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Alaska Purchase
Russia didn't really want Alaska anymore, because the British kept trying to take it and it wasn't really bringing in money anyways. They get Seward to lobby for it, and Congress eventually buys t for $7.2 mil (also as a thanks to Russian support during the Civil War), but it's ridiculed as a useless purchase. -
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan writes The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, arguing that a good navy is necessary for becoming a world power, which resulted in Congress funding construction of ships and acquisition of islands, resulting in a stronger/larger army. -
Hawaii - Overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani
American missionaries, entrepreneurs, and expansionists in Hawaii (largely as a result of the sugar trade) overthrow the Hawaiian Queen, Liliuokalani, with some help from the U.S. itself. This was also a result of the McKinley tariff, which made Hawaiian sugar growers want to have the economic advantage of not having to face the import tariff by being part of the U.S.. -
Hawaii - Republic
Those who overthrew the Kingdom of Hawaii appeal to the U.S. government for annexation. Cleveland, opposed to annexation, denies it, and they form the Republic of Hawaii. Negotiations pause until McKinley enters office. -
SPAM War - Cuban Revolt
Cuban nationalists, tired of Spanish colonial rule, try to shake them off by destroying plantations. Spain sends in troops to suppress the revolt, and Cuba tries to get the U.S. involved. -
SPAM War - Yellow Journalism
Journalism fueled the fire of war. Many such as Joseph Pulitzer and William Hearts both exaggerated and falsified things that were happening in Cuba, angering the public and pressuring Congress to enter into war. -
SPAM War - De Lome Letter
A Spanish letter was leaked through Hearst's newspaper. It was from the Spanish ambassador to the U.S., de Lome, to the foreign minister of Spain, and was very critical of McKinley. Many took it as an insult. -
SPAM War - Sinking of the Maine
The battleship Maine in Cuba explodes. It was probably an accident but yellow press blames Spain, sparking outrage from the public. -
SPAM War - The Philippines
Theodore Roosevelt (expansionist) wants to show off the new navy, and attacks the Spanish Pacific territories of the Philippines. They quickly beat them at sea and eventually take Manila by land. -
SPAM War - Invasion of Cuba
The troops who arrived in Cuba were at first ill-prepared and fell victim to disease. However, American and Cuban combined forces beat Spain's on land, and when the U.S. navy beat them at sea Spain finally asked for peace. -
Hawaii - Annexation
The Spanish-American war provided strategic reason (or an excuse for expansionists to get their way) to annex Hawaii. Congress and President McKinley officially annex it. -
SPAM War - McKinley's War Message
McKinley wants a ceasefire with Spain, which Spain is down with, but the public/Congress clamors for war. McKinley sends a war message to Congress, for the reasons to put an end to Cuban suffering, protect the U.S. people living in Cuba, protect commerce, and end the "menace to peace". -
SPAM War - Teller Amendment
Congress authorizes war, but promises that the U.S. won't take control of Cuba and that they'll get to govern themselves. -
Philippine-American War
As result of the 1899 Treaty of Paris, angry Filipinos fought back. Emilio Aguinaldo led many guerrilla troops against the U.S., but America won in 1902 with the Philippines's surrender, and they remained a territory. -
Treaty of Paris (cause of Philippine-American War)
Imperialists and anti-imperialists butted heads over the Treaty of Paris, which would annex the Philippines. It eventually passed (though barely and with much arguing), making many Filipinos unhappy that they wouldn't be getting their independence after all. -
Boxer Rebellion - China
As nationalism and xenophobia rose in China, a group of nationalists referred to as the Boxers attacked foreign settlements and missionaries, forcing the U.S. to come in with force to crush the rebellion. -
Hay's Second Round of Notes - China
As other western powers inched towards taking China, Hay issues a note to imperial powers basically saying that China was theirs and that they intended to protect its territory and trade, setting the U.S. policy for China. -
Theodore Roosevelt - Big Stick
President Roosevelt(who came into office after McKinley's assassination)'s motto "speak softly and carry a big stick" came to describe his foreign policy, as an imperialist who wanted the U.S. to be seen as a world power. -
Hay-Paunceforte Treaty - Panama Canal
Previously as stated by the 1850 treaty, any canals in South America had to be done with joint British-U.S. occupation. However, the Hay-Paunceforte treaty cancelled this, allowing the U.S. to built the canal alone and thus have complete control over it. -
Revolution in Panama - Panama Canal
The U.S. really wants to make the Panama Canal, but Columbia controls part of the area they want to use. The U.S. therefore supports a Panama revolt, resulting in an 'independent' Panama that the U.S. pretty much had sole control over. -
Corollary to Monroe Doctrine - Big Stick
Latin American countries often owed money to European countries money, which meant said European countries wanted to come and intervene. Roosevelt, not wanting them to violate the Monroe Doctrine by doing so, stepped in without invitation and sent gunboats himself to collect the money. -
Japan
Friction between the U.S. and Japan occurred after Japan blamed the U.S.'s mediation efforts to end the Russo-Japanese war when they didn't get everything they wanted out of it. They were also mad about discriminatory immigration laws in California, to which they made similar laws in retaliation. The U.S. demonstrated their navy power to Japan, and they eventually agreed on mutual respect for each's possessions and support for the China policy. -
Dollar Diplomacy
Roosevelt's successor, Taft, handled foreign policy more economically than forcefully. He thus made investments in China and Central America. -
Mexico - Tampico Incident
The U.S. chose to aid a faction revolting against Mexico, resulting in Mexico arresting them. In retaliation, Wilson sent the navy to occupy Vera Cruz. The conflict seemed like it was going to escalate until Argentina, Brazil, and Chile stepped in to mediate. -
Mexico - Pancho Villa
One Mexican revolutionary, Pancho Villa, and his band frequently fights across the U.S.-Mexico border and kill many in New Mexico and Texas. U.S. troops try to chase him into Mexico to catch him, but Mexico doesn't like the U.S. military presence there. -
WWI - Lusitania Crisis
Germany torpedoed and sank the Lusitania, a British passenger ship with 100+ Americans aboard. This greatly challenged U.S. neutrality, saying that Germany would be held accountable if it continued. The public was similarly outraged. -
WWI - Zimmerman Telegram
Britain intercepted and shared a telegram from Germany to Mexico, proposing that Mexico help Germany in return for their former territories that now belonged to the US. The American people were infuriated, and the nationalism sparked helped start the US's involvement in the war. -
WWI - Espionage and Sedition Acts
Paranoia resulted in the Espionage and Sedition Acts, which criminalized speaking out against the war in a way that obstructed it or later simply insulted the government. -
WWI - Fourteen Points
Wilson wants peace without victory, and presents his fourteen aims to Congress. These include freedom of the seas, end to secret treaties, reduced armaments, adjustment of colonies, a League of Nations, and self-determination for the Austro-Hungarian empire. In the end, he compromised many of them at the meetings at Versailles. -
The Red Scare
Many in the U.S. were unhappy with the post-war peace process, which manifested heavily in the red scare, with fear of communism/socialism with the Russian takeover. The Palmer Raids especially fueled this. -
WWI - Treaty of Versailles
Germany had to pay lots of money, lose its territories, and accept guilt for the war. Territories controlled by the central powers were taken by the allies, and many gained independence. The League of Nations was also formed to protect the independence and territory of other countries. -
WWI - Rejection of the Treaty
Congress consistently rejected the Treaty of Versailles. Many were for the treaty with reservations, but Wilson wanted none, and so it simply never passed. The US ended up making separate peace with Germany and never joined the League of Nations.
