PERIOD 7: Imperialism and World War I AP Terms List

  1. Admiral Alfred Mahan
  2. Big Stick Diplomacy
  3. Boxer Rebellion
  4. Doughboys
  5. Gentlemen’s Agreement
  6. George Dewey
  7. Great White Fleet
  8. Imperialism
  9. Open Door Policy
  10. Mathew C. Perry
  11. Panama Canal
  12. Roosevelt Corollary
  13. Rough Riders
  14. USS Maine
  15. White Man’s Burden
  16. Yellow journalism

  1. 14 points/Treaty of Versailles
  2. American Expeditionary Force
  3. Lusitania
  4. Committee of Public Information
  5. League of Nations
  6. War Industries Board
  7. Woodrow Wilson
  8. Zimmerman Telegram

‘ESSAY’ STYLE QUESTIONS TO MAKE SENSE OF AMERICA OVERSEAS 1890-2014.

  1. How do the overseas “adventures” of this period affect America’s sense of itself: its identity, its aspirations, its ambitions?
  2. How did TR’s big stick seem from the point of view of Cuba, Philippines, Panama, Porto Rico?
  3. How did international policy overlap with domestic policy, particularly in terms of attitudes toward immigrants from various parts of the world?
  4. And vice versa, how does domestic policy influence foreign policy.
  5. Do US interventions in this period fit into the pattern of earlier national expansion? Treatment of Native Americans? Manifest destiny?
  1. What were some of the methods by which the United States expanded its economic and political influence around the world in the late 1800s and early 1900s? How did economic interests sometimes lead to military action? Cite specific examples—such as Japan, Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, China, Panama, and/or Nicaragua—in your answer.
  2. Why did the American consul in Cuba, Fitzhugh Lee, ask to have a battleship sent to Havana harbor? What was the Cubans' perception of theMaine'spresence? Do you think the United States had a right to station a battleship in the harbor? How might the Spanish-American War have been avoided through better communication and sensitivity on all sides?
  3. What is the meaning of Teddy Roosevelt's motto "Speak softly, and carry a big stick" in regard to foreign policy? How did he implement this policy during his presidency? What do you think of the policy? Is it effective? Is it right?
  4. Study the political cartoonCivilization Begins at Home.What is the cartoonist saying about American foreign policy? What attitudes toward foreign nations does the cartoonist think are wrong? What aspects of American history and society are criticized in the cartoon? Do you agree with the ideas expressed by the cartoon?
  1. Summarize the way the United States acquired Hawaii, considering various perspectives on whether this acquisition was imperialistic.
  2. Explain the causes of American intervention in the Spanish-American War. Summarize America’s role in that conflict, explaining the sentiment behind the Platt and Teller Amendments.
  3. To what extent was the United States an imperialistic nation before 1890? How might considering Native American history in the context of imperialism alter our perspective of American history?
  4. Describe the nature of US expansion during the 1890s. Using what you know about world history, compare US imperialism to that of other expansionistic world powers. Was US imperialism unique?
  5. Why might interpretations of Native American history and the acquisition of overseas territories have changed dramatically over the past century? What causes historical interpretations to change, and why is it important to understand this process?