1. The US as a World Power

2. The US acquisition of Hawaii
An independent nation prior to 1893.
US business ventures included pineapple and sugar cultivation.
US placed a high tariff on sugar in 1892
Businessmen, in conjunction with the US Marines and Army personnel deposed the government.
Queen Liliuokalani imprisoned
Applied for annexation by US.

3. Sanford Dole announced the overthrow in January 1893
Liliuokalani stepped down, and asked the US congress to reverse the businessmen’s actions.
The US annexed Hawaii and in 1959 it became the 50th state.

4. Businessmen in Hawaii
Claimed to have overthrown a corrup regime in the name of democracy.
Claimed the US must come in to avoid Germany, Britain, or Japan taking over.
Brought in 100,000s of Japanese contract laborers.

5. 1893 – the Hawaiian Revolution?
Outgoing President Benjamin Harrison favors annexation.
Incoming President Grover Cleveland wants nothing to do with it and orders investigation:
The “revolution” had no popular support.
Entirely orchestrated by business interests.
The Marines and Army acted without authorization from the US government.
Cleveland ordered the restoration of the monarchy, but no courts martial or punishments
Congress refused, and voted only to censure the US ambassador to Hawaii.
Harrison
Cleveland

6. Dole cans the monarchy Sanford Dole’s new plan:
Declared himself President of Hawaii.
Convened a trial against Liliuokalani and found her guilty of treason.
Sentenced to five years of house arrest.
Convinced Republican Party to put a plank in their 1896 platform favoring annexation.
In 1898 while at war with Spain, and with congress otherwise occupied, President McKinley forced through a joint-resolution to annex Hawaii.

7. U.S. power? Rapidly growing economy. BUT… Total army of 25,019 troops.
Great Britain’s Army five times the size
Great Britain’s Navy ten times the size.
1865:
US military has the best army and navy
1885
Army ranks 17th in the world
Navy merited no mention at all – ranked behind such naval powers as Chile.

8. How does this change William Seward
Envisioned an empire stretching from Alaska to Mexico to Iceland.
Acquired only Alaska and the Midway Islands.
Empire seemed inconsistent as a goal.
The U.S. was against adding people who were “different” – culturally, linguistically, religiously.

9. A shift occurs
European empires’ increased presence in Africa and Asia.
Darwinian view – only the strongest countries will survive.
U.S. exported 25% of all products it produced – so expansion is necessary for survival.
If Europe is able to shut the U.S. out of various markets the result will be financial catastrophe.

10. The Influence of Sea Power Upon History
Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan
Favored expansion and modernization of the navy.
Steel ships with steam engines.
Advocated the development of “coaling stations.”
Ships have to have ready ports to refuel.
Those ports can serve as an outlet for trade
“Coaling stations” = colonies.
The US followed it, but so did others
The German kaiser required a copy of Mahan’s work to be placed aboard every vessel in the German navy.

11. “The White Man’s Burden”
Social Gospel
The US is the most upstanding nation.
The US has a “mission” to uplift the “backward” people of the world.

12. The Spanish American War.
Similarities:
Fought to “liberate” a small, relatively unimportant country from “tyranny.”
Ultimatums sent for months – eventually every single one of them met, the US invaded anyway.
Weapons inspectors
Reports of atrocities
A vocal anti-war movement
The fear that the military was not up to the task

13. Cuba in revolt against Spain
President McKinley wanted NOTHING to do with a war.
William Randolph Hearst “made” the decision for McKinley
USS Maine exploded under mysterious conditions
DeLome Letter
written by Enrique Dupuy DeLome (Spain’s Ambassador to US) to a friend, and insulted McKinley in it.
Stolen by a Cuban nationalist and sent to Hearst.

15. Spanish American “War”
Lasted 112 days.
US conquered Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
Little resistance virtually everywhere.
War to “liberate”
Congress passes a $50 million bill to fund the war, with the “Teller Amendment”- the US has no territorial designs on Cuba and will not seek to annex Cuba.
American populace wanted to take Cuba before someone else did.
McKinley said it would be “cowardly” to decide not to dominate, and allow Germany or Great Britain to move in to Cuba.

16. Philippines
US took the Philippines with help from Filipino nationalists.
Key figure was Emilio Aguinaldo
Nationalists soon turned on US.
March 1899
McKinley claims God told him to “educate and Christianize the poor Filipinos”

17. Rise of Anti-Imperialists
Formed to fight annexation of Philippines.
Theodore Roosevelt: “The opposition tells us we ought not to rule without consent. But this applies only to those capable of self government.”
U.S. fought in guerilla conditions against an enemy whose only demand was we leave them to govern themselves.

18. Atrocities on the rise in the Philippines
One general reported 1/6 of the population of the island was dead.
Forced evacuations of villages.
Tiger pits
Free-fire zones

19. Samar
Entire village destroyed by Major Littleton Waller. Orders given by General Jacob H. Smith:
“I want no prisoners. I wish you to kill and burn. The more you kill and burn the better you will please me. I want all persons killed who are capable of bearing arms in actual hostilities against the United States”
The age Smith set was 10 years old.
Waller and Smith stood trial – Waller was acquitted, Smith convicted of “conduct contrary to military discipline and order.”
Waller
Smith

20. Aftermath of Philippines
President Theodore Roosevelt declared “Mission Accomplished” in 1902.
The war was largely forgotten both by the US AND the Filipinos
So, was it a “Splendid Little War?”
Americans turned away from traditional empire.
“The Open Door” becomes the new foreign policy objective.
Test case was China
Boxer Rebellion

21. How can the US enforce the Open Door?
The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
US will militarily intervene in the western hemisphere to contain any problem that might bring foreign intervention.
Invoked as recently as 1983 (Grenada).

22. Roosevelt’s Corollary in Practice
Cuba – US cannot annex.
Platt Amendment – amendment to Cuban constitution allowing US to intervene in Cuban affairs as it deemed necessary.
Canal linking Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
France tried in Columbia and failed.
US offered to try, Columbia refused.
Roosevelt offered rebel Columbians US Naval and Marine forces as rebels declared a portion of Columbia to be independent – Panama.
The new Panama granted the US permanent rights to a canal zone.
“We stole it fair and square.”