The Emergence of the United States
in World Affairs
1890-1914
Vocabulary
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Imperialism : establishment of political or economic control over other countries
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Communism : a political system in which the state owns all land, factories, and
business
Domino effect : one event begins a chain of similar events
Propaganda: ideas, facts or allegation spread to further one’s cause or to damage
an opposing cause
Socialism: a system in which the means of production and distribution of goods
are controlled by the state
Capitalism: a system in which goods, investments and businesses are owned
privately
Progressivism: a movement that believes that government should solve social,
economic, and political problems
International : relating to many nations
Populism : a political philosophy that focuses on meeting the needs of the
common people
Progressivism : a reform movement that wanted to solve political, economic, and
social problems
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Motives for Imperialism
• To expand economically
• To gain political power (competing with other
nations)
• To gain military power (competing with other
nations)
• To satisfy feelings of nationalism
Building an Empire
• Alaska, 1867
• Seward’s Folly/ Seward’s Icebox
• Purchased from Russia for 7.2 million
• It was highly contested in Congress
• it was generally thought to be useless, but later proved to be an
excellent addition.
• Hawaii, 1893
• Queen Liliuokalani was overthrown by American sugar planters in
Hawaii (Sanford B. Dole). The US did believe US control of Hawaii
was essential for trade with Asia and did not want another
country to claim Hawaii.
Spanish-American War
• Spanish rule of Cuba
• Spanish ruled Cuba harshly
• Yellow Journalism = newspapers and magazines that used
sensational headlines to sell papers
• Joseph Pulitzer
• William Randolph Hearst
• In order to sell papers both Pulitzer and Hearst used any tactic
they could including dishonest and exaggerated reporting to try
and out sell one another.
• Because of William Randolph Hearst’s exaggerated reporting his
papers were able to turn public opinion against Spain and helped
to cause the Spanish-American War.
Spanish-American War
• William Randolph Hearst told the artist, Frederic Remington, “You
furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war.”
• William Randolph Hearst’s papers also published the
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De Lome Letter = which was written by the Spanish
Ambassador, Enrique de Lome, in which he criticized
US President McKinley; the publication of the letter
only angered the American public even more toward
Spain.
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The letter stated that President “. . .McKinley is, weak and a
bidder for the admiration of the crowd. . .”
Spanish-American War
• The Cubans begin a war for freedom against the Spanish.
• The United States sends ships to observe the Cubans fighting against the
Spanish
• The USS Maine explodes in Havana Harbor, Cuba
• “Remember the Maine”
became the rallying cry for the war
World Power
• Territories
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Hawaii
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American planters had organized the overthrow of the
monarch
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Philippines
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War erupts between the Philippines and the US over
the Philippine’s desire to be independent
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William H. Taft was first governor
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Becomes independent nation
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Puerto Rico
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Becomes territory of the United States and its people
become citizens in 1917
Panama Canal
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The Spanish-American War had shown the US the need to have a way to quickly sent
warships from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans (France had already attempted to
build a canal)
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Panama was part of Colombia
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United States tries to negotiate a canal treaty with Colombia
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Colombia refuses
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Panama has a revolution backed by the United States
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10 years of construction followed
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Thousands died of accidents and disease while
canal
building the