Key Terms in American Foreign Policy

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Big Stick Diplomacy

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A policy of negotiating peacefully while simultaneously threatening with the military, associated with President Theodore Roosevelt.

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Panama Canal

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A significant waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, constructed under the influence of the United States.

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Roosevelt Corollary

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An addition to the Monroe Doctrine articulated by President Theodore Roosevelt, stating that the U.S. could intervene in the affairs of Latin American countries to stabilize the region.

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Dollar Diplomacy

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A form of American foreign policy to further its aims in Latin America and East Asia through the use of its economic power by guaranteeing loans made to foreign countries.

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Moral Diplomacy

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A form of diplomacy proposed by President Woodrow Wilson, which supports countries with democratic governments and economically injures non-democratic countries.

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Open Door Policy

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A term in foreign affairs initially used to refer to the United States policy in the late 19th century and early 20th century that would allow for a system of trade in China open to all countries equally.

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Yellow Journalism

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A style of newspaper reporting that emphasized sensationalism over facts, which was one of the factors that helped push the United States and Spain into war in Cuba and the Philippines.

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Platt Amendment

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An amendment intended to protect Cuba's independence from foreign intervention while also allowing the U.S. to have influence in Cuba's domestic and international politics

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Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty

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A treaty signed in 1903 between the United States and Panama, granting the U.S. the right to build the Panama Canal.