1. Chapter 18 America Claims an Empire
Global competition prompts the United States to expand its influence and territory engage in conflicts around the globe, and build the Panama Canal.

2. Acquiring New Lands
Chapter 18 Section 3 How the United States continued its policy of imperialism.

3. Ruling Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico was strategically important to the U.S.:
It allowed us to maintain a presence in the Caribbean
Help to protect a future canal we wanted to build across the isthmus of Panama.
In 1900 Congress passed the Foraker Act:
ended military rile in Puerto Rico & set up a civil government
The U.S. would appoint Governor & upper house
Puerto Ricans could only elect members of the lower house
Finally in 1917 Congress
granted citizenship to
Puerto Ricans & gave them
the right to elect
members to both houses of
their legislature.

4. Positive & Negative Interactions with Cuba
Under American occupation of Cuba, the same officials who had served Spain, remained in office.
Cubans who protested were imprisoned or exiled
U.S. forced Cuba to add the Platt Amendment to its Constitution
U.S. government provided food & clothing for thousands of families
Helped farmers put land back into cultivation
Organized elementary schools
Through improvement in sanitation & medical research, U.S. helped eliminate yellow fever

5. The Platt Amendment (1901): When the newly formed Cuban government adopted its Constitution, the U.S. forced it to add a series of provisions known as the Platt Amendment:
Created an independent Cuban government, BUT
The U.S. reserved the right to intervene in Cuba
Cuba forbidden to incur debts that it could not pay
Cuba could not make treaties with other countries that could undermine its independence
The U.S. could buy or lease land on the island for naval bases

6. Long-Term Implications:
Cuba becomes a PROTECTORATE - a country whose affairs are partially controlled by a stronger power.
The United States became a major player in world affairs and increasingly involved in Latin America

7. Should The U.S. Annex The Philippines?
Commercial reasons (trade)
Naval reasons (build a base)
Bring democracy
Keep European powers out
Who are we to take over a foreign country that just won freedom its from Spain?
Violates our own ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence

8. The Philippine Islands
William McKinley decided to keep the Philippines, “In order to uplift and civilize, and Christianize the Filipinos.”

9. Philippine Islands For 3 years Filipino independence
The Filipinos were outraged when the
U.S. decided to annex the Philippines
rather than grant their independence
as promised.
For 3 years Filipino independence
fighters fought U.S. forces for control
of the Philippines
To suppress the rebellion, the U.S.
assumed almost the same role as
Spain, imposing its authority on a
colony that was fighting for freedom
Rebel leader, Emilio Aguinaldo instituted guerilla warfare to fight the U.S. annexation of the Philippines

10. The Philippines Continued
The U.S. forced Filipinos to live in designated zones, where poor sanitation, starvation, & disease killed thousands
It took the U.S. nearly 3 years to put down the rebellion
20,000 Filipino rebels died
4,000 Americans
$400 million (20X its price)
The U.S. set up a government similar to that of Puerto Rico
Finally in 1946, the Philippines would become an independent republic (July 4th).
The Philippines Continued

11. U.S. Imperialists See Philippines As A Gateway To CHINA
“Spheres of influence” – areas where each nation ( France, Germany, Britain, Japan, & Russia) claimed special rights & economic privileges
US had its own interests in China:
Large-scale railroad construction
New markets for American products

12. OPEN DOOR POLICY
OPEN DOOR POLICY, ALL NATIONS WOULD HAVE EQUAL TRADING RIGHTS IN CHINA, SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN HAY PROPOSED THIS IN
ASK STUDENTS TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS POLITICAL CARTOON.

13. Open Door Policy In China:
The notes were letters addressed to leaders of imperialist nations proposing the nations share their trading rights with the U.S., thus creating an Open Door
This would mean no single nation could have a monopoly on trade in any part (sphere) of China.
The other imperialist powers reluctantly agreed.
U.S. Secretary of state, John Hay, issued a series of policy statement known as the “Open Door” notes.

14. RATIONALE FOR UNITED STATES’ OPEN DOOR POLICY:
The Open Door policy reflected 3 deeply held American beliefs about the U.S. industrial capitalist economy:
Americans believed that the growth of the U.S. economy depended on exports.
The U.S. has a right to intervene abroad to keep foreign markets open.
U.S. feared that the closing of an area to its products, citizens, or ideas threatened U.S. survival.
These beliefs became the cornerstone of
American foreign policy

15. CHINA’S BOXER REBELLION:
Chinese citizens grew resentful that Europeans dominated most of China’s large cities
Secret Society (Boxers) vowed to rid the country of “foreign devils.”
It took 2 months for the international forces to put down the rebellion.
Thousands of Chinese people died during fighting
The U.S. Army 14th Infantry Regiment's Easy Company, as they scale the Peking city wall near the Tung Pien gate during the Boxer Rebellion, August 14, 1900.

16. Farthing family, English missionaries murdered by Boxers in
In addition to being anti-foreign, Boxers were anti-
Christian.