America becomes a world power

America Becomes a World Power Timeline

  • The Devilfish in Egytian Waters

    The Devilfish in Egytian Waters
    This cartoon depicts John Bull of England as the octupus of imperialism grabbing land on every continent.
  • Benjamin Harrion's Inauguration

    Benjamin Harrion's Inauguration
    Benjamin Harrison takes the office
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    Benjamin Harrison's Presidency

    During Harrison's time in office the Sherman Anit-Trust Act, it was the first anittrust law to try and stop the abuse of monoplies and trusts. Harrison introduced silver coinage and a higher tariff, which probably hastened the Panic of 1893, he supported bills that promoted voting rights of African Americans in the South. He also established Samoa as a US protectorate, as well as using the navy to pressure Chile to pay reparations for harm done to American sailors in Valparasio.
  • Grover Cleveland's Inauguration

    Grover Cleveland's Inauguration
    Cleveland takes office.
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    Grover Cleveland's Presidency

    During Grover Cleveland's 2nd term, the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Bill was passed, which replaced the McKinley tariff and lowed tariff rates. He authorized the use of federal troops to break up the Pullman worker's strike in Chicago, repealed the Sherman SIlver Purchase Act and returned the US currency to a gold standard. Cleveland also sent warships to Venezuela when the govenment requested US mediation of a border dispute with Britian.
  • Queen Liliuokalani is Dethroned

    Queen Liliuokalani is Dethroned
    Queen Liliuokalani became queen after the death of her brother, King Kalakaua. She rejected the new Hawaiian constitution, in which it removed much of the monarchy's powers in favor of an elite class of businessmen and wealthy landowners (many of them American). She tried to restore these powers but was unsuccesful. She was asked to step down in January 1893 and a provisonal government was announced. Finally, in 1898 Hawaii was annexed by the US.
  • Wilson-Gorman Tariff

    Wilson-Gorman Tariff
    Slightly reduced the tariff rates from the numbers set in 1890 McKinley Tariff and imposed a 2% income tax.
  • William McKinley's Inauguration

    William McKinley's Inauguration
    -Established the Open Door Policy with China, making trade with the Chinese open to all western nations equally. One of the other things Mckinley did during his presidency was establish the gold standard as the official backing of American currency in a rejection of inflationary proposals. He also strove to end sectionalism between the North and South.
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    William McKinley's Presidency

    William Mckinley is most known for being the president when the US aqcuired Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, although he did a lot more. Mckinley raised protective tariffs to promote the American industry, the result was the Dingley Tariff Act, which was the highest protective tariff in American history. He lead American through the Spanish-American War, making the US gain control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. He annexed Hawaii and made it a US territory. Mckinlely also -
  • USS Maine Explosion

    USS Maine Explosion
    The battleship USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, killing 268 men. This was the main sparking point in the start of the Spanish-American War.
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    Spanish-American War

    Cuba had been ruled by Spain since the 1500's. They had tried to become their own country before but always failed. During the imperialism era, many countries, including the U.S. wanted to gain more land for their resources, militray purposes and cultural superiority. American saw Cuba as a great way to get all of these. The explosion of the USS Maine gave the US more reason to go to war with Spain.
  • Battle of San Juan Hill

    Battle of San Juan Hill
    The Rough Riders are led by Theodore Roosevelt as they charge up San Juan Hill.
  • Annexation of Hawaii

    Annexation of Hawaii
    Hawaii officially became a US territory during the Spanish-American War.
  • Treaty of Paris Signed

    Treaty of Paris Signed
    The Treaty of Paris (1898) is signed and officially ended the Spanish-American War
  • The White Man's Burden

    The White Man's Burden
    This cartoon depicts a white man carrying another man up a hill to a school to get educated. This cartoon shows how white men believed in it was their duty and right to civilize other colored people to be more like them, for their own good. It was used as an excuse to go in and control others.
  • Foraker Act Enacted

    Foraker Act Enacted
    This act provided a civil government for Puerto Rico. The main goal of the act was to prepare Puerto Rico for free trade with the US. It gave most power in Puerto Rico to US appointed officials.
  • Platt Amendment Passed

    Platt Amendment Passed
    This amendment stipulated the conditions for withdrawals of U.S. troops remaining in Cuba since the Spanish-American War.
  • Assassination of William McKinley

    Assassination of William McKinley
    President William McKinley was shot and fatally wounded inside the Temple of Music on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. He was shot by Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist. McKinley died on September 14 from gangrene caused by bullet wounds.
  • Theodore Roosevelt's Inauguration

    Theodore Roosevelt's Inauguration
    who needed it to be more like America. One of the ways he did this was through his Corbillary to the Monroe Doctrine, this document expanded the United States' right to intervene in the Caribbean and Latin America if a nation had trouble paying its debt. Roosevelt also bulked up the US Navy and created "The Great White Fleet" sending it on a world tour as a testament to US miliary power.
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    Theodore Roosevelt's Presidency

    Roosevelt is widely known for ledding the Rough Riders in Cuba. but he did much more. One of the greatest things Roosevelt did during his presidency was commence the construction of the Panama Canal. Colombia owned Panama at the time, and started to take advantage of America over the price American was paying to construct the canal in Panama, resulting on the Panama Revolution, finally Panama became its own country in the Hay-Herran Treaty. He felt it was America's duty to guide other countries
  • Hay-Herrán Treaty is Signed

    Hay-Herrán Treaty is Signed
    The Hay-Herrán Treaty was an agreement between the the U.S. and Colombia regarding the construction, exploitation, and defense of the Panama Canal. The U.S. would pay $10 milion to Colombia annually and beginning with the tenth year of the treaty's operation, an annual fee of $250,000.
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    The Russo-Japanese War

    Japan and Russia went to war over disputed terrritories in Asia.
  • William Taft's Inauguration

    William Taft's Inauguration
    Taft takes office.
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    William Taft's Presidency

    Taft came up with the Dollar Diplomacy to maintain order in nations aboard by increasing US foreign investments. He encouraged US banls to loan monay to Latin American nations.
  • Woodrow Wilson's Inauguration

    Woodrow Wilson's Inauguration
    Wilson takes office.
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    Woodrow Wilson's Presidency

    Wilson passed many reforms such as the Federal Reserve Act (creating the Federal Reserve) Federal Trade Commision Act (stopping unfair trade practices), Clayton Antitrust Act (making certain business practices illegal) Federal Farm Act, and the Adamson Act.
  • Lusitania Sinking

    Lusitania Sinking
    British ship sunk by German U-Boats. 128 Americans die, caused many to support Allied powers.
  • Zimmerman Telegram is Published in the U.S.

    Zimmerman Telegram is Published in the U.S.
    In the Zimmermann_Telegram' >telegram</a>, Zimmerman instruced the ambassador, Court Johann von Bernstoroff, to offer finanical aid to Mexico if it agreed to enter any future U.S.-German conflict as a German ally. If they were successful in the conflict, Germany promised to restore to Mexico the lost territories of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. Mexico refused but it really angered Americans.