Chapter 18

America Claims an Empire

Imperialism

The national policy or practice of acquiring foreign territories or establishing dominance over other nations.

Factors that fueled American Imperialism

Desire for Military StrengthThirst for new marketsBelief in cultural superiority

Alfred T. Mahan formed the Great White Fleet (Atlantic

Fleet)

Atlantic Fleet today

Alaska

Seward’s Folly

7.2 MillionTimberMineralsOil

Hawaii

Sugar PlantationsPearl HarborQueen LiliuokalaniMarinesSanford Dole

Spanish-American War

US tried to buy CubaSpain said rather see Cuba Sunk into the

oceanViolation of the Monroe DoctrineSugar cane investors began sinking

millions into the sugar produced from Cuba

Yellow Journalism

Enrique Dupuy de Lome USS Maine

US Began acquiring new lands

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico was split between those citizens who wanted state hood and those who wanted the local self government as American territories

Platt Amendment

Cuba could not make treaties that might limit it’s independence

US reserved the right to intervene in Cuba

Cuba was not to go into debtUS could buy or lease land from Cuba

for Naval portsUS became a protectorate of Cuba

China

“Sick man of Asia”

John HayOpen door

notes

Boxer Rebellion

Resentment about the open door policy

Named for their use of Martial Arts

Panama Canal

Pedro Miguel Locks

Cruise Ship going through a

set of locks

Roosevelt Corollary

Pancho Villa

Disgruntled by US policy to aid Mexican Government

Went on killing spreeOver 20 innocent

Americans Died at the hands of Pancho Villa

John J. Pershing

General ordered to bring Villa in Dead or Alive

Mexican Government outraged

US had bigger problems on the horizon