Unit 7 Review: Expansionism, Empire, and Domestic Reform (1890–1945)

American Imperialism

The economic, military, and cultural influence of the United States on other countries.

Closure of the Frontier

Declared in the 1890 census, it marked the end of territorial expansion in the U.S.

Economic Factors of Expansionism

The Second Industrial Revolution created a surplus of goods, requiring new markets.

Military/Strategic Factors of Expansionism

Influenced by Alfred Thayer Mahan, the U.S. built a modern navy and sought island bases.

Social Darwinism

An ideology that justified imperialism by suggesting a duty to 'civilize' non-Western nations.

The 'White Man's Burden'

A phrase coined by Rudyard Kipling that justified imperial expansion as a moral obligation.

Spanish-American War (1898)

A conflict that marked the U.S.'s emergence as a world power.

Cuban Independence

One of the causes of the Spanish-American War, with U.S. sympathy for Cuban rebels.

Yellow Journalism

Sensationalized news reporting that influenced public opinion during the Spanish-American War.

U.S.S. Maine

A battleship whose explosion led to the U.S. blaming Spain, igniting the Spanish-American War.

Treaty of Paris (1898)

The agreement that ended the Spanish-American War, leading to U.S. acquisitions of territories.

Platt Amendment

Allowed U.S. intervention in Cuba and established Guantanamo Bay as a naval base.

Anti-Imperialist League

A group opposing the annexation of the Philippines, including notable figures like Mark Twain.

Big Stick Diplomacy

The foreign policy of Theodore Roosevelt that relied on military intimidation.

Dollar Diplomacy

William Howard Taft's approach that encouraged U.S. investment in foreign countries to gain influence.

Moral Diplomacy

Woodrow Wilson's policy to support nations with similar democratic beliefs.

Muckrakers

Investigative journalists who exposed corruption and societal issues during the Progressive Era.

Upton Sinclair

Author of The Jungle, which led to the Meat Inspection Act due to its exposé on the meatpacking industry.

Jacob Riis

Photographer and muckraker who documented poverty in NYC tenements.

Gifford Pinchot

Proponent of conservation, advocating for sustainable use of natural resources.

John Muir

Advocate for preservation, arguing for the protection of nature for its own sake.

Secret Ballot

A political reform that allows voters to cast their votes in private.

16th Amendment

Established a federal income tax.

17th Amendment

Allowed for the direct election of U.S. Senators.

W.E.B. Du Bois

Civil rights leader who advocated for immediate equality and the 'Talented Tenth' of educated African Americans.

Sherman Antitrust Act

Legislation aimed at breaking up monopolies to protect competition.

Clayton Antitrust Act

Strengthened the Sherman Act and exempted labor unions from being prosecuted as trusts.

Federal Reserve Act

Created a central banking system to regulate the money supply and stabilize the economy.