Quiz 6.1

Vicksburg

In May and June of 1863, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's armies converged on Vicksburg, investing the city and entrapping a Confederate army under Lt. Gen. John Pemberton. On July 4, Vicksburg surrendered after prolonged siege operations.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

The Chinese Exclusion Act was a United States federal law signed by President Chester A. Arthur on May 6, 1882. It was one of the most significant restrictions on free immigration in US history, prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by the U.S. Congress on May 30, 1854. It allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders.

The Debate over American Expansionism

The U.S had debated and ultimately rejected the annexation of Hawaii. A group of businessman led a rebellion against the Hawaiian monarch and petitioned to become a part of the U.S. The U.S. already leased Pearl Harbor as a very valuable naval base. Hawaii was annexed in 1898.The acquisition of new territories sparked an intense debate over American expansionism. Prominent Americans including Mark Twain and Andrew Carnegie helped found the American Anti-Imperialist League. They believed American imperialism was the antithesis of America's founding principles. The League challenged the U.S. government in Court with some success.

Causes of the Spanish-American War

The U.S. had long had an interest in Cuba, but Cuba was a Spanish colony. Cubans had tried to overthrow the Spanish but were met with defeat each time. In 1895, a new revolution broke out. Spain responded with great force and brutality. Fearful of losses to millions of American investments in Cuba, many Americans wanted action against Spain. The U.S. responded by sending the battle ship Maine to the shores of Cuba. On 2/15/1898 the battle ship exploded and sank in Havana Harbor with the loss of 250 officers and men. U.S. newspapers called loudly for U.S. action in what was perceived as an act of war against the U. S. President McKinley was reluctant to declare war on Spain without clear evidence of Spain's involvement. A leading newspaper published a letter stolen from the Havana post office written by the Spanish minister to the United States. The De Lome Letter belittled the American President and angered many Americans, who began to clamor for war against Spain.

Whiskey Rebllion

The Whiskey Rebellion was a tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791, during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by the newly formed federal government.

Wounded Knee

The battle between U.S. military troops and Lakota Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota on December 29, 1890, resulted in the deaths of perhaps 300 Sioux men, women, and children. The massacre at Wounded Knee was the last major battle of the Indian Wars of the late 19th century.

The War in the Philippines

The first battles of the Spanish-American War took place in the Philippines. The U.S. Navy quickly defeated the Spanish Navy. The U.S. debated whether or not to expand its territory to include the Philippines or respect Filipino independence. In the end, the U.S. chose to make the Philippines a U.S. territory. Angered by the U.S. decision, Filipino freedom fighters under the leadership of Emilio Aguinaldo fought the U.S.By 1902 the guerrilla forces were defeated and the U.S. began administration of the islands, gradually releasing control until final independence of the Philippines occurred in 1946.

The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

To protect the canal and the U.S. regional interests, Theodore Roosevelt issued what became known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. In 1902, Venezuela was threatened with invasion by Great Britain and Germany over the nation's inability to pay back the loans of the banks of each nation. Roosevelt, fearing European encroachment in Latin America, reminded the Europeans that the U.S. held to the Monroe Doctrine.In 1904, Roosevelt stated that the Europeans were not welcome in the region and the U.S. would oversee the collection of any national debts owed by Latin American nations to Europeans. In essence, the U.S. would intervene in Latin American countries to prevent their takeover by any other nation.This policy became the key component of Roosevelt's "Big Stick" diplomacy. President Roosevelt based his foreign policy on the idea of "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." Roosevelt believed that negotiations (speak softly) were key to any relationships but if negotiations were not fruitful, then the U.S. would use its military to enforce order (the Big Stick).