America and foreign affairs

• What does isolationism mean?

  Avoidance of political or economic alliances or involvement in international affairs.
• What is the opposite of isolationism?

  Interventionism
• What does imperialism mean?

  The policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or economic dominance.
• Orthodox view - America was generally considered isolationist up to 1898 - but then became interventionist and expansionist with the American empire developing
• What makes America a ‘great power’?

  strength of a navy
• What makes America a ‘super power’?

  strength of the nuclear power
• Why would America be isolationist?

  World War I casualties and the desire to avoid future conflicts.
• How was Mexico isolationist and not-isolationist?

  Seward avoided conflict with France over Mexico in 1867 - he did not send troops to overthrow the puppet monarch the French installed.

  Not isolationist = US continued to trade with Mexico
• How was Midway Atoll expansionist?

  annexed in 1867 to obtain supplies of Guano.

  America was exploiting the resources of Midway (Guano) for economic reasons (trade.)
• How was the far east interventionist?

  the Burlingame treaty (1885) endorsed free movement of people and trade.
• How was the Dominican Republicans isolationist?

  1869 - pirates had been raiding US commercial shipping in the Caribbean and Grant ordered US marines to the island to stop them.
• How was Alaska expansionist?

  Territory purchased and annexed
• How was Cuba interventionist/ isolationist?

  did not send troops. Trade.
• How was Samoa expansionist?

  Trade. Naval base. Sent warships against Germany.
• How was Hawaii interventionsit?

  Trade. Pear harbour.
• How was Canada interventionist?

  Tension with Britain. fenian raids.
• What is the Pan American conference 1889?

  A conference held in Washington, D.C. to promote cooperation and trade among the countries of the Americas. = interventionist.
• what were the benefits of purchasing Alaska?

  Natural resources, strategic location, and expansion of US territory.
• What was America’s foreign affairs like under the presidency of Harrison - 1889-93?

  Isolationism - 1889 - pan American conference.

  failed to persuade congress to support the bustling of a canal in Nicaragua.

  1889 - sent warships to Samoa and negotiated an American protectorate over the Samoan islands.

  1891 - brink of war with Chile.
• What Americas foreign affairs like under the presidency of Cleveland 1893-97?

  1895 - Britain claimed the Orinoco river.

  threatened Britain with war and sent US naval vessels to confront British warships. -> Cleveland saw this as upholding the Monroe Doctrine.

  dispatched troops to Rio in defiance of a blockade of its harbour by pro- monarchists rebelling against the Republic of Brazil.