Imperialism and World War

Unit 6

SSUSH14 The student will explain America’s evolving relationship with the world at the turn of the twentieth century.

a. Explain the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and anti-Asian immigration sentiment on the west coast.

b. Describe the Spanish-American War, the war in the Philippines, and the debate over American expansionism.

c. Explain U.S. involvement in Latin America, as reflected by the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine and the creation of the Panama Canal.

SSUSH15 The student will analyze the origins and impact of U.S. involvement in World War I.

a. Describe the movement from U.S. neutrality to engagement in World War I, with reference to unrestricted submarine warfare. b. Explain the domestic impact of World War I, as reflected by the origins of the Great Migration, the Espionage Act, and socialist Eugene Debs. c. Explain Wilson’s Fourteen Points and the proposed League of Nations. d. Describe passage of the Eighteenth Amendment, establishing Prohibition, and the Nineteenth Amendment, establishing woman suffrage.

SSUSH16 The student will identify key developments in the aftermath of WW I.

a. Explain how rising communism and socialism in the United States led to the Red Scare and immigrant restriction. b. Identify Henry Ford, mass production, and the automobile. c. Describe the impact of radio and the movies. d. Describe modern forms of cultural expression; include Louis Armstrong and the origins of jazz, Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance, Irving Berlin, and Tin Pan Alley.

American Expansionism

• Imperialism—policy of extending control over weaker nations

• In 1800s, Europeans divide up most of Africa, compete for China

• Japan joins race for China; U.S. decides to expand overseas

• Admiral Alfred T. Mahan urges U.S. to build up navy to compete

• U.S. builds modern battleships, becomes third largest naval power

Belief in Cultural SuperiorityU.S. farms, factories produce more than

Americans can consume• U.S. needs raw materials, new markets for

goodsForeign trade: solution to

overproduction, unemployment, depression

Some combine Social Darwinism, belief in superiority of Anglo-Saxons

• Argue U.S. has duty to Christianize, civilize “inferior peoples”

Alaska• William Seward—Secretary of State under Lincoln, Johnson

• 1867, arranges purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million

- has trouble convincing House to fund purchase

- Alaska called “Seward’s Icebox,” “Seward’s Folly”

• Alaska rich in timber, minerals, oil

Hawaii

• Since 1790s, U.S. merchants stop in Hawaii on way to China, India

• 1820s, Yankee missionaries found schools, churches on islands

• Mid-1800s, American-owned sugar plantations 75% of islands’ wealth

• 1887, U.S. pressures Hawaii to allow naval base at Pearl Harbor

- becomes refueling station• 1890 McKinley Tariff eliminates duty-free

status of Hawaiian sugar• Planters call for U.S. to annex islands so

will not have to pay duty

Hawaii-The End of a Monarchy

• 1887, businessmen force King Kalakaua to limit vote to landowners

• Queen Liliuokalani tries to remove landowning requirement

• With help of marines, business groups overthrow queen

• Set up government headed by Sanford B. Dole

• President Cleveland cannot make Dole surrender power to queen

- recognizes Republic of Hawaii• Under President McKinley, Congress

proclaims Hawaii U.S. territory

The Spanish-American War

Cubans Rebel Against Spain• U.S. long interested in Cuba; wants to buy Cuba

from Spain• During 1868–1878 Cuban war for independence,

American sympathizes with Cuba• 1886 abolition of slavery leads to U.S.

investment in sugar caneThe Second War for Independence• José Martí—poet, journalist—launches second

revolution in 1895• Guerrilla campaign destroys American-owned sugar

mills, plantations• U. S. public opinion split:- business wants to support Spain- others favor Cuban cause

War Fever Escalates

Spain Takes Action• 1896, General Valeriano Weyler

sent to Cuba to restore order• Puts about 300,000 Cubans in

concentration campsHeadline Wars• Newspapers exploit Weyler’s

actions in circulation war• Yellow journalism—sensational

writing used to lure, enrage readers

The de Lôme Letter

• Headlines increase American sympathy for independent Cuba

• McKinley wants to avoid war, tries diplomacy to resolve crisis

• Private letter by Spanish minister Enrique Dupuy de Lôme published

- calls McKinley weak, swayed by public

• Spain apologizes, de Lôme resigns; American public angry

Ticket Out the Door

How did Yellow Journalism influence the rise of the Spanish-American War?

Answer: Yellow Journalism provided the sensationalism of Weyler’s actions in Cuba and the idea that the Spanish were responsible for the explosion of the U.S.S. Maine that angered United States citizens and made them sympathetic for the people in Cuba.

U.S.S. Maine Article The sinking of the U.S.S. Maine could be described as the “straw that broke the camel’s back”: list and explain 3 other reasons, either from our notes or the article, that contributed to the U.S. declaring War on Spain in 1898.

The U.S.S. Maine ExplodesU.S.S. Maine sent to pick up U.S. citizens, protect U.S. property

• Ship blows up in Havana harbor; newspapers blame Spain

Spain agrees to most U.S. demands, public opinion still favors war

• U.S. declares war April 1898

The War in the Philippines• First battle with Spain occurs in

Spanish colony of the Philippines• Commodore George Dewey destroys

Spanish fleet in Manila harbor• Filipinos, led by Emilio Aguinaldo, support

Dewey• August 1898, Spanish troops in Manila

surrender to U.S.

The War in the Caribbean• U.S. blockades Cuba; Spanish fleet in

Santiago de Cuba harbor• Unlike navy, U.S. army has small

professional force, many volunteers- volunteers ill-prepared, ill-supplied- Most deadly weapon the Americans

faced was that of disease- 5000 die from malaria, typhoid, and

dysentery, only 500 from Spanish bullets

Rough RidersLeonard Wood, Theodore Roosevelt

lead volunteer cavalry• Roosevelt declared hero of attack on

strategic San Juan Hill• Spanish fleet tries to escape blockade,

is destroyed in naval battle• U.S. troops invade Puerto Rico soon

after

Battle of Santiago BayMost important

event of the war was the United States Navy destroying the Spanish fleet in Santiago Bay on July 3, 1898

Spanish lost all her ships and 500 lives, while the U.S. Navy lost no ships.

Treaty of Paris• Spain, U.S. sign armistice August 1898; meet in Paris to make treaty

• Spain frees Cuba; hands Guam, Puerto Rico to U.S.; sells Philippines

Platt Amendment (1901)Added to the Cuban constitution at request of U.S.

1. Cuba could sign no treaties to limit her independence

2. U.S. could intervene to preserve Cuban independence

3. Cuba could accumulate no debt

4. U.S. would maintain a naval base in Cuba

Platt Amendment makes Cuba a protectorate of the United States

A protectorate is a country who’s affairs a partially controlled by a stronger nation

U.S. Interest in ChinaU.S. sees China as vast potential market, investment opportunity

• France, Britain, Japan, Russia have settlements, spheres of influence

• Secretary of State John Hay issues Open Door notes

• Notes ask imperialist nations to share trading rights with U.S.

- Other countries reluctantly agree

The Boxer Rebellion in China• Europeans dominate most large Chinese cities

• Chinese form secret societies, including Boxers, to expel foreigners

• Boxers kill hundreds of foreigners, Chinese converts to Christianity

• U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Japan put down Boxer Rebellion

Roosevelt the Peacemaker

• Roosevelt does not want Europeans to control world economy, politics

• 1904, Japan, Russia dispute control of Korea (Japan surprise attack defeats Russian Navy, but outmanned and under equipped to fight larger war)

• Roosevelt negotiates Treaty of Portsmouth:- Japan gets Manchuria, Korea- U.S., Japan - pledge to respect each

other’s possessions

Panama Canal

U.S. wants canal to cut travel time of commercial, military ships

2 ways:- Nicaragua- longer, less geographic problems,

better political relations- Panama- shorter, more geographic problems,

strained political relationsNegotiates with Colombia to build

Panama Canal; talks break down• French company agent helps organize

Panamanian rebellion - U.S. gives military aid

Panama Canal Cont.U.S., Panama sign treaty; U.S. pays

$10 million + $250,000 / yr for Canal Zone

• Construction of canal is one of world’s greatest engineering feats (1904-1913)

- fight diseases, geographic obstacles 5600 die

- at height, 43,400 workers employed- 1921, 25 Million paid to Columbian

government

The Roosevelt Corollary• Roosevelt fears European intervention if Latin American economies collapse and defaulting on European loans

• An extension of the Monroe doctrine- U.S. to use force to protect economic interests