american imperialism

AMERICANIMPERIALISM

UNIT 3

Time to test your memories…

How many empires can you name? What was the “mother country” of those empires?

Why did these countries build an empire? Why would a country want one?

Major empires around 1900?

Key Terms

Imperialism: Controlling foreign colonies for a country’s own use

Manifest Destiny: The belief that Americans had the divine right to settle from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Oceans

American Stance on Imperialism

From the Civil War to 1890, America had little interest in territorial expansion

America was not particularly fond of other cultures (remember the Chinese Exclusion Act, Gentleman’s Agreement, immigration, ect.)

Rise of Imperialism Worldwide

By the mid-1890s, a shift had taken place in American attitudes toward expansion Why?

Between 1870 and 1900, the European powers seized 10 million square miles of territory in Africa and Asia!

About 150 million people were subjected to colonial rule

Reasons for American Imperialism 1. Economic competition among

industrial nations 2. Political and military competition,

including the creation of a strong naval force

3. A belief in the racial and cultural superiority of people of Anglo-Saxon (white English descent)

Economics In the United States, a growing number of

policy makers, bankers, manufacturers, and trade unions grew fearful that the country might be closed out in the struggle for global markets and raw materials.

By the 1890s, the American economy was increasingly dependent on foreign trade.

A quarter of the nation's farm products and half its petroleum were sold overseas

Sea Power

Alfred Thayer Mahan, a naval strategist and the author of The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, argued that national prosperity and power depended on control of the world's sea-lanes.

"Whoever rules the waves rules the world”

Racial Superiority A belief that the world's nations were

engaged in a Darwinian struggle for survival and that countries that failed to compete were doomed to decline also contributed to a new assertiveness on the part of the United States!

Racial Superiority During the late

19th century, the idea that the United States had a special mission to uplift "backward" people around the world also commanded growing support

War!!! Almost… During the late

1880s, American foreign policy makers began to display a new assertiveness. The United States came close to declaring war on Germany, Chile, and Great Britain.

Building an Empire Where can America build an empire?

Caribbean Hawaii Pacific Islands

Latin America Fights For Independence

American and Hawaii In 1893, a small group of

sugar and pineapple-growing businessmen, backed by the U.S. military, deposed Hawaii's queen

Seized 1.75 million acres of land, and conspired for U.S. annexation of the islands, which was achieved in 1898

Hawaii became a state in 1959

War Breaks Out Spain was willing to compromise with the US to

avoid war American public opinion pushed for war

“Remember the Maine!”

April 11, 1898 McKinley asks Congress for permission to go to war

After a week of debate Congress agrees

April 20, 1898 the US officially declares war on Spain

Spanish-American-Cuban War The Army was not ready to fight a land war the

Navy was ready! Roosevelt had ordered a fleet to the Philippines in

February in case war broke out with Spain

The first battle occurred in Manila Bay (Philippines)

The Philippines George Dewey (American naval commander)

destroyed the Spanish fleet Spain lost 381 men, the US 1 man (from heat

exhaustion)

The US landed on the Philippine Islands and joined with Filipino forces to kick out the Spanish

11,000 Americans fight along side the Filipino forces for two months August 1898, the Spanish surrender to the

Americans (not the Philippines)

The War in Cuba Admiral Sampson sets up a naval blockade

Seals off the Spanish fleet in the Santiago harbor US Army is finally ready to invade on land Volunteer soldiers untrained with inadequate

equipment and supplies

American Naval Blockade

Rough Riders June 1898 US forces land in Cuba & go after

Santiago (port city) The Rough Riders regiment was lead by Teddy

Roosevelt and Leonard Wood First volunteer group for the war

Mostly came from the Southwest US, very diverse group of men

The Rough Riders

Major Battles in the War July 1st 1898 near Santiago Part 1: Occurred on Kettle Hill

An uphill charge Led by the Rough Riders and two African

American regiments Victory lead the way for an infantry attack

Part 2: San Juan Hill Allows the US troops to push towards

Santiago

Surrounding Santiago US troops surround Santiago Small, minor battles occur but the Spanish are put

down Two days (July 3rd) later the Spanish try to escape

the naval blockade Naval battle ensues and the Spanish fleet is

destroyed

Santiago Surrenders July 17, 1898 Santiago surrenders July 25, 1898 the US invades Puerto Rico

“A splendid little war” United States and Spain signed an

armistice on August 12, 1898 The fighting had lasted 16 weeks

300,000 Americans served 5,400 died (379 from battle, the rest from disease or other causes)

America’s Acquisitions

December 10, 1898 the United States and Spain agreed: Cuba would become independent Spain would give the U.S. Puerto Rico and

Guam U.S. would pay Spain $20 million for the

annexation of the Philippine Islands

Ratified by the Senate February 6, 1899

Mixed Feelings! The Debate over the Philippines

The issue of imperialism was at the core of the debate:

McKinley said: “That there was nothing left for us to do but to take them all, and educate the Filipinos, and uplift and Christianize them” Uhhhhh, the Filipinos had been Christians for

centuries…

What does this tell you about McKinley’s views on imperialism??

Debate over the Philippines Some felt it violated the Declaration of

Independence denied self-governance to new territories

Booker T. Washington felt we should focus on race relations at home first before we tackled social problems elsewhere

Samuel Gompers (labor leader) feared Filipino immigrants would take jobs

Acquiring New Lands Anti-imperialists feared the US was

becoming an empire and the US was! What lands did the US now have control

over?

U.S. in Puerto Rico Americans and Puerto Ricans were split over

what to do with Puerto Rico Puerto Ricans were not particularly fond of U.S.

governance American rule was militaristic and treated the Puerto Ricans as inferior

Puerto Ricans wanted to decide their fate, but the U.S. had other ideas Puerto Rico was importance for U.S. Caribbean

presence Protection for potential Panama Canal

Foraker Act Congress passes the Foraker Act (1900)

Denies U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans Gives the U.S. president control over Puerto Rico

He appoints a governor and members of the upper house (Puerto Ricans can only elect members to the lower house)

Insular Cases 1901 U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution did not automatically apply to people in U.S. territories Congress could extend that right if they

wanted to

U.S. and Cuba 1898 war resolution against Spain included the

Teller Amendment said the U.S. did not intend to annex or control Cuba

However…four years after the war the U.S. Army controlled Cuba U.S. troops didn’t leave Military governor Leonard Wood (remember him?)

built schools, sets finances, and keeps peace while Cuba writes a constitution

Helped the Cuban poor provided food and clothing, medical assistance, sanitation, ect.

Platt Amendment 1900 Cuban constitution is written but does not

specify the relationship between U.S. and Cuba 1901 U.S. refuses to leave Cuba unless they

accept the Platt Amendment The Cuban people protested, however, in 1903

the Platt Amendment was accepted as a treaty between the U.S. and Cuba

Cuba became a protectorate a country who’s affairs are partially controlled by a stronger power/country

Platt Amendment Cuba can not make treaties that might limit its

independence or permit a foreign power to control any part of its territory

U.S. reserved the right to intervene in Cuba to preserve independence and maintain order

Cuba was not to go into debt (that Cuba couldn’t pay off with current revenue)

U.S. could buy or lease land on the island for naval and coaling stations (Guantanamo Bay)

U.S. and the Philippines Filipinos rebelled when the U.S. annexed

the Philippine Islands they wanted independence

Emilio Aguinaldo led the rebels believed the U.S. had betrayed the Filipino people

January 1899 Aguinaldo declared the Philippines independent and drafted a constitution

Philippine-American War Emilio Aguinaldo turned to guerilla warfare U.S. forced Filipinos to live in designated zones

Poor sanitation, filth, starvation killed thousands Again, U.S. soldiers saw the Filipinos as inferior

Many African American soldiers defected to the Filipino side didn’t want to support white racial superiority

War lasted 3 years and cost $400 million

P-A War Aftermath U.S. suppressed the rebellion in 1902 American control:

U.S. president would appoint a governor Governor would appoint the legislative upper house Filipinos would elect the lower house

U.S. rule did improve schools, education, hospitals, sanitation

1946 The Philippines become independent

China and the Open Door Policy America was not interested in colonies on the

Asian mainland But they do want trade! Big market for

American products

China is weak “sick man of Asia” European powers and Japan are demanding

trading rights The U.S. wants in too!

John Hay and the Open Door Notes U.S. did not want colonies in China but

did want to trade Great market for American goods Gateway to the rest of Asia

China is weak result of: War Foreign intervention

John Hay and ODN America had

access to China due to previous treaties

But, European powers and Japan have land holdings in China! U.S. fears a war and China losing their land (and the U.S. will lose trade)

Open Door Notes John Hay sent policy statements to Great

Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Russia

U.S. called for open access to China’s coastal ports, elimination of special privileges, maintenance of China’s independence

Why would the U.S. want this??

Boxer Rebellion Chinese secret society “the Boxers”

Wanted all foreign influence out of China Killed missionaries, foreigners, Chinese Christian

converts

August 1900 Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and U.S. join together and march to the Chinese capital, Beijing Want to put down the Boxer Rebellion

Lasted for two months Thousands of Chinese died

Open Door Notes, Part 2 Announced that the U.S. would “safeguard for the

world the principle of equal and impartial trade with all parts of the Chinese Empire”

Reflected three deeply held American beliefs about it’s industrial capitalist society: Growth of U.S. economy depended on exports Felt the U.S. had a right to intervene abroad to keep

foreign markets open Feared the closing of an area to American products,

citizens, or ideas threatened U.S. survival