Foreign Policy

  • The American Revolution

    The American Revolution was the war in which the 13 colonies declared their independence from Great Britain from King George III. France entered the war, making it an international affair.
  • Washington's Fairwell Address

    In Washington's Fairwell Address he warned the American Citizens about the dangers of parties. He also told the people that religion and morality is essential, and Americans should stay out of foreign affairs.
  • The Barbary Wars

    The First Barbary war was the first American War fought overseas. It was fought against the Barbary States after Tripolian pirates demanded money, and President Jefferson refused to pay.
  • Embargo Act

    The Embargo Act restricted American traders from trading with foreign countries. The Embargo was very unpopular in the United States and was repealed on March 1, 1810.
  • War of 1812

    The United States tried to stay out of Britain and France's conflict, but it was pulled in to the conflict due to economic sanctions. The war of 1812 provided a great boost to American patriotism.
  • Monroe Doctrine

    The Monroe Doctrine was a statement from President James Monroe stating that European powers did not belong in the Americas. This specifically targeted Spain's former South American territories.
  • Manifest Destiny

    Manifest Destiny was the belief that it was America's god given right to expand to the Pacific Coast. This led the U.S. to fight in the Mexican-American War.
  • Mexican-American War

    The Mexican-American War started after a border conflict between the state of Texas and Mexico, leading to armed conflict. As a result, the U.S. won most of the west from Mexico.
  • Spanish-American War

    After the alleged attack on the USS Maine in Cuba, America waged war against Spain. The US gained Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, expanding their colonial empire.
  • Roosevelt Corollary

    The Roosevelt Corollary was a follow up to the Monroe Doctrine. It declared that the United States would intervene in any conflict between Europe and Latin America.
  • World War I

    After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, war broke out in Europe, and it eventually pulled in America. Many countries were strengthened and weakened during this war, many gaining and losing territory. The aftermath of the war also resulted in the predecessor to the United Nations: The League of Nations.
  • Isolationism

    Isolationism is the belief that a nation should stay out of the others affairs. This belief has been present throughout American history, but was popularized after WWI.
  • World War II

    The Second World War began after much tension between Germany and the rest of Europe, and the eventual invasion of Poland. The war dragged in countries from all over the globe, and resulted in the first use of a nuclear bomb.
  • Truman Doctrine

    Truman Doctrine
    The Truman Doctrine was a speech Given by President Truman, and is considered the start of the Cold War.
    It suggested assisting Turkey and Greece after WWII to prevent them from turning to communism.
  • Marshall Plan

    The Marshall Plan was an American plan to provide aid to Europe. This was mainly in order to suppress the spread of Communism.
  • Cold War

    The Cold War was the war without armies between Communism and Capitalism. The main conflict was between the Soviet Union and the United States, and included a nuclear arms race, and a race to the moon. This war ended in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
  • Vietnam

    The war in Vietnam was a conflict between North and South Vietnam. North Vietnam, a communist nation, attempted to take over South Vietnam. The U.S. attempted to aid South Vietnam, with little success. The North won the war and unified both nations into one Communist state.
  • Detente

    Tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States loosened, allowing both nations to progress. However, this only lasted roughly a decade.
  • Carter's Emphasis of Foreign Policy

    Carter believed that the U.S. should express good morals. He believed that that would improve the world's view of America.
  • Semptember 11, 2001

    Islamic terrorists hijacked 4 planes and crashed them into the Pentagon, both World Trade Centers, and failed to reach the White House, crashing in a field in Pennsylvania. This event sparked the war on Terror.
  • War in Iraq/Afghanistan

    The United States invaded Iraq and Afghanistan to stop terrorism and seize Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction. With new intelligence, Osama bin Laden was killed.