American Imperialism: Becoming a World Power

The Growth of Imperialism Imperialism = empire building Why Imperialism Grew –Economic factors = new markets and natural resources –Nationalistic factors = jingoism –Military factors = bases, modern navies –Humanitarian factors = “White Man’s Burden” Europe Leads the Way –“The sun never sets on the British Empire” –Colonization of Africa & spheres of influence in Asia

America’s Isolationism George Washington’s Farewell Address warns against foreign affairs and alliances Monroe Doctrine –Europe stay out of Western Hemisphere –America will stay out of Europe Anti-Imperialist League Anti-Asian Movement –Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) –Gentlemen’s Agreement (1907)

Causes of U.S. Imperialism 2 nd Manifest Destiny –Population and Resources –American expansionist spirit Promoting Economic Growth –New Markets Protecting American Security –U.S. Navy –Great White Fleet Compete with Europe –Economic and Nationalistic Public Opinion Leans Toward Expansion –Alfred T. Mahan The Influence of Sea Power Upon History By 1900 – U.S. has 3 rd Largest Navy in the World –Social Darwinism –Yellow Journalism

America begins to Imperialize Interest in the Pacific –1853 – Matthew Perry opens trade in Japan –U.S. begins taking Pacific Islands as possessions (i.e. Midway) Alaska –Sec. of State Seward purchases from Russia for $7.2 million –“Seward’s Folly”/”Seward’s Icebox” –Large amounts of timber, gold, oil, etc. Latin America –Pan-Americanism “Big Sister” America often sends troops to settle disputes –U.S. businesses set-up “banana republics” in Central and South America Hawaii –U.S. involved in Hawaii since 1790’s –1890’s – U.S. leads overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani –1898 – President McKinley officially annexes Hawaiian Islands

The Spanish American War (Causes) Cubans Rebel Against Spain –Cuba begins rebelling from Spain in 1868 –Spain sends 150,000 troops to Cuba Cubans put into concentration camps –U.S. pressured to intervene Social and economic reasons Yellow Journalism –William Randolph Hearst & Joseph Pulitzer “You furnish the pictures, I’ll furnish the war.” –De Lome Letter – Spain’s ambassador ridicules President McKinley –Jingoism – extreme nationalism U.S.S. Maine –Explodes in Havana harbor –McKinley calls for war Teller Amendment – U.S. cannot annex Cuba

The Spanish-American War “A Splendid Little War” The Philippines –Commodore George Dewey destroys Spanish forces in Manila Bay –Filipino nationalist Emilio Aguinaldo leads rebel army against Spain Cuba –Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, the Rough Riders and San Juan Hill

Treaty of Paris (1898) Spain gives up control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam U.S. purchases the Philippines for $20 million America now an imperialistic nation

U.S. Gains After the War The Philippines –“Unfit for self-government” –Philippine-American War (1899 – 1913) –Commonwealth under U.S. control until 1946 The Fate of Cuba –Protectorate –1900, Cuba drafts its own Constitution Platt Amendment – “right to intervene” in Cuban affairs Guantanamo Bay Puerto Rico –Commonwealth –Insular Cases – what rights did Puerto Ricans have?

Roosevelt’s Big Stick Diplomacy Election of 1900 –McKinley Assassination (1901) “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far” The Roosevelt Corollary –“An international police power” –Addition to the Monroe Doctrine Roosevelt and the world –Russo-Japanese War (1904) Treaty of Portsmouth –Nobel Peace Prize –Gentleman’s Agreement (1907)

Panama Canal U.S. (Roosevelt) wants a canal to link Pacific and Atlantic Oceans Isthmus of Panama best place Building a Canal –France attempts –U.S. tries to buy concession from France –Columbia “gunboat diplomacy” –“Liberation” of Panama –Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty –Canal finished in 1914

Taft and Dollar Diplomacy “Substituting dollars for bullets” Americans investment in Latin America –Sometimes led to “Big Stick” Diplomacy Efforts in China and Russia backfire Many Latin Americans disliked U.S. involvement

Wilson’s Moral Diplomacy Elected as an anti- Imperialist Would not go after conquest, but instead lead humanitarian efforts Wilson sends troops into Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico Mexican Revolution –Wilson refuses to recognize revolutionary gov’t Pancho Villa –Wilson sends troops into Mexico to apprehend –Near war with Mexico prevented by World War I

U.S. military in 2007