Kennedy, American Pageant, 15th Ed.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Empire and Expansion, 1890 - 1909
Intro
1. Read the chapter title. Highlight and mentally note the years that are covered in the chapter.
2. Read the introductory paragraphs that begin “In the years immediately following the Civil War, Americans remained
astonishingly indifferent to the outside world . . .” and highlight no more than two or three lines or phrases that summarize the
chapter.
3. Look over the “Chapter Review” and “Chronology” that are found at the end of the chapter. As you go about reading the
chapter, for each of the “Key Terms” and “People to Know” you should do the following:
a. Highlight the term or name.
b. Highlight or write out one to three key phrases to identify the term or name.
c. Highlight or write out the significance of each term or name. By significance, we mean the impact or effect that the person or
term made on other people – politically, economically, or socially. The significant effect may have been either immediate, or it
may have brought a longer lasting or even permanent change. (Or it may have had both an immediate and long range impact.)
Chapter Headings:
1. America Turns Outward
A. List at least three possible reasons (from this first paragraph) for the U.S. overseas expansion.
B. What other forces “whetted the popular appetite for overseas involvement”?
C. Identify Blaine’s Big Sister Policy.
D. List two diplomatic crises that contributed to a change in American outlook and diplomacy.
E. How did the Venezuelan Crisis lead to the Great Rapprochement?
2. Spurning the Hawaiian Pear
A. For what reasons did Hawaii become a coveted acquisition for the U.S.?
B. Identify the McKinley Tariff and its effects on U.S. Hawaiian relations.
C. What factors influenced Cleveland when he analyzed the opportunity for Hawaiian annexation?
3. Cubans Rise in Revolt
A. What events and interests led to U.S. military involvement in Cuba in the 1890s?
B. Identify: insurrectos, the Maine.
C. What factors did McKinley consider following the incident of the Maine, and what was his decision?
D. Identify: the Teller Amendment
4. Dewey’s May Day Victory at Manila
A. How and why did the U.S. engage in fighting in the Philippines?
B. How did events in the Philippines influence the U.S. course of action in Hawaii?
5. The confused invasion of Cuba
List key names and events related to the invasion. Identify: Rough Riders
6. America’s Course (Curse) of Empire
A. How did the U.S. gain possession of Puerto Rico?
B. What dilemma did McKinley face in the Philippines and what was his decision?
C. In the wake of McKinley’s decision, what fundamental question arose for Americans? List or highlight
leading names or quotes on both sides of the annexation question.
7. Perplexities in Puerto Rico and Cuba
A. What political status was Puerto Rico accorded by the U.S. before and after 1900? Identify: Foraker Act
B. What thorny legal questions arose with the annexation of Puerto Rico and the Philippines?
C. Identify: Insular Cases, Platt Amendment
8. The Puerto Ricans
A. Trace the keys that led to Puerto Rican citizenship in the U.S.
B. Characterize Puerto Ricans’ quality of life within the U.S.
9. New Horizons in Two Hemispheres
What was the impact of the Spanish-American-Cuban-Philippine war on the U.S.?
10. “Little Brown Brothers” in the Philippines
A. List American injustices in regards to the Philippines.
B. Did the U.S. do anything positive for the Philippines?
11. Hinging the Open Door in China
A. How did Russia and Japan influence U.S. opinions or actions involving the Far East, or what we now
call the Pacific Rim?
B. Identify: Open Door Note (and analyze it), Boxer Rebellion
C. What was the U.S. response to the Boxer Rebellion? Evaluate the response.
12. The Filipinos
Test yourself! Look away from this handout and the text and spell Philippines and Filipino.
List positive and negative effects of U.S. imperialism in the Philippines, including the effect on Filipinos
who emigrated to the United States.
13. Imperialism or Bryanism in 1900?
Explain who won the election of 1900 and use the text and your own common sense to evaluate why
the winner won.
14. TR. Brandisher of the Big Stick
List or highlight key phrases to characterize Theodore Roosevelt including where he worked as a cowboy
and was transformed into a real man.
15. Building the Panama Canal
List factors that influenced U.S. policy in Central America and details of how T.R. enabled Panamanian
independence and the building of the Panama Canal.
16. TR’s Perversion of Monroe’s Doctrine: Explain the heading, and the Roosevelt Corollary
17. Roosevelt on the World Stage
A. Briefly outline the course of the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905.
B. What were the pros and cons of the treaty that Russia and Japan signed at war’s end?
18. Japanese Laborers in California
A. What racist measures were taken within the United States against people of Asian ancestry?
B. How did these measures affect U.S. foreign relations?
C. Identify Great White Fleet and the Root Takahira agreement.
19. The Age of Empire
If you don’t already know all of this, you either flunked ninth grade World History or bribed your
teacher. Highlight (a) causes for imperialism (b) justification for imperialism (c) additional motives for
imperialism
20. Varying Viewpoints: Why Did America Become a World Power?
Highlight this section and remember the material for a true-false exercise that is based on it.