1. Unit III: America in the Great War American Imperialism

2. American Expansionism
What is the policy of imperialism?
What were the major factors that contributed to the growth of American imperialism?

3. American Expansionism
Many wanted the United States to join Europe and establish colonies
Imperialism: the policy in which stronger nations extend their economic, political, or military control over weaker territories
Political cartoon showing William Jennings Bryan opposing American Imperialism.
(Gillam, 1900)

4. Portrait of Queen Lilluokalani
Two Key Players
Queen Lilluokalani: Last queen of Hawaii
Admiral Alfred T. Mahan: Wrote “The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, ”
Portrait of Queen Lilluokalani
(Cogswell, 1892)

5. Things to Think About:
Global Competition
Three Factors
Most of Africa was targeted for European Expansionism
Asia, especially China (Japan was also in competition for China)
Manifest Destiny
Desire for military strength
Thirst for new markets
Belief in cultural superiority

6. Alaska boroughs and census areas 1997-2007.
William Seward
Bought Alaska from Russia for 7.2 million ($.2 per acre)
Seward’s Icebox or Seward’s Folly
1959 statehood
Alaska boroughs and census areas
(U.S. Census Bureau, 2005)

7. Hawaii 1867: Took over control of the Midway Islands
1820s Yankee missionaries founded Christian schools and churches
Sugar planters (American merchants)
McKinley Tariff, 1890 (eliminated the duty-free status of Hawaiian sugar)
Called for US to annex the islands
Pearl Harbor refueling station for American ships
Map of the 50 states, including Hawaii.
(U.S. Geological Survey, 2011)

8. Annexation
President Cleveland refused to consider annexation unless a majority of Hawaiians favored it
William McKinley, 1897, favored annexation
August 12, 1898, became U.S. territory
1959 became the 50th state

9. Cartoon rendition of Uncle Sam reminding Spain to be alert.
Spanish-American War
Cartoon rendition of Uncle Sam reminding Spain to be alert.
(Cartoon of belligerent Uncle Sam placing Spain on notice, ca. 1898, 2011)

10. War Fever How did the Spanish react to the uprising in Cuba?
What factors helped to arouse American feelings of animosity toward Spain?

11. War in the Caribbean Naval blockade of Cuba
Admiral William T. Sampson sealed the Spanish fleet in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba
U.S. Naval forces were far superior to the U.S. Army which was small and supplemented by an inexperienced volunteer force

12. James Creelman in Cuba Reporter for New York World
2nd Cuban war for independence from Spain
Observations of the war

13. Some Key Players Jose Marti: Cuban poet and journalist
Valeriano Weyler: Spanish General sent to Cuba
William Randolph Hearst: New York Journal
Joseph Pulitzer: New York World

14. Yellow Journalism
War fever fanned through Hearst and Pulitzer’s exaggerations of the uprising
Frederic Remington: artist sent to sketch the “war”
“You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war.”—Hearst
(Barritt, 1898)

15. Enrique de Lome Spanish minister to US
Letter criticized President McKinley
Called him “weak” and “a bidder for the admiration of the crowd”
Americans became angry over insult

16. Painting showing the USS Maine exploding.
February 15,1898, the ship blew up in the harbor of Havana
260+ men killed
Newspapers claimed the Spanish blew it up
Hearst’s paper offered a reward $50,000 for the capture of those responsible
“Remember the Maine!”
The USS Maine was sent to Cuba to bring home American citizens in danger
Painting showing the USS Maine exploding.

17. War with Spain Erupts 1898
“Remember the Maine” became the rallying cry for U.S. intervention in Cuba
The Spanish government had already agreed to a six month cease-fire
April 11 McKinley went to congress for authority to use force
Congress agreed: April 20th US declared War

18. (PhilippinesWhiteElephantCartoon, n.d.)
War in the Philippines
The first battle of war took place in the Philippine Islands
Commodore George Dewey gave the command to open fire in Manila
Within hours the US won and landed troops
Dewey had the support of the Filipinos who also wanted freedom from Spain
Emilio Aguinaldo: Leader of the Filipino rebels
11,000 U.S. troops joined forces
By August, Spanish troops surrendered to the US in Manila
Cartoon depicting the “white elephant” the Philippine Islands became for the U.S.
(PhilippinesWhiteElephantCartoon, n.d.)

19. (Yucatan carrying Rough Riders to Cuba, 1898)
A volunteer cavalry unit under the command of Leonard Wood and Theodore Roosevelt
Roosevelt gave up is job as assistant secretary of the Navy to lead the group
He would later become President of the United States
(Yucatan carrying Rough Riders to Cuba, 1898)

20. Photograph of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders.
San Juan Hill
Most famous land battle in Cuba
July 1, 1898
At Kettle Hill was the dramatic uphill charge of the Rough Riders and two African-American regiments
San Juan Hill was an infantry attack
Roosevelt was declared the “Hero” of San Juan Hill
Americans invade Puerto Rico on July 25
Photograph of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders.
(Rough Riders, 1898)

21. Treaty of Paris Armistice signed on Aug. 12th (a cease fire)
Secretary of State John Hay called it a “splendid little war”
Actual fighting lasted 15 weeks
Spain freed Cuba and turned over Guam in the Pacific and Puerto Rico in the West Indies
Also sold the Philippines to the US for $20 million

22. Debate Over the right to annex the Philippines
McKinley said that after praying there was nothing left for us to do but to “take them all and to educate the Filipinos and uplift and Christianize them”
Most had been Christian for centuries
Feb. 6, 1899, Senate approved the Treaty of Paris; US now has an empire

23. Protecting American Rights
China
Open Door Policy
Protecting American Rights
Imperialists saw the Philippines as a gateway to the rest of Asia
John Hay: Open door notes (or policy)
Letters addressed to the leaders of imperialist nations proposing that they share their trading rights with the US
John Hay issues a 2nd series of “open door notes”
The US would “safeguard for the world the principle of equal and impartial trade with all parts of the Chinese Empire”

24. Boxer Rebellion Members practiced martial arts
Killed hundreds of missionaries and other foreigners
An international force put down the rebellion

25. Three Deeply Held Beliefs
Americans believed that the growth of the U.S. economy depended on exports.
They felt the US had a right to intervene abroad to keep foreign markets open.
They feared that the closing of an area to American products, citizens, or ideas threatened U.S. survival.
These beliefs became the bedrock of American foreign policy.

26. References
Barritt, W. (1898, June 29). War Yellow Kids [Image]. Retrieved October 2, 2015, from
Cartoon of belligerent Uncle Sam placing Spain on notice, ca [Image]. (2011, February 26). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from
Cogswell, W. (1892). Portrait painting of Queen Liliuokalani at Iolani Palace in Honolulu [Image]. Retrieved October 2, 2015, from
Destruction of the U.S Battleship Maine [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from
Gillam, V. (1900, August 11). Judge August Bryan Against American Imperialism.jpg [Image]. Retrieved October 2, 2015, from
Philippines white elephant cartoon [Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from

27. Rough Riders [Image]. (1898)
Rough Riders [Image]. (1898). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from
U.S. Census Bureau. (2005, August 17). Alaska boroughs and census areas [Image]. Retrieved October 2, 2015, from
U.S. Geological Survey. (2011, July 30). Hawaii in United States (zoom) (US50) (-grid) [Image]. Retrieved October 2, 2015, from
Yucatan carrying rough riders to Cuba [Image]. (1898). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from