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Alaska
In 1867, Congress agreed to purchased Alaska for $7.2 million, due to Seward's lobbying. Most Americans viewed Alaska as "Seward's Folly" and "Seward's Icebox". -
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan was a U.S. Navy Captain, and he wrote "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History". He believed that a strong navy was necessary to a country's goal of obtaining foreign markets and becoming a world power. -
Causes of the Spanish-American War
Expansionists wanted the United States to take its place with the imperialist nations of Europe. Cleveland and McKinley thought military action abroad was morally and economically wrong. It was time for war against Spain. -
Spheres of Influence
Russia, Japan, Great Britain, France, and Germany established spheres of influence in China, which meant that they could dominate trade and investment within their sphere. -
Hawaii Before the War
Hawaii was settled by entrepreneurs and American missionaries prior to the war. Eventually, in 1893, settlers had aided in the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani, the Hawaiian Monarch. -
Cuban Revolt
Cuban nationalists sabotaged Cuban plantations in order to force Spain's withdrawal or involve the United States. Spain sent General Valeriano Weyler and over 100,000 troops to stop the revolt. -
Annexation of Hawaii
President Cleveland had opposed efforts to annex Hawaii. However, with the outbreak of the war, Congress and President McKinley could complete the annexation. -
De Lôme Letter
A letter from the Spanish minister to the United States was leaked to the press, and President McKinley was criticized. It was considered a Spanish insult against United States national honor. -
Sinking of the Maine
The United States battleship was anchored in Havana, Cuba, when it exploded, killing approximately 260 Americans. Spain was accused of blowing up the ship, but later they found out that the explosion was an accident. -
Teller Amendment
Congress passed a joint resolution on April 20th, authorizing war. The Teller Amendment said that the United States had no intention of taking political control of Cuba. It also said that once peace was restored, the Cuban people would control their government. -
First Shots Fired
On May 1st, Commodore Dewey's fleet fired on Spanish ships at Manila Bay. -
Capture of Manila
Finally, on August 13th, allied with Filipino rebels, the United States captured the city of Manila. -
Invasion of Cuba
More than 5,000 Americans were killed by diseases, and less than 500 American soldiers were killed in war. The United States Navy destroyed the Spanish fleet at Santiago Bay. Spain did not have a navy, and they eventually asked for peace in August. -
Philippine-American War
Emilio Aguinaldo fought alongside the United States troops in the Spanish-American War, but now he led fighters against the United States troops. -
Hawaii Becomes a US Territory
Hawaii became an official territory of the United States in 1900, and then in 1959, it became the fiftieth state in the Union. -
Boxer Rebellion
A secret society of Chinese nationalists attacked foreigners and murdered multiple Christian missionaries. United States troops crushed the rebellion of the Boxers. -
Theodore Roosevelt
President McKinley was fatally shot, and Theodore Roosevelt succeeded him in office. He was a hero of the Spanish-American War. His motto was to "speak softly and carry a big stick". -
Big Stick Diplomacy
Roosevelt had an aggressive foreign policy. He was applauded by imperialists, but the critics of the big-stick policy did not like breaking from the tradition of noninvolvement in global politics. -
End of the Philippine-American War
It took the United States three years and thousands of peoples' lives before the war finally ended. -
Revolution in Panama
Roosevelt wanted to begin construction, however, Colombia controlled the isthmus and refused to agree with the United States. Roosevelt supported a revolt, and finally, the United States was granted long term control of a canal zone. -
Russo-Japanese War
Rivalry between Russia and Japan led to a war; Japan was winning. Roosevelt arranged for a conference between the two countries. Japan blamed the United States for not giving them all they wanted from Russia. -
Dollar Diplomacy
William Howard Taft adopted a policy that depended more on investors' dollars than on the navy's battleship. He tried to promote United States trade by supporting American enterprises abroad. -
Building the Panama Canal
Construction began in 1904, and the canal was completed in 1914. The work was led by George Goethals and Dr. William Gorgas. However, many people lost their lives will constructing the canal. -
Tampico Incident (Mexico)
Woodrow Wilson asked for an arms embargo against the Mexican government; he sent a fleet to blockade the port of Vera Cruz. American seamen went to Tampico, but then they were arrested. -
Tampico Resolved
The American seamen were soon released, but Victoriano Huerta refused to apologize. South America'a ABC powers offered to mediate the dispute. -
Loans
The United States government allowed bankers to give as much as $3 million dollars to Great Britain and France, when they found out they did not have enough money to purchase everything they need. -
British War Propaganda
Great Britain commanded the seas and the war news. The British government made sure the American press was well supplied with stories of German soldiers committing atrocities. -
Submarine Warfare
The submarine was a new naval weapon for Germany. Germany warned British ships attempting to enter the "war zone" risked being sunk by German submarines. -
Lusitania Crisis
A British passenger liner, the Lusitania, was sunk by Germany; 128 Americans drowned. Woodrow Wilson warned Germany that they would be held accountable if they continued their policy of sinking unarmed ships. -
Opposition to War
Americans in the West and Midwest opposed preparedness because they believed it would eventually lead to the United States involvement in the war. Antiwar activists were Populists, Progressives, and Socialists. -
Declaration of War
Woodrow Wilson claimed Germany's submarine policy was "warfare against mankind". On April 6th, the majority of Congress voted for a declaration of war. -
Making the Peace - Treaty of Versailles
The peace treaty was signed in 1919 and had three terms: Germany had to admit guilt for the war, territories once controlled by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia were taken by the Allies, signers of the treaty joined the League of Nations. -
The Red Scare
The anti-German hysteria of the war years turned into anti-Communist hysteria, known as the Red Scare.
