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Causes
Humanitarian Concerns
Yellow Journalism
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Joseph Pulitzer
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William Randolph Hearst
Protect U.S. economic interest in Cuba
De Lôme Letter called McKinley “weak”
Sinking of the U.S.S. Maine
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Results
U.S. get Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam
Cuba became a virtual U.S. protectorate
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Why the War is Considered a Turning Point
Ended Spanish colonial empire in America
Saw emergence of US as a world Power

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Reasons for Colonial Expansion
Need for raw materials and markets
Colonies would help U.S. naval strength
Nationalism – show other nations how strong U.S. had become
Missionaries sought to spread Christianity
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Wrote The Influences of Sea Power upon History
Argued for making U.S. into a world power
U.S. needed a strong navy to protect its colonial interests.

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Philippines – Filipinos rebel and resist U.S. rule
Hawaii – Queen Liliuokalani tried to take political power back from the American landowners. Sandford Dole led to provisional government while it worked out U.S. annexation.
Pacific Islands – Guam, Samoa, Midway serve as refueling stations

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China European powers establish “spheres of influence” in China
John Hay’s Open Door Policy
Boxer Rebellion (1900) – uprising by Boxers against Western influence in China; foreign interventions suppresses the uprising
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Japan – Commodore Perry opens Japan to trade and ends Japan’s traditional isolation
Treaty of Portsmouth 1905 – T. Roosevelt negotiated between Russia and Japan after Japan wins the Russo-Japanese War.

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Reasons for U.S. Interest in Caribbean
Hemispheric security
America acquires Puerto Rico and establishes indirect control of
Cuba
Protect its economic investments
Panama Canal
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Construction of Panama Canal
President T. Roosevelt helps Panamanians rebel against Colombia for a Canal Zone
U.S takes 10 years to construct canal, ends the need for a twoocean navy.
Dr Walter Reed discovered that yellow fever was spread by mosquitoes and Dr William Gorgas ordered all swamps drained, vegetation cut down, and all standing water sprayed with oil to prevent breeding of mosquitoes
Caribbean as an “American Lake”

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Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine
The US would act as international police power
Big Stick Policy
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Taft’s Dollar Diplomacy
American investment to promote American foreign policy
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Wilson’s “Watchful Waiting” Policy
Refused to recognize Mexico’s new government
Pancho Villa killed people in Columbus NM, Wilson sent the American Expeditionary Force led by General John
Pershing to apprehend him

European Causes: nationalism, imperialism, militarism, and alliance system
Spark starting WWI was the assassination of Archduke
Franz Ferdinand
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Reason for US intervention in the War.
Closer ties with Britain and France
German actions and propaganda
Zimmerman telegram/note
Violation of Freedom of the Seas
Sinking of the Lusitania/Sussex Pledge
Use of unrestricted submarine warfare

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New weapons and tactics: submarines * early tanks machine guns * poison gas air planes * trench warfare
Selective Service Act allowed national government to draft men to serve in the war
American Expeditionary Force US troops sent to Europe to defeat Germany
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Battle of Argonne Forest major battle of WWI. Germany was defeated
Alvin York was awarded the Congressional Medal of
Honor

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Wilson’s Fourteen Points proposed by Wilson as a basis for the peace treaty
Create new nation-states: Poland
Break up Austria-Hungary
Freedom of the Seas
No secret treaties, open diplomacy
League of Nations
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Versailles and other treaties ended the war and dealt harshly with Germany
Germany lost its colonies and had to pay reparations
Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Turkey were broken up into separate nation-states
League of Nations created

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Archduke Franz Ferdinand – his assassination sparked the start of WWI
John Pershing – Commanded the American
Expeditionary Force during WWI
Woodrow Wilson – US President during WWI, issued Fourteen Points, and strongly supported US participation in the League of Nations
Henry Cabot Lodge – US Senator who led the fight against joining the League of Nations