Imperialism

Creation of the U.S. Empire

Bellwork

• What bit of advice did George Washington give Americans as he left office?

• How is Imperialism a major change in American policy? Explain

Imperialism

• During America’s Age of Imperialism, the practice of extending power and dominion by gaining political and economic control over other areas established the United States as a world power

• After the Civil War, pioneers settled the last western frontiers and expansionists began to look even further west.

Imperialism

• Imperialism – the economic and political domination of a strong nation over other weaker nations.

• Beginning in the 1880’s more people wanted to make the US a world power

• Economic and military competition from other nations, as well as a growing feeling of superiority led to this shift in opinion

American Foreign Trade:

1870-1914

American Foreign Trade:

1870-1914

1. Economic: American Farmers and industry needed new markets for its goods & new sources of raw materials

1. Economic: American Farmers and industry needed new markets for its goods & new sources of raw materials

2. Military/Strategic Interests

2. Military/Strategic Interests

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

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

U.S. needs strong navy

3. Social Darwinist Thinking3. Social Darwinist Thinking

The White Man’sBurden

The White Man’sBurdenAmerican duty to spread its

superior culture to othersAmerican duty to spread its superior culture to others

4. Religious/Missionary Interests

4. Religious/Missionary Interests

Manifest Destiny: God made it our destiny to expand

Manifest Destiny: God made it our destiny to expand

Imperialism

• Europe had been expanding for many years• The use of tariffs had reduced trade between

industrial countries forcing them to look overseas for places to sell their products

• Europeans looked overseas for places to invest• To protect their investments, they began

exerting control over those territories where they invested their capital and sold their products making some protectorates.

Imperialism

• Protectorate: imperial power allowed local rulers to remain in control while protecting them against rebellion and invasion

• The expansion of Europe overseas moved Americans to want to do the same

• Many supporters of Social Darwinism argued that nations competed politically, economically, and militarily, and only the strongest would survive

• Some believed in Anglo-Saxonism

Imperialism

• Anglo-Saxonism – the idea that the English-speaking nations had superior character, ideas, and systems of government and were destined to dominate the planet

• American leaders thought the United States needed a powerful navy

• A navy could protect the merchant ships and defend its right to trade with other countries

• By the 1890’s the US was on its way to becoming a great naval power

Expansion in the Pacific

• Japan in the 1800’s only traded with China and the Dutch

• In 1852 President Pierce ordered Commodore Matthew C. Perry to negotiate a peace treaty with Japan

• The Japanese, impressed by American technology and power, signed a treaty opening two ports to American trade

• By the 1890’s, Japan had a powerful navy and set out to build its own empire in Asia

U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry Opens Up Japan:

1853

U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry Opens Up Japan:

1853

Japan no longer isolated

Japan no longer isolated

Expansion in the Pacific

• Americans were interested in Hawaii also• Sugarcane grew well there and by the mid-

1800s there were many sugarcane plantations• In 1875, the US removed tariffs on Hawaiian

sugar and the planters grew wealthy• An 1890 tariff gave subsidies to US sugar

growers and the Hawaiian sugar became more expensive

Expansion in the Pacific

• In 1891, Queen Liliuokalani became ruler• She disliked American influence and tried to

reestablish her authority• The planters overthrew her government and

forced her to give up power• They set up their own government• The United States annexed Hawaii five years

later.

Hawaiian Queen LiliuokalaniHawaiian Queen Liliuokalani

Hawaii for the Hawaiians!

Hawaii for the Hawaiians!

U. S. Business Interests In Hawaii

U. S. Business Interests In Hawaii

1893 – American businessmen backed an uprising against Queen Liliuokalani.

Sanford Ballard Dole proclaims the Republic of Hawaii in 1894.

Trade and Diplomacy in Latin America

• The United States wanted more influence in Latin America.

• The US wanted to sell more products there• The US wanted Europeans to see the US as the

main power in the region• The Latin Americans did not want to restrict

their trade so they rejected the idea of a customs union with the United States

Building a Modern Navy

• Americans were willing to risk war to defend their interests overseas

• Captain Alfred T. Mahan published his book called “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History”

• It suggested a nation needed a large navy to protect its merchant ships and to defend its right to trade with other countries.

• Needed territory overseas for naval bases

The Coming of War

• Cuba, a Spanish colony, provided wealth for Spain

• Jose’ Marti, a Cuban revolutionary left Cuba to New York in 1868 to raise money

• In 1895 Marti returned and declared Cuban independence

• They set up the Republic of Cuba in September

The Coming of War

• At the start of the Cuban revolution, Americans were neutral

• William Randolph Hearst, and Joseph Pulitzer two journalists used yellow journalism to get the Americans to side with the rebels

• Yellow Journalism: Exaggerated stories used to get people to believe a certain way

• Hearst and Pulitzer exaggerated stories of Spanish attacks on Cubans

“Yellow Journalism”“Yellow Journalism”

Joseph PulitzerJoseph Pulitzer

William Randolph HearstWilliam Randolph Hearst

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

Tabloid Newspapers reported the brutality of the Spanish in graphic terms.

The Coming of War

• Cuban rebels attacked American property, hoping to get America to intervene in the war

• The Spanish governor of Cuba caused the deaths of thousands of Cuban villagers by sending them to reconcentration camps.

• Spanish ambassador, Enrique Dupuy de Lome wrote a letter describing McKinley as weak.

• The New York Journal printed the letter, causing Americans to become angry

Spanish Mistreatment in Cuba

Spanish Mistreatment in Cuba

The Coming of War

• The U.S.S. Maine, anchored in Havana, Cuba, exploded

• Although no one knows why, many Americans blamed Spain

• President Mckinley was pressured into declaring war on Spain in 1898 by members of his own political party.

• jingoism – an attitude of strong nationalism, was very strong within his party

Remember the Maineand to Hell with Spain!Remember the Maineand to Hell with Spain!

USS Maine explodes in Cuba

Spanish American War (SPAM)

• America’s navy destroyed Spanish warships in the Philippines

• The American army attacked Cuba and the “Rough Riders” attacked San Juan Hill

• Theodore Roosevelt was 2nd in command and became a hero because of this battle

• Within 4 months the war was over • Spain and the US agreed to a cease-fire

Dewey Captures Manila!Dewey Captures Manila!

The “Rough Riders”

The “Rough Riders”

Teddy Roosevelt becomes a national hero @ Battle of San Juan Hill

An American Empire is Born

• The United States and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris on 12/10/1898

• Cuba became an independent country.• The US acquired Puerto Rico and Guam and

paid Spain $20 million for the Philippines.• Guerrilla troops attacked US troops killing

more than had died in the SPAM war

The Treaty of Paris: 1898The Treaty of Paris: 1898

Cuba was freed from Spanish rule.

Spain gave up Puerto Rico and the island of Guam.

The U. S. paid Spain $20 mil. for the Philippines.

The U. S. becomes an imperial power!

U.S. in Pacific & Asia

Philippines: U.S. annexed after SpAm War

Guerilla war killed more U.S. soldiers in Philippines than entire SpAm war

An American Empire is Born

• William Howard Taft, the first US civilian governor of the Philippines, introduced reforms to try to win the Filipino’s over

• Hostilities lessened and by 1902 all Filipino resistance had stopped.

• The United States granted independence to the Philippines in 1946

An American Empire is Born

• Puerto Rico became an unincorporated territory in 1900.

• In 1917 Puerto Ricans were made citizens of the United States

• In 1947 they elected their own governor• Today the debate on whether to grant Puerto

Rico statehood, to become an independent country, or to continue as a Commonwealth and part of the United States still exists

Platt Amendment

• After the war, the US set up a military government in Cuba.

• Steps were taken to ensure Cuba would remain tied to the United States

• The Platt Amendment specified (1) Cuba could not make a treaty with another nation that would weaken its power or allow another foreign power to gain territory in Cuba

Platt Amendment

• (2) Cuba had to buy or lease naval stations to the United States

• (3) Cuba’s debts had to be kept low to prevent foreign countries from landing troops to enforce payment

• (4) The United States would have the right to protect Cuban independence and keep order.

• It was repealed in 1934

Latin America

• Monroe Doctrine (1823)

• Spanish American War (1895)–Platt

Amendment: U.S. can intervene in Cuba to protect democracy

American Diplomacy in Asia

• Japan and China fought over Korea• Japan won and China gave Korea independence

and Japan territory in Manchuria• Japan had successfully adopted Western

technology• Russia made Japan give part of Manchuria back

to China and later made China lease it to Russia

American Diplomacy in Asia

• This leasehold became the center of a sphere of influence, an area where a foreign nation controlled economic development such as railroad and mining.

• Secretary of State John Hay supported an Open Door Policy in China – he believed all countries should be allowed to trade with China.

The Open Door Policy (1899)

The Open Door Policy (1899)

Secretary John Hay.

Give all nations equal access to trade in China.

Guaranteed that China would NOT be taken over by any one foreign power.

American Diplomacy in Asia

• Theodore Roosevelt won the Noble Peace prize in 1906 for his efforts in stopping the Russo-Japanese war.

• Russia recognized Japan’s territorial gains and Japan was persuaded to stop seeking further territory.

• After the peace treaty, relations between U.S. and Japan worsened

American Diplomacy in Asia

• The Great White Fleet – 16 battleships of the U.S. were sent around the world to show the country’s military strength.

• Visiting Japan did not help the tension that already existed.

The Great White Fleet: 1907

The Great White Fleet: 1907

A Growing Presence in the Caribbean

• In 1903 Panama was still part of Columbia• Columbia refused John Hay’s offer to purchase the

land and gain rights to build the canal• Panamanians decided to declare their

independence and make their own deal with the U.S.

• United States recognized their independence and work on the canal began in 1904.

• It shortened the distance by about 8,000 nautical miles.

Panama CanalPanama Canal

TR creates a revolution in Panama

Columbian control of Panama ended

TR creates a revolution in Panama

Columbian control of Panama ended

(Construction of canal begins in 1904)

United States needs quicker transportation from east coast to west coast

Roosevelt Corollary

• Roosevelt Corollary added to Monroe Doctrine which basically made the U.S. the Policemen of the Western Hemisphere.

• It stated that the U.S. would intervene in Latin American affairs when necessary to maintain economic and political stability.

• President Taft believed that if American business leaders supported Latin America and Asian development, everyone would benefit.

• His policy came to be called dollar diplomacy.

U.S. in Latin America

Roosevelt Corollary  

Addition to the Monroe doctrine

Policeman of the western hemisphere

Big Stick Policies

Speak Softly,But Carry a Big

Stick!

Speak Softly,But Carry a Big

Stick!

Gunboat DiplomacyGunboat

Diplomacy

Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy”

Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy”

1908-1912

Investments in Latin America required U.S. protection

Use $ to help control foreign governments