EXPANSION AND IMPERIALISMThe Rise of America as a

World Power

History 17B

Lecture 6

Introduction: Entangling Alliances

• Washington’s Farewell Address, 1797– Warned nation against entangling

alliances with European continent.

• Woodrow Wilson sent troops to Europe, 1917

• What changed?– America’s place in the world.

• Economic, strategic, and nationalist interests drove U.S. imperialism.

Consolidating American Hemispheric Power

• Early U.S. Foreign Policy– The “myth” of American

isolationism.• Always relied on trade and

looked to expand westward towards “empire.”

• Removing European Obstacles– Monroe Doctrine, 1823

– Mexican American War, 1846-48

– Drove France from Mexico, 1866

– Purchased Alaska in 1867

• Further Expansion?– Economic and social changes

drove imperialism.

Sources of Imperialist Expansion

• Definition– A policy of military and economic conquest and possession.

– Colonies necessary to extract resources and extend markets.

British India

Sources of Imperialist Expansion• U.S. Motivations

– Economic Interests• Capitalism requires expansion of foreign markets.

• Colonies not essential, but they do provide a “captive audience.”

U.S. surpasses Britain in percentage of world manufacturing production.

Sources of Imperialist Expansion

• U.S. Motivations– Strategic Interests

• Alfred Thayer Mahan– Production of goods for foreign

trade.

– Shipping to carry on this commerce.

– Colonies to provide markets and raw materials.

• Strength abroad will bring strength at home.– Dominate Central America, Caribbean, and Pacific.

Captain Alfred T. Mahan

Sources of Imperialist Expansion

• U.S. Motivations– Nationalism

• American visions of greatness and racial/cultural superiority.

• Social Darwinism preached Anglo-Saxon leadership.

• Reinvigorate American people through expansion.

• By 1898, a sense of urgency to jump into race for colonies.

Sources of Imperialist Expansion

• The Spanish-American War, 1898– Fueled by expansionist

ambitions and “yellow journalism.”

• U.S. takes Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines, and a base on Cuba (also annexes Hawaii).

– Resistance• Some Cuban opposition to U.S.

naval presence.• Filipino insurrection costly in

lives and money.

Explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor.

Sources of Imperialist Expansion

• Anti-Imperialist Response– Some called forced acquisition

of territories a threat to U.S. democracy.

– Underlying racist argument:• Backward cultures would pervert

U.S. democracy.

• Fear of interracial mixing and labor unrest.

Progressive Diplomacy

• Indirect imperialism– Export products, ideas, influence.

• Progressive Diplomacy driven by:– Sense of global destiny;

– Commitment to civilizing “lesser breeds;”

– Aggressive economic expansionism.

• TR’s Big Stick– Roosevelt Corollary, 1904

• U.S. would be police power in Western Hemisphere

• Caribbean an “American lake.”

– Use of force creates bad relations with Latino neighbors.

Progressive Diplomacy

• Taft and Dollar Diplomacy– Private investment to promote

U.S. interests in Latin America.• Tied debt-ridden nations to the U.S.

– Substitute “dollars for bullets.”• Taft used both and the policy

became linked with unpopular regimes, corporations, and banks.

William Howard Taft

U.S. Troops in Nicaragua, 1912

Progressive Diplomacy

• Wilson’s New Diplomacy– Export American democracy/capitalism.

• America had a “mission.”

– Patronizing to nations that did not follow American guidance.

• Intervention in Mexico and Latin America.

– Wilson failed to understand that America cannot graft its style of democracy onto countries with their own traditions.

• Will America ever learn this lesson?

Woodrow Wilson

“The War to End All Wars”• American Neutrality

– Potential deep divisions in U.S. population.

– But most Americans favored Allies (Britain, France, and Russia).

• Allied propaganda

• Forces Leading to War– Ensure repayment of Allied loans

– Unrestricted German sub warfare

– Zimmerman Telegram (1917)

• America declared war April, 1917

• Armistice in 1918• Nearly 9 million

dead (115,000 U.S.)

Wilsonian Idealism

• Making the world “safe for democracy.”• 14 Points (1918)

– Free trade, self-determination in Europe and Mid-East, and reduction of weapons.

– League of Nations

• A tough sell to allies at Versailles who wanted to punish Germany.

Versailles Peace Conference

Wilsonian Idealism

• Opposition at Home– Republican opposition to

“collective security.”• Fear of entangling alliances?

– Treaty defeated in Senate. • U.S. does not join the

League of Nations.

• Postwar Disillusionment– America turned inward.