Imperialism and the Spanish American War

Expansionists Americans who wanted to spread democracy into other world regions (especially Latin America)

Isolationists – Americans who felt that the U.S. should remain out of the affairs of foreign nations

Cuban Rebellion Cuba (a colony of Spain) was attempting to win its independence

The U.S. supported Cuba in the war and wanted Spain to grant their independence Spain refused to do so and engaged in a harsh war on the island of Cuba Spain put the rebels in “reconcentration” camps; some civilians were placed there as well

Yellow Journalism A type of sensationalist journalism in which stories are exaggerated or false Used by newspapers who were competing for subscribers in the new national market (created by the railroads)

Yellow Journalism

Yellow Journalist Leaders Joseph Pulitzer – editor of the New York World William Randolph Hearst – editor of the New York Morning Journal They printed many stories of the Cuban Rebellion to sell newspapers always making the Spanish look bad

Yellow Journalist Leaders Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hurst

Americans began to have anti-Spanish sentiments that became very strong before the Spanish American War started

The U.S. sent a battleship called the Maine to Havana harbor in Cuba to protect American interests in the area.

Causes of the Spanish American War Yellow Journalism

Causes of the Spanish American War De Lome Letter – A Spanish diplomat to the U.S. criticized President William McKinley in a letter to his friend in Cuba

Causes of the Spanish American War Sinking of the Maine -- this was blamed on the Spanish

Expansionists demanded war with Spain because they wanted to gain territory in Latin America In 1898, the U.S. went to war with Spain. The war lasted about four months and was fought in Cuba and the Philippines (who were also trying to win their independence from Spain).

Rough Riders Theodore Roosevelt (then the Assistant Sec. of the Navy) resigned his position to fight in the war.

Rough Riders He joined the volunteer group called the Rough Riders who fought in Cuba during the Spanish American War

Their most important victory was at San Juan Hill which led to the surrender of the surrounded Spanish fleet in Santiago Harbor.

Treaty of Paris of 1898 The Spanish were driven out of Cuba and Puerto Rico. Cuba was granted its independence. The U.S. gained Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. The U.S. paid $20 million for the Philippines.

The Philippines First fighting of the war was in the Philippines (also trying to win their independence from Spain) Rebels were led by Emilio Aguinaldo who helped Adm. George Dewey and the U.S. Navy capture Manila (the capital) After the war, many Americans (anti- imperialists) wanted to grant Filipino independence

Philippine American War After a long controversial congressional debate, the U.S. decided to keep the Philippines and “prepare” them for independence.

Philippine American War Emilio Aguinaldo and his rebels started a war with the U.S. in 1899 that lasted three years.

Philippine American War The guerilla war was a nasty conflict but ended in an American victory. William Taft became the Governor- General of the Philippines who were granted independence in 1946.

U.S. Actions in Latin America Latin American countries were unstable and owed lots of money to Europe for modern energy plants and transportation systems. They were vulnerable to intervention by other nations.

T. Roosevelt announced a policy called the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine which established the police power of the U.S. in the western hemisphere. (Latin America was not happy with this addition intended to help them)

Panama Canal America owned land in the Pacific and the Atlantic and needed a faster sea route between the two. Roosevelt made arrangements to purchase the canal zone from the French through Panama. After the purchase was made, Colombia (who controlled Panama) objected to the construction of the canal.

Panama Canal

The U.S. helped the Panamanians win their independence from Colombia in a rebellion. The U.S. began construction of the canal in 1904 and it was completed in It was the biggest engineering project of the era because it required the development of the lock system. Voyages from the Atlantic to the Pacific were cut from 14,000 miles to 6,000 miles.