American Imperialism (1890-1913)

What factors motivated the United States to become an imperialist nation?

1. Commercial/Business Interests

U.S. Foreign Investments (1869-1908)

American Foreign Trade: 1870-1914

2. Military/Strategic Interests

Alfred T. Mahan – The Influence of Sea Power on History: 1660-1783

3. Social Darwinist Thinking

Hierarchy of Race White Man’s Burden

4. Religious/Missionary Interests

American Missionaries in China, 1905

Imiola Church, Hawaii, 1820s

5. Closing of the America Frontier (1890)

Imperialism before 1898 (Spanish-American War)

•Purchase of Alaska (1867) - $7.2 million

Seward’s Folly or Seward’s Icebox

•“Opening” of Japan (1853) by Commodore Perry

Treaty of Kanagawa: 1854

•Hawaii becomes US protectorate (1849)

Reasons for taking over?

•Queen Liliuokalani: “Hawaii for the Hawaiians”

•McKinley Tariff (1890) hurts US sugar producers

•1893-American businessmen headed by Sanford Ballard Dole support an uprising against the queen

•Sanford Ballard Dole proclaims the Republic of Hawaii in 1893

• Cleveland refuses to recognize the annexation treaty (very odd!)

•John C. Stevens - US Minister in Honolulu used US troops to overthrow of the queen

•Troops removed by Cleveland

•Annexation of Hawaii postponed until 1898

“The Hawaiian pear is now fully ripe and this is the golden hour for the U.S. to pluck it.”

Causes of the Spanish-American War:

•Wilson-Gorman Tariff (1894)

•Fighting between natives and Spaniards in Cuba

•Yellow journalism

•Atrocities by the Spaniards

•Explosion of USS Maine

Valeriano Weyler’s “Reconcentration” Policy

Yellow Journalism

Hearst to Frederick Remington: “You furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war!”

Explosion of USS Maine in Havana Harbor

Remember the Maine and to Hell with Spain!

•Criticized President McKinley as weak and a bidder for the admiration of the crowd, besides being a would-be politician who tries to leave a dooropen behind himself while keeping on good terms with the jingoes of hisparty.

Dupuy de Lôme Spanish Ambassador to the U.S.

De Lome Letter

The Spanish-American War (1898):“That Splendid Little War”

•Assistant Secretary of the Navy in the McKinley administration.

•Imperialist and American nationalist.

•Criticized PresidentMcKinley as having the backbone of a chocolate éclair!

•Resigns his position to fight in Cuba.

Teddy Roosevelt

The Rough Riders

Admiral Dewey and the Philippines

Victory and Controversy?

Treaty of Paris of 1898

“To the Victor belongs the Spoils”

•Cuba freed from Spain•U.S. received Guam which they had captured early in the war.•U.S. gained Puerto Rico      •Philippine issue a major dilemma in the negotiations. •U.S. took Manila the day after Spain sued for peace               *Philippines thus not one of the spoils of war.               *U.S. agreed to pay Spain $20 million.

Problems after Spanish American War

The American Anti-Imperialist League

•Founded in 1899.

•Mark Twain, AndrewCarnegie, WilliamJames, and WilliamJennings Bryan amongthe leaders.

•Campaigned against the annexation of the Philippines and other acts of imperialism.

Philippines annexed by US causing a war again! (1899)

Emilio Aguinaldo

William H. Taft

1st Gov.-General of the Philippines

•“My little brown brothers”

•US instituted education, sanitation, public health, and infrastructure reforms though Filipinos remained resentful.

Teller Amendment (1898)

Platt Amendment (1903)

1. Cuba was not to enter into any agreements with foreign powers that would endanger its independence.

2. The U.S. could intervene in Cuban affairs if necessary to maintain an efficient, independent govt.

3. Cuba must lease Guantanamo Bay to the U.S. for naval and coaling station.

4. Cuba must not build up an excessive public debt.

Senator Orville PlattSenator Orville Platt

Cuban Independence?

1900 - 1900 - Foraker ActForaker Act..

PR became an “unincorporated territory.”PR became an “unincorporated territory.”

Citizens of PR, not of the US.Citizens of PR, not of the US.

Import duties on PR goodsImport duties on PR goods

1901-1903 1901-1903 the the Insular CasesInsular Cases..

Constitutional rights were not automatically extended Constitutional rights were not automatically extended to territorial possessions.to territorial possessions.

Congress had the power to decide these rights.Congress had the power to decide these rights.

Import duties laid down by the Foraker Act were legal!Import duties laid down by the Foraker Act were legal!

Constitution does not follow the flagConstitution does not follow the flag!!

Issue of Puerto Rico

1917 – Jones Act.

Gave full territorial status to PR.

Removed tariff duties on PR goods coming into the US.

PRs elected their own legislators & governor to enforce local laws.

PRs could NOT vote in US presidential elections.

A resident commissioner was sent to Washington to vote for PR in the House.

John Hay Open Door Policy (1899)

-everyone must respect china’s rights in their spheres of influence

Boxer Rebellion (1900)

Teddy Roosevelt and Imperialism

•Advocate of imperialism and military buildup

Big Stick Diplomacy - Speak softly but carry a big stick and you will go far…

Panama Canal

•Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (1850) – prohibited any country from controlling the isthmus in C. America

•Hay-Pauncefote Treaty (1901) – British reverse the Clayton treaty

•Despite this, Columbia does not want to give US control of the land needed

•1903 – Panama revolts, US Navy blocks Columbia from stopping the revolution (Gunboat Diplomacy)

•Hay--Bunau-Varilla Treaty (1903) – Panama’s minister allows Us to control and buy the land needed.

•Colonel George Washington Goethals and William C. Gorgas –perfected organization and sanitization

•Panama Canal was completed in 1914 at the cost of $400 million

•In future financial crises concerning Latin American debt, U.S. would intervene, take over customs houses, pay off the debts, and keep European powers out of the Western  Hemisphere

Roosevelt Corollary

•(extension of Monroe’s Doctrine)

•US becomes the “Policeman of the Caribbean”

•Russo-Japanese War (1904) •Roosevelt negotiates Treaty of Portsmouth•Receives Nobel Peace Price for it in 1906

US relations w/Japan

•San Francisco School Board Incident (1906)•Gentleman’s Agreement •Great White Fleet •Root-Takahira Agreement (1908)

William Howard Taft and Imperialism

•Introduced Dollar Diplomacy

Wilson and Imperialism

•hated imperialism but eventually invaded more countries in Latin America

•Applied moral diplomacy

•invaded Mexico in pursuit of Pancho Villa

•Jones Act in 1916 – Philippines get territorial status and promise of independence

•Jones Act in 1917 – Puerto Ricans get citizenship status

•Repeal of Panama Tolls Act

Effects of Imperialism?