American Expansion Video Notes

Reasons for Imperialism

• Economic – need resources and markets• Military strength – needed to expand

economic interest• Belief in racial superiority – the white races

“God given duty” to civilize their “brown brothers”; Kiplings – “White Mans Burden”

Japan

• Date: 1853 – first approached with offer; 1854 – signed Treaty

• Used Gunboat Diplomacy – threat of force to get agreement• Why:

– Commodore Mathew Perry - Secure ports in Pacific to refuel naval ships

• How: – 1853 – Perry & navy sail into Edo harbor in Japan with heavily

armed ships• Result:

– Japan opened trade, fair treatment to shipwreck sailors and allow US to refuel in Japan

Alaska

• Date: 1867• Acquired through Purchase• Why:

– Russia want to sell land to pay for Crimean War– U.S. Sec. of State Seward – saw Alaska value for trade, base for

war, potential for resources – timber & fur• How:

– Treaty of Cessations – purchased Alaska for 7.2M, 2.5 cents an acre• Results:

– Seward ridiculed – “Seward’s Folly”, “Seward’s Ice Box”– US gained territory rich in oil

Hawai’i

• Date:– 1893: overthrow; threat of force– 1898: annexation

• Acquired through overthrow & annexation• Why:– U.S. business interests – sugar

• How:– Overthrow & then annexation

• Results:– Gained refueling station & strategic military installation –

Pearl Harbor

Spanish-American War• Spanish misrule in Cuba

– Cuban’s want independence• Am involved in Cuba b/c:

– Spain violates Monroe Doctrine– US business investments: $50M in sugar/fruit; $100M trade

investment• Causes:

– Spain’s General Weyler sets up Reconcentration Camps – abuse of Cubans

– Jingoism & Yellow Journalism; newspaper owner’s Hearst & Pulitzer get American’s riled up to support Cubans

– De Lome Letter: Spanish Ambassador to US criticizes Pres. McKinley, Hearst publishes letter in newspaper – embarrasses Pres.

– Sinking of the U.S.S. Maine battleship (at the time thought it was the Spanish, but found out later it was boiler room explosion on the ship)

Span-Am War Continued

• The War:– Theodore Roosevelt & Rough Riders, take Kettle Hill to win the war– More US soldiers died from disease and food poisoning than from

the war– War lasted 15 months – “The Splendid Little War”

• Results:– Teller Amendment, 1898

• US intervenes; secure “stable” government; not interfere with sovereignty

– Occupied Cuba until 1902– Platt Amendment, 1903 – Granted conditional Cuban independence:

• US not interfere with Cuban sovereignty as long as they does the following:• No alliances with other countries that may take them over• US allowed to intervene to ensure Cuban independence• Cuba must lease Guantanamo base to US• Cuba must not acquire huge debt

Puerto Rico• Date: 1898• Spain surrenders territory to U.S.• Why:– Security

• How:– Acquired as a result of Spanish-Am war through Treaty of

Paris– Still a part of U.S. today

• Results:– 1900 Foraker Act – Puerto Rico becomes an unincorporated

territory, still is– Citizens under U.S. protection, given U.S. citizenship; can

vote, have rights.

Guam• Date: 1898• Spain surrenders territory to U.S.• Why:– Used for strategic location in Pacific

• How:– Acquired as a result of Spanish-Am war through Treaty of

Paris– Still a part of U.S. today

• Results:– 1950 Guam Organic Act–becomes an unincorporated

territory, still is– Citizens under U.S. protection, given U.S. citizenship

Philippines• Date: 1898• US purchases Spain for $20M• Why:

– Used for strategic location in Pacific• How:

– Acquired as a result of Spanish-Am war through Treaty of Paris– US promised independence if help to fight the Spanish colonial rule in

the Philippines– Rebel forces led by revolutionary Emilio Aguinaldo helps US – US does not give them their independence because believes they are

not capable of ruling by themselves.• Results:

– Becomes a Commonwealth unincorporated territory– Citizens under U.S. protection, given rights as a U.S. citizen but denied

citizenship– Granted Independence in 1946 after WWII

Anti-Imperialist

• Am. Social Activists – • Threat to Am. value system – Democracy

should not keep other countries in servitude• Cost to maintain army and navy to support

imperialism• Take away jobs for Am. workers• Jane Adams – reformer (Hull House) was

against it, so was Mark Twain - author