American Expansionim & Imperialism Web Quest

Webquest: American Expansion and Imperialism US History and Government

Part I- Far East Influence and Expansion (late 1800s)

Go to http://www.historycentral.com/Ant/wanghia.html (Watch out! It’s a LONG document!)

1. What were the terms of the US’s Treaty of Wanghia with China? Why was this important in US & Chinese history?



Go to http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/teach/ends/opening.htm

2. Another isolated nation was Japan, but Commodore Matthew Perry changed this. Who was Com. Perry, and what treaty did he create in 1854? How did he accomplish this?



Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_purchase (Read the “Washington’s viewpoint” section)

3. The Alaska Treaty (1867) was Russia’s attempt to get out of the Western Hemisphere. What US official helped to create this treaty? What nickname did this new addition gain?
Critical thinking: What else did the US government gain from the Alaska Territory?



Go to http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h908.html

4. Explain the US’s "Open Door Policy"(1895) in China. What is a "sphere of influence"? The US also gained support with how it handled the Boxer Rebellion. What was the US response to the BR?



Part II- Progressive Imperialism and Expansion

Go to http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/nobelportsmouth.htm (First 4 paragraphs)

5. President Teddy Roosevelt said: "Speak softly and carry a big stick." He played an integral role in the Russo-Japanese War. What did he do to stop this war? What did TR and the US gain because of this?



Go to http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/joining.html (Begin at “Joining the Waters”)

6. TR was integral in creating the Panama Canal. How did the US get involved? What disease slowed progress? What was the final result for the US?
Critical thinking: Why was there a need for the canal? For what was it used?



Go to http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/ip/17660.htm

7. You remember the brilliance that was the Monroe Doctrine (1823), right? What did it state? TR added what came to be known as the Roosevelt Corollary (1904) to the MD. Explain the MD AND the RC.



Go to http://www.answers.com/topic/dollar-diplomacy (Read “Encyclopedia of Am. History” section)

8. President William Howard Taft used his idea of "dollar diplomacy" to aid US interests around the world. Define “dollar diplomacy” and give two examples of Taft's DD.



Go to http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1075.html

9. President Woodrow Wilson had many problems in Mexico. His biggest was Pancho Villa. What did Villa do to the US, and how did Wilson respond? What was the end result?