Key Concepts in 19th and Early 20th Century American Foreign Policy

This page introduces several crucial concepts and policies that shaped American foreign relations during the 19th and early 20th centuries. These ideas reflect the evolving role of the United States on the world stage and its approach to international affairs.

Definition: The Monroe Doctrine was a statement issued by President James Monroe declaring that the Western Hemisphere was off-limits to further European intervention.

Vocabulary: Intervention refers to the involvement by a foreign power in the affairs of another nation, typically to achieve the stronger power's aims.

Definition: Isolationism is a policy of refraining from involvement in global affairs.

The document also defines expansionism as a policy of growing a nation's physical territory or political influence, while imperialism involves creating colonies in weaker nations to generate raw materials and access new markets.

Highlight: Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis argued that Americans should seek a new frontier in foreign lands to maintain their inventive and energetic spirits.

Theodore Roosevelt's foreign policy initiatives are also introduced:

Definition: The Big Stick Policy used U.S. power to police foreign nations, particularly those in Latin America.

Definition: The Roosevelt Corollary stated that the U.S. would intervene in Latin America on behalf of foreign powers if Latin American nations did not meet their agreements.

Vocabulary: Dollar diplomacy was a foreign policy under William Howard Taft that used U.S. economic power to shape international affairs.

The page concludes by mentioning natural resources, which are materials native to a given place that can be used for economic benefits, such as oil, natural gas, lumber, gold, copper, waterways, and fertile soil.