The Gentlemen’s Agreement

The dawn of the twentieth century witnessed the rise of the United States as a world power. Already achieving economic superiority over other modern nations, the United States was pursuing a greater military presence under the aggressive leadership of President Theodore Roosevelt. Cuba and the Philippines were brought under American protection following the conclusion of the Spanish- American War, and the Hawaiian Organic Act of 1900 granted U.S. citizenship to all Hawaiians on the island as of its annexation in 1898, many who were of Japanese and Chinese descent. The United States was not the only nation looking to flex its military might. The island nation of Japan was also seeking world attention, exemplified by the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, which made history for being the first time that a European power was defeated by an Asian power. The Japanese were searching for equality with the Europeans and United States in the race for spheres of influence in China and elsewhere.