1. Imperialism Vocab US History Honors

2. imperialism: the policy by which strong nations extend their political, military, and economic control over weaker territories annex: to incorporate a territory into an existing political unit, such as a state or a nation Alfred T. Mahan: military historian and an officer in the US Navy; who wrote a book “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History” he called upon America to build a great fleet

3. William Hearst & Joseph Pulitzer: newspaper editors who heightened the public’s dislike of the Spanish government by using yellow journalism yellow journalism (yellow press): the use of sensationalized and exaggerated reporting by newspapers to attract readers jingoism: aggressive nationalism sensationalism: to arouse an intense emotional response

4. Spanish American War: US went to war with Spain to help Cuba win its independence (aka: “Splendid Little War”) USS Maine: US Navy ship destroyed by unknown reasons but it led the US to declare war on Spain Rough Riders: volunteer cavalry unit who fought in a famous land battle on San Juan Hill Buffalo Soldiers: all black regiment of the Spanish American War

5. Treaty of Paris: ended the Spanish American War; Spain freed Cuba, turned over the islands of Guam and Puerto Rico to the US and sold the Philippines to the US for $20 million

6. Open Door Policy: reflected three American beliefs: (1) growth of US economy based on exports (2) US had a right to intervene abroad to keep foreign markets open and (3) feared that the closing of an area to American products, citizens, or ideas threatened US survival Boxer Rebellion: 1900 rebellion in which members of a Chinese secret society sought to free their country from Western influence

7. Platt Amendment: a series of provisions that the US insisted that Cuba add to its new Constitution, commanding Cuba to stay out of debt and giving the US the right to intervene in the country and the right to buy or lease Cuban land for naval and fueling stations Roosevelt Corollary: official American policy stated that disorder in Latin America could force the US to send its military into Latin American nations to protect American economic interests (aka Big Stick Policy)

8. Dollar Diplomacy: refers to the policy of using the US government to guarantee loans made to foreign countries by American business people Moral Diplomacy: US had a moral responsibility to deny recognition to any Latin American government it viewed as oppressive, undemocratic or hostile to the United States