 On July 8, 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry led a small fleet of American warships into Edo Bay, in Japan. › Japan had been almost a closed country for 200 years, thus didn’t know about the industrial revolution › Brought letter that said the U.S. wanted peace, but surrounded the bay with warships › At first only agree that stranded sailors can get supplies, but eventually Japan is opened up to trade  Japan was key to American Foreign Policy in Asia

 Fundamentals of U.S. Foreign Policy- Pg. 216  Washington favored neutrality. › the policy of not taking sides in wars between other nations  The Monroe Doctrine › "the American continents" were closed to "future colonization by any European powers." He also stated that the United States would consider European interference in the new Latin American republics "as dangerous to our peace and safety." › non-colonization [ non-colonization: President James Monroe's policy of warning European powers against future colonization in the Western Hemisphere ] and non- interference [non-interference: President James Monroe's policy of warning European powers against interference in Latin American republics] in the Western Hemisphere

 Louisiana Territory purchased- From France  1819, U.S. diplomats persuaded Spain to cede [cede: to give up or grant land to another country, typically by treaty] Florida to the United States, and Oregon from the British  Alaska purchased from Russia- Seward’s Folly 1867

 The Annexation of Texas › Texas apart of Mexico- becomes an independent colony during Mexican Revolution › Texas declares itself an independent country  Texas Revolution: the 1836 rebellion of Texans against Mexican rule › The Alamo- Mexicans vs. Texans › Eventually Texas becomes apart of the U.S. which angers Mexico. › Polk tries to buy territory then can’t, so provokes fighting and starts the Mexican War  the war with Mexico from 1846 to 1847, resulting in Mexico ceding to the United States a huge region from Texas to California  Treaty- $ for Mexican Territory

 U.S. now reaches the Pacific Ocean and wants to go further.- Trade with China and Japan  Europeans were expanding markets by acquiring lands from Asia and Africa  New wave of colonization known as imperialism: empire building › In 1867, the United States claimed the uninhabited Midway Islands › In 1899, the Samoan islands were divided between Germany and the United States.