really the biggest movements by the government to show that they were taking control of the country during this time of the war and wouldn't tolerate any opposing view on the war effort. They kept war protesters from their peace talks with threats of jail time and unreasonable fines. They, in collaboration with the home front agencies, helped turn america into a well oiled war machine, made for supporting the troops. -
Armistice Signed by Germany
(1918) Germany's newly established government, free of kaiser wilhelm, signs a truce, ending the war. This showed that the United states had definitely influenced the tide of the war, leading the Allies to victory even after Russia backed out of the war. Although a costly ordeal, the battles leading up to this armistice, (like Chateu Thierry, Marne, And Meuse Argonne,) culminated in this armistice agreement which meant the end of the fighting... For now at least. -
Treaty Of Versailles
(1919) This treaty was hoped to provide a resolution to the conflicted feelings remaining in Europe, but just ended up making things worse. The treaty was completely unfair to Germany, (Who had no representation at the signing,) made the big four look like imperialists by creating many new “mandates,” and was rejected by the U.S. Senate anyways. This meant that the one thing in the treaty president Wilson actually wanted to happen, (League of Nations) didn't end up including the U.S. At all. -
19th Amendment - Women's suffrage
(1920) This had been fought for since the founding of the NWSA by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1869. This would give the women of America a voice in elections and was debatably the most prominent landmark of the progressive Era. It was also a huge step for women's rights in the direction of equality.
