Becoming a World Power

Section 1: The Imperialist Vision

Section 2: The Spanish-American War

Section 3: New American Diplomacy

Standards: 2.1, 3.1, 3.6

Section 1: The Imperialist Vision

• Building Support for Imperialism– A Desire for New Markets

• Imperialism: the economic and political domination by a strong country over a weaker one

• Protectorate: a country which is technically independent but is under the control of another

– Feeling of Superiority• Anglo-Saxonism: the argument that English

speaking nations were superior to others• Joshua Strong: a minister who pushed for

Americans to support imperialism and expansion of US holdings overseas

• Expansion in the Pacific– Perry Opens Japan

• Matthew C. Perry ordered by President Pierce to force trade between the US and Japan

• Succeeds when Japanese sees size of fleet as a threat– Annexing Hawaii

• Sugarcane• Pineapple• Hawaii exempt from sugar tariffs• Tensions mount between planters and Hawaiians over new

constitution• McKinley Tariff makes Hawaiian sugar more expensive than

American sugar• Hawaii’s economy suffers• Queen Liliuokalani takes throne 1891

– Tries to change constitution in 1892• Planters back movement to overthrow Queen• Aided by the Marines, Planters force Queen Liliuokalani to

abdicate the throne• President Cleveland tries to restore Queen to throne• Senate refuses to ratify treaty• 1898 US annexes Hawaii

• Trade and Diplomacy in Latin America• James G. Blaine

– Pan-Americanism: US and Latin America working together – 1889 Pan-American conference

» Customs union» Reduce tariffs» Latin countries refused to do these but agreed to create

the Commercial Bureau of American Republics (later called the Organization of American States – OAS)

• Building a Modern Navy• Alfred T. Mahan, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History,

1660-1783, proposed the increase of the nation’s naval force to protect its merchant ships

• Henry Cabot Lodge and Albert J. Beveridge pushed for the construction of a larger navy.

• Had a large group of supporters including future president Theodore Roosevelt

• Just in time for the Spanish-American War

Section 2: The Spanish-American War

• The Coming of War• Maine explosion

– 266 dead, no one knows why it exploded, some say accident, others say sabotage

– Many blamed Spain» Because of US support of Cuban independence

– The Cuban Rebellion Begins• 1868 Cuban rebels declare independence,

rebellion collapses in 1878– José Martí, Cuban exile who tried to gain support

while living in NYC

• US and Cuba closely linked economically• Cuba gains independence and is established as

the Republic of Cuba in September 1895

– Americans Support the Cubans– William Randolph Hearst, New York Journal– Joseph Pulitzer, The World

» Competition to increase circulation of their newspapers» Yellow Journalism: exaggerated, sensationalist, often

false stories made up to sell more papers» Led to many Americans supporting Cuba

– Calling Out for War– Enrique Dupuy de Lôme, Spanish Ambassador

» One of his letters published in New York Journal enrages the nation

» Immediately after de Lôme resigns, battleship Maine is destroyed in Havana harbor

» Congress authorizes moneys for war preparation» “Remember the Maine” becomes the rallying call for war

against Spain– Jingoism: attitude of aggressive nationalism– Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy

discouraged by President McKinley’s “lack of backbone”

• A War on Two Fronts– The United States Takes the Philippines

• George Dewey leads squadron into Manila Bay• Emilio Aguinaldo, a Filipino revolutionary leader starts a

guerrilla war against Spain after being contacted by President McKinley

– Thinks American troops are there to assist him

– Leads to hostilities been Filipinos and Americans

– American Forces Battle in Cuba• “Rough Riders” land in Cuba led by Leonard Wood and

second in command Theodore Roosevelt• Kettle Hill, Rough Riders accompanied by all African

American regiment of the 9th and 10th calvary (many of which were volunteers)

• Spanish surrender and on August 12, 1898 Spain and the US agree to a cease-fire

• An American Empire is Born• Cuba given freedom• US takes control of Guam and Puerto Rico• US trying to determine what to do with the Philippines

– The Debate Over Annexation• Many wanted to annex the Philippines

– Teach the uncivilized people how to live properly– Free the oppressed

• Anti-Imperialists– Andrew Carnegie

» Imperialism costs would outweigh the economic gains– Jane Addams

» Annexation would be against American principles– Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)

» Annexation would be against American principles– Samuel Gompers

» Worried about competition for jobs and drive down wages

• Treaty of Paris– Cuba becomes independent– US acquires Guam and Puerto Rico– US pays $20 million to Spain for the Philippines– Senate ratifies treaty in February 1899

– Rebellion in the Philippines• Emilio Aguinaldo calls for troops to attack

Americans• General Arthur MacArthur (Douglas MacArthur’s

father) – Sets up reconcentration camps to separate guerilla

warriors from civilians– Thousands die from starvation and disease

• William Howard Taft, 1st US civilian governor– tried to reform education, transportation and

healthcare– Building railroads, bridges, telephone lines to

strengthen the economy – Public schools

• Aguinaldo surrenders 1901• 1946 Philippines gain independence from the US

– Governing Puerto Rico• Foraker Act

– Puerto Rico becomes an unincorporated territory

» Puerto Ricans not US citizens» Puerto Ricans did not have constitutional

rights» Congress could pass any laws they wanted

in regards to Puerto Rico– Slowly gain “self governance”– 1917 Puerto Ricans become US citizens– 1947 hold elections for governor

• Debate on statehood, commonwealth, or independence still a heated topic today

– Cuba and the Platt Amendment• McKinley makes promises

– Eventual independence for Cuba– Own constitution

» McKinley puts stipulations

• Platt Amendment– Stipulations

» Cuba cannot make treaties with other countries which would weaken its independence

» Cuba must allow the US to buy or lease naval stations in Cuba

» Cuba’s debts had to be kept low to stop possible foreign collectors from landing on the island

» US had the right to intervene to protect Cuba’s independence and to keep order

– Cubans rejected it at first, later change their minds– Repealed in 1934

Section 3: New American Diplomacy

• Theodore Roosevelt’s Rise to Power• President McKinley asked Teddy to run as his

Vice President in 1900

– The Election of 1900• McKinley vs. William Jennings Bryan• “Four More Years of the Full Dinner Pail”• 9/6/1901 Leon Czogosz, shoots McKinley• Teddy (age 42) takes office

– Roosevelt Becomes President• Believed the US had a duty to shape the less

civilized corners of the world• Wanted the US to be a world power

• American Diplomacy in Asia• Exports to China increased 4x

– The Open Door Policy• Sphere of Influence: a section of a country

where one foreign nation enjoys special rights and powers

• Open Door Policy: a policy that allows each foreign nation in China to trade freely in the other nations’ spheres of influence

– The Boxer Rebellion• Chinese movement to rid themselves of foreign

control• Group members attacked foreign embassies in

Beijing• US retains access to Chinese exports due to

Secretary of State John Hay’s urging of foreign powers to accept compensation for damages rather than attack China and break it into colonies

– Balancing Power in East Asia• Negotiating peace between Japan and Russia, aided

by outcome of Boxer Rebellion• Roosevelt wins Nobel Peace Prize 1906• Japan and US relations wither

– Great White Fleet voyage

– Increased tensions rather than elevating them

• A Growing Presence in the Caribbean• “Speak softly and carry a big stick” Policy

– The Panama Canal• Hay-Pauncefote Treaty

– Revolt in Panama• Rid of Columbian influence• Panama becomes independent• Signs treaty with US to build canal

– The Roosevelt Corollary• The US should and would intervene in

Latin American affairs when needed to maintain economic and political stability

– 1st applied in the Dominican Republic– Latin American countries resent involvement

• Dollar diplomacy– Taft’s policy, which follows T. Roosevelt’s– Substituted dollars for bullets – Nicaragua got both bullets and money

Assignment: Do chapter review at the end of the chapter.