Department of History
The Fieldston School
AP United States History
Andrew Meyers
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Imperialism Timeline (Part I)
1823
Monroe Doctrine- J.Q. Adams asserts Amer. continents no longer a field for European colonization.
US will not interfere in Europe (Washington); Europe will not colonize or interfere in Americas
1845
Polk reasserts in Oregon and Texas; O’Sullivan coins “Manifest Destiny”
1857-8
US control of various Pacific islands
1867
Seward purchases Alaska (“Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Ice-box”); establishes control of Midway
1869
US attempts to buy Dominican Republic from Spain
1875
Economic and military control of Hawaii through a series of treaties
1878
Samoa: Pago-Pago base (along with Germany and great Britain) conflicts in 1889
1890s
Under Adm. Mahan US fleet is third largest in the world: protects markets, requires coaling stations
and ports
1893
Hawaii seeks independence with new constitution. Put down by US, Hawaii annexed
1894
Hawaii repeals US annexation
1898
Spanish-American War:
1896:
Spanish General Weyler ruthlessly puts down local revolt
“yellow journalism:” Hearst and Pulitzer
“Remember the Maine and to hell with Spain:” McKinley sends troops
TR and San Juan Hill: “A splendid little war” (10 weeks)
Dewey defeats Spanish fleet at Manila: “You may fire when ready, Gridley”
Dewey puts down Emilio Aguinaldo’s independence movement. Aguinaldo imprisoned (1902)
Treaty of Paris: Annexation of Philippines; $20 million to Spain
US control of Guam
1899
Open Door Policy: undermine European spheres of influence in China in favor of Chinese government
and other powers without such spheres (McKinley and Hay)
US control of American Samoa and Wake Island
1900
Platt Amendment to Cuban constitution: intervention to “protect” Cuban democracy
Hawaiians gain citizenship (becomes a territory in 1912)
Puerto Rico becomes a territory (citizenship, but not statehood, in 1917)
Boxer Rebellion in China: Chinese nationalists in Peking put down by western powers. Hay re-asserts
Open Door protection of Chinese independence, open markets and ports
1901
Lima v. Bidwell: annexation does not bestow citizenship
Hay-Paunceforte Treaty: British permission to build a canal connecting Gulf and Pacific
1903
Hay-Herran Treaty: Columbia to give 99 year lease of Panama area to US in exchange for $10 mill. and
$250,000/year. Not accepted by Columbian government.
TR supports (encourages?) Panamanian revolt by sending gunboats to aid Panamanians
US acquires canal zone from Panamanians (completed 1914)
US establishes Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba
1904
Roosevelt Corollary: misconduct or disturbance in a Latin American country will bring US intervention
to prevent European intervention. Concern over Latin debts to European powers
1909-33
US troops in Nicaragua
1910s
Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy;” promote US $ interests abroad. Influence thru economic strength
Taft-Katsura agreement (Japan gets Korea; US gets Philippines and South Pacific
1914
Panama Canal opens. Wilson pays Colombia according to Hay-Herran, decalring “Moral Diplomacy”