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Imperialism (1890-1914) and World War I (1914-1919)
Your overall guiding question:
Is an imperialist U.S. a good thing or a bad thing? Why?
F D C B A
Imperialism & WWI test: vocabulary
Imperialism & WWI test: understanding the content
Imperialism & WWI test: understanding the overall guiding question
Overview:
The United States would grow increasingly imperialistic after the Civil War, culminating with our
involvement in World War I. The American government increasingly supported expansion
because of Social Darwinism, jingoism, the arguments of Frederick Jackson Turner and Alfred
T. Mahan, and the pursuit of new markets and new sources of raw materials. All of these social,
economic, and military reasons apply to the process of the US annexing Hawaii.
imperialism
Social Darwinism
jingoism
Frederick Jackson Turner
Alfred T. Mahan
“Seward’s Folly”
Sanford Dole
Queen Liliuokalani
US involvement in the Spanish-American War was due to sympathy for Cuban rebels and
feeling disrespected by Spain. Public opinion in America in support of war was encouraged by
yellow journalism. During the war, the US is convinced that a shorter route is needed from the
Pacific to the Atlantic and Teddy Roosevelt becomes popular nationally by leading the Rough
Riders. As a result of the war, the US gains new land, new influence in Cuba, new internal
debate over imperialism, and worldwide recognition as the newest empire.
yellow journalism
William Randolph Hearst
Joseph Pulitzer
De Lôme letter
U.S.S. Maine
Rough Riders
Treaty of Paris
Platt Amendment
Anti-Imperialism League
US imperialism in the Western Hemisphere was much more aggressive than US imperialism in
Asia, where the goal was economic expansion. Teddy Roosevelt’s Big Stick diplomacy often
used the military to be a sort of police force in the Caribbean, a goal he stated in his Roosevelt
Corollary. His successor, Taft, relied on investment and loans more so to control weaker areas,
known as Dollar diplomacy. The Moral diplomacy of the next president, Wilson, focused more
on spreading the ideals of democracy, though his involvement in Mexico seemed more
obsession than idealism.
spheres of influence
Boxer Rebellion
Open Door Policy
Big Stick diplomacy
Panama Canal
Roosevelt Corollary
Dollar diplomacy
Moral diplomacy (a.k.a. Missionary diplomacy)
Pancho Villa
When World War I broke out in Europe between the Allied Powers and the Central Powers, the
United States declared neutrality. The U.S. was involved in lucrative trade and loans to both
sides, especially the Allies. The neutrality was challenged by German u-boats that would attack
ships with Americans on board in the Atlantic, most notably the Lusitania. These attacks,
combined with the Zimmerman note threatening the American Southwest and the Russian
Revolution ending the autocracy of Russia, led Woodrow Wilson to ask Congress for war “to
make the world safe for democracy” in 1917.
militarism
alliances
imperialism
nationalism
Archduke Ferdinand
Allies
Central Powers
u-boat
Lusitania
Zimmerman note
Russian Revolution
In the US, this was a popular war. Overall, government powers expanded in this war. Wilson
used the Selective Service Act to get soldiers for war and sold liberty bonds to pay for much of
the war. Both were advertised to the public through propaganda. The Espionage and Sedition
Acts would be challenged by Schenk v. U.S., where free speech would be officially limited to
anything not presenting “a clear and present danger.” Women’s role in the war effort would be
rewarded with the 19th Amendment.
Selective Service Act
liberty bonds
propaganda
Espionage Act
Sedition Act
Schenk v. U.S.
19th Amendment
A lot of the technology that first emerged in the Civil War came to define World War I, such as
trenches. A new technology, tanks, would be depended upon for attacks against trench
warfare. The weapons of war were increasingly impersonal and deadly, such as mustard gas.
trench warfare
With the help of the U.S., the Allies won World War I. Woodrow Wilson took his Fourteen Points
to meet with the other Big Four leaders of the Allies in Versailles, but found that they were more
interested in punishing Germany more than preventing another war. Wilson’s idea for a League
of Nations would be adopted. Republicans in Congress such as Henry Cabot Lodge would
never approve the Treaty of Versailles and join the League of Nations because of Wilson’s
disregard for domestic issues while in Europe and his disregard for Republican input during the
treaty negotiations. Because of the trade and loans made to Europe, the U.S. would find itself
among the wealthiest countries in the world.
Big Four
Fourteen Points
Treaty of Versailles
League of Nations
Henry Cabot Lodge