Westward Expansion
Name a reason many Americans decided to move west
Economic opportunity, gold/silver, a fresh start, land
Land set aside by the U.S. government for Native Americans.
Reservations
The practice of a strong nation controlling or influencing weaker regions
Imperialism
The war was fought between the U.S. and Spain in 1898.
Spanish-American War
The US bought this territory from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million. Americans initially dubbed it "Seward's Folly." It became the 49th state in January 1959.
Alaska
A law that gave settlers 160 acres of land if they farmed it for five years
Homestead Act of 1862
The policy of forcing Native Americans to adopt white American culture.
Assimilation
Name 2 reasons a country would be imperialist
Access to resources, new markets to sell goods, spread culture/religion, strategic locations for militaries, etc.
This explosive event led to the US declaring war on Spain in 1898.
The sinking of the USS Maine
The US wanted this territory for its sugar trade and use as a Pacific naval base. It became the 50th state in 1959.
Hawaii
As more people moved west, this innovation was used to mark property lines and cut off open cattle ranges, leading to the decline in cattle drives
Barbed wire
This law broke up tribal lands, required Natives to farm reservations, and promoted cultural assimilation of Natives
The Dawes Act
Name 1 reason a person might be anti-imperialist.
Contrary to ideals of democracy and freedom, countries should focus on their own business at home, risk of endless conflict
Sensational news stories that exaggerated events to gain readers
Yellow Journalism
The US built a canal here to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to cut down on travel time between oceans
Panama
Westward expansion often brought American settlers into conflict with these people
Native Americans
To encourage their adoption of American culture, many Native American children were brought to these places
boarding schools
Define isolationism.
the belief that the US should avoid foreign intervention and conflicts
Name 3 territories the US gained DIRECT CONTROL as a result of the Spanish-American War
This was President Roosevelt's foreign policy, claiming that he would use the US military in order to achieve American interests
Big Stick Diplomacy
People who "jumped the gun" and settled in this Oklahoma before it opened for settlement were called these
Sooners
This massacre of members of the Dakota tribe by the US Army ended resistance by Native Americans to westward expansion
Massacre at Wounded Knee
Name at least one imperialist country during this time period other than the US
France, Britain, Germany, Japan, Russia
This future president famously fought at the Battle of San Juan Hill as a member of the Rough Riders cavalry force in the US Army
Theodore Roosevelt
President Taft's diplomacy asserted that money would be given to countries who followed American interests and suspended when they opposed those interests
Dollar diplomacy