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Unit 5: America Builds an Empire
What is foreign policy?
• A nation’s policies toward other countries
Elements of Foreign Relations
• International Anarchy: the idea that while citizens in each country are subject to law, the governments of nations are not subject to international laws in all cases
• Balance of Power: when one nation becomes too powerful, other nations band together to protect themselves or make sure that the one nation does not over-throw them
More Elements of Foreign Relations
• Control of US Foreign Policy: the Constitution divides this power between Congress and the President– President negotiates treaties/Senate ratifies– President commands troops/ Congress pays– Congress declares war/President commands
troops
More Elements of Foreign Relations
• Traditional Foreign Policy: America felt protected by the 2 oceans; Washington warned us to stay out of other nations’ problems and remain isolated
• National Interests: American interests include:– Security from attack– Protecting American investment– Promoting American democracy
The Spanish-American War, 1898
• Origins: (Cuba is a Spanish colony)– In 1894, the US raised it’s tariff (tax) on the sugar
imported from Cuba– This lead to a decline in Cuban revenues and
increased unemployment and unrest – Cuban refugees, living in the US, are led by Jose
Marti to sail back to Cuba and begin a revolution– Marti declared Cuba independent in 1895– Spain sent troops to put down the rebellion
Spanish-American War
• Spain’s attempts to end the rebellion were brutal
• Entire villages and towns in Cuba were forced into camps surrounded by barbed wire and starved into submission
• These events raised humanitarian concerns in the United States
Spanish-American War
• Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World and William Randolph Heart’s New York Journal were 2 of the major newspapers that covered the story
• These papers deliberately sensationalized the news
• They depicted the Spanish as murderous brutes in order to sell more papers
Spanish-American War
• Yellow Journalism: unbalanced, sensationalized reporting intended to sell more papers
• This type of news reporting gave Americans an unrealistic view of the events in Cuba
• Americans believed that it was important to intervene to protect the Cubans
Triggering Events: the De Lome Letter
• De Lome is the Spanish Ambassador to the US• A letter he wrote to a friend in Havana was
stolen by Cuban rebels and sent to US newspapers
• The letter was critical of the US and specifically called President McKinley “weak”
• De Lome resigned from office
U.S.S. Maine
• American naval vessel was sent to Cuba to protect American lives and property during the revolution
• While in port in Havana, the ship exploded• The Maine sunk and 258 U.S. sailors died and more
were severely injured• Hearst and Pulitzer both blamed the Spanish for the
explosion• Heart offered $50,000 reward for capture of the
Spaniards responsible• The cause of the explosion is still unknown today
Spanish-American War
• Public outcry against Spain as a result of the Maine grew
• “Remember the Maine”• Spain agreed to US demands for a cease fire
with Cuban rebels• April 20, 1898 McKinley asks Congress to
declare war on Spain• Congress votes to declare war on April 21, 1898
War in the Pacific
• The first battles in the Spanish-American war were fought in the Philippines
• Commodore George Dewey sailed the US fleet into Manila harbor and opened fire on the capital city
• Dewey destroyed the entire Spanish fleet in Manila• 11,000 US forces and Filipino rebels fought Spain for
the next two months• Spanish troops surrendered the Philippines in August
Caribbean War
• Admiral Sampson blockades Cuba preventing the Spanish fleet from escaping
• A small number of professional Army officers were sent into Cuba with 125,000 volunteers
• The volunteers were inexperienced, poorly trained, provided with inadequate weapons, and old woolen uniforms from the Civil War
Teddy Roosevelt
• TR serves as Asst Secretary of the Navy• Believes that for America to become a world
power, we must improve our navy • Resigns from War Dept to form an all volunteer
cavalry unit to fight in the S-A War• “The Rough Riders” are under the command of
General Leonard Wood and TD• Along with regular army troops, they defeat the
Spanish at the Battle of San Juan Hill
Spanish-American War
• July 1st: Rough Riders, 2 regiments of African-American troops, and the 9th and 10th cavalries charged up Kettle Hill and defeat Spanish troops
• Infantry and Rough Riders attach San Juan Hill next day, defeat Spain again
• 4 days later, Spanish Navy tries to break the blockade• Naval battle along the Cuban coast lasts a week.• Spanish fleet is destroyed• American troops invade Puerto Rico the next week
Spanish-American War
• Problems:– Yellow Fever (malaria)– Poor training– Old weapons– Unsuitable uniforms– Old officers who were more interested in telling
Civil War stories than fighting (General Wheeler)– Delay in getting ships from Atlantic to Pacific and
Caribbean….We need a CANAL!
Treaty of Paris
• The US and Spain sign an armistice resulting in a cease-fire on August 12th
• December 10th, US and Spain meet to discuss terms in Paris
• Treaty is signed on December 15th
• The US Senate will have to ratify
Terms of the Treaty of Paris
• Spain agrees to give Cuba independence from Spanish rule
• Guam and Puerto Rico will be given to the U.S.• Spain will sell the Philippines to the U.S. for
$20 million• Thus ends what Secretary of State, John Hay,
called “a splendid little war”
Is this a turning point in American History?
• US no longer isolationist• US gains territories• US naval and military power and influence
grow• US enters into international trade • US defeats European power (again)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urtm4GpjFu4
Does this event make the US into a world power?
• Probably• America viewed as having both economic and
military strength• Naval power essential for both and US navy is
now the 3rd largest
What is Imperialism?
• The policy of extending a nation’s authority over other countries by economic, political, or military means
Reasons for American Colonial Expansion
• Need for Raw Materials: industrial expansion requires coal, oil, rubber, steel, etc…
• Need for Markets: increasing production requires new places to sell our stuff
• Nationalism: expansion show that the US is a world power to be admired and respected
• Strategic Reasons: the need for naval bases around the world to refuel and resupply
• Attitudes toward other people: belief that Americans were superior to other people and that we needed to educate/train them to be more like us
Alfred Thayer Mahan
• Admiral and President of the Naval War College• Wrote The Influence of Sea Power Upon History• Argued that for a nation to become a world
power, a powerful navy was required• Colonies and naval bases around the world
would be necessary to support merchant ships as well as naval vessels
Mahan
• Because the US is competing with other nations for supremacy, we should seize control of Pacific trade routes, construct a canal through Central America, and dominate the Caribbean
• These things would give us geographic dominance over Atlantic and Pacific trade
• T. Roosevelt was one of his followers
American Anti-Imperialist League
• People like Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, Moorefield Storey, and Henry Ford opposed colonialism
• They felt that the United States was based on the ideals of democracy and self-government and that to impose our rule on others was hypocrisy
• They opposed America acquiring colonies
Moorefield Storey
• First President of the NAACP• Spokesman for the Anti-Imperialist League• Gave dramatic speech in Boston warning
against US colonization
Results of Spanish-American War
• US wins!• US becomes a world power• US acquires a colonial empire consisting of :– The Philippines– Guam– Hawaii– Puerto Rico– Samoa– Midway
The Platt Amendment
• A congressional resolution passed in the U.S. Congress prior to the S-A War had guaranteed independence of Cuba
• At the end of the war, Cubans were forced to agree to the Platt Amendment to their constitution
• This gave the US the right to intervene in Cuban affairs at any time
The Philippines
• Filipinos were disappointed that the US Congress decided to annex them instead of granting independence
• Rebels fought until their defeat in 1902
Hawaii
• Hawaiian Islands had proved refueling stations for American ships for many years
• American settlers built sugar and pineapple plantations on Hawaii
• Missionaries were sent to convert the natives to Christianity
Stanford Dole
• Queen Liliuokalani attempted to take land and power back from American planters
• American lawyer and plantation owner in Hawaii led American landowners to over-throw Hawaii’s Queen in 1887
• President Cleveland refused to annex Hawaii because of Dole’s actions
• Dole became President of Hawaii
Guam
• An important re-fueling stop for US ships• US won as part of the treaty ending the S-A
War• Guam is still a territory of the United States
Samoa
• A Pacific Island group that was divided between the United States and Germany
• Provided a valuable naval bases and re-fueling stations for American shipping
• American Samoa is still a U.S. territory
Midway
• Became a US possession in 1867 (before the S-A War)
• Midway is still an important military base for the U.S. Navy
China
• In china, European powers had already established “spheres of influence” by 1850
• These would be places where they enjoyed special privileges in trade
• The US was not a part of this, but did have an active trade network within China
• The US feared that these other nations would work to block US trade with China
China
• Sec. of State, John Hay, sought to protect US interests and business in China
• In 1899, Hay announced America’s “Open Door Policy” in China
• This meant that all nations would have equal footing in trade with China
China
• In 1900, a rebellion erupted in China• Boxers, or Chinese who opposed Western influence
in China, rebelled against their government• The Boxer Rebellion threatened the lives of all
foreigners in China• An international army, w/ US participation, crushed
the rebellion• Hay announced that the US would opposed any
annexation of China
Japan
• The US opened an isolationist Japan to western trade in 1853
• Commodore Matthew Perry landed US naval ships there to end barriers to trade
• By the 1890’s, Japan had become the most westernized and industrial nation in Asia
• In 1894, Japan invaded and defeated China• In 1905, Japan defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War• T. Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize for his help in
negotiating peace between Russia & Japan
America in the Caribbean
• Reasons for US Interest/Involvement:– Security: keep Europe out of Western Hemisphere– Economic Interests: supplies of agricultural and
raw materials; markets for US goods, investment– CANAL: S-A War demonstrated that we need a
path from the Atlantic to the Pacific to speed up trade and travel (and war ships)
Puerto Rico
• Became US possession at the end of S-A War• In 1900, Congress established a civil
government there• Governor appointed by the President• Upper House of the Legislature chosen by the
President• Lower House of the Legislature elected by the
people
Cuba
• Cuba becomes a US “protectorate” due to the Platt Amendment in 1900.
• U.S. forces remain in Cuba at Guantanamo Bay today
• Platt Amendment was not repealed until 1930
Panama Canal
• US Pacific Fleet had to travel 16,000 miles to get to Cuba in the S-A War
• This highlighted the need to improve travel between the oceans
• The Isthmus of Panama is the narrowest point between the 2 oceans
• Seems like the best place for a canal
Panama Canal
• Panama was a part of Columbia• The US and Columbia entered into
negotiations to build a canal• Meanwhile, Panamanian rebels were trying to
break away from Columbia• TR struck a deal with the rebels• Roosevelt sent US warship to Panama to
protect the rebels
Panama Canal
• The US immediately recognized an independent Panama
• The US was granted a 10 mile strip of land known as the Panama Canal Zone
Challenges in Building the Canal
• It will take 10 years to complete (1903-1914)• Canal is 51 miles long• Canal crosses 6 different elevations; had to build a
series of locks to accommodate for this • Tropical climate!• Dense rainforests• Mountains• Mudslides• Mosquitos! Yellow Fever!
Dr. Walter Reed
• Major in the US Army Medical Corp assigned to Canal Zone
• Discovered that “Yellow Fever” was caused by mosquitos• Yellow fever is one of the “hemorrhagic” diseases• Fever, anorexia, chills, muscle pain, headache, and
nausea are symptoms • Liver damage and death may result• 20,000 deaths were attributed to Yellow Fever in
building the Panama Canal• Worked to eliminate mosquitos and treat the sick
Dr. William Gorgas
• Surgeon General of Army Medical Corps• Had all swamps in Canal Zone drained• Sprayed all standing water with oil to prevent
mosquitos from breeding• Helped to discover vaccine to prevent disease• Still no cure today once infected
Monroe Doctrine (1823)
• America’s declaration that Europe could not establish any new colonies in the Western Hemisphere
• America used this as justification to intervene in the Caribbean to protect US economic interests
Roosevelt Corollary
• Also known as the “Big Stick” Policy• Roosevelt said that, “he would walk softly and
carry a big stick”• Roosevelt prevented Europe from using force to
collect debts from the Dominican Republic• The US would act as “an international police
force”• Roosevelt used this to justify intervention in the
West indies and Central America
Taft/Dollar Diplomacy
• Taft encouraged banks to loan $ and invest in Caribbean nations
• He used this strategy to promote US foreign policy in the region
• When a nation, like Nicaragua, could not repay the debt, he sent US troops to collect the $
• The US took over their railroads, customs duties, and national bank until the debt was paid
Wilson and Latin America
• Followed pattern of both Roosevelt and Taft in dealing with Haiti, Nicaragua, and Dominican Republic
• He sent troops to protect American interests• In 1917, Wilson purchased the American
Virgin Islands from Denmark
“Watchful Waiting”
• When Wilson became President, Mexico was already undergoing a violent revolution
• Instead of sending troops or recognizing the new government, Wilson waited to see what would happen
Pancho Villa
• A leader of the rebellion in Mexico• Brought Mexican rebels across the border to
New Mexico and murdered Americans• Wilson sent the American Expeditionary Force
under General John J. Pershing to arrest him• Villa eluded capture• The US forces withdrew from Mexico in 1917
when we entered WW I
