Chapter 19 America and the World
Imperialism During most of the 19th century, the US practiced isolationism Britain, France, Germany and other nations built world empires through a process called imperialism which was used to gain wealth and power
Reasons for Imperialism Imperialism provided for prestige, military strength and wealth The focus on wealth often resulted in exploitation when the settling countries took advantage of the natives
Reasons for Imperialism Another reason for imperialism was to assist the natives. This focus on providing food and health care is called humanitarianism. Missionaries led this movement and were influenced by Dwight L. Moody, who helped start the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions which focused on evangelizing the world
Spanish-American War The US became involved in the Spanish- American War in 1898 which affected imperialism Cubans were upset about the treatment they got from Spain and wanted the US to help
Yellow Press Cuban revolutionaries encouraged yellow journalism which changed stories to make them more exciting Newspapermen William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer competed to have the best stories
American Investment The US was also interested in Cuba because of American businessmen who had sugar plantations there They wanted President William McKinley to help
Causes for War Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish minister to the US had written a critical letter about McKinley The U.S.S. Maine, anchored in Havana had also exploded and killed 250 Americans The US issued the Teller Amendment which said they did not want to add Cuba to its territory
Battles Theodore Roosevelt led a division of the army called Rough Riders The US first attacked Spanish forces at the Battle of Manila Bay Roosevelt then led his men to victory at San Juan Hill
Cuba Even though the US had promised Cuba independence, they passed the Platt amendment which had strict rules giving the US control It also allowed for a naval base at Guantanamo Bay Walter Reed and William Gorgas helped limit yellow fever in Cuba
The Philippines After getting freedom from Spain, many Filipinos wanted freedom and were upset after not getting it Emilio Aguinaldo led the fight against American troops for 2 1/2 years
The Panama Canal The US helped Panama get independence from Colombia and singed the Hay-Bunau- Varilla Treaty. This was named after Secretary of State John Hay and the foreign minister of Panama The Panama Canal was opened in 1914
Theodore Roosevelt Roosevelt created the “big stick” policy which focused on showcasing America’s strength He also issued the Roosevelt Corollary which allowed the US to be a police power in the world
Dollar and Moral Diplomacy William Howard Taft created dollar diplomacy which gave money to countries that followed the wishes of the US Woodrow Wilson changed this into moral diplomacy which focused on negotiation in foreign affairs
Asia Many countries had divided China up into spheres of influence and began to set up colonies The US wanted China to be open to everyone and an Open Door Policy Some Chinese were upset with foreign influence and formed the Boxers to fight against them The Boxer Rebellion focused on Chinese Christians and foreigners
The US and Japan Roosevelt viewed Japan as a threat and wanted a balance of power in Asia. He got Russia and Japan to agree and won the Nobel Peace Prize because of this