1. U.S. Imperialism and the Spanish American War

2. What is Imperialism?
Imperialism means to acquire an empire. This means collecting colonies or countries to add to your nation’s economic, military, and political power.
Up until the 1890’s, the US had remained isolationist, meaning they usually kept out of the affairs of global politics.
This is about to change dramatically…

4. Why Imperialism? 1. To expand markets overseas:
Hawaii’s Queen Liliuokalani was overthrown after U.S. businessmen pushed in to the area to develop sugar plantations.
2. To expand the control of the U.S. Navy:
Alfred Thayer Mahan believed a strong navy was necessary for asserting global power and protecting overseas interests and his ideas had an enormous impact on shaping U.S. military and foreign policy in the 1890s.

5. Causes of the Spanish American War (1898)
Cubans were attempting to revolt against the Spanish.
Insurrectos rebelled by torching sugar cane fields.
Spanish responded by placing rebels in concentration camps where they were neglected, tortured, and starved.
These actions sparked outrage in U.S.

6. Causes of the Spanish American War (1898)
2. The American Ship USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor.
Killed 260 sailors.
Blamed on a torpedo launched by the Spanish.
Actually caused by a spontaneous combustion of coal storage located near ammunition.

8. Causes of the Spanish American War (1898)
3. Yellow Journalism blamed the Spanish for the USS Maine “attack,” and pushed American public opinion toward declaring war on Spain.
“Remember the Maine”

10. “The Splendid Little War”
Backed by President McKinley, Congress declared war on April 11, 1898.
Promised the world they would allow Cuba to be independent after the war with the Teller Amendment.
More Americans died due to disease than combat.
Dysentery, malaria, typhoid fever, yellow fever.

11. “The Splendid Little War”
Battles took place in all of Spain’s colonial possessions. The Spanish were not strong enough to put up much of any resistance.
Caribbean: Cuba, Puerto Rico
Asia/Pacific: Guam, Philippines
Theodore Roosevelt resigned as Assistant Secretary of the Navy to fight in Cuba with the “Rough Riders”

13. Effects of the Spanish American War
Spain lost all of its overseas colonies when they lost the war.
Cuba got their independence.
U.S. gained the lost Spanish territory of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.
Debate raged about whether we should give these states independence or continue using them for economic and military purposes.

15. Filipino Rebellion,
Unsuccessful rebellion for the independence of the Philippines from U.S. control.
The rebellion was led by Emilio Aguinaldo.
U.S put rebels down by force.
Anti-Imperialist League protested U.S. interference in the Philippines

16. Roosevelt Corollary
McKinley was assassinated in 1901, leaving the presidency to Theodore Roosevelt.
Roosevelt was known as a very aggressive imperialist.
His motto was “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

17. Roosevelt Corollary
He issued the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.
Speech meant to remind the world to stay out of the Americas after Europeans attempted to collect debt from Latin American Nations.

18. Panama Canal Construction began in 1904. Links Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans for trading purposes and the ability to quickly move the American Navy to its new colonial possessions.