Imperialism & Overseas Expansion

• By 1890, the US had expanded from sea to shining sea.

• Gov’t reports “end of the frontier.”

• Americans began to look beyond boarders for new “frontiers”

William H. Seward

• President Andrew Johnson’s Secretary of State

• Wanted America to dominate:

• Caribbean• Central America• the Pacific

AlaskaSeward purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867

Wanted Pacific naval base to protect trade

Paid $7.2 million

Territory 2x size of Texas ($0.02 per acre).

Newspapers criticized it as a barren wasteland.

Dubbed purchase Seward’s Folly

But Seward had the last laugh…

Gold was discovered in the 1890’sLater on oil and other resources

Seward’s Folly became a bargain

Building Sea Power

Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan• Professor of Naval History and

Tactics at Naval War College in RI.

• Argued to improve and enlarge the Navy.

• Wrote Influence of Sea Power on World History

• Germany (among others) modeled Navy on this book too!

Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan

He argued that improved sea power would:

1. Protect shipping

2. Provide access to new markets

U.S. needs to re-fuel and resupply ships (coaling stations)

Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan

Writings convince Congress to build 9 steel-hulled ships.

Included battleships U.S.S. Maine, U.S.S. Oregon

By early 1900’s - U.S Navy ready for expanded world role.

Imperialism in the Pacific

• 1868 - Seward acquires Midway Islands

• Resupply port (on way to China).

• NOT ENOUGH – more ports needed for navy and merchants

Imperialism in the Pacific

1878: U.S. treaty with rulers of Samoan Islands to build naval base

• But others interested too…

• GB and GER also make claims.

1899: Agree on Tripartite Protectorate

Imperialism in the Pacific

Tripartite = Three nations working together (GB, US, GER)

Protectorate = Samoa maintains own gov’t, but more powerful nations provide military protection and control diplomatic affairs.

Imperialism in the Pacific

U.S. wants Hawaiian Islands

• 1778: Captain James Cook discovers

• 1800s: Christian Missionaries

• 1870s: large sugar plantations built by US businesses

Imperialism in the Pacific

• 1875: US allows duty (tax) free importing of sugar from Hawaii

• 1884: Permission to build Pearl Harbor naval base

• 1887: Sugar planters use power to force Hawaiian King Kalakua to sign “Bayonet Constitution”

• Power to legislature of planters.

Imperialism in the Pacific

• McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 ends tariffs (taxes) on imported sugar = no advantage for Hawaii

• Also gives $0.02 per pound subsidy to US sugar

• US sugar planters want annexation of Hawaii to make sugar “domestic.”

Imperialism in the Pacific

1891: King dies – Sister takes over

Queen Liluokalani

• Anti-American• New constitution -

power back to Hawaiians

How do Sugarcane Planters React?

Imperialism in the Pacific

Planters Revolt!

Imperialism in the Pacific

John L. Stevens:

• US Minister to Hawaii

• Calls in 150 Marines to support revolt

• Succeeds without a battle

• US annexes in 1898