1. An Emerging World Power
Unit 1- Chapter 9

2. Guiding Question
How did the United States become a global power?

3. Imperialism
Definition: policy by which strong nations extend their political, military, and economic control over weaker territories.
In other words: strong nations become more powerful by colonizing
Not a new phenomenon:
European nations colonized Asia and Africa during the Age of Exploration
England colonized America

4. Imperialism Causes: Economic Benefits Military Strength
National Superiority

5. Imperialism Economic Benefits:
Seek out new sources of raw materials and natural resources
Ex: England profited from tobacco, wood, sugar, lumber, rice, and indigo that were all produced in the American colonies
Japan, along with European nations sought tea, rubber, iron, and petroleum for industry
Extractive economies: extracting raw materials from a colony and shipping them to the home country

6. Imperialism Economic Benefits:
United States had different problem than the other world powers
There was no shortage of raw materials- there was actually a surplus!
Industrialists encouraged expanding into new markets where American commodities could be sold
Would prevent the closure of American factories and prevent a rise in unemployment

7. Imperialism Military Strength:
Once economic interests were established, they needed protection by the home nation
Alfred T. Mahan believed that America needed to become a naval power to protect its interests
US should acquire foreign bases for American fleets to resupply and refuel
US built new steel-plated, steam-powered battleships
By 1900, the US had the 3rd largest navy in the world

9. Imperialism National Superiority:
Social Darwinism: life consists of competitive struggles in which only the fittest survive
Example: Manifest Destiny to expand to Pacific
Imperialists used race, nationalism, and cultural superiority to justify colonization
Worry was that if America remained isolated, it wouldn’t survive
Belief existed that expansion prevented internal issues within the United States

10. Becoming a World Power Monroe Doctrine Remember this thing??
US warned that the Western Hemisphere was essentially off-limits to re-colonization
In 1823, the US wasn’t prepared to back it up, but now…

11. Becoming a World Power The Pacific
Commodore Matthew Perry took a fleet of warships to Japan in 1853
Japan had denied access to its ports up to that point
Perry’s fleet was impressive and made Japan realize how far behind they were in military technology
Within a year, Japan opened up trade with the United States
To help trade prosper, the United States took possession of the Midway Islands

14. Becoming a World Power Alaska
Russia had controlled Alaska for many years
In 1867, Secretary of State William Seward bought Alaska for $7.2 million
Called “Seward’s Folly” and “Seward’s Icebox”
Doubled the country’s size
Rich in timber, oil, and other natural resources
Expanded America’s reach into the Pacific Ocean

17. Becoming a World Power Hawaii
Had been a stopping point for US merchant ships since the 1790s
American famers migrated to Hawaii to grow sugarcane, eventually gaining political power on the Islands
A sugar tariff that made Hawaiian sugar more expensive than mainland sugar, as well as a change in leadership led to crisis

20. Becoming a World Power Hawaii
King Kalakua (friend to the American planters) died in 1891, giving control of Hawaii to his sister, Queen Liliuokalani
Liliuokalani resented the white planters and sought to return Hawaii back to its native peoples
Seeing this as a threat, American planters (along with US Marines) overthrew the Queen and moved for Hawaiian annexation

21. Becoming a World Power Hawaii
President Benjamin Harrison signed a treaty to annex the islands, but could not get Senate approval before Grover Cleveland became President
After a presidential investigation by Cleveland’s office, it was determined (rightfully) that a majority of Hawaiians did not approve of annexation and the matter was dropped
Mainland Americans still supported annexation and in 1898, President William McKinley helped convince Congress to make Hawaii an official US territory