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U.S Imperialism
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Monroe doctrine
In 1823, James Monroe said that countries could no longer colonies countries in the relative area of the United States; Latin America and South America were off limits for other countries. Monroe’s doctrine was based on the ideals that countries should be free, and that other countries gaining footholds near the U.S posed a threat to the safety of the country. The doctrine was written for political reasons, and giving the government a reason to protect neighboring countries from other world po -
Treaty of Wanghia
The treaty of Wanghia was a diplomatic agreement between China and the U.S. The treaty was approved by congress in 1844, and President John Tyler ratified the treaty in 1845. The treaty gave the United States the right to inhabit certain parts of China, which gave them ports in which to trade from, made the U.S China’s top ally over other nations, and made the opium trade illegal. Many considered the treaty to be unfair, in favor of the U.S over China. The treaty was Political and economic for t -
Opening trade with Japan
Opening trade with Japan: For the past 200 years, Japan had closed off trade with Western civilizations until in 1853, when Matthew Perry, an American commander, led a small fleet of ships into Tokyo harbor to reestablish a diplomatic relationship with Japan. Perry brought a letter from the president, which demanded that the Japanese allow American ships to use their ports, and engage in trade. Perry also brought gifts from the west to give to the Japanize Emperor. The next year, Matthew Perry -
Ostend Manifesto
In 1854, a group of Diplomats met in Ostend, Belgium to write a document justifying the seizure of Cuba. Pierre Soulé (minister to Spain), was one of the diplomats who wrote the document, and was considered to be the biggest influence. The document contained the rational for “manifest destiny” and was intended to sway public opinion on the situation in Cuba. The document was written and used for political reasons, because in order for the U.S to carry out manifest destiny, large numbers of peopl -
Alaska Purchase
In 1867, the territory of Alaska was bought from Russia by the United States for 7.2 million dollars. Russia, fearing war with Britten, wanted to sell Alaska to avoid the possibility of it being taken over by Brittan, and used against them as a military outpost. The U.S secretary of state, William Seaward, was criticized for negotiating with Russia, and wasting money on Alaska. The purchase was Economic for the U.S, because Alaska was seen as a place with vast natural recourses. -
Open door policy
In 1898, after the U.S had established trading ports in China and Japan, the U.S felt their trade relationship with China threatened by other world powers. U.S diplomat William Rockhill came up with the open door policy, which was a set of rules that would allow all world powers to peacefully continue to trade with China without interfering with each other. In 1899, secretary of state John Hay sent notes which summarized the policy to France, Japan, Italy, Russia, Brittan, and Germany. In 1900, -
U.S taking over Hawaii
In 1883, while the U.S sugar industry is growing in Hawaii, a group of American businessman led by Sanford Dole declared a new regime, overthrowing the Hawaiian monarch. The U.S government decided the situation was unstable, and sent 250 marines ashore, to keep order. Queen Liliuokalani surrendered control to the U.S, believing the government would prevent violence. In 1898, as the American war broke out, President William McKinley signed a treaty which annexed Hawaii to the U.S. -
Annexing the Philippines
In 1898, the United States signed the treaty of Paris, which made the Spanish secede Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States. The U.S claimed that taking over these territory’s was the moral thing to do because of the death camps the Spanish put Philippine people in, and falsely accused the Spanish of sinking an American ship, The Maine. After the U.S defeated Spain in a three month war, a negotiation was carried out between the two governments, including U.S emissaries -
Boxer Rebellion
: From 1899 to 1901, a Chinese nationalist group called the Righteous Harmony Society also called the boxers, waged a violent uprising against foreign powers and Christianity. The group was formed by the need for Chinese national interest, because of the foreign powers that were trying to convert the Chinese to Christianity and western ways. In 1900, almost 200 boxer fighters as well as the Imperial army of china put the westerners and Chinese Christians under siege in a section of Beijing. Afte -
Platt amendment
In 1901, U.S senator Orville Platt proposed an amendment to congress that outlined the conditions that Cuba would have to agree to in order for the remaining U.S troops to leave Cuba. The amendment stated which territories belonged to Cuba, and which belonged to the U.S. It also came with the condition that Cuba had to allow the U.S to buy Cuban land for naval basses, as well as land for Coal production. The Platt amendment rejected once by Cuba, but eventually passed a year later. This amend -
Crisis in Venezuela
In 1902, Brittan, Germany, and Italy formed a naval blockade surrounding the fleet of Venezuelan navy ships, sinking two of them and attacking a Venezuelan port. The cause for the blockade was Brittan, Germany, and Italy’s anger with Venezuela president Cyprian Castro’s failure to pay the countries damages and debts, which he owed from the Venezuelan civil war. Castro looked to the U.S for protection, and Teddy Roosevelt sent a naval fleet to keep the German ships from taking further action. Ev -
Platt amendment
In 1901, U.S senator Orville Platt proposed an amendment to congress that outlined the conditions that Cuba would have to agree to in order for the remaining U.S troops to leave Cuba. The amendment stated which territories belonged to Cuba, and which belonged to the U.S. It also came with the condition that Cuba had to allow the U.S to buy Cuban land for naval basses, as well as land for Coal production. The Platt amendment rejected once by Cuba, but eventually passed a year later. This amendme -
Roosevelt Corollary
In President Theodore Roosevelt’s 1904 state of the union address, Roosevelt responded to the Venezuelan crisis saying the U.S needs to intervene on European conflicts in Latin America, rather than have the nations settle things directly. Roosevelt’s reasoning was national safety, and any wars that broke out would be in their backyard. The reason for this speech was political, because Roosevelt had to back up his decisions for getting involved in other countries disputes. -
Panama Canal
In 1904, the U.S took over construction of the Panama Canal, after a failed attempt by the French. The canal took 10 years to complete, and was one of the most challenging engineering projects in the world. The new route would allow a much quicker and safer passage by sea, and meant increased trade for the U.S. the project was supported by President Theodore Roosevelt, and was an Economic gain for America, because of the worldwide trade by ship. -
The Gentleman’s Agreement with Japan
In 1907, after rising concerns over Japanese immigration to America, the Japanese and U.S governments agreed to limit immigration. The U.S said that they would not restrict immigration, as long as Japan agreed to not send any more immigrants over. No formal treaties were ever signed, and the agreement was reached by sending only 8 notes back and forth between governments. One of the biggest issues the U.S had with immigration was the segregation of schools. Part of Teddy Roosevelt’s compromise w