CHAPTER
21
Reaching Out
Years 1865-1917
United States annexed
United States purchased
Alaska from Russia
Spanish-American War
Roosevelt
Corollary declared
1867
1898
1904
Hawaii
Gold discovered in the
Yukon
Alaska
President Wilson
sent troops
to Mexico
1917
Open-Door Policy
Panama Canal
completed
1899
1914
1. The United States and the
World, 1865-1900
Learn these important t erms :
Monroe Doctrine
imperialism
Remember the main ide a:
By
the turn of the century, Americans were feeling patriotic about their
country. The United States had become a great industrial power. The
young country had emerged from the
Civil War with a strong and secure
government. It seemed only natural
that America should take its rightful
place among the powerful nations of
the world.
In this chapter you will learn what
actions the United States took to
become a world power. Other nations
had already acquired colonies in the
undeveloped areas of the world. Nations with colonies gained power,
wealth, and new sources of trade. To
compete with these nations, Americans reached beyond their shores to
acquire new territories, power, and
influence overseas.
As you read, you will learn about
laws, old and new, that stated the
right of America to become involved in
other countries. You will read about a
war that started, in part, because of
such involvement. You will also read
about some battles that could have
become wars but didn't. Finally, you
will learn about the new American territories gained between the years of
1865 and 1917.
Betw een 1865 and 1900, America
was b ecoming a world power. During these years, the United States
gained new territories .
Look for answers t o these
questions :
1 . How did the United States help
Mexico and Venezuela during
the late 1800s?
2. Why did Americans want to acquire overseas territories?
3. How did Hawaii become a part
of the United States?
The Monroe Doctrine of 1823 warned
European nations to stay out of the Americas. Until the 1860s, the United States
was ready to enforce this doctrine whenever necessary.
However, once America became occupied with the Civil War, it could not look
beyond its own borders. To the south, the
Mexican government had little money
after its own civil war. The Mexican leader , Benito Juarez (HWAH-rez), stopped
payment on Mexico's debt to France. In
return, French troops invaded Mexico .
The French then replaced Juarez with
an emperor, the Austrian archduke Maximilian (MAX-suh-MIL-yun) . President
Chapter 21
441
Think:: Purchase of Alaska was created by the American-history painter Emanuel Leutze to commemorate the
signing of the contract in 1867. William Seward, Secretary of State, offers his pen to the Russian representative,
shown touching the globe. Respond: Why were Seward's critics wrong about the purchase?
Lincoln did not try to stop France because
American troops were needed in the Civil
War. But when the war ended, fifty thousand American soldiers were sent to the
Mexican border. France did not want war
with the United States. The French troops
left Mexico in 1867, and Mexico was
again an independent nation.
In 1895, the United States once again
found it necessary to enforce the Monroe
Doctrine. The cause of the problem was
the boundary between British Guiana
(gee-AN-uh) and Venezuela (VEN-uhZWAY-luh) . In 1895, Venezuela asked the
United States to help solve its dispute
with Great Britain .
President Grover Cleveland wanted to
form an international commission to solve
the problem. Great Britain refused. Presi442
UNIT 7
dent Cleveland threatened to appoint an
all-American commission to decide the
boundary. This made it clear that the
United States was ready to enforce a decision, if necessary. Great Britain gave in,
and a special commission was formed to
solve the boundary dispute.
America Acquires New Territories
Many Americans laughed when the
secretary of state, William Seward, pur~
chased Alaska from Russia in 1867. They
called the purchase Seward's Folly or
Seward's Icebox. Secretary Seward paid
seven million dollars, or about two cents
per acre, for this vast land. About thirty
years later, Americans realized what a
great bargain this was.
In 1897, gold was discovered in the
Yukon territory near the border of Canada
and Alaska. A great gold rush started.
Thousands of miners struggled across the
dangerous Chilkoot Pass to get to the
Yukon. Many died of starvation or
extreme cold . Some struck it rich . Later
on, Americans began to settle Alaska .
They discovered rich s upplies of fish,
furs, lumber, coal, and oil. Buying Alaska
turned out to be one of the best deals ever
made by the United States.
At the time of the Alaskan gold rush,
some European nations were developing
overseas empires . Nations such as Great
Britain, France, and the Netherlands had
taken over large areas of Africa and Asia.
An increasing number of Americans
believed that the United States should
also acquire overseas territories . By the
1890s, some Americans began to believe
in imperialism (ihm-PIHR-ee-uHz-um) .
Imperialism is the idea that a nation
needs many colonies and territories to be
rich and powerful.
It was felt that the United States
needed colonies to take its place alongside other world powers. Moreover, undeveloped lands were often rich in raw
materials. American industries needed
these raw materials for their factories.
Colonies also provided a market, or seIling place, for American products.
Those who wanted to expand said the
United States needed islands in the Pacific Ocean. Trading ships and navy ships
needed places to stop for fue l, water, and
other supplies. In 1867, the United States
acquired Midway Island in the Pacific. In
1887, the United States also built a naval
base at Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii.
Think In the political cartoon below. Carl Schurz, a political reConner, tries to give Uncle Sam some
anti-expansion medicine. Look for clues that s how the cartoon's attitude about expansion . Respond: What views
does the cartoon express, and what symbols does it use to e xpress them?
Chapter 21
443
HISTORY MAKERS
- - - Lydia Kamekeha Liliuokalani - - The Last Queen of Hawaii
"Now, Madam, here
are our terms . If you
will agree to give up
any and all claims to
the throne, we will pardon the rebels . If you
will not agree, we will
shoot them. The fate of
two hundred prisoners
is in your hands. You
have the power to free
the m or to end their lives."
The room was very still as the
Queen considered the offer. The only
sounds were made by guards marching back and forth in front of her
door . Since she had been brought to
the palace ten days earlier, no one,
not even the Bishop, had been
allowed to see her. She had not
encouraged the uprising to restore
her to the throne, but once it started,
she had hoped it might succeed without any bloodshed. The rebels had
fought hard, but they were not well
organized or well trained.
She sighed deeply. There was only
one answer she could give the Provisional government. The men who
had risked their lives for her and for
their country could not be left to die.
Slowly she looked around the small
room that was her prison.
" Very well, gentlemen. I accept
your terms . I renounce all claims
444
UNIT 7
to the throne of Hawaii, now and forever ."
Queen Liliuokalani
was the last ruling
member of Hawaiian
royalty. In 1893, a
group of American
businesspeople living
and working in Hawaii
had seized control of
the government. They
wanted Hawaii to become a possession of the United States. The United
States, however, did not cooperate,
and in 1894 the Americans established the Republic of Hawaii. Most
Hawaiians were unhappy with the new
government. Early in 1895 a group of
Hawaiians rebelled, trying to restore
Queen Liliuokalani to the throne . The
rebellion was short and unsuccessful, and the queen gave up the throne
in exchange for her supporters' lives.
In 1898, when the United States
annexed Hawaii, Queen Liliuokalani
wrote the song, "Aloha Oe" (Farewell to Thee) . She and her people
were saddened by the change in
Hawaiian government. As a United
States territory, Hawaii had only partial self-government. However, sixtyone years later, Hawaiians joyfully
regained
self-government when
Hawaii became the fiftieth state of
the Union .
Hawaii Becomes a Part of
the United States
Americans had been interested in the
Hawaiian Islands for many years. Since
the early 1820s, America n trading ships
had stopped in Hawaii. Many American
missionaries had settled there to convert
Hawaiians to Christianity. Their descendants built cattle ranches and huge sugar
plantations. It was not long before the
suger planters became quite powerful.
In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani (iih-LEE uh -woh-kah-LAH-nee), tried to bring her
country back under the rule of Hawaiians.
She introduced government reforms to
take away the power of the planters.
Alarmed, the Americans revolted . Backed
by marines from the U.S.S. Boston, the
Americans took control of the government. They asked President Cleveland to
take over Hawaii .
President Cleveland turned down their
request and ordered the marines to leave
Hawaii. The Americans in Hawaii stayed
in control of the government, however.
They declared Hawaii a republic. Finally
in 1898, Congress voted to make Hawaii
part of the United States.
2. The Spanish-American War
Learn these important t enns :
sensationalism
Rough Riders
Platt Amendment
Remember the m ain idea:
In 1898, the United States fought
and won the Spanish-American
War. As a result, the United States
gained many new territories .
Look for answers t o these
questions:
1. Why were Americans eager for
war with Spain?
2. What new territories clid the
United States gain after the
Spanish-American War?
3. How clid the United States
govern each of these new
ter ritories?
Section Re view
1. How clid the United States u se
the Monroe Doctrine to help
Mexico? How did President
Cleveland use the Monroe
Doctrine?
2. Why was having colonies important to a nation?
3. What caused Americans to
change their minds about the
purchase of Alaska?
4. Why did Americans in Hawaii
take control of the Hawaiian
government?
In 1895, the people of Cuba revolted
against Spanish rule . Cuba, an island
ninety miles from Florida, was Spain's
most prized co lony. To crush the revolt,
the Spanish government put many Cubans into prison camps. Thousands of
them died from disease and hunger.
Americans learned about th e rebellion
in Cuba from the newspapers. The news
stories contained many examples of violent acts against the Cubans by the
Spanish soldiers. It was true that the
Spanish were cruel in putting down the
revolt. However, many newspaper stories
were exaggerated. Exciting headlines
Chapter 21
445
Havana, Cuba. The cause of the explosion
was unknown. However, Hearst's newspaper, and many other American papers,
immediately called for war with Spain.
/
/,
JOURNALISM
,
...
,
f
.~~
_.
Think : E. W. Kemble's cartoon takes a strong stance
against sensational news, or yellow journalism.
Respond: Why do you think yellow journalism is
something to be feared?
sold more papers, and newspapers competed with one another for customers.
There were two main rival newspapers
in New York, the New York Journal and
the New York World. Each relied heavily
on sensationalism, or appealing to peopie's emotions, to sell newspapers . William Hearst, publisher of the Journal, was
sure the United States would declare war
on Spain. He sent a reporter and an illustrator, the great Frederic Remington, to
Cuba to report on the fighting.
From Cuba, Remington sent a telegram
to Hearst saying that things were quiet
and he wanted to come home . Hearst sent
back a reply ordering him to stay. The
telegram said: "You furnish the pictures
and I'll furnish the war."
On February 15, 1898, the American
battleship Maine blew up in the harbor of
446
UNIT 7
The United States Goes to War
The U.s.S. Maine had been sent to
Cuba to protect the lives and property of
Americans. The explosion killed 260
American sailors. No one ever found out
how the Maine blew up, but most Americans blamed the Spanish government.
This was the least likely explanation,
because Spain was trying desperately to
avoid war with the United States. A more
likely explanation is that Cuban rebels
planted the bomb. It is possible that these
rebels wanted to push the United States
into a war with Spain. Eager for a colonial
empire and encouraged by the newspapers, many Americans called for war.
President McKinley tried to keep the
United States out of war. In March of
1898, he sent a note to the Spanish,
demanding an end to the fighting in
Cuba. On April 9, the Spanish government agreed to McKinley's demands, but
it was too late. The American public was
too angry and demanded war. President
McKinley gave in to the spreading war
fever. On April 11, he asked Congress to
declare war on Spain. Thus, the SpanishAmerican War began. Fighting broke out
on two fronts, Cuba and the Philippine
Islands (FILL-uh-PEEN) .
The War on Land and at Sea
The first battles of the war took place in
the Philippines. On May 1, 1898, the
Spanish fleet was destroyed in Manila
Bay. The Americans lost no men or ships .
While fighting was taking place on the
sea in the Philippines, fighting on land
was beginning in Cuba. The American
army was small and unprepared for war.
Think~ Although the
cause of the blast that
sunk: the USS Maine
was never discovered,
some American
newspapers were quick
to blame Spain. But
Spanish effons to
rescue the ship's crew
were not reported in
any American papers.
Respond: Why did the
newspapers act as they
did? Do you agree with
their reasons?
Think' American and Spanish ships exchange fire in James Tyler's dramatic painting, The Battle of Manila Bay.
The United States had joined the war to free the Cubans, but gained Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippine
Is lands. Respond: Why did some Americans think it was wrong to take these islands?
a fierce attack on one side of the hill. The
Rough Riders, led by Theodore Roosevelt,
charged up the center of the hill . Thus,
the Spanish troops were defeated and San
Juan Hill was captured. By the next day,
the American army had forced the
Spanish troops back down to the city of
Santiago. The Battle of San Juan Hill
made Teddy Roosevelt a popular hero .
On July 3, Spanish ships tried to escape
from the Santiago harbor. These ships
were stopped by an American fleet, which
completely destroyed the Spanish fleet .
On July 17, the Spanish commander surrendered and the war in Cuba was over.
The United States immediately went on to
capture Puerto Rico .
In August of 1898, American troops
again turned their full attention to the
Only eighteen thousand soldiers, including four black regiments, were sent to
Cuba. Many of the soldiers were volunteers who had enlisted as war began.
One of the volunteer units was led by
Theodore Roosevelt, who had resigned as
assistant secretary of the navy. Roosevelt's volunteer unit, which included personal friends and cowboys, was called the
Rough Ri ders. The Rough Riders took part
in the most famous battle of the war, the
Battle of San Juan Hill. [San J u an Hill was
used by the Spanish to defend Santiago
(SAHN-tee-AH-goh). a city on the southern coast of Cuba. Most of the Spanish
troops in Cuba were stationed there.]
On July 1, 1898, American soldiers
attacked the Spanish army defending San
Juan Hill. A regiment of black soldiers led
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR, 1898
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448
UNIT 7
•
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SEA
Thin Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders were considered heroes after their victory at San Juan Hill. The
print above, from a watercolor by W. G. Read , is a fictionalized account of w hat happened . The real event was
less sensational. ResplJIld Who are some of today's heroes, and what have they done?
Philippines. This time they fought successfully on land . They immediately captured the Spanish fort. The SpanishAmerican War was over on both fronts.
The war had lasted only four months,
but unsanitary conditions and tropical
diseases in Cuba killed many American
soldiers. Of the Americans killed in the
war, 379 died in combat and 5,083 died of
diseases.
The United States Gains Many
New Territorie s
In the peace treaty that ended the war,
Spain gave Cuba its independence. The
United States acquired Puerto Rico, the
islands of Wake and Guam, and the Philippine Islands. In return for the Philippines, the United States paid Spain twenty million dollars .
Chapter 21
449
Think: This political
cartoon shows the
United States as a
protector of the
Philippine Islands.
Respond : What did
the creator of the
cartoon want people
to think?
Americans did not agree on what to do
with their new colonies. Some Americans
wanted to take over all of the Spanish colonies and govern them as an American
empire. Many other Americans felt that
ruling other lands was violating the principles of the Constitution.
The people who lived in America's new
territories did not become citizens of the
United States. They enjoyed only those
rights given to them by Congress. The
island of Guam, for example, was governed by the navy.
From 1898 to 1902, the United States
governed Cuba, and American soldiers
were stationed there. American and Cuban doctors worked together to find a
cure for the deadly disease, yellow fever.
Major William Gorgas (GORE-gus) and
450
UNIT 7
Dr. Walter Reed discovered that mosquitoes carried the disease. By having the
mosquitoes destroyed, the doctors were
able to wipe out yellow fever.
Cuba became independent in 1902, but
it was a conditional independence. To get
American troops to leave, Cuban leaders
had to approve the Platt Amendment,
This law was passed by Congress in
1901. It gave the United States certain
rights in Cuba. Most importantly, it
allowed the United States to intervene
whenever political troubles threatened
Cuba's independence.
Governing the Philippines was a much
more difficult task. Before the SpanishAmerican War, Filipino rebels were fighting for independence from Spain. After
the Spanish left, the rebels were determined to gain independence. Led by
Emilio Aguinaldo (ah-gwee-NAHL-doh)
tbe rebels started a new revolt, this time
against the Americans . By 1900, American forces in the Philippines had to be
increased to seventy thousand. It was a
long and bloody struggle. Finally, in
March 1901 , Aguinaldo was captured.
The revolt was over. A new government
under the control of the United States was
established.
Section Review
1. How did newspaper stories
about the Cuban revolution influence Americans?
2. Why was the Battle of San Juan
Hill important? Who led the U.S .
soldiers?
3. Who governed Cuba after the
Spanish-American War?
4 . What happened in the Philippines after the Spanish were
defeated?
KILLS FOCUS:
Here is an advertisement from
an 1897 San Francisco newspaper.
Sensible People Will Not Accept
Substitutes
Pond's Extract The Old
Reliable Remedy
Can Be Used With Perfect Safety For
Insect Bites, Sunburn, and Summer
Complaints
IT IS UNEQUALED
From a prominent druggist's journal:
"Beware of worthless imJtations said
to be just as good as Pond's."
Although the 1897 advertisement
doesn't have today's bright artwork
and catchy jingles, both old and new
advertisements represent a form of
propaganda. Propaganda is any information distributed to convince
people that an idea is right.
The Pond's advertisement claims
that sensible people will not use anything else, and who wants to be
thought insensible? The ad also reassures people about the product's
safety and quotes an unnamed expert. Think about how the advertisements of today are similar to the
Pond advertisement.
Today, most propaganda comes in
the form of advertising, but it also
comes in other forms. Some newspapers print articles that present only
one side of an issue.
Today's newspapers more often
present facts than propaganda .
Newspapers of the 1890s were different, however. In that time some
rival newspapers tried to increase
readership by using unfair methods.
Those methods often included printing stories that were exaggerated or
even untrue . Newspaper owners
hoped curiosity about such headlines
as "Spanish Feed Cuban Prisoners to
Sharks" would make people want to
read their newspapers. William Randolph Hearst was the owner of such a
newspaper, the New York Journal.
Hearst believed that the United
States should fight against Spain to
free the nearby island of Cuba. He
used propaganda in his newspaper
to convince his readers that war was
indeed necessary.
When a reporter for Hearst's rival
paper wrote the following article,
Hearst at once hired him, at an
increased salary, to work for the
New York Journal.
No man's life. no mall ' ~ property
is safe. American citizt.:n~ ar....· imprisoned or slain without cause. Ameri can propcrt r is <..k~l rO~'L'd un all
sides.
Blood on the roadsides.
blood in the fields, blood on the
doorsteps. blood. hlood . blood' .
A Ibattlefield I lies within eight)'
miles of tht.: Aml'rictn coa~l. Nut a
" rord frolll \\ 'ashington! Not a sign
from the presidelll!
o What country is the article
talking about?
f:I
What word is repeated in the
article to stir up people's
feelings?
iJ
What do you think the writer of
article wants the reader to do?
Chapter 21
451
3. The United States and the
World, 1900-1917
Learn these important terms:
Open-Door Policy
Isthmus of Panama
Roosevelt Corollary
Boxers
Canal Zone
dollar diplomacy
Remember the main idea:
In the early 1900s, Americans took
an interest in the rest of the world.
They were involved in China, built
the Panama Canal, and used their
influence in Latin America.
Look for answers to these
questions:
1. What was America's Open-Door
Policy? Whose idea was it?
2 . Why was the Panama Canal important to the United States?
3. How did Theodore Roosevelt use
the Monroe Doctrine in Latin
America?
While the United States was gaining
new territories, other nations were trying
to gain control of China. Britai n , France,
Germ an y, Russia, and Japan had each
claimed a part of China for t rade and
investment. The United States did not
want China to be seized and divided into
colon ies. Nor did it want to lose its own
trade with China.
In 1899, John Hay, the American secretary of state, sent a note to the Europ ean
452
UNIT 7
n ations . He asked them not to seize territory in Ch ina and to agree to equal trading rights for all nations. This agreement
w as calle d the Open-Door Policy. Only
Great Britain agreed to Hay's request.
Th e other European nations were not willing to agree completely. Nevertheless,
J oh n Hay h oped they might support his
Open-Door Policy.
The Boxer Rebellion
The Chinese did not want to be ruled by
European nations. Many of them formed a
group called the Boxer s t~>-le~.move­
ment against all foreigners in--China•. In
1900, the Boxers tried to force all foreigners to leave China. Some westerners were
murderect:se;;'en nations, including Great
Britain, France, and Japan, joined the
United States in sending troops to China.
This international force quickly ended the
Boxer Rebellion.
Afterwards, several European nations
w anted to take over China completely.
Think: The print below s hows the Boxer troops
fig htin g successfully. Respond : Why do you think the
Chinese artist show ed the Boxers as victorious when
the y lost the war?
Thil
The labor of 35,000 men resulted in the Panama Canal. Engineering expenise came from John Stevens
and George Goethals. William Gorgas removed the threat of yellow fever.
How did President Roosevelt
contribute to the Canal's comp letion?
But Secretary Hay refused to agree to
this. Instead, he suggested that China
repay European nations for their losses,
rather than give up its land. The European nations accepted Hay's suggestion.
China remained an independent nation.
Building the Panama Canal
After the Spanish-American War, the
United States owned many new territories in both the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans. For ships to get from one ocean to
the other, however, they had to sail
around South America. This was a long
and difficult journey. The French had
tried to build a canal across the Isthmus of
Panama , a narrow strip of land joining
North and South America . The isthmus
was then a part of Colombia. Building the
canal was a difficult job, and the French
finally gave up.
When Theodore Roosevelt became
president in 1901, he convinced Congress
that the United States should build the
canal. America offered Colombia ten million dollars for the right to build the canal.
Colombia refused the offer.
However, revolution soon broke out in
Panama. Panama declared its independence from Colombia. Roosevelt then
Chapter 21
453
THE UNITED STATES AS A WORLD POWER
In this section ofthe text, you read that in the years between 1867 and 1915
the Unite d States became a world power. By using your map skills , you can
find on tbe map below the countries that the United States came to control or to
influence . In the text you can read about the different ways in which
power
was achieved.
Look at the map and find the areas
that the United States controlled.
1. Which of these United States
possessions is the largest? How
far is it from the United States?
2. What small Pacific island was
acquired in 1867? Why was it
acquired?
3 . Which Pacific island group lies
closest to the United States
mainland? How far is its closest
island from the mainland? On
what date did it become a part
(not a state) of the United
States? In what ways did United
States business interests ,
military forces, and government
bring this about?
4 . Which Pacific possessions were
gained in a war that started in
the Atlantic? How and where
did the United States Army
perform in that war? What two
naval victories took place?
Where did they take place?
5. What role did the United State s
play in Cuba?
Now look at the countries where
the United States had influence.
6 . Where in Asia did the United
States have influence ? How was
this gained?
7. What role was played by the
Monroe Doctrine?
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III Areas of Amerlcan Influence
o
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ordered the navy to Panama to assure the
revolutIOn's
success.
Within
three
months, the United States signed a treaty
with Panama to build the canal. The strip
of land rented to the United States by
Panama was called the Canal Zone.
The great task of building the cana l
began in 1906 . First, the mosquitoes in
the Canal Zone were destroyed to get rid
of malaria and yellow fever . Then, using
enormous earth-moving machines, fifty
thousand workers begiln to dig. It took
ei9ht years to di9 a fifty- mile ditch across
the hot jungles and mountains of Panama.
Finally, in AU9ust 1914, the canal was
completed. The Panama Canal shortened
the distance between the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts of the United States. The
journey between New York and San Francisco was now e ight thollsand miles shorter. The Panama Canal quickly prnved
valuable for worlrl Ir"de and for the
defense of AmerIca as well .
Roosevelt and the Monroe Doctrine
President Roosevelt believed that Latin
America was under the influence and protection of the United States. His first
opportunity to take a firm stand on this
issue came in 1904 Several European
natIons wanted to send troops to the
Dominican R.epublic (do-MIN -ih -cun).
ThiS tiny island in the Caribbean owed
money to the European nations Roosevelt
was determined to prevent those nations
from invading any Latin American country. He declared the Roosevelt Corollary
(KAWR-uh-iair-ee), an addition to the
Monroe Doctrine. The Rooseve lt Coro ll ary
allowed the United States to take over the
affairs of l11tm American nations to prevent European InVnSions
In 1904, Roosevelt sent the United
States marines to the Dominican Republic . Their job was to see that the European
nations were paid back. The marines took
over the collection of customs and paid
back the countries that were owed money.
Many times, the United States sent soldiers into Latin America to keep European
nations out.
The United States Loses Friends in
Latin America
Many Latin American nations resented
Roosevelt's policies. They were angry
about American troops landing on their
soil. William Howard Taft changed A-ti,erican policy toward Latin America when he
became president in 1908 . President Taft
tried to influence Latin Americans with
dollar diplomacy. Dollar diplomacy is the
use of investments to influence governments. Taft encouraged American business leaders to build railroads and plantations in Latin American countries. This
improved relations with Latin America.
However, relations with Mexico worsened in 1917 when President Wilson
ordered troops into Mexico. They were
searching for Pancho Villa, a Mexican
general who had shot a number of Americans. General John J. Pershing led six
thousand soldiers on a fruitless chase
through Mexico. The American troops
never found Villa. But they succeeded in
injuring America's relationship with Mexico for many years .
Section Review
1. What was the Boxer Rebellion?
2. Why was the Panama Canal
valuable to the United States and
other countries?
3. What was the purpose of the
Roosevelt Corollary?
4. What was President Taft's policy
toward Latin America?
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Chapter
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Between 1865 and 1900, the
Unit ed States joined other countries in t he rush for colonies. The
United States acquired Alaska,
Hawaii, and several small islands
in the Pacific. During this period,
America used the Monroe Doctrine to resolve a border dispute
b etween the countries ofVenezuela and British Guiana .
The explosion on the U.S.S.
Maine and newspaper stories
about Spanish cruelty in Cuba led
to war against Spain in 1898.
American victories in Cuba and in
Manila Bay in the Philippines
quickly ended the Spanish-American War. The United States acquired Puerto Rico, Wake Island,
Guam, and the Philippine Islands.
The United States governed Cuba
until 1902. After capturing the
Philippine rebel leader, Emilio
Aguinaldo , t he United States took
over control of the Philippines.
American Secretary, John Hay,
t ried to keep trade open in China
with his Open-Door Policy. In
1900, the Unit ed States joined other nations to put down the Boxer
Rebellion in China .
President Theodore Roosevelt
succeeded in getting the Panama
Canal built in 1914. He took a firm
stand in Latin America , using
United States troops to back the
Monroe Doctrine. President William Taft r eplaced Roosevelt' s policy toward Latin America with dollar diplomacy.
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UNIT 7
Key Words
Write a sentence to explain the
meaning of each of thes e tenns .
imperialism
Platt
Amendment
Boxers
sensationalism
Open-Door
Policy
dollar
diplomacy
Major Events
Choose the ans wer that best
completes the statement.
1. The Unit ed St ates used the
Monroe Doctrine in 1867 to
a) keep trad e open with China .
b ) defeat the Philippine rebels .
c) support Mexico in its efforts to
get rid of French troops .
2 . American s in Hawaii disliked
a ) Clevelan d ' s p Olicies .
b ) n ew g overnment reforms .
c) the sugar planters .
3. The explosion on the Maine led to
a) the annexation of Hawaii.
b) war w ith Sp ain.
c) the Roosevelt Corollary.
4 . The building of the Panama Canal
a ) h urt America' s relationship with
Mexico.
b) improved world trade .
c) w as Taft's biggest success .
5. Roosevelt's actions in the
Dominican Republic
a) kep t European countries out .
b) improved America's relations
with Panama .
c) were gen e rally disliked .
•
w
R e VIe
Important Facts
Skill Review
Answer each question with at least
one complete sentence.
Study this cartoon, then answer the
following questions.
1. How was the Monroe Doctrine
used in 1895?
1. What does the woman in the pan
represent?
2. What happened in 1897 to turn
Seward's Folly into a good deal?
2. What problem does she have if she
stays in the pan?
3. Why did Americans favoring
imperialism say America needed
colonies?
3. What problem will she have if she
jumps out?
4. Why were islands in the Pacific
important to the United States?
4. How might this cartoon have been
used for propaganda in 1898?
5. What did Americans in Hawaii
want President Cleveland to do?
6. How did the newspapers get
Americans involved in Cuba's
revolt against Spain?
7. Who were the "Rough Riders"?
How did they become famous?
8. What did many American
soldiers die from during the
Spanish-American War?
9. What territories did the United
States gain from Spain after the
Spanish-American War?
10. What did American and Cuban
doctors accomplish in Cuba?
11. Why was governing the
Philippines a difficult task for the
United States?
12. Why was the United States
interested in the affairs of China?
The caption of the cartoon is "The Duty of the Hour- To
Save Her Not Only from Spain, but from a Worse Fate."
Critical Thinking
Write a paragraph to answer each
question.
14. What was the Roosevelt Corollary?
1. Why did the United States want
to acquire overseas territories?
What were advantages and
disadvantages of having overseas
territories?
15. What action did President Wilson
take in 1917 that caused
problems with Mexico?
2. Why did Theodore Roosevelt
interfere in Latin America during
his term as president?
13. What problems made building the
Panama Canal so difficult?
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