The Emergence of the US as a World Power

Chapter 5The US becomes a

World Power

I. The Imperialist Vision

A. American Foreign Policy Trends

What is Foreign Policy?

- All of the stands and actions which a nation takes in every aspect of its relationships with other countries

- includes diplomatic, military, commercial, etc.

1. Historical Goals

a. National Security

b. Promote Trade

c. Promote and support Democracy

d. Altruism (unselfish regard for the welfare of others) Humanitarianism

e. Gain Respect

2. Early Foreign Policy Trends as outlined by George Washington and

Thomas Jefferson

a. Avoid entangling alliances

b. Promote trade!

“The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is in extending our commercial relations - to have with them as little political connection as possible”

George Washington’s Advice?

3. 1823: Monroe Doctrine: policy of excluding further European colonization in the Western Hemisphere

More or less established the Western Hemisphere as OUR hemisphere

4. Many early foreign dealings were TRADE and/or MISSIONARY

related

American Foreign Trade:

1870-1914

American Foreign Trade:

1870-1914

a. 1840s: opened China (trade, clipper ships,

missionaries to China, Chinese RR workers to US)

b. 1850s: opened Japan - Matthew Perry

1) Japan reluctant to trade w/ US – fear destruction of Japanese culture

2) requests for trade deal DENIED!

3) US sends warships (painted black) to Japan to secure trade treaty

4) Japanese in shock and awe! Sign the Treaty of Kanagawa

- trade agreement secured!

- Japan began industrializing and emerged as a leading military power in Asia – soon defeating China and then Russia in two

separate wars – and of course later, taking on the US

Japanese Scroll of Commodore Perry’s Historic 1854 Expedition: The detailed scroll, attributed to artists Hibata Osuke and Takagawa Bunsen, is the only eyewitness depiction of the visit known to be in existence. Watercolor paintings show scenes from the journey based on first-hand sketches, such as the arrival of the fleet of ships, the American soldiers meeting sumo wrestlers, the Americans gifting a model railway to the Japanese, and the funeral for an American who died along the way.

• March 1852: Pres Fillmore orders Matthew C. Perry to command Naval Squadron to establish diplomatic relations with Japan.

• July 1853: black ships led by USS Powhatan & commanded by Perry, anchored at Edo (Tokyo) Bay. Never before had the Japanese seen ships steaming with smoke. They thought the ships were "giant dragons puffing smoke." They did not know that steamboats existed and were shocked by the number and size of the guns on board the ships.

• Perry brought a letter from Pres Fillmore, to the Emperor of Japan. He waited with his armed ships and refused to see any of the lesser dignitaries sent by the Japanese, insisting on dealing only with the highest emissaries of the Emperor.

• Japanese gov’t realized that their country was in no position to defend itself against a foreign power, & Japan could not retain its isolation policy without risking war. On March 31, 1854, after weeks of long and tiresome talks, Perry received what he had so dearly worked for--a treaty with Japan. The Treaty of Kanagawa. The treaty provided for:– Peace & friendship btwn US & Japan– Opening of 2 ports to American ships– Help for any American ships wrecked on the Japanese coast and protection for

shipwrecked persons – Permission for American ships to buy supplies, coal, water, and other necessary

provisions in Japanese ports,• This treaty led to significant commercial trade between the US and Japan, contributed to

opening Japan to other Western nations, and ultimately resulted in the modernization/industrialization of the Japanese State

Matthew Perry Opened Japan to US

Commodore Perry

c. Alaska(1867) - purchased from Russia for $7.2 m (2 cents/acre) 1) many critical over this purchase

2) “Seward’s Icebox/Seward’s Folly”

d. Need for Coaling Stations (refueling)

trading w/ Pacific required acquisition of several strategically located islands where ships could refuel

1) 1867: Midway Islands

2) 1899: Wake Island.

Both uninhabited when acquired by US

5. American Imperialist Acquisitions

Imperialism = the economic and political domination of a strong

nation over weaker nations

a. Hawaii Status of Hawaii prior to this era? Sovereign nation; monarchy

1) 1820s: traders, missionaries whalers

2) mid 1800s: American settlers growing sugarcane

3) 1875: US Senate ratifies treaty exempting Hawaiian sugar from tariffs

* when treaty up for renewal, US demands exclusive rights to Pearl

Harbor as a naval station

* Americans controlled 2/3 of islands taxable real estate and were influential in Hawaiian gov’t

4) 1890: McKinley tariff – removed tariff on all imported sugar ending Hawaii’s advantage in

US market

*economy collapses

5) 1891: Queen Liliuokalani – tried to curb American influence and put Hawaiians in control of their own economy

*attempted to impose new constitution that would have reasserted her authority over Hawaiians

6) US sugar planters arrange coup

coup: sudden, violent overthrow of an existing gov’t by a small group

* Sanford Dole, a prominent American affiliated with the sugar planters called in US servicemen called in

* Queen Lil forced to give up power

7) Planters set up gov’t in “The Republic of

Hawaii”

* Sanford Dole becomes President * Queen Lil under house arrest

Sanford Dole

Queen Lil’s Protest

I Liliuokalani, by the Grace of God and under the Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen, do hereby solemnly protest against any and all acts done against myself and the Constitutional Government of the Hawaiian Kingdom by certain persons claiming to have established a Provisional Government of and for this Kingdom. That I yield to the superior force of the United States of America whose Minister Plenipotentiary, His Excellency John L. Stevens, has caused United States troops to be landed a Honolulu and declared that he would support the Provisional Government.

Now to avoid any collision of armed forces, and perhaps the loss of life, I do this under protest and impelled by said force yield my authority until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands.

Done at Honolulu this 17th day of January, A.D. 1893.

8) 1893: some call for annexation of Hawaii. Pres Cleveland opposed to imperialism and withdrew treaty from

Senate and tried to restore Queen Lil

*Planters wait for new President

9) 1898: McKinley President; Hawaii annexed, Sanford Dole becomes

Governor

b. Samoa

1) 1872: US ships refuel

2) 1878: becomes “protectorate of the US

3) 1889: close to war w/ Brits and Germany over Samoas – saved by a hurricane

4) 1899: Brits withdraw, Germany and US divide the Samoan islands

6. Latin Americaa. US bought raw materials from region, but LAs

bought most of their manufactured goods from Europe – US wanted to change this

b. US wanted Europe to know that US is dominate power in region

c. James C. Blaine – Sec. of State

- organized a conference to support peace & increase trade

- Pan-Americanism – US and LA should work together

- goal: to create customs union (reduce tariffs, = trade practices), system to work out disputes (keep Europe from meddling in American affairs)

- goals not accomplished but agree to cooperate. Led to Organization of American States (OAS)

C. Driving Forces Behind American Imperialism1. European Example - brought out our

competitive spirita. Power judged by an empire’s sizeb. Reasons behind European expansion

1)High tariffs btwn industrialized nations reduced trade – needed overseas places to sell their products

2) Lack of investment opportunities in Europe – needed new places to invest – most of the industries that Europe’s economy needed had already been built

c. established protectorates to protect investments

2. Social Darwinism and other new ideas of the age in religion and science

a. Social Darwinism: believed that nations compete with e/o politically,

economically, and militarily, and that only the strongest would survive

b. Anglo-Saxonism: English speaking nations had superior character, ideas, and systems of gov’t. Thus, they were destined to dominate the planet

3. Religious and Missionary Interests

a. Missionary: a person who is sent to a foreign country to do religious work

(such as to convince people to join a religion or to help people who are sick, poor, etc.)

b. Josiah Strong – linked Anglo-Saxonism to Christian missionary ideas. (“progress

follows the missionary”) -said “The Anglo-Saxon is divinely commissioned to be his brother’s keeper.” – His ideas convinced many Americans to support imperialism and the expansion of US power overseas

c. Rudyard Kipling – “White Man’s Burden”

“Take up the White Man's burden—Send forth the best ye breed—Go bind your sons to exileTo serve your captives' need;To wait in heavy harness,On fluttered folk and wild—Your new-caught, sullen peoples,Half-devil and half-child.”

4. Economic Reasons for Expansion

a. 1890 – trade imbalance of $1.6B

b. Had to find new markets, sources of raw materials, places where Americans could safely invest surplus capital

c. Senator Albert Beveridge – “traders of the world must be us”

5. Nationalism (Jingoism)

– “we do not fight/but, by Jingo, if we do/ we’ve got the ships, we’ve got the men/we’ve got the money too”

a. The extreme belief that your own country is always best

1) often shown in enthusiastic support for war against another

country

2) Failure to expand seen as a sign of decay (like Spain)

b. Saw it as part of Manifest Destiny to expand overseas and spread its civilization to other people

What’s the Difference?

6. Military/Strategic Interests

a. Alfred T. Mahan – wrote Influence of Sea Power Upon History

1) argued that nations could achieve greatness only by sea

power

2) called for a strong navy, naval bases and an inter-oceanic canal

b. 1880: US navy = 12th in world

- Congress approved funds to construct 1st American

battleships w/ large guns/wide cruising range

** By 1900: US navy = 3rd in world

IN THE NAVY

7. Close of the Frontier (Turner’s Thesis)

a. West is settled

b. Must look further West – beyond our continental borders – the new

Manifest Destiny – need a new frontier to conquer

II. Spanish-American War

189

8

“A Splendid Little War”

A. Background to the Spanish-American War

1. Spain – a fading World Power

2. Cuba – colony of Spain (1492-1898)

a. Cubans in midst of bloody revolution against Spain for

their independence

b. US views Spain as tyrant, supports Cubans

3. The Philippines – colony of Spain (1571-1898)

B. Causes of the Spanish-American War

1. Economic Interests a. US has thriving biz with Cuba (only 90 miles from Florida!)

1) $27 m in trade annually

2) US invests $50 -100m in Cuban mines, RRs,sugar plantations

b. Sugar!

1) Cuba produced ~ 1/3 world’s sugar in mid 1800s – lots of wealth produced for Spain!

2) US wanted Cuban sugar, but too expensive due to tariffs (imposed on Spain)…... but if Cuba were free ……

2. Humanitarian Reasonsa. support for the “Cuba Libre” movement (begun 1860s) led by Jose Marti

1) Marti raised $$ trained Cuban exiles in US for later invasion of Cuba

2) Americans compared Cuban struggle for independence to the American

Revolution

b. Reports of Spanish Atrocities against Cubans

1) 1890s, Spain sent “Butcher” Wyler to crush Cuban insurrection.

2) Cuban villagers sent to “reconcentration camps” where appx 200,000 died – Americans outraged – call for US intervention in the conflict

3. Public Opiniona. US officially neutral, but American public openly supports Cuban rebels against Spain

b. Americans support Cuban rebels thanks in part to Yellow Journalism – a type of sensational, biased, and often false

reporting for the sake of attracting readers

1) circulation wars btwn William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer

2) If truth didn’t sell enough papers, manufacture the truth!

“blood on the roadsides, blood in the fields, blood on the doorsteps,

blood, blood, blood!”

“Yellow” journalism takes its name from the “Yellow kid” comic strip, which featured a scrappy little bald kid in a flashy yellow nightshirt. Drawn by R.F. Outcault, the comic strip first ran in 1895 in Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World. The bright yellow ink attracted readers. Therefore, yellow journalism came to refer to flashy, unsubstantiated news accounts.

Yellow Journalism

“Yellow Journalism” & Jingoism

“Yellow Journalism” & Jingoism

Joseph PulitzerJoseph Pulitzer

William Randolph HearstWilliam Randolph Hearst

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

4. Events of 1898a. deLome letter (Feb 9, 1898)

1) Enrique deLome =

Spanish Ambassador

to US

2) In a letter, deLome refers to Pres. McKinley as “weak and a bidder for

the admiration of the crowd”

3) letter intercepted by Cuban agent and given to US newspaper

4) Americans outraged over the insult to Pres. McKinley

b. Explosion of USS Maine in Havana harbor (Feb 15, 1898)

1) Maine had been sent to Cuba to evacuate Americans in case of

increased violence there

2) ship explodes killing 266 Americans

3) US press blames Spain. American public calls for war!

“ Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain!!”

4) McKinley hesitant , faces growing criticism for not declaring war

Funeral for Maine victims in Havana

Funeral for Maine victims in Havana

Remember the Maine and to Hell with Spain!!

Yellow Journalism Quick Write Assignment: Thursday Oct 15

With a partner, use pages 184 and 185 from the textbook to write a newspaper article employing Yellow Journalism techniques. You may choose to write about any of the following events that led to the Spanish-American War (explosion of the USS Maine or the Spanish treatment of the Cuban people). This article should be one paragraph in length and a minimum of 50 words. Alternate assignment, (must have teacher approval – NO PARTNER): Draw an editorial cartoon covering one of the incidents listed above. This too must employ Yellow Journalism

WAR!

C. The Spanish-American War 1898

1. Declaration of Wara. April 11, 1898: with both Republicans and

Democrats calling for war, McKinley (R) reluctantly agrees to ask Congress for

declaration of war against Spain

** feared Democrats would win in 1900 if he didn’t

b. April 19, 1898: Congress declares Cuba independent and demands that Spain withdraw from the island

c. April 24, 1898: Spain declares war on US

d. April 25, 1898: US Congress declares war on Spain

When President McKinley asked Congress for a declaration of war, the House of Representatives voted 311 to 6 in support of the declaration. The Senate was more evenly divided, voting 42 to 35. To appease some reluctant members of Congress, the Teller amendment was added to the declaration. The amendment called for the United States to help Cuba become an independent country once the war had ended.

2. The Plan: A Two Front Wara. US knew war would be decided at sea

1) US had more battleships, newer battleships

2) Spanish warships old and crews poorly trained

b. US plan was to defeat Spain’s naval fleet to prevent Spain from getting supplies to Cuba

c. Also, US had to prevent Spanish fleet in Philippines (another Spanish colony) from sailing east to attack the US

so……….

3. 1st Battle of S-A War: The US Takes the Philippines

a. US Navy’s North Atlantic Squadron blockaded Cuba

b. US Asiatic fleet in Hong Kong ordered to attack Spanish fleet in Philippines

c. May 1, 1898: The US Navy led by Commodore George Dewey attacked Spanish fleet in Manila Bay

1) Spanish fleet sunk in 7hrs w/o loss of a single American sailor or ship! (300

Spanish dead)

2) George Dewey becomes American naval hero!

d. with Spanish naval fleet out of the way, the US moves to capture the Philippines

e. US sends 20,000 army troops from US. (They seize Guam, another Spanish possession, on the way to the Philippines)

USS Olympia in the left foreground, leading the U.S. Asiatic Squadron in destroying the Spanish fleet off Cavite

Dewey Captures Manila!Dewey Captures Manila!

f. With help from Filipino patriot, Emilio Aguinaldo and a Filipino army, US captures Manila Aug 1898. But then…..

1) Aguinaldo’s forces not allowed in city

2) Aguinaldo’s rebel gov’t not recognized by US

3) relations btwn Filipinos and US forces grow hostile – They were expecting

independence, but are now suspicious of US intentions

American troops pose victoriously on the ramparts of Manila, circa 1899. (photo: Library of Congress)

4. American Forces Battle in Cubaa. while Navy blockades, US Army prepares to mobilize

b. Army in deplorable state

1) only 28,000 regulars compared to Spain’s 80,000 in Cuba alone!

2) poor training and unsanitary conditions in training camps, wool uniforms etc.

c. June 14, 1898:

17,000 troops invade

near Santiago

d. The Rough Riders!

1) a volunteer cavalry unit comprised of cowboys, adventurous college

students, miners and ex-cons

2) led by Col. Leonard Wood with Teddy Roosevelt 2nd in command

3) gained vantage pt with victories at Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill

4) accompanied by 9th & 10th Tenth Negro Cavalry led by John Pershing -

deserved much of the credit for Kettle Hill/San Juan Hill victories

5) July 14, 1898: city of Santiago, surrounded by US forces, surrenders

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt

Assistant Secretary of the Navy in the McKinley administration.

Imperialist and American nationalist.

Criticized PresidentMcKinley as having the backbone of a chocolate éclair!

Resigns his position to fight in Cuba.

The “Rough Riders”

The “Rough Riders”

NCOs from 10th Cavalry Unit

10th US Cavalry in Tampa on their way to Cuba

10th Cavalry in Cuba

5. Spanish-American War Ends 1898a. US troops occupy nearby Spanish colony of Puerto Rico

b. Aug 12, 1898: US & Spain agree to cease-fire

c. Impact of War

1) 5462 died, only 385 in battle

2) learned how inadequate military was

**3) US becomes a world power with an overseas empire!!!

D. An American Empire is Born

1. Treaty of Parisa. signed Dec 10, 1898: treaty formally ending Spanish-American War

b. The terms of the Treaty of Paris

1) Cuba independent/free

2) Spain ceded/US annexed Puerto Rico, & Guam

3) US pays Spain $20m for the Philippines

- but now what do we do with them?President McKinley on the Philippines: “…I looked up their location on the globe, I could not have told where those darned islands were within 2,000 miles.”

The Philippines

2. To annex or not to annex……a. Arguments in favor of annexation of the Philippines

1) provide US w/ naval base in Asia & a stopover on the way to China

2) large market for US goods

3) US had duty to “uplift and civilize and Christianize them” – teach the “less civilized” how to live properly

4) Who’s calling for annexation? Henry Cabot Lodge: US Imperialist Senator - called for the annexation of the Philippines. He also argued that the

US needed to have a strong navy and be more involved in foreign affairs.

Hmm…The Philippines were a Spanish Colony for 300+ years. What religion do the Spanish practice?

b. Arguments against (Anti-Imperialist League – led by Mark Twain, Jane Addams, Samuel Gompers, Andrew Carnegie)

1) cost of maintaining an empire far outweighed the economic

benefits it provided

- each colony would need defense forces to protect if from rival

nations

2) thought cheap labor from colonies would drive down American wages

3) undemocratic! Violated American principles

Pro Con

c. The decision?

1) McKinley decided that public opinion favored taking the Philippines

“ Put the Philippines on the map of the United States”

2) Treaty of Paris ratified by Senate Feb 1899

3) Cuba free!

Puerto Rico & Guam ours!

and Philippines ours too!

America Grows Overseas

3. Rebellion in the Philippinesa. With Spain defeated, Filipinos expect

independence

b. Instead, the Philippines gets a new colonizer, the USA

c. Emilio Aguinaldo (who helped us

defeat the Spanish in the

Philippines) leads an insurrection against US troops using guerilla tactics

d. US response?

1) Sent Gen Arthur MacArthur to fight guerillas

- established policies similar to those that the US had condemned Spain for in Cuba (reconcentration camps where thousands died from

disease/starvation)

2) US civilian governor, William H. Taft (great administrator!) eases some Filipino resentment

- builds roads, bridges, telegraph lines - set up public school system

- creates new health care system

Taft: Governor of the Philippines

William Howard Taft riding a carabao duringhis term as Governor General of the Philippines

e. Independence for the Philippines?

1) 1901: Aguinaldo captured – accepted US control of Philippines & called on guerillas to surrender

2) 1902: US declares war over

- 7000 US casualties, 20,000 Filipino guerillas + lots of civilians

- cost us $600 m

3) 1916: Jones Act – elections for all gov’t except for governor

4) 1934: Tydings-McDuffie Act – pledged eventual independence

5) 1946: after Japanese occupation in WWII, Philippines = independent

4. Governing Puerto Ricoa. Foraker Act 1900

1) PR = unincorporated territory

2) Puerto Ricans ≠ US citizens

- have no constitutional rights

3) import duties on PR goods

4) Congress can pass whatever laws it wanted on PR

b. Jones Act 1917

1) Puerto Ricans = US citizens

2) right to elect their leaders

c. 1952: PR became self-governing commonwealth under US protection

d. Statehood???

5. Cuba & the Platt Amendmenta. Independence with conditions

b. The Platt Amendment

1) Cuba not to enter into agreements with foreign powers that would endanger its independence

2) Cuba to allow US to buy lease naval stations in Cuba (Guantanamo Bay

ring a bell?)

3) Cuba not to build up excessive debt (so no one sends troops to demand payment)

4) US could intervene in Cuban affairs to ensure an efficient, independent gov’t

there

Sen. Platt

c. The Result? The Platt Amendment effectively made Cuba an American protectorate!

d. Platt Amendment repealed in 1934, but US retained naval base at Guantanamo Bay

- Since 2002, home of controversial “Gitmo” prison camp for enemy combatants who have been, or may someday be charged with terrorism

- In 2009, Pres. Obama ordered camp closed in Jan 2010 – it’s still open

III. New American Diplomacy

Big Stick Diplomacy

A. Theodore Roosevelt’s Rise to Power

1. Election of 1900a. The Candidates

D = William Jennings Bryan

- anti-imperialist, critical of Republican support of imperialism in Asia

R = William McKinley

- focus on rise of prosperity in his 1st term

- VP candidate = Teddy Roosevelt (famous Spanish-American War

hero

Democrat Republican

b. The Winner? Easy win for McKinley!

c. McKinley assassinated! Sept 6, 1901

- by Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist

d. Teddy Roosevelt is President at age 42 (youngest President ever)

Leon Czolgosz

2. Roosevelt Becomes Presidenta. energy, personality, enthusiasm, war fame!

b. Believed US should be a world power

c. Accepted ideas of Anglo-Saxonism – US has a duty to shape the “less civilized” corners

of the earth

B. American Diplomacy in Asia

Diplomacy: the art and practice of conducting negotiations between nations

* in the US, this is the function of the State Dept.

1. Nation’s primary interest in Asia?

a. US = 3rd lrgst navy in the world – capable of exerting US power anywhere in East Asia

b. US main interest was NOT conquest, but Commerce and Trade

2. The Open Door Policya. 1894: War btwn Japan & China over Korea

1) Western powers expected China to win easily b/c of its massive armed forces

2) But Japan wins

- China grants Korea independence

- China cedes territory in Manchuria (large, resource rich in NE China)

to Japan

b. Impact of this War?

1) showed that Japan had successfully adopted Western technology & industry

2) demonstrated that China was weaker than anyone thought

Manchuria region of China

c. Tensions btwn Japan and Russia rise over Manchuria (bordered Russia)

- Russia forced Japan to give back the part of Manchuria to China & later made China lease the territory to Russia

d. Other European nations also began demanding leaseholds in China

1) leaseholds became European “sphere’s of influence” – section of a country where one foreign nation enjoys special rights and powers

2) each foreign nation controlled economic development in their “sphere”

Spheres of Influence in China

e. US worried about loss of trade opportunities in China

f. Sec of State John Hay introduced the “Open Door Policy” – a policy that allowed each foreign nation in China to trade freely in the other nations’ spheres of influence

3. The Boxer Rebellion (1900)a. an attempt by group known as “Boxers” to

rebel against foreign influence in China

1) hope to expel foreign “devils” and their Christian converts whom they believed were corrupting Chinese society

2) killed 200+ foreigners and held others prisoner

b. Aug 1900: Int’l force (including US) quashed rebellion

c. China’s punishment? Must pay reparations

1) China not broken up into colonies

2) US maintains trade access

The Boxer Rebellion

Called Boxers b/c they belonged to a secret society whose members practiced martial arts

US helps put down the rebellion

4. Balancing Power in East Asiaa. TRs goal to prevent any single nation from monopolizing trade in China

b. Russo-Japanese War (1905)

1) Japan attacked Russia in an attempt to drive Russia out of Manchuria

2) TR offers to help settle the conflict – why?

- wanted both Japan & Russia to uphold Open Door Policy

- feared Japan would become too strong if it won

3) Treaty of Portsmouth (1905) – war over

4) TR receives Nobel Peace Prize

A funny for you

T. Roosevelt W. Wilson J. Carter B. Obama

c. The Great White Fleet (1907)

1) TR sent 16 white battleships on a sail around the world to show off US

military might

2) especially hoped to impress Japan with whom relations were growing

progressively worse

Great White Fleet Route Around the World

The Great White Fleet: 1907The Great White Fleet: 1907

C. A Growing Presence in the Caribbean

1. T Roosevelt & Latin America

a. Believed in a strong global military presence

- displaying US power to the world would make them think twice about

fighting. Thus military power = peace

b. Employed “Big Stick” or “Gunboat” diplomacy

c. His goals in the region?

1) build inter-oceanic canal

2) Keep Europe out of W. Hemisphere

Speak Softly,But Carry a Big Stick!

Speak Softly,But Carry a Big Stick!

2. Panama Canala. vital to American power in the world

- would save time and money for both commercial & military shipping

b. Hay-Pauncefote Treaty (1901)

1) btwn US & Great Britain

2) gave US exclusive right to build & control any proposed canal through

Central America

c. French attempt to build canal through Panama: begun in 1881, but abandoned by 1889 due to bankruptcy & rampant disease among the laborers (1/2 died!)

d. French company offers to sell its rights & property in Panama to US (1903)

1) problem: Panama owned by Colombia

2) offered to buy rights and pay rent, but Colombia refused offer. On to plan

B….

3. Revolt in Panama

a. Panamanians unhappy w/ Colombian rule

1) French company’s agent, Philippe Bunau-Varilla & Panamanian officials decide that the only way to get canal built was for Panama to declare independence & make their own deal

w/ US

2) Bunau-Varilla arranged for small army to stage uprising in Panama

3) Nov 3, 1903 – the revolt. TR sent warships to Panama to prevent Colombian response

4) Revolution succeeds

b. New Treaty: Hay-Banau-Varilla Treaty

1) $10 m to Panama + $250,000 yearly

2) right to a 10 mi wide, 40 mi long “zone”

c. Protests in US over TRs role – condemned as unjustifiable aggression

TRs response? Said he advanced “the needs of a collective civilization by building canal that shortened distance btwn Atlantic & Pacific by 8000 nautical miles

Panama Canal

d. Building the Canal

1) Geographic Challenges!

- swamps filled w/ disease carrying mosquitos

- heavy jungle and rock

- high heat and humidity 2) William C. Gorgas (army physician)

- drained swamps, & ponds. Eradicated mosquitoes in18 mos.

Malaria & Yellow Fever declined

Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again.

Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again.

3) Construction

- 43,000 laborers

- 61 m lbs of dynamite used to blast through rock & remove huge trees

- 5 m cubic yds of concrete

4) completed 1914

- most expensive project to date at $365 m

- 5600+ killed in construction

5) Considered the greatest engineering feat of all time upon its completion

Construction of the Panama Canal

Panama Canal

Cruising on the Panama Canal

4. The Roosevelt Corollarya. TR expands “big stick” diplomacy with the

Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

1) US reserves right to intervene in LA affairs when necessary to maintain stability in the Western Hemisphere

2) aimed at keeping European nations

from sending troops to Central America

or Caribbean

Intervene: to interfere usually by force or threat of force in another nation's internal affairs

b. Roosevelt Corollary in Action

1) Dominican Republic

2) DR fell behind on its debt payments to European nations

3) TR sent US Marines to DR to collect customs tariffs & make debt

payments

c. Latin Americans begin to resent the growing US influence in the region

US actions in Latin America

5. Dollar Diplomacya. President after TR = William H. Taft

1) continued much of TRs foreign policy, but with an emphasis on helping Latin American Industry

2) Believed that if US biz leaders supported LA development, everyone would benefit

- US increases trade

- US biz increase profits

- LA countries rise out of poverty & social disorder

- Europeans need not interfere in LA!

b. Dollars & Guns in Nicaragua

1) 1911: US banks loan $ to Nicaragua to support its gov’t

2) 1912: Nicaragua asks for more aid

3) US Marines to Nicaragua

- replace customs collector w/ American agent

- formed a committee of 2 Americans + 1 Nicaraguan to control customs commissions

4) US troops in Nicaragua until 1925