An Emerging World Power

Unit 1- Chapter 9

Guiding Question• How did the United States become a global

power?

Imperialism

• Definition: policy by which strong nations extend their political, military, and economic control over weaker territories.– In other words: strong nations become more

powerful by colonizing• Not a new phenomenon:– European nations colonized Asia and Africa during

the Age of Exploration– England colonized America

Imperialism

• Causes:– Economic Benefits– Military Strength– National Superiority

Imperialism

• Economic Benefits:– Seek out new sources of raw materials and natural

resources• Ex: England profited from tobacco, wood, sugar,

lumber, rice, and indigo that were all produced in the American colonies

– Japan, along with European nations sought tea, rubber, iron, and petroleum for industry

– Extractive economies: extracting raw materials from a colony and shipping them to the home country

Imperialism

• Economic Benefits:– United States had different problem than the

other world powers• There was no shortage of raw materials- there was

actually a surplus!• Industrialists encouraged expanding into new markets

where American commodities could be sold• Would prevent the closure of American factories and

prevent a rise in unemployment

Imperialism

• Military Strength:– Once economic interests were established, they

needed protection by the home nation– Alfred T. Mahan believed that America needed to

become a naval power to protect its interests• US should acquire foreign bases for American fleets to

resupply and refuel• US built new steel-plated, steam-powered battleships• By 1900, the US had the 3rd largest navy in the world

Imperialism

• National Superiority:– Social Darwinism: life consists of competitive

struggles in which only the fittest survive• Example: Manifest Destiny to expand to Pacific

– Imperialists used race, nationalism, and cultural superiority to justify colonization

– Worry was that if America remained isolated, it wouldn’t survive

– Belief existed that expansion prevented internal issues within the United States

Becoming a World Power

• Monroe Doctrine– Remember this thing??– US warned that the Western Hemisphere was

essentially off-limits to re-colonization– In 1823, the US wasn’t prepared to back it up, but

now…

Becoming a World Power

• The Pacific– Commodore Matthew Perry took a fleet of

warships to Japan in 1853• Japan had denied access to its ports up to that point• Perry’s fleet was impressive and made Japan realize

how far behind they were in military technology• Within a year, Japan opened up trade with the United

States• To help trade prosper, the United States took

possession of the Midway Islands

Becoming a World Power

• Alaska– Russia had controlled Alaska for many years– In 1867, Secretary of State William Seward bought

Alaska for $7.2 million• Called “Seward’s Folly” and “Seward’s Icebox”

– Doubled the country’s size• Rich in timber, oil, and other natural resources• Expanded America’s reach into the Pacific Ocean

Becoming a World Power

• Hawaii– Had been a stopping point for US merchant ships

since the 1790s– American famers migrated to Hawaii to grow

sugarcane, eventually gaining political power on the Islands

– A sugar tariff that made Hawaiian sugar more expensive than mainland sugar, as well as a change in leadership led to crisis

Becoming a World Power

• Hawaii– King Kalakua (friend to the American planters)

died in 1891, giving control of Hawaii to his sister, Queen Liliuokalani

– Liliuokalani resented the white planters and sought to return Hawaii back to its native peoples

– Seeing this as a threat, American planters (along with US Marines) overthrew the Queen and moved for Hawaiian annexation

Becoming a World Power

• Hawaii– President Benjamin Harrison signed a treaty to annex

the islands, but could not get Senate approval before Grover Cleveland became President

– After a presidential investigation by Cleveland’s office, it was determined (rightfully) that a majority of Hawaiians did not approve of annexation and the matter was dropped

– Mainland Americans still supported annexation and in 1898, President William McKinley helped convince Congress to make Hawaii an official US territory