The US and the WorldDr. John Holmes

History 121, U.S After 1877

Diablo Valley College San Ramon, Summer 2013

Traditional US Foreign Policy� What is foreign policy?� Lack of U.S. foreign policy in

late 19th Century� Monroe Doctrine� Isolationism� Protecting U.S. citizens

� Transformation in 1890s

Before the Civil War� “Manifest Destiny” “from sea to

shining seas”� Achieved through Mexican-

American War� Opposed by Lincoln� “54-40 or fight”

� Sets stage for Civil War� Southern interest in Latin American

conquest to expand slavery� William Walker and Nicaragua� Confederate refugees in Brazil

After the Civil War� Rapid economic expansion

� Promotion of immigration� Little interest in foreign affairs� Reaction to immediate events� Unfriendly to European imperialism

� Foreign acquisitions no longer automatically become states� Alaska, “Seward’s Folly”� Hawaii: transition to colonialism� Philippines: colonial war� Puerto Rico, still a colony

From Isolationism to Imperialism-Economic Reasons

� Overproduction - US industry exceeding domestic market

� Navalism

Alfred Thayer Mahan

Friend of Teddy Roosevelt

The Influence of Sea Power upon History

Other reasons

� 1890-end of the frontier� Frederick Jackson Turner

� Racism and imperialism� Liberty and foreign intervention

� Cuban revolt vs. Spain� Spanish atrocities

� Protecting Americans� the sinking of the Maine

Anti-Imperialist movement� Foner p. 321: Rev. Ames� Traditional American values

� Element of racism� Democrats support, Republicans

oppose� 1900 election and Bryan

� Business supports imperialism, labor silent

� Prominent intellectuals oppose imperialism� Sumner and Mark Twain

Mark Twain vs. Teddy Roosevelt� Twain on the Phillipines:"the American

flag should be replaced not with the stars and stripes, forget them, it should be the Jolly Roger, the skull and crossbones, because we bring murder wherever we go."

Charge of the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill

Results of theSpanish-American War

� U.S. now a world power� The Phillipines� Cuba: the Platt Amendment� Panama Canal� Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe

Doctrine� U.S. interventions in Caribbean

and Latin America:� Cuba 1906; Nicaragua 1909; Haiti

1915; Dominican Republic 1916

Next Class: The Progressive Era and World War I

� Readings:� Foner, Chapters 18 and 19,

Johnson, rest of Ch. 21 and 22� Group Meetings to work on

Division of Labor statement� Student Teachin Research Guide

to be posted over the weekend� Tuesday, First Quiz, on Chapter

18 in Foner